“I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.” 1John 2:12-14
In these three verses, John addresses three different types of Christians. I use the word “types” loosely, as John is speaking to different maturity levels in Christians, stating the purpose of the epistle for each “type” of Christian: little children (spiritual babies), fathers (the spiritually mature), and young men (the bold and brave – or the spiritual teenagers who usually leap before they think about the jump).
Each “type” is addressed twice. In Hebrew, the number two means “witness.” Another way of looking at that is that John is repeating himself, basically saying, “Hey, listen up. I’m talking to you for different reasons. Pay attention, will you?!” The only “type” of person repeated verbatim is the group known as the “fathers” (which is the spiritually mature.)
We will also find that each group relies more heavily on a separate aspect of the tri-un Godhead. "Little Children" rely on the Father. "Fathers" rely on Christ. "Young Men" rely on the Spirit. And now, let's break it down.
I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.
Typically, little children are innocent; they have not been spoiled by experience and knowledge. They are ignorant to the perils and evils of the world. They live their lives blindly trusting their parents to guide them, care for them, provide for them. Little children do not understand right from wrong until they are taught what right is and what wrong is. “For where there is no law, there is no transgression.” Romans 4:15b. A sin is not a sin if there is no knowledge of sin.
The word tells us that we were given the law, not to demonstrate our righteousness, but to demonstrate our sinfulness. If we were never given the Ten Commandments, and the Levitical Law, we would not know that it was wrong to lie, steal, cheat, kill, etc. And so, God forgives the spiritual babies, not for their righteousness’ sake, but to display the goodness of his own name. And why? Because the spiritual babies have not learned enough to know that they are breaking the law. And to display that this life is not about us; this life is about the Lord and our need to place our complete trust in Him.
I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
John establishes the father’s dependence on someone wiser than the “spiritually mature.” Who is this someone? Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-2. As fathers are wise and lead their families, their dependence on one wiser is a prerequisite. Knowing Christ, who is wiser than the spiritually mature, enables them to lead with wisdom.
I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.
In the original Greek, the word “overcome” literally means subdued. So, these “strong, brave” men and women of faith have not only overcome the wicked one, but they have subdued him in the process. But how did they overcome? The answer is: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to overcome and subdue and have victory. If we do not walk by the Spirit, we do not walk in Christ’s purpose for our lives; therefore, we do not have victory. The young men are strong, valiant, brave, etc…but they are victorious only when they walk/battle in the Spirit. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2Cor 10:3-5
If they are outside of God’s will, if they war according to the flesh, if they lean on their own abilities and understanding instead of the Lord’s, they cannot succeed. John is commending them for being “in Christ” and walking, not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God.” Rom 8:14
I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.
It is enough for the little children that they have a daddy; they don’t need to understand him. This is all they need to make them content, safe, secure: to know the Father. Know him and their needs are met. Know him and they are protected and cared for. Know him, come to him, rest in him and they want for nothing else. And this is what the Lord wants from us: to come unto him simply because he is the Father so that we might be blessed by His touch and His presence. “Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come unto Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16. (Cross reference the same story in Matt 19:13-16, and Luke 18:15-17).
I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
This copies the first address almost verbatim. John changes the “little children” address and the “young men” address slightly, but this charge is verbatim. The only change he makes is in the first phrase. Initially, he wrote: “I write to you,” (this denotes a present tense.) The second time he wrote: “I have written to you,” (this denotes a past tense. It is almost as if John is saying, “I have written to you in the past, and I write to you now for the same reason: because you have known Him who is from the beginning. My reason for writing you has not changed.” To me, this seems like John is screaming “Pay Attention, will you! I wrote to you in the past and I write to you now because you know there is one who is wiser and smarter, and more lasting than you; the eternal God, Christ Jesus. All things are known to him, and to know him is your greatest wisdom. And I’m writing because you know Him." John doesn’t write the spiritually mature to display that his wisdom or his words are even more mature or more wise than theirs. He doesn’t write this letter in selfishness or pride. He writes these spiritual elders because they understand there is one greater, wiser, more lasting than themselves. It is their acknowledgment of this that makes them mature and wise.
I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.
In this final charge, John lists three reasons why he has written the “young men.” Let’s look at each reason individually.
1. Because you are strong. So, John writes to the strength of these young men. What is their strength, though, that he should write to them? The Lord is their strength. He is the one who enables them to be strong because they put their faith in Him.
“The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Ps 27:1b
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him and I am helped” Ps 28:7
“The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Ps 118:14
2. The word of God abides in you. John writes to them because the Word abides in them. And, what is the word but Christ Jesus? John 1:1 tells us that the Word was in the beginning with God, and John 1:14 tells us that the word became flesh and dwelled on earth. John writes them because the Word abides in them. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing…If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you…as the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:4-5, 7, 9-10
Webster’s definition of abide is this: to remain; continue; stay. To have one’s abode; dwell; reside. To continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship. To endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting. To wait for. (And my personal favorite) To accept without opposition or question.
The Lord desires us to make our residence in Him, to endure, to continue in Him, to accept Him without opposition or question. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us. We will know Him as He knows us, as the Father has known Him. These “young men” were abiding in Christ; that was why they were strong, why they were brave, because Christ was their habitation. What a beautiful promise, that we will be strong and brave if we abide in Him!
3. You have overcome the wicked one. This is how they overcame: the Lord was their strength and they dwelled in him. They had not power of their own to overcome, but they were victorious because they trusted in the Lord. 1John 5:5 says this about those who overcome: “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Friends, if we believe in Christ Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world, then we fit into one of these three categories. We are either “spiritual newborns” who need only the assurance that our Father loves us and cares for us, or we are “spiritual elders” who have come to the realization that the one who is eternal is in control and thus we have no reason to fear or stress, or we are “spiritual youths” who stand tall and brave and fight with the able bodies and strength with which the Lord has blessed us.
Life Happens in Threes: infancy, youth, and maturity.
In whatever category we reside, the most important thing for us to know is that trusting the Lord is the only victorious course of action. So, Trust the Father, who will supply your every need. Trust Jesus Christ, the one through whom all things were made and established. Trust the Spirit to lead and guide you in your warfare against the enemy of your soul. Trust that the Trinity is the only thing in the world worth trusting in.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
How Bright Is Your Light?
