1 John 2:1-3
There is a heavenly conversation going on between the Father, the Son and the Accuser (Revelations 12:10). The reason is that when we sin the Accuser comes before the Father and demands justice. I believe that the call for justice, is not because the Accuser is so concerned about righteousness, but because he is already condemned and he his bitter.
In the area around the church I work at there are a lot of young people who have a very difficult time with being decent to each other and following the rules. Sometimes when I confront them, after catching them red-handed, they reply, “Well look at what that person over there”. “They are also guilty”. “Why don’t you punish them”? They are not in the least interested in enforcing the rules. They do become very concerned with fairness and justice now that they are on the receiving ends of it. I guess misery really does love company.
Jesus also referred to the fact that the cities (citizens of that city) will condemn the people of Jesus’ day who ignored the teaching of Jesus, Matthew 12:41 – 42; Luke 11:13 - 32; John 3:16-19, 36; 5:24, as well as that fact that those who do not accept him are already condemned.
We are so used to hearing about the love of God that many people do not believe or else they refuse to accept that God is the righteous judge of the earth, 2 Timothy 4:8; Genesis 18:25; Leviticus 9:23; Chronicles 16:33; Psalms 50:4,6; Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10. In God’s courtroom justice prevails. Since God knows everything already coming before his with a false accusation would be pointless. The only person who can be accused is a person who is actually guilty of a crime. The reason that I say this is that the verse in Revelations says that there is an accuser of the saints who brings these charges before the throne of God.
I can just imagine satan saying, “Surely this person must be guilty…” For each accusation brought before the throne our Advocate intercedes and gives proof that our debt has been paid in full. Remember what St John has already written about those who confess their sins are forgiven. St Paul writes that those who are in Christ Jesus are without condemnation. So our Advocate need but show proof of ownership.
The proof of his ownership is acquired by way of a payment, 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23. This payment is his atoning sacrifice for our sins. This means that we now have a new master. There is an expectation that, like the old servants, the new servants live in accordance with the rules and conducts of his kingdom of their Lord. Many people mistakenly confuse obedience, living in right relationship to God, and legalism, thinking that rule-keeping, in and of itself, merits favor from God. They are not the same thing. If not then there they have incurred a debt, which needs to be dealt with.
In getting to know God we know are led to obedience. Those who do not know him chase after the accumulation of dead things, Matthew 6:32. There is an intimate relationship between obedience, faith and our actions (works), 1Timothy 1:16; Galatians 4:12; Colossians 1:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 John 1:6; 2:4; Acts 14:22; Matthew 10:38; 16:24. Faith without works is dead faith, and not worth having, James 2:18-20, 26.
God had to constantly remind the Israelites of what he had done for them. Whenever they forgot they sinned. Those who know God walk in the light. This does not mean that they are sin-free only that they belong to God. This is a much overlooked passage of the Bible. St John says that he is writing this letter so that they, the readers, will not sin.
This not-sinning is not at all about living life without ever sinning again, but a life that is no longer dominated by sin. It is, instead, a life maximally influenced by God. As chapter 2 unfolds this idea will become clearer.
Peace
torsdag 21 februari 2008
måndag 18 februari 2008
day 7 - this is long
I’d like to just pick up where I left off.
I believe that every person has an affinity for certain manifestations of sin. What may be a real struggle for me may be a piece-of-cake for you. This means that the struggle against sin may look very different indeed. I also believe that new believers mature at different rates. In churches or fellowships were the majority of new people are born into and grow up in the group then there could be a greater tendency for the external signs of faith to be very similar. A new believer coming into this environment can, upon a first encounter, be misled to believe that everyone is very holy. What is really happening is that there is a community and in this community certain sins are not tolerated. This community exerts an external control on the believers that make up this community. Upon closer inspection one would find that sin is also making its presence known even in the community. While many of the external sins (which are really only physical manifestations of someone’s inner condition) may not be much of a struggle many more are the sins which are not as easy to see.
Much like when one is in close fellowship in a community, we human beings are strongly influenced by the company we keep. Our associations will be an encouragement and facilitate righteous living or else they will make it all too easy to move in the opposite direction. I’d like to add a caution here. This very real situation has created a big problem for the Church in our time. Because our surroundings exert such a powerful force on our lives, many Christians have isolated themselves from the adjacent non- Christian world. Very few church leaders have friends outside of church. This creates a counter culture which tends to build high thresholds. This Christian sub-culture has its own slang and rules. Many of its attitudes and behaviors are called Christian and assumed to be part of the Christian life. In this sub-culture there may be a style of dress or music or some other external thing that identifies one with this culture. But this does not necessarily mean that the cultural signs, even though they are derived from Christian thought, are the same as the external markings that identify a person as a member of God’s kingdom Proverbs 16:2.
Sometime I think that it would be great to be free from sin in this life. Then I am reminded about just how difficult that can be. I don’t know if it has ever happened to you, but there have been times in my life when I took a stand based upon the truth of God’s word. Some friends were gossiping. I just heard a sermon about it on the previous Sunday so its application was still fresh in my mind. I asked my friends to stop gossiping because it wasn’t fair to that person who was absent from the group. They answered with, “We are only saying what we heard”. I continued to hold my ground and said that I didn’t want to be a part of this. They left and then for several weeks after this incident they were very distant to me and I was hurt. The first thing that I did was to question the rightness of what I did. This of course is one of the ways that sin works, which is through coercion. Of course I was right because this is what God’s word says. I just wasn’t ready for the cost of such actions. I think that living a totally sin free life in this world would be very difficult. Just look at what happened to Jesus. This does not mean in any way that I endorse sin or think that it is ever okay. I do not.
The truth is that we live in a fallen world which accepts a very high level of sin. In this regard we are very similar to our friends and family who do not know God. I think that the acceptable level in a believer is much lower. This lower level can often manifest itself in lifestyle choices and observable behavior. Christians on average smoke and drink less. They tend to live longer and have better family relationships. This perceptible difference can sometimes result in pride in the believers.
This is why some people, outside of God’s family, can be very uncomfortable around believers. One reason is that a person with a higher level of sin his or her life can often see when someone else has a lower level. It is not uncommon for a non-believer to feel condemned or feel inferior to that person. Now if the believer used to live a truly riotous life before then many non-believers who had known the person previously may strike out in accusation. “You used to do the same things. How dare you look down on me? It wasn’t so long ago that you were in the same boat. What gives you the right”?
Yesterday I proposed a series of questions that I feel that I need to answer.
Is salvation only a positional change? Gods declares that we are righteous but nothing else happens to the believer.
No, salvation is not only positional. There are real changes. In Christ you are really a new person, 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 1:4; 6:15, Colossians 1:13. The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out, but not by force. As believers we walk with God.
Could it be that there is a difference between the sinning of the believer and the non-believer?
No, there is no difference. Sin is always sin. There is no sin that is so small and so insignificant that it can be ignored and not condemned by God. Adam and Eve sinned by eating fruit, that God told them not to eat. It wasn’t murder, thievery, fornication, taking God’s name in vain or any such sin. By our standards it was a very benign sin. Yet look at how God reacted to this sin. Just imagine how he would react to something, in our eyes, more sinful.
If there is no difference between the sinning of a sinner and that of a Christian then what does Christianity offer in the way of advantage to the believer?
The only one who can change us is God. It has never been about the external signs of faith. Works cannot save us, Ephesians 2:8-9; 6:10-18; Romans 3:28. This does not mean that how we live is unimportant. The Bible is filled with the instructions for righteous living.
