Dr. Tony Evans

Tony Evans - The Requirements of Fellowship

February 8, 2026 | 27:29

Dr. Tony Evans is known as a relevant expositor and is a pastor of pastors and a father in the faith.

#WordofGod #Commandment #Fellowship #WalkwithGod #Obedience #Belief #Forgiveness #Grace #TonyEvans

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Dr. Tony Evans | Tony Evans - The Requirements of Fellowship | February 8, 2026

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Tony evans: jesus says, "if you are abiding with me,
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If you hang out with me on monday,
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If you don't let go of me on tuesday,
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If you include me on wednesday,
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If you stay tied to me on thursday,
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If you let me roll with you on friday
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And play with you on saturday,
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You're gonna see something take place and change
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In your experience
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'cause we're hanging out together."
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You can grow in your knowledge about god
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And not have any change in your experience with god.
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John is the apostle of intimacy.
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He was the closest of all the disciples to jesus.
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He is the one who rested his head on jesus's chest.
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He speaks about himself in the gospel of john
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As the one whom jesus loved.
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There was an exceptional closeness with john.
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So when john writes 1 john and 2 and 3 john as well,
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He wants this next generation of believers
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To enter into a deepened experience with god.
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The concern of 1 john is not becoming a christian,
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Because he is writing to christians.
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He regularly says "little children or brother
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Or beloved."
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He's speaking to fellow believers.
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So what he is talking about is not becoming a christian
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But experiencing a deeper relationship with god
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As a christian.
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Married people know it's possible to be
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Legally married and unhappy,
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Legally married and even miserable,
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Legally married but living in tension
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Because the relationship is not operating as it should.
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Even so, you can be a christian and be justified
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But not in harmony with god.
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So 1 john is written to increase the level of harmony
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And intimacy with the lord.
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If you're not a christian,
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Then your goal is to come to jesus christ.
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The requirement is to accept jesus christ
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As your personal substitute.
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But if you are a christian, it is to grow in intimacy.
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He says, "by this we know," verse 3,
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"that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments."
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He says intimate fellowship with god
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Cannot take place apart from obedience.
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Intimate fellowship with god cannot occur
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Apart from obedience--
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That when we walk in disobedience,
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We walk out of fellowship.
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When we walk in disobedience and walk out of fellowship,
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We walk away from intimacy.
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So if you want intimacy there must be, he says,
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The keeping of his commandments.
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Now he says, "we know that we have come to know him."
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There are two different greek tenses in verse 3.
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"we know" is the present tense.
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We know right now that we have come to know him.
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In the greek that is a perfect tense.
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Perfect tense is past action with abiding results.
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Perfect tense means something happened by here
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And the ripple and the repercussions
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Are continuing over time.
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So he says, "we know," present, right now,
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"that we have come to know him," back then
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Because the ripple effects are still occurring.
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So in other words, the way you know now that you and god
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Are close and growing in intimacy
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Is because of something happening back here
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That has continued.
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Let me say it another way.
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If what happened back here is not rippling and continuing,
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You won't know that you're experiencing
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An intimate relationship with god right now.
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So if there has not developed a pattern of obedience
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Over time to his commands, you won't have
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The experience of intimacy right now.
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So the perfect tense of pattern is needed
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For the present experience of closeness.
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So he says we know now that we have come to know
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From there to here because we have developed
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The pattern of keeping his commands.
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So if there is no passion for obedience,
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There will be no experience of intimacy
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Because the pattern has not been developed
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To fulfill or obey his commands.
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Now, having said that, he now says the one who says,
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Talking a good game, "i have come to know him,"
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And does not keep his commandments is a liar.
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In other words, you can say, "i love him.
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I love the lord. he heard my cry."
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You can say he's a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
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You can say he's the balm in gilead.
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You can say he's the bright and morning star.
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You can say he's so high you can't get over,
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He's so low you can't get under,
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He's so wide you can't get around.
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You can talk a good game.
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But if there is no pattern of keeping his commandments,
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He says you're lying.
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You can wave your hand in the air
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Like you just don't care.
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You can shout, you can jump up, you can flip a pew,
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You can say, "amen, praise the lord, hallelujah.
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God is good all the time, all the time, god is good."
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You can talk a good christian game,
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But if there is no pattern of pursuit to his commandments,
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He says you are a liar and the truth is not in you.
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So are there any liars in the house?
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That's okay, don't raise your hand.
