How do you love?

Here we are again on the topic of love. As we discussed in the beginning, John really only has three overarching themes in 1 John - love, obedience, and truth. He doesn't simply just keep repeating himself though. I've seen in a couple of places a comparison to a spiral staircase. As you make your way up or down, you see the same thing in front of you, but at a different level - from a different perspective.

This week we'll be looking at 1 John 3:11-18, and we will be looking at love from a slightly different perspective. In Chapter 2, we saw love as evidence that we are walking in the light. Now we see love as a matter of life and death. Let's look briefly at four "levels" of love discussed in this passage:

• Murder - Okay, I'm good here. I never killed anyone.
• Hate - Come on John, I mean, I don't really hate anyone. What's that? Look at Matthew 5:21-22? Oh.
• Indifference - Uh-oh.
• Christian Love (compassion) - I know this is where I'm supposed to be, and it's where I really want to be, but how do I get there?

Answer: Verse 16 (this week's memory verse) - By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

So how do we love? Seems pretty clear, but what does it mean to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters? Think about that for a minute and then think on this - How do you love?

In Him,

John

Hope in Jesus Purifies

I'm looking at I John 3:1-10 right now, and a couple of things are really jumping out to me. First, look at the 3:1-3.

1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

I have seen this verse a few times lately, and it really intrigues me. First, just sitting back for a second to say with John -- Wow! Can you believe that we are children of God! We certainly didn't deserve it, but look at the love God has given to us (verse 1). Then, in verse 2, he points out that not only are we God's children now, look at what's ahead. We'll see Jesus and we'll be like Him. Then, what really grabs my attention is verse 3 -- HOPE IN JESUS PURIFIES! Meditate on this for a moment. Everyone who hopes in Jesus purifies himself as Jesus is pure. A few weeks back we discussed how God wants all of our love. He is great and he demands that our love for him be great (see I John 2:15-17; Matthew 10:37-39; 22:37-38). Now, John is dealing with hope. So, continuing our pattern of heart examination:

* What are you hoping in?
* What are your dreams for your future?
* What are your goals in this life?

I need to be reminded everyday just how awesome of a gift God has given me through Jesus. I'm so tempted by the world around me to be be short-sighted and get caught up in the here and now. This is why I need God's Word so desperately (Rom 12:2) along with guidance from the Spirit and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I need to look at verses like I Cor 1:9, which says "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him". Sin seeks to deceive me into trading what God has for me for it's short-lived pleasure.

This has been very convicting. If you read verse 4-10 of chapter 3, you'll see John reiterate that if we are born of God, we will not continue in sin. And one of the reasons why is that a child of God desires God. Scripture says that I've been given eyes to see what a gift God has given me! But what a fight it is to keep my heart, my affections and my hopes in the right place.

Let me know what you guys think. Interested in your thoughts....

In Christ,
Craig

Who do you love?

We're still looking at I John this week -- and probably a few more weeks to come ;). This week, I think we'll be looking at Chapter 2:12-17. Maybe more, but we'll just have to see how the week goes and how the Lord leads. I know we will definitely spend quite a bit of our time discussing verses 15-17 (hence, the title). These verses seem to state emphatically that we should not love the world. Take a look:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

How about just some questions to start the conversation (plus, I'm limited on time today).

The first thing that comes to mind to me is wanting to REALLY know what the apostle meant here because he says if I love the world, the love of the Father is not in me. And he also writes that world is passing away, and I want to the eternal life given in Jesus (not passing away).

So, does this mean I can't love a certain kind of food or a football team or a country? We know that we're commanded to love God and others, but what about these other things (things of the world). How do we know if we slipped in to loving the things of the world?

Some obvious questions I'm asking myself are:
1) Are there things in my life that take priority over serving God?
2) Are there things or activities, etc. in my life that I'm more passionate about than God? What makes jump for joy? What makes your heart race (meaning excited not running on a treadmill)?
3) What do I crave or desire that I see shaping the things I do?

I think that John is communicating that we should not have any "loves" or "desires" that are from the World and not God. Hopefully, through discussion, reading of scripture, seeking wisdom from the Holy Spirit this week, we can unpack what this means and how it applies to our lives?

