1 John 2:6

He that saith He who declares his position is morally bound to act up to the declaration which he has made. To profess to abide in God involves an obligation to imitate the Son, who is the concrete expression of God's will. -To abide" is another of the Apostle's very favourite expressions, a fact greatly obscured in A. V. by capricious changes of rendering: see on 1 John 2:24. -To abide in" implies habitualfellowship. Note the climax; to know Him (1 John 2:3), to be in Him (1 John 2:5), to abide in Him (1 John 2:6): cognitio, communio, constantia(Bengel).

ought It is a debt which he owes (ὀφείλει, debet). S. John does not say -must" (δεῖ, oportet) which might seem to imply constraint. The obligation is internal and personal. -Must" (δεῖ), frequent in the Gospel, does not occur in these Epistles.

even as He walked Not simply -as" (ὡς) but -even as" (καθώς): the imitation must be exact. The -He" is a different pronoun (ἐκεῖνος) from the preceding -Him" (αὐτῷ), and this with the context makes it almost certain that while -in Him" means -in God", -even as He walked" refers to Christ. Comp. 1 John 3:3; 1 John 3:5; 1 John 3:7; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:17. For -even as" comp. 1Jn 2:18; 1 John 2:27, 1Jn 3:2; 1 John 3:12; 1 John 3:23; Luke 6:36, &c. &c. and for -even as He" comp. 1 John 3:3; 1 John 3:7; 1 John 4:17. S. Peter declares that Christ has -left us an example, that we should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:21).