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Having said that, he then says,
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"but whoever keeps his word in him the love of god
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Has truly been perfected.
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By this, we know we are in him."
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He says we know that we know him when we keep his commandments,
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But we are perfected when we keep his word.
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The word "perfected" means matured.
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He says when you obey his commands,
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That sets you on the path to knowing him.
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But when you hear his word, the love of christ
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Is perfected in you.
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To hear his word is different than just following his rule.
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Following his rule, when you tell a kid,
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"clean your room," that's my commandment,
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You are to go clean your room.
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But when your kid cleans their room
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When there has not been a command
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Because of how they value your word,
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They're responding to your person
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Not just to your command.
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God starts with a command,
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But he wants to lead us to respond to a word--
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That is, to respond to the person who gave the command.
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One is the command, the other is the person who gave the command.
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One you're supposed to do, the other you just want to do
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Because of how you value the relationship.
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And when you have somebody who moves from "have to"
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To "want to,"
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That's a whole different level of relationship.
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So when he talks about being perfected,
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He's talking about you're now responding to his word
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Because his word is coming from him.
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So you're responding to a person out of relationship,
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Not just out of a commandment.
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So you start with the command, but you wind up with
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Responding to the person who gave the command.
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So now you're responding to his word,
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Because his word is a person, okay?
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The word, jesus, is the word of god.
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He is a person.
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So the relationship moves from rule.
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I hope you don't love your kids because the law says so.
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I hope you love them and take care of them
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And feed them and clothe them because you care about them.
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Now, there is a law that tells you what you must do,
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But that should not be the motivation of you doing it.
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It should come because of the relationship
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That has been established.
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So he wants us to move from a command to a relationship
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Where we're responding to the word not as a command
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But from the relationship of the one who gave it.
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And so he says when you keep his word,
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'cause it's his and you're relating to him,
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The love of god is being perfected.
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So god is gonna let you experience him at another level.
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Now, let me bring john in a little bit closer
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'cause john says in st. john chapter 14, verse 23,
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"jesus answered and said to him,
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'if anyone loves me and he will keep my word,
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My father will love him,
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And we will come to him and make our abode with him.'"
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In other words, we're gonna hang out with
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Folk who hang out with us.
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He says, "if you hang out with us"--
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I'll talk about that more in a moment--
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"you will experience the love of my father."
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So you can be a christian and not experience
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An intimate relationship with god
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Because either you're not keeping his commandment
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Or growing in that relationship to his word.
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Such was the case with philip
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Back in st. john chapter 14, verse 7 says,
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"if you had known me, you would have known my father also.
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From now on you know him and have seen him.
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Philip said to him, 'lord, show us the father
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And it is enough.'"
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"let us see the big mahoff. show us the father."
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Jesus said, "have i been so long with you
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And yet you do-- have not come to know me?
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Philip, he who has seen me has seen the father.
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How can you say, 'show me the father'?"
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Philip was already a christian.
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Philip was already on his way to heaven,
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But jesus said, "you still don't know me."
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So you can be a christian and not know him.
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Aren't there family members that you thought you knew
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And you found out "i don't know them"?
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Okay? okay?
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Because you have a legal relationship,
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But the intimate connection is not there.
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So he is after growing our intimate connection
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With the lord.
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Then he helps us out and he goes a little deeper in verse 6.
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The one who says he abides in him
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Ought to walk in the same manner as he walked.
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So if you are growing spiritually,
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You are increasing your imitation of jesus.
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You're walking as he walked;
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That is, you're responding as he would respond,
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You're reacting as he would react,
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You're talking as he would talk.
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You are now embodying him because he is growing in you.
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And the way that has happened, he says, is through abiding.
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He says, "if you abide with me, you will walk as i walk
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Because of the closeness of our relationship."
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In other words, jesus just doesn't want you visiting him
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On sunday.
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He doesn't want a visitor, he wants an abider.
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God has a lot of visitors who come in
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And they will visit once a week.
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But from monday to saturday,
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There is no hanging out with him.
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He says, "if you don't abide with me,
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Then that relationship will not become intimate,
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Because you are a visitor, not an abider."
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Jesus says, "if you are abiding with me,
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If you hang out with me on monday,
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If you don't let go of me on tuesday,
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If you include me on wednesday,
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If you stay tied to me on thursday,
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If you let me roll with you on friday
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And play with you on saturday
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And we have the big meal on sunday,
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You're gonna see something take place
00:13:35.998 --> 00:13:38.067
And change in your experience
00:13:38.067 --> 00:13:40.402
'cause we're hanging out together."
