I John 3

Day 3

So many of the great hymns of the faith come right out of scripture. The hymn, "Behold What Manner of Love the Father Hath Given Unto Us," is an excellent example. Pardon the advertisement. The passage starts out with a huge blessing of telling us how blessed we are to be called God's children. John tells us that this is a way we can know that God, our Father in heaven, does indeed love us. I don't know about you, but for me that has a great deal of meaning. Sometimes my days are a struggle, and this passage provides a great deal of comfort.

As we move along in the passage we see something very interesting. This passage always sparks my imagination because it tells me we don't know what we will be yet, but that it will eventually be revealed to us. We do know that we will be like Him, Jesus, and that when He is revealed, what we shall be will be revealed too. This book was written after Pentacost, after the Holy Spirit came to live within us, so the passage isn't talking about this. It has a different meaning. It says we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He really is. I cannot help but think of how Jesus is revealed to us in Revelation. John sees Him in all His glory, and John hadn't seen Him yet here in this book. John does not go back though to this book and make any kind of amendment saying, "see this is what I meant!" He lets is stand, because God has a purpose for it just as it is. It gets my heart and mind pondering deep things to read this passage. It causes me to be intrigued by God and His Word. I believe that is always a good thing. It draws me into His depths and gets me excited to know Him better.

Verses 4-9 sometimes make my heart quake. I sin every day. I don't want to sin, but I do in a variety of ways. Does this passage mean we can be perfectly obedient and that when I fail it somehow means that I am not really saved? I have  heard the cry of others asking this question. It does not mean this. This passage is about those that sin, don't care that they sin, profess the name of Christ while they don't care that they sin, and are truly lost. A child of God, even when we sin, still desires somewhere in us to turn away from that sin, to repent when we do sin and to turn back to our Lord and seek forgiveness.

Verses 10-15 talk about loving others. Loving family, friends, strangers, and that if our hearts are filled with hate, we don't love God because God is love and we cannot hate others and love God. Cain is used as an example of this. Once, many years ago, I hated my earthly dad. I really did. Along the way I received Christ and had an encounter with this passage. God opened my hardened heart up through a great deal of soul searching and pain and helped me first to love my dad with His love, and then over time with a genuine love of my own. Only God can transform hearts like that.

Verses 16-23 talk about how important it is not only to love others, but to do it in very practical ways. To show love for others. Don't pass a brother or sister by if you can help them. Prayerfully ask the Lord to direct you how you can help. If you have something you are not using and another has need of it, then be generous of heart and share it. This isn't talking about satisfying other's wants, but genuine needs.  We show the love of Christ in us when we let our love be real, genuine and practical.

Our final verse, 24, makes  it clear that we are to live by His commandments. When the world sees us doing this, they see the light of Him who we belong to in us and that, Him in  us, has the ability to make a difference in this dark world we rattle around in.

Thought Questions.

1. When you hear about God's love for you, is it real to you? Do you believe you are loved by Him? What needs to happen inside you to embrace the reality and truth of His love for you?
2. What gets you excited about reading and studying the Word of God for yourself?
3. When you sin, what is your response? Be really honest with yourself. Do you want to be like Jesus, or are you too content with the world? What needs to be stripped away in regard to personal sin so that Jesus is the One you yearn for?
4. Is there anyone in your life you hate? How about just dislike? Who do you need to ask the Lord to help you love with His love so that you are learning to put away the negative, painful emotions that are holding you back?
5. Who in your life needs you to practice that practical love toward them? What is God revealing to you about the steps to practice that love toward someone else? 

Be a light set on a hill. When you follow and obey our Lord, then others will see your love for Him and for them, and it will either plant a seed, water it, or cause God to reap the harvest in that person's life!

I John 2

29 verses that shares with the reader who Jesus is, what He did and does, how we can be sure we know Him, what our spiritual state is, an exhortation to love God more than the world, and a glimse of the end of days so that we need to let the truth of God abide in us.

As I read through this passage, I am reminded how wretched I am. We are given precious, truth-filled words full of hope so that we can reject the lies and sinfulness of this world. Still we sin. We choose the wrong things often. How wonderful it is to know that we do not walk alone through this life. Verse 1 tells us we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ who came to save us and sanctify us for Himself. He is propitiation, or atonement, for our sin.

So, we know He is the Savior, but how can we know that we know Him, really know Him? A test here in this passage shares that we can know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. Many people claim to know Him, but don't really. Does this mean we can keep His commandments perfectly? No. If we were able to do that we wouldn't need a Savior. We are lost in our trespasses and sins. We need a Savior because we were born dead in those sins. By God's grace, through Christ we can be re-born spiritually. In Christ we can do what was impossible before. We can keep His word, follow His commandments, believe in Him and in His truth, and walk through this life with our eyes fixed on Him. Apart from Christ that is not possible.

We are challenged in this passage to love our brother, to put away hatred. Many people claim God for their own, but have hatred in their hearts for others. It is not possible to hate others and love God. Why? God is Love and in His is no darkness at all. The world is filled with false Christ's. People who seek to deceive us. We are warned not to listen to them. We have been given the truth, God's Word to direct us, give us hope, and so that we cannot be deceived by liars and false prophets. Those who are the children of God will seek to abide in Him, and to look toward His appearing confidently because we belong to Him.

Go through this passage very carefully and answer the following Questions.

1. What do you believe about the Bible? Is it God's Word, or a good book with some great teachings?

2. Who causes you grief in your life that has caused you to hate them? Maybe there are people who haven't caused you grief, but you just don't like them. Who does God say they are to you? How important is it for you to learn to love them?

3. What is your spiritual state? What needs to happen so that your spiritual state reflects Chris?

4. In this last hour who do you follow in this life? Are there teachers that speak false words that keep you occupied with things of this world to your detriment? Who's teaching do you need to stir away from so that you cannot be deceived?

5. Do you look forward to His coming, or does it give you a sense of dread? If dread, what can help you to turn this around so that you are eagerly awaiting the return of the Lord?

I John 1

Reading the Bible is to get a glimpse into the heart, minds and lives of those who followed GOD, and those who did not. It is important for me to say the scripture declares itself God-breathed, coming directly from the heart and mind of GOD Himself. Those men who wrote down the words GOD wanted them to say said that this is exactly what they did, they wrote down what they were told to write down.

I John starts out with a declaration. What is going to be given to us, the readers, was seen by the one who wrote down these words given to him. He heard our Savior, touched our Savior, saw our Savior. John tells us that our Savior came into the world and that he and those with him are declaring that truth. Why? So that we, who came after, who haven't seen with our eyes or touched with our hands, can know that He is real, His Word is truth, and so that we can join in fellowship with those who came before us at Jesus' feet.

To hear this truth brings great joy for many.

This first chapter of I John tells us who Jesus is. He is the Word of Life, He is Truth, He is Real, He is Light, His blood cleanses from all sin, He is Faithful,

This passage tells us that if we deny Him, if we do not believe in these words, then the truth is not in us. It also tells us that if we declare that we have no sin in us, we are liars and the truth is not in us. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost, He came, The Truth, to declare who He is, who we are, and how much we need Him.

Thought Questions

1. Who do you say Jesus is?
2. What do you believe about the Bible?
3. What or who is your source of Joy?
4. Looking through the names and character of Jesus from this first chapter, choose one to meditate on this week and look through the scriptures for that name to get to know Him better.
5. What sin are you struggling with that you need Jesus to give you freedom from?
6. John declares the Word of the Lord to those who will listen. Who can you share Jesus with this week to encourage or help them walk in the truth?
7. Look ahead today and read I John Chapter 2.