If we turn now to the reading of the Word, we'll be reading in the Old Testament from Psalm 15 and in the New Testament from 1 John 2. Please stand to hear the Word. Psalm 15 The character of those who may dwell with the Lord. Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend, in whose eyes a vile person is despised. but he honors those who fear the Lord. He swears to his own hurt and does not change. He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved." 1 John 2 I'll be exhorting from verses 3-6, but just to get an idea of the context, I'll begin reading in the first verse. of chapter 2. My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. 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 to walk just as He walked." Thus far, the reading of God's Word. Allow me please just to say a few words of thanks, first to the session for being such faithful overshepherds of our souls and for giving me this opportunity to test my gifts. And also to the congregation, my beloved brothers and sisters, I love you all and I thank you for how you have welcomed me from the very first day I've been here and I rejoice in this opportunity. As we turn to the preaching of the Word, I'd like to begin with something of an illustration. Suppose you hired someone to come inspect your house. And when they returned, the verdict was that you had a faulty foundation. In fact, the foundation would collapse at any moment. That would be unsettling. But having that knowledge would at least be better than living in a house not knowing that your foundation is unsettled, that it could collapse at any moment. And it is this attack on the foundation that Satan has been doing from the very beginning. We just confess that we believe in one holy, Catholic, and apostolic church. built upon the foundation of the prophets and the apostles with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. And Satan and his messengers come and seek to redefine who Jesus Christ is in his person and his work. And the result of that is believers, on the one hand, can be robbed of their assurance. Likewise, you can have carnal men puffed up in a false assurance that will not save. This is the problem that John is dealing with. False prophets had crept in unawares, wolves in sheep's clothing, and they had corrupted the pure doctrine of this church. Scholars are somewhat disagreed as to what the exact heresy may have been, but based on John's correctives in the book, they were disputing the person and work of Jesus Christ. Look at 1 John 2.22. Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? 1 John 4, verse 2. By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. Same chapter, verse 15. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him. and He and God. So whatever these heretics were promoting, it's clear that they were attacking the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the result of this was very bad. You had on the one hand false believers, we might say make-believe believers, and you also had true, genuine believers who were unsettled in their way. And so John, as he is writing to them, often has what we might call tests written throughout this book that are designed to separate the wheat from the chaff, to expose unbelief, and to comfort true belief. This is what we come to in 1 John 2 3-6. It's the first test that John presents to the church. And he puts his finger on something that every believer experiences and no unbeliever does. And that's obedience to God's law. It's obedience to God's law that John puts his finger on for this very purpose. And what we see here is that this obedience brought out of an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ distinguishes and assures the true believer. Evangelical obedience distinguishes and assures the true believer. We'll see in verses 3-4 that it distinguishes the true believer, and in verses 5-6 that it assures their heart. Let's begin at the very beginning. He says, by this we know that we know Him. It's a word play there, but these two knows are very different. That first one has to do with a certainty, an apprehension of something that is true. Similar to the way Luke writes when he says, O most excellent Theophilus, I have written you that you may know for certain The exact truth of these things which have come to pass. John wants his readers to know something. But what is it that he wants them to know? He wants them to know if they know him. And this second no is quite different. It is a little bit more on the realm of the subjective. It is experiential. It is a saving knowledge in the Lord Jesus Christ. A conversion. Passing from darkness unto light. Being wrought by the Spirit, confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord in truth and sincerity. It's similar to Isaiah 53.11. where He says, by this knowledge, My righteous servant will justify many. If you look back just one book, 2 Peter 1, His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who calls us by His glory and virtue. Or we could even think of Jesus at that upper room where He says, this is eternal life that you may know the one true and living God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. This is that second knowledge that John wants his readers to discern whether they have truly come to experience this. If Jesus Christ truly is their Lord, And he