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His leading passage about abiding,
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Going back to st. john, is st. john chapter 15.
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Let me show you.
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In st. john 15, he says in verse 4, "abide in me."
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He says in the middle of verse 4, "abide in the vine,
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You abide in me."
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He says in verse 5, "he who abides in me."
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He says in verse 6, "abide in me."
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He says in verse 7, "if you abide in me
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And my words abide in you."
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He says in verse 9, "abide in my love."
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He says in verse 10, "you will abide."
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He says again in verse 10, "abide in my love."
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Abide, abide, abide, abide, abide, abide, abide,
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Abide, abide, abide.
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In other words, "you hang out with me.
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You include me in the small things
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And the big things.
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You include me in a man, a woman, a marriage,
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Raising children, finances.
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You just include me in all of life
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And let me roll with you.
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If you let me roll with you,
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You will see me at a different level.
00:14:46.568 --> 00:14:49.805
So if all god gets out of you is church on sunday,
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You gonna--you will not have an intimate relationship with him.
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That becomes out of a relationship
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Of hanging out together.
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Because we all know: you get to know people better
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Who you hang out with.
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He wants you to roll with him, hang out with him.
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He wants to be included in all aspects of your life.
00:15:09.825 --> 00:15:13.729
That is what he calls abiding.
00:15:13.729 --> 00:15:16.865
And he says, "you will walk as i walk.
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You will begin to see your movements shift."
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He says, "first of all, there must be the decision
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For my commandments leading to a relationship
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With my word.
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That is, you're connecting with me
00:15:30.112 --> 00:15:32.915
'cause we are hanging out together."
00:15:32.915 --> 00:15:37.553
But then it goes even deeper because one might say,
00:15:37.553 --> 00:15:41.357
"well, wait a minute.
00:15:41.357 --> 00:15:44.026
I'm supposed to keep his commandments,
00:15:44.026 --> 00:15:45.661
But he has a whole bunch of commandments.
00:15:45.661 --> 00:15:48.097
You know, there's the ten commandments right there.
00:15:48.097 --> 00:15:49.865
That's ten of them.
00:15:49.865 --> 00:15:51.200
I'm having trouble with two. i got ten.
00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:52.901
You know, what, what-- how do i keep up with this?"
00:15:52.901 --> 00:15:58.340
Well, there's a subtle change in our text,
00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:01.010
And it's easy to miss.
00:16:01.010 --> 00:16:02.611
He says if you keep his commandments,
00:16:02.611 --> 00:16:07.016
In verse 3 and verse 4,
00:16:07.016 --> 00:16:09.952
But now he changes it in verse 7.
00:16:09.952 --> 00:16:13.555
"beloved, i am not writing a new commandment to you
00:16:13.555 --> 00:16:17.826
But an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.
00:16:17.826 --> 00:16:21.697
An old commandment is the word, which you have heard."
00:16:21.697 --> 00:16:25.734
I don't know if you call it the subtle change.
00:16:25.734 --> 00:16:27.436
The subtle change is the s has been removed.
00:16:27.436 --> 00:16:30.773
In the earlier verses, obey his commandments.
00:16:30.773 --> 00:16:36.145
Now he says obey the commandment.
00:16:36.145 --> 00:16:39.314
He drops the s
00:16:39.314 --> 00:16:40.983
'cause now he's only talking about one thing.
00:16:40.983 --> 00:16:43.585
What he's saying is
00:16:43.585 --> 00:16:45.687
"if i can get you to do these one things,
00:16:45.687 --> 00:16:47.389
It'll take care of all that list.
00:16:47.389 --> 00:16:50.592
So if you don't remember all the list
00:16:50.592 --> 00:16:52.461
Or if you're struggling with the list,
00:16:52.461 --> 00:16:53.929
If you can't handle the list, okay, hold on there.
00:16:53.929 --> 00:16:57.666
If you just do this, it'll take care of that."
00:16:57.666 --> 00:17:01.036
He moves from the plural to the singular.
00:17:01.036 --> 00:17:04.273
He says, "this commandment is old, but it's new."
00:17:04.273 --> 00:17:10.145
He says, "this is an old commandment
00:17:10.145 --> 00:17:11.547
That you heard from the beginning,
00:17:11.547 --> 00:17:13.415
But it's also a new commandment."
