SERMON - Rev Wookill Kim Combined Service 050502
1. Those who know God obey his commandments
There is a criterion by which we can tell if a person or a community knows God or not. The criterion is whether a person or a community obeys God's commandments. If a person or a community obeys God's commandments then we can be sure that he(she) or it knows God. On the contrary if a person or a community does not obey God's commandments, then it is certain that he(she) or it does not know God. If a person or a community says 'I or we know God', and does not obey God's commandments, then what they say is a lie. This is what God tells through today's passage.
I believe that most of us, if not all, know God. Because most of us confess Jesus as our Lord and God. Whoever believes in Jesus must know God. So with certainty and confidence we can say 'I know God' or 'we know God'. And It is very important for those who know God to know what God's commandments are and to check how good we are in obeying God's commandments. Because today's scripture says, "Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments."
Now, I would like to explain what God's commandments are.
2. God's commandment is 'the way of cross' in other words 'self giving love'
Let us read v.6, "whoever says, 'I abide in him', ought walk just as he walked." John use 'abiding in him' in v. 6 instead of 'knowing him' in v. 3. And again he substitutes "walk just as he walked" in v.6 for "obey his commandments" in v. 3. We can conclude from this that 'obeying God's commandments' is the same thing as 'walking as he walked'.
Then again what does it mean 'walking as God walked'. There are so many great, marvelous and wondrous things God has done. Among them, the one event which reveals God's glory most and manifest the way He walks is what God has done through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore if we understand what God has done through Jesus Christ, we can also comprehend the meaning of 'walking as God walked'.
God walked 'the way of cross' through Jesus. God became man to save sinners. And He was with the sinners. He talked with sinners, ate with sinners, walked with sinners, slept with sinners. God lived among those who sinned against him, among those who had sins which He hates most. And finally he died on the cross for the sinners and saved the sinners. This is ,'the way of cross' and this is 'the way He walks'. In other words 'self giving love'.
3. 'to walk as God walked' means the life of 'self giving love'
We are those who obeys God's commandments and those who walk as God walked. We are the ones who give ourselves for the benefit of others. We are those who walk the way of cross. There are significant obstacles on this way. Our old nature obstructs us in walking this way intensively. Because our old nature only seeks its own benefit. And the world mocks when we walk the way of cross as it did to Jesus, because the world is absolutely self-centered. And the evil one hinder us in going the way of self-giving, because it hates when we walk as God walked. Therefore it is not easy to walk the way of cross against all these powerful obstacles.
But this is the way through which God walked, and the way through which He wants us to walk along. And in us He lives. When we solely trust in Him and obey Him with faith, He will empower us to walk the way. When we walk this way, we walk with Jesus who pioneered the way for us.
It is also the way which bears fruits in abundance. When we walk along the way of cross, God will make us yield bountiful fruits as Jesus saved his people from the sin and death. And God will be glorified.
Brothers and sisters let us walk this way together, encouraging one another, helping and edifying each other until we come to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Let us walk this wonderful way of self giving for the benefit of others, and glorify God.
4. Application to our life
I have explained that our life is 'the way of cross' in which we lay our lives for others, and that this kind of life should be manifested in us. Now I would like to address how to live 'the way of cross' in our lives.
First, I would like to tell you how 'self-giving love' is revealed in our daily lives. We can find it in 1Corinthians chapter 13: 4-6. Let us read it together. ...... This is 'the way of cross', 'the way of self-giving love' which has to be lived by us in our lives.
Second, who is the others whom we serve for their own good. The spouse, parents, children, members of church, friends, relatives, neighbours, and those, whom God shows to us and sends to us, who are in need of God's love, and His saving grace.
It is 'the way of cross' if we practice 1Cor. 13:4-6 to these people. I would like you to put the words in your mind, and meditate again and again. And practice the words in your everyday life to those around you. You will bear fruits abundantly and God's glory will be revealed.