The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 15

 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1–6 ESV).

 

It cannot be denied that there are many false teachers in our culture. Many “churches” exist that are led by deceptive but convincing individuals whose knowledge of sound doctrine and biblical truth is at best dubious and often even dangerous. Add to that our tendency toward extreme emphasis on tolerance and pluralism that anyone who takes a stand against false teaching is labeled “bigoted” and “judgmental” and you may see the crisis as dangerous as I believe it to be. This shouldn’t be a great surprise, because the Adversary fuels its fire. Paul clearly warned that “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Therefore, it’s easy to see how up-to-date John’s command is today: “… test the spirits” (v. 1).

 

Our reading today addresses the vital necessity of spiritual discernment, instructing believers to evaluate the source behind any spiritual teaching. During the late first century, proto-Gnostic false prophets were spreading the heresy that Jesus did not actually possess a physical, human body. While few would adhere to that heresy today, the principles John details in this passage is very important. There are three core components that will help us distinguish between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

 

The first is the mandate to discern. The apostle says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits..." (v. 1). Believers are commanded not to be spiritually gullible or easily swayed by supernatural displays or charismatic speakers. He goes on: "...because many false prophets have gone out into the world." The presence of deceptive teachers is not a rare exception but a widespread, ongoing reality that requires constant vigilance. In our world we tend to believe success is the test of truth. The bigger the church, the larger the membership, the more compelling the message must be a sign that this is of God. Nothing could be further from the truth!

 

Second, he gives us the Christological test, which is the Mark of God: "Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God" (vv. 2-3).  A true, Holy Spirit-led teacher acknowledges both the full deity and the full, physical humanity of Jesus Christ. This is the mark of the antichrist: "Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist..." Any doctrine that denies, alters, or diminishes the true nature, incarnation, and sufficient work of Jesus Christ stems from demonic deception, an opposing force already active in the world. Often this denial of the nature of Christ is subtle. We should look at who is the one being glorified. If it is the individual speaking, then it is not of God.

 

Third, John points to sovereign assurance: "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (vv. 4-6). Believers do not need to fear deception or spiritual warfare. The indwelling Holy Spirit provides the power and clarity to withstand and conquer worldly lies. We should take care to recognize two different audiences. There are those driven by worldly values who speak from a worldly perspective, and the secular culture embraces them ("therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them"); and, conversely, genuine believers align themselves with the foundational, apostolic teaching of Scripture ("he who knows God listens to us").

 

Take care in this world of ours that you discern the spirits! Measure everything by the truth of the Scripture!

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Epistle - Pt 4

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. (1 John 3:19–24 ESV).

 

I have worked with so many people over the years who expressed doubt about their relationship to God because of shame and guilt. I have often used a quick illustration to introduce the immense grace God shows through the death of Jesus. When someone begins to tell me their story of sin and failure I typically listen intently without interruption and when they are finished, I set my hands on the table between us palms up and ask, “What do you see?” Almost always I am met with a blank look and some response like, “Your hands.” Occasionally, I will be met with and adjective of “old” before they say “hands,” though that response is nearly universal. I then say, “Perhaps I wasn’t exactly clear. Let me ask the question another way. What do you not see?” They still stutter and stammer a bit and usually surrender with an “I don’t know what you’re asking.” It is then that I am able to say, “Well, there are no nail-prints.” From there I am able to refocus their thoughts on the grace and wisdom of our heavenly Father who is the only One qualified to judge; and, He has already placed all of His judgement and wrath on His only begotten Son which is conveyed to us in forgiveness and restoration.  

 

This is what the Apostle John is writing in our reading today. He provides all believers with profound reassurance of their salvation and relationship with God when they struggle with self-doubt and guilt. He notes that if our hearts condemn us, "God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything." (v. 20). When personal failures or heavy emotions make people feel unworthy, God's objective grace and omniscience offer a higher, forgiving truth.

 

John goes further and explains that a clear conscience allows us to approach God boldly and receive answers to their prayers. It teaches that spiritual security rests on God's unchanging character rather than fluctuating human feelings or lingering guilt. Of course there may be consequences of our sin that remain, but guilt and shame are not a part of that. The task of forgiving ourselves and moving forward in our journey, growing ever stronger in His presence, which allows us to walk as overcomers, resisting sin and glorifying the work of our Savior!

 

Perhaps it is time for you to lay the burden of guilt and shame at the Cross and reestablish your walk in Him! 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 13

 

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:11–15 ESV).

