And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. (1 John 3:23-24)
St John tells us that we have two tasks to follow Christ: believe in Him and love one another. This is very much in line with Christ’s claims about God’s commandments found in Matthew 22:37-40 : “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
To keep Christ’s commandments is to know Him and to love Him. It is how we deal with life in this world of the Fall. The French scientist and Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal said:
‘The knowledge of God without that of man’s misery causes pride. The knowledge of man’s misery without that of God causes despair. The knowledge of Jesus Christ constitutes the middle course, because in him we find both God and our misery. … [both misery and] grandeur.’ (JESUS THROUGH THE CENTURIES, p 73)
And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)
This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
Fraternized 