I John 2:13 (Part 3)

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I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

THE STUDY:

          As I have mentioned in the past, when it comes to studying the word of God, there are certain techniques to use. One of those techniques is looking at a passage of scripture in different versions (ESV, NASB, NIV, and such). This passage of scripture is a great example of the reason why we should do this. In the NRSV verse 13c is found at the beginning of verse 14. Some translators put it there due to the symmetry dealing with “Children, Fathers, and young men” found in verses 12-14 whereas others have it at the end of verse 13. Why is this so significant? It’s due to the fact that children is not the same Greek word found in verse 12 as it is in verse 14. The Greek word in verse 14 is a term of endearment to express his tender love to all his readers regardless of age.

          Moving on we see John saying basically the same thing that was mentioned at the beginning of verse 13. But John is hammering home a point to the reader. This understanding of “Knowing the Father” is reflected in three aspects: (1) a person who welcomes Jesus, (2) a message (doctrine) that is accepted and acted on, (3) and a life that is lived for.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with this thought in mind, Have you welcomed Jesus into your life? Have you accepted and acted in accordance with the message of Jesus Christ? Finally, are you living for Jesus? These questions need to be answered.

 

CONCLUSION:

          What I find, in many cases, is people love what Jesus can do for them. They accepted “almost” all of Jesus’ teachings and they have given “most” of the keys to their life over to Him. But, the full surrender and the “KNOWING OF THE FATHER” is not there. Jesus Paid it all so in turn for us to receive this free gift of salvation all Jesus is asking is our ALL. John writes this epistle to those who know the father. Do you know Him like they do? Part of “knowing God” is “letting God.”

A young man, who was struggling to let the Lord have His way in his life, knelt to pray. He had been advised to “Let God do the work for him.” But as he was kneeling, he cried, “I want to let God have His way, but I can’t.”

The day before he had cut out of pasteboard the letters “LET GOD” and tacked them on the wall. He rose from his knees and with a feeling of defeat and despair, he left the room and slammed the door with a bang, saying, “I can’t “LET GOD.””

On his return to his room, he was startled to note that the slam of the door had loosened the letter D on the word GOD, causing it to fall to the floor, and changing the motto to “LET GO.”

“I will, I will, Lord Jesus,” he cried and threw himself on his knees at the side of his bed. “I will “Let go,” and “Let God,”” and he did.

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:13 (Part 2)

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I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

THE STUDY:

This morning we are looking at the middle section of verse 13. Again, John states for the third time “I am writing to you” giving the sense of a pastor speaking to his flock. But now, he being even more specific and addresses the “young men!” John only uses this Greek word for “young men” in verses 13 & 14, not anywhere else.

Then John states, “you have overcome the evil one.” This got my attention! What does John mean by this statement? What about the Children (all people) and the fathers he refers to previously? First, I don’t believe John is saying only “fathers” knew God from the beginning, nor is he saying only “young men” have overcome the evil one. This sentence is tied with the previous verses. What’s important to remember is John contrasting light and darkness and in doing this he reveals what it means to walk in the light. In this passage that means someone who has overcome the evil one. How do we overcome the evil one? JESUS!  John helps the reader to understand as believers’, victory over the evil one is to be achieved by God himself abiding in them (he is greater than the evil one) and his Son, Jesus Christ, protects them, and as a result they are able to overcome the evil one through their faith in God.^[1] This is how we overcome Satan!

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

We walk away with the understanding that we as believers have overcome the evil one. We no longer have to be toyed with by Satan! Through Christ we have this victory and can now live a life that is released from the snares of sin and live free in Jesus.

CONCLUSION:

         

          In a sermon I preached once, I made the mistake of saying, “Bring it on Satan!” what a stupid statement to make! Satan honored that request and showed me some of the evil things he can do to God’s people. Once I realized what I did I asked for God’s forgiveness and gave it over to Jesus. As you may be envisioning in your mind what took place after that, the only thing I can say was “thank you Jesus!” You see, I realized overcoming Satan has already been done by someone! I don’t have to do it again. All I have to do is accept the one who overcame death and sin (all of Satan’s doings) and allow Him to fight the battle. The one who did this is JESUS!

