First John chapter 2, we looked
at verse 1 last Sunday which says, my little children, these things
write I unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have
an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. What a wonderful verse that is.
If any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ,
the righteous. Verse two says, and he is the
propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for
the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we
know him if we keep his commandments. He that sayeth I know him and
keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not
in him. But whoso keepeth his word in
him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that
we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him
ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Now, I feel led for us to look
at something specifically this morning, and it's from verses
three to five. But verse two said, he is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for
the sins of the whole world. When you know something of the
truth of God's election, if God has revealed the truth of election
to us, God choosing a particular people to save. God being gracious
to whom he will be gracious. and showing mercy on whom he
will show mercy. When you know the truth of those
things, which is the truth of God's word, that can be a very
confusing verse of scripture. Many verses like that can be
very, very confusing. The reason why I want to look
at verses three to five is because we just looked at this subject
In first Timothy chapter two, we just looked at this subject
of whether or not God will have all men to be saved, whether
or not God wants everybody to be saved. So we're not going
to dwell on this verse for the Bible study, but for a reminder
of what the truth of the matter is on it. Let me quote first
Timothy two verse four. Speaking of God, it says, who
will have all men to be saved and to come unto a knowledge
of the truth. Well, our Lord would not have
Esau to be saved. Our Lord would not have Judas
to be saved. Our Lord would not have Pharaoh
to be saved. There were whole nations of people
that our Lord would not have to be saved. So that's not what
that verse means. When verse 2 right here says,
He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but
also for the sins of the whole world. Our Lord said in John
17, Father, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast
given me. out of the world. Particular,
chosen, selected, out of, thank God, think about this, out of
every tribe, every nation, every kindred, every tongue, thank
God, every generation, from all over this world, to say that
Christ is the propitiation, that means the sin covering, the atonement,
For the whole world, that means, thank God, it's not just the
Jews only. Thank God, he is the sin covering
for the Gentiles too. If you're not a Jew, you're a
Gentile. He is mercy for sinners, Jew
sinners and Gentile sinners, it reaches to the uttermost.
Because God so loved this world, he gave his only begotten son.
Thank God, thank God. Now, with that being established
again, what I want us to see this morning is another statement
here that can be hard to understand. We're on the subject of difficult
to understand things right here. When we know something of our
sinfulness and our inability This can be hard to understand.
Verse three says hereby. And I just want to say before
we get into this, this is true. This is so if God wrote it in
this word, this is so okay. Verse three says hereby. We do know that we know him. If we keep his commandments. He that sayeth I know him. and
keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not
in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in
him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that
we are in him. That's how we know we're in him.
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk,
even as he walked, keeping his own commandments. I want us to look this morning
at the subject of keeping his commandments. And the reason
is because the scripture means what it says. It means what it
says. It says what it means. It means
what it says. He said, if we claim to be children
of the father, he is speaking to my little children. Isn't
that how he started chapter two? My little children. If we claim to be children of
the father and don't keep his commandments, he said, we're
liars and the truth is not in us. And I'm going to get right
to the point on this because we know that the scripture says
there is none that do with good. No, not one. We know that the scripture says
all of our righteousnesses, all of our good deeds, all our good
works are filthy rags. We know that the scripture says
it's not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us. We know that the scripture says
by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his
sight. We know, we know that we could
not, and we cannot keep his commandments. All we can do is sin against
his commandments in this flesh in ourselves. All we can do is
sin against his commandments. And here's the reason why the
commandment is not indeed only the commandment is in thought.
and desire of the heart. In our sinful state it is impossible
for us to keep the commandments of God in a way and to the standard
that God requires us to keep them, it's impossible, it's impossible. That's why Christ had to come.
That's the whole reason Christ had to come. It's because we
could not keep God's law. That's why Christ had to come.
We could only sin against it. So Christ came to do for us what
we could not do for ourselves. In Matthew 5, 17, our Lord said,
think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am
not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Christ came and he fulfilled
the law for his people. Christ came and kept the commandments
for his people. And every time we see a requirement,
wherever we are in the scripture, Every time we see a requirement
to keep the law laid on us, every time that's laid on us. Every
time we see this stark reminder, now the law is going to have
to be kept. Commandments are going to have
to be kept. Every time we see something like that in the scripture,
here's the good news, the good news and the relief of the gospel. Okay. Christ came and did that
for you. He applied it to you. All right,
that's so Christ came and he did that for you. With that being said, there is
one thing here that we do need to realize. First, John two is
telling us something and it's this right here. It's this right
here. Turn with me if you would to
Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews 10 verse 1 says, for
the law. This is talking about the law
that we could not keep. The commandments from God to
us that we could not do, okay? That's what this is talking about.
