NT: “This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him — how does God’s love reside in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth. This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things. Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight. Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he has given us.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:16-24‬ ‭CSB)

The enemy of our soul is also known as the accuser of the brethren. He and his demonic minions accuse us and cause us to second-guess our standing in Christ by faith. He will even use the over-burdensome legalistic requirements of God’s law to convince us that we do not measure up to God’s standards and do not deserve God’s forgiveness or grace. One distinctive characteristic of the Christian faith is the sure hope and confidence that is found through faith in Christ. Other world religions require sacrifice, works and submission without any assurance at all – because those religions are not built on the completely sufficient sacrifice and powerful resurrection of Christ and the availability of salvation by grace through faith. However, the enemy will do whatever he can to whittle away at our hope in Christ and cause us to doubt and live in fear and uncertainty.

John wrote, that whenever we have doubts and feel condemnation in our hearts, we can have confidence before God. How do we have confidence before God? We have confidence and are able to receive whatever we ask of God by keeping His commands and doing what is pleasing in His sight. For some, that may wreak of legalism based on works, but it is not. John went on to clarify God’s command and what is pleasing in His sight. God’s command, that is pleasing to Him when we obey it, is this: believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another. If we keep that command, we remain in Christ, and Christ remains in us. How do we know that we are in Christ and He is in us? We know through the presence and fullness of the Holy Spirit within us.

How do we know if we are loving one another the way Christ commanded us? Well… both God the Father and Jesus Christ have shown us what true love is and how to love truly. John 3:16 tells us that God the Father loved us so much that He gave His only Son to us, so that by believing in Him, we would not perish but have eternal life. In the same way, 1 John 3:16 tells us that we know love through Christ’s example – that He sacrificially laid down His life for us. God the Father showed us His love through giving for our benefit. Jesus Christ demonstrated His love through sacrificing for our benefit. That is love – and that is how we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The love of God is more than just talk and intention. The love of God is also action and complete sincerity. God doesn’t pretend to love us. He truly loves us and acts on that love. We are to do the same. How then are we able to love (even those who are “unlovable”) the way the Father and the Son have loved us? The love of God and the love for one another are intertwined. As we love God the Father and the Son by faith, the love of God for people will be deposited in our lives. And as we obey God’s commandment of loving others sacrificially, our faith will be strengthened and our love for God will grow… which deposits even more of God’s love for people in our lives. And on and on it goes until we reach the end of our earthly lives.

Obey God’s command. Allow the love of God to grow and blossom within you. Act on that love and find steadfast confidence and hope as you abide in Christ and He abides in you through the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You do not call me to blind sacrifice, work and submission without a sure hope of my future and a confidence before God. I also thank You that for everything You call me to do, You equip me and empower me with grace to do it all by faith. Help me to love who and what You love, and help me to do what is pleasing in Your sight as I remain in You through faith and obedience by grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Proverbs: “Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth — a stranger, and not your own lips.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:1-2‬ ‭CSB)

Jesus Christ was one with God, yet set aside His unlimited divinity to become the servant of all. He made no plans of His own and submitted fully to the will of the Father. Instead of making a name for Himself, He glorified the name of His Father – and because of that, God the Father exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above all names. On the other hand, Satan was a servant of God who desired to be God. He rebelled against God’s will, and continues to rebel against God’s will – boasting of his own plans and purposes. Satan lifted himself up and praised his own name, attempting to make himself equal with God. Because of that, God resisted him and continues to resist him – and will eventually bring about his destruction. As people of the Lord God, who should we emulate? Should we emulate Satan by boasting of our tomorrows and attempting to make a name for ourselves, or should we emulate the Lord Jesus Christ by submitting to God’s tomorrows and trusting Him to lift us up in due time?

NT: “Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister. For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:7-13‬ ‭CSB)

In this passage, when John wrote about sinning verses not sinning, he wasn’t talking about never committing a sin – he was talking about making a practice of sin, where sinning continues to be a habitual way of life. The devil is the original sinner, and all he ever does is sin. Those who continue to make sin the practice of their life instead of being born again as instruments of righteousness, show that they are not children of God, but are instead of the devil.

