In my opinion, faith is a commodity that ebbs and flows as we walk through life. There are moments where I am so full of faith that I feel like I am flying. At other times, I feel so empty that I openly question whether there is any point in having faith. To make matters more confusing, there are even times where it feels like faith is the only thing we have because nothing else is going to work. I think we see an example of that in the beginning of Mark, chapter 2. In this situation, Jesus chooses to deliver important lessons, as well as detract from His critics.
3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." – Mark 2:3-10
What did these men have to lose? The friend they were trying to help was a paralytic, and likely had been for years. Clearly, medical technology at the time couldn’t help him. It is even more likely that this guy was lucky to be alive at that point. The last thing on his mind was probably sinning, yet forgiving his sins is the first thing that Jesus did for him. Jesus saw first his need for eternal salvation. Even if Jesus had healed him first, the man would still have been in need of salvation. To Jesus, this was more important. His primary message was one of forgiveness, so He took this opportunity to demonstrate as such. The fact that he later also healed the man backed up His point.
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." – Mark 2:27-28
This is an important point here. It comes at a time where Jesus was correcting those who had put too much emphasis on the method as opposed to the result of such methods. To the Pharisees, they had become so consumed with the rituals and methods they were supposed to carry out they had forgotten the meaning of why they were carried out. They did not realize that they were supposed to serve God, not the Sabbath. I think we see this somewhat today in the current church. We see it when churches get caught up more in finding sin than in forgiving it. The best example I can think of is the church in from Wichita, Kansas, that campaigns heavily against homosexuality. They carry placards saying “God hates Fags” while protesting at soldiers’ funerals. Instead of hating the sin, as Jesus did, they are hating the sinner. God does not hate anyone. What He hates is the way that sin corrupts us and makes us lose sight of Him. This is what Jesus spoke of here against the Pharisees.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Mark, Chapter 1
Today, we switch gears back to the gospels and look at the second gospel, the book of Mark. I like to think of Mark as CNN Headline News. It doesn’t go into as much detail as some of the other gospels, but rather hits on the highlights in a very brief format. Mark’s style of writing seems to be more of a Reader’s Digest style. We get to see a synopsis of the events of Jesus’s life, and Mark’s gospel is one of the few that does not deal with Jesus’s birth.
Mark’s gospel begins with a focus on the work of John the Baptist. John the Baptist is easily one of the more important characters in the Bible because of the way that he fulfilled his mission. He was a bit of a radical, whose style of ministry was vastly different than what the Jewish culture was used to. Because of this, he prepared the way for Jesus’s ministry, which was even more radical. As always it seems, this was a fulfillment of prophesy as we see from the first few verses of this chapter.
7And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." – Mark 1:7-8
This is important because it shows that John the Baptist had a clear understanding of not only his mission, but his place. John knew that he was here merely to serve a purpose for Christ. He was the voice crying out in the wilderness that prepared the way for Jesus. This, in turn, gave more credence and power to Jesus’s ministry. In a way, God knew that the change that Jesus was going to bring about would be too radical to be accepted. Therefore, John the Baptist was sent to bring about that change more gradually. He lived a life that was closer to the great prophet Elijah, who was very well respected, making his message more easily accepted.
9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." – Mark 1:9-11
This is another significant event because it shows Jesus’s humble nature. Jewish culture used baptism as a symbolic act of cleansing for those who converted to the faith. This is a connection to Jesus’s side, as he did not think of Himself as greater than a man in need of cleansing. With this symbolic act, Jesus showed that He was prepared to fulfill what was asked of Him. It is from here that He was prepared to go out and begin His public ministry.
The rest of this first chapter deals with the beginning of that ministry. We see Mark’s account differ from Matthew’s in that it lacks the detail of many significant events, such as the calling of the first disciples and Jesus’s temptation in the desert. One of the main reasons I believe this difference is shown is to give truth to the Bible. If we had simply one account of Jesus’s earthly life it would be easy to discredit it. With the gospels, however, we get four accounts. Across them, many of the events mentioned are the same, yet viewed from different perspectives. God planned for this like any good lawyer making his case by providing multiple examples of the evidence before us, but He still allows for us to make our own decisions. We, therefore, can think of the book of Mark as merely “exhibit B” in the case for Christ.
Mark’s gospel begins with a focus on the work of John the Baptist. John the Baptist is easily one of the more important characters in the Bible because of the way that he fulfilled his mission. He was a bit of a radical, whose style of ministry was vastly different than what the Jewish culture was used to. Because of this, he prepared the way for Jesus’s ministry, which was even more radical. As always it seems, this was a fulfillment of prophesy as we see from the first few verses of this chapter.
