Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

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It seems like the message of modern psychology is that we should have good self-esteem. We’re told, “Follow your heart!” “Trust your instincts!” “Believe in yourself!” But the truth is, we are a sinful people. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) The Bible’s message is not that we should believe in ourselves, but to believe in Jesus!

“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. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:1-6)

John’s hope was that those he was writing to would be godly in their behaviors (v. 1a). All of us who know Christ desire the same thing for ourselves. We want to please God, do His will, and shun sin. But, like Paul, we often “do not do the good [we] want, but the evil [we] do not want is what [we] keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).

John’s hope was that in writing this letter to us, we would be more holy in our lives. The more we read, memorize, meditate upon, and apply God’s Word, the more we will shun sin and live lives that please God. Specifically, “these things” refers to the gospel (see 1:4, 1:1-4). The more we focus on the good news of Jesus Christ, the more we will shun sin and live lives the please God.

The gospel not only inspires us to live more godly, but because of it we also find forgiveness when we fail to shun sin (v. 1b-2). When we take our eyes off of the gospel, the gospel is still there to catch us. Walking with Christ can sometimes feel like walking a tight rope. But there’s always a net to catch us when we fall.

The answer is never to believe in ourselves. We need to get our eyes off of self and onto Christ. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2). When we fail to do that, we sin, but Christ is there to catch us. So whether we sin or don’t sin, Christ is the one we ought to believe in.

If Christ is the only one who can forgive and perfect us, how do we know we’re truly following Him? John gives us a test for ourselves, to see if we are truly following Christ (v. 3). We will never be perfect at keeping Christ’s commands, but we ought always be striving for it. I’ve met too many professing Christians who say they believe but live how they please. I’ve met too many professing Christians who never seek to be faithful to the Great Commission. The Bible says that these professing Christians are liars! (v. 4) We must strive to be faithful. We won’t always be perfect at it. In fact we rarely will. But we must never give up.

Salvation is only by the grace of God, but the grace of God changes us! Once we know Christ, and the Holy Spirit lives within us, it affects the way we walk (v. 5-6). Jesus walked with purpose. Jesus lived to please the Father. Jesus lived to serve the people around Him. Christ calls us to live radically different lives from the world around us. The kind of lifestyle I’m talking about can’t be faked. People may try to fake the Christian life, but won’t be able to do so forever. It’s kind of like trying to wear a mask all your life. You’ll eventually have to take it off. Authentic, radical, grace-dependent Christianity cannot be faked.

Because we’re called to live radically different lives, a lot of professing Christians wonder whether they’re truly saved. John gives us a clear way to know (v. 5b-6). You must abide in Christ. You must rest in Him. You must trust in Him for your salvation, and nothing else. Trusting in Christ will change the way that you walk. If your walk has not been changed, then you have not yet trusted in Christ. But if you both trust in Him, and have a changed life to prove it, then you can know that you are a child of God.

Simply believing that Jesus is God and Savior is not enough. Demons believe. You must trust Christ. One who trusts Christ is then changed by Christ. I’m not saying you’ll be perfect. You’ll always need to rely on the grace of God. But as you walk with Christ, you’ll find yourself becoming more like Christ. Strive for that. Never be satisfied with your level of personal holiness. Surrender to Christ in every area of your life, and He will use you in mighty ways as you walk with Him.