“Considerations Concerning Christianity”

(1 John 2:3-11)

Series: A Word for the Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

September 5, 2021

The Passage

1 John 2:3-11

3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the word you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Introductory Comments:

Do you ever see an animal, bug, or plant and wish that you could identify what it was? Well, I have an app on my phone called, Seek. [show picture on screen] This app is helpful to identify certain things. You can take a picture of a bug, a plant, or an animal and it will help identify the species of that living thing. Pretty cool, huh? 

Here’s a question for you: how do you identify if someone is really a follower of Jesus? Don’t you wish there was an app where you could point your phone at someone and it would tell you if that person were really a Christian? Perhaps you want to know whether or not you are really a Christian?

Today, John is going to talk to us about how we can know whether or not we know God. In fact, the very first words from this passage are: This is how we know that we know him . . .

Today’s sermon is entitled: “Considerations Concerning Christianity.” [on screen]

Before we consider these considerations, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us as individuals and as a church.

(prayer)

We are, indeed, continuing our series in 1 John. Thus far, we have heard that there is something special about Jesus, John experienced it, and he wants us to know about it. Then, we learned that fellowship with God is found and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Jesus is found when we walk with God in the light.

Today, we’re going to consider a few things concerning Christianity. 

First, let us consider . . .

I. Truth and lies (verses 3-6)[on screen]

Let’s look at the passage and let us discover what is true and what is a lie. 

Look at verses 3-6:

3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

Ok, first of all, pay attention to this: John answers the question of how we can know if we truly know God. This is how we know if we know God: if we keep his commands! [on screen]

That’s pretty straightforward, right? If you keep the commands of God, that indicates that there is a change in your life; it indicates that you have a new heart and a new mind; it indicates that the Holy Spirit of God dwells inside of you.

So, do you keep the commands of God? Just think about that for a second. 

Listen: we don’t keep the commands of God in order to be changed by God (only Jesus can change us)! However, once we are changed by God, John says that we should keep the commands of Go