John is passionate about Jesus and Jesus is the connection into,or with God the Father. You can’t have one without the other. If you know God, then you will know Jesus and if you know Jesus, you will know God the Father…
Jesus (or Jesus Christ) is not just a name, He is a person and to know Him is to know and believe the truth about Him. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God (2) and more, If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God (15). Elsewhere in this letter John explains more right beliefs about Jesus (fill in verses). What I sensed is that John is passionate that the people to whom he is writing will understand fully and correctly who Jesus is. Jesus is God, God in human flesh, the purchaser of our atonement, Savior of the world, and so forth.
But John is never satisfied to leave belief in the realm of thinking. Right belief will result in right living.
So in verse 7, John pounds some more, the call to love. Love of God and love for others is the fruit, the result, of belief in Jesus. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (10-11).
As I ingested this lesson, my growth point is the second half of the equation. It is as if the Spirit whispered, “Bill, let your belief blossom and flower. Stretch your heart, risk loving, risk giving your life away as Jesus your Lord did. Love, go ahead and love, let My power and My love flow through you to others. Yes, Bill, let love flow to those you might not naturally love or affinity-wise be drawn toward. My Spirit will lead you… love as Jesus loved…”
O, God, help me. I admit and confess that this call of Yours is not innate to me. I cannot do it on my own. I can only go there as I am filled with Your love and empowered by Your Spirit.
Lord Jesus, this week I walk your passion. You forgave from the cross, those who nailed you there, Roman soldiers, Jewish leaders and priests, crowds who screamed for Your blood. Help me to love like that…to love like You. Amen
Nice way to finish the difference between Jesus and God. I like it most
ReplyDelete