Devotionary

This is episode six on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. It’s entitled, “Staying Power” because that is exactly what John’s audience needed. They were struggling. They were under attack and suffering persecution for their faith. They had even had a split in their fellowship, with some of their so-called brothers and sisters leaving in a far-from-understanding manner. Questions were flying. Doubts were growing. Their new-found faith had started to hit some major road blocks and John worried that they would throw in the towel. Coming to faith is easy. Staying committed to the faith in the face of daily opposition is another thing. So, John is going to provide them with some very timely words of encouragement and exhortation. He wanted them to stay strong. He wanted them to rest in the assurance of their salvation and the truth of the gospel message they had received. They were not to give up or give in. Regardless of what happened to them or around them.

In this fifth episode on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27, we’ll be looking at the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. John wants us to know that we have a capacity to know truth and to live in the knowledge of that truth. And it’s all due to the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God. As Christians living in the midst of a fallen world, we are surrounded by lies and half-truths. Satan, under whose influence the majority of people in the world are held captive, wants to contradict and confuse the truth of God. He wants to dilute the message of the gospel and refute the promises of God. He offers us counterfeit gospels and feasible-sounding solutions to our problems. But they are all lies. And the only way we can spot the lies is with the help of the Spirit of God. That’s why I’ve called this episode, “Our Spiritual Lie Detector.” The Holy Spirit is an invaluable resource when it comes to knowing the truth of God and spotting the lies of the enemy. Between the Spirit of God and the Word of God, we can kno

This is our fourth episode on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. I’ve entitled it “When Christians Become Anti-Christ.” That title may surprise you a bit. But John would have us know that it’s not only possible, it is probable, if and when we refuse to keep our hope focused on the gospel of Jesus and the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ for not only our salvation, but our sanctification. It is far easier than we might realize to become anti-Christ. When we stand against His will for us or refuse to allow Him to work through us, we end up opposed to Him. When we begin to think that we can handle our lives without Him or achieve some level of holiness apart from Him, we end up standing in opposition to Him. When Satan attempted to get Adam and Eve to disobey God and eat from the forbidden tree, he simply said, “Surely God has not said.” He got them to doubt God’s word. He led them to question God’s motives. And as soon as they ate, they became anti-God. And it’s still a risk we all face today.

This is episode three on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. I’ve entitled it “The Last Hour.” In it, we will find John giving his best effort to warn his readers about the spirit of the antichrist. This term is one that most of us associate with the end times, a time period somewhere out in the distant future that we hope to avoid at all costs. But John was under the impression, the divinely-inspired impression, that he was living in the last times. And so are we. They began the day Jesus ascended into heaven and sent His Spirit to dwell among us and within us. So, for more than 2,000 years, we have been living within a period of time that is moving steadily closer to a point of culmination. John told his readers that they were living in the last hour. But Peter would have us remember, “A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8 NLT). We don’t know God’s schedule, but we do know that we are living in the last days because of the growing antipathy and animosit

This is the second of seven episodes on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. It’s entitled, “Truth Is Not Relative” and is going to deal with the common misconception that truth is highly subjective. In John’s day, just as in ours, there were a lot of people who rejected Jesus’ claim to be the truth, the only truth. There were more than enough people who were willing to admit that Jesus lived and died. They might even admit that He was sent by God. But as far as being the Messiah and the God-Man who died on the cross for the sins of mankind, that was another matter. Jesus’ claim to be the way, the truth and the life has always had its detractors and deniers. The exclusivity of that claim has always left some shaking their head in disbelief. It comes across to them as arrogant and intolerant. They can’t imagine a god who offer something so significant as eternal life and then be so unjust as to offer only one way of attaining it. But John wants us to know that anyone who claims a truth other than Christ is not o

Today we start on a new section of 1 John. For the next seven episodes, we are going to spend our time in 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. And this first episode is entitled, “Who Do You Say That I Am?” This was a question Jesus asked His disciples and it is still the most important question any man or woman has to answer. And ultimately, everyone WILL have to give an answer. And John wants us to realize that there is only one right answer. Jesus is the Christ. But what does that even mean? That is what we hope to answer as we unpack these 10 verses over the next seven episodes. Believing that Jesus was a man who actually lived and was crucified on a Roman cross is not the same thing as believing He was the Christ. Respecting Jesus as a great example of moral living and ethical teaching is not the same thing as recognizing Him as your Savior. Even admitting that He was the Son of God is not the same thing as confessing Him as your Lord. Knowing about Jesus is not enough. But trusting in Him is.

This is the seventh and final episode on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17. I’ve entitled it, “The Folly of What is Fading.” In this one verse, verse 17, John is going to remind us just how ridiculous it is to love this world and the things it offers, because it and everything on it, are on their way out. They are fading, rusting, and losing their value. But he would have us remember that we are eternal creatures, complete with souls that will last forever. When we become infatuated with this present reality, we tend to take our eyes off our future eternity. We begin to live as if this is all there is. We focus all our affections on this life. We attempt to enjoy all the pleasures of life while we can. It’s only natural. But John wants us to live with a heavenly mindset. This world is not our home. We are passing through on our way to some place better. The pleasures of this life are nothing to be compared with what is to come. There’s only one thing on this earth that is going to last and that’s people.