One of the primary reasons the Son of God was manifested and revealed on earth was to destroy the works of the devil. If that was one of Christ’s primary purposes, how then could someone who is in Christ by faith and inhabited by the Holy Spirit continue a life of blatant sin with a disregard for righteousness? The answer is, they can’t. If we have been born again into God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ and made alive by His indwelling Holy Spirit, then habitual sin is going to be completely foreign and extremely uncomfortable to our new nature. The Holy Spirit within us will convict us of sin and convict us of what is righteous. A truly born-again disciple of Christ will not continue to make sin a practice of their life, and will progressively become more and more holy and righteous as they respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the work of God’s grace.

Those who are no longer comfortable with sin and grow more and more committed to God’s righteousness are going to discover that they have enemies in the world. The primary enemy is the devil, who is opposed to everything that is of God. Those who are of the devil and are committed to their ways of sin will also make themselves enemies of the righteous in Christ. Hatred for the things of God is inevitable in this world, and many times the people of God are on the receiving end of that hatred. But Jesus told His disciples to take heart, for He had overcome the world. His purpose was to destroy the works of the devil. The devil is indeed a defeated foe who keeps on fighting… until that day when he is destroyed forever.

Psalms: “I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:1-4‬ ‭CSB)

Psalm 121 is categorized as a song of ascent. Songs of ascent were sung by Jewish pilgrims as they made the journey to Jerusalem to take part in the festivals that were required by law. Jerusalem is situated on a higher elevation than the surrounding area, with the temple itself on the top of a mountain. As pilgrims traveled toward Jerusalem, they would ascend, with the Temple Mount as their ultimate destination.

As the people of God who lived according to God’s righteous laws, the Jews were often hated and attacked for their beliefs and faithfulness to the Lord God. As they traveled to Jerusalem and ascended toward the temple, they lifted their eyes to the mountains. Specifically, their eyes were on the temple. They were the sanctified people of God. They knew that if they remained faithful to the Lord God, He would help them in all of their times of trial. He would protect them, He would deliver them, and He would save them. Seeing the temple sitting atop the Temple Mount in glorious splendor was a reminder of their privileged and protected existence. Now, as we keep our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, we can be assured that our help for every trial and tribulation comes from the throne of grace, which we are able to approach with boldness and confidence through faith.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You came to destroy the works of the devil, and as I place my faith in You, the works of the devil in my life are indeed destroyed. Help me, as I keep my eyes on You and walk by faith in Your grace, to live a life of righteousness that is no longer given over to sin. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children — and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him. Everyone who remains in him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen him or known him.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

Those who have placed saving faith in Jesus Christ have been given the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15) and grafted into the family tree of God the Father (Romans 11:17). In Christ, we are God’s children and He is our Father. God did all of that while we were still His enemies out of His great love for us. Some people believe that everyone is a child of God – but that is not so. Only those who have been redeemed and spiritually reborn are grafted and adopted into His family and considered His children. Those who do not know God through faith in Christ are not part of His spiritual family. And because they do not know God, they do not fully understand those who do, and have become His.

The great hope that we have as children of God is that at the end of this age, when Christ returns for His church, we will become just like the Lord. As we wait for that blessed day to arrive, the expectation is that we will grow to be more and more like our Father as we grow to know Him more intimately and are transformed by His sanctifying grace. Several years ago, my son spent a few months in Nepal as part of a gap-year program between high school and college. A few months after he returned, I went and visited Nepal – spending time with the same people he worked with when he was there. When I arrived, the people there immediately knew that I was my son’s father – because my son sounded like me when he talked and had the same mannerisms as me when he walked around and interacted with the people. The same should be true of us. People should be able to know what our Heavenly Father is like through their relationships with us – because in our knowing God, we have become more and more like Him.