          If you have not accepted Jesus today I encourage you to do so. If you are fighting a battle today, the battle is already won! Let Jesus have it and rejoice in the victory! Praise His Holy Name!

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (91). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

I John 2:13 (Part 1)

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I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

THE STUDY:

           We see John starting this verse with the same phrase found in verse 12, I am writing to you, but this time addressing fathers. He starts with children (vs 12) and now gets more specific. Out of the 414 times the word “father” is used in the N.T. John uses it the most (136). In this instance John is not referring to a family structure but different age groups. Fathers are considered the “older” age group who would have more experience with the knowledge of God.

          John further defines the fathers as someone who knows God. This word “know” (ginōskō) means to not just to know God but to understand His ways, purpose, and love. This can only be discovered in a lengthy relationship with God.

          So there is no confusion, John makes sure He describes who these fathers know: him who is from the beginning. The scripture is very clear to the fact that God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Rev 21:6).

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We can walk away with the understanding that a lengthy relationship with the God is one that will help us to get to know the Father in heaven! Some of us this morning might be thinking I know OF the Father, but do we really KNOW the Father? Each and every day I learn more and more about God; His love for me, His purpose for my life, His ways, and His power. The older I get the more I realize how much I didn’t know about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

CONCLUSION:

         

          When King’s College, now COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, opened in 1754, the following was part of an advertisement published for the school: “The chief thing that is aimed at in this college is to teach and engage children to know God in Jesus Christ.” In a short 257 years later the mission statement for this University reads as followed:

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

Oh, how far we have drifted from wanting to “Know God!” I pray this does not happen to us. May we want to seek Him more and more each and every day.

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:12

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I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

THE STUDY:

          In verses 12-13 we see the statement, “I am writing to you” repeated three times. As we study the word of God one of the things we should pay attention to is repeated words or phrases. John repeats this statement so we need to look at the reason why. With certainty, we can say John is referring to this Epistle and not some other letter. In a letter, when someone writes “I am writing to you” is will be followed by the reason why they are writing. The scripture is no different. After all three incidences, John tells the reader why he is writing this Epistle.

          In this verse John holds no punches! He starts with the very foundational pillar of Christianity; Forgiveness of Sin! John goes on to say for his name’s sake. To do something on account of the name of a person is the same as doing it on account of that person. Forgiveness ‘on account of the name’ is shorthand for what is spelled out more fully elsewhere. God forgives our sins because of Jesus Christ, the one whom he sent as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.^[1]

          I share all of this with you this morning because it will help us to understand the next couple of verses. The thing that stands out to me in this passage is the statement, “little children!” Most scholars believe John is referring to “all” and not just children or immature believers. John uses the term “children” frequently throughout his writings. This presents the feel of an authoritative figure (Pastor of sort) sharing the written word. When he says, “I write,” he means that his words, being penned, are permanent. The members of the church are apt to forget the spoken word, but that which is written stays. ^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

As a new believer in Christ I struggled with the fact that I WAS FORGIVEN. I still stand in amazement today to the fact of God’s Love for me, He forgives me! All I have to do is ask. If you struggle with the same thing let me say this, “YOU ARE FORGIVEN!” The next time Satan tries to get you to think you are not go back to that moment you asked Christ into your heart or remember this moment and relive it over and over again. It will remind you that “God forgave so Satan go away.”

CONCLUSION:

         

I heard about a tribe of Eskimos, the Moravians. The missionaries, who first went to these Eskimos, could not find a word in their language for forgiveness, so they had to compound one. The compound word is,  “Issumagijoujungnainermik.” It is a long assembly of letters, but an expression that has a beautiful connotation for those who understand it. It means: “Not-being-able-to-think-about-it-anymore.” Let Jesus do this for us today. So that those sins that we have been forgiven for will not be able to be thought of anymore.

