Love God - 1 John 5:2-4

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This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands. For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden, because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 1 John 5:2‭-‬4

I'm in School Here

Believers in Jesus keep His commands. And that’s what I do. Right?

Yes, it is. 

Not perfectly. And sometimes I look like a complete wreck at keeping His commands.

But I’m in school here. I’m learning, and like a Kindergartener who is learning to write his name, I can get the letters backwards.

And when I get it backwards, I want to get it right. I can stumble, skin my knee, try again, fall again, even break a bone, but He is still working on me.

Don’t get me wrong; my sin is serious, and it causes hurt in me and others. Still, dealing with it is part of the discipleship of the Lord in my life. 

One of the interesting things to me in this verse is this: It says, “We know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey his commands.”

I have never really paid attention to that verse before. 

Loving God’s children is closely tied to loving God AND obeying His commands. If I don’t keep His commands, there’s probably a leak in my love for His children.

Love for God = Keep His Commands

Also, the apostle John defines “love for God”: Keep His commands. Love is not an ooey gooey feeling I have for God. When I love God and keep His commands, that’s how the feeling we call love is generated. 

It’s so hard for me to keep his commandments.

Wait, not so fast. That’s not what He says. He says His commands are NOT a burden. 

And then He throws a big exclamation mark on this by saying, “EVERYONE who has been born of God conquers the world.” 

Not just the super star Christians who lead thousands of people to Christ. 

Me. I conquer the world. 

Because He has done that spiritual miracle in me. He has given me the power, the humble power to do it. To conquer.

And by the world, John is talking about all of those things embedded in the world that tempt me to sin. 

I have conquered (past tense) because I am born of God. And because I am born of God, He is working in me. Right now. 

That victory over the world comes from my faith. My little, itty, bitty, mustard seed faith. It conquers the mean, nasty, monstrous world. See, it is a miracle. 

Lord, I depend upon you right now to empower my faith. Teach me to honor you with my life by obeying you. Shine your light on me and through me. I am not God. I am your servant. Today. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

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