"He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." 1John 2:9-11
"He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
I must be honest and say I did not entirely understand why John tagged "until now" onto the end of this sentence. I thought, 'aren't they still in darkness if they say they are in the light and hate others?' But, you see, friends, this instruction is to people who, I believe, were in ignorance. They simply did not know any better. They had not been instructed in the Way, and that is why John wrote this letter to them—and to us. Jesus quotes Levitical law in Matt 5:43 when he says,"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'" (Cross reference this statement with Leviticus 19:18 and Deut 23:3-6). This is what people were taught: love those who love you; hate those who hate you. But now that they are receiving instruction through John's epistle, they can amend their actions, and practice what Jesus commands in Matt 5:44-45 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for those two spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
If, however, once we receive the correct instruction, we do not abide in it, we choose to sin. That is rebellion, and John explicitly says that if you hate one another, you cannot love God. And if you do not love God, how can you claim to know Him and be submitted to Him? Hatred towards one another is not of God. The word says that "God is love." 1John 4:8. In 1Cor 13 Paul speaks of the attributes of love: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Cor13:4-8a) Jesus' death and resurrection are active demonstrations of this love. Friends, how can we say we love God if we do the things Love does not do? If we are in Christ, we will abide in love and light, thereby doing what the Lord would do. And we will not only love our "brothers." This is not limited to a physical brother; this is humankind. "Love your neighbor" even if your neighbor is the most ungodly person you know. Love them that they might see God's love in you and desire to leave the darkness and step into the light.
He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
Let me indulge in an equation here. Loving one another = Abiding in Christ. If we are in him, we will neither stumble nor cause others to stumble. If we love, we will not have hatred, discord, rebellion, backbiting, etc. If we abide in Him, no hypocrisy will exist in our lives and we will not be able to cause others to stumble, nor will we drive away the lost. Friends, the reason hurt Christians and lost humanity don't want anything to with Christianity is because most of the modern-day church doesn't have anything to do with the Love of Christ. It's all judgment and cliques and snobbery and who gave the most money or who has the best attendance record, or which church has the most members. Friends this should not be so! We should be focused on loving the Lost and loving each other, and being open arms for the broken and hurting. "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes." Matt 18:5-6 Why are we so ineffective for the kingdom? Because we cause others to stumble through judgment and offenses. And the Lord says "Woe to us" for offending others.
But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
So, Love = Light (God, good); Hate = Darkness (Satan, evil). In the physical, walking in the dark is dangerous to you. You're easily injured, easily lost. When you walk in the dark, you know nothing about your surroundings…what is before or beside or behind you. But walking in spiritual darkness is even more dangerous, because you harm those around you more than yourself. If hatred and darkness are one and the same, then it follows that hatred causes injury (sometimes irreversible injury) to others and yourself. Hatred causes us to lose our way. It blinds us to God's goodness—to his benefits. When we abide in hatred, all we see is negative; it's all darkness and evil. And if that is what you see, that is what you become. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matt 6:22-23
The decision is ours, friends. If all we take in is bad, we are full of darkness and practice the things of darkness—hatred, sinfulness, pride, lust. But, if what we take in is good, we are full of light and practice the things of light—love, peace, compassion, mercy. How can we altar what we take in? By altaring where we abide. We can either abide in Christ and take in Light, or we can abide in sin and take in darkness. Which one will you choose?
How bright is your light?
"He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
I must be honest and say I did not entirely understand why John tagged "until now" onto the end of this sentence. I thought, 'aren't they still in darkness if they say they are in the light and hate others?' But, you see, friends, this instruction is to people who, I believe, were in ignorance. They simply did not know any better. They had not been instructed in the Way, and that is why John wrote this letter to them—and to us. Jesus quotes Levitical law in Matt 5:43 when he says,"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'" (Cross reference this statement with Leviticus 19:18 and Deut 23:3-6). This is what people were taught: love those who love you; hate those who hate you. But now that they are receiving instruction through John's epistle, they can amend their actions, and practice what Jesus commands in Matt 5:44-45 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for those two spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
If, however, once we receive the correct instruction, we do not abide in it, we choose to sin. That is rebellion, and John explicitly says that if you hate one another, you cannot love God. And if you do not love God, how can you claim to know Him and be submitted to Him? Hatred towards one another is not of God. The word says that "God is love." 1John 4:8. In 1Cor 13 Paul speaks of the attributes of love: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Cor13:4-8a) Jesus' death and resurrection are active demonstrations of this love. Friends, how can we say we love God if we do the things Love does not do? If we are in Christ, we will abide in love and light, thereby doing what the Lord would do. And we will not only love our "brothers." This is not limited to a physical brother; this is humankind. "Love your neighbor" even if your neighbor is the most ungodly person you know. Love them that they might see God's love in you and desire to leave the darkness and step into the light.
He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
Let me indulge in an equation here. Loving one another = Abiding in Christ. If we are in him, we will neither stumble nor cause others to stumble. If we love, we will not have hatred, discord, rebellion, backbiting, etc. If we abide in Him, no hypocrisy will exist in our lives and we will not be able to cause others to stumble, nor will we drive away the lost. Friends, the reason hurt Christians and lost humanity don't want anything to with Christianity is because most of the modern-day church doesn't have anything to do with the Love of Christ. It's all judgment and cliques and snobbery and who gave the most money or who has the best attendance record, or which church has the most members. Friends this should not be so! We should be focused on loving the Lost and loving each other, and being open arms for the broken and hurting. "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes." Matt 18:5-6 Why are we so ineffective for the kingdom? Because we cause others to stumble through judgment and offenses. And the Lord says "Woe to us" for offending others.
But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
So, Love = Light (God, good); Hate = Darkness (Satan, evil). In the physical, walking in the dark is dangerous to you. You're easily injured, easily lost. When you walk in the dark, you know nothing about your surroundings…what is before or beside or behind you. But walking in spiritual darkness is even more dangerous, because you harm those around you more than yourself. If hatred and darkness are one and the same, then it follows that hatred causes injury (sometimes irreversible injury) to others and yourself. Hatred causes us to lose our way. It blinds us to God's goodness—to his benefits. When we abide in hatred, all we see is negative; it's all darkness and evil. And if that is what you see, that is what you become. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matt 6:22-23
The decision is ours, friends. If all we take in is bad, we are full of darkness and practice the things of darkness—hatred, sinfulness, pride, lust. But, if what we take in is good, we are full of light and practice the things of light—love, peace, compassion, mercy. How can we altar what we take in? By altaring where we abide. We can either abide in Christ and take in Light, or we can abide in sin and take in darkness. Which one will you choose?
