My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:1-6 ESV)
Jesus is the covering of our sins, He takes away what would keep us from God. But He does not only do that for us, but He does it for the whole world. And the way we know that we are covered by the Holy Spirit is that we follow His word and keeps His commandments.
Now what are these commandments? We read that and think we have to follow the commandments, the 10 commandments or all of the Law. But is that what it is? I’m not sure that is what Jesus was talking about when He told us to keep His commandments.
The author of John gives us a clue in the last verse of our text for today. “Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” If we are abiding in Him then we should walk the way He walked. We need to go to those who would never come to us because they know they will be judged. We need to love everyone regardless of where they come from, how much they have, what they have done, are doing or will do. We need to help others see the love that God has for them. We need to not judge. Jesus told people they were forgiven for their sins and advised them to go and sin no more. No where did He tell them if they did not stop their actions they would be separated forever from God. He could have judged and He never did, so if we are walking as He walked we can not judge, but we have to love.
They commandments Jesus is talking about is love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. Love is what we are called to do and be. So walk as He did and love everyone you see.
aSacredRebel 