Philippine Missionary Institute
Homiletics
Nov, 28, 2020
Theme: Knowing God
Topic: A Call to Know God Deeper
Scripture References: 1 John 2:3-6
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4
The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly
been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says that he remains in Him
ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.
Propositional Statement: We are call to know God deeper in our relationship with Him
Interrogative Statement: How should we know God deeper in our relationship with
Him?
Outline:
I. By keeping His commandments v.v. 3-4
II. By keeping our love to God v. 5
III. By keeping Christ’s example v. 6
I. INTRODUCTION
Martin Luther, is a great theologian and religious reformer. Martin Luther was the catalyst
of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Through his words and actions, Luther precipitated
a movement that reformulated certain basic tenets of Christian belief and resulted in the
division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new Protestant
traditions. (cf. Hans J. Hillerbrand Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.2020).
We acknowledge Martin Luther is the one of the fathers of reformation. Because not only
what he did, but how he live in scripture, he faithfully live in the Word of God and he diligently
observe and obey what scriptures says “about truth.” The reason why our brother Martin
Luther protest to the Roman Catholicism because he notices the teachings and the traditions of
the Roman Catholic Church is contradicted to the teachings in the Bible. The equation of Roman
Catholicism about “truth” is Church + Popes + Latin Bible + Traditions = Truth, but for Martin
Luther Bible = Truth (cf. crosspaint).
Transition:
Before we continue let us know the Historical Context of 1 John
II. HISTORICAL CONTEXT
A. Title and Author
The relationship between the NT documents which bear the name of “John”
(Gospel, Letters, Revelation) is a topic of continuing scholarly interest. It is true
that a case can be made out for the fundamentally “Johannine” character of the
Apocalypse; that is to say, there are sufficient there are sufficient affinities
between the Revelation and Gospel of John to suggest that they both came from
the same Christian circle (see S. S. Smalley, “John and the Apocalypse.” Orita 2
[1968] 29-42.)1
Brown says “The authorship and sequence of these particular documents is a
2
matter for considerable debate. But it is not unreasonable to suppose that
inspiration behind the tradition and distinctive theology of the Fourth Gospel
came from John the apostle, the beloved disciple, himself; that some followers
of John published the final version of his Gospel at Ephesus after his death
(around A.D. 85); and that these Christian were not directly involved in the
production of 1, 2 and 3 John. (see further Smalley, John 41-84, 119-21.) 3
Therefore, these letters 1, 2 and 3 John are authored by John the apostle and we
called it Johannine Epistles.
1
1, 2, 3 John (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 51 | WBC) by Stephen S. Smalley, Publisher: Word, 1984
2
1, 2, 3 John (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 51 | WBC) by Stephen S. Smalley, Publisher: Word, 1984
3
1, 2, 3 John (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 51 | WBC) by Stephen S. Smalley, Publisher: Word, 1984
B. Date and Setting
The date of the Johannine Epistles is entirely bound up with the date of the
fourth gospel and their relationship to it. As we have seen, although a few dates
the Gospel of John before A.D.70, and a majority assign it to the last decade of
the first century, we have cautiously suggested 80–85. The question to be posed,
then, is whether the epistles were written before or after the gospel. John is
writing to warn his readers about false teachers who are actively trying to
deceive them (2:26).4
C. Audience and Situation
First John mentions no addressee and preserves no specific greetings, formal
thanksgiving, or any of the other formal touches that normally characterize a
first-century letter. John is combating proto-Gnosticism, an embryonic Docetism
or Cerinthianism that has already divided Christians. Over against the emphases
of his opponents—emphases that he frankly aligns with all that is non-Christian
—John stresses the truth that Jesus is Christ come in the flesh and that genuine
belief in this Jesus works itself out in obedience to the commands of God and in
love for God’s people.5
Transition:
The purpose why I’m saying these things to simply because it is good to know the
Historical Context of 1 John. One of the reasons why Martin Luther notice the wrong teaching
of the Roman Catholicism, it simply he know God deeper and he dig the word of God and he
obey it. Thereby, I entitled this message “A call to Know God Deeper” and in the light of our
passage that was read a while ago in 1 John 2:3-6, we will answer the question; “How should
we know God deeper in our relationship with Him?”
III. OUTLINE
4
An Introduction to the New Testament D.A Carson & Douglas J. Moo
5
An Introduction to the New Testament D.A Carson & Douglas J. Moo
1. By keeping His commandments v.v. 3-4
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The
one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him;
One of the problems in the Johannine community is there are many false teachers. Their
teachings can may influence them and can affect their faith in Christ and also can affect
their relationship to God. These false teachers are a gnostic and docetic who pursuing
intellectual knowledge, that I mention in our historical context. The short story that I tell
earlier (story of Martin Luther) and the problems of John Church has a significance not
particularly same but on the “false teachings” on how they teach the word of God and
distort the truth.
The Gnosticism there are claiming that they know God, by depending on their own
experience and knowledge. But they not really know God. Why? Because they think that
their knowledge can reach the knowledge of God, and they think that is the way to know
God deeper.