As a new creation we are created to live holy, to do good works, and walk in them. Because of Christ we now have the power to take off the old person and his works and put on a new person. It’s a lot like changing clothes, Ephesians 2:10, 19; 4:17-5:7; Romans 13:8-14.
There is a transformation that takes place in the heart of believers that has a direct effect upon our world. People who come to Christ leave behind them drug dealing, killing, prostitution, lying, stealing and the likes. The advantage is in every way great.
The thing is that our world is so steeped in sin that we cannot get away from it. We cannot unlearn the sins of the past and their corresponding pleasures. The temptation to every believer is tremendous. There is a daily challenge to rely upon our own strength instead of the strength that Jesus gives, Philippians 4:13, 2 Timothy 4:18.
Sometimes in the great effort we are going to fall. There are two things from Scripture that should guide our hands. One is to remember that we have an advocate in heaven. He is the faithful and righteous one. If we confess ours sins to him he will forgive us, 1 John 1:9; 2:1, Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24. This is because he is the substitution for our sins, 1 John 2:2, John 1:29; Romans 3:25; Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 1:7.
The other thing is that when we see a brother or a sister struggling in sin or whom has succumbed to sin then we should come along side that person and help them to be victorious, Romans 15:1; 14:1; Acts 20:35. To condemn sin is not the same thing as condemning people. We are to point out the works of darkness.
Yes, Christians sin. No, we are not perfect. Yes, I do believe that Christ makes a visible difference in a person’s life. We need to encourage one another to live for Christ; to invite him into our daily life; and to live in obedience to his word.
Peace
I believe that every person has an affinity for certain manifestations of sin. What may be a real struggle for me may be a piece-of-cake for you. This means that the struggle against sin may look very different indeed. I also believe that new believers mature at different rates. In churches or fellowships were the majority of new people are born into and grow up in the group then there could be a greater tendency for the external signs of faith to be very similar. A new believer coming into this environment can, upon a first encounter, be misled to believe that everyone is very holy. What is really happening is that there is a community and in this community certain sins are not tolerated. This community exerts an external control on the believers that make up this community. Upon closer inspection one would find that sin is also making its presence known even in the community. While many of the external sins (which are really only physical manifestations of someone’s inner condition) may not be much of a struggle many more are the sins which are not as easy to see.
Much like when one is in close fellowship in a community, we human beings are strongly influenced by the company we keep. Our associations will be an encouragement and facilitate righteous living or else they will make it all too easy to move in the opposite direction. I’d like to add a caution here. This very real situation has created a big problem for the Church in our time. Because our surroundings exert such a powerful force on our lives, many Christians have isolated themselves from the adjacent non- Christian world. Very few church leaders have friends outside of church. This creates a counter culture which tends to build high thresholds. This Christian sub-culture has its own slang and rules. Many of its attitudes and behaviors are called Christian and assumed to be part of the Christian life. In this sub-culture there may be a style of dress or music or some other external thing that identifies one with this culture. But this does not necessarily mean that the cultural signs, even though they are derived from Christian thought, are the same as the external markings that identify a person as a member of God’s kingdom Proverbs 16:2.
Sometime I think that it would be great to be free from sin in this life. Then I am reminded about just how difficult that can be. I don’t know if it has ever happened to you, but there have been times in my life when I took a stand based upon the truth of God’s word. Some friends were gossiping. I just heard a sermon about it on the previous Sunday so its application was still fresh in my mind. I asked my friends to stop gossiping because it wasn’t fair to that person who was absent from the group. They answered with, “We are only saying what we heard”. I continued to hold my ground and said that I didn’t want to be a part of this. They left and then for several weeks after this incident they were very distant to me and I was hurt. The first thing that I did was to question the rightness of what I did. This of course is one of the ways that sin works, which is through coercion. Of course I was right because this is what God’s word says. I just wasn’t ready for the cost of such actions. I think that living a totally sin free life in this world would be very difficult. Just look at what happened to Jesus. This does not mean in any way that I endorse sin or think that it is ever okay. I do not.
The truth is that we live in a fallen world which accepts a very high level of sin. In this regard we are very similar to our friends and family who do not know God. I think that the acceptable level in a believer is much lower. This lower level can often manifest itself in lifestyle choices and observable behavior. Christians on average smoke and drink less. They tend to live longer and have better family relationships. This perceptible difference can sometimes result in pride in the believers.
This is why some people, outside of God’s family, can be very uncomfortable around believers. One reason is that a person with a higher level of sin his or her life can often see when someone else has a lower level. It is not uncommon for a non-believer to feel condemned or feel inferior to that person. Now if the believer used to live a truly riotous life before then many non-believers who had known the person previously may strike out in accusation. “You used to do the same things. How dare you look down on me? It wasn’t so long ago that you were in the same boat. What gives you the right”?
Yesterday I proposed a series of questions that I feel that I need to answer.
Is salvation only a positional change? Gods declares that we are righteous but nothing else happens to the believer.
No, salvation is not only positional. There are real changes. In Christ you are really a new person, 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 1:4; 6:15, Colossians 1:13. The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out, but not by force. As believers we walk with God.
Could it be that there is a difference between the sinning of the believer and the non-believer?
No, there is no difference. Sin is always sin. There is no sin that is so small and so insignificant that it can be ignored and not condemned by God. Adam and Eve sinned by eating fruit, that God told them not to eat. It wasn’t murder, thievery, fornication, taking God’s name in vain or any such sin. By our standards it was a very benign sin. Yet look at how God reacted to this sin. Just imagine how he would react to something, in our eyes, more sinful.
If there is no difference between the sinning of a sinner and that of a Christian then what does Christianity offer in the way of advantage to the believer?
The only one who can change us is God. It has never been about the external signs of faith. Works cannot save us, Ephesians 2:8-9; 6:10-18; Romans 3:28. This does not mean that how we live is unimportant. The Bible is filled with the instructions for righteous living.
As a new creation we are created to live holy, to do good works, and walk in them. Because of Christ we now have the power to take off the old person and his works and put on a new person. It’s a lot like changing clothes, Ephesians 2:10, 19; 4:17-5:7; Romans 13:8-14.
There is a transformation that takes place in the heart of believers that has a direct effect upon our world. People who come to Christ leave behind them drug dealing, killing, prostitution, lying, stealing and the likes. The advantage is in every way great.
The thing is that our world is so steeped in sin that we cannot get away from it. We cannot unlearn the sins of the past and their corresponding pleasures. The temptation to every believer is tremendous. There is a daily challenge to rely upon our own strength instead of the strength that Jesus gives, Philippians 4:13, 2 Timothy 4:18.
Sometimes in the great effort we are going to fall. There are two things from Scripture that should guide our hands. One is to remember that we have an advocate in heaven. He is the faithful and righteous one. If we confess ours sins to him he will forgive us, 1 John 1:9; 2:1, Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24. This is because he is the substitution for our sins, 1 John 2:2, John 1:29; Romans 3:25; Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 1:7.
The other thing is that when we see a brother or a sister struggling in sin or whom has succumbed to sin then we should come along side that person and help them to be victorious, Romans 15:1; 14:1; Acts 20:35. To condemn sin is not the same thing as condemning people. We are to point out the works of darkness.
Yes, Christians sin. No, we are not perfect. Yes, I do believe that Christ makes a visible difference in a person’s life. We need to encourage one another to live for Christ; to invite him into our daily life; and to live in obedience to his word.