7And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." – Mark 1:7-8
This is important because it shows that John the Baptist had a clear understanding of not only his mission, but his place. John knew that he was here merely to serve a purpose for Christ. He was the voice crying out in the wilderness that prepared the way for Jesus. This, in turn, gave more credence and power to Jesus’s ministry. In a way, God knew that the change that Jesus was going to bring about would be too radical to be accepted. Therefore, John the Baptist was sent to bring about that change more gradually. He lived a life that was closer to the great prophet Elijah, who was very well respected, making his message more easily accepted.
9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." – Mark 1:9-11
This is another significant event because it shows Jesus’s humble nature. Jewish culture used baptism as a symbolic act of cleansing for those who converted to the faith. This is a connection to Jesus’s side, as he did not think of Himself as greater than a man in need of cleansing. With this symbolic act, Jesus showed that He was prepared to fulfill what was asked of Him. It is from here that He was prepared to go out and begin His public ministry.
The rest of this first chapter deals with the beginning of that ministry. We see Mark’s account differ from Matthew’s in that it lacks the detail of many significant events, such as the calling of the first disciples and Jesus’s temptation in the desert. One of the main reasons I believe this difference is shown is to give truth to the Bible. If we had simply one account of Jesus’s earthly life it would be easy to discredit it. With the gospels, however, we get four accounts. Across them, many of the events mentioned are the same, yet viewed from different perspectives. God planned for this like any good lawyer making his case by providing multiple examples of the evidence before us, but He still allows for us to make our own decisions. We, therefore, can think of the book of Mark as merely “exhibit B” in the case for Christ.
Friday, July 11, 2008
1 John 5
Today is the last day we will spend on the very short book that is 1 John. The author continues his theme of love and how we can express that love back to God.
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. – 1 John 5:1-4
This is not easy. Sometimes it is very hard to obey God’s commands because they interfere with what we think is best. Right now, I am going through such a period, but in a way, it feels like I am always going through such a period. When God says “stay” while you want nothing more than to run it is a difficult situation. In our consciousness, matters become even more difficult because we can think for ourselves. We know our situation and we think that we obviously know better. That is not always the case.
Almost 10 years ago, I followed what I believed was God’s command, and ever since then, I have felt I was on the right path. I decided to change my college major, thereby drastically altering the course of my life. Ten years later, I have seen that path take me to places that have honestly made me question if it is for the best. It is hard to believe that you are following God’s command when there seems to be little development or change in your surroundings as a result of that command. In that time, I recognize that mistakes have been made, but that love that is promised has never faltered. Mistakes can sometimes alter the method of getting from place to place, but we are promised that as long as we follow God, we will eventually get there. My wife would scowl at me for having the attitude of, “whatever it takes to accomplish the task,” but in essence, God will do whatever it takes to accomplish the task. It is only as I age that I see some methods are better than others, however.
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. – 1 John 5:13-15
I wanted to end on this because it is important that we keep in mind the fact that God’s will trumps everything. I have been feeling pretty low of late. Today is an especially hard day, but in general, I feel like I have gone through a period of about four months where I have been seeking God’s will only to find it very elusive. Our wills have been clashing to say the least, but I have done my best to surrender to what He wants for us. We can only do as He commands: no more, no less. The beauty of living according to His will comes in the reward. We are promised peace and joy, but that doesn’t always mean happiness. It is peace in knowing we are where we are supposed to be, and joy in knowing that someone far more capable than us is in charge.
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. – 1 John 5:1-4
This is not easy. Sometimes it is very hard to obey God’s commands because they interfere with what we think is best. Right now, I am going through such a period, but in a way, it feels like I am always going through such a period. When God says “stay” while you want nothing more than to run it is a difficult situation. In our consciousness, matters become even more difficult because we can think for ourselves. We know our situation and we think that we obviously know better. That is not always the case.
Almost 10 years ago, I followed what I believed was God’s command, and ever since then, I have felt I was on the right path. I decided to change my college major, thereby drastically altering the course of my life. Ten years later, I have seen that path take me to places that have honestly made me question if it is for the best. It is hard to believe that you are following God’s command when there seems to be little development or change in your surroundings as a result of that command. In that time, I recognize that mistakes have been made, but that love that is promised has never faltered. Mistakes can sometimes alter the method of getting from place to place, but we are promised that as long as we follow God, we will eventually get there. My wife would scowl at me for having the attitude of, “whatever it takes to accomplish the task,” but in essence, God will do whatever it takes to accomplish the task. It is only as I age that I see some methods are better than others, however.
