1 John 2:1-6 – “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.⁴ Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

As Christians, there is great reward in fellowship with Jesus.  Psalms 16:11 declares “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  In this life, we struggle with besetting sin from the fallen world around us and our own sinful flesh.  We struggle with great assurance provided through our advocate, Jesus Christ.  We have this assurance because Jesus has paid the price for our sin, and reigns even now in victory over sin and death for eternity.  What the King has declared, shall be done, and to every one of us who trusts in Him, He has declared – this one is Mine.  His victory over our sin through His life, His death, and His resurrection is the foundation of our hope, our inheritance with Him forever. 

The love of God towards us in Jesus is greater than we can possible imagine.  Romans 8:32 – “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”  So to know God, is to both know His love towards us, and His desire for our good.  Abiding in His love, therefore flows to trusting His good desire for us through His commandments to us.  Psalm 119 declares the goodness of God in His commandments for us, even pleading with God for more as in vs. 17-20 “Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.  Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.  I am a sojourner on the earth;    hide not your commandments from me!  My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.”  1 John 5:3 summarizes this in saying “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”  

We all have sin.  We all have past struggles that we must fight today.  In your own fight, do you view the commandments of God, the call to personal holiness and selfless love a burden or a delight?  Do you trust God, that as He loved you enough to die for you, that His will for your life although seemingly hard will be the means of greatest joy and good?  My encouragement today is not to “stop sinning”, but rather to “start seeing, savoring, and believing the love of God towards us in Jesus”.  He is good.  Really good.  He is our advocate, and is worth following – although hard at times, He alone has the words of life, and in His commandments are the means of life, fullness, and lasting joy.