He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.
This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.
2 comments:
This is so black and white! It is the word of God! We don't have to read into it, we can not add to it or take anything away from it so why then is it so hard for folks to understand?!?!
I have been called a great many names for backing up these scriptures. :-) Its too funny!
Let's read a bit further in 1 John:
"Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth... And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. -1 John 2:7-8 and 3:23-24
In the Old Testament it was taught that the 10 commandments could be boiled down to two - Love the Lord thy God, and Love your neighbor. These are the commandments John is talking about. That is why he calls the Old commandments from the beginning, and also yet new.
Jesus verifies this:
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." -Mark 12:30-31
Paul teaches us that we are dead to the law, and alive to liberty in Christ Jesus, and 2 Corinthians 3 teaches us that even the 10 commandment have been abolished. We are free through Christ's spilt blood. Christians automatically do the good works discussed in James chapter 2, because a true born again person has God's Holy Spirit indwellin them, and hence, guiding them.
When a person tries to keep the Old Testament law, then they are in danger of the veil being over their hearts, as 2 Cor. 3 warns, and could even make the cross of Christ of none effect.
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