           

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (89). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (265). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:10-11 (Part 3)

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Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

THE STUDY:

          Looking at this verse, it is very similar to that of verse 9. Many of the scholars believe verse 11 is the expansion of verse 9 concerning “darkness.” What we read is John expounding on this darkness and how detrimental it can be. This darkness John is referring to is the result of “Hate.” We can only assume John has seen individuals claiming to be followers of Jesus but not demonstrating the very basics of a believer: LOVE! John expounds on the contrast of light and darkness in this epistle.

          Hatred is part of darkness! It associates itself with two things: choice and blindness! This verse reveals the fact that “whoever hates his brother” is someone who chooses to hate. It is not as if they woke up one morning and accidentally hated their brother. People choose to hate and the same can be said when it comes to love.

John states that in this darkness we don’t know where we are going due to being blind. We go blind due to the fact that we are no longer in the light. We have heard that we can go blind if we are in darkness for a long period of time. The reason for this is because the light- and color-reception rods and cones in the cells, compounding your eye, go unused for a long period of time, and eventually die, causing blindness. One example of this fact is found in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky were the fish in Echo River have eye-sockets, but no eyes.^[1] This is caused by the fact that they are in complete darkness.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• What we can walk away with this morning is the understanding that the longer one remains in darkness, eventually they will go blind unless they turn and walk toward the light.

• Looking at the opposite effects to darkness we can glean this fact; if we love, we are in the light, we can walk in the light, and we are able to see everything around us.

CONCLUSION:

           I remember during the earlier days of our marriage my wife and I use to have “discussions” (Translated- arguments)! I use to say to her, “You are making me mad.” She would calmly respond, “No I am not; you are choosing to get mad.” Looking back, I can admit that my wife was absolutely right. What she was saying and what John is sharing with the readers of this Epistle is, the fact, that we choose. We choose to walk in the light or in the darkness. What choice are you going to make today? My prayer is that you and I both choose the LIGHT!

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Robertson, A. (1997). Word Pictures in the New Testament (1 Jn 2:11). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.

I John 2:10-11 (Part 2)

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Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

THE STUDY:

          Reflecting on what we have learned previously, we can glean from the idea that John is sharing with the reader the importance of what we say and how our actions should line-up with our words. What could be the negative consequence of this thought? First, it affects us negatively with our relationship with God. As a matter of fact John says, if we are doing this we are “Liars” and we “walk in darkness.” Secondly, we see in this passage, it negatively affects others around us. John writes, “and in him there is no cause for stumbling,” which is saying if we love our brothers we remain in the light and we will not cause someone to stumble.

          The word “stumble” is found 15 times in the NT. The modern English word that derives from this Greek word is “scandalize” which means to literally “trip somebody up.” But the Greek word has a more intent meaning. The definition is found to literally mean “a trap or a snare.” But John may be using this metaphorically to mean “a stumbling block.”  This is the only occasion John uses this word. We have to ask ourselves why he used this word?

          The reason John uses this word may be due to the fact that there are two possible translations of this verse: (1) the believer who walks in love will not personally stumble and (2) the believer who walks in love will not cause others to stumble.^[1] This being said we find the idea that whoever “abides in the light” not only removes any stumbling blocks in their way but is not a stumbling block for others.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• This morning we can walk away with the understanding that remaining in the light has effects on us as well as others. Charles Barkley said once, “I am not a role model!” John is telling the readers in this Epistle, “Yes you are.” As a role model for Jesus we can lead people toward the light or away from it.

CONCLUSION:

          I have dealt with many situations in my ministry. One of those situations that seem to always come up is the idea of drinking beer. Let me be upfront with this subject, the Nazarene church discourages the drinking of alcohol. I am in favor of this as well. As a child growing up I never saw anything good come from it. Many argue the idea that wine was part of Jesus' life. Biblically, I cannot dispute this fact. I am not going to debate the idea of drinking beer but in regards to this thought, don’t let Satan cause you to stumble and don’t be a stumbling block to others who may have a problem with alcohol.

