1John 2:5-6 “but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
We may tend to make things more complicated than they are. In Christian circles, there seems to always be an emphasis on ‘keeping God’s word.’ Certainly no one could argue with that emphasis. However, there is a huge problem; as hard as we try and as determined as we might be, we cannot keep His word by our own will-power. There is good news for us-and it is rather simple-and it solves the problem of keeping His word. The liberating truth is that when ‘the love of God has truly been perfected in (us),’ we will keep His word. ‘Truly been perfected’ are key words. Certainly, in my opinion, very few if any are truly perfected in the love of God at the point of salvation. Through out the New Testament we are admonished to grow in the faith, and the grace and the knowledge of God. As we mature in the Lord, we discover more about who He is and who we are in Him; as we know Him in greater ways, we come to understand just how awesome God is-that all He does is out of His perfect love. We learn that He is totally trustworthy and that He is more than able. As we get to know Him, it becomes natural to love Him; and we come to know that we are much better off when all of our life-all of our being is yielded to and entrusted to Him. Back to the admonition to grow in the knowledge of God: growing in the knowledge of God does not happen automatically; it requires something from us. First, it starts with a desire to know Him-but that in itself is not enough. We must avail ourselves to His word as it is His primary way of revealing Himself to us. Also, it is important to express praise and worship to Him; and it is a needed thing to associate with other believers. Let it be our desire to be perfected in the love of God; when we experience the indescribable love of God, it will be our desire to walk in His ways. It’s not all up to us to be perfected in His love; He has given us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper. There is nothing greater to experience in this life than walking in the same manner as He walked.
1 John 4:16 “So we have come to know and to believe the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Blessings, Buddy