I Want to Know What Love Is: Love Manifested, 1 John 4:7-12, Theology Matters

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meetings on March 27 and April 3, 2011. A while back we started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." This lesson looks at 1 John 4:7-12 and discusses the idea that Christians should be a people who love like God loves. We need to be aware of and to share the love that God has given to us in Christ. His gift of grace becomes visible to others when we live the love Christ has shown us. When we love others, we give a living example of the love Jesus showed in the cross. John gives us the character of love, the definition of love, and the result of love. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

I Want to Know What Love Is
Love Manifested
1 John 4:7-12
Theology Matters Series

Introduction
How many of you know the rock group Foreigner?
Yeah, I’m old, that is certain!
One of their hits was “I Want to Know What Love Is”
I liked the song, but the point I want to make is this—there are lots of people in our world who make the same statement

People want to know love, they want to experience it, they want to see it
Just look at the movies and magazines today
Many of the materials give instructions on finding love
Some movies exemplify romantic love as the goal of human existence
In fact, I would dare say that love is a dominant theme in many areas
The problem is that the love exemplified in these “sources” rarely offers real satisfaction or any sense of fulfillment

Love in the world often ends in hurt or disappointment

Can anyone here describe a time (besides your salvation experience) when you thought you experienced real love? What did it look like?

Our passage in 1 John 4 today addresses the issue of what love looks like

Verses 7-12 offer us John’s view of love, and in them we find three points to consider
1. The character of love
2. The definition of love
3. The result of love

As we unpack these three topics, we will see that for John
“Love resembles Jesus” in his character, action, and empowerment

1. The Character of Love
1 John 4:7-8—John likes to repeat himself. This is now the third time he has instructed his readers to “love one another.” In 1 John 2:7-11 and 3:11-12 John has already given this command, now he returns to his earlier message

John seems to repeat himself in an effort to make sure the point gets across
When John is older, church tradition/history tells us that his message becomes simply “Little children, love one another”
When asked why he repeats this message, John replies: “It is the command of our Lord, and it is enough.”

“Love one another” in John’s mind flows naturally from the basic character of love
John defines the character of love as being tied to the character of God

Notice that John says in v. 7 “love is from God”

The kind of love John to which John is encouraging us is not a mere emotion or an expression of human concern

The love mentioned in 1 John usually refers to a divine source, a heavenly origin (cf. 1 Corinthians 13)

We don’t learn this kind of love simply by attending seminars, reading books, or trying harder.  We learn to love one another in this way only as we draw closer to God through Christ

Love’s true character is divine

Notice that in v. 8 John says, “God is love”
John Stott: “"This is the most comprehensive and sublime of all the biblical affirmations of God's being."

We must not confuse this with the idea that “love is God”
We do not define God by our view of love
Rather, we define love by God’s nature (Ray Stedman)

God’s love includes his holiness—Psalm 138:2 (On Holiness see: Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:14-16)
God’s character is just and loving—the two always go together as we will see more clearly in our next verses (H. A. Ironside)

So, John tells us we should love one another because of God’s nature or character
John adds that those who know God (i.e., know his character or know him intimately) will as a direct result love others

John’s argument is simple—if the life of God is present is us, then his love should be present as well

If we know that God’s love for us, then we should love others

Jesus as the example of God’s love: 2 Timothy 1:13: John 8:42: 1 John 2:5-7

Love resembles Jesus in his character

2. The Definition of Love
1 John 4:9-10—Here John shifts from discussing the character of love to giving the supreme example of love—John now sets out to define love for his readers

John describes the manifestation of God’s love and sums it up in one historical event—Jesus’ crucifixion (cf. John 3:16-19)
a. In this one event God revealed a love that has never since been surpassed (2 Cor. 4:6-7; 9:15)
b. This love sacrifices to make things right
c. This love empowers others to do the right things

Let’s unpack these

Love is sacrifice

John says that love was manifested (i.e., made known, made visible, made clear) by God’s act of sending his only Son Jesus into the world
.The reference to Jesus as God’s “only begotten” refers to their unique relationship
Only Jesus is God’s “only begotten” Son—it refers to Jesus’ divine status
b. Please remember that this sending was not simply to tell the world what it needed to hear—(John 3:16-19)—rather God had another thing in mind
c. Jesus is sent to be the “propitiation” for our sins—1 John 2:1-2--meaning to appease or to bring reconciliation.
d. It has at its core the idea that two groups are estranged—one is angry at the other (Rom. 1:18-19)

God’s wrath was aimed at humanity because of sin. We were guilty and deserving of death (Romans 6:23)

Instead of holding us guilty for our own sins, however, God decided to appease his own wrath by his own plan. Jesus took our place and received the just punishment of our sins (Isaiah 53:4-6). Jesus became the atoning sacrifice for our sins

Do you see in this act the coming together of God’s justice and love? (Stedman) God’s justice demanded holiness and required an ultimate sacrifice for sin , while God’s love provided the only true means to atone for that sin

Love is sacrificial—it does what is necessary to set things right

But God’s love is not simply sacrificial, it does not simply “cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8)—rather it also gives us what is needed to live love ourselves. In other words, love empowers us to emulate Jesus

God’s love was manifested “in us”—this can mean either “on our behalf” or “in our midst”
The point is that God’s love is manifested in space and time
It is not simply theoretical—it is real—it is “in us”

In v. 9 John says that God sent Jesus into the world so that we could “live through him”
Let that sink in—we who deserved death for our sins are being given life by the one who actually died for the sins of the world
The greatest sign of love is the bloody cross—there by God’s grace and love we lost our burden, our guilt, even our inability to live as God intended—in the cross our Lord died so that we might live through him

God’s love is for our benefit—it enlivens us--it is empowering
That is the true definition of love—It sacrifices that others may gain

How does our love for others measure up?

Love resembles Jesus in his sacrifice

3. The Result of Love
1 John 4:11-12—Now that he has shown the character and definition of love, John now offers a description of the result of love

“If God so loved us” is reminiscent of the “so” in John 3:16
It probably refers to the manner in which God loved us
John seems to be saying, “If you have received love in this way, you should then love others like that”
In other words, the way we love should be sacrificial and for the benefit of others—that they may gain God

This God kind of love also has a moral imperative to it—because God has done this, we “ought” to respond in a similar manner (1 John 2:4-11)

How and when did God love us?
a. God loved us when we were sinners (Romans 5:6-8)
We cannot understand grace or the love of God until we understand the nature of sin.  We will not understand the wonder of the atoning sacrifice until we grasp the horror of that which needed atoning
b. God loved us by giving a means for us to be reconciled to him—he gave Jesus as our atoning sacrifice (Romans 3:25; 5:9-11)
As already noted, Jesus died so that we could live

God’s love is our motivation to love others

Verse 12 is incredible—here John states a well known doctrine—God is not visible to the human eye—we cannot see him

Yet John seems to claim that when we love one another, God becomes apparent
The verse claims that when we love with the love God has given us in Christ, then God abides in us and his love is “perfected” (i.e., made complete, accomplished, finished, brought to its goal) in us
Our relationships of love become the place where God and his love become visible to others
When we love, we show God

Love resembles Jesus as we make him known by loving others

Application
This is a weighty thing—how are we to be “ambassadors of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20-21) when we are still fallen and prone to let God down?

How can we claim to know God when we cannot love those closest to us?

How do we respond to John’s exhortation in these verses?

First, we must recognize our need to experience and live in God’s great grace and love—knowing God through Jesus Christ is the starting point. Remember that John says that loving others comes from loving God. This week make it a point to spend extra time with God. Take 15 minutes a day to look up verses that speak of God’s love (start in 1 John 2, 3, and 4, but don’t neglect John’s Gospel—chapters 3, 5, 13-15)—learn of his love and ask him to empower you to emulate it

Next, take some time to ask where you can share this love of God. Start with your brothers and sisters in Christ, but don’t neglect those outside of the household of the faith. Look for opportunities to tell others how God’s love has changed your life, just be sure to love them while you tell them. Here are some suggestions (thanks to Bruce Goettsche on-line for these):

1. Seek for ways to get beyond feelings of competition
2. Speak of other’s with honor instead of enjoying or gossiping about their shortcomings, struggles, or inconsistencies
3. Rally to the side of those who are hurt or experiencing injustice—offer them a word of encouragement or stand with them in prayer
4. Look for opportunities to help those who can’t help you back—give sacrificially into the life of one who may not pay you back
5. Extend forgiveness to those who offend
6. Be patient with someone who desperately needs it
7. Be quick to show hospitality to others
8. Be willing to pray for and with each other
9. Share the story of Jesus and your salvation with someone
10. Bake cookies for someone who is down and write them a note of encouragement

Love resembles Jesus
How are we doing?

Thanks for reading!

Warnings to the Wicked--Psalm 50::16-21

Psalm 50:16 But God says to the wicked:

"What right do you have to recite My statutes and to take My covenant on your lips?

17 You hate instruction and turn your back on My words.

18 When you see a thief, you make friends with him, and you associate with adulterers.

19 You unleash your mouth for evil and harness your tongue for deceit.

20 You sit, maligning your brother, slandering your mother's son.

21 You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But I will rebuke you and lay out the case before you."

Thanks for reading!