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Utley, R. J. D. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple's Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (206). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

I John 2:10-11 (Part 1)

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Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

THE STUDY:

          In John’s writings, the main focus is “Love” amongst the believers, for God, and for the lost. The word “Love” is defined by three Greek words (Agapao: to love, Agape: Love, and Agapetos: (Be loved). The word found in this passage is the verb Agapetos. It is defined as a love of a person for a person or object. John points out that the object of this affection is “Brother.” Brother is a general word that is used to cover a vast array of individuals (relative, friend, fellow believer).

          John further goes on to say that there is a correlation to loving our brothers and abiding in the light. The word “abide” is Meno which means to remain or stay. This gives the impression that the reader is in the light and for them to stay in that light they are to love ALL. In doing this they will remain in the light.

          This is a good place to stop but let me add that John is using an “Action,” “Reaction,” and “Result” technique in this passage. The action is to “love,” the reaction is “remaining in the light,” and the result is “not causing someone to stumble.” Tomorrow we will look at the stumbling aspect.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• I believe what we can walk away this morning in knowing that our actions have a reaction to them. If we throw a rock into a pond, our action (throwing the rock) will have a reaction from the pond (ripples throughout the pond). Our actions can have a positive reaction or a negative reaction to them. A lot of this is determined by us. Not all is determined by us but the majority of it can be contributed. Let us work on our actions so that it has a positive reaction to it.

CONCLUSION:

          We have two dogs, Stitch and Biscuit. We have trained them that when we come home and walk through the door they go outside for obvious reasons. What we have done is caused them to react to our action. The result, of course, is positive, no messes in the house. My prayer is that my actions have a positive reaction so the result will be to the Glory of God. This is my prayer for you today as well.

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:9

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Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

THE STUDY:

          In our house our children understand that certain words are not allowed to be spoken, not even in a humorous tone. One of those words is “HATE.” I have always felt that this word is what I call, a “bomb word!” You are feeling very vulnerable or hurt so you pull out the bomb, (I HATE you/this!).

          Let’s be upfront with each other, to be a follower of Jesus Christ the word HATE needs to be removed from our vocabulary. To say you “love Jesus” and in the same sentence say “but I hate him/her” is not being unified with Christ. No were in scripture have I read Jesus saying “I hate!” I believe God only refers to hate when it comes to SIN! You have heard the old saying, “Love the sinner, and hate the sin!”

          As we will see throughout the rest of this epistle, John is very blunt about the fact that our actions should line up with that which dwells inside. For John there is no twilight. There is either light or darkness, love or hatred. Where love is absent, hatred rules in darkness. But where love prevails, there is light.^[1]

          My last thought on this issue of hate is the fact that we all fall into two classes, those who are in fellowship with God, and therefore walk in light and love, and those who are not in fellowship with God, and therefore walk in darkness and hatred. This is a direct opposition; where love is not, there is hatred.  

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• I would think that after reading this passage, if there was anything in our hearts concerning hatred toward someone, the Spirit has checked us and we are going to make it right. This may be by asking that person to forgive us, forgiving that person personally, forgiving them in our heart, or just letting go of the hurts and pains that may have come from that situation. Whatever the case may be let us Love one another.

CONCLUSION:

          Today can be the day that hatred is removed and love prevails. Let us remember, God loves you and also the person who has done you wrong. Love is a two way street. Offered love requires a response. When God offers His love, we can accept it or reject it.^[2] The same is true for those who you offer love to. No matter what our response is, God LOVES US. No matter what their response is to us, let’s LOVE THEM!

           

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (263). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Hobbs, H. H. (1990). My favorite illustrations (79). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.

I John 2:8

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At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

THE STUDY:

          It would first appear that John is contradicting himself when he says in verse 7 this is “NOT” a new commandment yet in this verse he says it “IS” a new commandment. This is not the case at all. There are two aspects that will help us understand this: Literal aspect and theological aspect.

