Objective Evidence

Based on 1 John 2:1-14

Some people mistakenly think we cannot know if we are saved.  They say, “We, we really can’t know for sure.”  Assurance of our salvation was one of the things John Wesley, sought, found, and preached.  It has been a part of Methodist heritage for 250 years.  Other traditions also preach an assurance of our salvation.  God has given us both the inner witness of the Spirit and the outward witness of our behavior.  Paul said, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”  Romans 8:16. That is the inner witness.  John the Apostle gives us objective evidence that is based on our behavior and beliefs.

Suppose, you are speeding down a road and a police officer pulls you over.  You say, “Officer, I wasn’t going that fast.”  Then he or she shows you the actual speed you were driving recorded on their radar gun.  You may not have felt like you were driving too fast (feeling) but the objective evidence says you were.  John gives us objective evidence for being a true Christian, so that we may know we are saved.

OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S COMMANDS

The first evidence to examine in our lives is: are we living according to God’s commands?  God’s commands are not suggestions they are the rules we are to live by in our behavior.  They are not meant to condemn us but to show us how to really love one another as God loves us.  By living according to His commandments, we give dignity and respect to one another.  The Ten Commandments and the Old Testament Law dealt a lot with our actions.  The commands of Jesus raised the bar to deal with the motives from our hearts.

But what happens when we do sin?  As true disciples of Jesus, we always seek not to sin in thought, word, or deed.  But we are human and subject to failure.  When we fail John said, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.”  Jesus gives us the power over sin as Romans 6:11 teaches us to consider ourselves as dead to sin, but alive to Christ.  In Romans 6:22 Paul says we have been set free from the power of sin.  This is not freedom from temptation, for Jesus had to face temptation and so will we.  God has promised to allow no temptation to come to us that would be too strong for us without providing a way to escape the temptation.  (1 Corinthians 10:13.)

1 John 2:3-6 teaches us that if we know God we seek to obey God’s commandments because of our love for Him.  Some treat the problem of sin lightly.  When you consider what Jesus endured to pay the debt of our sins to free us from them, we would never want to go back to them. 

A NEW COMMANDMENT

John says he is not writing a new command to us, but an old one, simply to love one another.  What does such love mean?  How is it expressed? John points to the example of Jesus who lived out this commandment, and then says we are doing the same.  What did Jesus do?  He went around Palestine, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead. He was always doing good things for people.  He was showing people His love by word and deed.

John says that those who claim to be Christian (living in the light) while hating a brother or sister in Christ are still in bondage to sin, they are liars and hypocrites.  The word “hates” means “actively wishing evil” on another.  (International Bible Commentary.)  The darkness of hatred blinds people to the truth.  For instance, Hamas hates the people of Israel and actively seeks to do them harm.  Their hatred blinds them to the fact that a far greater death toll was brought upon their own people because of their actions against the people of Israel.

Whether or not a person is a true Christian or is not a Christian is seen in the way they treat others.  A true Christian never wishes evil on another.  A true Christian may confront an evil person about their behavior, or even stop them from harming another person, even if it means using deadly force.  Such is the case for a Christian serving as a police officer or in the military.  It is their job to stop evil and aggression and they are empowered to use deadly force if it is needed.

THE VICTORY

We look forward to the return of Christ when evil shall be destroyed forever.  But in this world of darkness, we have victory now because the Light of Christ dwells within us.  John spells out our victory addressing different maturity levels in Christ.  He addresses some as “fathers” meaning those who are mature in the faith.  Others he calls “young men” referring to those who are young in the faith.  He addresses all of us as “God’s children.”

These victories include:

1. forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus;
2. knowing the person of Christ as you would know a personal friend or loved family member (mentioned twice);
3. we have won our battle with the evil one;
4. the young people in Christ are strong;
5. we have won our battle against evil and God’s Word lives in our hearts. 

The war against all evil continues until Christ comes in final victory, but we are on the winning side because we have won our battle with it through Christ.  This is our present victory. 

Jesus Christ, the Word of God in human form (John 1:1-14) lives and dwells in us and with us. The Apostle Paul called this our great secret, saying in Colossians 1:27, “Christ lives in you.”

CONCLUSION

The objective evidence of our faith is simply that we live as Jesus did, loving, caring, and doing good for others.  We share the Word of Christ and try to convince them to put their faith in Christ not to build bigger churches or buildings.  We share because we love them as Jesus loved us.  We live a life filled with love for God and others that seeks the eternal well-being of all people.  We have a special love for our brothers and sisters in Christ because we share the common bond and struggle that we have in this world in living for Christ.

Do you love as Jesus did?  Do you trust God as Jesus did?  In everything?  Are you striving towards that level of trust?  Do not allow hatred, resentment, or bitterness to live in you because it will blind you to the truth.  Ask Jesus to rid evil from you and fill you with the light of His love.  He will because He loves you.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.