Confidence Before God: How Our Hearts are Reassured, 1 John 3:19-24, Theology Matters Series

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meetings on February 20-27, 2011. A while back we started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." This lesson looks at 1 John 3:19-24 and discusses the idea that our hearts can have confidence before God because of God's character and the things his Spirit has done in and through us. When we think rightly about God and love others as he commands, we find assurance for our hearts and minds. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

Confidence Before God
How Our Hearts Are Reassured
1 John 3:19-24
Theology Matters Series

Introduction
Questions
1. What comes to mind when you think of the terms “assurance” or “confidence”?
2. Describe what you think a confident person is like
3. When do you lack confidence?
4. When do you feel confident?

Contrary to appearances, I am not a very self-confident person
I constantly ask my wife (and others) for reassurance
I seem to think I am continually lacking confidence

Many of you can identify with my personal struggles, while others think that these things are a bit strange

Our passage today focuses on the issue of the confidence a Christian can have before God

In 1 John 3:19-24, John lists three ways we can be confident before God
1. Our knowledge gives us confidence/assurance
2. Our kinship with God gives us confidence/assurance
3. God’s commandments are a source of confidence/assurance

God’s character is our confidence

1. Knowledge
1 John 3:19-20, 24b

When I read this passage, I was struck by the repetition of the phrase “by this we . . . know” in verses 19 and 24.

Verse 19—”By this” refers to the information just above this verse—1 John 3:18
John is saying here that we will know (it is future) that we are in the truth (i.e., children of God) if we love in deed and in truth (i.e., we practice the kind of selfless love Jesus exhibited)

Verse 24b—”By this” refers back to the verses just before (vv. 23-24a) and to the end of verse 24

John is saying here that we know (it is present tense) that we abide in Christ if we keep his commandments—the command is to believe in Christ and to love one another (more on these later)

John is also saying that we know we abide in Christ by the Spirit he gave us
The reference to the Spirit here is not necessarily only a reference to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:15-17), but may also refer to the presence of the Spirit in our lives as the One who empowers us to believe in Christ and to love one another

The Spirit here is a reference to God’s character and God’s presence as a means to obey God’s commands

2 Peter 1:3-4

John seems to be saying that our changed behavior is evidence (i.e., something we can know) that should give us confidence

The knowledge that God has changed us is a source of assurance/confidence
But our actions are not based on our own abilities, our changed lives flow from the character of God

In verses 19-20, John brings up the idea of our hearts (or consciences) and the possibility of condemnation

“Whenever our hearts condemn us” speaks to those times when we feel condemned or less than confident in our relationship to God

John assumes that the people to whom he writes have struggled with their confidence, they have felt condemned

Perhaps your heart/conscience has condemned you in the past
a. You aren’t good enough, you can’t live up to God’s standard
b. You don’t do the things you should
c. Why would God choose you?

John responds by noting that we can “reassure” our hearts before God because “God is greater than our hearts and knows everything”

What does John mean by this reference?

When John says that God is greater than our hearts/consciences, he seems to be referring to God’s character –a source of confidence for us is the knowledge of God’s character

God’s character is greater than our conscience—he is the one who redeems us (and as shown in v. 24) who puts his Spirit in us

James Boice states “… whatever our hearts may say, God knows us better than even we ourselves do and, nevertheless, has acquitted us. Therefore, we should reassure ourselves by His judgment, which alone is trustworthy, and refuse to trust our own.”

God knows the change he has made in us if we have indeed come to know him through Christ

God judges us not by our conscience but by his justification of us in Christ (Rom. 8:31-39)

When we face condemnation, we can look at two things to reassure ourselves—God’s enduring love and character, and the actions his Spirit has worked out of our changed lives as we obey his command to love

God’s character is our confidence

2. Kinship
1 John 3:21-22—in the previous section, John told us that we can “know” confidence by knowing how we love others and by knowing God’s character. In these verses he introduces the idea that we can be confident before God because we have relationship with him—we are God’s kin

This relationship is shown by two things—answered prayer and God’s abiding Spirit (vv. 23-24)

B. F. Westcott states, “The thought here is of the boldness with which the son appears before the Father, and not of that with which the accused appears before the Judge.”

The Christian has boldness in God’s presence because he or she is a child of God—the child of the emperor has privileges with the king that simple subjects do not have (Rom. 8:16-17; Gal. 4:31-5:1; John 1:9-13)

This family relationship should produce confidence and assurance

John continues this idea by talking about the blessing of answered prayer

What John does NOT mean
a. God is not a cosmic Santa Claus who simply gives you whatever you ask
b. God will not answer all of your requests with “Yes”

What John means
a. God loves to respond to his children
b. God’s children love to respond to their Father
c. When we obey God, we have freedom to come into his presence
d. Of course, when we obey God, we will ask primarily for those things that will give God the most pleasure (i.e., our praying will not be selfish but will be “according to his will”)

God’s character is our confidence

3. Commandment
1 John 3:23-24—John now returns to the idea that our confidence/assurance before God is evidenced by what we believe and by how we live

What “pleases God” (v. 23) is two fold
a. My theology—what I believe about God and Jesus Christ
b. My ethical practice—how I act in response to theology

In fact, theology should drive ethics—right living should flow from right doctrine

John gets very specific here about the commandment
a. We must believe in the name of God’s Son Jesus
b. We must love one another

This commandment is similar to Jesus’ response in Matthew 22:37-40
The call of every Christ follower is to love God and to love others

Believing in the name of Christ refers to the ground of our salvation—it is only in what Christ has accomplished that we can be saved or brought into proper relationship with God

We cannot love God without Christ’s sacrificial love

Our confidence is grounded on what God has done in Jesus

Loving one another is the practical result of our salvation—we show the love God gave in Christ by loving others

This action is not the foundation of our confidence, it is the evidence of it

The gauge of our relationship with God is how we love others

Obedience to God’s command is the manifestation of God’s love poured into our lives (1 John 4:12-17)

Abiding in Jesus is shown by obedience to Jesus

God’s character is our confidence
Our obedient response is the evidence that we have come to know him

Application
The foundation of our assurance or confidence before God is always and only faith in the person and work of Jesus—Jesus is our Rock, our Cornerstone, and our Foundation
Any attempt to have boldness before God without faith in Christ will end in shame
Faith alone in Christ alone is the only means of security before God

Once we have that settled, however, there is room for obedience, and that obedience is also a source of assurance

This week, find ways to obey the word John gives
1. Spend time cultivating your relationship with God—this week set aside an extra 10 minutes a day to get into God’s presence, to pray, to read his Scripture—your confidence is in that relationship

2. Spend time cultivating your relationships with others—this week make time to love one another—be creative, but be purposeful—make a plan to show Christ’s love and follow through—where can you serve this week in a way that would make Christ’s love know?

God’s character is our confidence
What can we do this week that will reveal God’s character to others?

Thanks for reading!

Unraveled . . . Additions and a Repeat

The meditation below was written originally almost 2.5 years ago. The sentiment and the experience are still the same, but the circumstances have changed a bit.

You see, I recently celebrated my 51st birthday. I am now on the downward side of my quest for 100 years. The very thought that I have lived over 5 decades has given me pause. For some of my readers 50 seems really old, perhaps for others it seems a bit young. All I know is that it has caused me to pause and to reflect on my life.

I am a words of affirmation kind of person, and as such I love to give encouragement to others (and to receive it too!). On the other hand, there are those times where I feel incredibly unnoticed and irrelevant and even melancholy in s some ways. Today is one of those days. I noticed my frustration level was a bit higher than usual (not sure why). I feel like my day has started with me already running behind in lots of things. I mean, my day (it is only 10:20!) already seems undone. So, this morning as I contemplated my situation, the post below kind of summed up my mood. I thought I'd repost it for that reason (and maybe it will encourage some of you).

As you stand before God undone today, as you unravel in his presence, cling tightly to the promise that he has given--"I will never leave you nor forsake you." Stand or sit before Jesus and just let your life pause before him for a moment. Join me and come undone. Let's unravel in his presence. I hope you enjoy this little meditation from 2008.

Today as I drove to work, I couldn't help a bit of melancholy.

The weather was cool, traffic was light, John Denver was breezy (yes, John Denver!), the mountains were august, the sun brilliant, . . .

and I was melancholy.

As I drove I began to think of Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah for some reason. Each of these individuals had an amazing encounter with God. Abraham (while still "Abram") encountered the God of covenants. During a dream at night terrors seized Abram as he saw the torch of God move between the divided carcasses of the animal sacrifices. Abram was undone.

Moses encountered God first as an enigma. Moses saw a bush that was on fire and yet not burning. He went closer, he heard God, he took off his shoes. He was undone, his life would never be the same.

Isaiah lost a friend and a hero. When King Uzziah died, Isaiah wept and went into deep mourning. During his depression, Isaiah had a vision. Angels flew about, the holiness and awesomeness of God shook the foundation and pillars of the Temple.

God spoke, Isaiah trembled.

When Isaiah dared to speak in this holy company, the words out of his mouth were "Woe is me, I am undone!"

As I understand it, the Hebrew here has the meaning of being unzipped from the belly to the neck so that your insides spill out.

Okay, maybe I'm stretching it a bit, but it was not a happy thought for Isaiah. He felt unraveled in the presence of God.

That kind of describes my melancholy today . . . I feel unraveled. Like a ball of yarn that has lost its consistency, I am loose and dangly.

Like a sweater pulled apart thread-by-thread, I am undone.

