1 & 2 & 3 John – Be Still…

1 John 2:28-3:24 – How We Act

John welcomes us into his community of believers, calling us “dear” on several occasions. As you read the qualifications of being a child of God, are you a 100% onboard, or do you feel like a “work in progress”? Either way, you have chosen to know more about God and draw closer to Jesus. John’s words give us the assurance we need to know how.

If you’ve ever felt like an outcast in this world, you are not alone. It can be lonely when we find our devotion to Jesus creates a wedge between a friend or loved one. Each day is a day closer to forever with Jesus, and I continue to choose Jesus over any of the shiny objects the world offers. Life can be a slippery slope of temptations. Continue reading “1 John 2:28-3:24 – How We Act”

1 John 2:7-27 – Who to Love

Read 1 John 2:7-27

Think of John as a close friend, sharing this wisdom with you over a hot beverage. He opens today’s passage with “Dear friends,” after all. John gets right to the point by telling us to love one another, a commandment that has been around for generations. John was privileged to see love lived out before his eyes in the person of Jesus. John encourages us to love like that when we let the light of Christ dispel the darkness in our lives.

The darkness of this world will always scream for our attention. When I speak of the “world,” don’t think I’m referring to the beautiful earth and stars that God created, or the people God loves so much. The “world” refers to the attitudes and distractions that pull us away from Jesus, and a sinful humanity, enticing us to ignore and rebel against God. Continue reading “1 John 2:7-27 – Who to Love”

1 John 1:5-10 – Confess It!

Read 1 John 1:5-10

Here again, we see the recurring theme of darkness versus light. Because of our sinful nature as humans, we are always going to have a toe dipped into darkness. Only God is completely light. We can’t appreciate our salvation and forgiveness of sins without acknowledging that we regularly fall short of God’s desires for us.

Have you ever noticed how people try to avoid the subject of sin altogether? Do we think that if we don’t acknowledge sin, it doesn’t exist? We assume people who don’t attend church or read the Bible don’t even know they’re sinning in the first place. But for those of us who have begun to understand the grip of sin and what that means for us, we still don’t want to talk about it or admit to our failures. But we’re called to confess our sins to God, not sweep them under the rug. Continue reading “1 John 1:5-10 – Confess It!”

1 John 2:17 – This World

“And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:17)

We live in this world and may think we see it fading away, too. It’s good to remember that this world is not our destination. That thought can bring you comfort if your heart is breaking along with God’s over some of the horrific things people are dealing with these days. With hope in Christ, the “fading away” part doesn’t have to be as scary.

Context (1 John 2:15-17) These few verses speak of the world and remind us of an important truth. The world is not what we should be trusting. We should expect the world to disappoint us and not put blind faith in it but in God alone. What are some of your “cravings” in this that entice you away from your relationship with God? The world is good at deceiving us, so beware. Continue reading “1 John 2:17 – This World”

1 John 5:14 – Knowing What to Pray

“And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” (1 John 5:14)

The advantage of this memory verse is clear—the confidence that God hears our prayers. But there is an action step for us. We need to be praying what pleases God. Other translations refer to our prayers being God’s will. So, if we ask God for things that are his will, he hears us. That makes sense, doesn’t it? I’m confident he hears all the other babbling we do, too.

Context: This verse appears during the conclusion to John’s first letter (he writes three letters total). John assumes he is writing to fellow believers, wants them to know about eternal life, and to further assure that when God hears us, he answers us. Continue reading “1 John 5:14 – Knowing What to Pray”