Clarity of Faith.
I have spent the last few days working through so much conflicting theological material. We should do this, be that, not be so, forgive this way, do not allow that, This is Holy, That is not holy. God’s presence looks like this, unless it looks like that…
I wonder if the Apostles maybe slapped some sense into a believer every now and again?
Yesterday in church, the Pastor said: If you want to hear God speaking, read His Word. If you want to audibly hear God Speaking… read out loud! 🙂
I thank God for John.
It seems that somewhere in the first century, the very young church got themselves into a bit of a thing. People started preaching the complexities of faith. Maybe not false teachings, but just enough to stop the church in it’s tracks and spin. Like the old GPS units that just all of a sudden starts flashing “Recalculating, Recalculating” at a critical point in your journey.
Well. John slapped that GPS, pointed the church’s nose in the right direction and got it going again!
The passage is 1 John 3, and He makes 4 succinct points. Short and Sweet. Focus on this, and once you got that right, the rest will be easy.
1. We Are Children of God
“He has called us and made us his very own beloved children.”
(1 John 3:1)
2. Act like it
”Anyone who continues to live in union with Him will not sin.”
(1 John 3:5)
”…and he is unable to continue sinning because he has been fathered by God himself.”
(1 John 3:9)
”Anyone who does not demonstrate righteousness and show love to fellow believers is not living with God as his source.”
(1 John 3:10)
John works himself up on this point. Stop sinning, seriously… stop. Just Stop! He says it three or four times to bring his point home. But not only stop sinning, actively start being righteous. Do what is right, not comfortable or convenient.
Why? Because the God we serve is not a passive, sitting-in-heaven kind of God. He is an active, getting-things-done, kind of God! (Also, one tends to worry less about ”Jots-&-tittles” when you are serving food to the homeless, or fixing the widow’s roof.)
3. Love One Another
”The beautiful message you’ve heard right from the start is that we should walk in self-sacrificing love toward one another.”
(1 John 3:11)
”A loveless life remains spiritually dead.”
(1 John 3:14)
”Everyone who keeps hating a fellow believer is a murderer”
(1 John 3:15)
4. Don’t Talk-Talk… Do-Do!
”Beloved children, our love can’t be an abstract theory we only talk about, but a way of life demonstrated through our loving deeds. We know that the truth lives within us because we demonstrate love in action, which will reassure our hearts in his presence.”
(1 John 3:18-19)
John concludes (before ripping into the false teachers) that if our hearts do not condemn us, we have the bold freedom to stand before God and speak to Him face-to-face, and because of that, we can ask God for anything. And God will give us anything we ask for because we keep these commands.
It is good to get back to the basics, to start there. I think almost any question can be answered by begining there or starting the action there. Walking in self-sacrificing love toward one another.
Be a blessing to someone today!