I look at the majesty around me, the beauty and holiness and awe-fulness of it all, and I find myself undone.

It is not a bad feeling necessarily, but it is a bit unnerving.

I feel unraveled.

Like a joke with no punch line, or a sitcom with no laugh track, or a book with no thesis or direction, or a story with no meaning . . .

I feel undone.

How do I explain what is happening in my heart when words seem hard to find?

Life is good, things are fine, but I feel . . . well, what?

I think that this is a normal human emotion, and it is one I've encountered before. I'm not depressed; in fact, I'm not really sad at all! I'm actually smiling as I type these words!

I sit here in the midst of an august band of people, activities, and stuff, and I feel a bit unraveled.

Maybe I'm just relaxing . . . loosening things a bit in preparation for the next battle or the next activity or the next thing.

Maybe it is a "Selah," a sort of pause of spirit that causes me to reflect a bit.

It is a good thing, I think, to be unraveled before God and his wonderful creation.

So, like Paul, I will relish in my unraveling, in my undoing, in my weakness . . . for when I am weak, God is strong. When I am undone, God still does. When I am unraveled, Jesus holds all things together.

I smile, I sigh. I listen to U2 and Larry Norman and Bob Dylan (John Denver was making me too melancholy, I think).

I will go find some Jonny Lang. I will relish in the tones, in the thoughts, in the music. I will unravel before God and just be. I will let myself be undone so that he can renew me.

What a wonderful life!

Thanks for reading!

Missing my Dad today . . . A Tribute

I am missing my father today, not sure why. I heard some quartet music today, and it reminded me of how much my dad loved the Cathedrals and how we used to sing along with them. At any rate, I miss him, and I would love an opportunity just to hear his stories all over again. With that in mind, I thought I'd repost my Fathers' Day tribute to Dad. Some of you never knew him, and I am sorry. He enriched the lives of so many with his infectious smile and easy generosity. I feel so much poorer without him, but I know heaven is richer in some ways. I love you, Dad.

I first wrote this in 2005, but it speaks volumes about my memories of my dad, Bobbie Eugene Percer, Sr. My dad was a hero to me in many ways, and I am terribly sorry that I never told him that to his face. At his funeral in 2004, literally hundreds of people stood in line for hours to tell us of the way my dad had blessed them. I heard stories of dad witnessing to people and leading them to the Lord, stories of dad giving money or clothes or time or work in order to help someone else find a better path in life, stories of my dad going out of his way to help others, etc. It humbled me. I had no idea how "big" a man my father was, how much of a blessing he was to many people. My dad left some mighty big shoes, and I hope I can be half the man he was. With that in mind, here is the first thing I wrote about my dad way back in 2005.

With Father's day coming up this weekend, I wanted to share some thoughts about my Father. You see, my father passed away in August 2004, and for many reasons thoughts of him have been central in my mind recently. I’m afraid I’m losing him.

Let me explain.

My dad wasn’t very active the last few years of life. Due to his own lack of proper care for his physical body and a host of problems with illness, the primary memory my children have of their grandfather is dad sitting in a big lounger watching TV and occasionally waking up long enough to tease them.

My children did not get to know my dad. Oh, my dad was never the most active guy in the world (I think I know where my own lack of activity comes from!), but he didn’t sit around a lot as I remember it. Dad coached baseball, football, basketball, if it had “ball” in the title, he learned it, played it, and probably coached it. My dad cared about folks that no one else wanted. He loved kids, especially his own. I once saw my dad kick a field goal from the 45 yard line (that’s a 55 yard kick, if you didn’t know!). I was in high school then, so dad was probably in his mid-40s. He could kick the ball further than the place kicker on our team.

I remember looking for dad’s vehicle to pull up at the football practice field. I don’t know if he knew that I saw him, but I looked for him to show up so I could perform for him. Dad didn’t get real excited about sports (that was mom’s job!), but you could tell when he was enjoying something. He had this infectious grin and mischievous smile that would literally light up his face. I heard that for almost 10 years after my younger brother graduated high school, dad would make his way to the practice field and sit in his car and watch the players go through their paces. For me, his watching was a comforting presence that reminded me that he was there if I needed him. Oh, I’ll admit that I didn’t “need” him as much as he would like, but it made me feel real good to know dad was there.

I miss him.

Sometimes in my work here, I think that dad is sitting in heaven, in his heavenly lounger, watching his boy perform. Oh, I’m not blindsiding running backs and quarterbacks any more, but I can’t help but think that dad is silently cheering for me. He sits there, intently studying me as I pace a classroom or teach a class or grade a paper. When I make a particularly brilliant play, he smiles that smile. Even when I don’t do so well, dad looks approvingly on his boy. I can see him, sitting there, a big glass of sweet tea on the table, a smile in his eyes, and joy in his heart. I want to make him proud, and I think he knows that.

My last words to my dad face-to-face were spoken around Easter of 2004. I don’t remember everything we discussed, but I remember putting my arm around his shoulders and looking into that face. His eyes were a bit dimmed by senility due to old age and strokes. But somewhere in those eyes I saw the place kicker kicking a field goal from the 45 yard line. I remember saying this to him, “Dad, I love you. I’ll see you later.” At his funeral in August 2004, the pastor asked me to pray at the grave site (actually, my mother asked me to do it). As I walked away from dad’s coffin, I touched the lid and said, “I love you, dad, see you later.”

I miss him, but thank God I will see him later. If your father is alive, call him up. Tell him you appreciate him and love him. Memories are great, but I’d love to have my dad here to hug again. He’s much better off, but I need his smile. Dad, I love you. See you later.

Thanks for reading!

A Matter of Life and Death, 1 John 3:11-18, Theology Matters Series

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meetings on February 6-13, 2011. A while back we started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." This lesson looks at 1 John 3:11-18 and discusses the idea that how we treat others is a matter of life and death. John indicates that people who are followers of Christ love others and find life, while those who are children of the devil do not show love and are "living dead." If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

A Matter of Life and Death
1 John 3:11-18
Theology Matters Series

Introduction
A visit to the doctor
Needed to get some prescriptions refilled
A spot on my head removed
What could it be?
Good news, by the way

When we visit the doctor, the folks there often take our vital signs

We talked about spiritual vital signs a couple of weeks ago, focusing on our heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure

We asked if our signs towards Jesus were healthy or indicated a sickness that needed to be address

Vital signs are also used in many cases to know the difference between a dead and a live person

Our passage in 1 John today discusses the most important vital sign that distinguishes between life and death

Let’s read 1 John 3:11-18

John tells us that love is a matter of life and death
If we don’t show love, we are dead
If we love others, we are alive

Four things to see from our passage today
1. All you need is love
2. Cain: An Example of Death
3. A Contrast
4. Christ: An Example of Life

Love is a matter of life and death
Our love reveals whether we are dead or alive

1. All You Need is Love

From the start, John reminds his readers of “the beginning”
a. In chapter 1, verse 1, he reminds us that the message he writes is what he experienced from the beginning
b. In 2:7, he reminds them of the old commandment that they had from the beginning
c. In 2:24 he tells them to remember what they learned from the beginning and to abide in it
d. In all of the instances John seems to have in mind the beginning of the Christian movement rather than the beginning of the universe

Here in 3:11, then, John points his readers to that message which they heard from the beginning of the Christian life, the beginning of the church

That message has not changed
It is simple
“Love one another”

It is the command Jesus gives in John 13:34-35
This command is built upon the very character of God

Doctrine and ethics must go together
Theology should point to a way of life—in fact what you believe is revealed in how you live

For Christians, there is no life without Love because God is Love (1 John 4:8)

The distinguishing mark of Christians should be love

Love is a matter of life and death

John turns now to an example of death

2. Cain: An Example of Death

Beginning in verse 12, John elaborates on the negative example. We could call this the example of death or hatred, for all hatred ultimately leads to some kind of death, doesn’t it?

Cain is the negative example

What do you know about Cain’s story?
a. Cain’s story can be found in Genesis 4
b. Cain was the first child born to Adam and Eve after the fall
c. Cain had a brother, Abel. The two of them offered sacrifices to God, and Abel’s was acceptable (Hebrews 11:4 says that what distinguished Abel’s sacrifice from Cain’s was that it was offered in faith)
d. Cain apparently was jealous of his brother, so much so that God warned him of impending sin
e. Cain’s jealousy and anger led to the first murder in Scripture
f. Cain’s actions depict death instead of life

Cain chose to hate or reject his brother
That very hatred caused not only his brother’s death but also revealed the deadness in Cain’s own soul
Cain acted in unrighteousness, did not love his brother, and ended in death

John then reminds his readers that Cain’s example is part of the world’s system

The world, although it sometimes reveals glimpses of love, does not accept God’s divine love (John 1:9-13)

In fact, because Christians do not belong to the world and its system (see 1 John 2:15-16), the world actually hates them

Jesus warned us of this problem (John 15:18-19)

Love is a matter of life and death
If we follow Cain’s example, we are dead

John now contrasts his readers with the world

3. The Contrast: An Encouragement

In verse 14, we find an encouragement

John speaks of assurance when he states that we “know” we have passed from death to life

But what is the defining characteristic that gives this assurance?
Simply stated, John says it is revealed in our love for one another
Because we have experienced God’s amazing love, we cannot help but give that same love to others
That is the mark of a true Christian

The story of Jacob De Shazer, WWII Pilot and POW in Japan--Here is a link: Jacob De Shazer Story

Love is a matter of life and death
If we love, we are alive

The Contrast: A Warning

In verse 15, John issues a warning (continuing his example of Cain, it seems)

When we fail to love others, we are essentially acting like Cain

We may not commit the act, but the anger, animosity, and indifference in our hearts is simply one step removed from taking a life

When we tear down someone’s character, when we highlight faults to make ourselves look better, it is a murderous attitude and it is sin.