puts his finger on something, and it's commandment keeping. We have to be careful not to put the cart before the horse. Because He's not saying you've come to know Him because you have kept His commandments. You have not kept His commandments in such a way that you have now truly known Him. But He's saying you have been wrought by the Spirit. You have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. And as a result of this union with Him, there is something that must follow. There is something that every believer will do to different degrees, but they will do assuredly in this life. What he's putting his finger on is the very important principle that obedience always follows conversion. It doesn't lead to conversion, but it always follows it. if you keep His commandments. You could also translate keep as our keeping. This is an active walking in the way of the Lord. And it is a desire to please Him with your life, to show your thankfulness for what He has done for you by obeying Him as your Lord and Savior." Now, John's under no illusions that this commandment keeping will be perfect. He has just said in the previous chapter that if we say we have no sin, we make him a liar and the truth is not in us. Whoever confesses his sin has an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. So, before we get too far into this, it's important to know that this commandment keeping is active, imperfect, but it is sincere and from the heart. And when the Spirit convicts us of such things, we repent, we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, and we seek to grow in that obedience. If obedience always follows conversion, having come to the Lord and believed upon His name, what does that mean for someone who confesses the Lord Jesus Christ, but shows no evidence of obedience in his or her life? It's a sword that cuts both ways. It's impossible for someone to have a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and to not walk in His ways in some measure. And this is exactly what he goes to in the very next verse, verse 4. No obedience means no conversion. And it's important to know that this profession is the same. He says, the one who says, I know Him, I have confessed Him. I believe in Him. I have come to know Him savingly, but does not keep His commandments." In other words, there's no transforming power wrought by the Spirit in his life. The same is a liar, and the truth is not in him. It's hard to imagine a stronger condemnation that John can give. He is a liar and the truth is not in him. It's almost redundant. It's like saying he's big and there's nothing small about him, or something to that effect. It is a condemnation that is very certain. And this type of false profession most likely can manifest itself in one of two different ways. We could say the one who is self-righteous and the one who is in open rebellion. The first person is self-righteous because he thinks his obedience is the means by which he is accepted in God. He thinks that his obedience has somehow earned favor from God in some way. He professes his faith, but he doesn't live in commandment-keeping obedience to God out of thankfulness. but trying to buy God's favor in some way. Scripture gives us many examples of this type of men. The Pharisees often fit the bill. Jesus condemned them as being like whitewashed tombs. They look pretty on the outside, but in them is nothing but death. He also gives us the whole example of the Galatians. Having begun by the Spirit, they now sought to be perfected by the law. They thought they could do something that would help them. There's also the story of the prodigal son. And sometimes we focus on the first son who returned after he was in the pigsty. But it's the older brother who was angry with the father because he said, everything I've done and you've never cut a fatted calf for me. He was self-righteousness because he thought he could earn the father's favor by what he had done. Now, it's important to know that This type of attitude has been in every age of the church. And this correction comes as a means of God helping His people to know whether they be in the faith. Now there is a second type of rebellion that this manifests, and this is probably a bit more common to some extent in our day. It's the person who confesses Jesus Christ and yet lives in open rebellion to His law. They think that just by professing the Lord, they have been saved from hell, and they will not go there, and they do not seek, they do not desire, they do not have any will to live in accordance with God's law. This type of person has been given a regrettable face by a female celebrity of sorts in recent days. She is living an open, licentious lifestyle. and being confronted by a man about what it means to keep the marriage bed pure. She said, I have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. His blood has washed me, and if He doesn't judge me, you will not judge me. No man tells me what I do with my body. To which he should have responded, what about the man, Christ Jesus? Now we can think about these type of men and these type of women as if they are out there on the television screen, in the pages of Scripture, distant. But I submit to you that God has given this text to be read and preached in His church. Because these people are not to be sought out there, but it is generally