How bright is your light?
To Love Is to Shine
"Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining." 1John 2:7-8
I want to look these verses in conjunction with one another, and then we’ll delve deep into verse eight. The first few times I read these verses, I will admit that I was thoroughly confused. In verse seven John says "I write no new commandment to you" then in verse eight, he says, "Again, a new commandment I write to you." How can a new commandment be an old commandment? And why in the world doesn’t he clarify which commandments he is writing? Then I realized that the whole book of John is centered on two commandments about love. What is the old commandment? How about the first of Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai: "You shall have no other gods before me." Deut 5:7…which is expounded upon in Deut 6:5, "You shall love the Lord your God…" But, what is the new commandment? We find it in John 13 when Jesus is instructing his disciples at the last supper about what is to befall him in a few short hours. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you that you also love one another." John 13:34. That raises the question: how did Jesus love? He laid down his life; he sacrificed himself for us. John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one that his, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." So, we see that John is relaying two principle commands to us in these two verses: "Love God and love each other." This is displayed in Matthew 22.
"When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadduceess, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these hang all the law and the prophets." Matt 22:34-40 Everything about the Law and everything the prophets spoke to Israel hinges on those two basic commandments. If we love the Lord, we will keep his commandments. If we love each other, we will keep His commandments and will require no correction from the prophets. If we love someone, we won’t steal from them or lie to them or kill them. If we love the Lord, we won’t take His name in vain or worship other gods. It is so basic: everything about this Christian Life comes down to Love—love for the Lord and love for one another. If we do not love, we do not know Christ.
Now, let’s focus on verse eight. It says, "Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining." The commandment is true in Him. Why? Because Jesus commanded it! He gave us the command in John 13:34. Jesus is the true light, and He is shining. John 1:1-5 explains this, but let’s focus on verses four-five: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." We have life through and in Him, and that life causes us to shine with His light.
"Arise and shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you." Isaiah 60:1 Jesus is the true light, and the darkness is passing away because He shines in this world.
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." Matt 5:14-16 If we know Jesus as Savior, the Light abides in us, and we become bearers of that light. As bearers of Christ, we shine His Light into the dark world. The dark world does not understand the light in our hearts and in our lives…but they are drawn to it if it is pure in us. And we have the opportunity shine His light into their dark hearts.
Friends, If we keep these two commands: "Love the Lord" and "Love your neighbor", we will abide in the light. So we see that the old law perpetuates the light that is in us. To abide in His light is to Love Him. To love Him is to keep his commandments. If we love, we will shine in the darkness. If we do not love we will hide in the darkness. Will you shine, friends, or will you hide?
Do You Walk the Walk?
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1John 2:3-6
John has such a way of laying down the bare bones truth of a situation that he is able utterly convict a person without condemning them. I read this passage and thought, ’Lord, I have not always abided by this,’ and I am convicted of my sin but I do not feel condemned because I know that there is hope and I know these words were written through John to the church out of a deep, compassionate love. I hope that as we study these four verses you all are convicted of the truth; but even more I hope that you feel the compassionate love and hope that the Lord desires to show you...
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
This is so simple it almost requires no elaboration, but I’m going to use an example that I hope everyone will understand. Most everyone has watched or played baseball, and most everyone has a basic concept of the rules of that game. Let’s focus on the batter for this example. The batter is given three strikes—three chances to hit the ball. If the pitches are good and the batter swings and misses three times that batter is out. Likewise, if the pitches are good—in the "strike zone"—and the batter does not swing at them, the batter is out. But, many people who are casual observers of the sport do not know that if, when the batter swings he steps on home plate, he is automatically out…whether he has three strikes or not. So many times in Christianity, we become casual observers—maybe even casual partakers—of the faith. We step into the box, dig our toes in, and swing at the good pitches; maybe we even make contact, but before we can run to first, we are called out because we stepped on home plate when we swung the bat.
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." James 1:22-24
Oh, friends—how can we know the Lord if we don’t know His Word? And if we know his Word and don’t abide by it, how can we claim that we truly know and love Him? It isn’t enough to just know or hear the word; Satan knows the word and we know he is not godly. The word must be active in us; we must do that which is commanded of us in the word. And what is commanded? The word tells us to love the Lord and love each other.
There are moments when John’s bluntness takes my breath away. Verse four is one of those moments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Wow. If that statement doesn’t convict you, friend, you should check and see if you have a heart of flesh in your body or a heart of ice cold stone. Look at what he’s saying to us. If we claim to be a Christian and don’t live a life that is guided and directed by the things our Lord has commanded us, we are nothing more than a pack of liars who have no truth in our hearts. If we know our God, we will know his Word, and the fruits of His Word will be visible in our lives. If we keep his commands, we "shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in due season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." (Psalm 1:3) But if we do not keep his commands, we shall be "clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up [our] own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." Jude 1:12b-13. And I don’t know about you, friends, but I want to be part of that first group, not the second.
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
How awesome is it that John follows the chastisement with a beautiful promise! If we claim to know him but don’t keep his word, we are liars. But, if we keep His word, God’s love is perfected in us. WOW!! Now, this does not mean that we are perfect. We are not capable of perfection, in the sense that we are carnal beings driven to satisfy carnal desires. There will always, as long as we are living in the flesh of these human bodies, be sin because our flesh strives against our spirit. So what does this mean? How is God’s love perfected in us? Simply in this: that we will begin to love others with the same love Christ has loved us. And how did he love us? He loved us unconditionally and without reservation. He loved us so much that he became cursed for us that we might be set free from our curse. (Gal 3:13) He loved us so much that he gave up his life for us. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay one’s life down for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you…These things I command you, that you love one another." John 15:13-15, 17
Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus! And this is the same love we ought to have for one another—the same love we ought to have for the lost, because Jesus came for the lost and dying…not for the religious.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
We know that we are in Him when we love one another in the same unconditional way He loved us. Jesus walked in power, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead, casting out demons, restoring withered limbs, healing the sick and dying. And John says to us, if we abide in Him, we ought to walk in the exact same manner that Jesus walked. We ought to do all these things. We ought to be walking in this power, in this ability. "Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." John 14:12 But we don’t. And why? Because we haven’t gotten the "love one another" part down. If we don’t love each other, we will have no desire to heal broken hearts, to set the captives free, loose the oppressed, clothe the naked—none of that will matter to us. How can we walk this walk without love? It is impossible. If God is love, then abiding in Him means abiding in love. We cannot abide in the Lord and be hateful people. Love abounds in God and if we abide in Him, we will abide in that love. If we walk in the Lord, we will walk in love. If we don’t we are "a sounding brass and clanging cymbal." (1 Cor 13:1b) If we aren’t walking in love all we’re doing is talking big and making a bunch of noise.