Peace
day 6
1 John 2:1-3
Today a young person told me that she expects a lot of Christians. She reasons that if they have now become saved then this must mean that they no longer live the same life. I think that this is a real dilemma. If sinners sin and Christians sin, then what is the big deal? Does this then mean that salvation is only a positional change without any real affect upon the very manifestation or power of sin in the life of the believer? Could it be that there is a different kind of sinning done by the believer than the non-believer? If there is no difference between the sinning of a sinner and that of a Christian then what does Christianity offer in the way of advantage to the believer?
St. John wrote this letter to believers. That is those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. St. Paul’s letter to the Romans is also addressed to believers. In fact the entire New Testament is addressed to believers. This is very important to our understanding of what this letter means.
A Christian, based upon their faith in Jesus Christ, is first declared, by God, to be righteous. This means that they have been moved into the Kingdom of God. Their salvation is secured without any connecting demand for righteousness and goodness placed upon them. This does not mean that the believer can no go out and sin all that they want to. He has been bought with a price and his life is no longer his.
Many people would argue that since we should not judge others then we can never say, without risking excluding someone who truly belongs, what the external signs of faith are. You see I find it strange that there are outer signs for everything that a person can be except for Christianity.
A Muslim has to pray five times a day. There is no minimal number, for prayer, that a Christian has to make. This leaves it very open to individual preferences and lifestyles. A person is no better Christian if they pray 1 time/ per day than if they pray 10 times. No one wins any merit before God because of the number of times they pray. The only way that prayer is an external marker of faith is that we know that Christians are to pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2:12; 5:17, Luke 18:1-8; Romans 1:9; 12:12; 15:30; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2,3; Acts 14:27; 2 Timothy 1:3. Prayer is a very important part of the Christian life. You will not be able to mature without it. Yet there are many people who pray very little or just about not at all and they still claim to be Christian.
There are many other external signs of faith such as church attendance, participation in a Bible study group, reading and studying (two different activities) the Bible, acts of mercy and kindness, standing against injustice, to walk humbly with our God, Deuteronomy 10:12, Mika 6:8. But some of these external signs depend upon where you are in the world. Christians living under persecution and strict regulation in places like North Korea, China and Pakistan might not have the opportunity for things such as Bible study groups or church attendance. Would we dare say that they are not good Christians or that they are sinners, simply because they do not attend church? The obvious answer is no.
You may wonder what this discussion has to do with sin. It is simply that sin is always against God’s will and character. We are encouraged to live lives of righteousness. I’m exploring the idea of sin in the life of a believer and the external signs of faith. Sin is very real that the Church should never, even while being merciful, be tolerant of sin. This does not mean that we have to go around looking for sin behind every corner, style of clothing or activity. Sometimes we spend so much time trying to identify things as sinful or not that we take resources from promoting and encouraging righteousness, mercy and goodness. So this is very much a concern in the beginning of chapter 2. I’ll continue with this tomorrow.
Peace
Today a young person told me that she expects a lot of Christians. She reasons that if they have now become saved then this must mean that they no longer live the same life. I think that this is a real dilemma. If sinners sin and Christians sin, then what is the big deal? Does this then mean that salvation is only a positional change without any real affect upon the very manifestation or power of sin in the life of the believer? Could it be that there is a different kind of sinning done by the believer than the non-believer? If there is no difference between the sinning of a sinner and that of a Christian then what does Christianity offer in the way of advantage to the believer?
St. John wrote this letter to believers. That is those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. St. Paul’s letter to the Romans is also addressed to believers. In fact the entire New Testament is addressed to believers. This is very important to our understanding of what this letter means.
A Christian, based upon their faith in Jesus Christ, is first declared, by God, to be righteous. This means that they have been moved into the Kingdom of God. Their salvation is secured without any connecting demand for righteousness and goodness placed upon them. This does not mean that the believer can no go out and sin all that they want to. He has been bought with a price and his life is no longer his.
Many people would argue that since we should not judge others then we can never say, without risking excluding someone who truly belongs, what the external signs of faith are. You see I find it strange that there are outer signs for everything that a person can be except for Christianity.
A Muslim has to pray five times a day. There is no minimal number, for prayer, that a Christian has to make. This leaves it very open to individual preferences and lifestyles. A person is no better Christian if they pray 1 time/ per day than if they pray 10 times. No one wins any merit before God because of the number of times they pray. The only way that prayer is an external marker of faith is that we know that Christians are to pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2:12; 5:17, Luke 18:1-8; Romans 1:9; 12:12; 15:30; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2,3; Acts 14:27; 2 Timothy 1:3. Prayer is a very important part of the Christian life. You will not be able to mature without it. Yet there are many people who pray very little or just about not at all and they still claim to be Christian.
There are many other external signs of faith such as church attendance, participation in a Bible study group, reading and studying (two different activities) the Bible, acts of mercy and kindness, standing against injustice, to walk humbly with our God, Deuteronomy 10:12, Mika 6:8. But some of these external signs depend upon where you are in the world. Christians living under persecution and strict regulation in places like North Korea, China and Pakistan might not have the opportunity for things such as Bible study groups or church attendance. Would we dare say that they are not good Christians or that they are sinners, simply because they do not attend church? The obvious answer is no.
You may wonder what this discussion has to do with sin. It is simply that sin is always against God’s will and character. We are encouraged to live lives of righteousness. I’m exploring the idea of sin in the life of a believer and the external signs of faith. Sin is very real that the Church should never, even while being merciful, be tolerant of sin. This does not mean that we have to go around looking for sin behind every corner, style of clothing or activity. Sometimes we spend so much time trying to identify things as sinful or not that we take resources from promoting and encouraging righteousness, mercy and goodness. So this is very much a concern in the beginning of chapter 2. I’ll continue with this tomorrow.
Peace
torsdag 14 februari 2008
day 5
1 John 2:1-3, part 1
John addresses his readers with the term of endearment and deep affection, Teknion. He has a heart felt desire to connect with them on a very deep level. He wished to impart life-changing wisdom to their lives.
The reason for this is that he does not want their lives to a witness for sin. This is an expression for something very deep here. John knows what sin does and that is why he keeps trying to persuade his reader to live in such a way that their lives are transformed. In chapter 1 St. John has emphasized a life in communion with God as we walk in the light of his glory. Now comes a further deepening of this what he has already said.
I believe that the Christian life is a life on the highway of holiness. If I’m walking in the light then I am no longer walking in the darkness. This must mean that the deeds of darkness belong to the dark, while the deeds of light belong to the light. There is a real danger here. I know that I want to walk in the light, but yet and still I do not. I want to live a life totally dedicated to cause of Christ and yet I still struggle, albeit in very different ways. There is an inner struggle that is constantly changing shape, color and form. This makes it difficult to fight. Sin in my life is very subtle these days. It is not about robbing banks, selling drugs, buying porn, being seduced, seducing, getting drunk, fornicating, adultery, living for money, being racist, swearing, or other such activities even though there was a time when these or similar kinds of activities could have been more of what sin was like for me. That is these were the things to resist. This was the color and form of my sin then. Now it looks way different. It is as though sin has given up with the above activities because they are not achieving a result. Sin has so many forms and tools that it can mutate to adapt to its environment.
There is a story about a race between a rabbit and a tortoise. After getting very far ahead of the tortoise the rabbit foolishly decides that he can take it easy not and jumps out of the race and rests. The rabbit’s actions are based upon a perceived victory because of the early results of the race. He did not understand that we are to run the race in order to win and not just get ahead, Heb 12:1-3. The tortoise never gives up but keeps plodding along. In the end the tortoise wins and the rabbit is defeated. Many a believer becomes deceived by the holiness gained in their lives compared with how they formerly lived. Our struggle in the race is never over because sin never quits. It is always plodding along looking for an opportunity when our false sense of confidence and pride takes us down the detour of foolishness.
