“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

“He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

“ But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6)

Did that say: 'He who says he abides in Him...ought himself also...to walk just as He (Jesus) walked...'?

So...how’s that been working out for you?

You have your good days, maybe those few good moments spread far and few and in-between, you say? Two steps forward and then three steps back?

Story of your life, right? I mean, nobody’s perfect and God sure doesn’t expect us to be ‘perfect’ so why beat yourself up over and over and just accept His love and grace...they tell us.

And yet, Jesus said: “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Not my words.... His words (Matt. 5:48).

But what if we missed it somewhere? What if...God really did come to transform us and truly make us a ‘new creation...where old things are passed away and all things become...new’, just like it says in 2 Cor. 5:17. You know all that OT talk about how God was going to give us a new heart of flesh and put His Spirit in us and cause us to walk in His ways (Ezek. 36:27)? Are we not supposed to be ‘conformed to the image of His Son, that He (Jesus) might be the firstborn among many brethren?” (Rom. 8:29) Do you realize what that implies?

John wrote that “everyone who has this hope in Him...purifies himself, just as He is pure and we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:3,2)

That is the ‘bar’, or the standard that Jesus came and set for all who repent and follow Him. Seriously...look back in Matt. 5...where Jesus taught us: “You have heard it said to those of old, ‘you shall not murder’...but I say to you...whoever is angry with his brother...or calls someone a fool...shall be in danger of the judgment and hell fire...” (21-22). And do you want me to remind you of the ‘bar’ he set/raised when it came to not ‘committing adultery’ and then addresses our ‘thought life’ (Matt. 5:27-28)?

So once again, I ask you: “How’s that been working out for you?” Friends, I will continue to make the case here...that we have fallen way short of walking in the light as He is in the light; and we can thank the majority of those watered-down, powerless ‘gospels’ that we have been fed most of our lives (2 Cor. 11:3-4; Gal 1:6-9).

I continue to hear those ‘alternate versions’ preached that basically come across sounding like this: You are a miserable, wretched sinner/failure who will never be able to walk like Jesus because of your pathetic, flawed humanity; but God loves you and wants you to know that by giving you this set of ‘crutches or wheelchair’ so you can still manage to get through this life until He comes to take you to heaven.

Please show me one example in the gospels where Jesus came and simply enabled a lame person to continue to trudge along ‘as they were’. He healed them totally and immediately...telling them to ‘take up your bed and walk’...and lives were miraculously transformed and changed in seconds. Why, even blind Bartimaeus knew he would not need that old cloak (‘white cane’) of his anymore when he heard Jesus call him...and tossed it aside (Mark 10:52) before his eyes were opened.

Do you recall the story of young David who found himself on the battlefield about to face the biggest giant he’d ever seen, in Goliath- (1 Sam. 17)? He asked the most profound question for the ages that resonates down through the centuries...even to this day for anyone who claims to be a child of God: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And what ‘giant of a lying sin’ continues to defy and overcome you, when it should be the other way around, given that Christ has made us ‘more than conquerors...who can ‘do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us’ (Rom. 8:37; Phil. 4:13)?

But don’t think all it takes is another ‘emotional boosting sermon’ to ‘wind you up’ for a day or two, before you end up right back in the same place. Maybe it’s time to be honest with ourselves...(2 Cor. 13:5) and explore the possibility that just perhaps...we got it wrong somewhere? I’ve made it no secret that these past five years ...I’ve had a few things to learn over again; as it going back to ‘square one’; and it has made all the difference in the world and in my life. And I’ll keep ‘shouting it from the housetop’ until He directs me otherwise, or comes to take me ‘home’ with Him.

If we are truly ‘abiding’ in Him...we’ll be keeping His commandments and walking just as He did...and no longer sinning (1 John 3:6,23-24; 2:6). And ‘by THIS...will all men know we are His disciples...by the love we demonstrate towards one another’ (John 13:34-35). Because ‘most assuredly...anyone who commits sin remains a slave to sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever’ (John 8:34-35). And we know a true ‘son’ is ‘led by His Spirit’ (Rom. 8:14)

Does that seem unreasonable to you, if not ‘impossible’? Of course it does. That’s usually the case when it comes to ‘man's understanding of things...but ‘with God, all things are possible...to him that believes’ (Matt. 19:26).

Here’s a thought...maybe we should be still and listen for His voice again, because He might just be telling us to ‘throw our net on the other side’, despite all you thought about what you knew how things are supposed to be. It was a lesson Peter had to learn...three years apart. More on this, tomorrow.