When John wrote about people committing sins, he was referring to people that make a practice of sinning. Redeemed believers who have become children of God should not make a practice of sinning – they should make a practice of walking in purity and righteousness. Do redeemed believers commit sins? Yes, they do. John even spoke to that at the beginning of His letter (1 John 1:8-10). However, committing a sin and then repenting of that sin is much different than making an ongoing practice of sinning. Christ lived the life that He lived and died the death that He died so that those who believe in Him would be free from sin… not continue to live in it. Everything that we need to live a life of light, love and godliness has been provided to us through faith in Christ by the work of His Holy Spirit and grace. We just need to access it, apply it, and walk in it by grace through faith.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that through faith in You, I have been adopted, grafted in and made a child of God. My desire is to become more and more like my Heavenly Father as I walk in the light with You by faith. Work in me to practice holiness, righteousness and purity more and more, and commit sins less and less the longer I walk by faith in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well. What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life. I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him. So now, little children, remain in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:20-29‬ ‭CSB)

There is a notion that exists and is encouraged in contemporary culture that all things are possible if you just believe strongly enough – as if it is the strength and sincerity of your belief that makes things possible. “If you just believe in yourself, you can do it,” is a phrase that is often repeated. However good that phrase may make someone feel, it is not true. As much as I loved running when I was younger, I couldn’t believe myself into becoming an elite Olympic caliber athlete. Belief isn’t the thing that makes things so. Believing strongly in a lie does not make it true. It is the believing in truth that has power to make things so.

Creeping into the church of John’s day were “teachers” that believed very sincerely in what they were teaching – but what they were teaching was not true. Someone’s sincere and passionate belief can be very compelling, but we must be people that, despite someone’s sincerity and passion, are only willing to believe and place faith in the truth. John’s readers had heard the gospel and had responded to the gospel, placing their faith in the truth of who Jesus was and what He had done. Faith in the truth had set them free from sin and opened their lives to the anointing of Christ through the Holy Spirit. But “teachers” were trying to lure them away from the truth that they knew into a lie that denied who Christ was and what He accomplished.

John was present, and actually recorded the moment when Jesus told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit… and when the Holy Spirit came, He would teach them all things and lead them into all truth. When John wrote that his readers didn’t need anyone to teach them, he didn’t mean that there wasn’t a need for teachers to explain truth to them. He meant that they didn’t need anyone to teach them new “truth” – especially “truth” that denied the Father and the Son. As believers in Christ who are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have the word of God (which is truth) and the Holy Spirit (who will guide us into all truth). If we know and understand the word of God (with the Holy Spirit’s help), we will know the truth. If we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, He will give us discernment to know if something we are hearing is truth or a lie. If it does not reconcile with the word of God, and if the Holy Spirit does not bear witness to it, then it should not be something that we accept as spiritual truth. By knowing the word of God and listening to the Holy Spirit, we can avoid being led astray by heretical teachings and the antichrist spirit, and remain firmly rooted through faith in the truth of the gospel of Christ.

Psalms: “Let my cry reach you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word. Let my plea reach you; rescue me according to your promise. My lips pour out praise, for you teach me your statutes. My tongue sings about your promise, for all your commands are righteous. May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, Lord, and your instruction is my delight. Let me live, and I will praise you; may your judgments help me. I wander like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commands.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:169-176‬ ‭CSB)

In the psalmist’s day, Israel was surrounded by nations that worshipped pagan gods. Throughout Israel’s history, the worship of pagan gods made its way into the people of God. People would neglect and reject the word, will and ways of the Invisible God for man-made idols that seemed real because they could be seen and touched. In our day, there are plenty of “experts” that will give you “truth” that seems reasonable and may even appear more “real” than the word, will and ways of God – but in the end will lead to death. Just like the psalmist, we can cry out to the Lord and say, “give me understanding according to Your word… teach me Your statutes… help me with Your judgements,” and the Lord will hear our prayer and answer. In fact, Jesus sent us His Holy Spirit to do just that. If we delight in the word, will and ways of the Lord and listen to the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit, we will be rescued from deception and saved from believing in a lie. We won’t be left to wander around like a lost sheep, but will be led on the path to light and life.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for the truth that is found in Your word. I thank You that You are truth, and that there is no falsehood or deceit found in You. I can place my faith on You in confidence knowing that the object of my faith is true in every way. Help me to be able to distinguish truth from falsehood and deception through the work of the Holy Spirit and a love for and commitment to Your word. Keep me from every false way as I keep my faith in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Proverbs: “A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within. When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven detestable things in his heart. Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed in the assembly.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭26:24-26‬ ‭CSB)

Most people who harbor hatred in their heart do it secretly. They won’t come out and openly admit that they have hate toward another person or group of people. Instead they mask their hatred with kind words. This is very apparent in the realm of politics, where politician use smooth and deceitful words to hide their true motivations against a group of people or a particular belief. Where there is unrighteous hatred, there will be darkness and deception – but eventually the evil motivations will be revealed and brought out into the light.