Christians should be different in how they treat each other

Love is a matter of life and death
If we do not love, we bring death

4. Christ: An Example of Life

John has looked at the negative (how we shouldn’t act), and beginning in verse 16 he now considers the positive (what we should do)

John fills out his understanding of Christian love by giving an example of life in contrast to Cain’s example of death

Ironically, this example of life is still tied to death in a sense

How did Jesus love us?
Philippians 2:5-8
a. He humbled himself
b. He served
c. His obedience led to the cross
d. He laid down his own life so that we might live

How would we describe Jesus’ love?

Christ’s love was
a. Without discrimination—he didn’t look at ethnicity, orientation, religious persuasion, or even denomination.

b. Offered freely—Jesus put no restrictions on his love for others, he simply gave it

c. Enduring—Jesus does not love for a short season, his mercy is enduring

d. Sacrificial—he gave himself for others without expectation or complaint

e. Transforming—people were changed when they encountered Jesus’ love

Story of the killings in an Amish community in Oct. 2006--Two links on the story: 1. Amish Shooting 2. Grace and Forgiveness

These young ladies were willing to die that others may live
Their love showed the true and eternal life that throbbed in their soul

Christ’s love brings life—are we alive or dead?

So, how are we doing? Are we laying down our lives for others?

John tells us in verses 17 and 18 what our love should look like
a. We must give what we have received—love is practical. You give from what you have (“the world’s goods”) or from what God has given you

b. We must notice others (“sees his brother in need”)—this means that we take time to pay attention to those around us. We need to act with empathy. We ought to feel their pain and rejoice in their joy. Their situations should move us to action and not just arouse emotions. Much of the reason we don’t love is that we don’t see how desperately love is needed in others. The implication is more that just material goods here, it refers to time and community. We must be involved in their lives and not simply write a check.

c. We must take action—John warns us not to love in word only, but we need to love in deeds as well.

This kind of love usually makes us uncomfortable, but we know we need it and we also know we need to give it

Love is a matter of life and death
If we follow Christ’s example, we are alive eternally

Application

The result of this kind of exhortation should be obvious, right? If we want to be known as children of God, as followers of Christ, then we must find ourselves doing as our Master has done—we must love one another

The starting point is obvious—have we passed from death to life? Are we living dead or are we in possession of God’s life?

The only way to distinguish is to look at how we treat each other

Here are some things you can do as Christ followers to show your commitment to God’s life in you

1. First, make sure that God’s life is in you. If you have not made a commitment to Christ, start here

2. Spend some time in God’s Word seeing how Jesus loved others. Read 1 John 3 and 4, Philippians 2, or any of the stories of Christ’s passion in the Gospels
Be a friend to one who has failed, go out of your way to encourage the one everyone avoids, stick closer than a brother to the one who is alone in his or her struggle

3. Give time to bless others this week—listen to someone who needs to be heard, be patient, be kind to the angry person

4. Step outside of your convenient cage of comfort—take a risk to love someone in the name of Christ. Share your faith, tell your story, simply show and tell what love God has done for you

Love is a matter of life and death

Thanks for reading!

Bob Dylan is what's playing today!

It will come as little surprise to many of you that Bob Dylan is one of my favorite songwriters/musicians. I've been listening to the remastered copy of the "Slow Train Coming" album the past few days. I love this music! I wanted to share the lyrics for the title song. If you have a comment, I'd love to hear it!

Slow Train

Sometimes I feel so low-down and disgusted
Can’t help but wonder what’s happenin’ to my companions
Are they lost or are they found
Have they counted the cost it’ll take to bring down
All their earthly principles they’re gonna have to abandon?
There’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend

I had a woman down in Alabama
She was a backwoods girl, but she sure was realistic
She said, “Boy, without a doubt
Have to quit your mess and straighten out
You could die down here, be just another accident statistic”
There’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend

All that foreign oil controlling American soil
Look around you, it’s just bound to make you embarrassed
Sheiks walkin’ around like kings
Wearing fancy jewels and nose rings
Deciding America’s future from Amsterdam and to Paris
And there’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend

Man’s ego is inflated, his laws are outdated, they don’t apply no more
You can’t rely no more to be standin’ around waitin'
In the home of the brave
Jefferson turnin’ over in his grave
Fools glorifying themselves, trying to manipulate Satan
And there’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend

Big-time negotiators, false healers and woman haters
Masters of the bluff and masters of the proposition
But the enemy I see
Wears a cloak of decency
All nonbelievers and men stealers talkin’ in the name of religion
And there’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend

People starving and thirsting, grain elevators are bursting
Oh, you know it costs more to store the food than it do to give it
They say lose your inhibitions
Follow your own ambitions
They talk about a life of brotherly love show me someone who knows how to live it
There’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend

Well, my baby went to Illinois with some bad-talkin’ boy she could destroy
A real suicide case, but there was nothin’ I could do to stop it
I don’t care about economy
I don’t care about astronomy
But it sure do bother me to see my loved ones turning into puppets
There’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend

Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music

Thanks for reading!

God's Dividing Line: Christ Crucified, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

This past Sunday I was invited to preach at Staunton Baptist Church near Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. As I prayed about the passage for my sermon, God led me to 1 Corinthians 1 and the issue of his dividing line. Paul here describes two (and only two) groups of people--those who are perishing and those who are being saved. The difference between these two groups is how they respond to God's greatest act--the crucifixion of his Son. Below is the outline for this sermon. I'd be happy to hear your comments!

God’s Dividing Line
Christ Crucified
1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Introduction
A church divided
I grew up in a town that had several Baptist churches with numbers in their names—First Baptist, Second Baptist, Third Baptist, etc.
In many cases the latter numbers were formed due to a split from the earlier numbers
New churches were established by division rather than multiplication or growth
Some of us may have had similar experiences in church or even in our families

We have been a part of something that started as a unity, but ended up in division
The reasons for the division may have been subtly different, but the results were always the same
Often it is words or actions that lead to divisions

The church in Corinth was no stranger to division

Background on the first letter to the Corinthians
The city was not known as a bastion of morality
The Isthmian Games in honor of Poseidon
Paul stayed there for more than a year to win souls, disciple new believers, and plant a church
The church he planted ended up divided over many issues

1 Corinthians deals with some of those issues

In chapter 1, Paul commends the Corinthians for their response to God’s grace.
He also condemns them for the division that has developed over personalities

Our passage (1 Cor. 1:18-25) continues this idea of division by examining two things that may cause division
1. God’s Powerful Word
2. God’s Powerful Wisdom

God’s dividing line is clearly defined
What God says and what God does demands a response
That response creates a division between people

God’s dividing line is Christ crucified

1. God’s Powerful Word
1 Corinthians 1:18-20—Paul begins his discussion of God’s dividing line by noting that the things God has said (i.e., God’s Word) creates division

There are only two types of people for Paul (cf. 1 John 3:10)
a. Those who are perishing (“children of the devil”)
b. Those who are being saved (“children of God”)

We need to realize that in God's Word there is not middle ground. You cannot be sort of on one side or the other. You are either perishing without Christ or you are being saved by God's grace. There is no Oprah-like "all roads lead to heaven" position in Scripture.

The participles in these verses are present tense, indicating that this is an ongoing though not necessarily predetermined situation

The point is that those who are perishing and those who are being saved are currently in that state, although those who are perishing could know a change of state

According to Paul, God’s Word (particularly the message of the cross) produces these two groups

The question remains, how does the word of the cross do this?

