Peter Barnes | 1 John 2:3-6
SERMON NOTES
ASSURANCE THROUGH OBEDIENCE
Psalm 40; 1 John 2:3-6
Robert Murray McCheyne: ‘For every look at self, take ten looks at Christ!’ Nevertheless, there is 2 Cor.13:5.
1. We grow in assurance by obeying God’s commandments.
– 2:3-4; John 14:15; Calvin: ‘no evil has been more common in all ages than vainly to profess God’s name’.
– sin undermines assurance (2 Sam.12:13; Ps.51:11-12)
– legal obedience in Luke 15:29; 18:11-12, 20-21; evangelical obedience in Psalm 119; note too Heb.12:14
2. Growing in obedience leads to a full expression of the love of God.
– 2:5; probably not God’s love to us (NIV) but our love to God (Calvin, Colin Kruse); see 1 John 5:3; Deut.10:12
3. Assurance comes as we seek to walk as Christ walked.
– 2:6; the Docetists denied the humanity of Christ so they could not imitate it
– not referring to John 6:19! But to passages like John 13:15; 14:31.