NT: “The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes… 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. For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions — is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:9-11, 15-17‬ ‭CSB)

As the proverb above explained, hatred, darkness and deception go hand in hand. Where there is Godly love, you will also find light, truth and life. Because hatred is born out of darkness, those who harbor hatred for another will be blinded by that hatred and will ultimately stumble and fall. In order to see clearly, you must rinse unrighteous hatred from your heart and put on love and light. One cannot fellowship with God if that person has hatred for God’s people. There are people in our day that claim to have a love for God, but a hatred toward His church. According to John, that cannot be. A love for God will manifest itself into a love for His people. If you have hatred in your heart for other believers, and believe that you truly love God, you are deceived and blinded.

In putting on the love of God, there is one thing that we are not to love: the world and the things (material trappings) of the world. Sometimes the word “world” can refer to the natural world that we live on. Other times, the word “world” can refer to the people of the world. In this case, the word “world” refers to the systems of this world which are informed and motivated by the kingdom of darkness. While the kingdom of God is based on love and humility, the systems of the world are founded on lust and pride. The lust of the flesh has to do with the things that the flesh desires and lusts after – as in sexual lusts or physical addictions. The lust of the eyes has to do with coveting and desiring what you see that is not yours. The pride of life (or in this translation, the pride in one’s possessions) is the drive to make a name for yourself through selfish ambition and self-promotion. Those are the sins of Satan. Those are the lures that Satan used to deceive Adam and Eve. Those are the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness. Those who love the world will be driven by the lusts and pride of the world. Jesus overcame the world through a love for the word, will and ways of The Father. If we cultivate a love for God, His word, will and ways, and obey His will in faith, we too will overcome the world by grace.

Psalms: “Princes have persecuted me without cause, but my heart fears only your word. I rejoice over your promise like one who finds vast treasure. I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your instruction. I praise you seven times a day for your righteous judgments. Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble. Lord, I hope for your salvation and carry out your commands. I obey your decrees and love them greatly. I obey your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before you.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:161-168‬ ‭CSB)

There is a righteous hatred. The psalmist declared that he hated and abhorred falsehood (deception, fraud, lies). However, he greatly loved, and therefore obeyed, the word of God. It was through this love for God and God’s word, coinciding with a hatred for deception and darkness, that brought the psalmist abundant peace. The same can be true of us.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that as I love you, that will manifest in me a love for Your people. I thank You that as I love You and love Your people, I will not be blinded by hatred and will be able to clearly walk in light and life. I thank You that as I love and obey Your word, will and ways, I will be able to overcome the world just as You overcame the world. Grow in me a love for Your word, will and ways and a hatred for the things of this world as I walk in the light by faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father — Jesus Christ the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

At the end of the first chapter of this letter, John wrote about walking in the light of truth and not in the darkness of deception and falsehood… of confessing our sins unto forgiveness instead of hiding or denying sins for the sake of appearing righteous. When this letter was written there were no chapters and verses. John’s thought continued from chapter 1 into chapter 2. In context of what he just wrote about walking in the light, John said, “I am writing these things so that you may not sin… but if you do, we have and advocate with the Father.” The hope, goal and expectation of walking in the Light is that we do not sin… but if we do, we have an advocate. The Greek word translated here as advocate in parakletos. That is the same word that is used to describe the Holy Spirit our helper.  Parakletos is someone who is called or summoned to one’s side. The Holy Spirit is our parakletos – He comes to our side to walk with us, empower us, help us and lead us. Jesus Christ, the Righteous One – the one who made a way for us to become righteous in Him – is a parakletos with the Father. He sits at the right hand of God and intercedes on our behalf. If we sin and confess our sin, Jesus intercedes on our behalf to the Father, who then forgives us and cleanses us from our unrighteousness. Through Jesus our advocate, though we may commit sins, we can be sin-free through open and honest confession and repentance.

