John and the Law – The Kingdom Curriculum I (5)

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John and the Law

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The Kingdom Curriculum I (5)

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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 2:4-6

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That way, of course, would be the Law of God (Matt. 5:17-19). Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law of God on two counts. First, He accomplished, by perfect obedience in exhaustive detail, all the righteousness of the Law of God, without ever transgressing against it. Second, He bore all the judgment threatened in the Law against those who transgress against it, not for Himself, but for those chosen from before the foundations of the world to be in Him (Eph. 1:4).

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There has been a good deal of silly talk in recent years concerning how a person may be sure that he or she is truly a follower of Christ. Be baptized in the Spirit. Have some ecstatic experience associated with miraculous gifts. Demonstrate identity with the poor. And so forth. John tells us plainly: If you claim to be a follower of Christ and yet do not keep the Law of God you are lying to yourself and everyone else. Don’t like that language? You can take it up with John in due course – maybe.

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We follow in the way that Jesus walked because this is the way of love. John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 Jn. 5:3). Jesus came to show the love of God to the world, which He did by walking in obedience to God’s commandments. He threatened that any who despised or neglected the Law, and taught others to do the same, would be, at best, least in the Kingdom of heaven. Those, however, who follow and teach the Law will be considered great in the Kingdom, because their lives will greatly reflect the reality of the living Jesus and will demonstrate the love of God for all to see.

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Peter, James, and John all insist that the Law of God is integral to full and abundant Christian life. Leave it out and you’re kidding yourself about being a Christian, having the Spirit, or being able to stand against the judgment of the Law of liberty. Take up this Kingdom curriculum of Christ, and liberty, life, and love will begin to flourish in your soul, and through you, into the whole world.

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Order your copy of The Law of God today. Go to www.MyParuchia.com, Publications, Waxed Tablet, to place your order and take up the Kingdom curriculum of our Lord.

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.