LITERAL - The word new in Greek suggests that the old has given birth to the new. The old does not cease to exist but continues along with the new. We note a good example with respect to the two testaments: the Old Testament prepared the way for the New Testament, but did not lose its validity when the New arrived. Likewise, the old command addressed the people of the Old Testament era but kept its validity when Jesus came. Jesus gave this command greater significance, in a new form, in the context of the New Testament.^[1]

THEOLOGICAL – What we read in this passage is prompted from Lev. 19:18 (“Love your neighbor as yourself”). The newness of this was due to the fact that Jesus says this LOVE is to extend to our enemies (Matt. 5:43-44) as well as love for God and our neighbors.

He explained the meaning of the command to love one another by removing man-made obstacles and by revealing the divine intent and purpose of this particular command. The command, then, has been continuously in force from the beginning of history to the present, for it does not grow old with time.^[2]

What’s really interesting is how John shares with the reader that this command is being lived out in most of the believer. This is found in the latter part of verse 8, “because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.” The reason for the darkness passing away and the light taking over is due to the fact that many were coming to the belief and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

         

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• I wonder if we took a long look at ourselves could we say the light is shining forth from us? I believe if we are in the truth and letting Jesus have complete control, the light that John is talking about will be evident. Not just to us but to those who are around us. Let your light shine today.

CONCLUSION:

           I found an article from “Christian Victory” that was very interesting concerning LIGHT. Science tells us that light is constituted of three rays, or groups of wavelengths, distinct from each other, no one of which without the others would be light. Each ray has its own separate function. The first originates, the second formulates, illuminates or manifests, and the third consummates. The first ray, often called invisible light, is neither seen nor felt. The second is both seen and felt. The third is not seen but is felt as heat. ^[3]

          The first thing I thought of after reading this paragraph was the TRINITY (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). To sum up my thought from this passage let me say this, “Let your light shine! This light is the Glory of the Father, Salvation from the Son, and the Burning of the Holy Spirit that shines from the believer. This little light of mine, I’m gonna to let it shine!

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (260). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (260). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[3] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 2:7

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Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.

THE STUDY:

           We see John, in his love for the people, address the fact that what he is writing is not something NEW. The commandment he was addressing is not something NEW to the followers of God. As a matter of fact it is an OLD commandment. John refers to this fact by stating that this commandment was “from the beginning.” Being that the Gnostic's believed there was a “more excellent way” John is refuting this belief by revealing that Jesus was there at the beginning of time and nothing new was to be revealed. There was no need for a “more excellent way.” Jesus was all they needed!

          John lived in a day and time when people were searching for more. This may be why many were buying into this thought of a more excellent way. John was combating this movement by pointing back to the past. John is saying that there is no reason for a NEW commandment. What he was sharing was not something that was to replace what his forefathers believed and followed. It was actually something they believed and was to be through eternity. That commandment was to LOVE!

         

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• Let us be reminded of the fact that Jesus didn’t come to replace the O.T. commandments, but to fulfill them.

• Love still remains! We are to love. Not just love our family and friends, but to love God and our Neighbors.

• Jesus is the way, the truth, and life! (John 14:1)

CONCLUSION:

           A couple of quotes to leave you with this morning concerning the commandment to “LOVE”:

God does not say, “Be good, and I will love you.” Rather He says, “Because I love you, you should be good.”

God loves humankind not because of what it is but in spite of what it is.^[1]

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Hobbs, H. H. (1990). My favorite illustrations (114). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.

I John 2:5-6 (Part 3)

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but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

THE STUDY:

          Today’s devotional is filled with some good stuff. But isn’t all of God’s word GOOD STUFF? As we look at verse 6 today we will find something interesting. The first part of the verse reads, whoever says he abides in him ought to walk! I want to key in on the word “ought!” The Greek word used in this passage is opheilei, which means TO OWE. As you can see, it gives this passage a deeper feel for what John is saying. It is not just a suggestion to walk as Jesus walked but a sense of payment. Now we know that our salvation is not something we receive by works (paying it off) but by faith.