There have been many times in my life when I thought that it has been such a long time since I sinned in that way. I reason to my self that now I should be able to walk in close proximity to this sin without getting caught. After all, I know how this works. What a fool I’ve been. Sin had already mutated but I found that out way too late and became caught again. The only difference is that the escape from this trap is always the same and that is Jesus Christ.
I have to admit that confession in such situations can be very difficult. Since my pride has, once again, been awakened it becomes difficult to bend the knee before my Lord and ask for forgiveness again. Sin takes me upon the path of the prodigal child. God’s law helps me to come to might right mind. But now I have to go to the father again. He has just forgiven me and restored me and now I have done the same thing again. Now the reasoning of sin, just like with Adam and Eve, is heard once more, “Did God truly say that if you confess your sins, he would forgive you”? Doubting God’s goodness does not very often lead to repentance.
I do believe that St. John knows this. He is now an old man and he writes to his beloved readers. He knows that he will not always be with them. He wishes to share, encourage and warn them so that they run their race in a good way. He writes to them so that they shall not sin. He want that their lives will be lived, not outside of God’s grace, but empowered by it. Because of what Jesus did on the Christ each believer can life a life where sin is not the majority player but a minority one. I believe that this happens when we open up the Christian life to something more than just Sunday morning worship and Bible study. It is all about living our whole life in faith. The Sunday morning service and the Bible study are to help you life a life immersed in faith. It is like inviting Jesus into your life as opposed to an activity among the myriad of activities in your life. Christianity is how we are supposed to do life.
peace
John addresses his readers with the term of endearment and deep affection, Teknion. He has a heart felt desire to connect with them on a very deep level. He wished to impart life-changing wisdom to their lives.
The reason for this is that he does not want their lives to a witness for sin. This is an expression for something very deep here. John knows what sin does and that is why he keeps trying to persuade his reader to live in such a way that their lives are transformed. In chapter 1 St. John has emphasized a life in communion with God as we walk in the light of his glory. Now comes a further deepening of this what he has already said.
I believe that the Christian life is a life on the highway of holiness. If I’m walking in the light then I am no longer walking in the darkness. This must mean that the deeds of darkness belong to the dark, while the deeds of light belong to the light. There is a real danger here. I know that I want to walk in the light, but yet and still I do not. I want to live a life totally dedicated to cause of Christ and yet I still struggle, albeit in very different ways. There is an inner struggle that is constantly changing shape, color and form. This makes it difficult to fight. Sin in my life is very subtle these days. It is not about robbing banks, selling drugs, buying porn, being seduced, seducing, getting drunk, fornicating, adultery, living for money, being racist, swearing, or other such activities even though there was a time when these or similar kinds of activities could have been more of what sin was like for me. That is these were the things to resist. This was the color and form of my sin then. Now it looks way different. It is as though sin has given up with the above activities because they are not achieving a result. Sin has so many forms and tools that it can mutate to adapt to its environment.
There is a story about a race between a rabbit and a tortoise. After getting very far ahead of the tortoise the rabbit foolishly decides that he can take it easy not and jumps out of the race and rests. The rabbit’s actions are based upon a perceived victory because of the early results of the race. He did not understand that we are to run the race in order to win and not just get ahead, Heb 12:1-3. The tortoise never gives up but keeps plodding along. In the end the tortoise wins and the rabbit is defeated. Many a believer becomes deceived by the holiness gained in their lives compared with how they formerly lived. Our struggle in the race is never over because sin never quits. It is always plodding along looking for an opportunity when our false sense of confidence and pride takes us down the detour of foolishness.
There have been many times in my life when I thought that it has been such a long time since I sinned in that way. I reason to my self that now I should be able to walk in close proximity to this sin without getting caught. After all, I know how this works. What a fool I’ve been. Sin had already mutated but I found that out way too late and became caught again. The only difference is that the escape from this trap is always the same and that is Jesus Christ.
I have to admit that confession in such situations can be very difficult. Since my pride has, once again, been awakened it becomes difficult to bend the knee before my Lord and ask for forgiveness again. Sin takes me upon the path of the prodigal child. God’s law helps me to come to might right mind. But now I have to go to the father again. He has just forgiven me and restored me and now I have done the same thing again. Now the reasoning of sin, just like with Adam and Eve, is heard once more, “Did God truly say that if you confess your sins, he would forgive you”? Doubting God’s goodness does not very often lead to repentance.
I do believe that St. John knows this. He is now an old man and he writes to his beloved readers. He knows that he will not always be with them. He wishes to share, encourage and warn them so that they run their race in a good way. He writes to them so that they shall not sin. He want that their lives will be lived, not outside of God’s grace, but empowered by it. Because of what Jesus did on the Christ each believer can life a life where sin is not the majority player but a minority one. I believe that this happens when we open up the Christian life to something more than just Sunday morning worship and Bible study. It is all about living our whole life in faith. The Sunday morning service and the Bible study are to help you life a life immersed in faith. It is like inviting Jesus into your life as opposed to an activity among the myriad of activities in your life. Christianity is how we are supposed to do life.
peace
onsdag 13 februari 2008
day 4
1 John 1:8-10
I know that in my own life I could have avoided a lot of pain by simply living by the Word of God that I knew and understood. It was never a matter of knowing the entire Bible, but only applying what I already knew. In John’s day the common Greek inspired philosophies were all convinced that reason and knowledge were the means to salvation. This is of course a falsehood. Intelligence and reason are tools that can help us understand and apply the word of God to our daily living.
The people that John was writing to were used to a polytheistic system that lacked a divine standard of morality. If you remember your Greek/Roman mythology then we know that the gods were among other moral failings jealous, adulterers, murderers, incestuous, petty, thieves and mutually deceptive. For many people the basis of right and wrong was a matter of public opinion. Does this sound familiar?
I believe that this is also true for many people today. They often reason that they are good people or at least better than those people, whom the want to compare themselves with, over there. They become so convinced of their own goodness and righteousness that they believe that they are sin free. It is always so sad to see people so falsely lead astray. If a person thinks that they are sin free then they will have no need to confess their sins and therefore they live outside of God’s grace and mercy. Such a person then would never seek God to ask him for forgiveness. Such a person does experience neither God’s grace nor his power to transform lives. Moreover by believing in this lie, they deceive themselves.
This is a struggle between two world views. On one hand there is this Christian world view which says that God is the ultimate basis for determining the difference between right and wrong. On the other hand there is the thought right and wrong are determined by the individual or a majority of a particular group. The Bible says that God’s way is correct and any other opposing way is then wrong. This is based upon an understanding of God as holy and righteous. He is the very definition of truth. This is something that Jesus, God, claims about himself, John 14:6. He is the way, the truth and the life.
This suggests something that is far more intimate than just my 1½ hour Sunday worship service. We need to invite Jesus into our daily living. It is Jesus in my home and my job and my school that brings the truth of his claims into tangible reality. Just think about it for a minute. He is the path that I follow. This is the basic pattern of my life, from the time I wake up until I go to sleep at night.
Every person’s life is on a path. There is no person who is pathless. Each path has a destination. Now as a Christian my life is on the Christ path where every believer starts off. After some time has passed then there are opportunities to follow smaller parts of the path. This is what I would call the path of being a dedicated follower or Jesus-in-the-middle-of-my-life path. This smaller path has nothing to do with salvation because it is part of the Christ path. It does however have a lot to do with in what way I follow Christ.
This path requires a type of nakedness before God. The doors of my life are opened to Jesus. This is scary because this means that certain behaviours and thought patterns must be corrected. In this nearness I cannot ever portray myself as sinless, perfect or better than others. In it I am resigned to accepting some things about myself, without making the very common mistake of then stating that I am now this thing.
