September 17, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like the gospel of John, the book of 1 John is filled with sharp contrasts: light and darkness, truth and falsehood, love and hate. In John\u2019s mind, things are fairly black and white with little if any grey area. In refreshingly simple terms, John writes his first epistle in order to give the people of God a better understanding of how they can know that they are saved, how they can tell the difference between true and false believers. He calls the church to be in a state of continual growth in faith, in obedience, and in love; let\u2019s heed that call together as a church as we read this letter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John continues to lay before his audience different tests and measures that they can use to discern those who are truly God\u2019s children from those who merely claim to be God\u2019s children. The first test he gives us in this chapter is the contrast between the habitual behaviors of believers versus those of unbelievers. John proclaims the incomparable love that God has shown us in making us His children in Christ, and then asserts that\u00a0all<\/strong> who are truly God\u2019s children,\u00a0all<\/strong> who place their hope in Christ in this way, purify themselves as Christ Himself is pure. John contrasts this with those who, rather than purifying themselves, make a practice of sinning; he says that\u00a0all<\/strong> who make a practice of sinning also practice lawlessness and are of the devil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This contrast is between the habitual behaviors we exhibit in our lives: is your life characterized by a pure and holy lifestyle, or is it characterized by habitual sin? We all sin and fall short in many ways of course, but what\u00a0characterizes<\/strong> your living? According to John, if habitual sin characterizes you more than pure living in Christ does, any claim you make to be God\u2019s child is a false one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second standard that John sets before his audience in this chapter is the contrast between love and hatred. All who are born of God have love for the people of God; in contrast, anyone who hates another believer gives evidence that they have not been born of God. So we are called to love one another, even as Christ has loved us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In loving one another as Christ loved us, John sets another challenge before us. The love that Jesus demonstrated towards us was not merely theoretical; He demonstrated it by dying for us, through His actions. John warns us here that merely claiming to love one another, without action to back it up, demonstrates that the love of God is not in us. God\u2019s love moves us to action, just like He demonstrated His love through action!<\/p>\n\n\n\n