1 John

October 27th – 1 John 2:1

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1 John 2:1

No matter how hard we try not to, we all sin. Each one of us fails daily and need God’s forgiveness. Because whether big or small, all sin separates us from God. But the apostle John reassures us that in His great love, God provided a path of reconciliation back to Himself. Because He will never leave us in our sin, nor turn His back on us when we fall, God has given us a great advocate through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Greek word translated “advocate” is paraklēton, which literally means one who pleads a case on someone else’s behalf. Think of that. With all He endured on this earth, even now, Jesus is at God’s right hand interceding for us. As our perfect high priest, the Lord paid for our sins with His precious blood. And now night and day, He stands before the throne of grace, pleading our case before our Father.

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October 23rd – 1 John 1:5

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1 John 1:5

Many false religions teach that Jesus was many things, except God in the flesh. But the Bible is very clear. Only those who truly believe that Christ is the Messiah and that it is only though Him can we receive salvation, are His children. And as proof of our family membership, love should spilling out of every area of our lives. And that love should especially be prevalent for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. For John says that those claim to love God, but have no love for others is a liar. (1 John 4:20). Our Heavenly Father showed and continues to show unconditional, unending, love for His children. And as extensions of the Lord on this earth, we need to example that love in all we do. Because when we love with conditions, not only do we turn others away from Christ, we wound the heart of God. For it the wish of every parent for their children to love and care for each other with a true sibling devotion.

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October 19th – 1 John 3:9

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1 John 3:9

When we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become new creatures, “born of God.” Adopted children of the Most High, who receive His “spiritual DNA” through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And because of this indwelling, our spiritual hearts should long for a new way of life. One that no longer yearns to walk in sin, concerned only with fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. But instead one which strives to live in God’s perfect will, freed from our old, corrupt way of life. For as John tells us, if we knowingly and eagerly live in habitual sin, we should be questioning our relationship with the Lord. As fallen beings, we all sin and fail daily. But if our hearts and lives remained unchanged as Christians, we have a problem. And if we aren’t feeling convicted, remorseful, or ashamed of our sins, we need to re-examine our faith.

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October 13th – 1 John 3:10

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1 John 3:10

John tells us that there are two kinds of people. Those who truly love and follow God, and those who don’t. And you can tell who is who just by looking at their lives. Because it’s a person’s actions, not their words, that show whether or not they are a member of God’s family. We all sin and fall short daily, but John says a true child of God doesn’t have a life marked by habitual, unrepentant sin. And a true child of God lets love lead him in all he does. Because the greatest command God gives us is to love Him fully and completely, and to love others as ourselves. For it was love that brought Jesus to pay the sin debt we owe. And love that made our redemption possible. So if, as children of God, love isn’t fully on display in our lives for all to see, we have a problem. Because as Christians, we should be both thinking and acting according to the nature of our heavenly Father instead of the nature of the fallen world in which we live.

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August 27th – 1 John 1:9

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1 John 1:9

Being human means without exception, we all falter. Even the most diligent Christian sins daily. And sometimes that sin leads to terrible, painful consequences. Yet no matter how bad we screw up, one consequence we will never face is the loss of God’s love. The Bible is very clear, nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God. (Rom. 8:38-39) But the sins we commit break our sweet fellowship with the Lord. They interrupt our walk with Him, causing us to stray off the path of righteousness. Yet even so, when we come back to God in confession and true repentance, He is faithful to forgive our sins, declare us innocent, and welcome us into His loving arms. For we don’t serve an angry, vengeful, grudge holding God. Instead we are children of a loving, merciful Father who not only forgives us completely, He removes all trace of them, remembering them never again! (Psalm 103:12)

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June 29th – 1 John 3:2

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1 John 3:2

I don’t know about you, but the older I get the longer it seems to get going in the morning. Gone are the days where I can jump out of bed and start my day without a little warm up. And so it goes with aging. From the day we are born, our bodies begin the process of decay and eventually death. But one day very soon all of that will change. For the Lord is coming for His church. And when the glorified Jesus Christ is revealed, not only will we know Him, we too be revealed with Him in glory. And that includes our bodies. We will discard these frail, sin loving, diseased, and defective bodies, for new perfectly glorified images of Christ. And all because of the great love that God shows us by adopting us into His family and calling His beloved children!

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May 9th – 1 John 2:28

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1 John 2:28

Just as Christ called His disciples to abide in Him, He calls us to do the same. But abiding in Jesus means more than just resting in His love and grace. It means actively doing our part to lead lives that glorify God. Abiding means emulating. Emulating the Lord in both word and deed. By earnestly obeying God’s Word, and letting others see Jesus shine through us, we show that we are indeed abiding in Him. So on that promised glorious day of our Lord’s appearance, we can be as gleeful as little children instead of hiding in shame upon His return. Maranatha!

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May 6th – 1 John 1:3

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1 John 1:3

The apostle John spent over three years walking alongside Jesus. He lived, worked, ate, loved, laughed, and cried by the side of our Savior. John saw firsthand the miracles, mercy, and grace Jesus exhibited daily. And the close, personal relationship with Christ John had, he wants for us as well. So John shared with the world his testimony of the goodness of the Lord, and the salvation that Jesus alone offers. And just as Jesus walked with John, when we abide in Him, He walks with us well. What a wonderful truth it is to know that not a single day will go by without Jesus by our side!

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April 11th – 1 John 4:16

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1 John 4:16

As Christians, each day we have the awesome opportunity to experience God’s love and work in our lives. And because we see firsthand all that He does on our behalf, we have come to know and believe in the love the Lord has for each of us. A love demonstrated by His gift of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. God has such a great love for us, He holds nothing good back from His children. And because He is love, God promises that if we abide in Him, He in turn will forever abide in, and immerse us in His amazing love!

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April 9th – 1 John 3:1

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1 John 3:1

Do you ever feel like you just don’t fit in this world? As a Christian, that’s exactly how we should feel. For as members in the family of Christ, the earth isn’t our home. We are children of the most high God, and with Him is where we belong. And we long for the day when we go to our forever home in heaven and dwell with our Father for eternity. To those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior, this type of hopeful joy and expectation doesn’t make sense. But no matter. For we know the love of God, and all that awaits us when He welcomes us home!

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