The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing

God’s powerful word (the word of the cross) does two things
a. It destroys wisdom and cleverness (v. 19, cf. Isaiah 29:14)
b. It renders the best of the world’s best inept (v. 20)

The word of the cross is the power of God to those who are being saved
a. Those who experience salvation know that God’s power is not found in selfish exertion
b. God’s power is found in reliance on God’s provision—the cross of Christ

In this way God makes the wisdom of the world foolish
All of the world’s lofty attempts to make themselves gods are useless
But the humility (i.e., “the weakness”) of God results in salvation (Phil 2:5-8)

Relationship with God comes only through surrender to Christ (John 1:10-13)
Our response to God’s word of the cross creates division
We either find ourselves responding selfishly and siding with the world
Or we find ourselves being humbled by God’s grace and being saved by faith

God’s dividing line is Christ crucified

But God’s Word is not the only dividing line in our passage, we also see division caused by God’s Wisdom

2. God’s Powerful Wisdom
1 Corinthians 1:21-25—Paul now turns his attention to God’s dividing line as shown in his wisdom or actions

Paul points out that God in his wisdom had a plan (Romans 1:16-19; Gal. 3:6-9)

This plan preempted any effort on the part of the world or its wisdom to gain salvation/knowledge of God
Only by faith in God’s message of the cross could salvation be gained

The world’s wisdom is incapable of causing knowledge of God
a. Jews (i.e., the religious crowd) want miraculous signs
b. Greeks (i.e., the academic crowd) want wisdom or knowledge

Unfortunately for both groups God intended salvation to come in a “foolish” manner
God was “well pleased” to cause salvation to come into people’s lives by a foolish act
a. The act of preaching or proclamation (Romans 10:14-15)--of course, this proclamation is not simply a result of words, but is also one of deeds. To say that we have the knowledge of God and have experienced his mercy and then live like it is not true is not proper proclamation. Like Jesus, we need to learn to serve humbly and meet the needs of others while telling them about God's love. As Francis of Assisi is reported to say, "Preach always. If necessary, use words."
b. More to the point, though, it is the message of the proclamation that leads to faith and salvation (Romans 10:8-13)—Christ crucified

This message is simple—Christ the crucified One (Gal. 2:20; 3:10-14)--this is the message of the humility and weakness of God (see Phil 2). God, the Lord of the universe deemed it necessary to become a man, and not just any human, but one of no reputation. Remember, Mary was not married when she got pregnant. Jesus was known as "illegitimate." He was from the "wrong side of the tracks." As he grew up, he hung out with all the wrong people--a group of smelly fishermen, tax collectors, and wayward women. Jesus didn't go to the rich, the popular, or the religiously important crowd. He didn't hang out with kings, princesses, or important business people who could make his reputation. He hung out with the disenfranchised, the outcasts, the "least of these" in Israel. Then, horrors of horrors, he was sent to death row to be killed in the most horrible nature possible--crucifixion

Crucifixion was not JUST another means of capital punishment--it was a warning, a way of setting an example. The worst offenders were hung on a cross to make a point. They were put there to die slow and agonizingly painful deaths as a warning to others. It was the Romans' way of saying, "Don't follow this person's example."

Jesus didn't just come as a person of low estate, he died as one. His death took care of all of our sins, but it also labeled our Lord as "the least of these" or "Rome's most wanted." That is why the Jews (the religious crowd) despise this idea. Surely Messiah would be better than that, right? The academics aren't better off, they can't figure out how "wisdom" or "power" can be exhibited in humility and weakness. God understood it though, and that is why he went through this suffering!

John Stott sums it up this way: "I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I turn to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged into God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me. He set aside his immunity to pain, he entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death." (from The Cross of Christ) He came into this disregard because he regarded us with such love that he was willing to suffer the loss of all to gain us! That is the message of the merciful, awful, terrible, and loving cross. God knows us, and he knows our pain! And in spite of all our stuff, he is able and willing to save us.

This message/wisdom causes problems
a. It causes stumbling among those who look to religion to save (“a stumbling block to the Jews”)
b. It looks foolish to the wise folks

But to those who are being saved
a. The message of Jesus’ crucifixion is power ("There's power in the blood")
b. The message of Jesus’ crucifixion is wisdom--Jesus stooped low so as to raise us up. He humbled himself to make us great. He died so we could live!

God’s “foolishness” in the crucifixion is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s “weakness” on the cross is stronger than human strength (Phil 2:5-8; Gal 6:14)

Like God’s Word, God’s Wisdom requires a response from us
We can rely on our own efforts or wisdom or
We can rely on God’s “foolishness” in the cross to bring us salvation

Our response to God’s word will cause division

God’s dividing line is Christ crucified

Conclusion
Our choice is clear today—we can side with the world and our own selfish wisdom, or we can side with God and accept the “foolishness” of a dying and humiliated Christ

Amazing love, how can it be, that Christ my King should die for me

For those who are not Christians, you need to make a choice today—will you continue to try to save yourself by your own efforts or wisdom, or will you humbly submit to God and ask him to save you?

For those who are already Christ-followers, what can you do? You choice is easy to say but not so easy to do:
a. If you were brought to salvation by God’s humility and foolish message, do you think you can continue living it in your own wisdom and strength?
If God saved you by his own humiliation, then you need to humble yourself and live by his standard (Phil. 2:5-8)
b.This week, find some ways to “preach” God’s foolish message to a dying world
c. Live a life of humble service, speak to others about God’s message of salvation, be absorbed in living like Jesus (Gal. 6:6-10)

God’s dividing line is Christ crucified
Which side are you on?

Thanks for reading!

Living in the Light of Jesus' Coming, Part 2, 1 John 3:4-10, Theology Matters Series

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meetings on January 16-23, 2011. A while back we started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." This lesson looks at 1 John 3:4-10 and discusses the idea that we need to consider how we live our lives in the light of the first advent of Jesus. Jesus' coming (according to John) offers motivation for us to pursue righteousness in our lives. His work at taking away sin and dissolving the work of Satan provide for Christians the ammunition we need to win the war against sin. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

Living in the Light of Jesus’ Coming, Part 2
1 John 3:4-10
Theology Matters Series

Introduction
Part 1 talked about Jesus’ future coming and described how we should abide in him as we prepare for his return

Part 2 actually looks back to the past, to the first coming of Christ—our passage today would make a good Christmas sermon (sort of)

1 John 3:4-10

Three things to consider from our passage
What Sin Is
What Jesus Did
How We Should Live

When Jesus came, new life came with him

1. What Sin is
Verses 4 and 8 give us some insight into the problem of sin

What is sin according to these verses? Sin is:
Practicing lawlessness
Sin originates with the devil

What did the devil do? Who is Satan? (cf. Isaiah 14:9-17; Ezekiel 28:12-14)
Although his origin may be a mystery (some scholars see the passages above as a description of Satan’s origin), we know that he is described as an accuser, a deceiver, and an opponent to all that God endorses
The passages above describe a person who is rebellious, and the story of Satan is one of rebellion as Satan sought to exalt himself above God
Satan disregarded the proper boundaries that God established and thus became evil (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)

John here describes sin as practicing lawlessness
The idea here is not simply the breaking of God’s laws (although it does contain that idea)
The concept expressed here is one of continuing in a rebellious attitude—it is defiance

Sin is being like Satan, being a rebel against the authority of God
Sin exalts me to the place of God and puts God’s priorities at the bottom of the list
Sin hinders us from the life Jesus brings

When Jesus came, new life came with him

2. What Jesus Did
Verses 5 and 8 tell us what Jesus did in response to sin

What did Jesus do?
He appeared to take away sins (since he has no sin)
He appeared to destroy the works of Satan

One purpose for Jesus’ first coming was to deal with our defiance
Jesus brings hope to us—since he is sinless, he can deal with our sins
Jesus brings hope to us—since he has taken away our sins we can be forgiven and live in a proper relationship with God

Jesus “takes away” our sin by his death on the cross ( 1 Peter 2:24-25; John 1:29; Isaiah 53:12)—he provides what is necessary to undermine our defiance and our rebellion and to turn us into children of God (John 1:12-14)

A parallel purpose for Jesus' first coming was to destroy Satan’s works
The word “destroy” here carries the idea of “dissolve” rather than “annihilate”
Jesus came to break the power of Satan, to undermine the devil’s authority
Satan has not been eliminated, but his power has been reduced and his weapons impaired

Destroying Satan’s works is parallel to taking away sins—Jesus’ first coming effectively represented a sort of “secret invasion” on Satan’s rule that undermined both his power and our defiance. Jesus’ sinless sacrifice made it possible for us to overcome Satan
Jesus takes away our sin and brings ruin to Satan

When Jesus came, new life came with him

3. How We Should Live
If you are in the hospital, a nurse may come in periodically and check your vital signs. These include:

a. Pulse—an indication that the heart is working (typically around 72 beats per minute)
b. Blood pressure—an indication of how well your heart is working (120 over 80)
c. Temperature—may indicate serious infection (typically 98.6)

Verses 6-7 and 9-10 offer some vital signs for the Christian life
These verses present us with a type of contrast between the children of God and the children of the devil

Simply stated, you can tell a child by his or her family resemblance—you can tell which side a person is on by how he or she acts
Children of God do not live lawless or rebellious lives
Children of God do not look like the devil

Verses 6-7 tell us that children of God abide in Christ and do not practice sin. Rather, these people do what is right

What does it mean to do what is right?
This is not a reference to being righteous by works
John here is saying that if we belong to Christ, our lives will show what our Lord is
We will do right because of what he has done for and in us
Doing right means to abide in Christ, to do his works
Doing right means to avoid living lawless lives

Verses 9-10 elaborate on verses 6-7
"Born of God" is equal to "abiding in Christ"

What does it look like to be born of God according to John?
The person does not live a lifestyle of sin
God’s “seed” dwells in him—”Seed” is used to refer to God’s Word (Mark 4:14-15; 1 Peter 1:23), to God’s children (Matthew 13:38), and to Christ (Galatians 3:16-19). “Seed” here may also mean God’s nature (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Nonetheless, what John seems to be saying here is not that Christians are sinless (remember earlier in this book he warns against the false teachers’ claims of “sinlessness”—1 John 1:8; 2:1-2), rather he seems to be delineating the direction of the believer’s life

If God has given new life to us through abiding in Christ, then we cannot continue in a lifestyle of sin—it is contrary to what God has done in us

No one who sins knows Christ (1 John 3:6)

The practice of righteousness and love distinguish the children of God from the children of Satan
Righteous people do what is right
Children of the devil do not do what is right and they do not love others
This teaching echoes back to 1 John 2:7-11 of John’s letter—if we love other believers, it is evidence of our lineage to Jesus. If we hate other believers and treat them with disrespect, we cannot claim to abide in Christ

The difference between God’s children and Satan’s children is simply this—a right life that loves others

Satan hates and resists anything that belongs to God, so also his children

God’s children love the things God loves and do the things God asks them to do
The life of the Christian is summed up in Matthew 22:37-40—love God, love others
A person born of God in Christ will show traits like Jesus

There are only two kind of children in the world
a. Children of Satan whose distinguishing mark is yielding to sin or practicing sin
b. Children of God whose distinguishing mark is yielding to God and resisting sin (Romans 6:12-13; 12:1; James 4:7; Ephesians 6:13)

When Jesus came, new life came with him

Application
In light of this, I think our application becomes clear. This week:

1. Watch how you live. Check your vital signs. Is your heart beating with what God things is important? Is there an infection of sin? Is your life characterized by rebellion against God or by submission to his righteousness? Do you abide in Christ or do you continue in sin?