This is our sixth episode on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17 and our final one on verse 16. I’ve entitled is, “Self-glorification.” So far, we’ve looked at the dangers of self-gratification and self-indulgence. They are both forms of self-love. And so is this third one: Self-glorification. When we love the world and the things it has to offer, it can often take the form of our worldly accomplishments and material possessions. These things make us feel special. They provide us with a sense of self-worth and a means by which to measure our status. They feed our ego and stroke our pride. Which is about as dangerous as feeding the bears in a national forest. It looks innocent enough, but it could turn out to bite you. John wants us to avoid all forms of self-glorification. It’s probably one of the most insidious forms of self-love, because we don’t even realize that we are making ourselves our own gods. We look at our resume or our checking accounts and begin to believe that we are self-made and self-sufficient. A

This episode is entitled, “Self-indulgence” and is our fifth on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17. We are still looking at verse 16 and the second phrase John uses to describe our love of the world. The New Living Translation calls it “a craving for everything we see.” It’s an insatiable desire for all the goodies the world offers us, from fame and recognition to the latest technological devices and trendy fashions. We see it and we have to have it. And while most of the things we crave are not evil or declared off-limits by God, they still pose a danger for us. It is far too easy for us to see these things as the source of our satisfaction and sense of self-worth. They become another means by which we practice self-love. We convince ourselves that we deserve them. We rationalize that they will make us happy. And in doing so, we turn them into little gods that we fully expect to meet our needs. But they almost always prove to be impotent and incapable of delivering what they promise. They can’t return our love.

This is episode four on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17. It’s entitled, “Self-gratification” because that seems to be one of the main points John is trying to make. Love of the world is ultimately love of self. We don’t really love the world. We simply love what we believe the world can offer us. It holds out a host of tempting allurements that it offers in return for our time, attention and affections. It is the same tactic Satan used on Jesus during His time in the wilderness. Matthew records, “Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ‘I will give it all to you,’ he said, ‘if you will kneel down and worship me’” (Matthew 4:8-9 NLT). Satan, the prince of this world is always seeking to get us to turn our love for God on to ourselves. He wants us to make it all about us. But self-love is ultimately self-destructive. And our love affair with the world is nothing more than a not-so-subtle ploy to make life all about us.

In this, the third episode on at 1 John 2, verses 12-17, we’ll be discussing, “Misplaced Love.” John is going to contrast a love for God as illustrated in our love for others with a love for the world and the things it offers. These are not two available options for our love, they are opposites. You can’t love the world and love God at the same time. And it is hard to love others when we’re busy loving the things of this world and buying into their constant temptations to meet our every self-centered need. Love for the world is innately selfish. It is all about us. We love the world for what it can offer us in return. We give it our time, attention and affections, because it promises to make us happy, fulfilled, successful, popular, and satisfied. But love for God is other-oriented. It focuses on the needs of others. We love, not to get something in return, but simply because He first loved us. Loving the world makes it all about us. Loving God makes it all about others.

This is our second episode looking at 1 John 2, verses 12-17, and is entitled, “A Timely Reminder”, because it contains some encouraging words we all need to hear. While John was writing to a particular group of believers, his words are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are timeless in nature. In these verses, he will remind us of some irrefutable facts about us due to our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is amazing how easy it is for us to forget these truths or simply become so complacent about them, that they no longer carry any weight in our lives. But John would have us reconsider the incredible nature of what God has done for us and to us as a result of His Son’s death on the cross. We have been made right with God. No more condemnation. No more fear of death. We have forgiveness of sins and the peace that comes with knowing that our eternity is secure. And if there was ever a time we needed to hear those words, it is now.

For the next seven days, we will be looking at 1 John 2, verses 12-17. As we saw in the first 11 verses of this chapter, John has the ability to squeeze a lot of content into a very small space. These verses are packed with insight and encouragement, and in them, he will address the need for believers to stand firm in their faith, fully confident that Christ has accomplished a major victory for them. They are fully equipped to live the life they have been called to live. They need not fear failure or losing their salvation. While they will face confrontation from the world and the ongoing attacks of the enemy, the victory is assured because Jesus has taken care of it. John will give some strong words of warning about falling in love with the world. It is impossible to love God and share that affection with a fallen world that is diametrically opposed to Him. This world is temporal, not eternal. What it offers is of no value compared to the knowledge that we have new life in Christ now and eternal life waiting

This is the final episode on 1 John 2:3-11 and it is entitled, “I Know That I Know.” John wanted his readers to know that they know. In other words, he was anxious that the believers to whom he was writing were confident in their knowledge of God. And the best way to assure them of their relationship with God was to be found in their obedience TO God. Those who have come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, will live differently, because they have the Spirit of God living within them. They have a new capacity to live in obedience to God because they possess the power of God in the form of His Spirit. It is when we see that we are actually able to obey God that we begin to realize that our relationship with Him is real and our knowledge of Him has moved from head knowledge to actual heart knowledge. Anyone can claim to know God. But it is only those who have actually come into a relationship with Him through faith in His Son who can truly boast of knowing God. And the proof is in their obedience to Him.

