Knowing God, the focus of 1 John 2:3-6, is the answer to the dilemma: my relationship to the Lord and desire for fellowship is a choice I continually must make. God doesn’t force me into knowing Him, loving Him. That is the beauty and horror of it. He wants me to CHOOSE to know Him, love Him, obey Him, respond to Him, fellowship with Him.
Placing my heart’s focus on Him deliberately helps me fix my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. As I grow in knowledge of Him, my response, by the Holy Spirit’s presence in me, is to obey. This surely isn’t natural. It is supernatural. God has solved the problem by making provision through Christ and law of the Holy Spirit of Life. Romans 8:2.
The keeping of the commands and Word that John speaks of in verses 3-6 is in the continual present tense. It is ongoing. It is a moment by moment pursuit. It is what characterizes my level of maturity. Because of my flesh, it creates dependence on Him. Ah, that’s just right. My need is only met in Him. Even my desire must be cultivated by the witness of the Holy Spirit in me.
Finally, I desire to know Him, I desire to depend on Him, I desire to choose Him. The love relationship is cultivated because He loved me first. I desire to love Him back.
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