“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:11, ESV) What does it look like when we’re born of God? John lists five evidences in the first verses of Chapter 5. We keep believing in Jesus as the Messiah. We keep loving God as Father. We keep loving those born of God. We keep doing God’s commands. We keep overcoming the world. John weaves faith, love, and obedience together...
Week 7 – 1 John 3:19–4:6 – Know the Truth, Test the Spirits
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1, ESV) Right now, you may wonder where you stand. None of us exhibits continual self-sacrificial love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us have moments when we mistreat the brethren by our actions – neglecting them in time of need, lashing out at...
Week 4 – 1 John 2:18-27 – Warning Concerning the Antichrists
“Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.” (John 2:22, ESV) We move from considering Light/Darkness and Love/Hate of one another and between God and the world to the idea of the antichrist/Antichrist. John has previously given us the moral test of obedience to God’s commandments (1 John 2:3-6). He has also given us the relational test of love (1 John...
Off The Map
“Fire Mission. Coordinates to follow,” I whispered into the radio. It was late in 1970, and I was with a reconnaissance patrol overlooking the notorious “Ho Chi Minh” trail, an NVA (North Vietnamese Army) resupply route bringing men and supplies into South Vietnam. Alerted to the enemy’s presence by the sound of truck engines, we scanned the hills and jungle ahead. We could see their night lights through the trees. I pulled a poncho over my...
Week 3 – John 2:7-17 – Love & Hate, Light & Darkness
“Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister abides in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling.” (John 2:9-10, NRSVUE) Here, as elsewhere, John places the contrast before his readers in its ultimate essential form, as of light and darkness, love and hatred. He assumes that there cannot be a vacuum in the soul. In...
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