¹² I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
¹³ I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
¹⁴ I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

Poems are powerful communicators. Imagination and emotion are stirred up and expressed by a poem’s use of rhyme and rhythm. Poetry calls for the reader to pay close attention to the meaning in fewer words than prose. Here in 1 John 2, the Apostle John’s passion about Jesus is penned. He uses repetition for emphasis. John desires us not only to know, but feel, the reasons he has written his letters. He wants us not only to experience fellowship, but to grow in it, and not only in our relationship with Jesus but with others. For me, studying the books and letters written by John is getting to know an amazing Christian brother and his closest personal friend.

As I look back over my life, growing up in a Christian home, attending a Christian college, pursing a ministry major and serving, I recognize knowing Christ for a long time from childhood to adulthood and through many seasons. There is so much I’ve learned with so much more to learn, and I’ve grown so much but have so much more to grow. John the Apostle was an old man writing this letter, having a close relationship with Christ and being with Christ since he was a young man. He knew about loving one another from the Jewish Torah and tradition. Now he experienced and knew about loving one another from the God-man Jesus who had been from the beginning.  John knew his sins were forgiven, he knew the word of God abided in him, and knew God was his Father. I’ve grown in knowing these things too.

John is encouraging us with loving affirmation that whatever stage of maturity we’re in, we have grown and are continuing to grow in our relationship with the Father God and his Son Jesus Christ. This relationship begins now but continues for eternity. We can begin this relationship by believing in our heart that Jesus rose from the dead and confessing with our mouth that Jesus died to forgive our sins. As John writes in his gospel, grace and truth came to live among us, the Word that was from the beginning, and was with God. And whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. We have joined an incredible family community with both the Father and his Son. John wants us all to know intimately and experientially the love and joy in this partnership. Then John identifies how important it is for all who have begun communion with the Father through His Son to have the word of God living in them for strength to overcome the evil one.   The common ingredient for our growth is our personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. Our community strengthens us even more, and we have others to help us in spiritual battle. Together we want to get so close to him there is no big change on that day when he calls our name.   John keeps us looking ahead to greater maturity and increased intimacy of relationship with the Father, through His Son Jesus, because of love.  In Jesus’ love we are forgiven, we grow, we abide.   In Jesus’ love we overcome. In his love we have victory, because this has been his plan from the beginning.   You and I can praise God together for his love. Let’s listen to this song, (songs are poems!) Love is Strong by Jon Foreman.

1 John 5:4: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

By Donna Burns  

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Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Have you ever read a passage of scripture and felt condemnation and shame because of it? If you have ever struggled with a difficult relationship, passages like this might make you feel that way. Is it just me? It’s easy to feel like this text is telling us we are “in darkness” because we have all struggled with people. We may tell ourselves we don’t “hate” anyone, but our inner self fears that maybe our negative feelings might qualify as hate no matter what we tell ourselves. Is that what this text is saying? Are we still in darkness if we strongly dislike (hate) someone?

The good news is, I don’t think this text is intended to strike guilt and shame into us. In fact, guilt and shame are not intended results of any gospel truth. The bad news is that hate is still dangerous. John is pleading with us not to hate because we are at risk of being hated by God in return, instead he is pleading with us because hate is by nature a place of darkness. If you have ever been at odds with someone you may know this to be true. Anger can dominate your mind and it darkens your outlook on life. John tells us we walk in darkness when we live in hate.

Love on the other hand is a place of light. Living in love towards others is like walking around with a 6th sense. It’s more than just clarifying, it’s like walking with a spotlight that sees in every dark corner of the world. When you love, you can see the offenses others commit against you as expressions of a bad day, or a brokenness stemming from a deep hurt. Love is a better way to live, not because we are told to love but because it is what we were made for.

Take a moment to write a prayer asking God to illuminate your world with eyes of love today. Set aside all guilt and shame and step into the light of love. As you ask God to help you walk in love towards others, remember he wants that for you. His answer is yes. [/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Aaron Bjorklund  

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[7] Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. [8] At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. (1 John 2:7-8)

Was it a new command or an old command? John seems to be grasping for words that would adequately paint a picture of his friend, Jesus. At one point, he claimed that it was a command that was from the beginning. It’s ancient. It’s the very ground the cosmos stand upon. And yet, he stated it was a new command. Well, which was it? Was the command new or old?

