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Walking in the Light: Obedience and Love - 1 John 2:1-6 — 9/11/2026 10:00 AM
Today's speaker is Dr. J.R. Gilhooly, Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Cedarville University. Dr. Gilhooly shares his personal testimony of coming to faith in Jesus Christ, and teaches from 1 John 2:1-6 that when we are in God's family, we must obey His commands.
Notes
This morning in chapel, Dr. J. R. Gilhooly, Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Cedarville University, preached through 1 John 2.
Family Rules
In this passage, John addresses his readers as “my little children” because they are new in the family of God, and he’s about to give them rules. Every family has specific rules they follow. By watching the way someone acts, you can often tell what family they come from. When John tells us how to act, he’s telling us what it is to be a member of God’s family.
John is clear that he’s not saying this so you can sin. God loves you so much that He doesn’t accept you for exactly how you are. Instead, He takes you and puts you into a family with distinct rules. If someone says they follow God but doesn’t follow the family rules, it’s understandable to question if they actually belong.
Jesus Christ, Our Advocate
However, if you break the rules, it doesn’t mean you are cut off from the family. When a son is told by his father, “That’s not the way we behave in this family,” he never thinks he is no longer a part of the family. He’s just a member who is misrepresenting the family. We obey not so that we belong to the family but because we belong. When we sin, we have an Advocate — Jesus Christ — and He is the propitiation for our sins.
Growing in Maturity
In order to become part of the family, you don’t have to do a lot of difficult, complicated things. God has given a simple command: to believe and obey the Gospel. When you follow that command, you are made into a new person. You then are expected to grow.
Christian maturity is like growing from a child into an adult. You don’t find the same jokes funny anymore. You don’t spend your time the same way. And you grow in your ability to follow Christ.
Don’t think there’s an expectation that you’ll mess up a lot because you’re young. If you’re a Christian, you are to act by your Father’s name, no matter how long you’ve been saved. There’s a pattern already laid out for you to follow, and it’s not burdensome. The command He gives is simple, and the yoke He gives is light. Walk as He walked! This doesn’t mean that every decision you make will feel easy. That’s why God has given you a lot of older brothers and sisters in Christ to help you and counsel you.
So, as you follow the Father who chose you, lean into the other family members He has given you and rest in the knowledge that you belong.