“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Not everything that looks good is good. Consider a poison dart frog of the Amazon rainforests. They are beautiful, brightly colored little frogs. And yet, to touch them could be deadly. Just because Satan is evil, doesn’t mean he always or even often looks the part. Much more often he “disguises himself as an angel of light.” In other words, he looks like something that is good in order to lead us to something that is bad. Read the rest…
In this final part of the teaching series, A Word on Reality, we at last wrap up John’s masterful letter. In the end we find a strong reaffirmation of God’s testimony about Jesus and a final call to live comfortably within the borders of reality. It is only there that we will find the life for which we most long. Keep reading for more.
A Final Word on Reality
Well, we have finally reached the end of our journey through 1 John. And what a journey it has been! We have come a long way and have covered a lot of ground since the beginning of July. Some of it has been very encouraging and some has been pretty hard-hitting. What I have tried my best to do, though, throughout this series is to leave you with a clear outline of the boundaries of reality. Surely not all of this life is black and white, but life according to the law of the kingdom is a simple thing. It’s not easy, but it is simple: believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God and act in the light of that belief in every circumstance of your life. Piece of cake, right? Let’s be real here—that is, after all, what all of this has been about. Reality is rarely a breeze, but it is always right. And the call of not only this letter, but of our entire lives is to live in God’s reality, not the world’s fantasy. Before finishing out the letter this morning, let’s look back over where we’ve been so everything is fresh. Read the rest…
“…for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
But I thought honoring God was our chief concern! It is. And if something is honorable in the sight of God, but dishonorable in the sight of men, then we are just going to have to be dishonorable in the sight of men. But, neither is our goal to needlessly offend the people around us. One of the hallmarks of the earliest church is that they had favor with God, but also had the favor of all the people. Read the rest…
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
What is it that makes a cheerful giver so much better than otherwise? Well, who wants a begrudging gift? I sure don’t. When someone gives something under compulsion, it tends to take all the joy out of receiving for the recipient.
What’s more, when someone is giving to God under compulsion, that person is treating giving like a religious exercise. You do a religious exercise not because you want to or because it’s the right thing to do, but because if you don’t, you will incur the wrath of the deity you are trying to appease. No one wants to do that. God makes abundantly clear in the Scriptures that He has absolutely no interest in that kind of thing. He’d rather people not even bothering trying if all they’re going to give Him is a half-hearted religiosity. He wants our hearts, not our wallets. Read the rest…
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is a tough verse. It’s tough mostly because of its implications. I don’t think Paul’s point here is that we need to cloister ourselves off from the world. Rather, we should not attach ourselves to the world in such a way that we are depending on it for the things for which we should primarily depend on the Lord. Read the Rest…
The Nexus 