1 John 3:23-24 - Homiletics

Outward precept and inward life.

Connecting link: The word ἐντολὴ which marked the preceding verse, is caught up in this, and the life of obedience thereto, which had been shown to be the condition of freedom in fellowship with God and of success in prayer, is here declared to be the seal and fruit of the living Spirit, creating and sustaining an inward life corresponding to the outward rule. Topic— The life enjoined by the command of Christ a seal of the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ. The following order of thought is suggested.

I. THE PRECEPTS OF OUR LORD MAY RE SUMMED UP IN TWO .

1 . That we should believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ. The title here given to Christ is "a compressed creed" (Westcott); comp. John 1:12 . The man who believes in Christ is one to which the privilege of becoming a child of God belongs, as the apostle had taught in his Gospel (see also John 6:28 , John 6:29 ). This faith in Christ is here regarded as the basis on which the second duty rests.

2 . That we should love one another. The first includes the sum of religion Godward; the latter, the whole of practical Christianity manward. The second is in every way so obviously admirable that many contend for it who yet ignore the first. But it will be found, practically, that the two cannot be disjoined. Such love to men as Christ commands never has been, will be, or can be sustained apart from faith in Christ. No building can be put up without a foundation, however admirably its outline may be drawn on paper. The cross is love's inspiration as well as its model.

II. WHERE THERE IS HABITUAL OBEDIENCE TO BOTH COMMANDS , THERE IS A LIVING UNION BETWEEN THE SOUL AND GOD . ( John 1:24 .)

1 . Man abides in God by faith and fellowship.

2 . God abides in man by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost ( 1 Corinthians 3:16 ; Ephesians 2:22 ).

III. THIS FRUITFUL INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT IS THE SEAL OF GOD 'S LIFE IN THE SOUL . When by an inspiration net of man nor by man we are led to a life which is above and beyond nature, "we know that be abides in us." The Spirit which he gave us when we believed ( Ephesians 1:13 ) is the seal to us of God's own life. His command used to be an outside letter, bidding us to live a life that was high above us. Now we have an inward force, inspiring a life that conforms to the letter! In a word, God's Spirit in the soul brings about, in actual life, what the precept enjoins. By the Word we were taught that such a life was the right one to lead. By the Spirit we are so inspired that we cannot lead any other! Note:

1 . The Law without is a great gift. The Spirit within is a greater. It is a blessing to be shown the right way. It is a greater blessing to be disposed to walk therein.

2 . As we all have the blessing of the Word, since we know there is a greater one obtainable, ought we not to seek for it? For observe:

3 . The gift of the Holy Ghost, albeit it is the greatest possible blessing, is precisely that of which we may make most sure, when sought by fervent prayer.

4 . Let those who have the Spirit of God seek for a richer fullness of his indwelling power. £ The more of the Holy Ghost we have, the easier will it be to obey; and just as it is the penitent's duty to receive pardon from Christ by faith, even so it is the believer's duty to receive the Spirit from him by faith.