 

As I have mentioned before, one of my most vivid memories my first year at Texas A&M was entering the Memorial Student Center for the first time and seeing a bronze plaque just inside the door quoting John 15:12-13: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” As the building has been expanded with the growth of the university and its student population that plaque has been fixed to a granite memorial just outside the entrance (pictured here). You may glimpse the list of names beneath the plaque of the many who have served in the military and were students of Texas A&M with the dates of their death in defense of our freedom. It was a powerful reminder of the sacrifice that love often calls for.

 

The Apostle John is calling the believers in Ephesus to make such a sacrifice in the face of severe opposition and prejudice, He reminds us that is a choice, and yes, even a command, to express the love that we receive from our Lord. It is a choice to show others that we love in all circumstances. It is the choice to let our Lord live in and through us. This choice is empathy, seeking the best for all of the “one-anothers”. This choice to love is perhaps one of the main reasons that we have difficulty with the priorities that we have seen earlier in the epistle.

 

Of course, we mustn’t confuse loving one another with pleasing one another. This ‘loving one another’ is actually doing and being God’s will for one another. Since God lives in us, He expresses through us what is needed for others. We express to others the will and love of God for them. This would clearly include ‘tough love’ and would include saying ‘no’ as well as correction and expressing priorities.

 

This love also needs to start close to home and extend outward. It needs to start with the people we see daily. Our family, our neighbors, the barista, the grocer. We can express this far away, in generosity toward the various agencies and organizations that are serving God around the world. But the Lord was clear when he said to love our neighbor, it starts close to home.

 

How is your “love-life”?

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 12

 

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:1–3 ESV).

 

The Apostle John transitions a bit as he comes to the subject of our reading today. Here he focuses on the profound depth of God's love, the present and future reality of being children of God, and the transformational hope that leads to personal purity. Understanding the original language is particularly revealing here as it adds vivid layers of meaning to what has often been call “lavished love and divine adoption.”

 

The apostle begins by instructing his readers to see “what kind” of love God has given. The Greek word translated here is ποταπός (potapos). It carries the sense of a startled question or exclamation: “What sort?”, “What manner?”, “How great?” Its use highlights something so extraordinary that the observer is driven to pause, ponder, and respond. He is prompting his readers to go from mere familiarity to reverent wonder. He is directing them to see the otherworldly, extraordinary love of God toward them.

 

This is the same love He has shown to all believers of whatever generation or nationality. Look how he emphatically affirms, "And that is what we are!" Believers do not have to wait until heaven to be adopted; they are full status family members right now. And there is more. John writes of the final glorification and beatific vision: Beloved, “… we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared” (v. 2). The "not yet" is significant. While believers are truly God's children today, their ultimate, fully realized state is still hidden and unmanifested.

 

This beatific vision is the catalyst for our ultimate spiritual transformation to be found in sight. Looking upon Christ perfectly ("we shall see him as he is") acts as a mirror that instantly and permanently conforms believers into His exact moral likeness. This brings us to a hope that is never passive complacency. This is the hope that strengthens us to stand firm in every circumstance merely smiling at the storm surrounding us because those circumstances are nothing compared to what God has already given us! Jake Remington first said: "Fate whispers to the warrior, 'You cannot withstand the storm.' The warrior whispers back, 'I am the storm.' " And so we are!

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 11

 

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. (1 John 2:18–25 ESV).

 

Today we come to the last verse in this paragraph: And this is the promise that he made to us – eternal life (v. 25). This verse is a core declaration from the Apostle John regarding the certainty of salvation and the eternal security given to believers through Jesus Christ. John urges believers to let what they heard from the beginning (the true gospel message about Jesus) remain in them. Doing so keeps them in fellowship with both the Son and the Father. Remember that John wrote to early Christian communities in Asia Minor to counter false teachers and antichrists who tried to introduce spiritual systems based on human works or deny the true identity of Christ. That makes this truth even more consequential in our lives. John is presenting eternal life as a guaranteed gift tied to abiding in the foundational truth of Christ. It offers steadfast assurance rather than anxiety, contrasting the temporary nature of the world with the unchanging, faithful nature of God.

 

Life passes more quickly than we expect. Birthdays come and go. Children grow up. Hair turns gray. Cemeteries quietly remind us that every life on earth has an appointment with eternity. Most people spend their lives preparing for retirement, careers, or tomorrow—but very few prepare for forever. Whether we are young or old, healthy or frail, the question is not if eternity is coming but where will we spend it.