I sin. I sin more than I ever wish to. I want to do the right thing but many times my motives are wrong or I just keep choosing the wrong thing. But I’ve decided to live intimately with God. He has unbridled access to my life. So through his Word and the Holy Spirit I am alerted to the presence sin manifested in my life. If I claim something other than what God has informed me, then what I am saying that God is a liar. It is only when I come into agreement with what God is saying that I can then be cleansed of my sin. I have to admit that it is sin. Sin is always wrong. Sin always incurs debt and harms fellowship. Since sin in all these things is in opposition to God, and I follow the Christ path, which is life in harmony with God, I turn away from the sin and turn to God. By his the guarantee of the Spirit and his power I can do all these things. This is part of the consequential gifts of salvation, which is much stronger than my own will power.
The only way that I can do this is because I am convinced of God’s faithfulness, justice and power.
He is faithful, so that each and every time I confess my sin to him he turns his face towards me and hears my. It is like the prodigal son each and every time, the loving father who receives the wayward child. God receives me. In this verse is an underlying promise that when we come to God in this way we will meet his mercy and not his wrath. I know what I deserve but that should not become an obstacle to what I need.
He is just. God tells it like it is. He is truth and as many have experienced the truth sometimes (I think often) hurts. In this confession there is a brutality to the honesty of the conversation. And yet this is one of the greatest acts of love. Adultery is not something that just happens or is the justified response to marital problems. It is sin. It is wrong. It hurts. It is allowing the lust in my heart a justified path of expression. It causes a breakdown in trust and fellowship, etc. In this honest light this is only a fraction of what one is confronted with. But then comes the good part.
We receive forgiveness and cleansing. This is because of his power. Jesus is the only one who can cleanse us of all unrighteousness. It does not matter how bad or how long you’ve been at it. This is such an act of trust. If I were to have a bowel movement in my pants, I would feel too ashamed and afraid to come to one of you and ask for help. But when it comes to God I know that it doesn’t matter. I don’t need to be cleaned first.
This message must have rocked St. John’s first century readers. They could have never expected this from the pagan gods. I know how it has sounded to me. I will never fully understand the depth of God’s love, but I am so glad that it exists.
I know that in my own life I could have avoided a lot of pain by simply living by the Word of God that I knew and understood. It was never a matter of knowing the entire Bible, but only applying what I already knew. In John’s day the common Greek inspired philosophies were all convinced that reason and knowledge were the means to salvation. This is of course a falsehood. Intelligence and reason are tools that can help us understand and apply the word of God to our daily living.
The people that John was writing to were used to a polytheistic system that lacked a divine standard of morality. If you remember your Greek/Roman mythology then we know that the gods were among other moral failings jealous, adulterers, murderers, incestuous, petty, thieves and mutually deceptive. For many people the basis of right and wrong was a matter of public opinion. Does this sound familiar?
I believe that this is also true for many people today. They often reason that they are good people or at least better than those people, whom the want to compare themselves with, over there. They become so convinced of their own goodness and righteousness that they believe that they are sin free. It is always so sad to see people so falsely lead astray. If a person thinks that they are sin free then they will have no need to confess their sins and therefore they live outside of God’s grace and mercy. Such a person then would never seek God to ask him for forgiveness. Such a person does experience neither God’s grace nor his power to transform lives. Moreover by believing in this lie, they deceive themselves.
This is a struggle between two world views. On one hand there is this Christian world view which says that God is the ultimate basis for determining the difference between right and wrong. On the other hand there is the thought right and wrong are determined by the individual or a majority of a particular group. The Bible says that God’s way is correct and any other opposing way is then wrong. This is based upon an understanding of God as holy and righteous. He is the very definition of truth. This is something that Jesus, God, claims about himself, John 14:6. He is the way, the truth and the life.
This suggests something that is far more intimate than just my 1½ hour Sunday worship service. We need to invite Jesus into our daily living. It is Jesus in my home and my job and my school that brings the truth of his claims into tangible reality. Just think about it for a minute. He is the path that I follow. This is the basic pattern of my life, from the time I wake up until I go to sleep at night.
Every person’s life is on a path. There is no person who is pathless. Each path has a destination. Now as a Christian my life is on the Christ path where every believer starts off. After some time has passed then there are opportunities to follow smaller parts of the path. This is what I would call the path of being a dedicated follower or Jesus-in-the-middle-of-my-life path. This smaller path has nothing to do with salvation because it is part of the Christ path. It does however have a lot to do with in what way I follow Christ.
This path requires a type of nakedness before God. The doors of my life are opened to Jesus. This is scary because this means that certain behaviours and thought patterns must be corrected. In this nearness I cannot ever portray myself as sinless, perfect or better than others. In it I am resigned to accepting some things about myself, without making the very common mistake of then stating that I am now this thing.
I sin. I sin more than I ever wish to. I want to do the right thing but many times my motives are wrong or I just keep choosing the wrong thing. But I’ve decided to live intimately with God. He has unbridled access to my life. So through his Word and the Holy Spirit I am alerted to the presence sin manifested in my life. If I claim something other than what God has informed me, then what I am saying that God is a liar. It is only when I come into agreement with what God is saying that I can then be cleansed of my sin. I have to admit that it is sin. Sin is always wrong. Sin always incurs debt and harms fellowship. Since sin in all these things is in opposition to God, and I follow the Christ path, which is life in harmony with God, I turn away from the sin and turn to God. By his the guarantee of the Spirit and his power I can do all these things. This is part of the consequential gifts of salvation, which is much stronger than my own will power.
The only way that I can do this is because I am convinced of God’s faithfulness, justice and power.
He is faithful, so that each and every time I confess my sin to him he turns his face towards me and hears my. It is like the prodigal son each and every time, the loving father who receives the wayward child. God receives me. In this verse is an underlying promise that when we come to God in this way we will meet his mercy and not his wrath. I know what I deserve but that should not become an obstacle to what I need.
He is just. God tells it like it is. He is truth and as many have experienced the truth sometimes (I think often) hurts. In this confession there is a brutality to the honesty of the conversation. And yet this is one of the greatest acts of love. Adultery is not something that just happens or is the justified response to marital problems. It is sin. It is wrong. It hurts. It is allowing the lust in my heart a justified path of expression. It causes a breakdown in trust and fellowship, etc. In this honest light this is only a fraction of what one is confronted with. But then comes the good part.
We receive forgiveness and cleansing. This is because of his power. Jesus is the only one who can cleanse us of all unrighteousness. It does not matter how bad or how long you’ve been at it. This is such an act of trust. If I were to have a bowel movement in my pants, I would feel too ashamed and afraid to come to one of you and ask for help. But when it comes to God I know that it doesn’t matter. I don’t need to be cleaned first.
This message must have rocked St. John’s first century readers. They could have never expected this from the pagan gods. I know how it has sounded to me. I will never fully understand the depth of God’s love, but I am so glad that it exists.
day 3
John 1:8-10
Just recently I have been having several conversations, with different people, about sin. It is a subject that is not very popular in Western culture, these days. In fact there are a large number of people who would agree with the common idea that there is no sin.
If you read the Bible then you will be confronted with subject of sin. There is commission, or doing the things that you should not do. Then there is omission, or not doing the things that you should do. The evil thoughts and motivations lying behind good works nullify their merit. There is the breaking of God’s law. There is outright disobedience. Sometimes sin looks like a rational explanation for not doing what God calls us to do. At times there is something so very subtle about sin, while at other times it is so blatant that it is difficult for me to understand how people can participate in it.
