1 John

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“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14 NKJV).

December 5, 2017

“In Him,” namely, “in Christ,” we have confidence before the Father. For this reason Hebrews teaches us to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). And the apostle Paul writes that in Christ “we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him” (Eph. 3:12).

In Christ, we are God’s children. Everything that is Christ’s, is now ours. The currency of the kingdom is asking. As James taught, “You have not because you ask not” (James 4:2). And as Jesus taught, let us, “Ask, seek, knock” (Matt. 7:7-8). So, ask!

Yet, let us pray according to God’s will, for this is how Christ Himself prayed, saying, “Not my will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42).

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10 NKJV).

December 4, 2017

If we have any claim to love, it originates with God, who first loved us. This love is most fully demonstrated in the sending of His Son as the “propitiation for our sins,” dying on the cross for us. For in the cross we see the intersection of God’s love demonstrated and God’s justice satisfied. Our sin called for death, but God’s love answered the call, sending Jesus to die in our place. That God sent Jesus shows His love. That He offered Jesus as the “propitiation for our sins” shows His righteousness. As the apostle Paul wrote of Christ, “whom God set forth as a propitiation… to demonstrate His righteousness” (Rom. 3:25).

Propitiation is about covering and satisfaction. Christ’s sacrifice both covers our sin and satisfies the proper demands of a righteous God for judgment on sin. God’s righteousness required that He judge sin. God’s love moved Him to send His Son to pay the price for our sin.

“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 NKJV).

December 3, 2017

A good reminder especially during the Christmas season. Don’t sit on your “worldly goods” while your brother is in need. If you have the love of God in you, then you will not “shut up your heart” and look away. You will give. Because love, God’s kind of “agape” love, always gives.

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 NKJV).

December 1, 2017

Light. It reveals that which darkness conceals. It heals that which shadows the soul. It gives life to those who live by it. It is glorious, causing every color in the spectrum to be uniquely reflected in those who walk in its radiance.

How can we know this “light?” Listen to these words of Jesus, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12 ESV)

December 5, 2016

Many search for the fountain of youth. Yet, eternal life is not found in a fountain, nor a serum or medical procedure. It is found in Christ alone. Eternal life is in the Son of God. He is the Son that was given “unto us” (Isa. 9:7). He is the “only begotten” that God has given (John 3:16). Do you wonder how to know whether you have eternal life? Do you have the Son? Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Got Jesus? Got life!

“And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1 John 2:28 ESV)

December 2, 2016

Many start life’s race well, but finish poorly. But I want to finish this life well for Christ. Don’t you? What is the secret to finishing well? “Abide” in Christ. Stay close. If you wander, come back. If you stray, return. If you sin, repent. Keep short accounts. “Abide.” Which is to stay, to live and walk in constant fellowship with Jesus. This is not working or earning. It is remaining. It is clinging continuously to the One who saves and keeps us. It is depending on Him for all things and being satisfied in Him at all times. If we stay in constant fellowship with Him, we won’t be ashamed when He returns. He has done the heavy lifting, declaring, “It is finished!” There is no earning, nor striving for us to do. Yet, we must continually abide in Him to finish well.

“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 NKJV)

December 3, 2015

Love gives. That’s the proof of its authenticity. And those who claim to be children of God are to exhibit this proof. Do you see a brother in need? Don’t “shut up” your heart. Living in this world it’s easy to become hard hearted, but John tells us to live with open hearts and open hands towards those in need. Does the love of God “abide” in you?

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2 NKJV)

December 2, 2015

Do you ever ask questions of God like, “Why is this happening to me?” The apostle John answers saying not everything has been “revealed” yet, but one thing we can be sure of is that “we are children of God” and we shall “be like” Jesus. That’s God’s goal for us as believers. He is making us like Jesus. “Beloved,” whatever suffering or difficulty you may be going through today may be endured by keeping this end in sight. God is at work in His children, conforming them to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29).

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1 NKJV)

November 30, 2015

The apostle John opened his first letter as he did his gospel, and as Moses did the Torah, with the phrase: “the beginning.” Also, similar to his gospel, John referred to Christ as the “Word” (Greek: λόγος, logos). In John’s gospel, he spoke of the Word’s divine preexistence and agency in the beginning of creation, but here in John’s first epistle, he spoke of the beginning of the Word’s earthly ministry. In regards to his gospel, John surely spoke by faith and inspiration because he was not present to witness creation. But in his epistle, he clearly wants the reader to know that he was an eyewitness to Christ’s entire ministry. John, speaking of himself and of the other apostles, said, “We heard, saw, closely examined and touched Him.” John essentially said, “We witnessed the whole thing… the miracles, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension…so, you can trust our account and believe!” That’s why John wrote. He wrote so that we might believe.

“And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us” (1 John 4:13 NLT)

December 4, 2014

What the apostle John here calls “proof,” the apostle Paul calls a “guarantee (deposit, earnest, pledge)” (Eph. 1:14). Paul spoke of how the Holy Spirit seals our salvation, giving us inward assurance of salvation. But John is more concerned with what this mutual abiding looks like outwardly. He says that the one who lives in the Spirit and has the Spirit living in him, will testify that Jesus is the Son of God with his lips and have the love of God for others in his actions. The outworking of the Spirit living in us is evidenced by our testimony about Jesus and our love of others.