 

I would remind you that eternal life is not merely about duration. It cannot be measured quantitatively; rather, we must understand it qualitatively. It is about our relationship with Christ. Imagine receiving the title deed to an eternal inheritance. You may not be living in the house yet, but the ownership is already secured. In the same way, believers have not yet entered heaven, but God’s promise guarantees what is already theirs in Christ. Eternity is not wishful thinking — it is a settled promise. Scripture repeatedly confirms this glorious hope. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Jesus declared, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish” (John 10:28). Eternal life is not earned by good works — it is received by grace through faith in Christ alone.

 

Many people tragically live as though this world is all there is. Jesus said, “… In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven” (Matthew 6:19–20). Don’t build your entire future on a world Christ has already defeated. Earth is temporary. Heaven is eternity.

 

I can honestly echo the words of the Apostle Paul: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 ESV). Can you echo those words?

 

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 10

 

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. (1 John 2:18–25 ESV).

 

As we have seen in earlier devotionals, the false teachers who were troubling the original audience of John’s epistle were probably proto-Gnostics. That is to say, the things they taught had much in common with the teachings of Gnostics, even though their false teaching did not flourish until the second century. Gnosticism, we have noted, viewed salvation primarily as an acquisition of secret knowledge. However, this knowledge was only available to a select few. It was a so-called “higher” knowledge the ordinary person could not acquire.

 

Though John’s audience was able to resist these teachers to the point that they were forced to leave the community (1 John 2:19), these claims of special knowledge caused many of the truly faithful to doubt the reality of their redemption. That is why, in today’s passage, John reminds his audience again that they have true faith. We read in verses 20–21 that unlike the false teachers, John’s audience had been anointed by the Holy One and did know the truth.

 

It is a fatal flaw of many denominations when they seek to “add” actions or deeds to the work of Christ in the redemption of an individual. And, we all know there is some of that in all of us as individuals. We can’t believe that we could possess such an incredible gift without paying for it in some way. However, John assures his audience (v. 20) that they all have been anointed by the Holy One. That is to say, all of them have received the outpouring of the Spirit. The false teachers claimed to possess a “higher truth,” but this “truth” denied the elementary truths of incarnation, love, and personal righteousness, revealing they were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But those in John’s faithful audience did not deny these truths — truths that are available to all who will believe them — revealing they had the Spirit and thus true faith. There is nothing else that must be done to have eternal life. Jesus has done it all!

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 9

 

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. (1 John 2:18–25 ESV).

 

As I wrote in yesterday’s devotional, there are several principles the apostle uses in our reading for these days. We looked at his meaning for this being the last hour and “antichrist coming” yesterday. Today the key passage is on “the perseverance of the saints”, or true versus false faith, and the spiritual anointing of believers. This is a key principle for those who hold to a more reformed view of Scripture and practice. Here John states that false teachers ("antichrists") "went out from us, but they were not of us". While these individuals were visibly part of the visible church community, they never possessed true, regenerating union with Christ. He explains that if they had truly belonged to the body of believers, "they would have continued with us". Their eventual departure and apostasy (falling away from the faith) serves to make it plain that they did not possess genuine saving faith.

 

It is a basis to support the doctrine of eternal security—true believers will never finally fall away, and those who permanently abandon Christ demonstrate that their inward nature was never truly transformed. In the surrounding context, proto-Gnostic false teachers claimed a "higher" or secret knowledge available only to an elite few. This notion is countered by declaring that ordinary believers have "an anointing from the Holy One," meaning the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because of this divine anointing, all true Christians possess a fundamental understanding of the truth of God and do not need to rely on worldly or false teachers for secret spiritual insights

 

It is always a quandary when we observe people who appear to be believers but then walk away from the faith. Since Scripture teaches that all who truly believe in Christ are justified and will never fall away finally so as to be cut off from salvation (cf. Romans 8:29–30). Many of you may have known or will know someone who appeared to be a genuine believer but then renounced Christ. This “falling away” from the Christian faith is known as apostasy, and there are examples of this reality throughout church history. Even the Apostles had to deal with individuals who abandoned their profession of faith. We can think, for example, of Hymenaeus and Alexander, two men who made shipwreck of their faith during Paul's ministry (cf. 1 Timothy 1:18–20). Certainly, these examples prove that it is possible to renounce one's profession of faith. But do they demonstrate that Christians who actually possess faith can commit final apostasy? We should consider two important matters that will help us answer this question.

 

First, we must consider whether the falling away that we see is actually final. After all, Scripture gives us examples of people who fell from grace only later to repent and return to a life of discipleship. Just think of the Apostle Peter, who denied Christ and then was later restored (John 18:15–27; 21:15–19). If early church tradition is correct, he even was martyred for his faith under Emperor Nero. King David, similarly, had a great fall into adultery and murder, but he later repented and was forgiven (cf. 2 Samuel 11:1–12:15a). In both cases, the man who fell was ultimately restored to a right relationship with God and His people.

