1. Keeping His Commandments
Walking With God

2. Keeping His Commandments
Submission in Relationships
Parent/child – overcomes deficient perspective
Husband/wife – provides a single direction
Employer/employee - clarifies responsibilities
RELATIONSHIPS OFTEN REQUIRE A HIERARCHY
The parent child relationship presents a hierarchy that overcomes a deficiency of perspective
The husband wife relationship presents a hierarchy that allows for a couple to move in a single direction
The employer employee hierarchy clarifies responsibilities

3. Keeping His Commandments
These relationships require:
Trust - on the part of both parties, that the other will meet their responsibilities
Concern - on the part of the “head” that they provide loving leadership
Submission - on the part of the “follower” that allows the relationship to function
ALL SUCH RELATIONSHIPS REQUIRE:
Trust - on the part of both, that the other will meet their responsibilities
Concern - on the part of the “head” that they will be followed
Submission - on the part of the “follower” that allows the relationship to function

4. Keeping His Commandments
Obedience is:
A necessary component in our walk with God
The fulfillment of our part of the covenant
Demonstration of trust in God’s concern for us
It is the fulfillment of our part of our covenant with God
Demonstrates trust in God’s concern for our well-being

5. Keeping His Commandments
Defining Obedience
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 5:1–3 (NASB95)
More than rule keeping
MORE THAN RULE KEEPING
Obedience is an expression of our love for God - 1 Jn 5:1-3
His commandments are not burdensome because we are “born of God,” i.e. we have overcome the worldly tendency to satisfy our own sinful desires
Reflects our attitude toward God more than our desire regarding any particular command

6. Keeping His Commandments
Defining Obedience
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
1 John 5:13–15 (NASB95)
More than rule keeping
Recognition of God’s position, wisdom and grace
RECOGNITION OF GOD’S POSITION, WISDOM AND GRACE
John equates belief in the Son of God with obedience - 1Jn 5:13-15, 1-3
Seeking eternal life through relationship with God is an acknowledgement of His position as the God who grants eternal life
Making supplication to Him demonstrates a trust in His wisdom and grace - 1Jn 5:14-15

7. Keeping His Commandments
Defining Obedience
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. 18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.
1 John 5:16–18 (NASB95)
More than rule keeping
Recognition of God’s position, wisdom and grace
Placing my will under God’s
PLACING MY WILL UNDER GOD’S
John is extolling the virtues of repenting and seeking forgiveness - 1Jn 5:16-18
This demonstrates the submission of will required to truly obey 
The elder brother of Lk 15 demonstrates this reality
The continual turning toward God described here is only accomplished through total submission - 1 Jn 5:18

8. Appealing for Fellowship
God is Light
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5 (NASB95)
The phrase describes God’s nature
Light represents holiness and righteousness
If we desire to be in fellowship with Him, we cannot participate in darkness
GOD IS LIGHT - 1 JN 1:5
The phrase describes God’s nature
Light represents holiness and righteousness
In Him is no darkness; therefore if we desire to be in fellowship with Him we cannot participate in darkness

9. Appealing for Fellowship
Walking in the Light
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:6–7 (NASB95)
Describes the Obedient Life
Demonstrated as we:
Confess our sins – 1 Jn. 1:9
Keep His commandments – 1 Jn. 2:3,5
Love our brethren – 1 Jn. 2:10
WALKING IN THE LIGHT - 1JN 1:6-7
Describes the obedient life 
Notice that fellowship is conditioned on walking in the light - vs. 7
Walking in the light is demonstrated as we 
Confess our sins - 1 Jn 1:9
Keep His commandments - 1Jn 2:3,5
Love our brethren - 1 Jn 2:10

10. Appealing for Fellowship
Obedience apart from grace accomplishes nothing – 1 Jn. 3:5
Grace does not remove all conditions – 1 Jn. 3:6
Obedience serves as both request and confirmation that we abide in Him
5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
1 John 3:5–6 (NASB95)
THROUGH OBEDIENCE WE APPEAL TO HIM FOR FELLOWSHIP
We understand that obedience apart from grace accomplishes nothing - 1 Jn 3:5
However, grace has not removed all conditions and has not rendered obedience unnecessary - 1 Jn 3:6
Our obedience serves as both request and confirmation that we abide in Him 
Thru obedient faith we access His grace - 1 Jn 2:1-3

11. Appealing for Fellowship
When we live obedient lives…
We have life – 1 Jn. 3:14
We are “of the truth” – 1 Jn. 3:19
He abides in us – 1 Jn. 3:24
5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
1 John 3:5–6 (NASB95)
When we are living obedient lives, including the confession of sin as needed, we can be confident that:
We have life - 1Jn 3:14
We are “of the truth” - 1 Jn 3:19
He abides in us, i.e. we have true fellowship with Him - 1Jn 3:24
The role of faith in this is implicit
The pre-gnostics would have admitted Jesus is the Son of God, but would not admit to the need to live obediently
As a result they walked in darkness
Thus John leads us to the same place that James takes us - “faith without works is dead”

12. Coming to Know the Lord
To “know” him is to develop a personal relationship with Christ
John connects love an obedience in a manner that forces the heart to be the source of our obedient action 
God’s law serves to show us the character of Christ
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
1 John 2:3–6 (NASB95)
TO KNOW HIM
EFFECTING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP - 1JN 2:3
“know” - used of knowing that something is the case (factual knowledge), “we know,” and of knowing Christ and the Father relationally, “that we know Him”
To know Him is not to merely know facts but to have a relationship in which there is personal knowledge
The text does not point us to a special prayer or feeling, but to a life of obedience to accomplish this goal - 
LOVE AND OBEDIENCE - 1 JN 2:5
John connects love an obedience in a manner that forces the heart to be the source of our obedient action - our relationship is not with the commandment but with the commander
The crucifixion of the flesh and its desires, the other centered service, the God focussed worship that we must participate in drives us to the kind of love John speaks of
The more our life is characterized by obedience the more loving we should become because we are emulating God in these actions
BECOMING MORE LIKE HIM - 1JN 2:6
The law of God serves to show us the character of Christ - Heb 5
As we seek His commandments and put them first in our lives we become more like Christ
Obedience leads us to love others, have a sacrificial mindset and turn to the Father