Exploring the world we live in through the lenses of the Bible, Psychology and general curiosity
1 John Chapters 1-2
Please open your Bible to 1 John and read chapter 1.
I know you kind of want to just skim through verses 1-4, but please don’t! It’s pretty important; it’s summing up all of these things that were written down before this book, and how they are not just a story, but our history. They cover more history, more accurately than any other document that claims to date back to right after creation. It also states that eternal life that has always been God’s, has now been offered up to any who except Christ. We should have fellowship, and be thankful to the Ones that made that possible, not just God, not just Jesus, but both of them.
Verses 5-6 are an analogy that is often used, so much to the point that few know of it’s origin. God is the light, if we are true Christians, then we also walk in the light, in the things that are good and righteous. “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we are lying, and not practicing the truth.” (1 John 1:6 HCS Version)
Verse 7 is an amazing verse “and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” Wow. If we walk as Jesus walked, being as selfless, kind, just, honest and brave as He was, as much as we can, then we are walking in the light. I don’t know about you, but that is something that I would want to do my very best on. It never says that life will be easier on us if we do these things, but when life gets rough, we have the ability, and support that we need to stand strong in our faith, and in life.
I was once in a youth group, as a guest, and a girl said that the Church was not full of sinners because we were cleansed of our sins. Verse 8 makes it pretty clear that this is not true. Yes Christ takes away our sins when we confess, but that doesn’t mean that they were never there. You can be forgiven for something but that doesn’t mean that you never did it.
Verse 9; confessing your sins is so, so important. Every night when I say my prayer I do this thing called A.C.T.S. which stands for Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, and I pray a little bit about each of these things. Confession is the hardest one, because it forces me to look back over the day and recognize the sins that I have committed that day. But, after I have looked over them, and admitted to God that what I did was wrong, I felt more free than I had ever since I had committed that sin- even If I didn’t realize that my sins were burdening me, the really did have a negative impact on my day. God takes that away when we confess.
Verse 10: Ouch. I mean, it’s true, if you don’t recognize the fact that you have sinned multiple times in your life you need to look more carefully, and stop bragging about the so called “perfectness” you think you have.
God is good and right, and has thought out an amazing way to take the weight of our sin away from us, but we need to accept that privilege, and forgive ourselves once we know that God has forgiven us. And we also need to do our best not to sin, when it’s an obvious matter of “choose this, no sin, choose this, sin. Maybe just this once…” Admit it, it’s gone through your head at least once.
Dear LORD,
We are not perfect people, and you know that, and provided us away to get away from our mistakes, we need to confess, and get that weight off our back. Thank You so much for everything that You have given us. I love you LORD,
Amen.
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Please open your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2.
Verse 1 reminds us that we need to try not to sin, and that when we do sin there’s someone up there who is willing to plead our case with our Heavenly Father.
Verse 2 in my Bible says that He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, then in the notes at the bottom it says the word propitiation has to do with the removal of divine wrath. Jesus removes God’s wrath from us, if we turn to Him. Not just the Church, but the Muslims, the ones without faith, anyone who will turn away from the hatred and mess that this world has become… and turn to Jesus. This invitation has been extended to anyone. We definitely do not have the right to pick and choose, so why do we act like we do? All the time we are hateful, and purposely hurt the feeling of the people that Jesus loves, and have been invited to join us in our amazing faith.
Verse 3-4 God has given us lot’s and lots of guidance in the book that is in my lap right now. There are so many examples of the instructions that He has given us. When we say that we have become a Christian, we have accepted the calling to obey those instructions as closely as we possible can. I have seen so many people who go to Church and pray, and then turn into somebody else as soon as they step outside those doors. They don’t follow those commands, and it says right in verse 4 that they are liars. Does it say that that gives us a right to be hateful to them, or say mean things to or about them? No!
Verses 5-6 But whoever keeps His word, truly in him (or her!) the love of God has been perfected. This is how we know that we are in Him; if we walk as He walked. Taking the phrase WWJD straight to heart, and thinking about it in every decision and situation. Going towards everything with courage and love and kindness, or as much of it as we can muster up anyway. We, as Christians are called to treat people the way that Jesus would treat them, and though we have not perfected that yet, we really do need to try as much as we can to do so. Oh, and another thing that Jesus was- Selfless. So, completely, utterly selfless.
Verses 7-8 This isn’t some new thing, we have always been called to have these characteristics, even before Jesus. And yet, it is kind of a new thing, simply because we have an example to follow. Jesus defeated darkness, not quite yet, but in the long run. He defeated death as well.
Verses 9-11 You cannot claim to be a Christian and then go on and on about this person you hate. If you are in the light you do whatever it takes to help your brother or sister, like them or not.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You have made a wonderful book, in which is everything we’ll ever need to live as you lived. There are so many instructions, I know that I can’t stick to all of them perfectly, but I will try really hard. Please write those words on my heart, the ones about loving my brother, and please help me to seek You, with everything that I am. I love You.
Amen.
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