00:17:13.415 --> 00:17:15.451
That sounds like a conundrum. it's old and it's new?
00:17:15.451 --> 00:17:19.254
Oh, he says yes.
00:17:19.254 --> 00:17:21.290
Well, the old commandment was what he said years ago,
00:17:21.290 --> 00:17:26.695
'cause he's writing now to a next generation.
00:17:26.695 --> 00:17:29.398
He says, "i told you this a long time ago."
00:17:29.398 --> 00:17:32.768
What did he tell him a long time ago?
00:17:32.768 --> 00:17:34.837
Okay, we got to go back to st. john, all right?
00:17:34.837 --> 00:17:37.139
So we go back to st. john
00:17:37.139 --> 00:17:38.474
And we'll find out what he told 'em
00:17:38.474 --> 00:17:39.808
In st. john chapter 13, verse 34.
00:17:39.808 --> 00:17:43.579
"a new commandment i give to you: that you love one another
00:17:43.579 --> 00:17:46.882
Even as i have loved you that you also love one another.
00:17:46.882 --> 00:17:50.919
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,
00:17:50.919 --> 00:17:53.589
If you have love for one another," okay?
00:17:53.589 --> 00:17:56.191
So he says, "i have a commandment," singular,
00:17:56.191 --> 00:17:59.695
"and the commandment has to do with love."
00:17:59.695 --> 00:18:02.965
Okay, stay with me here.
00:18:02.965 --> 00:18:04.566
He says this commandment in 1 john is old,
00:18:04.566 --> 00:18:09.004
'cause he had said it earlier in 1 john,
00:18:09.004 --> 00:18:12.307
But it's also new.
00:18:12.307 --> 00:18:14.343
How can it be old and new at the same time?
00:18:14.343 --> 00:18:19.181
He says, "when i start working in you
00:18:19.181 --> 00:18:22.284
Because we're developing an intimate life,
00:18:22.284 --> 00:18:25.154
You're gonna have a brand-new experience with me
00:18:25.154 --> 00:18:27.556
On a regular basis
00:18:27.556 --> 00:18:29.424
Even though you may have known me for many years.
00:18:29.424 --> 00:18:32.161
You may have gotten saved as a child,
00:18:32.161 --> 00:18:33.962
But i wanna give you a new effect today.
00:18:33.962 --> 00:18:36.098
I want you to experience me in a fresh, new way."
00:18:36.098 --> 00:18:40.903
So it's old because it has history,
00:18:40.903 --> 00:18:43.205
But it's new because it has an effect.
00:18:43.205 --> 00:18:45.707
It's the same thing in a relationship.
00:18:45.707 --> 00:18:47.809
You can be in a relationship for a long time
00:18:47.809 --> 00:18:50.579
But the newness of it affects you
00:18:50.579 --> 00:18:55.284
So that it's relevant to you right now.
00:18:55.284 --> 00:18:57.786
So he says, "this is the commandment i give to you."
00:18:57.786 --> 00:19:01.823
And he says the commandment is wrapped in the word "love."
00:19:01.823 --> 00:19:04.726
Now, that means we got to talk about the word love.
00:19:04.726 --> 00:19:08.764
There are three greek words for love--
00:19:08.764 --> 00:19:11.233
"eros," "phileo," and "agape."
00:19:11.233 --> 00:19:15.637
Those are the three greek words for love.
00:19:15.637 --> 00:19:17.372
Eros is the sensual word for love, erotic.
00:19:17.372 --> 00:19:21.843
It has to do with lust, but it gets translated "love."
00:19:21.843 --> 00:19:25.714
Then there is the word phileo.
00:19:25.714 --> 00:19:27.649
Phileo, where we get the english word "philadelphia" from,
00:19:27.649 --> 00:19:31.153
City of brotherly love, okay,
00:19:31.153 --> 00:19:33.021
That has to do more with friendship.
00:19:33.021 --> 00:19:35.424
So that's phileo, okay? but then there is agape.
00:19:35.424 --> 00:19:40.362
Agape is the word that god uses for love.
00:19:40.362 --> 00:19:43.332
For god so agape the world, okay?
00:19:43.332 --> 00:19:45.901
God so loved the world.
00:19:45.901 --> 00:19:47.236
So let me define biblical love so that we're not--
00:19:47.236 --> 00:19:51.773
So we operating on the right definition.
