By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments… Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 john 2:3, 6
The way we know that we know God and that we are in Christ is to keep His commandments, or to say it another way, to walk as Jesus walked. Walk in obedience to God’s commands and you will grow in assurance. Walk as Jesus walked and you will know that you are in Him.
The way Jesus walked was to obey the commandments. He said, “I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father” (Jn. 14:31). If we are in Him, we will do the same.
John said, “We know that we have come to know [God], if we keep His commandments.” The word “keep” here was used of a ship’s captain using his eyes and ears to scan the skies and waters and chart the right course.
You live the Christian life by keeping your eyes and ears open to the Word of God. What has God said that I need to hear in this situation? What principle do I need to apply? What promise do I need to believe?
If assurance depends on our keeping God’s commands, how can we ever hope to have assurance? Which of us can honestly say that we walk as Jesus walked?
No Christian keeps God’s commands completely, but all Christians begin to live according to God’s commands. That’s why Paul says, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own” (Phil. 3:12).
This is the path on which assurance is found. As you walk in this path, growing peace, joy, and assurance will be yours.
What encouragement do you find in Paul’s admission that he had not obtained perfection but kept pressing on?