So the question, in its simplest form is this: Do you walk the walk, or do you just talk?
Jesus Didn't Just Die for the Chosen
"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." 1 John 2:1-2
Let’s take this whole thing phrase by phrase.
"My little children
I find it very intriguing that the Lord chose to instruct John to call his readers "little children." Some may think that is demeaning, but I find it very comforting, very fatherly, very endearing. It is as if the Lord is saying, ’I care for you all as little children who I must be careful to teach right from wrong.’ You don’t teach children right from wrong by beating them over the head with it. You instruct them gently because they don’t know any better. When they know better, that is when reproof and chastisement comes in. But when teaching a toddler that it is wrong to hit, you don’t smack the kid hard in the face. You correct them gently and explain why it is wrong. And so…the Lord teaches us the following with gentleness and patience because He sees us as His little children.
These things I write to you so that you may not sin.
Here again we see that this is not a chastisement or rebuke of sin. This is an instruction distinguishing right from wrong, truth from lie, and good from evil, that which is godly from that which is ungodly. He doesn’t write this because he desires to browbeat them about their sins. He writes because he desires to instruct them in the Way of the Lord so that they might not sin in the future.
And if anyone sins
This is a recognition that, regardless of the instruction, mankind will sin. Humanity is humanity. We will always struggle with our human nature; our flesh will always desire satisfaction. Our carnal man will always struggle to experience the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." 1John 2:16 He writes so that we may not sin, but if we do sin…we have a promise, we have…
We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
I just love the way this is worded. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. WOW! How amazing is that thought! Jesus Christ, the only righteous man who ever existed, is our advocate. The word tells us that "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26-27.
It also tells us that "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2. And what do you think He does at God’s right hand? He intercedes for us. He is on our side, protecting us and convincing Our Father to give us second chances when we fail. How awesome is that thought! It births so much thankfulness in me that I can hardly contain it.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins
This is why He is our advocate. This is why Jesus is able to intercede for us. He became the propitiation (the NIV says "atoning sacrifice") for our sins. Jesus bore our curse—He became our curse and became the atonement of our sins that we might be called God’s "Little Children."
But wait a minute; how did Jesus become a curse? Under Jewish Law, "If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance." Deut 21:22-23
This is what our righteous Jesus did for us: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"*), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Gal 3:13-14
If that doesn’t make you want to jump up and down and shout hallelujah, I don’t know that anything will. Jesus Christ, the only sinless man who ever lived, died a cursed death and took upon the curse of our flesh so that we might RECEIVE THE PROMISE. Oh, Lord, my cup runneth over! HALLELUJAH!!!
And not for ours only but also for the whole world. But here is the thing we all get caught up in. We think that He only died for the chosen—for the predestined—for the ones who were fated (if you will) to receive salvation. Friends, that is not the case. This phrase disproves that doctrine; it disproves that mindset; it disproves the lies Satan has told us. Beloved, Jesus didn’t die for my sins alone, nor did He only die for yours. He didn’t die for only those who would believe. He died for the sins of the whole world. Here are some scriptures to back this up:
"For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God." Romans 6:10
"But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." Hebrews 9:11-12
"By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God," Hebrews 10:10-12
Friends, you should really read all of Hebrews 10. It is so rich and powerful a confirmation of this that I feel only listing 3 verses is poor of me, but I don’t have the room to list it all. Christ died once for all! The word doesn’t say that he died once for the chosen, or that He died once for some. The word distinctly says that he died ONCE FOR ALL. Christians aren’t special in the sense Jesus died for us alone. His word proclaims that He died for all. We are made a special people (1Peter 2:9) because we have accepted the sacrifice made on our behalf. We are made a special people because in accepting that sacrifice, we die to ourselves and live in Him. Satan has threaded that lie through the body and we have believed it; but Christ’s death and resurrection was ALL INCLUSIVE and perfect and complete. He died for the crack addicts, for the whores, for the murderers, for the liars, the cheaters, the rapists. He died for Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Dahmer and Osama Bin Ladin. The same Jesus who died and saved Billy Graham is the same Jesus who died to save Saddam Hussein. The only difference between the two is that Billy Graham died to himself and lived the life Jesus gave him and Saddam Hussein lived his own life and killed the life Jesus gave him.
Friends, Jesus didn’t die for "the chosen." But "the chosen" die for Jesus.
Let’s take this whole thing phrase by phrase.
"My little children
I find it very intriguing that the Lord chose to instruct John to call his readers "little children." Some may think that is demeaning, but I find it very comforting, very fatherly, very endearing. It is as if the Lord is saying, ’I care for you all as little children who I must be careful to teach right from wrong.’ You don’t teach children right from wrong by beating them over the head with it. You instruct them gently because they don’t know any better. When they know better, that is when reproof and chastisement comes in. But when teaching a toddler that it is wrong to hit, you don’t smack the kid hard in the face. You correct them gently and explain why it is wrong. And so…the Lord teaches us the following with gentleness and patience because He sees us as His little children.
These things I write to you so that you may not sin.
Here again we see that this is not a chastisement or rebuke of sin. This is an instruction distinguishing right from wrong, truth from lie, and good from evil, that which is godly from that which is ungodly. He doesn’t write this because he desires to browbeat them about their sins. He writes because he desires to instruct them in the Way of the Lord so that they might not sin in the future.
And if anyone sins
This is a recognition that, regardless of the instruction, mankind will sin. Humanity is humanity. We will always struggle with our human nature; our flesh will always desire satisfaction. Our carnal man will always struggle to experience the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." 1John 2:16 He writes so that we may not sin, but if we do sin…we have a promise, we have…
We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
I just love the way this is worded. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. WOW! How amazing is that thought! Jesus Christ, the only righteous man who ever existed, is our advocate. The word tells us that "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26-27.
