THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013
Hosea 1:1–3:5
1 John 5:1–21
Psalm 124:1–8
Proverbs 29:5–8
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11,12)
We find great beauty in simplicity. While advancing technology sometimes requires complication, consumers tend to appreciate simplicity and clean lines (along with robust underlying technology). These insights have sparked the success of Apple and Porsche, for example. For such companies, simplicity becomes a hallmark.
In God’s Word, we may find contrasting simplicity and complexity. While one may express the core of the Gospel in a few sentences, we cannot completely understand the fullness of Christ (deity in bodily form; cf. Colossians 2:9); the interplay between temporality and eternity (2 Peter 3:8,9); or the intermingling of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. God invites us into a deepening relationship and revelation over a lifetime.
Much like the marriage relationship, our initial connection with God may begin rather simply and with limited background. As we grow deeper in knowledge of the Holy One through His revelation and surrender more fully to His will, we discover a richer wholeness and integrity to our very being and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, recognize the personhood that our loving Father had intended for us. From my experience, this process involves bumps, twists, and turns, all of which God uses for His good purposes: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:28,29)
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:1–4)
The book of 1 John distinctively mirrors the teaching of the Gospel of John. In this snippet, we read about the strong compatibility of faith and obedience. Indeed, John argues that loving God’s people means “loving God and carrying out his commands.” Therefore, the three elements of the irreducible core – loving God, loving people, and making disciples – are inextricably intertwined.
We cannot merely “accept” or receive Christ in a momentary flash of clarity and then abandon the commitment to walk with Jesus. This type of “cheap grace” appears incompatible with the teaching here and in John 14:21: obedience flows from our love of God. The virtuous cycle of faith emerges: God so loved us, sparking us to recognize His beauty and goodness, which causes us to love Him, follow His commands, and love His people. In contrast, the vicious cycle of the world follows: we trust in ourselves or something else, focusing on our own best interests or some other idol, which causes us to forsake God and downplaying others.
May we encourage one another to pursue this virtuous cycle of life and flourishing and to avoid the vicious cycle of spiritual deadness.
“This is the one who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three are in agreement.” (1 John 5:6–8)
Here, John touches upon the validity of the testimony about Christ.
The “water” symbolizes His human birth: the incarnational presence. By the “water,” the God-man Jesus Christ embraced the completeness of humanity, meaning that He experienced the emotional range that we have all faced. This recognition leads us to trust Him more and to approach God with confident assurance: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15,16)
The “blood” refers to the sacrificial and atoning death of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Isaiah 53 5 explains this transfer of 1) our guilt to the Lord Jesus and 2) His righteousness to a sinful but redeemed people:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
Finally, the Spirit (through the Word of God) testifies to this truth. With the passage of time, we have received the written revelation of God’s story in the Bible, but the Spirit also speaks truth into the believer’s heart on an ongoing basis. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit that makes God’s truth come alive in our hearts and minds; any insights we have ultimately have their triggering through the Spirit’s enlivening presence: “[Jesus speaking] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:13–15)
Dear Father, guide us into the truth of Your Word and enliven our hearts through Your Holy Spirit. Bring us to a deeper trust and a stronger desire to obey You and to love others. Help us to shine as lights in a dark place, for Your glory and honor. In Jesus’s Name, amen.
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