1 John Challenge

This week in reading 1John, and walking through the week with family and friends, I learned something valuable. I love the way God allows us to read something, or brings it to our attention, just at that moment where He is going to give us a real life example. I believe that I learned more from reading 1John this time than any other time. For me, it became one big thought. And, what is that thought? IF YOU HAVE SEEN JESUS, there is an excitement in your relationship with Him. (1John 1:1-3) When that excitement is there, He wants you to hold on to that joy (1John 1:4-5). He then tells us what we gain from this relationship with Him… we can walk in the light and the truth and have a cleansing from our sins (1John 1:5-9). And, yes, we continue to mess up. Who doesn’t ever, ever sin? (No one according to 1John 1:8, except, of course, Jesus Christ.) But, He forgives us when we confess those sins. He does not see us as the failure, He sees us as someone who has done something wrong and we have the chance to make it right!

In 1John 2, John reminds us that it is only Jesus Christ who has given us this ability to be continually in right relationship with God. Jesus is the one who took the penalty for our sins… and not only ours who accept it, but even those who do not. In other words, God does not love someone who does not believe in Him any less. However, they have chosen to not have relationship… which is what the rest of John’s first letter seems to be about… relationship (fellowship).

In 1John 2, we are told how to have fellowship. If we truly know Jesus and understand what He did for us, we will want to follow His ways. Why? because they bring us a peace. He perfects us or completes us. When we are made whole, there is a peace in our lives. If we do not understand the love of God, how can we possibly love others? And, when we do not show love to others, there is such contention. John continues in 1John 2 to show us that we should love the Father and His ways and not the world’s ways. This world WILL pass away. We will come to an end! The talk this week in our home brought to light the concern with the way the world is going right now. John even addresses that! There will be people who are against Christ and against Christians. However, no matter what others might say about you or to you, “This is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life.” (1John 1:25) This is our hope and so we should abide in Christ.

John then seems to stop and reflect on that great love of Christ all over again in 1John 3. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” (verse 1) That love that we accept from God makes us different! The world cannot understand (1John 3:1). I see this truth in those who are not Christians, those who seem to just not understand me. That is okay. There is a peace. “We are the sons of God” (1John 3:2) Because we are the sons of God, we purify ourselves as Christ is pure. Why would we do that? Because we love Him! When we are trying to please our spouse, we do those things that we believe will please that spouse. Why would it be any different with Christ? He was manifested (shown to us) to take away our sins… (v. 5) Because He did this, we should love one another because we should see the great love He has shown us as an example. “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” (1John 3:13) A follower of Christ may look different, and those around them may see them as “holier than thou” or “just ignorant and stupid.” The Apostle John anticipated that too. He said in 1John 3:19 “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him”. Also, in 1John 3:24, he said, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.” What a peace we gain from stepping back and remembering that we are children of God… and that He loves us enough to fellowship with us… to have a relationship with us.

Then in 1John 4, we are warned that not everyone will understand, and that not everyone even wants to. However, we are assured that we overcome what the world throws at us (1John 4:4). When in our hearts we only and always want to speak about God and His ways and His doings, the world does not understand: “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (v. 6) And how does this truth work itself out in our lives? We love one another because love is of God. God proved that love to us by sending His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. (1John 4:9) If we are living through Him, then we abide in Him, and we do those things He wants us to do and we love others: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (1John 4:11) And, “We love Him, BECAUSE HE first loved us.” (1John 4:19)

John then ends his letter with a great excitement… “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world.” (1John 5:4) And how do we overcome? “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” But, this is not a blind faith as some will say. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself” (v. 10) “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may KNOW Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (v. 20), which He hath given to us in His Son (v. 11). John tells us that He wrote these things so that we may know that we have eternal life and that we might believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:5)

Why would John be so bold as to tell us this? Who is He to tell us anything? That brings me back to where I first started… BECAUSE John HEARD, SAW, LOOKED upon, and HANDLED with His hands the Lord Jesus Christ. (1John 1:1) And not only that, John bore witness to what he saw and he so wanted us to all know too. Why does John want us to know? He wants us to experience eternal life because He understood the joy of the relationship with Jesus Christ and His Heavenly Father. Thus, John wrote these things unto us “that our joy may be full.” (1John 1:4) This is always my hope too… that others would come to know the Love that God has bestowed on us through Jesus Christ and that this love is worth more than life itself. I want to share what God has given to me because I have that joy of which John spoke. Would you consider, if you have not already, seeking that joy as well? It begins with a relationship with Jesus Christ!

