John emphasizes the importance of knowing Jesus experientially and following His commandments. Addressing churches in modern-day Turkey, John uses repetition and patterns to stress key points. He asserts that simply knowing about Jesus is not enough. Instead, one must follow Jesus’ footsteps and become like Him by incorporating spiritual disciplines such as prayer, meditation, and community into their lives. To truly follow Jesus, an individual must live a life centered around Him beyond just attending church.
1) To truly know Jesus means experiencing Him personally, not just intellectually.
2) Following Jesus requires obedience to His commands and walking as He walked.
3) The spiritual disciplines help us adapt Jesus’ way of life and become more like Him.
4) Jesus invites us into a lifelong journey of orienting our whole lives around Him.
5) The Holy Spirit works in us from the inside out as we practice obedience and spend time with Jesus.
So the focus is not on our own efforts, but on cooperating with what Jesus and the Spirit are already doing in and through us.