And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 John 2:3-6
Knowing Jesus means abiding in Him. Abiding in Jesus means walking in the same way He walked. Walking in the same way Jesus walked means keeping His word. Keeping His word means obeying His commands.
When I was young, I would follow my father as he walked around our farm feeding animals and doing various chores. I specifically remember following him when there was snow on the ground. I remember taking larger steps than a boy my size typically would in order to plant my feet down into my dad’s footprints. Sometimes I did it to keep the snow off my feet; other times, I just did it for fun. Regardless of the reason, it was a fun challenge to walk in my father’s footprints.
Like most young boys, this challenge came from an inner desire to be just like my dad. I looked up to him. He was my role model. To be like him and become the kind of man he was, I would have to do the things he did. I would have to walk with and learn from him.
The same is true in our pursuit of Jesus. We cannot know Him if we do not abide in Him. We cannot abide in Him if we do not walk the same way in which He walked.