Do You Walk As Jesus Walked?

 ³And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.⁴He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.⁵But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. ⁶He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
-First John 2:3-6 (KJV)

I am quickly learning to love the book of First John. I love the way he offers a no nonsense, this is the way it must be done approach. John lays it on the line, telling you without a shadow of doubt how we should be living our lives in Christ. Look at today's reading as an example. Do you keep the commandments of Jesus? More specifically, do you walk as Jesus walked?

Verses 3-4 reveals to us how to know if we are true Christians, true followers of Jesus. It's simple, do you keep his commandments? In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, we see Jesus saying numerous times, "if you love me keep my commandments." In other words, if you really love Jesus, you will do what He has told you to do. You will not do the things He told you not to do. That is the way to tell. Verse 4 says that if we claim to know him, but don't keep the commands of Jesus, we are a liar, and the truth is not in us. Wow! Can't put it much plainer than that. Does your actions back up your words? It's easy for you and I to say we know Jesus, but do you keep his commandments?

By keeping his commandments, the love of God is perfected in us. That's what we learn in verse 5. I like that word "perfected." Perfected means, "complete, lacking nothing essential to the whole, being without defect." If we keep the commands of Jesus, the love of God will be complete, without defect, without lacking anything essential, in our lives. Isn't that awesome? John finishes this thought in verse 6 with a challenge. If we say we abide in Jesus, we should walk as He walked. What does this mean? Jesus walked in the commands of God. He kept His Father's commandments. We, too, must keep His commandments. Are you walking as Jesus walked? Think About It.