The Truth (Part 3) (or rather, The Rejection of the Truth)

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From Part 2 of “The Truth”, we were left with the question that Pilate had of Jesus, “What is truth?” As the disciples learned of Jesus while they walked with him on the earth, and after He was resurrected, they wrote of what they learned of truth. They wrote these things for our learning as well. Let’s see what they teach us about truth.

In Ephesians, we are told that the word of truth is the gospel of our salvation which seals us with the Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13) The word gospel means good news. Thus, the Word of Truth, from God our Father is the good news of our salvation. Of a truth, we are saved by God’s grace, and not by what we think is to be true (Ephesians 2:8-9). He alone made the way for our salvation and then tells us (through words) of how that salvation occurs. It was only by the death of Jesus Christ.

Also, we are told in Ephesians 6:14 to “gird our loins with truth.” Why should we “gird our loins with truth” when we are in a spiritual battle? Because when we know the truth, the truth helps us to fight the lies of the enemy. Sometimes we hear voices that tell us that we are worth nothing, that we are on earth for the purposes of pleasing others, or that we don’t measure up. However, the word of the truth tells us differently. God created us in His image and He loves us very much, and He has a purpose for our lives.

Wow! Ponder what we have learned so far. We have seen in Parts 1 and 2 of The Truth that: God tells us the truth. God gives us the truth. God is the truth. Jesus is God. Thus, Jesus is the truth! We are also told that this truth is our salvation and that we are protected by this truth. If this is all true, why would anyone want to reject this truth?

In Romans, we are told that there are people who hold the truth in unrighteousness and change the truth of God into a lie. We are also told that that which may be known of God is made clear because God showed it to us (Romans 1:19). Everything in creation testifies to the fact that there is a God (Romans 1:20) and therefore, we are all without excuse when we reject the truth. There are those who do not want to follow God “do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.” (Romans 2:8) Why?

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul states that the Thessalonians received the “word of God” which they heard Paul teach, and they “received it not as the word of men, but as it is in TRUTH, the word of God.” Others, however, (2 Thessalonians 2:10) would not receive the love of the truth. It isn’t that they could not receive it, but they WOULD not receive it. This truth is that truth which brings salvation. Paul even goes on to say that those who believe not the truth take pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:12) Therein is the answer to the question: Why would anyone reject the truth of the gospel, the good news, of our salvation? It is because some people do NOT want to be accountable for their actions.

If we know there is a God, and that He saves us, then we also understand that there may be some requirements placed on our lives. There are commands given to us, for our protection of course, that we will need to follow. Some people do not like to obey or submit to anyone. Thus, they cast off all restraint. So, if they make the conscious choice not to believe the truth, and call it anything but the truth, they can justify in their minds living their lives in any way they please. According to Paul this is their way of having pleasure in unrighteousness. There is pleasure in not living our lives with rules. However, we are also in danger of hurting ourselves or others when we don’t live by rules.

The result of some people rejecting truth because they want to throw off all constraints is that they attempt to make others doubt the truth. Romans 1:18 tells us that there are those that hold the truth in unrighteousness. In other words, they know the truth, but they act against it. Think about it. If I want to justify my actions and make them seem good to you, wouldn’t I have to convince you that they are good? So, if I am acting against the truth and I want to continue to do so without you judging me or trying to tell me what to do, I would need to make you think like me. Isn’t this what Tom Sawyer did when he didn’t want to do the whitewashing of the fence? He made everyone else believe that it was a great thing to do so that he could get out of doing it himself. We see this same thing happening today where evil is called good and good is called evil. Some of these evil things do not even make sense. However, we have enough voices telling us that these things are good so that some of us are swayed into believing it, even when we know it isn’t true.

Paul states that we are sanctified (made clean before the Lord) of the Spirit AND belief of the TRUTH. It is the Spirit that sanctifies us, but we have to believe the truth… that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died and was raised again on the third day. This is the heart of the gospel message. Jesus saves us, but we have to accept that gift of salvation through belief in it, and this is called the TRUTH! God wants us all to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). When we do come to this knowledge, we obtain the abundant life promised to us, and a peace that surpasses all understanding, and the Lord’s joy, and contentment even in difficult circumstances, comfort in our times of need, wisdom when we need it, and blessings beyond measure. No, not always physical blessings, but the important things in life that provide for wonder and awe.

People of corrupt minds, are “destitute of the truth” (1 Timothy 6:5). In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told to study to show ourselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth. In other words, God gives us His truth, and we are to come to know it by studying it. We are to avoid being like those led away by a form of godliness, but they deny the power of God… because people who are led away in this way are ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. In fact, people actually “resist the truth” (2 Timothy 3:8)

Peter warns us that in the end times, many will follow their “pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Don’t we see this today? If we tell the truth about a situation from God’s Word, we are evil spoken of because we believe archaic beliefs.

