I John 2:3-6

This section plays a major role in helping us understand how we can have the right attitude, the right emotions in our obedience. The key here is knowing God. How does one come to know God? To the Christian, coming to know God is accomplished by fellowshipping with God.

What John is saying here in I John 2, beginning in verse 3, is that there is no real knowledge of God without obedience to Him. You cannot know God without obeying Him.

So John is saying then that obedience is the vehicle, it is the means, by which we begin to experience God-life. It is the means by which we begin to experience eternal life. It is the means by which we begin to experience knowing God.

Now the word 'know' when applied to human relationships in the Old Testament implies intimacy all the way to sexual relations. Adam 'knew' his wife and she conceived. That is very plain. When it is applied to our relationship with God, the sexual dimension disappears; but instead it becomes an intimate devotion to and a loyalty of life together. This is very important. Eternal life is to know God. The sexual dimension disappears and the sexual part becomes intimate devotion and loyalty of life together.

I John 2:3-6

So while the context of these verses are quite different, they all urge us to do a particular thing. And in general, that thing is imitate what Christ did. Do as He did, walk as He walked. Whether it is serving others, suffering without complaint, or keeping God's commandments, the instruction is the same. Jesus never put a wrong foot forward on the path to the Kingdom of God. He always did His Father's will. He never strayed. He never sinned. And so we could never go wrong following His example.

I John 2:3-5

There it is. You want to know whether you know God? This is where we began. John 17:3, eternal life is know God.

Ah, ha. See? The love of God is perfected in those who keep His Word (I John 4:12). In these people is perfected the love of God. It is the keeping of the commands of God by the Spirit of God with the motivation of the love of God that perfects the love of God. See? We begin to get into one of these cycles.

I John 2:3-6

What is he doing here? He is laying down unleavened bread to us. The idea behind unleavened bread is to know Him, to feed on Him. So we know we have taken Him inside, but then the reaction to that or the next obvious step, is to walk as He walked. So we take in what He has revealed to us as His character, the way He lives, and we walk the walk.

I John 2:3-5

That we are wrapped by Him in an envelope or in a some sort of casing where He keeps us safe. And we know that if we keep doing these things, we will remain there continuing to grow.