...We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
I already explained this to you in post #91,552. -
https://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/not-by-works.146296/page-4578#post-3871879
1 John 2:3 - By this we
know that we have come to know Him, (already have come to know Him/already saved - demonstrative evidence) if we
keep (guard, observe, watch over) His commandments. The Greek word for
"keep" is
"tereo" (Strong's #5083) which means to guard, observe, watch over) His commandments. It does not mean sinless, perfect obedience 100% of the time, as sinless perfectionists teach. 1 John 2:4 - The one who
says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not
keep (guard, observe, watch over) His commandments, is a
liar, and the
truth is not in him.
*Do you believe that you perfectly obey ALL the commandments of the Lord?
*Do you also believe that you will be saved based on the merits of obeying ALL the commandments of the Lord?
1 John 2:6 - the one who says he abides in Him
ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (NASB) Perverting the gospel by teaching salvation by works is not walking in the same manner as Jesus walked.
Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. THIS OLD COMMAND IS THE MESSAGE YOU HAVE HEARD. Yet I am writing you a new command; IT'S TRUTH IS SEEN IN HIM AND YOU, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, BECAUSE THE DARKNESS HAS BLINDED HIM. 1 John 2:3-11
1 John 1:6 - If we
say that we have fellowship with Him, and
walk in darkness, we
lie and
do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. *Walking in darkness is descriptive of children of the devil. *Walking in the light is descriptive of children of God. *Only those who are saved/believers are in the light.
Acts 26:18 - to open their eyes, in order to
turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.
2 Corinthians 6:14 - Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And
what communion has light with darkness?
Ephesians 5:8 - for you were
formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light. Children of the devil walk in darkness, not in the light. Children of God walk in the light, not in darkness. IF confirms these positions in verses 6 and 7. It's one or the other.
In 1 John 2:9, we read - He who
says he is in the light, and
hates his brother, is in darkness until now. In vs. 11 - But he who
hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
*Compare with 1 John 3:10 - In this the
children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever
does not practice righteousness is not of God, (compare with 1 John 1:6 -
does not practice the truth) nor is he who
does not love his brother. *Notice that
walks in darkness, hates his brother is connected to
children of the devil.
You need to stop confusing DESCRIPTIVE passages of scripture with PRESCRIPTIVE passages of scripture. The end result is salvation by works/works righteousness/perversion of the gospel.
...NOW TO YOU WHO BELIEVE, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” THEY STUMBLE BECAUSE THEY DISOBEY THE MESSAGE—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:7-9
Romans 10:16 - But they have not all
obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has
believed our report?” We
obey the gospel by choosing to believe the gospel. (Romans 1:16)
Romans 10:1 - Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a
zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they
being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who BELIEVES.
1 Corinthians 1:21 - For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it
pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who BELIEVE.