 

Second, we need to understand the difference between professing faith and possessing faith. Remember that many people claim the name of Christ without ever actually having the gift of faith in Jesus for salvation (v. 19). They were never one of us; that is, they never possessed living faith in the Savior. Only God can see the heart, so we should not be surprised that some people can make a good show of faith without truly believing in the name of Christ. Not all who profess faith in Christ really believe in Him, and those who fully fall away never had true faith.

 

As creatures, our view of others is limited. We can only evaluate outward appearances. Thus, when someone seems to fall away, all we can surmise is that the faith we thought we saw was likely an illusion. Yet even here we must not assume that a fall from grace is final. There is always the chance for repentance and restoration up until the point of death. Thus, we should pray for people who seem to have fallen away, asking God to grant them repentant hearts. It is never just a matter of what we do or don’t do; it is a matter of the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person. That is where true, eternal faith begins. It is always a work of God, not man (cf. Ephesians 2:8-10).

 

If you are struggling with doubt or guilt, please understand that is a good sign that the Holy Spirit is calling you to life through faith. Repent and keep walking in the path He leads you!

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 8

 

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. (1 John 2:18–25 ESV).

 

Today we begin a passage that has so much to offer us in understanding and encouragement. It will take us a few days to touch on each of the points the apostle makes in these verses. So, as I have said on occasion, “Buckle-up buttercup and get ready to ride!”

 

The first declaration of the Apostle John is that we are in the last hour and “antichrist is coming” (v. 18). The Apostle Paul writes of the coming of a “man of lawlessness” who will set himself up in God’s temple and proclaim himself to be God (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4). John later will write of a coming “beast” who will wear out the saints of God and be known by the number 666 (cf. Revelation 13). Here John simply warns of “antichrist.” Naturally we want to know who these people are, or are they all the same person?

 

As always we were are trying to interpret prophecy, there are a variety of views. The older historicist approach usually identified the beast (“out of the sea”) as the Roman emperor, while the second beast (“out of the land”) of Revelation 13, together with the false prophet of that chapter, were associated with the papacy. The man of sin was also the pope, for he sat in the temple (the church) and exalted himself. Modern futurism links the man of sin and the beast, and says that this is a man who will arise in the future just before Christ returns. He will be the false Christ, the antichrist, and will unite the world in a new tower of Babel against the remnant of the faithful. Preterists usually see 666 as a symbol for the name “Nero Caesar,” and thus they identify the beast as Nero, while the second beast and false prophet are identified with the Sanhedrin and Judaizers who sought to stamp out the early church. The man of sin is taken by some to be Nero, and by others identified as the high priest, who literally sat in the temple and opposed Christ. Modern futurism tends to have a very political understanding of this figure. Beast/antichrist/man of sin is a world leader, not an ecclesiastical opponent of the faithful. The older views (preterist and historicist) focus attention more on the church. The greatest enemies of the faith, they say, are in the church, as the serpent was in the Garden.

 

So, where does that leave us? Let me ask a different kind of question. Did John intend for us to envision some particular person as the antichrist, or did he mean that any self-conscious opponent of the faith is an antichrist (cf. 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7)? AS you may surmise, I tend to think in terms of this meaning. That is not to say there will not be a physical being who opposes Christ and the faithful. However, as we are going to see, the biggest danger John is writing to prevent in these beloved friends is the failure to recognize the danger of those who would oppose Christ and His faithful in every age and generation. There will always be political beasts and ecclesiastical antichrists who seek to oppose the truth, and we must always be on our guard against them.

 

We must remain vigilant. We can only do so as we immerse ourselves in the truth of the gospel.

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 7

 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17 ESV).

 

Route 66, also known as U.S. Highway 66 or the “Mother Road,” winds across a twenty-four hundred plus mile-long swath of America from Chicago to Los Angeles. Route 66 passes through eight states and more than three hundred communities. There are many sites along Route 66 that are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and over 5.5 million people live along the route. Route 66 once provided a vital transportation corridor connecting the Midwest with southern California after it was established in 1926. It includes a cross section of urban areas, panoramic scenery, Native American communities, small rural towns, and, of course, quirky roadside architecture to comprise a “living, evolving thoroughfare of American discovery.” Over the years, Route 66 came to symbolize freedom and mobility. Following World War II, it epitomized the new optimism that pervaded the nation’s postwar eco-nomic recovery. While Route 66 was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985, it has continued to be a nationally and internationally popular heritage tourism destination, providing an appealing alternative to Interstate highway travel for recreational motorists seeking an authentic American experience. However, it is not near what it once was. Some sections are impassable and in ruin.