How do we remain in relationship with our advocate with the Father? We remain in relationship through obedience born our of our faith in Him and our love for Him. If we truly have faith in Christ, that faith will be evidenced through obedience to His word. If we truly love Christ, that love will be expressed through obedience to His word. If we do not obey the teachings and commands of our Lord and Savior, then is He truly our Lord… and if we have not declared Him as Lord, is He truly our Savior? Our walk should align with our talk. If we say that we know the Lord (have intimate fellowship with Him) but do not keep His commands, then we are walking in deceit and falsehood. If we truly know the Lord, we will walk just as He walked: in faith-filled, loving obedience to the word, will and ways of God.

Psalms: “Consider my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instruction. Champion my cause and redeem me; give me life as you promised. Salvation is far from the wicked because they do not study your statutes. Your compassions are many, Lord; give me life according to your judgments. My persecutors and foes are many. I have not turned from your decrees. I have seen the disloyal and feel disgust because they do not keep your word. Consider how I love your precepts; Lord, give me life according to your faithful love. The entirety of your word is truth, each of your righteous judgments endures forever.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:153-160‬ ‭CSB)

Just as John explained, the psalmist declared that salvation comes through faith-filled love for and obedience to the word, will and ways of the Lord God. Salvation was far from the wicked. Why? Because they had a disdain for God’s word, will and ways. Seeing people that were disloyal to God’s word, will and ways caused the psalmist to be deeply grieved. The English word used here is disgust… and it is disgusting to see people act deceitfully or faithlessly – not because the people are disgusting – but because the torment and death that comes from being separated from God is disgusting. Life, light, freedom, enduring peace, everlasting joy and salvation from torment and death comes only through faith in God and His Christ, that is born in us through faith in His word.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that You are my advocate with the Father. As the Apostle Peter wrote, everything I need to live a life of godliness and holiness has been provided by You and is found in You. But if I do fall into sin, I can be cleansed and forgiven from that sin as I confess and repent, and You advocate for me to the Father. Help me to maintain my light and life-giving relationship with You through faith-filled loving obedience to Your word, will and ways as You give me the grace to walk in the Light by faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:5-10‬ ‭CSB)

Throughout the New Testament, the redeemed believer’s life of faith in Christ is called a walk. It is a progressive journey from one place to another in which we get closer to our destination and further from our point of origin the longer we walk. When we come to faith in Christ, the Bible teaches that we are transferred from darkness to light… from sin to righteousness… from deception to truth. However, from that point forward, there is a walk – a process – in which we are changed from glory to glory by the work of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God as we continue in faith.

The indwelling Holy Spirit and the grace of God comes into, and is maintained in our lives through fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the redeemed people of God. The Greek word for fellowship is ‘koinonia.’ Koinonia is more than mere friendship. It is an intimate partnership and communion in which everything is shared from and amongst all participating. John wrote that the key to walking in fellowship with God and the people of God is to walk in the light.

Light in this passage symbolizes truth… and John went on to talk about truth. On the other hand, darkness is symbolic of deception and falsehood. In the open light of day, there are no shadows where things can go unnoticed and hidden. God is light and God is truth. There is no darkness or deception in Him at all… this is not a yin/yang situation. God is pure light and truth, and darkness and deception cannot exist in His presence. Therefore, in order to fellowship with God, we must walk in light and truth… out in the open and completely honest, with no attempts to hide and deceive.

Sin is an intrinsic part of the human existence this side of heaven. We are born in sin and life in sin until we are saved from sin through faith in Christ. Yet, even after we are saved from sin, we still have to deal with sin as long as we inhabit our mortal bodies. Though we are free from the bondage to sin through Christ, we will still commit sins as we progressive walk from glory to glory. Many Christians will try to hide or deny the sins that they commit in order to appear righteous. That is not walking in the light. That is walking in darkness and deception. Walking in the light involves confessing the sins we commit so that we may be forgiven and cleansed of our sins and continue walking in fellowship with God and one another. The Gnostics of John’s day went ever further – denying that they were even affected by sin. They believed that their true spiritual selves were separated from their physical bodies and that any sin committed by their bodies had no affect on them. The truth is, we are tripartite beings, made up of spirit, soul, and body… all three linked parts of a whole being. Which is why, when our spirits are made alive in Christ, we offer our bodies of instruments of righteousness, and allow our thoughts to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Don’t hide your sins. Don’t deny your sins. Walk in the light and confess your sins in faith, knowing that God is faithful to forgive us of our confessed sins, and the blood of Jesus is able to cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness and keep us in life-giving, grace-flowing fellowship with God.

