It’s often said that newborn babies are more likely to look like their dads than their mums. This seems a little unfair given all that the mums have gone through! In today’s reading the apostle John wrote to fellow believers, and he again affectionately described them as little children. John’s desire is that, as God’s children, they’d look like their heavenly Father!
In our readings last week, John was concerned that these believers would be deceived by false teachers. This led to John’s plea in 1 John 2:28 that they would remain in God. John took them forward to think of Jesus’s wonderful return and saw two possible responses: confidence in Christ or shrinking away in shame.
When we become Christians we’re born again, born spiritually and adopted as children of God (see also John 1:12-13). We reside with God, and His tender father-like care and guidance changes us. John emphasizes that, because of the Father’s love, we can be sure we are God’s children, both now and for eternity! How amazing! John continued by saying there is even more to come – what we will be has not yet been fully revealed. We will be made like Christ! These blessings are not earned but graciously given to those who believe.
Therefore, the everyday lives of those who know the lavish love of their heavenly Father, are transformed. God’s love overflows, from Him - to us – and on to those around us. This should be visible. As our future hope is secure in God we can: live lives of purity, practice righteousness (behavior that pleases God), focus on God, and love our fellow Christians.
The love the early church had for one another was a fantastic witness to the world around them. What about our love, our doing good, for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ?
We aren’t perfect yet, so we must also remember 1 John 2:1-2 that if we do sin, Jesus is our advocate and atoning sacrifice. While we often make mistakes, living for God often becomes easier with practice.
I’ve never been a runner, but I joined a group in January undertaking a nine-week running program to go from no running at all, to running 5km (around 3 miles). It involves three runs a week. The first week I struggled to complete the one-minute run. By practicing with others, getting comfortable running shoes and receiving some helpful instruction, I’ve been able to complete it! This is also true for our Christian lives. What we practice - either righteous living or sin – changes where we will be in our walk with God: enjoying fellowship with Him; or, seeking to hide from Him.
I love my kids dearly, even when they do something wrong or hurtful. There are consequences, but my love for them never wavers. Yet with God I can be plagued with thoughts like "How could God still love me if I am still struggling with this sin or have fallen again?" This causes me to want to withdraw and hide from Him. Yet, our heavenly Father cherishes us as dearly loved children. If we humbly confess our sin to Him, seeking His grace and mercy, He will forgive and transform us.
There is a danger of misreading 1 John 3:6-9 to say if we ever sin we aren’t God’s children. While it is true God’s children are shown by their actions, John highlighted that the change in our desires is our desire for sin or for righteousness. Before becoming Christians, our sinfulness didn't upset us the same way it does now. But now, through the work of the Holy Spirit, God reveals our sinfulness, graciously bit by bit, and He gives us the strength to live transformed lives. We cannot be happy to keep on sinning when God reveals our sinfulness.
This is also why our heavenly Father lovingly gives us instructions in the Bible: they are for our good. Just as my children need boundaries to live freely, so do we as God’s children. Our perfect Heavenly Father, who made us, knows what is best for us, even when we cannot see it. He sees danger where we don’t. He tells us how we can live in community with others. He is working out His plans and purposes, even through us! How great is our God!
Surely, we should want to respond to all our loving heavenly Father has done for us by desiring to live lives that please and reflect Him.
How much do you look like your heavenly Father?
Week 2 Challenge:
Take extra time this week to observe and interpret 1 John 3:19-20. How does our conscience condemn us? What does Romans 8:1-4 say about this? How do these truths affect what you believe about grace?
Week 2 - Monday
Love One Another
August 24, 2020 • Julie
Week 4 - Friday
September 11, 2020 • Sara
I grew up in a time and a place where WWJD? ("What would Jesus do?") bracelets were popular. There were so many of them in my day it spawned parodies and became almost cliche. But, at the heart of it, it’s a great question to ask in any situation. What would Jesus do? Would He have reached across a political aisle to love people with different opinions? Indeed. Would He have welcomed broken people and shown grace without watering down the God breathed truth of Scripture? Of course. But how do we actually live like Jesus? Third John 11 says, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is bad but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does what is bad has not seen God.” It sounds relatively easy on the surface, but the world has a funny way of blurring boundaries. What’s superficially nice is not necessarily kind. What initially seems appropriate may be popularity or political correctness in disguise. Thankfully (and as usual), Scripture helps us. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 also gives instruction on where we can focus our energy and what virtues the Holy Spirit can cultivate in our lives. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” We can’t imitate God’s power, His omnipotence, or His eternal presence, but we have the perfect example of goodness - and godliness - in Jesus. C.S. Lewis wrote about this beautifully in his work The Four Loves, saying, “our imitation of God in this life — that is, our willed imitation as distinct from any of the likenesses which He has impressed upon our natures or states — must be an imitation of God incarnate: our model is the Jesus, not only of Calvary, but of the workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions. For this, so strangely unlike anything we can attribute to the Divine life in itself, is apparently not only like, but is, the Divine life operating under human conditions.” We won’t ever be perfect, but we should fight and pray and practice to be His true apprentice. May the world see a glimpse of the goodness of our living God and of the hope of Heaven in our lives. -Sara
Week 4 - Thursday
September 10, 2020
Week 4 - Wednesday
September 9, 2020 • Brittany
“I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to truth.” 3 John 4 A few years ago, a college mentor reached out to me after having not been in contact for years. We had been incredibly close during my undergraduate experience, but life happened. I moved away, got married, had a family, and after over a decade of living in different states - aside from a Christmas card and an occasional email - we no longer talked regularly. Every couple of years we’d catch up on all the big happenings in our life, and I’d find myself again soaking up her wisdom. One day, after one of our catch-up sessions, I opened up an email from her and saw these life-giving words, “I am so proud of the way you’re choosing to live your life.” Tears brimmed my eyes and spilled over onto my cheeks as those words, rich with the love of a mentor, spoke life over me. She viewed her guidance, her discipleship, and sacrifice of time and resources as an investment of love into my life. And because of her love of the Lord and love for me, all these years later I am still walking with the Lord (imperfectly) but striving to live my life in a way that is according to truth. I love how Jesus’s words in the Great Commission tell us that, as we go, we’re called to make disciples, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I [our heavenly Father] have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Third John 4 shows us the beauty that comes from obeying the Great Commission: “I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are living according to truth.” There is a pure joy in knowing your work for the kingdom has produced good fruit. There is deep satisfaction knowing the work we’re doing today, the love we’re sharing with others, will one day take root and grow something faithful and true. Because isn’t that the way of the disciple? To know the deep riches of God’s love, to have been shown and taught it during our early years of our faith, to allow it to transform our lives into something beautiful – and then to one day be the one who takes the hand of a younger person in their faith and help them navigate the joys and heartaches of this life? To be a disciple of Jesus is to also be a disciple maker – and that is a good and life-giving calling, worthy of our utmost attention. Years later, I am now modeling the relationship I had with my mentor. Over cups of coffee and open Bibles, I meet with college girls in my church. We talk about life, sin, relationships, career choices – you name it! Sometimes we talk specifically about Scripture, other times we share about what’s going on with our lives. And I often walk away praying, “Father, keep her close to you. Let these moments not return void. Help her see your great love for her and allow it to change her life forever.” I don’t yet have the satisfaction of seeing the fruit God grows in their life, but what I do know is this: the great love God has called us to is one I can’t keep to myself. And I am confident in this, the one who began a good work in them, will complete it (Philippians 1:6). And I look forward to the day where I can send them an email and say, “I am so proud of the way you’re choosing to live your life” -Brittany