Knowing Jesus

1 John 2:3-6
 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 also to walk just as He walked.

I've heard this passage used as an example of what we are to do as believers in Jesus, almost as if is says, "If you want to be a believer then do what you can to keep His commandments."  But is that what John is saying?  Is this a list of things we now must do since we have come to believe?  Or is this a list of things that naturally occur because we live in Jesus?  Do we know that we know Him because our behavior has changed?  Or is it our heart that has changed?  How can the love of God be perfected in us without divine intervention?

I think it is important to know the answer to these questions because how we understand this passage changes everything.  If this is a list of do's and don't's then getting to know Jesus comes from our effort and success in accomplishing them.  If that is true then where is the freedom in Christ?  But what if this is more of a wake up call.  Check out your life, what are you seeing?  If you aren't oozing love out of your pores, then you are not intimate with Jesus!  The solution to your problem then is not to try to love better, but to run back to Jesus, to seek to know Him better.  Wow, what a switch in motivations!

In our world right now, it is hard to draw away from the distractions.  Now matter where you are you have phones ringing, if not yours then the guy next to you.  There is a constant temptation to dive into the internet and swim around there for hours.  But getting to know Jesus takes time.  Quiet time where you do as much listening as talking, well more listening than talking.  It takes effort to seek Him out and pay attention.  But if you want to be like Him, you must get to know Him!