Psalms: “You are righteous, Lord, and your judgments are just. The decrees you issue are righteous and altogether trustworthy. My anger overwhelms me because my foes forget your words. Your word is completely pure, and your servant loves it. I am insignificant and despised, but I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your instruction is true. Trouble and distress have overtaken me, but your commands are my delight. Your decrees are righteous forever. Give me understanding, and I will live.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:137-144‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord is altogether righteous and just. His decrees (the words that testify to His goodness) are righteous and altogether trustworthy. His word (the full revelation of God) is completely pure. God and His word are light, and there is no darkness in them. Though we may fall short of God’s glory and righteousness, when we walk according to His word, will and ways, we walk in His light, righteousness, and purity. When we delight in Him and His word, He helps us, delivers us, and gives us all we need to walk in godliness.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are light and that there is no darkness in You. I also thank You that as I walk in light, as You are light, then I am able to have deep and intimate communion with You and with those who also walk in the light. Help me, as I place my faith in You, to stay clean before You – confessing any and all sin that You bring to my attention, that I would not walk in darkness and would continue walking from glory to glory though Your grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life —  that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us  —  what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭CSB)

The Book of 1st John was likely written in John’s latter years near the end of the first century. It was written after his exile on the isle of Patmos and the events described in his book of Revelation. In his latter years, John lived and ministered in and around Ephesus, and this book was likely written to believers in that region. At that time, there was a heresy arising in the church known as Gnosticism. Gnosticism taught that all matter is evil and spirit is good – therefore it would have been impossible for an all-good spiritual God to inhabit a mortal physical body. Gnostics taught that the body that Jesus possessed was not real, and therefore Jesus did not truly die a physical death and experience a bodily resurrection. Gnostics believed that whatever deeds you did with your body could not affect your spirit because only the spiritual realm was “real,” therefore it was impossible – no matter what they did – for redeemed believers to have sin. Gnostics also believed that salvation came from divine, extra-biblical knowledge and not from faith in Christ. The main themes throughout 1st John are real and true love, light, knowledge, life and fellowship as the Apostle John came against the teachings of Gnosticism.

In this prologue to his letter, John asserted and declared the reality of Christ. At the writing of this letter, John was probably one of the last remaining of the original 12 disciples of Jesus. He lived and walked with Jesus for 3 1/2 years. He was part of Jesus’ inner circle and even witnessed first-hand the transfiguration. He walked with Jesus. He saw Jesus with his own eyes. He heard Jesus with his own ears. He touched Jesus – even leaned on His chest at the last supper. He spent time with the bodily-resurrected Jesus before He ascended into heaven.  Jesus was not an apparition that appeared to be real. Jesus was real. Jesus was the ever-existing Word of God manifested in a flesh and bones body. That same Jesus was the revelation of real love, real light and real eternal life. It was and is through that real Jesus that we are able to have real fellowship with one another and real fellowship with God. It is that real Jesus that had been and continues to be declared in the gospel of the kingdom – and it is through faith in that real Jesus that we receive salvation.

Psalms: “Your decrees are wondrous; therefore I obey them. The revelation of your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced. I open my mouth and pant because I long for your commands. Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your practice toward those who love your name. Make my steps steady through your promise; don’t let any sin dominate me. Redeem me from human oppression, and I will keep your precepts. Make your face shine on your servant, and teach me your statutes. My eyes pour out streams of tears because people do not follow your instruction.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:129-136‬ ‭CSB)

For the psalmist, the only revelation of God was the word of God. The only way for him to have any level of fellowship with God was through studying, obeying and living according to the word of God. For him, the word of God was life itself. It was as necessary to him as air, food and drink. The word of God was so precious to him that he was moved to tears whenever someone would ignore God’s instruction.