00:19:51.773 --> 00:19:53.809
'cause if you have the wrong--
00:19:53.809 --> 00:19:55.143
'cause we use "love" for everything.
00:19:55.143 --> 00:19:56.778
"i love chocolate cake, i love ice cream,
00:19:56.778 --> 00:19:59.147
I love people, i love--"
00:19:59.147 --> 00:20:00.515
You know, we just use "i love that show."
00:20:00.515 --> 00:20:02.584
You know, we use "love" and we mean it,
00:20:02.584 --> 00:20:04.620
We like it a lot, okay?
00:20:04.620 --> 00:20:06.622
So that's how we use "love," okay?
00:20:06.622 --> 00:20:08.390
But that's not quite how the bible
00:20:08.390 --> 00:20:11.260
Quite defines love.
00:20:11.260 --> 00:20:13.695
So let me give you the biblical definition
00:20:13.695 --> 00:20:15.163
Of love, agape.
00:20:15.163 --> 00:20:17.966
Biblical love is the decision to compassionately, righteously,
00:20:17.966 --> 00:20:25.741
And responsibly seek the well-being of another.
00:20:25.741 --> 00:20:28.844
Let me say it again:
00:20:28.844 --> 00:20:30.178
Biblical love is the decision to compassionately,
00:20:30.178 --> 00:20:33.849
Righteously, and responsibly seek the well-being of another.
00:20:33.849 --> 00:20:39.121
Now, the key thing you need to know
00:20:39.121 --> 00:20:41.623
Is that biblical love starts with a decision,
00:20:41.623 --> 00:20:43.558
Not an emotion.
00:20:43.558 --> 00:20:46.061
An emotion may accompany it or it may not accompany it.
00:20:46.061 --> 00:20:50.365
But biblical love is a decision.
00:20:50.365 --> 00:20:51.767
That's why it's called a new commandment.
00:20:51.767 --> 00:20:55.237
'cause you can command decisions.
00:20:55.237 --> 00:20:57.639
You cannot command emotions.
00:20:57.639 --> 00:20:59.741
I can't tell you to feel a certain way
00:20:59.741 --> 00:21:01.977
And you just pop and feel a certain way,
00:21:01.977 --> 00:21:03.779
Because emotions don't operate that way.
00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:05.814
But we can command decisions.
00:21:05.814 --> 00:21:08.383
So when god defines love--
00:21:08.383 --> 00:21:10.352
"a new commandment i give to you"--
00:21:10.352 --> 00:21:12.254
Biblical love is a commandable love
00:21:12.254 --> 00:21:14.289
Because it's something you decide to do
00:21:14.289 --> 00:21:16.491
Or decide to reject.
00:21:16.491 --> 00:21:18.026
So he says, "i have a commandment to you.
00:21:18.026 --> 00:21:20.629
If you are going to experience intimacy with me
00:21:20.629 --> 00:21:23.999
And fulfill all these other commandments,
00:21:23.999 --> 00:21:26.335
If i get you to do this one commandment,
00:21:26.335 --> 00:21:28.737
You'll take care of all the rest, okay?"
00:21:28.737 --> 00:21:31.640
So when you decide to love,
00:21:31.640 --> 00:21:35.844
You have decided to go to the next level with god.
00:21:35.844 --> 00:21:41.149
In romans, paul is writing and he tells them
00:21:41.149 --> 00:21:46.855
How this principle of love is so critical
00:21:46.855 --> 00:21:50.125
To the rest of the commandments
00:21:50.125 --> 00:21:53.528
And experiencing god at another level.
00:21:53.528 --> 00:21:57.165
So in romans 13, he says in verse 8,
00:21:57.165 --> 00:22:04.005
"owe nothing to anyone except to love one another.
00:22:04.005 --> 00:22:08.076
For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
00:22:08.076 --> 00:22:14.316
For this you shall not commit adultery,
00:22:14.316 --> 00:22:17.419
You shall not the murder, you shall not steal,
00:22:17.419 --> 00:22:20.322
You shall not covet,
00:22:20.322 --> 00:22:21.723
And if there is any other commandment,
00:22:21.723 --> 00:22:24.059
It is summed up in the saying
00:22:24.059 --> 00:22:26.061
'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
00:22:26.061 --> 00:22:29.197
Love does no wrong to a neighbor;
00:22:29.197 --> 00:22:31.700
Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law."
00:22:31.700 --> 00:22:34.903
So the law's got these rules. let's say the ten commandments.