Anyone who has ever spent any time in the dark knows that stumbling comes with the territory. The inability to see clearly makes it almost impossible for us to walk safely and confidently. And in this, the sixth episode on 1 John 2, verses 3-11, we are going to hear what John has to say about the consequences of living in the dark. I’ve entitled this episode, “No Cause for Stumbling” because John is going to tell us that we should have no excuse if we stumble and fall or if we cause another to do the same. We are children of the light. We have the light of Christ living within us and the light of God’s Word available to us. So, seeing clearly and walking confidently should not be a problem for us. Unless of course, we choose to ignore the light. Darkness is nothing more than an absence of light. And when we refuse to spend time in the Word, deepening our relationship with God and growing in our knowledge of Jesus Christ, we end up stumbling around in the dark. And like the blind leading the blind, our lifesty

As should be fairly obvious by now, these nine verses are jam-packed and that’s why we are doing our fifth episode on 1 John chapter two, verses 3-11. This one is called, “Something Old. Something New” and will take a look at John’s new take on an old commandment. As has been the case in the last four episodes, the subject matter is love, but this time, John will link our love of God with our love of others. And who did he get that idea from? Jesus Himself. Jesus was the one who described the love of God and others as the two greatest commandments. And John simply drives home the point that you can’t truly love God if you refuse to love your brother or sister in Christ. One of the things we tend to forget is that our love for others is actually an expression of our love for God. When we love those whom He has made, we are loving Him. His love for us is meant to flow through us, not come to a screeching halt on us. His love is intended to be shared. And while Jesus Christ was the ultimate expression of the lov

This is episode four on 1 John chapter two, verses 3-11 and we will continue to dig into John’s admonition that we love others. John describes what we are to do as a new commandment, one given to us by Jesus Himself. This is not an optional or discretionary suggestion, but a command. And our obedience to it is not left up to our own flesh, weakened as it is by sin. We have been given the Spirit of God, who provides us with the power of God, and makes it possible to love as we have been loved by God. In a world that is marred by hate and superficial forms of selfish, self-centered love, we are to model Christ-like love that is totally selfless and sacrificial. That is why Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by the way we love one another. That kind of love is not of this world. It is supernatural and impossible to create on our own. The world doesn’t have a version of that kind of love. It is alien and other-worldly. Men can try to fake it, but they can’t make it. One of the reasons God left u

In this third episode on 1 John chapter two, verse 3-11, we will be looking at what it means to walk like Jesus walked. John will point blank tell us that our walk or lifestyle is to emulate that of Jesus. And when we walk as He walked, we will know that we are in Him. In other words, we will have assurance of our salvation by virtue of our transformed behavior. But one of the things John will drive home is that a love for others is to be a hallmark of the one who has come to know Christ. Jesus loved, so we are to love. And we are to love as He has loved us. And to claim that you know Christ and have had the darkness of your life exposed and replaced with the light of Christ, all the while hating another brother or sister in Christ is a sign that something is desperately wrong. Love is a non-negotiable outcome of having your heart transformed by the grace, mercy and love of God. Failure to love is evidence that you have never fully experienced the love and forgiveness of God. It is to walk in the flesh, not l

This is part two in our look at 1 John chapter two, verse 3-11. This episode is entitled “The Fading Darkness” and will deal with John’s assessment of the state of things since the Light of the world entered the scene. It may surprise you. Because we live in a time when it seems like the darkness, or evil, is having a field day and the good guys are losing. But John would have us remember that the darkness is passing away, whether it looks like it or not. Jesus Christ has conquered death and sin. He has already won the victory and it only a matter of time before His light eliminates the darkness once and for all. But in the meantime, we are to be His lights in this world. We are to reflect the light of Christ in such a way that our lives not only expose the darkness around us, they help eliminate it. The church, the body of Christ, is to be an agent of change in the world, providing evidence of God’s miraculous and gracious transformative power, made possible through His Son. Like Him, we are to be lights in

In today’s episode, we will be in 1 John chapter two, verse 3-11. I’ve entitled this episode “By This We Know”, which just happens to be the name of this entire series. John will use that phrase repeatedly throughout his letter, because he wants his readers to know for certain that they are saved and that they can live lives that express the reality of their salvation. He wants them to know that they have been transformed from darkness into light. But if that is the case, as he strongly believes it is, their lives should reflect their new nature. Their behavior should give evidence of the radical transformation that faith in Christ has brought about. One of the main evidences John gives of having been saved is a new-found ability to keep the commands of Christ. Obedience becomes not only possible, but a normal part of the believer’s life. We not only have Christ living in us, we have His life being expressed through us – in our words and actions. And that Spirit-produced ability to live Christ-like is proof o