1 John 3:23, 24 says...

Today's verses finished out chapter 3 and they are 1 John 3:23, 24, which read,

v.23 - This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

John is a good teacher and he is summarizing what he has already said.  Here are 3 things for the genuine Christian to remember, know, do, and be.  

"...that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ,..." starts us out.  To believe is "to be persuaded of" and "to place confidence in" and that belief is in the name or "everything about" this one earthly named Jesus who is God's Son (deity) and the Christ (anointed One, prophesied Messiah of the Old Testament).  

"...love one another,..." is the second bullet point in John's summary.  This "standing at the altar" type of love is for the church, your brothers and sisters in Christ.

"...just as He commanded us." - is the third bullet point that gives us need for the genuine Christian to obey what God has given us to do.  I need to believe, I need to love, and I need to obey.

v.24 - The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He is him.  We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

John, the teacher, goes back to the word "abide" - "to remain."  The one who attends carefully to and holds these commands near to himself, in the palm of his hand, remains in God and God also remains in him.  We reside in God and God resides in us and for confirmation is the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.  The Holy Spirit confirms in us that we are genuine Christians.  Our confirmation is not our own but by the Holy Spirit that has been given to us by our Savior Jesus Christ.  

As we obey, the Holy Spirit in us and given to us will confirm our abiding in God.  I think of myself in a row boat with the two oars.  I need both oars to get maximum forward motion.  One oar is the commands given by my loving God for me to obey.  The other oar is the Holy Spirit given by my loving God who reminds me of what God has said.  Both oars are given to me by God and when I pull on these oars, it propels me forward in my walk with God.  Maybe the boat I am sitting in is me abiding in God for the illustration's sake.

"Lord, I am continually amazed at all that You have provided for me to know and to live a life that is holy onto You.  You gave Your Son, Your Holy Book (the Bible), and Your Holy Spirit to me to experience salvation of my sins, instruction for life, and a continual teacher.  May I realize that this was all done out of love for me.  Amen."
  
Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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