 

It is another example of how people matter more than stuff - the things, the trinkets, of this world simply do not last. It is only God who matters more than everything else and anything else. Jesus commanded us to love God and love our neighbors and not crave the stuff of the world. The love of worldly things crowds out our love for God and leads us to neglect the people we love.

 

In our verses today, John echoes Jesus' teaching in telling us that we must not love this world and its stuff! This command seems contradictory to John 3:16 - that God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to save us. In this statement, John is emphasizing that God loves the lost people in the world and wants to save them. In our verses today, however, John is teaching against loving the stuff in this world. Rather, we are to do what pleases God, and that means loving God and the people around us.

Notice how the Holy Spirit identifies the world's things we must not love: the craving for physical pleasure; the craving for everything we can see; the pride in our human achievements and possessions along with the status they bring us. John wants us to know that these false loves ruin our lives, destroy our relationships, and lead us away from God. They come from the fallen world that is opposed to God, and its works are evil because it is under the power of Satan. This is the world that hates followers of Jesus.

 

I can imagine you are asking, “So, Don, what's the point?” Well, let me be very clear to help us see how this principle applies to relationships! If we love God and follow Jesus with all our heart, the Holy Spirit pours God's love into us so we can love each other fully, correctly, and sacrificially. But if what we love means satisfying the cravings of our worldly nature, we will destroy our relationship with God and ruin our relationships with other people. We love God, then we love each other. When we build our relationships on these two loves and not the cravings of the world, Jesus promised that God would give us all the other things we need as His added blessings. The world is going to pass away, but those of us who love God will enjoy God's love, forever!

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 6

 

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. At the same time, it is a new comman4dment 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. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 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. (1 John 2:7–11 ESV).

 

John was very wise in his recognition that the previous instructions might be misinterpreted by false teachers (cf. 1 John 2:1-6). So, he gets very detailed in this paragraph today. Love for others is the guiding principle. During His earthly ministry, Jesus often dealt with His disciples’ love for others. Understandably, they often had trouble accepting the fact that they were to love their enemies, but the disciples also had difficulty understanding that they must truly and deeply love their Christian brothers and sisters. Peter, for example, tried to limit the times one must extend love and forgiveness toward his brothers when he asked Jesus if forgiving someone seven times was enough. Jesus, however, would put no limit on forgiveness and love, telling Peter that he must forgive a repentant offender an infinite number of times (cf. Matthew 18:21–35). Today’s passage makes it clear that the commandment we read about here is the commandment to love our fellow Christians.

 

One of the ways we can be assured we are in the light — that we know Christ — is we do not hate our brothers. If we do not love our fellow believers, we remain in the darkness of sin (vv. 9–11). This commandment is both old and new (vv. 7–8). It is old in the sense that the people of God were commanded to love and forgive their brothers and sisters from their hearts long before John wrote this letter (cf. Leviticus 19:17–18; John 13:34). It is new “in him” (v. 8) — in Jesus — meaning that the command to love others finds its fullest expression, definition, and example in the life and ministry of Jesus. As we are obedient to the Spirit, we will live out Jesus’ example by performing new acts of love toward others.

 

In Jesus we see the depth of love that we must extend to others. This depth is certainly revealed in the old covenant but is more clearly revealed in the new. Jesus defines love as forgiving others an infinite number of times (cf. Matthew 18:22) and in going the extra mile. Jesus Himself is the fullest expression of love since God is love, and Jesus is God. Jesus is the greatest example of love in that He laid down His life for the sake of His brothers. Abiding in Jesus means walking in the way He walked (v. 6). This means the command to love the brethren must be true in us as it is in Him (v. 8). Let us then love our fellow Christians.

 

When we are honest with ourselves, some Christians are easier to love than others. We all find certain people less offensive than others, and as a result, we will gravitate toward those we consider lovable. But Christ does not call us to love only those easy to love. After all, He Himself died for sinners. If we walk in the light we must love all of our fellow believers!

 

The Beloved Disiple's First Letter - Pt 5

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 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. (1 John 2:1–6 ESV).

 

We return to the passage we have read the last few days to explore what the apostle has to say about walking “in the same way he walked” (v. 6). Context and historical background become extremely important if we are to understand the apostle’s message for us from this reading. Remember during the second century, the church of Jesus Christ found itself having to deal with the Gnostic heresy. The heresy of Marcion, which attempted to purge all references to the Old Testament from the letters of Paul and the gospel of Luke, is just one example of the widespread assault of Gnostic theology upon the church in those days.