It also tells us that "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2. And what do you think He does at God’s right hand? He intercedes for us. He is on our side, protecting us and convincing Our Father to give us second chances when we fail. How awesome is that thought! It births so much thankfulness in me that I can hardly contain it.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins
This is why He is our advocate. This is why Jesus is able to intercede for us. He became the propitiation (the NIV says "atoning sacrifice") for our sins. Jesus bore our curse—He became our curse and became the atonement of our sins that we might be called God’s "Little Children."
But wait a minute; how did Jesus become a curse? Under Jewish Law, "If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance." Deut 21:22-23
This is what our righteous Jesus did for us: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"*), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Gal 3:13-14
If that doesn’t make you want to jump up and down and shout hallelujah, I don’t know that anything will. Jesus Christ, the only sinless man who ever lived, died a cursed death and took upon the curse of our flesh so that we might RECEIVE THE PROMISE. Oh, Lord, my cup runneth over! HALLELUJAH!!!
And not for ours only but also for the whole world. But here is the thing we all get caught up in. We think that He only died for the chosen—for the predestined—for the ones who were fated (if you will) to receive salvation. Friends, that is not the case. This phrase disproves that doctrine; it disproves that mindset; it disproves the lies Satan has told us. Beloved, Jesus didn’t die for my sins alone, nor did He only die for yours. He didn’t die for only those who would believe. He died for the sins of the whole world. Here are some scriptures to back this up:
"For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God." Romans 6:10
"But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." Hebrews 9:11-12
"By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God," Hebrews 10:10-12
Friends, you should really read all of Hebrews 10. It is so rich and powerful a confirmation of this that I feel only listing 3 verses is poor of me, but I don’t have the room to list it all. Christ died once for all! The word doesn’t say that he died once for the chosen, or that He died once for some. The word distinctly says that he died ONCE FOR ALL. Christians aren’t special in the sense Jesus died for us alone. His word proclaims that He died for all. We are made a special people (1Peter 2:9) because we have accepted the sacrifice made on our behalf. We are made a special people because in accepting that sacrifice, we die to ourselves and live in Him. Satan has threaded that lie through the body and we have believed it; but Christ’s death and resurrection was ALL INCLUSIVE and perfect and complete. He died for the crack addicts, for the whores, for the murderers, for the liars, the cheaters, the rapists. He died for Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Dahmer and Osama Bin Ladin. The same Jesus who died and saved Billy Graham is the same Jesus who died to save Saddam Hussein. The only difference between the two is that Billy Graham died to himself and lived the life Jesus gave him and Saddam Hussein lived his own life and killed the life Jesus gave him.
Friends, Jesus didn’t die for "the chosen." But "the chosen" die for Jesus.
What's in You: Truth or Pride?
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. IJohn 1:8-10
v8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
This statement reminds me of the time Jesus deals with the scribes about the adulteress who is probably only seconds away from getting stoned. For those of you who may not be familiar with the story, you can find it in John 8:1-12. The baseline of the story is that there is a woman who is caught in adultery, and in those days the punishment for an adulteress was to be stoned to death. So, the scribes and Pharisees bring him this woman and ask Him a question about whether they should do as the LAW says—in the hopes that they could trap him into speaking inconsistently or repudiating (renouncing) the law. He ignored them at first, probably because he knew they were only trying to trap him, but after they continue to bother him with the situation, he said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone.” John 8:7. The story ends with all of the scribes and Pharisees walking away convicted and Jesus telling the woman to “go and sin no more.” John 8:11
I say that whole paragraph simply to say that there is no one on earth who is sinless. Romans 3:10 tell us that “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In another place the Word compares our righteousness to filthy rags. Friends, we are, none of us, sinless. Believing that we are is, as verse 8 tells us, to believe deceit. But it is also pride and self-righteousness. The scribes and Pharisees in the story in John 8 are perfect examples of this. They were sticklers for the law, so much so that they used the law to condemn and to put down others, all the while boasting about themselves that they “kept the law” and were, therefore, somehow more righteous than people who admitted they did not keep the law. So, we see that verse 8 is really all about pride—pride in our ability to do “good” or “right,” to be at every church service during the week, to not get drunk or high, to never have done drugs; all while we miss what it truly means to be a Christian. Because, you see, we are no better than the girls selling their bodies on the street corner. We are no better than the junkies shooting up behind dumpsters. We are no better than the men luring young children away to rape and murder them. And to think that we are is to believe a lie straight from the pit of Hell. However…we do have hope in this next verse.
v9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This is one of those conditional statements we find in the Bible; an “if, then” statement. People love the “then” part of the statement, but people aren’t that crazy about the “if” part. Why? Because the “if” part holds us responsible for our actions, and people don’t want to be held responsible for what they do. Pardon the sweeping generalization here, but we, as a human race, want all the benefits of life and even God, without any requirements to act or do or behave a certain way. If we could live off of the “then” statements in the Bible without fulfilling the “if” statements, life would probably—at least in our minds—be perfect. A lot more people would probably be Christians as well. But that is not the case. IF we want the benefits of this “then” statement, THEN we must do what is required in the “if” statement.
Let’s break down this verse into phrases, shall we; it’s really full of hope and grace.
IF... we confess our sins. This is an acknowledgement on our part; an admission. If we admit that we are sinners; if we admit that we’re unrighteous; if we say to the Lord, “I am a sinner. I have lied, cheated, stolen, had impure thoughts, whored myself. I have served other gods. I have not believed you.”
THEN… He is faithful and just. Okay…God is faithful and just all the time. His faithfulness and justice to do not in any way, or shape, or form rely on our admission of sinfulness. So why did I separate this little phrase from the one below? Simply to emphasize that HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST. He won’t hold a grudge; he won’t constantly remind you of past failures and sins. Caedmon’s Call has a song, I don’t remember the name right now, but the main line is “My God, My God, why hast thou accepted me?” The answer is simple: HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST. There is no simpler way to ensure to us that the phrase that follows is pretty much a done deal.
To forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Oh, how sweet. Not only does He forgive us; he also cleanses us. We are not simply forgiven; we are also cleansed from head to foot (spiritually speaking) so completely that there is no more unrighteousness in us. But how is that possible when Romans tells us that there is none righteous? Because He comes and abides in us, friends; and because Jesus is sinless, we are unable to sin so long as we abide in Him.
