Page 206 … keeping HIS Word
With regards to your mention of 1 John 2:5, I would humbly recommend reading this in light of the words of Jesus over all others – especially his words in the Sermon on the Mount, which is the teaching of Christ that most readily bears by far the best Spiritual Fruit.
“Whoever keeps His Word, in him the love of God has been perfected.” ~ 1 John 2:5
“Blessed are the poor in spirit [i.e. the humble], for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven … Beware of practicing your piety before others … Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you notice the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own? … You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to help remove the speck from your neighbor’s … Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven … Be perfect [in Love], therefore, just as [the Love of] the heavenly Father is perfect.” ~ Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:3 + Matthew 6:1 + Matthew 7:1-5 + Matthew 7:21 + Matthew 5:48)
And then, as far as the concept of LOVE is concerned, Jesus is not talking about emotional sentimentality, or “butterflies” in one’s stomach, or sexual yearnings, or even – as you claim – “salvation and sanctification” (which was actually Paul’s limited understanding of “love”) … No, my dear Friend, if you truly wish to “obey Christ”, then you will have to obey his version of LOVE – which was a verb; which was & remains courageously & actively Caring for others, especially those you consider to be your “enemies”*!
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you only love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than anyone else? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect [in your Love], therefore, just as your heavenly Father is perfect [in His] … I give you a new Commandment: that you Love one another. Just as I have Loved all, so should you also Love one another.” ~ Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:44-48 + John 13:34)
*And remember: Jesus 2nd Commandment (which is just as important as his first – see Matthew 22:37-40) told us all that we are to “Love our neighbor as ourselves” … And interestingly enough, Jesus defines “neighbor” only once in the entire Bible – in the parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:29-36) – where he does so by equating the “neighbor” we are to Love with a Samaritan; at that time one of the worst cultural enemies of the Jews! … And why in this parable was the Samaritan a “neighbor”? Because he was nice? – or friendly? – or even kind? No! … He was a “neighbor” because he “showed mercy” – something that can only be done for someone who has wronged us … Think about it!
;