 

The movement known as Gnosticism is difficult to assess precisely because a variety of different Gnostic groups were active during the early centuries of the church. Typically, all Gnostic believers based salvation on acquiring some kind of secret, “higher” knowledge that was not available to the uninitiated. Though Gnosticism did not emerge in the fullest sense until the second century, many of its ideas can be found, at least in primitive form, in the first century. Interestingly, many early church fathers said that Simon the Magician (cf. Acts 8:9–25) was himself a Gnostic.

 

This epistle makes it clear that certain proto-Gnostic views of knowledge flourished near the end of the first century. In today’s passage, John tells us how we can be sure that we have come to know Christ. Evidently, many of his opponents falsely claimed to know the Lord, and so John had to counter these claims and assure His audience of ways a believer might be confident of his knowledge of Jesus. If we pay attention to these truths we may have a deeper affirmation of our faith as well.

 

Our reading today tells us, in a variety of ways, that we can be sure we know Jesus if we keep His commandments. In John’s day, as in our own, many like to confess Jesus as Savior without submitting to Him as Lord. The tendency of Gnostics to dismiss the deeds done by the body as unimportant as long as they possessed the “right knowledge” made it easy for the false teachers troubling John’s original audience to deny the need to obey Jesus and flee from sin. However, as John reminds us, if Jesus is not your Lord, He is not your Savior. If we confess the name of Jesus without a concern to follow Him, we lie when we say we know Him (v. 4). John Calvin agreed: “We cannot know him as Lord and Father, as he shows himself, without being dutiful children and obedient servants.” Some in church history have advocated perfectionism based partly on verse 5 of today’s passage. 1 John 1:8 will make it clear that this cannot be the case, thus, we must scrutinize our lives to see if we are keeping His commandments.

 

The real key is in our understanding of what John is pointing us toward when he says “Jesus’ commandments.” I would point you to the words of Jesus:

 

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34–40 ESV).

 

It is not a matter of using the Ten Commandments as our checklist. It is our complete faith and trust in Christ. Are you obedient, albeit imperfectly, and are you repentant whenever you do not? If so, you can be sure that you know Him. God does not demand perfection, Jesus has already done that on our behalf! 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 4

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 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. (1 John 2:1–6 ESV).

 

Yesterday we looked at this passage from the Apostle John where he writes that we have an “advocate” with the Father who is Jesus Christ. If that were the only declaration of the apostle it would be incredible; however, he goes on to say that Jesus is the “propitiation” (v. 2) for our sins. The Greek word here translated as “propitiation” is ἱλασμός (hē-läs-mos'). It is a very interesting word. It is only used twice in the New Testament, both times by the Apostle John in this letter (cf. 1 John 2:2 and 4:10).

 

Strong’s Greek 2434 this word denotes “the divinely-provided means by which God’s righteous wrath against sin is averted and fellowship with Him is restored. It presupposes both the holiness of God, which cannot ignore sin, and His love, which has made a way for sinners to be reconciled without compromising His justice.” It is also important to note that it is used in the Septuagint as a cognate noun which is frequently linked to the sin-offering prescribed in Leviticus (cf. Leviticus 25:9 LXX). There are two underscoring ideas here. First, sin incurs liability before God, and, second, a God-appointed sacrifice removes that liability. Jewish writers between Malachi and Matthew adopted the term to describe the annual Day of Atonement as well as daily Temple offerings, preparing first-century readers to understand the concept as satisfaction of divine justice rather than mere appeasement of a capricious deity.

 

The Apostle John is very clear. Not only is Jesus our advocate, but He is the atoning sacrifice necessary to satisfy the just nature of God. That atonement is foundational for Christian assurance and fellowship. Early church fathers such as Athanasius highlighted propitiation to defend the incarnation’s necessity. Only God could save, yet only man must pay the debt, thus the God-man achieves hilasmos. Reformers reclaimed the term to emphasize penal substitution over the medieval view of repeated sacrificial oblations. Contemporary orthodox theology continues to affirm hilasmos as essential to the gospel, resisting both moral-influence and governmental theories that minimize substitution and wrath.

 

Jesus Christ, out of the Father’s love, voluntarily became the decisive sacrifice that satisfies divine justice and secures eternal fellowship for all who believe. This truth supplies the bedrock for Christian faith, worship, mission, and hope. What great God we have as our Savior!

  

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 3

 

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1–2 ESV).