God will forgive us all of our sins and make us pure and righteous IF we admit that we are unrighteous. You really can’t have one without the other. If you don’t believe you are a sinner, you don’t need to be forgiven of those sins, and you have no use for a Savior. But the following is also true of you:
v10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Wow, what a bold statement; but so true, and it bears repeating. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. This verse is so blunt and so simple that it hardly needs to be explained. God says, “You have sinned.” We say, “No I haven’t.” We might as well just say to him, “You lie,” because in disagreeing with God, we covertly admit that don’t believe Him. And there is really no difference between not believing Him and calling Him a liar. They are one and the same. And if we believe that God is a liar, how can his word be in us? How can it impact us? How can it lead and direct us? It cannot.
So, the moral of this piece of scripture: If we are so self-righteous to believe that we don’t need to be forgiven, we have basically spat in God’s face, called Him a liar, and by default there is no way that His word is alive and at work in our hearts. If it were, we would believe him, admit that we are unworthy, sinful creatures, confess our sins, and repent, receiving restoration and forgiveness from a God who is faithful and just to all. I’ll bottom line it with this statement: All that we receive of the Lord hinges directly upon whether or not we are prideful or humble. In our pride we call God a liar and cannot receive his blessings. In our humbleness we call ourselves wretched sinners and God’s mercy abounds. Friends, I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to be guilty of calling God a liar. I really don’t want to be guilty of living my life without his Word (who is Jesus) working actively in my heart and soul. I don’t want to be self-righteous and braggadocios and pompous. I don’t want to be so sure of my good works that I disbelieve the Lord and find that I have deceived myself and called Him a liar. After all, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18.
“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2
So, as I close this extremely long study, I want you guys to think about that final verse, and decide for yourself in which part of it you want to be classified. Do you want pride and shame, or humbleness and wisdom. The choice is yours; I pray you make the right one.
v8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
This statement reminds me of the time Jesus deals with the scribes about the adulteress who is probably only seconds away from getting stoned. For those of you who may not be familiar with the story, you can find it in John 8:1-12. The baseline of the story is that there is a woman who is caught in adultery, and in those days the punishment for an adulteress was to be stoned to death. So, the scribes and Pharisees bring him this woman and ask Him a question about whether they should do as the LAW says—in the hopes that they could trap him into speaking inconsistently or repudiating (renouncing) the law. He ignored them at first, probably because he knew they were only trying to trap him, but after they continue to bother him with the situation, he said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone.” John 8:7. The story ends with all of the scribes and Pharisees walking away convicted and Jesus telling the woman to “go and sin no more.” John 8:11
I say that whole paragraph simply to say that there is no one on earth who is sinless. Romans 3:10 tell us that “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In another place the Word compares our righteousness to filthy rags. Friends, we are, none of us, sinless. Believing that we are is, as verse 8 tells us, to believe deceit. But it is also pride and self-righteousness. The scribes and Pharisees in the story in John 8 are perfect examples of this. They were sticklers for the law, so much so that they used the law to condemn and to put down others, all the while boasting about themselves that they “kept the law” and were, therefore, somehow more righteous than people who admitted they did not keep the law. So, we see that verse 8 is really all about pride—pride in our ability to do “good” or “right,” to be at every church service during the week, to not get drunk or high, to never have done drugs; all while we miss what it truly means to be a Christian. Because, you see, we are no better than the girls selling their bodies on the street corner. We are no better than the junkies shooting up behind dumpsters. We are no better than the men luring young children away to rape and murder them. And to think that we are is to believe a lie straight from the pit of Hell. However…we do have hope in this next verse.
v9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This is one of those conditional statements we find in the Bible; an “if, then” statement. People love the “then” part of the statement, but people aren’t that crazy about the “if” part. Why? Because the “if” part holds us responsible for our actions, and people don’t want to be held responsible for what they do. Pardon the sweeping generalization here, but we, as a human race, want all the benefits of life and even God, without any requirements to act or do or behave a certain way. If we could live off of the “then” statements in the Bible without fulfilling the “if” statements, life would probably—at least in our minds—be perfect. A lot more people would probably be Christians as well. But that is not the case. IF we want the benefits of this “then” statement, THEN we must do what is required in the “if” statement.
Let’s break down this verse into phrases, shall we; it’s really full of hope and grace.
IF... we confess our sins. This is an acknowledgement on our part; an admission. If we admit that we are sinners; if we admit that we’re unrighteous; if we say to the Lord, “I am a sinner. I have lied, cheated, stolen, had impure thoughts, whored myself. I have served other gods. I have not believed you.”
THEN… He is faithful and just. Okay…God is faithful and just all the time. His faithfulness and justice to do not in any way, or shape, or form rely on our admission of sinfulness. So why did I separate this little phrase from the one below? Simply to emphasize that HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST. He won’t hold a grudge; he won’t constantly remind you of past failures and sins. Caedmon’s Call has a song, I don’t remember the name right now, but the main line is “My God, My God, why hast thou accepted me?” The answer is simple: HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST. There is no simpler way to ensure to us that the phrase that follows is pretty much a done deal.
To forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Oh, how sweet. Not only does He forgive us; he also cleanses us. We are not simply forgiven; we are also cleansed from head to foot (spiritually speaking) so completely that there is no more unrighteousness in us. But how is that possible when Romans tells us that there is none righteous? Because He comes and abides in us, friends; and because Jesus is sinless, we are unable to sin so long as we abide in Him.
God will forgive us all of our sins and make us pure and righteous IF we admit that we are unrighteous. You really can’t have one without the other. If you don’t believe you are a sinner, you don’t need to be forgiven of those sins, and you have no use for a Savior. But the following is also true of you:
v10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Wow, what a bold statement; but so true, and it bears repeating. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. This verse is so blunt and so simple that it hardly needs to be explained. God says, “You have sinned.” We say, “No I haven’t.” We might as well just say to him, “You lie,” because in disagreeing with God, we covertly admit that don’t believe Him. And there is really no difference between not believing Him and calling Him a liar. They are one and the same. And if we believe that God is a liar, how can his word be in us? How can it impact us? How can it lead and direct us? It cannot.