2. One way to avoid sin is to get into God’s Word (Psalm 119:11; 105). Spend some time this week reading God’s Word—maybe look through 1 John and underline places where John speaks of God’s children. See where these descriptions fit you or where you need to repent and change

3. Since doing right is one part of being God’s children, look for opportunities this week to do the right thing. Pick up that piece of trash, help someone in need, share your faith with a friend, encourage someone, etc. Also, God’s children love each other—who in you Christian circle needs your love or encouragement? How can you help them?

4. Finally, don’t focus on failure—focus on God. You are not perfect, but Jesus is. Learn to rely on his Spirit to help you live right.

When Jesus came, new life came with him
How are your vital signs?

Discussion Questions
1. How can a proper understanding of sin help us rely on Christ more? How does the world understand sin? How do those in your circle? Does a proper understanding of sin help in motivating you to living a life of righteousness? If so, how?

2. Does John indicate that Christians will never sin or struggle with sin? Why or why not? What struggles keep you from doing the right thing? How can you do what is right in those areas?

3. How would you counsel a Christian living in habitual sin?
How do you respond to the idea that there are only two kinds of people in the world—children of God or children of Satan? What does a person have to do to be part of these families?

4. In what way does Jesus’ sinless life give us hope?
Since Jesus came to destroy Satan’s works, what can we do to speed up the final defeat of Satan?

5. Where can you do right and love others this week?

Thanks for reading!

An Amazing Contrast, Mark 6:1-6

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meeting on January 9, 2011. This lesson looks at Mark 6:1-6 and discusses the contrasting amazement found in this chapter. The contrast is between the amazement of the people of Nazareth and the amazement of Jesus at their unbelief. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

An Amazing Contrast!
Mark 6:1-6

Introduction

Our trip to Tennessee during Christmas Break
How many of you traveled during break?
What was it like “going home” again?
How were you received?

In Tennessee, we heard a sermon on Mark 6
Lisa and I discussed it in the Wal-Mart parking lot
I was struck by how this story is framed by an amazing contrast
On the one hand, you have the people of Nazareth being amazed at Jesus, and on the other, you have Jesus being amazed at his hometown folks

You may see some similarities in our passage today to your own homecoming, but I want us to see two other things:
1. The Crowd’s Amazement
2. Jesus’ Amazement

Mark 6:1-6

What amazes can hinder or inspire

1. The Crowd’s Amazement
Mark 6:1-2
Notice here that the crowd is amazed or astonished at Jesus. Jesus spoke to them, and they were amazed.

These people no doubt had heard of Jesus’ accomplishments (remember, he visited them once before—Luke 4:16-30—and he had done great deeds in Galilee)

In Luke 4, Jesus went to his hometown to preach. In his first sermon to them (from Isaiah 61), he claimed to be the Jewish Messiah. While the people were wondering at this claim, he quotes a proverb that is repeated in our passage today. Then, in a twist of sorts, Jesus mentions that many of the prophets did miracles and other mighty works OUTSIDE of Israel.

The implication is that these works were done outside of Israel due to Israel’s hardness of heart and lack of faith in God. Jesus is telling Nazareth that they won’t get miracles for the same reason.

Needless to say, the people got mad and tried to kill Jesus.

Now, here he is in Nazareth again. What could possibly be the result of this second visit?

Would Jesus get respect, or would he be rejected a second time?

Mark tells us that the result of this visit is that the crowd was amazed

In Mark 6:2, what was the source of the crowd’s amazement? What was it about Jesus that amazed them?
They knew his Messianic claims and preaching

The source of their amazement was as follows:
They were “amazed” at his words/wisdom
They were “amazed” at his works
Actually, they weren’t amazed at the words or the works per se, but they were amazed at who was doing them

The people wondered where Jesus came up with these ideas
They were puzzled or astonished at his speech and wisdom
They were amazed at his miracles
But their amazement was not made up of faith

They were surprised that a boy from home was doing so well

The amazement of the crowd hindered them from hearing and receiving Jesus

Mark 6:3—they begin to take offense at the hometown kid

These people were surprised that the carpenter’s kid could do these things
Didn’t he grow up right there in Nazareth?
Didn’t some of them know his brothers and sisters?
Hadn’t they all heard the “rumors” that he was an illegitimate child?
Didn’t they “know” the TRUTH about Jesus?

Their amazement was that this boy who years before had toddled around Joseph’s shop could all of a sudden show such promise
He didn’t have a seminary education
He wasn’t even certified by the religious leaders
He had no training in preaching, in theology, or in teaching methods

Jesus, the hometown boy from the wrong side of the tracks, was now the one speaking with authority

Like the skinny kid who never got picked in PE growing up to be the captain of the football team, the folks were amazed that this illegitimate child of Mary was speaking legitimately

The people of Nazareth judged Jesus primarily on what they thought they knew about him

“How could this hometown boy do so well?”—They wondered.

Amazement can hinder or inspire

What would the crowd say about us?
Maybe we’ve lived similar lives
We messed up early on—messed up our families, messed up with sin, messed up with addictions, we’d “never amount to much”
Maybe we were born on the wrong side of the tracks
Or maybe we were born to the “right kind” of family, but never seemed to live up to the promise of our lives
We were the “golden child” who seemed to have everything going his or her way—voted “Most Likely to Succeed” or captain of the sports team, president of the school body, etc.
Yet life never quite panned out—the hometown crowd was disappointed
Like George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” maybe we just got stuck

Then, somewhere along the way, we met Jesus and he changed us
Our past didn’t disappear and we didn’t necessarily become overnight successes, but something changed
That change involved our actions and our words
We didn’t act the way we used to act, we didn’t talk the way we used to talk
The change caused us to try to act like Jesus and to speak openly of his grace and love for others

Some folks were amazed, and they didn’t like it—in fact some were offended

Amazement can hinder or inspire us—what amazes you?

2. Jesus’ Amazement
Mark 6:4-6—Jesus addresses the crowd’s astonishment

A prophet is without honor—this is a familiar proverb that addresses the first three verses—those who know us the best are often least likely to think the best of us.
Why? Because they “know” us!
They think they know who we “really” are, so to speak (warts and all)

Like the people of Nazareth, however, Jesus is also amazed—he is amazed at the lack of faith he sees in his hometown

It is ironic that his rejection at home contrasts to his acceptance in other towns. The lack of faith at Nazareth is contrasted to the faithfulness found in others. (Remember the Gentile woman from the region of Tyre in Mark 7:24-30)

It is ironic that his rejection at home contrasts to his acceptance by others in other towns. The lack of faith at Nazareth is contrasted to the faithfulness found in others.

The lack of mighty works in Nazareth is ironically contrasted to the miracles Jesus does elsewhere.

The point here is this—the people are amazed at Jesus’ change and success, he is amazed at their lack of change and lack of faith

Amazement can hinder or inspire

Jesus was “amazed” at least once before—the story of the centurion’s daughter (Luke 7:1-9)
This man would not even expect Jesus to come to his house
He understood authority and simply trusted Jesus to accomplish what he said he would do

We need to learn from this centurion, we need to develop his kind of faith

When we choose to follow Christ, we must change. We should act different
We ought to be faithful to (i.e., “show faith in”) Jesus and do the works he calls us to do and speak the words he asks us to speak and act as though what he says is true
Being a Christ-follower in this way sets us against the world and its mindset—we become enemies (in some cases) to those who are familiar with us
Like Jesus, we may be rejected for our stand and for our claims

Amazement can hinder or inspire

On the other hand, a lack of faith(fulness) may lead to powerlessness
Jesus did few works among them due to their unfaithfulness to him

The Gentile woman and the Roman centurion received from Jesus because they responded to truth with faithfulness

The people of Nazareth would not accept the truth since they thought they “knew” Jesus

To know God through Jesus Christ requires a response of faith and faithfulness (John 1:11-13; 17:3; 7-8)

Jesus was amazed that they could not believe, that they could not be faithful
As a result, no power was manifested in their midst

The crowd was amazed at Jesus’ miracles, but Jesus was disappointed at their powerlessness

The crowd was amazed at Jesus’ works, Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith

Which would you rather be judged by: the crowd or Jesus?
How would the crowd judge you today?
How would Jesus judge you? Would he be amazed at your faith?

Amazement can hinder or inspire—what amazes you?