As my favorite pastor of discipleship would say: questions, comments, rebukes, or rebuttals? The floor (or the blog) is open.

In Christ,
Craig

Spiritual Constipation

Nice title, huh?

You can thank John C and his King James Version for that. I've been thinking about posting some thoughts after our discussion in 1 John 2:9-11. Those verses basically say that we can't hate our brothers and sisters and walk in the light. If we make a habit of doing so, we walk in darkness, i.e. not with God, i.e. with the devil. We discussed how "hate" has a much more broad meaning that we tend to think of it having. We may say we don't hate anyone, but do we disrespect others? belittle? hold grudges? Things like that are examples of "active hate".

One other form is more passive, and probably more common and more dangerous to Christians - indifference. How many people do we pass by because we just don't care, or maybe we make a judgment call as to whether they really deserve whatever we have to offer (financial help, physical help, our friendliness, our testimony). John C's email reference to 1 John 3:17 is where the title came from. It speaks to this very thing: "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" Ok, so the bowels thing is where I got the title (you can substitute heart there). In all seriousness though, how many people in need do we overlook or make a decision not to help because our heart is not in the right place?

Our discussion centered around whether something should be done if it's not heartfelt or genuine. I think we were talking specifically about personal contact and/or sharing Christ, but it applies in a broader sense. I happened to be reading "The Dangerous Duty of Delight" by John Piper on Monday, and he addresses that subject. He writes that he is often asked what a Christian should do when cheerfulness of obedience is not there (see genuine). His answer is not that we should simply do what we know we should do because our feelings don't matter. Instead he gives these three steps -

1. Confess your sin of joylessness and acknowledge the coldness of your heart. Don't say your feelings don't matter. (Psalm 61:2)
   
2. Pray earnestly that God would restore the joy of obedience. (Psalm 40:8)
3. Do whatever the duty is in hopes that doing so will restore the delight
   

This discussion certainly hits me personally. I often am indifferent toward those in need, thinking someone else will take care of them, or at times judgmental in wondering if they are truly in need. That ranges from something as small as welcoming a newcomer at church (they need to feel welcomed) to a needy family member to the guy on the side of the road asking for work.

I'm thankful for a God that will hear my confession of a cold heart and forgive my wretchedness. I'm thankful that by His grace and mercy he still calls me to duty, however large or small. I'm thankful that He promises to turn that duty into delight.

Chronically (spiritually) constipated, but set free in Christ,

John

This Week in I John: If we're in the light, we'll love!

Here's the main text we'll be discussing from I John this week.

7Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

In these verses, John goes back to using the imagery of light and darkness. We looked at this in the first lesson over Chapter 1 (see verses 6 and 7). I John 1:5 says that "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all." In John 8:12, Jesus says "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." So, we can discern that when John says walk or abide in the light, you can substitute Christ for light (abide in Christ).

Last week, John (both the apostle and my favorite teacher:) clarified some as to what it means to walk in the light. in chapter 2, verses 3-6, we are told that if we truly know him, we will obey his commands. 2:6 sums it up well: "whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked". What a powerful verse! If we say we abide or live or walk with Christ, we will live like He did. If you're like me, you're saying Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.

Now this week, the verses are ever bit as challenging to we who say we follow Christ. We're told "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light" (2:9b-10a). So, quick summary is, if we are truly in Christ (i.e. we know Him), we will love others. Depending on the kind of week you're having, this may not sound too bad. I've read this passage plenty of times and not stopped to think, "do I love my brother?".

However, John Piper had a good observation in his sermon on these verses. That is, the Apostle John (man, all these John's to keep up with) leaves us no middle ground here. If you love, you're in the light. If you hate, you're in the darkness. What about when I'm indifferent to my brother in need? What about the fact that I don't really have a heart at times for the lost around me? He used Mark 4:4 as an example. Here, Jesus was preparing to heal a man with a lame hand. The Pharisees were against this action because it was the Sabbath and Jewish law states that no work can be performed on the Sabbath. Christ responded to them with a question:

"Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?".