 

As John continues to write the epistle in our reading today, we should remember that in the previous chapter, he was addressing the Gnostics, the unbelievers. Now he is addressing the believers, his spiritual children, “I am writing this so that you may not sin” (v. 1). One of the reasons that John wrote this here was because the Gnostics Antinomianism doctrine which made physical acts irrelevant to the spirit, or was not a sin. So, John, being concerned that they might get tempted by some false teachings and end up doing something sinful, and He introduces them to Jesus, Our Advocate.

 

John acknowledges that believers still sin, whether knowingly or unknowingly. As James reminds us, “If anyone knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin” (James 4:17). We fail in many ways—failing to love God fully, to love others as we should, and to live in complete obedience. These failures are sins. When Paul declares in Romans 6 that we are “dead to sin,” it doesn’t mean we are incapable of sinning. Instead, it signifies a break from sin’s dominion over us. John’s exhortation in 1 John 2:1, “so that you may not sin,” is a reminder of our call to holiness, even as we recognize that we could sin. The idea of being “dead to sin” in Romans 6:2 doesn’t imply an inability to sin but a new identity in Christ that empowers us to live above it.

 

John describes Jesus as our Advocate with the Father. This doesn’t mean Jesus is pleading with a reluctant or angry God who needs convincing to forgive. After all, God Himself initiated the plan of redemption (cf. John 3:16). The forgiveness of sins through Jesus is a completed, once-for-all act (cf. Hebrews 10:10-14). Jesus’s advocacy is not about repeatedly asking for forgiveness but as shown below:

 

§  Jesus is our High Priest and Intercessor. As our High Priest, Jesus “always lives to make intercession” for us (Hebrews 7:25). This intercession isn’t a plea for renewed forgiveness but an ongoing representation of His finished work. We are represented by Jesus!

§  Jesus is our defense against accusations of our enemy, the devil. Jesus defends us against all accusations, from Satan, the “accuser of the brethren” (cf. Revelation 12:10). His advocacy ensures that no charge can stand against those who are in Him (cf. Romans 8:33-34).

 

§  Jesus is our ultimate assurance. While God’s forgiveness is complete, believers still experience sin and guilt in their daily lives. Jesus’s advocacy is a reminder that our relationship with God is secure, not based on our performance, but on His perfect work. This provides comfort and confidence, especially when we struggle with feelings of unworthiness.

 

This is the glory of Jesus as our Advocate! We will always be accepted and loved as His children!

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 2

 

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we 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 his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say 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 we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5–10 ESV).

 

In yesterday’s devotional we started a study of the book of First John. In the first few verses we see that John wanted us to know that Jesus is God (“God With Us”). In the today’s reading our focus changes from who Jesus is to who God is and how that should affect the way we live. We are told that God is light. Most of the religions of the world disagree about who Jesus is and what he is like but most of them wouldn't have a problem describing God as light. God is one hundred percent pure “light,” that is, he is holy, pure and righteous. Besides being light God also gives us light, he reveals the light of truth to us, and he gives us the light of salvation (vv. 4-5). The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

 

Since we know that God is light and darkness cannot exist in the light then there are implications for us as we live the Christian life. Fellowship with God and living to please him is always characterized by walking in the light. We know that we have been saved for all of eternity but we can choose to step away from the light and stumble around in the dark because of sin.

 

Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy into chemical energy that can be released later for the organism’s growth. In a manner similar to photosynthesis the light of the world shines on us and provides the nourishment that is necessary for our spiritual growth. We shouldn't think that we can be free from sin and always do what is right. We should step up to the light and examine ourselves and admit that we have fallen short of God's perfect standard. When we confess our sins to him then he will bathe us in the forgiveness Jesus has procured for us in the cross. (vv. 8-9). We are then able to continue our walk in the light of His grace.

 

We shouldn't think that we can live as we please and still have fellowship with God, you have never seen light and dark in the same room, we cannot live in spiritual darkness and still be a friend of God and enjoy his company. There is only one light, there isn't any other source, it came to our dark world but it didn't force us to be in the light. It is up to us to decide where we are going to walk, we cannot have fellowship with God and have one foot in the dark. And, we don’t need to try. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live in the light!

 

The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 1

 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1–4 ESV).

 

Today we come back to the New Testament for Morning Devotionals with a look into First John. It was written around A.D. 85–100 from Ephesus to Christian communities in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) to counter early false teachings. The letter is technically anonymous, but early church tradition and matching language style link it to the Apostle John as an elderly eyewitness to Jesus. It was written from Ephesus, where John spent his later years overseeing regional churches, a network of house churches in Asia Minor facing division.

