“But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:5-6
The importance for obedience is shown in the verse right before these verses. If you claim to know God but do not do what He says, you are called a liar. To know God is also to obey Him.
You may ask how this can be since you may know a person, but not obey that person. With God it is much different than with just a person. God is God and is in absolute control of everything. A person, is just a person and really not in control of very much.
When you realize who God is and how much He loves you, you will want to obey Him. If you do not love Him after seeing who He is and His love for you, you are truly insane or very blind, refusing to see the truth.
Once you fully obey God in all He says, John points out that love has been made complete in you. This is because God is love and everything about Him is love. He gives all commands out of love and nothing else. As you obey, His love is being truly manifested in you.
John, then, states how you can know you are in God. It is by living like Jesus did.
How did Jesus live? In perfect union with God. He did nothing or said nothing without the Father’s approval. Jesus was perfectly obedient to the Father, even to the point of a painful death on a cross for others that did not want Him or accept Him. This was perfect love.
Today how are you living like Jesus? Did you say the words Jesus would have said? Did you help as Jesus would have helped? Did you meet needs as Jesus did? Did you pray as Jesus prayed? What were your motives? Ask God to help you to live like Jesus.
I pray that today God will strengthen you to live like Jesus; that God will remind you of how Jesus lived; that you will truly know God; that God will reveal more of Himself to you; and that God’s love will be made complete in you.
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