So, the moral of this piece of scripture: If we are so self-righteous to believe that we don’t need to be forgiven, we have basically spat in God’s face, called Him a liar, and by default there is no way that His word is alive and at work in our hearts. If it were, we would believe him, admit that we are unworthy, sinful creatures, confess our sins, and repent, receiving restoration and forgiveness from a God who is faithful and just to all. I’ll bottom line it with this statement: All that we receive of the Lord hinges directly upon whether or not we are prideful or humble. In our pride we call God a liar and cannot receive his blessings. In our humbleness we call ourselves wretched sinners and God’s mercy abounds. Friends, I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to be guilty of calling God a liar. I really don’t want to be guilty of living my life without his Word (who is Jesus) working actively in my heart and soul. I don’t want to be self-righteous and braggadocios and pompous. I don’t want to be so sure of my good works that I disbelieve the Lord and find that I have deceived myself and called Him a liar. After all, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18.
“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2
So, as I close this extremely long study, I want you guys to think about that final verse, and decide for yourself in which part of it you want to be classified. Do you want pride and shame, or humbleness and wisdom. The choice is yours; I pray you make the right one.
Walk in the Light
"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." I John 1:5-7
Again, let's take this phrase by phrase:
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you
Once again, we have a seemingly unimportant piece of a sentence, a mere declaration. But, really, it is something so much more than that. By this phrase we see that John isn't simply living his own life, minding his own business--just going to church on Sunday morning, praying before a meal, doing "churchy" things. He is fulfilling the great commission--telling others about Jesus--declaring his Word. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen." Matthew 28:19-20
"that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all."
Let's look at some scripture that supports this statement, before expounding on it.
"who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen." 1Tim 6:16
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:4-5
Light signifies truth and righteousness. God's righteousness is unapproachable--we learn that through 1Tim 6:16--which means that no one can attain it of their own power, will, or ability. And it shown in the darkness, but the darkness did not comprehend it. What does that mean? It means that people who live in the darkness, even if they see the light, they don't understand it--they can't comprehend it. I was watching an old clip of American Idol during the season when Chris Daughtry was on, and Mandisa--who is an incredibly talented singer and also very devoted Christian--chose to sing "Shackles" an old Mary Mary song about freedom in Christ and praising him. (Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce8nNTIewaA) Mandisa did a fantastic job, but Simon and Randy "didn't understand her song choice." And that is a perfect example of how darkness cannot comprehend light--they had light shining right in front of them and they simply couldn't comprehend the light. They couldn't understand why Mandisa chose that song. People who live in the darkness (which is a sinful life apart from Christ) simply don't understand the Lord or His ways; nor do they understand why we MUST praise him.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Matthew 6:24 tells us that: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other..." It is impossible for us to abide--truly and completely abide--in Christ and live a life in the darkness. As He is the Light of the World, if we are in Him, we are bearers of that light and servants of righteousness and truth. But if we walk in darkness--in sin-- then we cannot be walking in Him. Light and dark are absolute opposites, as are Christ and sin. If we live a sinful life, fulfilling only the desires of our flesh, we are not truly living for Christ. And the opposite is true as well: if we live a life dedicated to the Lord we are unable to live a life of sin. That doesn't mean that we won't sin; we all sin. But if we pursue Christ we won't sin as often, and when we do sin we will be convicted of that sin and will repent of it.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." If we live our lives in Him, pursuing Him, pursuing truth andlove and righteousness, we have fellowship. It is amazing how well we get along with people when we are truly living our lives for the Lord. His love and long-suffering work through us and make us more kind and more forgiving. And we are better able to fellowship with one another. If we abide in The Light, The Light becomes a part of us and the darkness in our lives must flee because light ALWAYS overcomes darkness.
Micah 6:8 tells us what the Lord requires of us: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" We cannot do these things if we live in the darkness--it goes against our nature. Our nature is to lie, cheat, steal, to be rash and judgmental, to be proud and boastful, to look out for number one. Our nature is darkness, but in Christ we can fulfill the charge in Micah 6:8 because HIS BLOOD cleanses us from unrighteousness, it washes our old nature away and gives us the nature of Christ. And His light shows us how to live a righteous life.
This is by no means an overnight occurrence. It is a continual process. Why do you think our life with Christ is called a walk? It's full of steps. Each step brings us closer to who Christ has created us to be. Sure, sometimes we're going to trip; sometimes we're going to sit our light down and get off track; and other times we're going to hold that light out before us and press forward. And it's not going to be easy. You can't snap your fingers and make it happen. If it were easy, the whole world would do it and Christianity wouldn't be hated and put down as much as it is. But the Lord is good and His Light is bright, and walking with Him is far better than walking in the dark. And there is hope and blessing waiting for us if we walk in the light.
Walk in the light.
Again, let's take this phrase by phrase:
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you
Once again, we have a seemingly unimportant piece of a sentence, a mere declaration. But, really, it is something so much more than that. By this phrase we see that John isn't simply living his own life, minding his own business--just going to church on Sunday morning, praying before a meal, doing "churchy" things. He is fulfilling the great commission--telling others about Jesus--declaring his Word. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen." Matthew 28:19-20
"that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all."
Let's look at some scripture that supports this statement, before expounding on it.
"who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen." 1Tim 6:16
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:4-5
Light signifies truth and righteousness. God's righteousness is unapproachable--we learn that through 1Tim 6:16--which means that no one can attain it of their own power, will, or ability. And it shown in the darkness, but the darkness did not comprehend it. What does that mean? It means that people who live in the darkness, even if they see the light, they don't understand it--they can't comprehend it. I was watching an old clip of American Idol during the season when Chris Daughtry was on, and Mandisa--who is an incredibly talented singer and also very devoted Christian--chose to sing "Shackles" an old Mary Mary song about freedom in Christ and praising him. (Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce8nNTIewaA) Mandisa did a fantastic job, but Simon and Randy "didn't understand her song choice." And that is a perfect example of how darkness cannot comprehend light--they had light shining right in front of them and they simply couldn't comprehend the light. They couldn't understand why Mandisa chose that song. People who live in the darkness (which is a sinful life apart from Christ) simply don't understand the Lord or His ways; nor do they understand why we MUST praise him.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Matthew 6:24 tells us that: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other..." It is impossible for us to abide--truly and completely abide--in Christ and live a life in the darkness. As He is the Light of the World, if we are in Him, we are bearers of that light and servants of righteousness and truth. But if we walk in darkness--in sin-- then we cannot be walking in Him. Light and dark are absolute opposites, as are Christ and sin. If we live a sinful life, fulfilling only the desires of our flesh, we are not truly living for Christ. And the opposite is true as well: if we live a life dedicated to the Lord we are unable to live a life of sin. That doesn't mean that we won't sin; we all sin. But if we pursue Christ we won't sin as often, and when we do sin we will be convicted of that sin and will repent of it.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." If we live our lives in Him, pursuing Him, pursuing truth andlove and righteousness, we have fellowship. It is amazing how well we get along with people when we are truly living our lives for the Lord. His love and long-suffering work through us and make us more kind and more forgiving. And we are better able to fellowship with one another. If we abide in The Light, The Light becomes a part of us and the darkness in our lives must flee because light ALWAYS overcomes darkness.