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go a PGA event in Denver. I’m a big golf fan and I love watching the sport on television. I also love to play golf. However, seeing it in person changed the whole game for me. I know the rules of golf and I know how to swing a club and keep score, and what I do on the course in some ways resembled what I saw at the BMW invitational – but the way the pros played completely redefined the sport! It was something altogether different.

The command to love was nothing new. The Old Testament Scriptures were clear when they stated in Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” But when Jesus gathered his disciples around himself and gave them their marching orders, he stated, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34). It’s in this passage that Jesus tells us what’s new about his command – “love… as I have loved you.” The new part is not the content of the command, but rather the extent to which followers of Jesus were called to take it.

In the same way that professional golfers redefine the sport of golf, Jesus redefined the calling to love. The way that Jesus lived out the command to love made it new. Jesus loved his enemies. Jesus loved to the point of death. The extent of Jesus’ love was so great John stated, “we love because (and only because) he first loved us.” Jesus’ love was costly, extravagant, and completely unearned. It redefined the term. It made the command… new. And as his followers, he calls and commissions us to walk in this same love.

We are often fairly hard on ourselves, but my guess is, there are a number of times in this last week where you have lived out the kind of love Jesus modeled. Think about one such time and celebrate it. Thank God for it. And be on the lookout for more opportunities model his love this week. [/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Ryan Paulson  

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⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The Apostle John is obsessed with God’s love. Perhaps you’ve realized this already because as you read his letters, you’ll notice them dripping with love talk. This tells me John is absolutely convinced God is love (1 John 4:9) and we are his beloved (1 John 2:7, 3:2, 4:1, 4:7, 4:11). John is also convinced there is divine purpose in God’s love. He says, “God so loved the world, that God gave his only Son,” (John 3:16) and “God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).

In this passage, John hits one of his mic drop moments when he says, “whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected” (John 2:5).

Perfected. Webster defines this concept as making something completely free from faults or defects, or as close to such a condition as possible. At that point, work is finished, complete, and satisfied. Perfected. Here, John describes God’s love as being perfected. Whoa. Just imagine him saying, “When you do what my best friend says and love the way he loves, you not only perfect the art of love, but the divine cosmos will be satisfied because the foundation of his love reaches its’ most matured purpose.” Mic drop.

When Jesus comes in the flesh, God’s love is no longer this ethereal thing in the cosmos. Jesus models how to complete the circuit of divine love. Now, we know. Eugene Peterson puts it this way, “the one who keeps God’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love” (1 John 2:5, Message). Christian maturity is living in the way of Jesus – living in the way of love. Practicing love is how we grow, yet we often feel resistance to letting our love mature. Today, take one step toward maturity by intentionally loving someone outside your circle. If you identify resistance, take note of it, but choose to step out in love anyway. [/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Yvonne Biel  

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⁹As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Guarding something, in a military sense, brings with it some well-known realities. The guard is to be vigilant, not sleeping, listening intently for things not typical for the setting. They hold their weapon in a ready state, with the purpose of being quick to respond to a threat. It isn’t an easy thing to do because, most of the time, there aren’t situations where a defensive response is required. But, when it is needed, a proper response must occur without hesitation. It just has to happen.

Just like the soldier guarding something or someone from harm, we keep, or guard, the command from Jesus to love one another. Jesus, the only Son of the Creator God, loved us so fully, he purposefully and willfully laid his shredded back on the rough cross, watching the Romans pound rough spikes into his hands and feet. This is the love we’re asked to guard. This is the love we’re to be vigilant and purposeful with. This is the love we’re to share with each other. This is the love we have from Christ.

With this demonstration of love by Jesus, how can we get angry with others, expressing something closer to hate rather than the love of Christ? We smile at them as we greet and share a story or two together, but as soon as we go our own way, we slip into bad habits, demonstrating the opposite of what Jesus taught. Today, join me in reflecting on the warning signs in your own relationships where justification of this anger begins to be acceptable. Remember, Jesus loves you and died for your forgiveness.

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. – Matthew 5:21-22 [Emphasis mine] 

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By Rich Obrecht

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1 John 1:4: “And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

My Facebook and Instagram feeds lit up the other day because of an epic sunset over the Rocky Mountains. It’s nothing new, the mountains explode with light, color, and beauty almost on a daily basis. And while it isn’t a rare occurrence, the magnificence of an amazing sunset or sunrise always seems to require our attention. There is something captivating about the way the sunlight dances with the clouds as it rises or sets. It almost demands that we stop and stare. We drop everything we’re doing to admire and soak in the beauty.

