Do you know Jesus? Listen to what John tells those of us who make such a claim:

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked (1 John 2:4-6).

God saves us from the condemnation we deserve by Jesus’ sacrificial death in order that we might know Him, in order that we might be like Christ, in order that we might be “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). Indeed, Jesus commands us to be like Him! For He tells us that all of the Law and the Prophets can be summarized in two commands: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…. You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (from Matthew 22:37-39).  And Jesus fulfilled these commands every minute of every day – loving God the Father, loving each person He encountered – whether He was gentle with them, as He was with the woman in Simon the Pharisee’s house(Luke 7:36-50), or He was harsh with them, as He was with the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). He told each person exactly what he or she most needed to hear.

Note that our obedience is the result of being saved, not the means by which we are saved. We are saved by His grace as a gift, not as a result of anything that we do, so that no one has a reason to boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But when God opens our eyes and for the first time we know Jesus – when we see Him as our precious Savior, as our continual intercessor, as our rightful King, as our greatest Treasure – then we want to be like Him. We see Him as the perfection of all that humans should be. We see Him as displaying completely the image of God placed in mankind in the beginning (Genesis 1:27). And we see Him, yes, as loving God and loving man – and so the love of God is perfected in Him.

In verse 5 above, John then tells us an amazing truth: When God works in us to fulfill that desire to be like Jesus, we ourselves complete/perfect the love of God. Not that there was anything lacking in God’s love apart from the existence of mankind. But God always intended His love to be displayed in millions of redeemed humanity. He gives us the privilege of living this out, of loving with His love, and thus fulfilling the purpose of mankind’s creation – displaying the image of God.

So if we claim to know Him, but hate others; if we claim to know Him, but mock and degrade others; if we claim to know Him but harass or harm others; if we claim to know Him and consider others beneath us, then, says John, we are liars. The truth is not in us. We cannot know that we are in Him if we live like that.

For to know Him is to love Him, to desire to be like Him, to love others with His love. When we love others like that, we complete His love.

In this life, we will never do this perfectly – John has just said if we say we don’t sin, we lie, and that when we sin Jesus is our advocate, our propitiation (1 John 1:10-2:2). But those who know Jesus will fight the fight to love – they will fight the fight to be like Him – for that is their great desire and joy.

So do you know Him? Don’t depend on having gone through some religious ritual, or having signed some decision card, or having an experience a long time ago you consider saving faith. Are you walking today as Jesus walked? Is God’s love being completed in your life? If yes – rejoice in Him, and love! If not – confess your sins to the One who is faithful and just to forgive you for all unrighteousness by the sacrifice of His Son – and then, know Him, love Him, follow Him, and, like Him, love others.