Micah 6:8 tells us what the Lord requires of us: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" We cannot do these things if we live in the darkness--it goes against our nature. Our nature is to lie, cheat, steal, to be rash and judgmental, to be proud and boastful, to look out for number one. Our nature is darkness, but in Christ we can fulfill the charge in Micah 6:8 because HIS BLOOD cleanses us from unrighteousness, it washes our old nature away and gives us the nature of Christ. And His light shows us how to live a righteous life.
This is by no means an overnight occurrence. It is a continual process. Why do you think our life with Christ is called a walk? It's full of steps. Each step brings us closer to who Christ has created us to be. Sure, sometimes we're going to trip; sometimes we're going to sit our light down and get off track; and other times we're going to hold that light out before us and press forward. And it's not going to be easy. You can't snap your fingers and make it happen. If it were easy, the whole world would do it and Christianity wouldn't be hated and put down as much as it is. But the Lord is good and His Light is bright, and walking with Him is far better than walking in the dark. And there is hope and blessing waiting for us if we walk in the light.
Walk in the light.
That Your Joy May Be Full
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” 1John 1:1-4
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—
This is a declaration that John and the apostles have heard, seen, looked upon, and touched the Living Word—which is Jesus Christ sent from Heaven.
Focus on the phrase: “which we have looked upon.” This indicates that they did more than simply “SEE” Jesus. The fact that they “looked upon” Jesus suggests that they gazed at, watched closely, paid attention to him. They didn’t just “see” him in passing, or see him and know who he was—they studied him, spent time in his presence, watched his actions. This was a relationship…not just a “sight to see.”
The life we manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested to us—
“that eternal life” is Jesus. Why? Because eternal life comes through him, no other (John 3:16). And it was manifested—it wasn’t just some dream or vision…they were physically in his presence. He was a physical being.
“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you.” They are sharing what they have seen and heard…not hording it, not keeping it to themselves for Sunday Mornings. They are sharing. But Why? This is answered in the next phrase:
“That you also my have fellowship with us” It is John’s desire to fellowship with us, but more importantly
“Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” They share with us so that we might fellowship with Christ.
But why is it important that we fellowship with Christ? Because without Christ we cannot fellowship with God. In John 14:6-7, Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” If we know Christ, we know God…and if we have seen Christ, we have seen God.
In Verses 20-21 Jesus says, “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in You. He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to Him.” How Awesome is that statement that last statement? If we love Christ, not only will God love us, but Christ will also manifest himself to us. The evidence of his life will be made known to us and will be made evident in our lives as well.
The question remains, however: Why does John bother writing to us? What is his driving force? What is his reason for sharing Christ and Christ’s love with us? Verse four answers this question: "And These things we write to you that your joy may be full."
John writes to us, not for his own recognition, not for notoriety, not for fame or fortune. He writes to us because he wants us to have lives full of joy. Here are some examples of this joy:
Romans 15:13 “joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the Holy Spirit”
Hebrews 1:9 (which is a quote of Psalm 45:7) “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.”
John 15:9-11 “As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
So we learn just from the first four verses of 1John that a life lived in Christ, a life lived studying and watching and sharing and believing and obeying Christ is a life that is full of joy. John’s life was evidently this way, as he had such a heart to share it with others. And we also, should desire to live our lives as John lived his, sharing Christ’s love with others that their joy may be full as our joy is full in Christ Jesus.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—
This is a declaration that John and the apostles have heard, seen, looked upon, and touched the Living Word—which is Jesus Christ sent from Heaven.
Focus on the phrase: “which we have looked upon.” This indicates that they did more than simply “SEE” Jesus. The fact that they “looked upon” Jesus suggests that they gazed at, watched closely, paid attention to him. They didn’t just “see” him in passing, or see him and know who he was—they studied him, spent time in his presence, watched his actions. This was a relationship…not just a “sight to see.”
The life we manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested to us—
“that eternal life” is Jesus. Why? Because eternal life comes through him, no other (John 3:16). And it was manifested—it wasn’t just some dream or vision…they were physically in his presence. He was a physical being.
“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you.” They are sharing what they have seen and heard…not hording it, not keeping it to themselves for Sunday Mornings. They are sharing. But Why? This is answered in the next phrase:
“That you also my have fellowship with us” It is John’s desire to fellowship with us, but more importantly
“Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” They share with us so that we might fellowship with Christ.
But why is it important that we fellowship with Christ? Because without Christ we cannot fellowship with God. In John 14:6-7, Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” If we know Christ, we know God…and if we have seen Christ, we have seen God.
In Verses 20-21 Jesus says, “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in You. He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to Him.” How Awesome is that statement that last statement? If we love Christ, not only will God love us, but Christ will also manifest himself to us. The evidence of his life will be made known to us and will be made evident in our lives as well.
The question remains, however: Why does John bother writing to us? What is his driving force? What is his reason for sharing Christ and Christ’s love with us? Verse four answers this question: "And These things we write to you that your joy may be full."
John writes to us, not for his own recognition, not for notoriety, not for fame or fortune. He writes to us because he wants us to have lives full of joy. Here are some examples of this joy:
Romans 15:13 “joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the Holy Spirit”
Hebrews 1:9 (which is a quote of Psalm 45:7) “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.”
John 15:9-11 “As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
So we learn just from the first four verses of 1John that a life lived in Christ, a life lived studying and watching and sharing and believing and obeying Christ is a life that is full of joy. John’s life was evidently this way, as he had such a heart to share it with others. And we also, should desire to live our lives as John lived his, sharing Christ’s love with others that their joy may be full as our joy is full in Christ Jesus.
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