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Media > 1 John - Love and Light in a world of darkness > An authentic confession

An authentic confession

‘Salvation is by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.’ Martin Luther supposedly once said. And this is precisely what the Apostle John wants us to get hold of. True faith in Christ Jesus will always produce spiritual fruit. We need to be on the lookout for it, cultivating and pursuing it. John wants to make sure that we know belief and obedience always go hand in hand. As we learn to obey God and to love others, we will fulfil the 2 great commandments and God’s love in us will be perfected.

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1 John 2:3–11 (Listen)

3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The New Commandment

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because1 the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him2 there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Footnotes

[1] 2:8 Or that
[2] 2:10 Or it

(ESV)

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service.

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