Application
This story of amazing contrasts in Mark 6 starts with a return home, includes a conflict of expectations, and results in amazement. Some are hindered in coming to the truth due to their insistence that they know the “real” story, while others come to faith as they act in response to the truth spoken by the Lord

Some are simply amazed by the crowd, or the miracles, or the circumstances. Others find themselves amazed at the revelation of God’s kindness in Jesus and respond with faithfulness

I think there are some things we can do this week that will show whether or not we understand Mark’s point:

First, we must have a true relationship with God through faith in Christ alone. There is no other way to get past the crowd’s judgment or to avoid the hindering opinions of the chattering mobs. We must settle it once for all—Jesus is either completely in charge of our lives, or we will continue to bow our knees to lesser gods who think that they know the truth

Once we have set aside Jesus as the only boss for our lives (1 Peter 3:13-17), then we need to make him our focus. This week, spend time reading what God has said, not what others say God has said. Reread Mark 6, look at some cross references, dig into the Scripture. Don’t take my word for it. Investigate the truth. Spend time with the author and finisher of our faith.

Then do what he tells you to do—love God, love others. Who in your world has been rejected because they didn’t “measure up” to the expectations of others? Love them, show them respect. Take time to share your knowledge of God with others. Don’t worry about the opinions of the crowd, just tell them the truth.

Be amazed at what God has done and said, then get out there and actually act on it.

Amazement can hinder or inspire—which will it do for you this week?

Thanks for reading!

My Annual Christmas Post

Hey y'all:

Since I started this blog about 6 years ago, I have posted a piece I wrote around Christmas 2003. It kind of sums up for me what is the "Mystery of Christmas" as I meditated on the Incarnation and its implications for humanity (and for God!). The very idea of God becoming "one of us among us" (Immanuel, anyone?) still fascinates and overwhelms me. God, the creator of all things, entered his own creation so as to renew and redeem us (and, ultimately, all of creation as well). As you celebrate the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, I hope you enjoy this rerun! Feel free to make comments if you'd like!

A little over 2000 years ago, a tiny child was born in the bleakest of conditions. Oh, he wasn’t the only one born in a bad state. In fact, in some ways, he was one of the lucky ones. He and his mother actually survived childbirth and thrived. Still, this story is unique and amazing on several levels.

First, this child would literally change the way time is reckoned in the world. His life and abilities would so impress generations of others that a brand new movement would be created, one that would radically change the very face of the earth (sometimes for good, sometimes for bad). His name would become recognized among the names of the greatest of humans, yet he never forgot his humble beginnings or lost a sense of who he was.

The second thing about this child is tied to the first in that this baby, this helpless lad full of spittle and mush, was born as the very Son of God. When Mary held his little head to her breast, he drank human milk. Yet, he was (and is) the God of the universe. Can you picture this simply ridiculous, yet somehow poetic scene? God, who calls the stars by name, pressed to the human breast for sustenance. Humble, yet almighty, is how most folks would no doubt recall this child.

A little over 2000 years ago, God proposed that the only remedy for the human condition of sin would be if he humbled himself, stepped out of eternity and into human flesh, and suckled at Mary’s breast in preparation for the greatest, most impressive conversion of all. God, in Mary’s arms, toddling around Joseph’s shop, learning to talk, learning to walk, tasting and touching things with human hands! As the Psalmist says in Psalm 139, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for us, we cannot contain it!”

God knew that the only way to redeem us was if he did it himself. Haven’t you ever had that thought? You know, the one where you say, “If I want something done right, I’ll just have to do it myself?” Imagine God having that thought about bringing us back to proper relationship with him. Imagine again that the only way he knew he could do that is if he came to earth as a baby. Think of it—-how vulnerable the almighty God was at that moment, how paradoxical that the God of all creation had to learn to walk! And why did he put himself in this situation? Out of his divine since of justice and righteousness, out of his inexpressible love for each of us he acted in this manner.

He became insane that we may be sane. He became flesh so that we might walk in the Spirit. He became sin that we might be righteous. He became poor so that we might be rich. He became a toddling, dribbling, helpless babe so that we could become mature humans in the image of the almighty God. What wondrous love! What humility and service! How then can anything he asks of us be too difficult?

Lord, in this Christmas season, remind me of your sacrifice and love so that I might be a light shining in darkness to others. May the grace of God and the peace of Christ rule in my family and my life.

Thanks for reading!

Merry Christmas!

Living in the Light of Jesus' Coming, 1 John 2:28-3:3, Theology Matters Series

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meetings on December 12-19, 2010. A while back we started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." This lesson looks at 1 John 2:28-3:3 and discusses the idea that we need to consider how we live our lives in the light of the promised return of Jesus. Jesus' second coming (according to John) offers motivation for us to pursue righteousness in our lives. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

Living in the Light of Jesus’ Coming
1 John 2:28-3:3
Theology Matters Series

Introduction
About a month ago we ended a church-wide series on “Living Like You Were Dying” where we focused on the characteristics our lives as Christians should exhibit if we expect to die soon

Today’s passage is like that in some ways, except instead of thinking of our own mortality, we will look at our Lord’s return as a motivation for pursuing certain characteristics in our lives

This being the Christmas season, we typically speak of Jesus’ first coming, the time he revealed God to us by the Incarnation (a topic that John addresses earlier in this very epistle)

The first time Jesus came to earth, things changed dramatically
The lives of many in the first century were changed eternally
The calendars that track our lives were affected
Judgment came in the way people respond to the life and ministry of Jesus

What kinds of changes will come when he returns a second time?

When Jesus’ comes the second time, everything will change
Life as we know it will be completely different
There will be judgment
Things will be revealed and made known that we think are secret

John mentions this return of Jesus (described as his “appearing” twice) in 1 John 2:28-3:3

In this passage John gives us three things to pursue as we wait for Jesus to come. We must pursue:
1. Assurance by abiding
2. Acceptance by his love
3. Purity to be like him

Where will you be when he returns?

1. Assurance from Abiding
1 John 2:28-29

The idea of abiding
Last week we spent some time on this topic
Abiding carries the idea of “remaining” or “continuing” or even (to some degree) “possessing”

Our passage last week reminded us to abide in God’s Word and in God’s Spirit
This passage reminds us to abide in Christ

What does it meant to abide in Christ?
John 15—the vine and the branches
The call here is to stick close to Jesus
As we mentioned last week, we must let everything about Jesus permeate everything in our lives
We must be possessed by him, inundated with his character
In short, we must be so vitally connected to him that we draw life from him

John tells us that this abiding will lead to assurance, but the lack of abiding could lead to shame

John wants his readers to have confidence and not shame when Jesus returns
Shame results in a “shrinking away,” a subtle denial or exclusion of Jesus and his claims on our lives
Shame (and “shrinking away”) is first recorded in Genesis 3
Adam and Eve were “ashamed” at what they had done
Living a life of sinful selfish indulgence leads to shame at Jesus’ appearing

Assurance/confidence comes from what Jesus has accomplished
Jesus is righteous, and his righteousness is ours by faith in what he did in his life, death and resurrection (1 Cor. 1:30-31; 2 Cor. 8:9)
We can be confident in God’s accomplishments
Our confidence/assurance is not in what we have done (Romans 3:21-26)
But what we do can exhibit the assurance of God in our lives
Remember, what we abide in possesses us
John is calling on us to abide in Jesus and receive assurance from what he accomplishes

To avoid being ashamed at his coming, do what he wants you do to do
Abide in him

Where will you be when he returns?
Will you shrink in shame due to selfish living?
Will you stand in confidence due to his righteousness?

2. Acceptance by His Love
1 John 3:1

Note the amazing proclamation here—God loves us
“See how great a love the Father has given us”

The Greek here indicates an “otherworldly” type of love—”from what country”
John depicts God’s love as something that is beyond our normal experience
John describes God adopting us into His family out of pure, raw, unconditional love—for no other reason than the fact that He loves us!

God’s love is what makes us children of God
We are not born Christians, we are “born again”, we are born of him (John 1:10-13; John 3:3, 16-18; Romans 8:14-17; 2 Cor. 5:17-18)

We are adopted into God’s family

We need to spend some time contemplating the great privileges that come from being adopted into God’s family
We are joint heirs with Christ
We lose our sin and gain Christ’s righteousness
We have the joy of calling God “Father” and enjoying the protection and provision that a Father offers

Such contemplation will result in assurance

We need to gain an appreciation of what God’s love means for us
It means life and redemption
It means living in assurance and without shame
On the other hand, it means that we will not gain acceptance from those who are not of God

God’s love for us gives us acceptance
We are accepted as his children
Acceptance gives us assurance in God’s presence
Acceptance gives us confidence when Jesus returns

Where will you be when he returns?
Will you stand with the world, conformed to their mindset and ways?
Will you stand in and shine out his love?

