Love Like Christ

In today's passage from 1 John 2:3-6, the apostle John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, challenges us to examine the authenticity of our faith through the lens of obedience. We're invited to move beyond mere intellectual agreement with Christian doctrine to a living, breathing relationship with Christ that transforms how we live. The central question is profound: How do we know we truly know God? John provides a clear answer—by keeping His commandments. But this isn't about earning salvation through perfect behavior; rather, it's about recognizing that genuine faith naturally produces visible fruit. When we truly encounter Christ's love, when we grasp the magnitude of His sacrifice as our advocate and propitiation, something fundamental shifts within us. We don't obey to become saved; we obey because we are saved. The sermon draws us into three critical tests of authentic faith: adherence to God's Word, an attitude of love that motivates our obedience, and actions that reflect Christ's character. What makes this teaching so powerful is its refusal to let us rest in comfortable, unchecked confidence. Many people fill church pews believing they're saved based on a prayer they once prayed or intellectual agreement with theological facts, yet their lives show no transformation. John warns that such faith is empty—even calling it a lie. True assurance comes when we can look at our lives over time and see genuine change, a growing pattern of obedience driven not by duty but by love for God. This is the knowledge that brings peace—not a mystical feeling, but an objective, tested reality proven through the seasons of life.