Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. — Philippians 2:12-13Read More
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. —Matthew 5 In a previous post IRead More
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot beRead More
As I stated at the beginning of this series, John’s pastoral heart sets out to protect, correct, and connect. He seeks to protect us from false teachings about the person of Jesus; to correct anyone who claims obedience is not important; and to connect us to one another through theRead More
Having just summed up all three tests for authentic Christianity (5:1-5), John emphasizes the doctrinal test again in 5:6-10. As he moves toward the end of his letter, John stresses belief in Jesus because he wants to show the priority of belief in Jesus as God’s full and final testimonyRead More
As a synopsis or summary of the entire epistle John combines belief in Jesus, love for one another, and obedience to God in 5:1-5. The words “believe” or “faith” occur in vv. 1, 4, 5; “love” in vv. 1, 2, 3; “obey” or “commands” in vv. 2, 3. Together, allRead More
John moves from right belief about Jesus (1 Jn. 4:1-6) to right conduct toward one another (1 Jn. 4:7-21). For the third time he commands us to love one another (cf., 1 Jn. 2:7-11; 3:11-18). The word “love” occurs twenty-seven times in this passage. In between admonishments to love one another, JohnRead More
Throughout 1 John three tests are applied to identify authentic Christianity: Moral (obeying God, 1:6-7; 2:3-6, 28-29; 3:4-10; 5:3) Doctrinal (believing the truth about Jesus, 2:18-27; 3:23; 4:1-6, 15; 5:1, 5, 10, 13) Social, (loving others faithfully, 2:7-11; 3:11-18, 23; 4:7-12, 19-21; 5:1-2). In this passage, the doctrinal test isRead More
From our previous passage (1 Jn. 3:1-9) we learned that because of the Father’s love for us and His image in us, our new life in Christ will be evident. This passage speaks to what the evidence looks like: Sacrificial love for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. VerseRead More
Continuing with our study in 1 John, chapter 3, verses 1-9 can be seen in two parts: The Father’s love for us (vv. 1-3), and the Father’s image in us (vv. 4-9). Having mentioned being “born of Him” (2:29), John’s thought is triggered by some astonishing implications of our newRead More