taken, John takes it for granted that this person might be in the church. They might be among those who are professing the true faith and yet living in open rebellion to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. The person might be here tonight. The person might be you. And if it is, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Behold Jesus Christ who has not said to the seed of Jacob, seek My face in vain. He hasn't spoken secret or in dark places of the earth, but He has said, come to Me and I will give you life. I am the Bread of Heaven. Whoever eats of Me shall never hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst. There is an open invitation to turn from unrighteousness and come to God and receive forgiveness for all of your sins, both now and forever. So we see that obedience distinguishes a true believer. It separates the wheat from the chaff. It makes a difference. It exposes unbelief. But John hasn't written this text primarily just to expose. You see, I think he has in the forefront of his mind here the idea of assuring the true believer. He knows that there are genuine, true believers in God who are unsettled by these heretical teachings. And he seeks to comfort them in the true knowledge of God. And so he turns again to obedience in verses 5 and 6, but he does so for a different purpose. He does to apply the balm of the Gospel upon the sheep of God. So we see that obedience distinguishes the true believer, but it also assures the true believer. As you look in verse 5, he says, but whosoever keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. There's a slight change in terminology there. He says, keep, just like he said, an act of keeping of the commandments. But it's no longer His commandments, it's His Word. And the important thing here is that what John is doing is not separating the law from the lawgiver. It's not the commandments over here and the promises over there, but it's one revelation, one Word from one God to one people for one purpose. that we may know the true and living God in Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Do you know what the first commandment ever recorded in scripture is? God commanded Adam, of all the trees you may freely eat. The first commandment to man was to delight himself in the abundance of God's provision in a perfect world. That's the role of the commandments. They're not given as a noose around our neck, but they're given as a rule of life for obedience. That we might show God our affection for what He has done in our lives. After this change of terminology, he furthermore says that whoever keeps his word, in him the love of God has been perfected. And this is a bit of an ambiguous phrase. What is the love of God? It could be a God-like love. It could be God's love for you. Or it could be your love for God. What is in view here? What does John have in mind with these people? It's the third. John is pointing to commandment keeping as a demonstration of your love for God. That it may assure your heart that you are in relationship with Him. That you have indeed come to know Him. That as you try day by day, and yes, as you fall, but as you repent before the Lord daily, seek His pardon and His blessing, grow in your commandment keeping in union with Christ. And this shows that you love God. And isn't it an amazing thing that any one of us would love God? Does that assure your heart at all? It does mine, because I know that in my natural estate there was no love for God whatsoever, but only hatred. having sought after many schemes, we, in and of ourselves, do not love God. And so when we think of the fact that we do love God, it draws our minds to a higher plane, and it reminds us that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. We love God because He first loved us. And our imperfect yet sincere commandment keeping reminds us of this very fact. And it assures our hearts that we have indeed come to know Him. The next phrase is also a difficult one to pin down. By this we know that we are in Him. Well, what is this? Is it pointing backward? Or is it pointing forward? There's different opinions on the matter, but it's best taken to go with that which follows. 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. Not only does imperfect commandment keeping out of an apprehension of God's love for Christ remind us and assure our hearts that we are His because we love God. But it also reminds us and assures our heart that we are in union with Jesus Christ. If you'll notice, it says, by this we know that we are in Him, and he who says that he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked. So we have here a beautiful picture of what it means to be in union with Christ. having been justified with Him, He has not only freed us from the penalty of sin, but He has also freed us from the dominion of sin. And that in Him we may walk in the same manner as He also walked. The Jesus Christ who stoops down and washes His disciples' feet. The Jesus Christ who for us and for our salvation endured the cross despised the shame for the joy set before Him, loved us to the end. This Jesus Christ who kept His Father's commandments for our sake. We may walk in that same manner. And it's important to know that in Jesus Christ, it's not as though He has appeased the wrath of an angry father. It's not as though If