John stated that “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Since the Apostle John heard Jesus speak of truth and explain truth, He was excited to tell others about Jesus (that he saw Jesus and heard Him and touched Him as Jesus manifested Himself to him), and he wanted people to “walk” in that “truth”.

There is so much more to the depth of the study of God’s Word and the truth that He proclaims, but that needs to be left to each of you. Pick up God’s Word and discover the truth that God has for each of us. Don’t relish in unrighteous ways and miss the blessings that God has for you when you act in accordance with the truth of His Word. My prayer is that I have at least given you a start and made you think or ponder what truth is. Remember, if it is really true, it is not based on personal opinion. So, find the facts for yourself. Know the truth because it can be known.

The Truth (Part 2)

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In Part 1 of “The Truth”, I shared that Jesus stated in John 14:6 “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by me.” I also shared that my take away from the story of Abraham’s servant seeking a bride for Isaac was that God told Abraham the “truth” and then God followed through on His promises to Abraham. As I continued studying the Scriptures about truth in the New Testament, I found some other interesting facts.

First, in John 4, Jesus told the woman at the well that the hour was coming when the “true worshippers” of God will worship the Father in “spirit and in truth.” This means that we don’t just have a “feeling” about God, but that we worship knowing the “truth”. We are told in John 4:24 that “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit AND in TRUTH.” So, again, we would have to know the “truth” to worship correctly. If Jesus is the TRUTH, then we have to know Jesus to worship God correctly. Yes, this seems like a narrow way, but didn’t Jesus tell us that the way was narrow and that He was that way (again, John 14:6)?

Jesus stated some pretty bold things, and some things that may be hard to accept. This leads me to ask a question? Why should we trust what Jesus said? He could have been a madman, in which case we shouldn’t believe him. He also could have been an outright liar. However, when reading Scripture, it does not appear that even his enemies could find fault with him, nor did they believe he was mad; so this conclusion (Jesus being a madman or a liar) does not seem possible. That leaves us with only one conclusion: Jesus was who He said He was… The Son of God. Thus, if Jesus tells us something, we should believe it as if God is saying it.

Jesus’ position was proven through His resurrection, which was not only predicted by himself but also by Old Testament prophecies; and then it came to pass. So, if Jesus states that we need to worship in Spirit and Truth and that He is the Truth, it seems pretty obvious that we are to worship God through Jesus Christ making us “TRUE worshippers.” Ponder this for a moment. I have to ask myself, “Am I a ‘True worshipper’ of God through His Son Jesus Christ?”

Later in John 8, Jesus uses the word ‘truth’ multiple times. He says, “If you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall KNOW the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you free.” Somehow, just knowing this ‘truth’ will bring us freedom.

Jesus goes on to tell those who are listening to him that he is telling them the ‘truth’ and that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are not abiding “in the truth”. Later Jesus makes His famous statement, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” He also told his disciples that after Jesus died, the Father would give them the “Spirit of truth, which is the Comforter”. So, Jesus is the truth, but the Holy Spirit is also the truth. In believing in a triune God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, this statement about Jesus being the truth and the Holy Spirit being the truth implies (With all of the other evidence that the Bible supplies) that God is also truth. Doesn’t this just speak to how important truth should be for us as those created in His image?

In John 15, Jesus tells us that this Spirit of truth will testify of Jesus Himself and that when the Spirit of truth comes, He (the Spirit which is a personal being) will guide you into ALL TRUTH.” Jesus finishes speaking to His disciples in John 17 and prays for them and then for those who will later believe on Him. He prays that God will “sanctify them [those believers] through God’s truth” stating that “God’s Word is truth.” Remember in John 1, John stated “We saw that Jesus was the Word made flesh.” Again, we see that Jesus is truth!

When Jesus was taken before Pilate, this notion of truth became a point of confusion for Pilate. Pilate asked Jesus if he were a king. Jesus replied, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hears my voice.” At this statement, Pilate asked that question that we all want to know, “What is truth?”

This is a question that we all must answer for ourselves. It is my firm belief, based on the evidence given in the Scriptures, that we can know the answer to this question when asking about the truth of our origin, our purpose for life, our morality, and our destiny. However, we first must ask ourselves, do we believe in the God who gives us the truth. Jesus stated to Pilate, “Everyone that is of the truth hears my voice.” That is a very bold statement and definitely worth pondering; thus, I will leave this thought to be pondered today. Do you hear the voice of Jesus Christ? Do you want to hear the voice of God? Do you want to be “of the truth?”

Look for Part 3 of “The Truth” for more insight from the Scriptures about what God says about “truth”.