Here’s fellow pastor Aaron Bjorklund’s picture of that sunset:

When John wrote about God being light, he stated that his goal in writing was that the joy of his readers would be complete. His intention was for them to stop and stare at the light. Earlier he claimed this light was the “life of all mankind” (John 1:4). The desire he had for his readers was that they may have life upon life, and joy upon joy. That’s what he meant when he wrote, “And we are writing this so that our joy may be complete.” (1 John 1:4) He wanted them to take a snapshot of the beauty of God and longed for them to soak it in.

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” I love the imagery of God being the conductor of the joy-filled symphony we call eternity. Certainly, God is the most joyful being in the entire universe, so it makes sense that in his presence would be the fullness of joy. However, we often view God as the great kill-joy, rather than the ultimate joy giver. When John writes, when he gives commands, and when he tells the story of Jesus, he does so with one explicit purpose in mind – to bring the joy of heaven to the place of earth through the person and work of Jesus. It’s the very joy of God that is at the center of the invitation extended through Jesus. Take a moment today to pause and listen. Simply be present with the God of joy who invites you to step into his presence and experience his love, his goodness, and his beauty. Stop; and enter his joy. [/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Ryan Paulson  

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1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

One of my favorite sites to visit along the coast is Cabrillo National Monument, a lighthouse in San Diego, CA. While lighthouses are beautiful and fun to visit, they also served a practical purpose before high-tech navigational devices became the norm. Their purpose was to help ship captains avoid crashing into the shore and to lead them safely home. In the beginning of his letter, John sets up some proverbial lighthouses. They have the same intention as Cabrillo Lighthouse – to lead us safely back to shore.

There are four words that epitomize the lighthouse John erects:

Cleansed.

Forgiven.

Advocate.

Propitiation.

Each one of these words reminds us of the same glorious truth – that in Christ, there is always the invitation back into the light. As one reads through 1 John, the letter can feel fairly black and white. In 1 John 1:6, John wrote, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice truth.” The statement could be read to mean we are inevitably and eternally outside of the light if we sin. But John guarded against that faulty assumption by reminding his readers that if (or when) they do sin, they have cleansing and forgiveness and they have a powerful sacrificial advocate.

It’s important for followers of Jesus to remember that they have an advocate… and an accuser. John made it clear in 1 John 2:1 that Jesus is our advocate and defender. He also painted a picture of Satan as the accuser. In Revelation 12:10, he recorded, “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.’” Satan is specifically the accuser of those who follow the way of Jesus! If we forget that, we can get off course, believe his lies, and crash into the shore. John sets up Jesus as our lighthouse to speak into the dark words of our accuser. As our advocate, he speaks over us words of love, wholeness, life, restoration, peace, and salvation.

Today, take time to confess before the Lord. As you do, repeat the words: cleansed, forgiven, advocate, and propitiation. Jesus is our lighthouse and his intention is to lead us out of darkness and sin and back to union with God. Let him lead you there today. [/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Ryan Paulson  

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⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

My younger days were wrapped up in being a Navy family. I’m a Navy brat, and I was for my first 15 years. I had no real idea what life was like for those in my schools who didn’t have parents in the military. Within the community of the Navy, and likely the rest of the military branches, there was a distinct ‘take care of each other’ attitude. If we knew someone in our community needed help, they usually had more hands than they needed. When tragedy struck, those in the middle of it were in the middle of a crowd of others there to help them. This sort of community relationship, prevalent wherever we moved, is what I think of when I read this passage. A community of people happy to share their lives with others.

This body of believers were practicing what Jesus had taught the disciples and those following him: love your neighbor. Just like the Navy community I grew up with, when they saw a need in their community, they tried to fill it by dipping into their personal lives and possessions, sharing with others as the needs came about. And there wasn’t an expectation of being repaid. This sharing was done out of a heart of love and understanding.

This group of believers is our heritage in our relationship with Christ. They went on before us, and their loving and sharing with each other reflects the true meaning of the Greek word used for fellowship, which is koinonia. The life they shared with each other was made manifest in Christ, giving them (and us) the experience of true fellowship, lives lived at a deeper level.