The word that the psalmist adored and valued so highly was manifested in a real Man – Jesus Christ. Jesus is the perfect and ultimate revelation of God that brings true love, light and life to the earth. It is through faith in Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, that we can have real and true, everlasting fellowship with the Father and His Son. May we, like the psalmist love, adore, and revere – not only the word of God – but the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are not a mere idea or philosophy. You are real. You are the real Word of God that was manifested in a real body. You lived a real life, died a real death, and experienced a real bodily resurrection. Through faith in You, I can experience, be filled with, and walk in real love, real light, real life, real knowledge, and real fellowship. Help me live in the reality of what you have accomplished for me as I live in You by faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace. Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures. Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” (‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:14-18‬ ‭CSB)

The “therefore” at the beginning of verse 14 is referring to the day of God’s judgement, when all that is of the world will be burned up in fire, and a new heaven and earth is established in righteousness. There are things that we as believers and followers of Christ are to do as we wait for His return and His coming judgement. The Greek word translated here as ‘wait’ is not a passive, sitting-around-doing-nothing waiting. It is an expectant, active watching in anticipation of something that we know is going to happen. While we are expectantly anticipating the return of the Lord and His final judgement, we must make every effort to live godly and holy lives by His grace, and live at peace with God and with mankind. We also need to make good use of our Lord’s patience (longsuffering) and the age of salvation we are currently in by getting the good news of salvation by grace through faith to as many people as we can.

Paul, in his writings, consistently wrote about our salvation, redemption, reconciliation and restoration that came, not through the righteous requirements of the law, but by grace as we place of faith fully on Jesus Christ’s life, death, resurrection and ascension. There were, and continue to be people that both misunderstand and misconstrue Paul’s teachings into a message of hyper-grace that does nothing to lead people in the process of ongoing sanctification – but to eventual destruction. Though we are saved freely by grace through faith, there is ongoing effort on our part – empowered and equipped by grace through the work of the Holy Spirit – to grow in godliness and in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.

As redeemed, reconciled and restored believers in Christ, as we wait – fully knowing the destruction that will come to this world – we make every effort to rinse ourselves (by grace) of any vestiges of the world within us, and make every effort to rescue as many people as possible from their enslavement to sin and the world by proclaiming the gospel and making disciples. This is our primary calling in this era of history. Everything else is secondary.

Psalms: “I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. Guarantee your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me. My eyes grow weary looking for your salvation and for your righteous promise. Deal with your servant based on your faithful love; teach me your statutes. I am your servant; give me understanding so that I may know your decrees. It is time for the Lord to act, for they have violated your instruction. Since I love your commands more than gold, even the purest gold, I carefully follow all your precepts and hate every false way.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:121-128‬ ‭CSB)

The psalmist had a sure hope that God was going to move on his behalf, save him from oppression and bring justice to his oppressors. However, the deliverance that he hoped for did not come right away. But instead of giving up and seeking another god to help him, he kept looking for his salvation with anticipation. As he waited expectantly, he remained faithful to the Lord’s word, will and ways, and even grew to love and cherish them in the process.

OT: “At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths; and they haven’t harmed me, for I was found innocent before him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God.” (‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6:19-23‬ ‭CSB)

Daniel was thrown into a den of ravenous lions and had to remain in the den overnight. Darius, who regretted his impetuous law that put Daniel in the den, waited in anguish all night long fasting for Daniel’s wellbeing. Though the waiting only lasted a night, it must have felt like an eternity. As Daniel waited in the lions’ den, he didn’t wait passively. The scripture says that Daniel trusted in His God. All night long, Daniel trusted… and all night long, God kept the ravenous lions from even placing a scratch on Daniel. At the crack of dawn the next morning, Darius hurried to the lions den to see if Daniel’s God had been faithful – and to his delight, Daniel was alive, well and completely unharmed. Daniel’s salvation from the lions came, just as Daniel hoped and expected… and while he waited, he trusted and undoubtedly grew in faith. As soon as Daniel was delivered from the lions’ den, his accusers were brought to justice and God was glorified.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your patience and longsuffering that ultimately leads to the salvation of many and a greater revelation of glory to Your name. I also thank You, that in the waiting, You give me things to do so that I will stay active in faith and not grow slothful and complacent. Help me, by grace to grow in godliness and to do the things you have called me to do in faith as I wait. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit, so the king planned to set him over the whole realm. The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.” So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever. All the administrators of the kingdom  — the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors — have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den… When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6:3-7, 10‬ ‭CSB)