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. – 1 John 5:13-15
I wanted to end on this because it is important that we keep in mind the fact that God’s will trumps everything. I have been feeling pretty low of late. Today is an especially hard day, but in general, I feel like I have gone through a period of about four months where I have been seeking God’s will only to find it very elusive. Our wills have been clashing to say the least, but I have done my best to surrender to what He wants for us. We can only do as He commands: no more, no less. The beauty of living according to His will comes in the reward. We are promised peace and joy, but that doesn’t always mean happiness. It is peace in knowing we are where we are supposed to be, and joy in knowing that someone far more capable than us is in charge.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
1 John, Chapter 4
Today’s chapter in 1John is all about love. To me, it almost sounds like the elephant Love Song Medley from the movie Moulin Rouge. In that movie, the two lead characters sing a song of their love for each other using snippets of popular songs about love. Here, John weaves a tapestry of God’s love and how it relates to our salvation. In short, God is the ultimate representation of love. Love, therefore is one of the central themes of faith. Without the love of our Creator, there is very little reason to have the faith required for salvation. Essentially, the whole system doesn’t work without love.
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:7-10
It is no wonder that love is one of the greatest emotions we can experience. It was created by God and it was given as one of his greatest expressions to us. Love is one of the most varied emotions we have, as well. For example. I love my wife, but I love my family in a different way. As a huge fan of high school basketball in Indiana, I can say I love my high school’s team in yet another way because of my experiences in the game while growing up. I love the university I went to for different reasons from those, especially since I did not have the same experiences there. When you throw in the love for very close friends, we have yet another expression of love.
All of these expressions of love come from the central theme of God’s love. In a way, His love is perfect because it is never faltering. As the verses above state, we cannot know God unless we first know love. The good thing is that God reaches out to us with love, so we get to know it as we get to know Him. That reaching out is through His Son, Jesus.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. – 1 John 4:13-16
If this sounds familiar it is because it is very close to the gospel of John earlier in the New Testament. Since they were written by the same person it is natural that these books take on similar tones. When we come to rely on the love that God has for us, it opens the door to what he has in store for us. It is not the easiest road to walk, but it certainly beats the hopeless alternative.
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:7-10
It is no wonder that love is one of the greatest emotions we can experience. It was created by God and it was given as one of his greatest expressions to us. Love is one of the most varied emotions we have, as well. For example. I love my wife, but I love my family in a different way. As a huge fan of high school basketball in Indiana, I can say I love my high school’s team in yet another way because of my experiences in the game while growing up. I love the university I went to for different reasons from those, especially since I did not have the same experiences there. When you throw in the love for very close friends, we have yet another expression of love.
All of these expressions of love come from the central theme of God’s love. In a way, His love is perfect because it is never faltering. As the verses above state, we cannot know God unless we first know love. The good thing is that God reaches out to us with love, so we get to know it as we get to know Him. That reaching out is through His Son, Jesus.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. – 1 John 4:13-16
If this sounds familiar it is because it is very close to the gospel of John earlier in the New Testament. Since they were written by the same person it is natural that these books take on similar tones. When we come to rely on the love that God has for us, it opens the door to what he has in store for us. It is not the easiest road to walk, but it certainly beats the hopeless alternative.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
1 John, Chapter 3
This particular chapter of the book of 1 John is a little confusing in its nature. In it, we are told that once we become a child of God, we cannot sin. I find this confusing because I know that it is impossible for us to be perfect because of our human nature. We can only be perfect once we are like Christ. We see here that this is not promised until he appears.
2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3
We are then told in verse six that no one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. It seems like this is almost contradictory because we don’t know what we will be like until Christ returns. I think that maybe this is a vision of the future for what life will be like once He returns. In our bodies, we cannot possibly be made pure except through the blood of Christ. We are purified only by hope in him, and not by anything we do. Once we accept this, however, we can eventually made pure and sinless upon His return. I think that John sees this as the idyllic glimpse of a world without sin. Obviously, this is something that we cannot imagine. As long as sin exists in the world, it will taint us.
A lot of this deals with the idea of two births. In our first birth, our human birth, we are born into sin. We cannot escape this on our own. It takes a second birth, the birth in God mentioned in verse 9, to change things.
8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. – 1 John 3:8-9
We have seen illustrations of the power of sin all over the Bible. To me, it is something that is difficult to comprehend because we are fallen from the beginning. We have no choice but to be born into sin, and because of that, we are powerless to break free of that. Still, we see not only God’s power to break through that, but His mercy at His willingness to do so. To me, it is His mercy that is even more astounding than His power. He has no individual need for us, yet He loves us as His own and sacrificed so much to save us.