Stephen Smalley says, “here in the starting point of verse 3, John speaks of knowing
God in this verse he uses the perfect tense (ἐγνώκαμεν “we have known), which implies a
past experience with continuing results.” 6 The word “know Him” is referring to God. As
being Christian we want to know God deeper, because of that desires we directing
ourselves to the knowledge of God. It is clear, that if we know God, we should keep His
commandments and obey it – it is continuous obedience to God. But not to the extent of
idea that because of obedience we acquire the “knowledge”. Stephen Smalley says,
“obedience is not the condition for knowing God; but obeying orders should characterize
that knowledge. As a minister or a pastor who teaching and proclaiming the word of God
(the truth) we should keep the orders or commandments of the Lord and we should keep it
and obey it. Because if we did not do it, we are liar, and the truth has not in us.
6
1, 2, 3 John (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 51 | WBC) by Stephen S. Smalley, Publisher: Word, 1984
To further understand the knowledge of God we should have a right relationship with
Him.
2. By keeping our love to God v. 5
5 but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this
we know that we are in Him:
One problem in the interpretation of this clause is the precise meaning of ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ
Θεοῦ (“God’s love”). The genitive τοῦ Θεοῦ (“of God”) kay be taken as subjective, in which case
John is speaking (as in 4:9) of God’s love for man. Or the genitive may be objective, to give the
sense of man’s love for God (2:15 & 5:3). A third construction takes the genitive as one of
quality, denoting God’s kind of love (so Schnackenburg, 103). 7
As a conclude the WBC suggest that clause is objective sense. The sense of man’s love for
God (2:15 and 5:3). If God’s love has really perfected in us, we should obey His orders/His word,
and by this we expressed our love to God. We love God because He first love us (1 John 4:19).
We experience the love of heavenly Father when He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16) for
our sins to reconcile us through Christ and to give us eternal life. Because of God’s love we have
eternal life, and we understand and know that there is one only God and Savior our Lord Jesus
Christ (John 17:3).
Thereby, we should keep our love to God, because if we are keeping our love to God we will
fully understand who God is and we will know God deeper (1 John 4:6-7). Smalley says “The
love in John defines the nature and activity of God (4:8-9; cf John 3:16), describe the way which
men turn to Him (4:16; cf John 14:21) and being grounded in God’s own love.”
3. By keeping Christ’s example v. 6
6 the one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.
In this verse John make it clear that the ultimate knowledge of God the Father is disclosed
through Jesus His Son (cf. WBC Smalley Page 51). Apostle John say this v 6 because, he warns
7
1, 2, 3 John (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 51 | WBC) by Stephen S. Smalley, Publisher: Word, 1984
his readers, and in particular those with heretical and antinomian inclinations, that such an
assertion by itself is insufficient.8
In vv 4-5 John dealt with the first version of the claim to know God, with its attached
condition. “Anyone who says I know Him (must be obedient)” (cf. WBC Smalley page 50). Now
he leads into the second version of that claim, with its attendant responsibility. The one who
says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, walk just as He walked. John moves on from
discussing the Christian knowledge of God in Christ to consider one expression of that
knowledge: “abiding in Him.”9
As we discuss earlier on v.5 God’s love has really been perfected for those who follow His
word. That love is manifested supremely in Christ Jesus. So, If the love of God is abiding in us
we should also abide in Him (cf. 4:4, 15-16; John 14:23). Many people claim that they know
God, but not practicing righteousness in their lives. We are not docetic who were not
concerned about the ethical responsibilities (WBC Smalley page 51). The words “him ought,
himself also, walk just as He walked” is want to tell us to be Christlikeness. If we claim that we
know God we should practicing righteousness in our lives. God want us to be righteous and be
holy that’s why he chastening us (Heb. 12 5-11).
Our supreme goal as being a follower of Christ is to know Him and to be like Him. How we
can know God if we can’t keep the example of Christ? Christ is the knowledge of God we know
that (John 1:1). So how can we know God deeper if we can’t keep the example of Christ.
IV. Conclusion and Application
Therefore, God call us to know Him deeper, to acquire that we should continue to keep
His commandments and obeying it. Because if we really experience the perfect love of God,
it will result of our love to God by obeying and keeping His word so we should continue to
keep our love to God. We can be sure that we exist in God both by living obediently and by
living as Jesus lived if we keep imitating Christ. These things it will leads us to know God
8
1, 2, 3 John (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 51 pg. 50| WBC) by Stephen S. Smalley, Publisher: Word, 1984
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1, 2, 3 John (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 51 pg. 50| WBC) by Stephen S. Smalley, Publisher: Word, 1984
deeper. In our world today, many cults-religions has been existed they distorted the truth
and many believers had brought to their teachings because their faith is not deeply rooted
to God. Maybe it will happen also to us, if our identity to Christ is trifling. Again, God call us
to know Him deeper. I challenge each of everyone, I also challenge myself in this, that we
will continue to know God deeper by keeping His commandments, by keeping our love to
God and by keeping Christ example and all of these things we will live with it and do it for
the Glory of God.