If We Keep

I John 2:3 says, “And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”

We have all broken a commandment. And if we have broken one we are guilty of them all (James 2:10). Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  

I talked with a man who knew he was getting near the end of his life. I knew he wanted to go to Heaven, but I didn’t think he was sure if he would because of something he said. I said to him when I left, “Keep looking up!” as I pointed upward. He looked at me, pointed up and said, “Yes, but you have to get past Him.”

We don’t get past God to get into Heaven. I remember in an evangelism course we were told to ask the question, “If you were to die tonight and stand before God, what would you say as to why He should let you into His Heaven?” This is a picture of God wanting to keep sinners out. The opposite is true. He wants to bring sinners in. In Luke 19:10 Jesus said, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Again in Luke 5:32, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Finally in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

There is no question about God being a God full of love for sinners. He is not standing at a gate to keep people out. He sent his Son, Jesus, down from Heaven to pull sinners in. It is by way of the cross, upon which Jesus paid our sin debt, that we can enter in.

So what does obedience (“if we keep his commandments”) on our part have to do with it? Our text does not say we must obey so that He knows who to take to Heaven. It says that if we keep His commandments it will give us assurance that we know Him. Obedience on our part is the way we show Him we love Him.

John goes on to say in I John 2:5, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

It is time to ask ourselves, how is my obedience? Is the love of God perfected in me?  

While sitting at the airport waiting to board, a man with an American Eskimo dog came and stood near us. The dog may have been there to sniff for drugs. It was on a leash, but didn’t need to be. He sat obediently by his master. Without thinking, I opened a pepperoni stick and took a bite. The dog’s eyes riveted on me, obviously wanting some. “Can he have just one piece?” I asked. His master shook his head no, then proceeded to give the dog a treat. The dog took a few steps toward him. The man simply pointed for him to go back. The dog quickly obeyed. It was obvious he was a one-man dog. He knew his master would reward him.

John almost repeats the text in I John  5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” This makes us love the children of God, the family of God. This plan of God is a wonderful thing, IF WE KEEP!