Jesus’s perfect obedience to his Father and sacrificial death on the cross for the world satisfied God’s just demand for sin to be punished. Consequently, those who trust in Christ alone for salvation can know God by faith. Not only can they know him, but they can also love him in the context of a deepening personal relationship with the Creator.

As the Apostle John contends, to know God is to love him, and to love him is to obey him. That is, obedience is a clear indication that we know Christ and belong to him. John does not anticipate faultless perfection in the lives of believers, but he does expect a new trajectory of life springing from the transformation that comes from a life surrendered to Christ.

If we do not obey Christ, we do not belong to him or love him. But as we obey Christ and his commandments, our love for God and our knowledge of him will grow. The result is that believers will live as Jesus did—in union with God and showing love for others. Our obedience does not gain God’s love but evidences it. Moreover, our disobedience does not remove his love, but it may affect our assurance of salvation.

Thankfully, if we stumble as believers, we have an Advocate—Jesus Christ. How could we not want to know him better and love him more?