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. -- 1John 3:16
Take a look at the symmetry found in this verse. John 3:16 is arguably the most famous verse in Scripture. 1 John 3:16 is very similar in describing that love one more time. The Bible is God’s love letter to His people. Therefore, what else can we do but love him back and give him our all?
2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3
We are then told in verse six that no one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. It seems like this is almost contradictory because we don’t know what we will be like until Christ returns. I think that maybe this is a vision of the future for what life will be like once He returns. In our bodies, we cannot possibly be made pure except through the blood of Christ. We are purified only by hope in him, and not by anything we do. Once we accept this, however, we can eventually made pure and sinless upon His return. I think that John sees this as the idyllic glimpse of a world without sin. Obviously, this is something that we cannot imagine. As long as sin exists in the world, it will taint us.
A lot of this deals with the idea of two births. In our first birth, our human birth, we are born into sin. We cannot escape this on our own. It takes a second birth, the birth in God mentioned in verse 9, to change things.
8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. – 1 John 3:8-9
We have seen illustrations of the power of sin all over the Bible. To me, it is something that is difficult to comprehend because we are fallen from the beginning. We have no choice but to be born into sin, and because of that, we are powerless to break free of that. Still, we see not only God’s power to break through that, but His mercy at His willingness to do so. To me, it is His mercy that is even more astounding than His power. He has no individual need for us, yet He loves us as His own and sacrificed so much to save us.
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. -- 1John 3:16
Take a look at the symmetry found in this verse. John 3:16 is arguably the most famous verse in Scripture. 1 John 3:16 is very similar in describing that love one more time. The Bible is God’s love letter to His people. Therefore, what else can we do but love him back and give him our all?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
1 John, Chapter 2
I apologize for the delay in posting, but new circumstances have forced me to change some things up as far as finding times and places to publish this. I am not sure if anyone is still reading this, but at least it is a good place for me to write some thoughts down and at least use this as a personal Bible study. I’ll keep publishing when I can and hope that someone out there is still listening.
Today I wanted to continue writing on the book of 1 John. It is a very short but powerful book that deals with the power of sin and how Jesus triumphed over this power. Today’s chapter deals with something I have struggled with for a long time. I have tried to be fairly transparent in my writings here. Bitterness is an issue that I have long battled. We see the result of that bitterness when left unchecked in today’s lesson.
9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. – 1 John 2:9-11
Our bitterness when we struggle to forgive others is what blinds us even if we have Christ in our hearts. I am reminded of this every year at this time. 13 years ago I made a mistake that I now see wasn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but for years I held it so close to my heart that it was nearly unforgiveable. Over time, it began to affect many of my personal relationships, not because I had made the mistake, but because I feared so deeply that I would make it again. Like many things in my life, this fear became almost irrational. It wasn’t that I refused to love my brother in this case, but I refused to love myself. This made me stumble a number of times.
Bitterness does nothing but breed more bitterness. It is counterproductive to what God has intended for us, and therefore must be cleaned out. Still, it is one of the most difficult personal lessons to learn.
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. – 1 John 2:15-17
It is very hard to love this world with the way it is today. Because we live in this world, however, with the inherently sinful nature that comes from being human means that we can very easily fall prey to the ways of the world. It is easy to become boastful and believe our achievements come from ourselves. I can easily sit here and say that I wrote this, when the truth is that I only write here because God allows me to write here. I have long viewed this not as my own creation, but a reflection of what God wants me to create. That is why we can draw strength from one of the final verses in this chapter.
26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. – 1 John 2:26-27
As I search for peace, the one place I can always begin is in a promise such as this one. I have been anointed in Christ, therefore he remains in me. Nothing can take that away at any time.
Today I wanted to continue writing on the book of 1 John. It is a very short but powerful book that deals with the power of sin and how Jesus triumphed over this power. Today’s chapter deals with something I have struggled with for a long time. I have tried to be fairly transparent in my writings here. Bitterness is an issue that I have long battled. We see the result of that bitterness when left unchecked in today’s lesson.
9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. – 1 John 2:9-11
Our bitterness when we struggle to forgive others is what blinds us even if we have Christ in our hearts. I am reminded of this every year at this time. 13 years ago I made a mistake that I now see wasn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but for years I held it so close to my heart that it was nearly unforgiveable. Over time, it began to affect many of my personal relationships, not because I had made the mistake, but because I feared so deeply that I would make it again. Like many things in my life, this fear became almost irrational. It wasn’t that I refused to love my brother in this case, but I refused to love myself. This made me stumble a number of times.