In the epistle of James, James wrote that wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, you will find disorder, confusion and evil of every kind (James 3:16). Evil of every kind was present  in the Medo-Persian Empire as the pagan administrators and satraps were full of jealousy and selfish ambition. Darius organized the government in Babylon under the management of satraps – and over the satraps were three administrators. Daniel was one of the administrators and was distinguished far above the other two administrators because of his guileless spirit. Therefore Darius planned on putting Daniel in charge of the entire structure. Motivated by jealousy and selfish ambition, the satraps and other administrators hatched a plan to see Daniel removed. There plan was to construct a scenario where Daniel would be found guilty of crimes against the kingdom and executed. The only way they could do that was to frame Daniel in his consistent commitment to worshiping his God.

After the evil plans were set in motion, Daniel continued to worship his God, even though he knew that it would bring a sentence of death. For Daniel, continuing to give God the worship that He deserved and dying for the sake of righteousness was better than forsaking his God and living apart from God. An interesting observation on this story is that God actually allowed Daniel to go into the lions’ den. God could have stopped this evil plan from coming to fruition… He could have rescued Daniel before the death sentence was carried out – but He didn’t. Was God slow in His response? Was God late? From a human point of view, it would appear that He was – but He wasn’t. God was not slow in saving Daniel. He brought salvation to Daniel at the exact moment that would both grow Daniel’s faith and bring the most glory to God. God doesn’t operate on our timetable – and that can be discouraging and frustrating if we allow it to be. However, we can trust that God knows exactly what He is doing and that He is operating on a time table that will bring about the most good – for us and for those who are watching.

NT: “Dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere understanding by way of reminder, so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires, saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” …Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming.” (‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:1-4, 8-12‬a ‭CSB)

In order to prepare his readers for what would inevitably come, Peter warned them (and us) that scoffers would eventually ridicule them for the hope they had in Christ. It has been nearly 2,000 years since Christ ascended into heaven, promising to return again. From a purely human point of view, it would appear that Christ lied… that He isn’t coming back… that our hope is a fairy tale that will never come to pass. However, we must remember that God is not working from human time tables. God is not limited to linear time the way we are. God transcends time. He sees the beginning, the end, and all points in between.

The Greek word translated here as ‘delay’ means to be slow, to tarry, to loiter, to be passive. Though it may seem from a human point of view that God is loitering around in heaven, not actively involved in sending Christ back to finally save us from this evil age, God has definite purpose in His timing and is very actively involved in Christ’s return. Christ’s return will come at the right time – at a time when the most lives possible will be saved – at a time when God will get the most glory and Satan will experience the most crushing defeat. Make no doubt about it – the Lord will return, and when He does, it will be when no one expects it… like a thief in the night. He wants as many people as possible to hear the gospel and have the opportunity to respond – and at that moment (that only the Father will know) Christ will return for those who have come to faith in Him. All wrongs will be made right, and all evil will be destroyed. The important question is not when will Christ return, but what will be your fate when He does.

Psalms: “I hate those who are double-minded, but I love your instruction. You are my shelter and my shield; I put my hope in your word. Depart from me, you evil ones, so that I may obey my God’s commands. Sustain me as you promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Sustain me so that I can be safe and always be concerned about your statutes. You reject all who stray from your statutes, for their deceit is a lie. You remove all the wicked on earth as if they were dross from metal; therefore, I love your decrees. I tremble in awe of you; I fear your judgments.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:113-120‬ ‭CSB)

Apparently, the psalmist had to deal with scoffers who ridiculed him for his hope in God. The psalmist had to deal with evil people who wanted to cause him harm. Instead of becoming discouraged and frustrated… instead of giving up on the hope he had in the Lord, he held on even tighter. Though the Lord was not delivering him right away, he continued to love the Lord’s instructions and decrees and maintained his respect, honor, and trust in the Lord. He knew that as he help on to the word and to hope, he would experience the deliverance and sustaining power from the Lord that he needed – and the Lord would be glorified through it all.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that Your time is always the best time. I don’t see the future. I can’t even see much of what is going on in the present. But You see all, and You know all. I can trust Your judgement and Your timing to bring about the most good and the most glory. Help me to remain steadfastly, confidently, and peacefully committed to Your word, will and ways, no matter how long they take. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.