A Christian Keeps God’s Word & Walks In It

Some people have erroneously taught that when we preach for people to obey God’s commandments, it amounts to legalism. I have no idea how they arrived at that destination without biblical facts.

In the epistle of 1 John, the Apostle gives evidence upon evidence to show who a Christian is and who is not.

Our test for this write-up is this: do you keep God’s word or not?

Let’s consider what the writer says in 1 John 2:3‭-‬6 (NKJV) that,

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."

#1. How To Know You Know God. (2:3)

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

John starts by saying that if we say we know God, it must show in our attitude towards His commandments or word. Knowing God means having an intimate relationship with Him. It’s not about head knowledge but abiding in Him and He in you.

You can tell who a Christian is by watching the fruit of the word of God in their lives. Forget about telling me you read your Bible when I see no fruit of obedience in your daily living. When you keep God’s word in you, it will show in your life. Example, when a Christian goes through various trials, you prove he is a Christian when he has joy instead of complaining and cursing the people persecuting him.

#2. People Who Do Not Keep God’s Commandments. (2:4)

“He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

From His foundation thought in verse 3 above, John says that you are not a Christian if you do not keep His commandments. These are people who only confess with their mouth but disobey God’s word. They say they know God but forfeit His word. They simply disobey God’s word. They are described as being liars and untruthful.

Here is a simple question for all of us: do we keep his law or we reject it? If a so-called Christian consistently lives contrary to the word of God, he is deemed as a liar and not having the truth of God in him. He is not a Christian! 

God gives us a perfect description of disobedient people when He said in Hosea 4:6 that,

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children."

#3. People Who Keep God’s Commandments. (2:5-6)

“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

Now, we come to the second group of people who are truly saved and abiding in Christ. They keep God’s word and abide in it.

Keeps His commandments. The true Christian loves God and keeps His word. We have assurance of salvation when we examine our lives and know that we truly keep His word in our lives. We buy the truth and sell it not (Proverbs 23:23). Scripture says for such people, the love of God is perfected in them. God’s love is perfected in our obedience.

Walks in His commandments. The second mark of a true Christian is that he walks in the commandments of God. He abides in Christ and walks as Christ walked. Ephesians 5:1 says we must be imitators of God as His children. Verse 8 says we must walk as children of light and not darkness. Just as Christ walked in the truth, as children of God, we must do the same too.

It is clear from our studies of 1 John 2:3-5 that a Christian keeps the commandments of God and walks as Christ walks. It is not difficult to tell who a Christian is. Just look at their lives and how they treat the word of God.

Jesus said in John 14:23-24 that,

“...“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

Are you keeping His commandments or rejecting it? Share what you think about this test of who a true Christian is.