Bitterness does nothing but breed more bitterness. It is counterproductive to what God has intended for us, and therefore must be cleaned out. Still, it is one of the most difficult personal lessons to learn.
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. – 1 John 2:15-17
It is very hard to love this world with the way it is today. Because we live in this world, however, with the inherently sinful nature that comes from being human means that we can very easily fall prey to the ways of the world. It is easy to become boastful and believe our achievements come from ourselves. I can easily sit here and say that I wrote this, when the truth is that I only write here because God allows me to write here. I have long viewed this not as my own creation, but a reflection of what God wants me to create. That is why we can draw strength from one of the final verses in this chapter.
26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. – 1 John 2:26-27
As I search for peace, the one place I can always begin is in a promise such as this one. I have been anointed in Christ, therefore he remains in me. Nothing can take that away at any time.
Monday, June 30, 2008
1 John, Chapter 1
I have long stated that this blog is merely thoughts from the ultimate source of Truth. That source is the Bible, the Word of Life. In 1 John, the apostle John tries to instruct us on the love of God and the Word of Life. This word is centered in God’s love, which is the crux of John’s message throughout this book. I wanted to write about this book this week because I think the world does not focus on God’s love as much as it needs to. God’s love is at the center of His word. His love is the reason why Christ came to earth to die for us. I feel that, as a society, we sometimes lose sight of that love as we try to bash people over the head with truth and what we view is right. The love then gets lost in our desire to present a slightly distorted view of the truth.
2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. – 1 John 1:2-3
This is the basis of our faith. Here John testifies in a couple of short sentences his experience with Jesus. Remember, John was one of the original 12 apostles. He had firsthand knowledge of Christ’s ministry. This is someone that was constantly with Christ and therefore was prepared to spread the gospel out into the world. This book was also likely written very late in John’s life, and he was the last apostle to die because he was the only one that reached old age. In these words he simply states that he is proclaiming what he saw so that others may know. It is a simple plea from a man that knew the time was drawing short to complete his mission.
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. – 1 John 1:5-7
This passage brings about an interesting debate on freedom from sin. There are some that believe a sinless life can be lived once we accept Christ. Others believe that accepting Christ’s gift frees us from the penalty of sin, but a sinless life cannot be achieved as long as we live in this fallen and broken world. I used to believe in the former, but as I have matured I have come to believe in the latter.
I have no doubt that the blood of Christ paid the price for all sin, past, present, and future. This is the promise we are given and John reiterates it here. I have accepted this gift, but I am still far from perfect. To me, living a sinless life is perfection, and I don’t think it can be attained in this world. As human creatures it is our nature that we will always fall short of the glory of God based on our own merits. This is why we need the blood of Christ. Saying we can achieve a sinless life in this world is almost like saying we can reach a point where the blood is no longer necessary. John goes on to state in verse 8 that claiming to be without sin means we deceive ourselves. To me, this shows that it will always be a part of us because we are human. The only way we can be totally be dependent on God and His grace is to recognize this fact.
2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. – 1 John 1:2-3
This is the basis of our faith. Here John testifies in a couple of short sentences his experience with Jesus. Remember, John was one of the original 12 apostles. He had firsthand knowledge of Christ’s ministry. This is someone that was constantly with Christ and therefore was prepared to spread the gospel out into the world. This book was also likely written very late in John’s life, and he was the last apostle to die because he was the only one that reached old age. In these words he simply states that he is proclaiming what he saw so that others may know. It is a simple plea from a man that knew the time was drawing short to complete his mission.
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. – 1 John 1:5-7
This passage brings about an interesting debate on freedom from sin. There are some that believe a sinless life can be lived once we accept Christ. Others believe that accepting Christ’s gift frees us from the penalty of sin, but a sinless life cannot be achieved as long as we live in this fallen and broken world. I used to believe in the former, but as I have matured I have come to believe in the latter.
I have no doubt that the blood of Christ paid the price for all sin, past, present, and future. This is the promise we are given and John reiterates it here. I have accepted this gift, but I am still far from perfect. To me, living a sinless life is perfection, and I don’t think it can be attained in this world. As human creatures it is our nature that we will always fall short of the glory of God based on our own merits. This is why we need the blood of Christ. Saying we can achieve a sinless life in this world is almost like saying we can reach a point where the blood is no longer necessary. John goes on to state in verse 8 that claiming to be without sin means we deceive ourselves. To me, this shows that it will always be a part of us because we are human. The only way we can be totally be dependent on God and His grace is to recognize this fact.
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