Therefore, look at verse 9. It says, then said he, Then said
Christ, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the
first, that he may establish the second. All right, now that's
the key to what 1 John 2 is talking about. Christ fulfilled the law
of commandments for us. He delivered us from the curse
of breaking that law of commandments, but He did not leave us without
commandments. He took away the first, and He
established the second, all right? The second set of commandments
for us, and here's what they are. On three separate occasions,
God the Father spoke out loud from heaven to us. In those three occasions, he
gave three separate commandments to us. Our text in first John said,
we have an advocate with the father. My little children, we
have an advocate with the father. Hereby we know that we know him. If we keep his commandments,
the father's commandments. It said, little children, if
we say that we belong to the father and we don't keep his
commandments, we're liars and the truth is not in us. But if
we keep the father's commandments, the love of God is perfected
in us. And this is how we can know that we're in him. Look
at Matthew seven with me. Matthew 7, 21 says, not everyone
that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father, which
is in heaven. He said, that's it. That's how
you can know who the people of God are. They keep his commandments. They do the will of the father
by the grace of God, by the will of God, by the work of God. It's
God, which works in us both to will and do of his good pleasure,
but they keep his commandments. They do the will of the father. All right. What are his commandments? What has the Father commanded
to us? The first time that the Father
spoke out loud was at the beginning of the Lord Jesus Christ's ministry,
okay? Turn with me to Matthew chapter
three. Matthew 3.13 says, Then cometh Jesus from Galilee
to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. But John forbade him,
saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now,
for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered
him. And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway out of the water, And lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like
a dove and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven saying,
this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. This is my beloved son. In whom I am well pleased. I'll tell you that that is not
just an announcement of favor. That's not just an announcement
of favor. That's the declaration of the
gospel. God, the father said, this is my beloved son. He's telling everybody this in
him. I'm well placed. Know this, this
is Him. This is the promised one. This is the Son of God. In Him,
in whom I am well pleased. I love how Luke's account words
it. Look with me at Luke chapter 3. Luke 3 verse 21 says, Now when
all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also
being baptized and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy
Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice
came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son. In thee I am well pleased. That's the gospel. That is the
gospel. What was the father saying to
us in that announcement? That declaration of Christ, the
gospel of Christ. This is my beloved son in whom
I'm well pleased. He was saying, believe on him.
Believe on him. This is my son. This is the sent
one. Believe on him. In him, I'm well
pleased. Here's the announcement of the
gospel. In him, I'm well pleased. Outside of him, I'm angry. Outside of him, my wrath is kindled. My wrath against sin is kindled.
But in him, I am well pleased. Believe on him. Bow to Him. Worship Him. Come to Him. Believe on Him. This is my Son. Believe on Him. Turn with me
to John chapter 6. John 6, 28, it says, then said they unto him, what
shall we do that we might work the works of God? What are the
works of God? What do we need to do in order
to work the works of God? Verse 29, Jesus answered and
said unto them, this is the work of God that you believe on him
whom he had sent. He said that's the commandment
of the Father. That's the work that he commands. Believe on Christ. Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That's a commandment.
That's not an invitation. That's a commandment. From the
Father to us, believe on him. The second time that the Father
spoke out loud was in the middle of the Lord's ministry. And we're
actually going to look at this account in just a minute in the
message. But in Mark chapter 9, turn over
to Mark chapter 9. Mark 9 verse 2 says, And after
six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and
leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before
them, and his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow,
so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared
unto them Elias with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for
us to be here, and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee,
and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he knew not what to
say, for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed
them, and a voice came out of the cloud saying, this is my
beloved son, hear him. Hear Him and Him alone. It's His word alone. His authority
alone. Let Him be true and everyone
else be a liar. Hear every word that has proceeded
out of His mouth. Hear Him. Hear Him. What has He said? He said, come
unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you
rest. He said, all that the father
giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will
know I was cast out. He said, I'm the good shepherd.
The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. He said,
I'm the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life. No man comes to the
father but by me. Hear him. The father said, believe
on him. This is the one. Believe on him. and hear him. That's the father's commandment
to us. Believe on him, hear him. The third time that the father
spoke out loud was at the end of the Lord's ministry as he
was headed to the cross. Go with me if you would to John
chapter 12. John 12 verse 27 says, Now is
my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this
hour. But for this cause came I unto
this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then
came there a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified
it and will glorify it again. The people, therefore, that stood
by and heard it said that it thundered. Others said an angel
spake to him. Jesus answered and said, this
voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the
judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this
world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, will draw all unto me. This he said, signifying
what death he should die. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, Father,
glorify thy name. And the Father cried out loud
from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. The Lord said, that voice did
not ring out for my sake. He said, that was for you. That
was for you. That was for your sake. that
you might know the glory of the cross, the glory that the father
has commanded and the son has earned by the sacrifice of himself
for the sin of his people. In all of it, he gets the glory. In all of it, he gets the glory.
Because of that salvation, the father has commanded three things
of us. And again, if we do these three things, it's God, which
works in us both to will and do of his good pleasure. And
he gets the credit. But these are the commandments
of the father, believe on Christ, hear Christ, glorify Christ. When we read scriptures like
first John two and Matthew seven, it means what it says. When it says this is the evidence
of how you can know you belong to me, it means what it says.
This is how you can know that you're one of his. He said you
will keep his commandments. And these are the commandments.
When you read that, if that's confusing to you, just remember
it's always about Christ. It's always concerning Christ.
Believe on Christ. Here, Christ glorify Christ. Christ satisfied the law of commandments
and he established the father's commandments to his people. He
said, anyone who says he or she is one of mine. and does not
believe on Christ and hear Christ and glorify Christ is a liar
and the truth is not in him. But he or she that does believe
on Christ, hear Christ, glorify Christ, the love of God is perfected
in that person, and that soul belongs to me. That soul is mine. So, may God give us the ability
to keep his commandments. Believe on Christ, hear Christ,
glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. All right.