The Bible presents the very beginning as a time when God looked at his creation and declared it to be good. Everything and everyone lived and acted in accordance with its role in the Creation. The only determiner of right and wrong was God.
Sin is always a bad thing. Whichever particular sin it is, has no relevance. It is the nature of sin to change the intended purpose and contaminate things. Sin separates us from God which was never part of our intended purpose. It lowers the original functions that were ordained at creation. As impure water has other characteristics than pure water it still retains enough of the pure water’s initial qualities that it can still do some of the functions of pure water. In a similar way we are able to do some of the things that we were designed for, but much of it in a corrupted way. We were created to love and live in community. We can still love but it is many times expressed in selfishness and opportunism.
In Genesis 3 we read about the development of sin in Adam and Eve. In the garden of Eden God had provided for every one of their needs so they had no excuse to sin. They would never be able to say that there was something that they lacked. God made Eve and presented her to Adam. They would not be lonely for the company of some one who was like themselves. They had all the food they could eat. They had nothing to hide from each other, but could be totally vulnerable. They were so honest that there was no need to lie about something. They were totally naked before God and each other. No shelter was needed because there was no destructive or threatening weather. They did not have to worry about and education because they were taught directly by God. No, all of the things that we worry about and chase after were of no concern to Adam and Eve. This reminds me of something that Jesus said as recorded in St. Matthew’s gospel, 6:19-34. Jesus says that God will take care of our needs. It is those who do not want to have a relationship with God (they do not want to get to know God) who build their lives around such things. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 5:29 that during the Israelites 40 wandering in the wilderness their clothing and shoes never wore out.
Adam’s, Eve’s, the Israelites, you and I have a tendency to forget about God’s goodness and provision or to wrongly accuse God of being stingy and unfair. We can read over and over how believers are reminded to think and remember, Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 7:18: 8:2,18; 15;15; Psalm 103;18; 105;5; Isaiah 64:5; Jeremiah 3:16-22; Acts 20:35; Revelations 2:5; 3:3, about what God has done for us. Forgetting who God is and what he has done can only lead to sin.
The rule was the same then as it is now. We should first seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, Numbers 15:39-40; Matthew 6:33. God is good and therefore his will for our lives is also good. If this is true then we should want to live in obedience to his word. Seeking God means staying in relationship with him in spite of the circumstances or whatever shortcuts appear before you.
Many people use their lack of certain items as a justification for sin. They blame other people like politicians, their parents and teachers for their decision to sin. Sin is a decision to act, think or use our words in a way that is contrary to God’s nature. Sin makes us question the goodness of God.
The serpent starts off with a question, Genesis 3:1. “Did God really say…?”
This is an open attack disguised as concerned question. The serpent’s next move is to contradict God and then make up his own explanation and in this case an accusation. He tells her that she definitely will not die. God is holding back. He wants to be the only one. He knows that if you eat of this fruit you are going to be like him.
Eve starts looking at the qualities of the fruit instead of the will of God. This is a much different response to sin than the one that Jesus gave. When Jesus was tempted he did not buy the reasoning of satan. Jesus consistently answered with, “It is written…”. Jesus answered temptation with God’s word. I wonder how many times people would avoid trouble in their live, if they only would turn to God’s word, instead of looking at how wonderful the temptation is.
hmmm ...
Just recently I have been having several conversations, with different people, about sin. It is a subject that is not very popular in Western culture, these days. In fact there are a large number of people who would agree with the common idea that there is no sin.
If you read the Bible then you will be confronted with subject of sin. There is commission, or doing the things that you should not do. Then there is omission, or not doing the things that you should do. The evil thoughts and motivations lying behind good works nullify their merit. There is the breaking of God’s law. There is outright disobedience. Sometimes sin looks like a rational explanation for not doing what God calls us to do. At times there is something so very subtle about sin, while at other times it is so blatant that it is difficult for me to understand how people can participate in it.
The Bible presents the very beginning as a time when God looked at his creation and declared it to be good. Everything and everyone lived and acted in accordance with its role in the Creation. The only determiner of right and wrong was God.
Sin is always a bad thing. Whichever particular sin it is, has no relevance. It is the nature of sin to change the intended purpose and contaminate things. Sin separates us from God which was never part of our intended purpose. It lowers the original functions that were ordained at creation. As impure water has other characteristics than pure water it still retains enough of the pure water’s initial qualities that it can still do some of the functions of pure water. In a similar way we are able to do some of the things that we were designed for, but much of it in a corrupted way. We were created to love and live in community. We can still love but it is many times expressed in selfishness and opportunism.
In Genesis 3 we read about the development of sin in Adam and Eve. In the garden of Eden God had provided for every one of their needs so they had no excuse to sin. They would never be able to say that there was something that they lacked. God made Eve and presented her to Adam. They would not be lonely for the company of some one who was like themselves. They had all the food they could eat. They had nothing to hide from each other, but could be totally vulnerable. They were so honest that there was no need to lie about something. They were totally naked before God and each other. No shelter was needed because there was no destructive or threatening weather. They did not have to worry about and education because they were taught directly by God. No, all of the things that we worry about and chase after were of no concern to Adam and Eve. This reminds me of something that Jesus said as recorded in St. Matthew’s gospel, 6:19-34. Jesus says that God will take care of our needs. It is those who do not want to have a relationship with God (they do not want to get to know God) who build their lives around such things. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 5:29 that during the Israelites 40 wandering in the wilderness their clothing and shoes never wore out.
Adam’s, Eve’s, the Israelites, you and I have a tendency to forget about God’s goodness and provision or to wrongly accuse God of being stingy and unfair. We can read over and over how believers are reminded to think and remember, Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 7:18: 8:2,18; 15;15; Psalm 103;18; 105;5; Isaiah 64:5; Jeremiah 3:16-22; Acts 20:35; Revelations 2:5; 3:3, about what God has done for us. Forgetting who God is and what he has done can only lead to sin.
The rule was the same then as it is now. We should first seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, Numbers 15:39-40; Matthew 6:33. God is good and therefore his will for our lives is also good. If this is true then we should want to live in obedience to his word. Seeking God means staying in relationship with him in spite of the circumstances or whatever shortcuts appear before you.
Many people use their lack of certain items as a justification for sin. They blame other people like politicians, their parents and teachers for their decision to sin. Sin is a decision to act, think or use our words in a way that is contrary to God’s nature. Sin makes us question the goodness of God.
The serpent starts off with a question, Genesis 3:1. “Did God really say…?”
This is an open attack disguised as concerned question. The serpent’s next move is to contradict God and then make up his own explanation and in this case an accusation. He tells her that she definitely will not die. God is holding back. He wants to be the only one. He knows that if you eat of this fruit you are going to be like him.
Eve starts looking at the qualities of the fruit instead of the will of God. This is a much different response to sin than the one that Jesus gave. When Jesus was tempted he did not buy the reasoning of satan. Jesus consistently answered with, “It is written…”. Jesus answered temptation with God’s word. I wonder how many times people would avoid trouble in their live, if they only would turn to God’s word, instead of looking at how wonderful the temptation is.
hmmm ...
lördag 9 februari 2008
day 2
1 John 1:5-7
The message that Jesus taught to his disciples has to do with revealing who God really is. In the beginning to The Gospel of John we are informed that Jesus is the true Light which gives true light to every person. Jesus is also referred to as the light that shines in the darkness. This light is not understood by the darkness.