00:22:34.903 --> 00:22:38.173
He says if you love, you'll satisfy the ten.
00:22:38.173 --> 00:22:41.109
'cause if you love, you're not gonna hurt folk,
00:22:41.109 --> 00:22:43.445
You're gonna help folk.
00:22:43.445 --> 00:22:44.846
If you love, you're not gonna do damage,
00:22:44.846 --> 00:22:49.184
You're gonna do assistance-- if that is love.
00:22:49.184 --> 00:22:51.553
Now, don't misunderstand me.
00:22:51.553 --> 00:22:53.488
Love doesn't mean you get walked on.
00:22:53.488 --> 00:22:54.823
Love doesn't mean you skip the truth.
00:22:54.823 --> 00:22:56.224
The bible says, "speak the truth in love."
00:22:56.224 --> 00:22:58.226
So love doesn't mean that there's no standard.
00:22:58.226 --> 00:23:00.095
That's why righteousness is a part of love.
00:23:00.095 --> 00:23:03.131
Love doesn't mean that you facilitate irresponsibility.
00:23:03.131 --> 00:23:06.101
That's why the bible says that love meets things responsibly.
00:23:06.101 --> 00:23:10.439
So love doesn't mean you become some weak, milquetoast person.
00:23:10.439 --> 00:23:14.376
It does mean that the compassion of god
00:23:14.376 --> 00:23:18.413
Comes through your life.
00:23:18.413 --> 00:23:20.916
And if that compassion of god,
00:23:20.916 --> 00:23:22.617
The same compassion we need him to give us,
00:23:22.617 --> 00:23:25.020
Is not flowing through us to others, he says,
00:23:25.020 --> 00:23:27.189
"you're not like me."
00:23:27.189 --> 00:23:29.491
And here's the repercussion.
00:23:29.491 --> 00:23:31.960
He says, back in 1 john,
00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:37.065
He says, "on the other hand, i'm writing a new commandment
00:23:37.065 --> 00:23:41.470
Which is true in him and in you
00:23:41.470 --> 00:23:44.239
Because the darkness is passing away
00:23:44.239 --> 00:23:46.808
And the true light is already shining."
00:23:46.808 --> 00:23:49.845
He does not operate in dark, he only operates in light,
00:23:49.845 --> 00:23:53.048
And light has love.
00:23:53.048 --> 00:23:54.416
Light has love, hate has dark.
00:23:54.416 --> 00:23:57.986
So if you're not operating in love,
00:23:57.986 --> 00:23:59.321
You're not operating in light.
00:23:59.321 --> 00:24:00.655
If you're not operating in light,
00:24:00.655 --> 00:24:02.190
You're not operating in fellowship,
00:24:02.190 --> 00:24:03.525
And if you're not operating in fellowship,
00:24:03.525 --> 00:24:05.193
He says you're blind.
00:24:05.193 --> 00:24:07.429
Look at what he says.
00:24:07.429 --> 00:24:08.763
He says, "if that is the case,
00:24:08.763 --> 00:24:11.800
The one who says he's in the light,"
00:24:11.800 --> 00:24:13.602
Verse 9, "and hates his brother is in darkness till now.
00:24:13.602 --> 00:24:17.472
The one who loves his brother abides in the light,
00:24:17.472 --> 00:24:19.841
And there is no cause of stumbling in him."
00:24:19.841 --> 00:24:23.845
When it's dark, you're gonna trip over stuff
00:24:23.845 --> 00:24:26.047
'cause you can't see it.
00:24:26.047 --> 00:24:27.516
A lot of our problems in our lives
00:24:27.516 --> 00:24:29.317
Is 'cause we're living in dark, thinking we're walking in light.
00:24:29.317 --> 00:24:32.888
And we say, "well, i didn't know that,
00:24:32.888 --> 00:24:34.623
I didn't understand that, i didn't expect that."
00:24:34.623 --> 00:24:36.358
That's 'cause you were walking in dark
00:24:36.358 --> 00:24:38.026
Because god wasn't free to show it to you,
00:24:38.026 --> 00:24:40.061
God wasn't free to reveal it to you,
00:24:40.061 --> 00:24:42.097
God wasn't free to let you see it.
00:24:42.097 --> 00:24:43.832
So while we think we're walking in light,
00:24:43.832 --> 00:24:46.468
We're actually walking in dark
00:24:46.468 --> 00:24:47.969
Because we're not operating where god operates.