 

A group had recently broken away from the church, creating hostility, confusion, and doubt among the remaining believers. The breakaway group promoted early Gnosticism or proto-gnostic ideas, denying that Jesus came fully in the physical human flesh (the incarnation) and claiming special spiritual knowledge while minimizing sin. First John was written as a poetic sermon to reassure faithful believers, reaffirm the reality of Jesus' physical and divine nature, and call the church back to love and moral obedience. It has a particular contemporary application in our technological world that favors “knowledge” or proof beyond reproach.

 

As briefly mentioned above, while the Apostle John does not introduce himself as the author of this letter, there are many discernible syntactical and thematic similarities between the Gospel and the letters that bear John’s name. Some have denied common authorship based on what they call subtle doctrinal differences between the Gospel and the letters. However, a closer investigation reveals no substantial differences exist, although the letters sometimes apply the teachings of Jesus a little differently than John’s Gospel does. But that should be no surprise since the needs addressed by John’s Gospel are different than those addressed in his epistles.

 

This John, the son of Zebedee, was one of the most important leaders in the early church. Paul, for instance, recognizes him as one of the three pillars of the Jerusalem church (cf. Galatians 2:9). He is known to have planted several churches in and around the city of Ephesus. It is likely that his letters are addressed to these churches and were written sometime in the late first century, shortly before he was exiled to Patmos where he received a special revelation from Jesus Christ. Tradition has John eventually being freed from Patmos and returning to Ephesus, overseeing the churches there until his death during the time of the Emperor Trajan.

 

There is a tradition about John that says near the end of his life, when it was difficult for him to walk, he was carried into church meetings repeating the exhortation “love one another” over and over again. Basic Christian truths, such as our need to love one another, are emphasized repeatedly in this letter, and we do well to understand that all of us need to be reminded to love one another. Ask God to give you love for other Christians and do what you can to show this love. That is the heart of this letter and the need of our present churches!

 

Micah - Who is Like the Lord? - Pt 10

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old. (Micah 7:18–20 ESV).

 

As we come to the close of our look into Micah, I am reminded of the Heidelberg Catechism and the 56^th question and answer as it continues the catechism’s exposition of the Apostles’ Creed. In this section it focuses on the creedal statement that Christians believe in “the forgiveness of sins.” Interestingly, belief in divine forgiveness is confessed in the section of the creed that deals with the Holy Spirit. The writers of the Apostles’ Creed could have placed it under the creed’s section on the Father or the Son. After all, though we may petition any of the persons of the Trinity for forgiveness, Scripture directs us to make our requests for pardon primarily to the Father (cf. Matthew 6:9–13). Moreover, we are forgiven based on the work of the Son (cf. Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13–14). Still, the Holy Spirit must quicken (regenerate) our hearts before we will acknowledge our need of forgiveness and seek God’s pardon in Christ (cf. John 3:5). So, in our subjective experience, the Holy Spirit makes the first move necessary for us to receive divine forgiveness. Thus, it is good and proper for the Apostles’ Creed to discuss forgiveness when setting forth the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

 

To help us understand divine forgiveness, the Heidelberg Catechism turns to today’s reading, wherein the prophet Micah marvels at the greatness of God’s pardon. It emphasizes the uniqueness of the Lord’s forgiveness, revealing that no other deity can offer the same kind of pardon that the one true God — the covenant Lord of Israel — offers to His people (v. 18). Considering the entire Bible, God’s forgiveness is incomparable because He forgives us in Christ Jesus without compromising His holy justice (cf. Romans 3:21–26). Only the God of Scripture is both just and Justifier. The other gods of this world, who are no gods at all but demons masquerading as gods (cf. Deuteronomy 32:17; 1 Corinthians 8:4–6; 10:20), compromise their self-proclaimed righteousness when they “forgive” because they do not demand true atonement for sin.

 

Micah shows us that God casts our sins into the depths of the sea when He forgives us. He puts them so far out of His sight that He never sees them again (v. 19). Of course, the Lord does not actually forget our sins. If we remember the sins committed against us, how can the omniscient Lord not recall our transgressions of His law? Micah only means that God no longer holds our sins against us when He forgives us. He never again counts them against our standing before Him.

 

Those whom God forgives are forgiven indeed. He does not actually forget what we have done, but He no longer holds our wickedness against us when we trust in Christ. Through the blood of Christ, He sees us as righteous and acceptable in His sight, and He will not take this status from us. We find it hard not to hold the sins of others against them, but the Lord readily and easily refuses to hold our sins against us if we are in Christ. That is the Good News! And there is no conjunction or exception placed after that declaration! Trust in Jesus! After all… who is like the Lord!