This theme of light and dark is worth exploring a little deeply. In John 8:12 Jesus says that he is the light of the world and that those who follow him will not walk in darkness. Jesus as the light gives everlasting life to his followers. In John 9:5 Jesus says that as long as he is in the world then he is the light of the world. Jesus is the glory of God. Everything that we can see about God is revealed in Jesus. He is the revealer of the correct way to understand and apply God’s Torah. As the Light he is to be compared to everything that is called Christian because he is the absolute standard of what it means to live, think and breathe as a Christian. This is a relationship of interpreted imitation.
I think that we need to become astute students of the life and sayings of Jesus Christ. Now why have I gone off on this tangent? Well I believe that key to understanding this verse is going back to the Gospel of John. Much of the imagery that one sees in 1 John is related to the St John’s Gospel. Duh – they are written by the same person.
God is light. God created the world. God lives in a light which no man can approach, 1 Tim 6:16. This light which radiates from the Godhead is a penetrating and revealing kind of light. This is why there is no shadow of turning from God, James 1:17. God sees all and knows all.
Jesus is the Light. Jesus is approachable and is the image of the invisible God. Jesus created the world, John 1:3,10; 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:15-17. This intimate relationship between Jesus and God is very important to consider. Jesus has qualities which no prophet has. He therefore has to be something more than just a prophet. He reveals God to people in such a way that they should not be able to resist living in relationship with God.
Many times I hear people dividing up the Old and New Testaments. They may say that God in the Old Testament is harsh and cruel. But God in the New Testament, that is Jesus, is just friendly and non-judgmental. They are wrong who hold this view. There is not difference. There are not two lights but one. There are not two gods but one almighty, righteous and holy God in whom there is no darkness at all.
You cannot walk in the darkness and follow God. The boundary between light and darkness is very distinct. There is not grey zone. There is no uncertainty. You are either walking in the darkness or you are walking in the light. This is a very uncomfortable thought. It means there is not neutral territory. There is no way to get around this. It is not about how close to the darkness I can come and, still be able to, claim that I’m walking in the light. This is a central challenge to every Christian living today.
We are living in a time when many want to hold up the gray zones as the norm. The Bible is giving a wholly different picture of reality. From God’s word another norm is presented. I believe that if the light of Christ shines on the gray zones then the dark areas (the zone is grey because the darkness and the light are allowed to mix contrary to their natures) then we will discover that they are either dark or light.
Compromising with the world leads to walking in the gray areas. Compromising with unconfessed sin in our lives leads to walking in the gray areas. Compromising with application of biblical truth leads to walking in the gray areas. It is in the gray areas that we it is okay to have one foot in and one foot out.
I just believe that this is not what Jesus showed us. His life was a life that was totally walked in the light every single day. It was not an easy life, but this kind of life was never intended to be so. Just like there is a daily struggle to choose to walk in the light, there is a daily temptation to get closer to the darkness by first walking into the gray areas. In the gray area I can get so close to the darkness that it becomes a major component in my life.
This may sound like the call to pass judgment on others. Well it is not. This is a call to first take out the magnifying glass of the Word of God and closely examine your own life. Let that light fall on your internet surfing and television watching. Let it fall on your attitudes to various people groups, and lifestyle choices. Let it penetrate the thoughts of your mind. Let it follow you around in your daily life.
Neither you nor I can claim that we are walking in the light as long as we are walking in the darkness. This does not mean a life beyond God’s grace. I thank God for his forgiveness because without it I would not be able to stay in the light. We are still dealing with the old nature. We still sin. We are bombarded by temptation every day.
The Christian life was never intended to be lived by your strength alone, but by the power and strength that you are given by Jesus Christ. This walking in the light is a life of dependency upon God. I know that I am weak. I would be a fool and a liar if I stated anything else. This is why I go to God to get strength and power. I know that on my own I will, more times than not, give in to that temptation and sin. But I desire and choose by my will to walk in the Light of Christ. I might fail, but that is not the issue. It is not based on how much righteousness that I produce. God is righteous and faithful and just. It all hangs on him.
Walking in the Light purifies me. It changes my way of thinking and speaking. By illuminating the darkness in my life it calls me to make a choice. I no longer remain passive about it. I must act in accordance with God’s mighty word. I no longer have to walk in the darkness. It is not my master. If we choose to leave the darkness and walk in the light then we will be purified. Not by our might, actions, methods or strength but by God’s power revealed in the blood of Christ. God is doing the transformation not I. It is Christ living in me says St. Paul, Gal 2:20.
We are warned in Rom 10:3 about what happens when we, instead of submitting to God’s righteousness, we set up our own righteousness. This is how so many people today have been led astray. We need to bring the light to those who are still fumbling in the darkness. We need to stand on the truth of God’s word. If we have fellowship with God then we are his children. We are the children of the light.
I want to walk in the light. The gray area will not lead me to my soul’s satisfaction. The darkness will lead me to destruction. I want fellowship with God and those who choose to follow him.
The message that Jesus taught to his disciples has to do with revealing who God really is. In the beginning to The Gospel of John we are informed that Jesus is the true Light which gives true light to every person. Jesus is also referred to as the light that shines in the darkness. This light is not understood by the darkness.
This theme of light and dark is worth exploring a little deeply. In John 8:12 Jesus says that he is the light of the world and that those who follow him will not walk in darkness. Jesus as the light gives everlasting life to his followers. In John 9:5 Jesus says that as long as he is in the world then he is the light of the world. Jesus is the glory of God. Everything that we can see about God is revealed in Jesus. He is the revealer of the correct way to understand and apply God’s Torah. As the Light he is to be compared to everything that is called Christian because he is the absolute standard of what it means to live, think and breathe as a Christian. This is a relationship of interpreted imitation.
I think that we need to become astute students of the life and sayings of Jesus Christ. Now why have I gone off on this tangent? Well I believe that key to understanding this verse is going back to the Gospel of John. Much of the imagery that one sees in 1 John is related to the St John’s Gospel. Duh – they are written by the same person.
God is light. God created the world. God lives in a light which no man can approach, 1 Tim 6:16. This light which radiates from the Godhead is a penetrating and revealing kind of light. This is why there is no shadow of turning from God, James 1:17. God sees all and knows all.
Jesus is the Light. Jesus is approachable and is the image of the invisible God. Jesus created the world, John 1:3,10; 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:15-17. This intimate relationship between Jesus and God is very important to consider. Jesus has qualities which no prophet has. He therefore has to be something more than just a prophet. He reveals God to people in such a way that they should not be able to resist living in relationship with God.
Many times I hear people dividing up the Old and New Testaments. They may say that God in the Old Testament is harsh and cruel. But God in the New Testament, that is Jesus, is just friendly and non-judgmental. They are wrong who hold this view. There is not difference. There are not two lights but one. There are not two gods but one almighty, righteous and holy God in whom there is no darkness at all.
You cannot walk in the darkness and follow God. The boundary between light and darkness is very distinct. There is not grey zone. There is no uncertainty. You are either walking in the darkness or you are walking in the light. This is a very uncomfortable thought. It means there is not neutral territory. There is no way to get around this. It is not about how close to the darkness I can come and, still be able to, claim that I’m walking in the light. This is a central challenge to every Christian living today.
We are living in a time when many want to hold up the gray zones as the norm. The Bible is giving a wholly different picture of reality. From God’s word another norm is presented. I believe that if the light of Christ shines on the gray zones then the dark areas (the zone is grey because the darkness and the light are allowed to mix contrary to their natures) then we will discover that they are either dark or light.
Compromising with the world leads to walking in the gray areas. Compromising with unconfessed sin in our lives leads to walking in the gray areas. Compromising with application of biblical truth leads to walking in the gray areas. It is in the gray areas that we it is okay to have one foot in and one foot out.