it weren't for Him stepping in, the Father would have destroyed us all together. But it is indeed the Father who sent Jesus Christ for us. And that in Jesus Christ, we are beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. There's this idea of abiding in Jesus Christ in commandment keeping. He who abides in Me will keep My commandment. I am the vine. You are the branches. This is what He told His disciples in the upper room. And as we seek to do this, we indeed are transformed from one glory unto another. All of our powers come to us in Jesus Christ. He said that I can do nothing apart from the Father. And He likewise says to His disciples that you can do nothing apart from Me. But He had such a high view of the ministry of the Holy Spirit that He said it's actually better for you that I go away, that I may send the Comforter. And He will lead you in all righteousness. John Calvin once said that when we work obedience, it's because the Spirit of God proceeding from the Father and the Son has been sent into our hearts. It is Him who has enabled us to do any level of commandment keeping at all whatsoever. Our commandment keeping is then viewed in Jesus Christ with all of its perfections being unified to Him. They are acceptable before God. And then God the Father in his great generosity rewards his children as if those works were truly theirs. Good works are a Trinitarian love affair. And any commandment keeping that we do, however imperfect it may be, should assure our hearts that we truly are God's and he is ours. Sinclair Ferguson eloquently described the problem of assurance as this. It's the difference between a confidence in Christ's ability to save and the self-awareness that one has this confidence and is among those whom he saves. In other words, it's one thing to know the objective claims of the Gospel, which we just confessed in the Apostles' Creed, and it's another to know that you have believed them to the saving of your soul. And I'm here today to tell you that God does not want you to be in question. He is a good Father that doesn't want His children to doubt of His love for them. He has shown you, oh man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you that you love mercy and walk humbly before Him, your God? Jesus Christ is the righteous One who came down from heaven. If you are abiding in Him and you are proceeding in some level of commandment keeping out of the fullness of God in the Gospel, then be of good cheer. Be of good cheer and be assured. Assurance will increase your ability to walk holy and live blamelessly in this life. God has not meant for us to wonder of our salvation. There's also two other evidences which our confession talks about in larger catechism number 80. The first of which is the fact that Jesus Christ is unchangeable. That our assurance is in an unchangeable person. That when we came to Christ, we didn't come to someone who would change his mind one day. But we have come to the living God who promises salvation to all those who come. We also have the Spirit bearing witness in our hearts that we indeed are God's with and by His Word. In the Old Testament, all things were established by two witnesses. Our Spirit and the Spirit of God tells us that we are truly His. Now in this text, John has emphasized a level of obeying God's law in thankfulness and gratitude to Him. And it is this that will lead to a greater level of assurance and godliness that God is our Father, that Christ is our Savior, and that the Spirit is our Comforter. He would not have us unaware or ignorant to such things. Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, I plead with you to look to the Lord Jesus, to trust in Him, to know that in Him you are truly loved by love itself, our God and Father. God desires you to know that and in such to show your love for Him. by laying your life down on the altar as a living sacrifice in thankful obedience to Him. May the Lord seal this word to our hearts. May He indeed lead us in a greater measure of obedience to the praise of His glorious name. Amen. Let us pray. Lord God, we do thank You. We love You and we bless Your name. We thank You that You have given us this Word in order that we might know that You are our God and that we truly are Your people. We thank You that Jesus Christ is highly exalted, that He is building His church, that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. We thank You for the ministry of the Word, sacrament, and discipline that we have in this place. And we pray, Lord, that as this Word goes out, that Your Spirit would bless it, and that You would lead us to thankful obedience to the praise of Your glorious name. Amen. Let us now rise and sing a song of praise to our God and King. Take my life and let it be number 586. Let it be. Concentrate it all to Thee. Take my moments and my days. Let them flow in ceaseless praise. and land and earth, and the impulse of thy love, take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee. Take my voice, let me sing, always, only, all I need. Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee. Take my silver and my gold, not a pint would I withhold. Take my intellect and use every power as thou shalt choose. Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne. I'm born at thy feet in treasured store. Take myself and I will be ever only all for thee.