“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” (1 John 3:23-24 ESV)
How would you answer the question, “What does God require of me?” Chances are you have already addressed that question, or one like it, in your evangelistic conversations—after all, it is a question of absolute importance. If you are speaking with someone about the existence and nature of God and how we are to relate to him, to inquire about the duty God requires of man is the next logical step. Since the God of the Bible is real, and he created human beings to be in relationship with him, what are the ground rules of that relationship?
The Westminster Shorter Catechism answers the question in this way: “The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to His revealed will.” In other words, God requires man to do what he has told him to do. So, the question follows, “What has God told man to do?” While all of Scripture provides an answer to that question, John’s instruction in these verses gives us a summary of this requirement. Man’s duty before God is to “believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another.”
This is the central truth we are to communicate to those with whom we speak. Man’s duty is to believe in Christ. For those who preceded Jesus’ birth, the principle was the same in that they trusted the promises of God yet to be fulfilled (Genesis 15:6), just as we trust the promises of God fulfilled in Christ. This is why it is so important to practice proclamational evangelism, wherein we proclaim the gospel and call all who hear to repent and believe. If you are to have a relationship with God, you must believe in his Son Jesus Christ, because “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
John explains that the resulting action of our belief in Christ is to love one another. Jesus states a similar principle starkly when he says, “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
John Calvin explains Jesus’ words in this way,
Our Lord does not intend to say that this is the only point of doctrine laid down in the law and the prophets, but that all the precepts which they contain about charity, and all the laws and exhortations found in them about maintaining justice, have a reference to this object. The meaning is that the second table of the law is fulfilled when every man conducts himself in the same manner towards others, as he wishes them to conduct themselves towards him.
While Jesus is speaking more broadly, John is specifically referring to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10)—but both share a common principle. God’s law requires that man treat others with dignity and respect, because man is created by and accountable to the omnipotent, all-holy God. It is a simple if-then statement: If you believe in God’s Son, then you will love each other, beginning with those who share a common faith in Christ and extending by degree to all fellow human beings. In so doing, you abide in God, and God abides in you.
This is why it is of paramount importance to clearly preach the true gospel, because it is the only way for man, who is separated from God by sin, to be reconciled to God and know and be known by him. Yes, there are biblical commandments that we are to obey, but the very first order of business does not concern something we do but, rather, someone we know.
We call the lost to believe in the name of Jesus Christ because “[h]e is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Those who believe are then called to “love one another” because that is how we show we have truly believed. One will never exist without the other because the Spirit who regenerates and effectually calls is the same Spirit who sanctifies. Christ alone is the hope of the world, and that message is always of first importance.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We are a people created by you and for you. You have sent your Son to reconcile us to yourself and so that we may live as a ransomed people who love one another. May our example and our message be compelling to a hopeless world.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for the preparation and production of the Centennial Film Project as ABWE Communications captures 100 years of gospel work for the next generation.
- Wednesday: Pray for the Shepherd’s Refuge program as they provide biblical counseling and mentoring to pastors and their wives in Asia.
- Thursday: Pray for continuing recovery and restoration efforts in Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries ministering to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.
- Saturday: Pray for missionaries serving at the Maranatha Retreat Center as they provide a sanctuary for pastors in northern Ghana.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries serving in Southeast Asia.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries working in children’s ministry to be faithful communicators of truth to the next generation.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Visionary Media Coach
Location: Togo
We’re looking for a visionary media coach—someone with a heart for mentoring others and a foundation in media production. If you have basic skills in video editing, audio recording, or studio work, this role is for you.