Of course, we also know from Matthew 5 that Jesus said:

"You have heard it was said Do not murder ... but I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment".

So, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that we are commanded as followers of Christ to love like Christ did. No middle ground. This really convicts me. I know that many times I am indifferent to those around me, just too caught up in my own little life to even pay attention. Since I've read this passage this week, I've noticed on many occasions the lack of love in my heart. It's pretty discouraging when I really examine myself in comparison to the kind of love Christ commands of me. I know I am far from where I need to be.

However, I also know that on my own, I'll get nowhere in my quest to love my neighbor as myself. Thank God for his grace! If I confess my sin of a lack of love, he is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). I can pray "may the Lord make my love increase and overflow to each other and to everyone else" (I Thes 3:12) as Paul did for the church of Thessalonica. Will God not answer that prayer? I believe he will. Where are you at? John (the apostle) is calling us to test whether we are walking in the light by whether we are loving or hating, and there doesn't seem to be middle ground to stand on.

I'm looking forward to our discussion on Sunday. Or, maybe on the web prior to then. YAMS Blog!

In His Grace Alone,
Craig

Thoughts on John - Putting Off, Putting On, and Assurance

I mentioned a connection Sunday between 1 John and putting off/putting on (Colossians 3). We must walk in the light and put off sin, but it's not enough just to not sin. 1 John 2:3-6 says if we truly belong to Him, we will obey his commandments. We shouldn't just avoid doing what we know is wrong, we also have to do what is right - what God's word tells us to do.

I think it's very important to look at the context in which John speaks. He's speaking to believers whose assurance is wavering because of people who had left the fellowship - people who they thought were one of them. Not only have they broken fellowship, but they are trying to persuade those who remain to believe something other than the Gospel. John's trying to show them how their fellowship and their walk is in Christ. He's not saying they must obey to earn assurance (i.e. legalism), he's saying that as a result of loving Christ and walking in the light, they will desire to obey. Obedience is one way we can find assurance of our salvation.

In verses 2:7-11, John expands on obedience to his commandments - specifically the command that we love one another. John, as we'll see here and throughout the book, often presents the same argument in both a positive and negative way. My paraphrase of 2:9-11 - If we claim to be Christians but hate (unforgiveness, disrespect, belittle, hold grudges, etc) our brothers and sisters, we aren't who we claim to be - we are still in the darkness. If we love our brothers and sisters(through forgiveness, selflessness, serving, genuineness, etc), that's evidence we belong to Christ - we are in the light. Even better, if we live that way we are more likely to remain in the light. Love is self-sustaining. John then flips it again. He says that if we do hate our brothers and sisters, we are in the darkness. And, if we live that way we'll just keep stumbling and falling further and further away from the light. Hate, too, is self-sustaining. Our love for others is another way we can be assured.

All that said, I return to the putting off/putting on point. I don't think John presents positive and negative arguments like he does just to be repetitive. He's not simply saying the same thing in two or three different ways. He writes that if we hate, we are in the darkness. We may be tempted to say "I don't hate anyone", "I'm not unforgiving" etc. But putting off hate is not enough. It's only half of the equation. We also must love. It's intentional. It's an action. Again, it's not that we must do it to earn God's approval. Because of our love for Him and his love for us, we will love others. With Christ, it will become natural.

Where do you stand? Is loving others natural for you? Or, do you tend to think you're doing ok because you can honestly say you don't hate anyone? Is that enough?

I'm thankful that we have a God who promises through his abundant grace to help us walk in his light, and through his mercy will search us out when we wander into the darkness, stumble, and fall. He won't leave us in the dark.

In Him,
John

Welcome to YAMSpeak

Ok, so that's just an intial title. I was anxious to get this out there so I just threw that one up there. We're certainly open to suggestions....

Anyway, this is a trial run. Craig and I would like a way to keep open communication going throughout the week, and this is a way to do so and be kinda hip and cool at the same time :) ( its the best I can do)

So we may throw out some random thoughts throughout the week, but we'll use this as a means to keep everyone up to date.