3. Purity to be like Him
1 John 3:2-3

John tells his readers that they are destined for great things
We are destined to share Jesus’ glory when he returns

As children of God, we have a present and future status
John speaks of a “now” and a “not yet”
Our present status has to do with our adoption and its privileges as mentioned in v. 1 above
Our future status has to do with the likeness of Christ

When Jesus returns, we will see him in his glory
Seeing him in his glory has an effect on us (Col. 3:4)
Seeing Jesus results in our being like Jesus
When we see him as he is, we will be made like him (2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:20-21)

Jesus’ return promises us a future glory (Rom. 8:28-29)
While we wait, however, we have responsibilities too

John tells his readers that they need purity
Knowing we are destined for glory should motivate us to live for Jesus’ glory now
If we are bound by God for greatness, shouldn’t we strive to live great lives while we wait?
Living for Jesus’ return means living pure lives for his honor now (Col. 3:4-5)

A mind set on meeting Jesus will discover a renewed passion to pursue righteousness now

If we know Jesus today, that knowledge should lead us to pursue the kind of life that will honor him now
We should live in the light of his coming by purifying our hearts
This purification will have an effect on how we live

Where will you be when he returns?
Will you stand in the shame of selfishness?
Will you stand in the purity of his likeness?

Application
It may seem that applying this passage is easier than others, but the truth is that speaking of Christ’s imminent return does not always lead to motivation for godly living

Nonetheless, there are some things we can do this week to put this passage into our lives

First, learn to abide in Christ and to pursue his righteousness. That may sound a bit esoteric, but it really isn’t? If abiding means being possessed by something, then find ways this week to be gripped and possessed by Jesus. To do that requires some time in his presence. Pursuing righteousness may be understood as doing the right thing. What “right things” would Jesus want you to do? Where do you struggle to do what is right? What can you do to overcome this week?

Second, spend some time actually thinking about the wonderful benefits that come from being a child of God. How can the reality of God’s provision of adoption have an impact on your daily life?

Third, look for ways to purify yourself. Where do you need purity? What can you do to “purify” yourself?

Where will you be when Jesus returns?

Discussion

1. Why does John tell his readers to continue in Christ? (2:28)

2. What do those born of Christ do? (2:29)

3. Why doesn’t the world recognize Christians for who they are? (3:1)

4. How should Christians be different than non-Christians?

5. What will happen to believers when He appears? (3:2)

6. What does John mean by “abide in Him”? How does one do that?

7. What does Christ’s return have to do with how we live now?

8. What can you do to “purify” yourself?

9. How can you allow the reality of Christ’s return to have an impact on your life today?

Thanks for reading!

The Importance of Abiding, 1 John 2:24-27, Theology Matters Series

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meeting on December 5, 2010. A while back we started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." This lesson looks at 1 John 2:24-27 and discusses the idea that what we abide in possesses us, and what possesses us becomes obvious in how we live. That is why the idea of "abiding" is important in 1 John. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

The Importance of Abiding
1 John 2:24-27
Theology Matters Series

Introduction
Last week we spoke of the need to avoid deception and the provision that God has given to us as revealed by John
We mentioned the need to know our teachers
We spoke of the need to know the truth/sound doctrine

This week John continues this discussion a bit by speaking of the “truth” which he had given to his readers—this truth revolves around the word “abide”

What do you think of when you hear the word “abide”?

In 1 John 2:24-27, John uses this word at least five times

Our passage today speaks of the importance of abiding by focusing on two things
1. The Abiding Word
2. The Abiding Spirit

The main point—What we abide in affects how we live

1. The Abiding Word
1 John 2:24-25
There is a command here—”Let that which you have heard from the beginning abide in you”

What is that which we have heard from the beginning? (see 1 John 1:1-4)
What was heard from the beginning refers to the message about Christ. In fact, it refers to Jesus himself.
This is a reference to Christ as the Word of God (i.e., the Incarnation), but it may also be a reference to Jesus as revealed by the Word of God (i.e., Scripture)
Separating Jesus from Scripture is simply not an option. It is God’s Word that makes Jesus known. Jesus is God among us in life and action, and Scripture is God’s self-disclosure in words and thoughts

John speaks here of the importance of remembering and rehearsing the good news of salvation as revealed in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus
We need to hear the old, old story over and over and over again. We need to know it intimately and experientially

The command is to let this revelation abide in us
The word “abide” carries the idea of “remaining” or “continuing”
Ray Stedman substitutes the word “possess” for this word, and he may be on to something. The Word of God needs to hold us in its grip

The expression “Make yourself at home”

John is saying more than this—he is telling his readers that they need to let the testimony of God’s revelation, even Jesus himself, possess them body, soul, and spirit. We need to let God’s Word overwhelm everything we are and everything we have

What abides in us possesses us
What possesses you?

There is a condition here—”If that which you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father”

“If the Word, if the truth of God has possessed you, then you will be possessed by the Son and by the Father, i.e., by the fullness of God which is in the Son and the Father.” Ray Stedman

John 14:23—If we love Jesus, then both Jesus and the Father will make their home in us

John 15—the vine and the branches
This is a reciprocal relationship: To the degree that we react in faith by obeying the Word, to that same degree both the Son and the Father will abide in us accomplishing the Word in our lives

Christ is completely available to us, if we are willing to have him
He will give himself to us if we are willing to obey him

There is also a promise here—this abiding leads to eternal life (cf. Isaiah 40:31; John 17:1-3)
“Eternal life” is not simply a future home in heaven
This term refers to what Jesus calls “abundant life” in John 10:10 (cf. John 5:39-41; Matt. 13:13 and 25:29)
This “abundant life” involves how we live here and now as well as what life will be in heaven

Paul speaks of this life as a life of liberty (2 Cor. 3:17-18; Gal. 5:1)
This is life that comes from God’s Spirit, that is free to do what God calls us to do (John 3:6-8)

What abides in us affects our life and our relationships

2. The Abiding Spirit
1 John 2:26-27—Here John continues his argument by pointing out that with the Word of God we also have an anointing, an “inner witness” of God’s Spirit to aid us in pursuing the truth

John gives a contrast here—a contrast between the antichrists/false teachers who try to mislead others (we spoke of them last week) and true Christians who have the anointing of God’s Spirit

The warning—John states that he has “written” to his readers to warn them of deception
Once again, John understands his letter as some kind of instruction or revelation for his readers
May imply the importance of God’s written Word for direction and teaching in our life
Certainly he reminds us here that the church must be careful of false teaching in all ages

The false teachers in John’s day seem to claim a special “anointing” or “knowledge” or “revelation”
We need no special revelation outside of what God has made know in Jesus and in Scripture
This is John’s perspective in this letter

What is our source of truth? Do we look only to others, or do we look to God?

The other half of the contrast refers to true believers who have the anointing of God’s Spirit

What is this anointing?
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 may provide one answer (cf. 1 John 2:20-21)
This anointing is the presence of God’s Spirit in each believer
The Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of conversion, and his presence in us is a sort of divine “lie detector” or sorts if we will simply follow his lead

We are to let the Word of God abide in us, to possess us—this requires a regular coming to the Word and spending time in and with it

The Holy Spirit , on the other hand, he abides with us if we are already in Christ—we did not get a part of the Spirit at salvation, we got all of him. The Spirit is already present within us

This anointing of the Spirit teaches us what we need to know

What about the words “you have no need that anyone should teach you”?
I don’t think John means we don’t need to listen to human teachers—if so, then his letter is pretty much a waste of time
Rather, he is contrasting the superior claims of the false teachers to the leading of God’s Spirit
We do not need a “skilled” or “enlightened’ or “illuminated” teacher or prophet to reveal “new” truth to us—that is the sense of what John says here (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9-13)

The Spirit guides us in truth (John 16:13)—an illumination of the mind and the heart

What abides in us teaches us—what teaching are we hearing?

John gives another command—As the anointing (i.e., God’s Spirit) teaches you truth and not lies, abide in him just as he taught you

The anointing of God teaches us “in all things”—this doesn’t mean that we are spiritual “know-it-alls,” but rather that this anointing permeates every aspect of life

This anointing teaches us the truth and reveals lies—the presence of the Spirit should help us discern between what is according to God’s Word and what is not, but this certainly does not excuse us from spending time in God’s Word (remember the first point above)

The anointing abides in us, but John commands us to abide in this anointing
Remember that “abiding” means something like “remaining” or “continuing” or even “possessing”
We must pitch our tent in God’s anointing

To abide in God’s Spirit requires us to respond to him in obedience

What we abide in is shown by how we act
What do others see in us?
What directs our path? What anointing do we trust?

Application
How do we respond to what John is teaching here?

This week, I think we can live this truth in several ways

First, the obvious one is that we should make time to spend in God’s Word. We cannot hope to have the Word “abiding” in us if we do not take time to learn what it says. This week, set aside at least 15 minutes a day to dig into the Bible. Don’t just read a passage, actually spend some time investigating the material. What is God saying here? How can I act on it in obedience? What is God requiring of me? This week, read 1 John or the Gospel of John and pay attention to the places where John speaks of God’s Word or encourages us to “abide”

Second, tell the story of God’s redemption in your life. John is calling us to be “possessed” with God’s revelation, and one way to do that is to talk about what God has done. During the Christmas season this sharing is a little easier, but you have to be intentional. Take time to remind yourself of what God has said and what God has done. Tell it to others

Make an effort to abide in the anointing that God has given you. Train yourself to listen to God’s Spirit (that means you may actually have to take time to be quiet and still). Remember, God’s Spirit will only lead you into truth, so ask the hard questions about things you hear and see this week—where is God’s truth in this? Is there anything true here?

Finally, act on what God has commanded and shown you—make an effort this week to show God’s love and kindness to another so that they may know the truth of God’s redemption in you. Find a way to stand for God’s truth and then do it.

What we abide in will possess us, and what possesses us will be shown to others
Where do we abide?

Thanks for reading!