          An example of this, in our day and time, would be someone doing you a huge favor, such as coming over and helping you fix your car when it broke down, without accepting payment of any kind. Being an honorable person you would have a sense of some type of reimbursement. John is implying that if we say we are going to remain in (abide) Jesus the lease we can do is walk the way He walked.

          The last word that stands out in this verse is “walk.” The same Greek word is used in both instances, “peripateō” which means: a way a person conducts oneself. John is saying that we owe it to Jesus, for the sacrifice on the cross, to conduct ourselves as he conducted himself while on this earth. This is not out of some type of payment for His sacrifice on the cross but out of love for His sacrifice on the cross. Jesus walked in the light and John believes we should to do the same. Our actions should be that of Jesus, nothing more but definitely, nothing less.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

•          This morning let us remember the sacrifice Christ made on the cross for you and I.

•          Let us also remember as Christ walked in the light we need to as well.

•          Finally, let our conduct match that which of Jesus. Nothing more, and definitely, nothing less!

CONCLUSION:

          I was filling in one Sunday for the teacher of our young boys’ class. I asked them a simple question, “What do you think Jesus was like?” I was expecting an answer like: He was a good man; He was a poet; He was a carpenter; He was like God. To my surprise one little fellow raised his hand and replied, “I think Jesus was like my Sunday School teacher.”

Has anyone ever compared your demeanor and deeds to those of Jesus?

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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I John 2:5-6 (Part 2)

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“but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

THE STUDY:

          Today we are looking at the phrase “in him truly the love of God is perfected.” I was going to skip over this part but God revealed to me this is one of the most important parts of this verse. What we find in this passage of scripture is something out of character for John. Up to this point John has been saying such things as Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him (Verse 4)! John is basically saying that if you “know” Jesus then you will keep his commandments but if you don’t keep the commandments yet say you know him, you are a liar. We can sense John’s passion in verse four but something else shines through in verse five and six, God’s perfect love. One commentator writes, the obedient child of God is characterized, not by any typical trait or quality of his own personality, but merely as the subject of the work of divine love: as the sphere in which that love accomplishes its perfect work.^[1]

          The Greek expression “the love of God” (rendered “God’s love”) could mean either His love for a Christian or a Christian’s love for God. But the NIV rendering is perhaps the best, particularly in light of John 14:21-23. In that passage an obedient disciple is promised a special experience of the love of the Father and Son. Since a Christian is already the object of God’s saving love, this additional, firsthand realization of the divine affection may be properly said to make God’s love complete in him (cf. 1 John 4:12, 17). That is to say, an obedient believer has a deep, full-orbed acquaintance with “God’s love.” Since God is love (4:16), to know God intimately is to know His love intimately.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• There are different levels of love that we all experienced in our lives. They all are different in their own little ways. The love for your pet is different from a love for your spouse or your child. A love for a sport is different from a love for a neighbor or friend. We can see in scripture there are different levels of love. Jesus asked Peter, three time, “Do you Love me?” In that passage Jesus uses two different levels of love. Let us remember that no matter what the level, the common denominator should always be “LOVE.”

CONCLUSION:

          While tucking my children in bed one night I was asked this question, “Dad, what do the words, “Cherubim and seraphim” mean?” I took time to tell them that cherubim was a Hebrew word meaning knowledge, and the word seraphim stood for flame, explaining that it some scholars believe the cherubim are angels that excel in knowledge and the seraphim are those who excel in love for God. My youngest son says, “I hope that when I die I will be a seraphim. I would rather love God than to know everything.”

          I hope this morning we realize, sense, and see the Love that God has for us. And, in our response, God realizes, senses, and sees the Love we have for Him. One way of showing God we love him, “Keep the word!”

           

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Vincent, M. R. (2002). Word studies in the New Testament (1 Jn 2:5). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[2] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (1 Jn 2:5–6). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.