Verses Used:

• 1 John 2:3-14

Takeaways:

Real Obedience

• Obedience to Jesus is an indicator that our faith is real.
• If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
• Your actions - the way you live your life, tells the truth about you. Either you will obey Jesus or self.

Real Love

• Jesus told his disciples the world will know you are Christians by your love for one another. 
• Jesus specifically says, “Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment - to love one another - is the same message you heard before.”
• He goes on to say, “If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.

Real Identity

•  Identity > Love > Obedience
• We don’t obey to get loved; we are loved, so we learn to love, and that leads to obedience.
• John addresses Stages of Growth: Children - forgiven and knowing the Father; Young - strong, with God’s Word living in you, overcoming the evil one; Fathers (Mature) knowing Christ who is from the beginning.

This is how we know authentic Faith:

• Real obedience - a growing “yes” to Jesus
• Real love - a widening circle of grace
• Real identity - living as the forgiven, the strong, the overcoming, with God’s Word alive in us.
• Real faith produces real fruit - obedience, love, and spiritual growth.

Josh led us through an Application/Reflection Moment. Take a moment to think and pray through the following:

• Obedience Check: Where do my choices show I trust Jesus? Where do they show I trust myself?
• Love Meter: Who is hardest for me to love right now? What would “walking in the light: look like toward them this week?
• Identity Anchor: Which identity word from verses 12-14 do I need to cling to - forgiven, strong, overcoming, knowing the Father/Christ - and why?
• Practice: What one habit will help align my behavior with my beliefs this week? (Getting into scripture, confession, encouragement, serving) 

Discussion Questions:    

• Why is loving one another such an important teaching of Jesus? What happens when love is missing?
• How does obedience motivated by love look different than obedience not motivated by love? How can you tell?
• How might a skewed identity affect our obedience to Jesus and love for others?
• When a person does not live with authentic faith, how does that affect those around them?

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