00:24:47.969 --> 00:24:50.539
He only operates in light. he will not operate in dark.
00:24:50.539 --> 00:24:53.508
And love is only in light. it's not in dark.
00:24:53.508 --> 00:24:57.546
So he contrasts it with hate.
00:24:57.546 --> 00:25:00.715
He says, "if you hate your brother"--
00:25:00.715 --> 00:25:02.751
Fellow christian he's talking about--
00:25:02.751 --> 00:25:04.386
He says, "then you are walking in darkness."
00:25:04.386 --> 00:25:08.023
"walk" is meaning that's where you're hanging out.
00:25:08.023 --> 00:25:10.859
So if you're living with animosity, hostility,
00:25:10.859 --> 00:25:16.031
Hatred, unforgiveness, you're living in a dark place.
00:25:16.031 --> 00:25:22.003
And you can pray all you want, but god is not there,
00:25:22.003 --> 00:25:25.206
'cause he's not in dark.
00:25:25.206 --> 00:25:26.908
You can go to church all you want,
00:25:26.908 --> 00:25:28.376
But god is not there, 'cause he's not in dark.
00:25:28.376 --> 00:25:31.546
He's only in the light.
00:25:31.546 --> 00:25:33.348
And that's where love must be injected.
00:25:33.348 --> 00:25:36.785
That is the decision to compassionately, righteously,
00:25:36.785 --> 00:25:39.688
And responsibly seek the well-being of another.
00:25:39.688 --> 00:25:42.157
Once you decide to do that while keeping his commandments,
00:25:42.157 --> 00:25:46.194
The dimmer switch is going to open up
00:25:46.194 --> 00:25:49.898
And you're gonna say, "oh, i never saw that before.
00:25:49.898 --> 00:25:52.033
Oh, i didn't know it could be that way.
00:25:52.033 --> 00:25:54.135
Oh, i'm see--i need to go this way and not that way."
00:25:54.135 --> 00:25:57.706
You'll begin to see god move in ways you hadn't seen before,
00:25:57.706 --> 00:26:01.276
Because you're hanging out where he hangs out,
00:26:01.276 --> 00:26:03.511
And he hangs out in the context of love.
00:26:03.511 --> 00:26:08.483
He says, "when this happens, you begin to operate
00:26:08.483 --> 00:26:10.986
Like i operate."
00:26:10.986 --> 00:26:13.088
But we have become so secular in our thinking,
00:26:13.088 --> 00:26:17.325
So influenced by the society rather than by the christ,
00:26:17.325 --> 00:26:22.063
By the word of men rather than the word of god.
00:26:22.063 --> 00:26:25.233
We got a whole culture in darkness.
00:26:25.233 --> 00:26:28.470
Jesus says in john chapter 13, verse 35, st. john,
00:26:28.470 --> 00:26:32.841
"by this shall all men know you are my disciples,
00:26:32.841 --> 00:26:35.010
That you love one another."
00:26:35.010 --> 00:26:37.145
He says, "i want people, first of all, not to know
00:26:37.145 --> 00:26:40.582
Who the preacher is and who the singer is.
00:26:40.582 --> 00:26:43.485
I want them to know who the lovers are--
00:26:43.485 --> 00:26:46.121
That in that environment,
00:26:46.121 --> 00:26:47.455
Those people care about one another,
00:26:47.455 --> 00:26:49.891
Help one another, love one another,
00:26:49.891 --> 00:26:52.193
Correct one another, support one another,
00:26:52.193 --> 00:26:54.729
Strengthen one another."
00:26:54.729 --> 00:26:56.131
And he says if you can do that,
00:26:56.131 --> 00:26:58.633
That's a sermon that will get their attention.
00:26:58.633 --> 00:27:01.736
Because god says he will not let you feel
00:27:01.736 --> 00:27:05.040
The love of him
00:27:05.040 --> 00:27:06.374
If he can't work through you to touch in love somebody else.
00:27:06.374 --> 00:27:11.012
So your growth horizontally
00:27:11.012 --> 00:27:14.015
Will affect your intimacy vertically.
00:27:14.015 --> 00:27:17.152
So if you want more of god for you,
00:27:17.152 --> 00:27:20.021
You better show some of god to others
00:27:20.021 --> 00:27:23.458
So that the two connect with one another.
00:27:23.458 --> 00:27:23.458

Tony Evans - The Requirements of Fellowship

February 8, 2026 | 27:29

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