It seems the pace of life has changed the way we fellowship with each other. Perhaps we go to church, visit with the people we know there, but as soon as the last “Amen” is spoken, we’re out the door to the next “thing.” Perhaps it’s time to take hold of our own lives, and share with those around us. At some time or another, we seem to say “I wish I knew them better” about someone at church, a neighbor, or perhaps a friend from work. Maybe it’s time for us to send those folks an invite and pursue that relationship rather than just talk about it. When those names come to your mind, walk up to them and invite them to a cup of coffee, or, better yet, bring them into your home and share a meal. Become one who shares life rather than miss it altogether. [/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Rich Obrecht  

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¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only God^] who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

There’s fiction, non-fiction, true, false, genuine and fake. The Apostle John, (the longest living disciple to be with Jesus) is talking about truth, a reality, a point in time, an historical event in his gospel testimony. He testified the Light of God had come to earth. There are many lights, but Jesus is the only true light. Too bright to behold, he curtained himself in human flesh. Like the light on the face of Moses beneath a veil, and the Shekinah beneath the folds of the tabernacle, the light of God revealed himself to men. God passed the light of himself to us through Jesus Christ, who came to tent among us. John’s passion in writing is to pass on his life- changing experience with the Light and the witness of the other disciples, including John the Baptist.

John grows from one of the young “Sons of Thunder” fishermen (Mark 3:17), to a gracious church elder persecuted for his faith on the island of Patmos. He had the unique and privileged opportunity of having a close personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus himself said, “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:27). In John 19:35, John writes about himself after Jesus’ crucifixion, “He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe” and again in John 21:24, “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.” The light John is passing on is no second-hand tale, no moral platitude, but the fellowship he had seen, heard, touched and experienced himself for so many years.

To the beloved apostle John, the passing on of the light becomes the fellowship of the light. Fellowship with the light of God is a theme John writes about not only to be enjoyed now on earth but for eternity (Revelation 21-22). The light can be in men (John 11:10) so they can become children of the light, “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light “(John 12:36). John could not have lived such a devoted life of discipleship, love and compassion, service and mission unless he had been in the light of God and the light of God had been in him. Who was the one who passed on the Light of God to you? You can be sure you have the Light if you believe in your heart (John 3:16, Romans 10:9) and confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord (Acts 16:31, 1 John 1:9). Praise God for the Light in you. It’s in the ordinary, everyday things of life that we can show that we have the Light of God in us. Today chose someone, if you haven’t already, to pass on the Light to.

Acts 26:16-19:  ¹⁶ But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, ¹⁷ delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ [/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Donna Burns  

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That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. ⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

 

God. Is. Light. What an incredible declaration. Now, watch out because these three words could change your view of God forever. In this passage, a dear friend of Jesus, takes an Old Testament concept of God as the Creator of light (Genesis 1:3), the one shines his light upon us (Psalm 27:1) and lights up our path (Psalm 119:105) one step further. The Apostle John says God is not just the source of light, he is light. Period. God is the essence of light and light is the essence of God.

Why is this such a big deal? Well, have you heard that light is comprised of three colors; red, blue and green? Light is Trinity. The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago demonstrates how when red and blue light are combined, the result is magenta. When green and blue light are combined, they make cyan. Red and green light make yellow. And when all three primary colors of light are combined, we see white light. Isn’t that amazing? God is light. Three-in-one. One-in-three.

This means when God shines, the essences of three-in-one and one-in-three exists. Whether we realize it or not, God is all around us and his light is on display for all to see. If that doesn’t rattle your brain, this will. John, one of Jesus’ closest buddies, witnesses Jesus in the flesh. He says, “that which we have heard… we have seen with our eyes… and have touched with our hands” (1 John 1:1). It’s this John who concludes that Jesus is God. It’s as if Jesus is one of those three colors that makes up white light. What a mysterious glory to hear John testify that his best friend is the Light of the World.

Now, John goes on to explain that Jesus, the Light of the World, did not remain in ethereal form but came to be revealed in the light. The Museum in Chicago also illustrates their science lesson with a computer or TV screen. These machines contain only three colors of light: red, green and blue. But, the three specific cone cells in our eyes work together, allowing us to translate these three colors of light into millions of different colors. Isn’t that interesting? Light hits our eyes before we realize the spectrum of color before us. When Jesus came into the world, he was brought to light. This is why it’s a big deal. Jesus, the source of light, allowed light to shine on himself so that we might recognize him, dwell with him, and perceive a whole new spectrum of glory with him.

As you go throughout your day today, notice the light around you. Notice how many things are powered with light, and how many things reflect light. Use these observations as an act of worship for the Light who makes these things possible.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Yvonne Biel  

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