Post by foxjj on Feb 24, 2024 7:11:59 GMT
1 John Chapter 3 (NIV)
The first letter of John is a wonderfully inspiring portion of Scripture, written by one of the disciples close to Jesus. John opens chapter three by addressing the love which The Father has bestowed upon His redeemed children:
“1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
Contrary to the popular understanding that we are all god’s children, scripture teaches only those who have been saved through the redemption Jesus offers become children of God, as indicated in the Gospel of John chapter 1:12-13: “12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
The Epistle continues by encouraging fellow believers in their faith in Christ Jesus:
“2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
The Christian understanding that Jesus will returned to take believers home with Him, is a promise made by The Lord Himself: “1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” - John 14:1-3.
The knowledge of now being God’s children, and the assurance of spending eternity in His presence helps us live a better life:
“3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”
Faith in Jesus is a pure faith of which we live through the power of the Holy Spirit. For all believers, understanding the question of sin is crucial to the understanding of salvation:
“4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”
Although we no longer live a sinful lifestyle - because we are human - there will be occasions when we sin. On such occasions we confess directly to God as 1 John 1:9 instructs: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” John continues his letter by addressing the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil:
“7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one 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.”
To be redeemed is to be justified, which means to be declared righteous in the sight of God, implying that we who have accepted the salvation offered by Jesus, are guiltless. In other words we have been vindicated because the debt for our sin has been discharged. Been righteous, we are spiritually born anew and become ethical and principled in our life. The gift of salvation is indeed life changing:
“9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”
In 1 Peter 1:22-23 we read: “22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”
John now enforces his teaching concerning Christian Love:
“11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.”
We are to love fellow believers because we are of the family of God. Cain and Able is a tragic example of jealousy:
“13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
Although we may experience persecution in this world, a saved person is humbled when experiencing the love of God, knowing the cost of that love:
“16 This 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 and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
The Bible explains the change in believers lives as being born again. This is the spiritual condition of all who have been justified in God’s eyes through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection:
“19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”
Having a personal relationship with The Lord, speaking to Him in prayer becomes a way of life. Knowing what pleases The Father is crucial to salvation: “Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.””- John 6:29.
“23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
Today, let us give thanks for God’s love.
John Joseph Fox.
The first letter of John is a wonderfully inspiring portion of Scripture, written by one of the disciples close to Jesus. John opens chapter three by addressing the love which The Father has bestowed upon His redeemed children:
“1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
Contrary to the popular understanding that we are all god’s children, scripture teaches only those who have been saved through the redemption Jesus offers become children of God, as indicated in the Gospel of John chapter 1:12-13: “12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
The Epistle continues by encouraging fellow believers in their faith in Christ Jesus:
“2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
The Christian understanding that Jesus will returned to take believers home with Him, is a promise made by The Lord Himself: “1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” - John 14:1-3.
The knowledge of now being God’s children, and the assurance of spending eternity in His presence helps us live a better life:
“3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”
Faith in Jesus is a pure faith of which we live through the power of the Holy Spirit. For all believers, understanding the question of sin is crucial to the understanding of salvation:
“4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”
Although we no longer live a sinful lifestyle - because we are human - there will be occasions when we sin. On such occasions we confess directly to God as 1 John 1:9 instructs: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” John continues his letter by addressing the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil:
“7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one 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.”
To be redeemed is to be justified, which means to be declared righteous in the sight of God, implying that we who have accepted the salvation offered by Jesus, are guiltless. In other words we have been vindicated because the debt for our sin has been discharged. Been righteous, we are spiritually born anew and become ethical and principled in our life. The gift of salvation is indeed life changing:
“9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”
In 1 Peter 1:22-23 we read: “22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”
John now enforces his teaching concerning Christian Love:
“11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.”
We are to love fellow believers because we are of the family of God. Cain and Able is a tragic example of jealousy:
“13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
Although we may experience persecution in this world, a saved person is humbled when experiencing the love of God, knowing the cost of that love:
“16 This 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 and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
The Bible explains the change in believers lives as being born again. This is the spiritual condition of all who have been justified in God’s eyes through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection:
“19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”
Having a personal relationship with The Lord, speaking to Him in prayer becomes a way of life. Knowing what pleases The Father is crucial to salvation: “Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.””- John 6:29.
“23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
Today, let us give thanks for God’s love.
John Joseph Fox.
