Discerning those who are liars

1 John 2:4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; It is apparent from these verses that the problem facing the church in John’s day was that there were people who said they were Christians, but their lives didn’t exemplify the presence of the life of Jesus. John called these people “liars.” He said they didn’t have the truth in them. We can understand why John would write this when we remember that Jesus declared in his last minutes with His disciples that He was the way, the truth, and the life. It makes total sense that someone who knows Jesus intimately and is in fellowship with Him would value His commandments. The one who knows Jesus lives with Him. Let me rehearse the gospel for our encouragement. God gave His Son, Jesus, to come in the flesh so that He might die for the sins of all who are His, as the Scriptures foretold. In dying as their substitute, He destroyed their sin and death. They died to their self-centered, self-conscious, self-glorifying lives and intentionally gave up their lives in this world. God put their sin out of sight, having paid the ransom to redeem them from the grip of the devil and death. After being buried for 3 days, according to His promise in the Scriptures, God raised His Son from the dead. Simultaneously, He raised them with Him, giving them the righteousness of Christ. Peter wrote that they were born again to a living hope the day Jesus was resurrected. Then, as promised, the Father sent the Spirit of Life in Christ, the Holy Spirit, who reveals Jesus’ righteousness in their lives through love and obedience. The world acknowledges these events on Easter, but those who are His celebrate this tremendous, glorious reality every day as Jesus lives in them. As He lives or abides in them, they know Him and love Him. They know the truth because He lives in them, and their lives reveal the truth that God is love. Anyone who says, “I have come to know Him,” or calls themselves “Christians” and does not keep Jesus’ commandments not only is saying a lie, but is living a lie. In contrast, when the truth of the gospel is known and believed, the living Truth, Jesus Christ, brings forth fruit for the glory of God. I hope this describes you, dear listener! We will be encouraged tomorrow as we see that the fruit is love.