I just believe that this is not what Jesus showed us. His life was a life that was totally walked in the light every single day. It was not an easy life, but this kind of life was never intended to be so. Just like there is a daily struggle to choose to walk in the light, there is a daily temptation to get closer to the darkness by first walking into the gray areas. In the gray area I can get so close to the darkness that it becomes a major component in my life.
This may sound like the call to pass judgment on others. Well it is not. This is a call to first take out the magnifying glass of the Word of God and closely examine your own life. Let that light fall on your internet surfing and television watching. Let it fall on your attitudes to various people groups, and lifestyle choices. Let it penetrate the thoughts of your mind. Let it follow you around in your daily life.
Neither you nor I can claim that we are walking in the light as long as we are walking in the darkness. This does not mean a life beyond God’s grace. I thank God for his forgiveness because without it I would not be able to stay in the light. We are still dealing with the old nature. We still sin. We are bombarded by temptation every day.
The Christian life was never intended to be lived by your strength alone, but by the power and strength that you are given by Jesus Christ. This walking in the light is a life of dependency upon God. I know that I am weak. I would be a fool and a liar if I stated anything else. This is why I go to God to get strength and power. I know that on my own I will, more times than not, give in to that temptation and sin. But I desire and choose by my will to walk in the Light of Christ. I might fail, but that is not the issue. It is not based on how much righteousness that I produce. God is righteous and faithful and just. It all hangs on him.
Walking in the Light purifies me. It changes my way of thinking and speaking. By illuminating the darkness in my life it calls me to make a choice. I no longer remain passive about it. I must act in accordance with God’s mighty word. I no longer have to walk in the darkness. It is not my master. If we choose to leave the darkness and walk in the light then we will be purified. Not by our might, actions, methods or strength but by God’s power revealed in the blood of Christ. God is doing the transformation not I. It is Christ living in me says St. Paul, Gal 2:20.
We are warned in Rom 10:3 about what happens when we, instead of submitting to God’s righteousness, we set up our own righteousness. This is how so many people today have been led astray. We need to bring the light to those who are still fumbling in the darkness. We need to stand on the truth of God’s word. If we have fellowship with God then we are his children. We are the children of the light.
I want to walk in the light. The gray area will not lead me to my soul’s satisfaction. The darkness will lead me to destruction. I want fellowship with God and those who choose to follow him.
fredag 8 februari 2008
day 1
1 John 1:1-4
John wants to establish the truth for the readers of this letter. The danger of apostasy is so real that he needs to give the believers who read this letter the tools to find the truth. This brings to mind Jesus own warning in Matthew 7:15 to be wary of false prophets. If you know that you are not always going to be with your flock or that you might be leaving them, then one of the best ways you can protect them is to help them to discern between false and true messages.
He starts off with a confirmation of his authority to claim truth. His witness is not based on second hand information, but on a first hand account. This makes his a great authority on what Jesus said and did. His use of “we” means that this witness is not private in nature.
Jesus is from the beginning, Joh 1:1-3 and John has heard, seen and touched Jesus. But this message that John is proclaiming is not his own message. No, it is the message that the apostles were teaching. This is the true message and if one adheres to it then he will not be led astray by the various false messages in circulation.
So what is this all important truth? Well it is just that Jesus as the Word of life appeared in our world. This truth is confirmed by the fact that the disciples are testifying to it. It is the Word who is responsible for granting eternal life and fellowship with the Father and the Son. These first four verses were written in order to make you joy complete.
For me this is an added security for the faith that I hold so dear. What John is proclaiming is something that is very real. It can be seen and touched and known. It is something more than an abstract philosophy.
He has perceived it with his mind and seen it with his eyes and become acquainted with it by experience. This gazing produces an intimate knowledge of the subject. There are many places in the Old Testament where one can read how God manifested himself in a very tangible way. Now in Jesus this happens again.
The Christian faith is real. It is built on an amazing truth. I am glad that I have found Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah.
John wants to establish the truth for the readers of this letter. The danger of apostasy is so real that he needs to give the believers who read this letter the tools to find the truth. This brings to mind Jesus own warning in Matthew 7:15 to be wary of false prophets. If you know that you are not always going to be with your flock or that you might be leaving them, then one of the best ways you can protect them is to help them to discern between false and true messages.
He starts off with a confirmation of his authority to claim truth. His witness is not based on second hand information, but on a first hand account. This makes his a great authority on what Jesus said and did. His use of “we” means that this witness is not private in nature.
Jesus is from the beginning, Joh 1:1-3 and John has heard, seen and touched Jesus. But this message that John is proclaiming is not his own message. No, it is the message that the apostles were teaching. This is the true message and if one adheres to it then he will not be led astray by the various false messages in circulation.
So what is this all important truth? Well it is just that Jesus as the Word of life appeared in our world. This truth is confirmed by the fact that the disciples are testifying to it. It is the Word who is responsible for granting eternal life and fellowship with the Father and the Son. These first four verses were written in order to make you joy complete.
For me this is an added security for the faith that I hold so dear. What John is proclaiming is something that is very real. It can be seen and touched and known. It is something more than an abstract philosophy.
He has perceived it with his mind and seen it with his eyes and become acquainted with it by experience. This gazing produces an intimate knowledge of the subject. There are many places in the Old Testament where one can read how God manifested himself in a very tangible way. Now in Jesus this happens again.
The Christian faith is real. It is built on an amazing truth. I am glad that I have found Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah.
onsdag 6 februari 2008
intro
This reflection is not intended to be a theological discussion about 1 John. These are just my personal thoughts that I am sharing after reading through 1 John. This is in no way intended to be exhaustive or of great depth. There are a great many good commentaries that one could read if this is your desire.
My goal is that my simple words might actually be used to bless some one. Our God is great and wonder and good. May He bless you richly as you read this.
This letter was probably written between 75-90A.D. This letter is one of the best attested to in the New Testament. It was quoted by Papias of Hieropolis (his writings are dated between 95-110 A.D.) The vast majority of Christianity’s first generation (the eyewitnesses) has passed on and this faith has spread over the entire Roman Empire. As the final Apostle, John is now old and wants to address some issues facing the next generation of Christians. This letter seems to be more pastoral in nature than systematically theological like Galatians and Romans.
Tradition says that prior to its destruction in 70 A.D., John left Jerusalem and settled in Ephesus, where he remained until he was exiled to Patmos. From the eternal evidence it can be seen that this letter was written to believers who were under a lot of pressure to conform to the dominant surrounding culture. Some of these challenges may have been persecution, the beginnings of the Gnostic movement and paganism.
My goal is that my simple words might actually be used to bless some one. Our God is great and wonder and good. May He bless you richly as you read this.
This letter was probably written between 75-90A.D. This letter is one of the best attested to in the New Testament. It was quoted by Papias of Hieropolis (his writings are dated between 95-110 A.D.) The vast majority of Christianity’s first generation (the eyewitnesses) has passed on and this faith has spread over the entire Roman Empire. As the final Apostle, John is now old and wants to address some issues facing the next generation of Christians. This letter seems to be more pastoral in nature than systematically theological like Galatians and Romans.
Tradition says that prior to its destruction in 70 A.D., John left Jerusalem and settled in Ephesus, where he remained until he was exiled to Patmos. From the eternal evidence it can be seen that this letter was written to believers who were under a lot of pressure to conform to the dominant surrounding culture. Some of these challenges may have been persecution, the beginnings of the Gnostic movement and paganism.
Prenumerera på:
Inlägg (Atom)
