December 14, 2010 (I John 1-5)

One of the debates I've often heard/wondered is the debate that since Christ lives in us, we have the ability to not sin. It seems as if chapter 2 backs that statement up:

¹ My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. ² He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

From personal experience, I would love to have a day where I didn't sin. I've never done it, but I guess it's possible.

How do we know we belong to God?

³ And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. ⁴ If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. ⁵ But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. ⁶ Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

We cannot hate anyone. It is not part of our DNA anymore.

⁹ If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. ¹¹But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

Then John goes into a different statement about the different groups he is writing to:

¹⁴ I have written to you who are God’s children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one.

The thing that stuck out to me in that group is that those who are mature know Christ - and by that statement, I picture really knowing Him. Not knowing about Him, but truly knowing and having a living, vibrant, personal relationship with Him where there is communication going both ways. I think that is where my downfall is. I'm pretty faithful about reading His word, but what about my prayer life? I pray, but I don't think I am anywhere near where God wants me to be in that regard. I picked up a book from my bookshelf last night -"Too Busy Not to Pray" by Bill Hybills. I bought it years ago and never read it. It's time to read it now.

And then the final convicting verses. As I said to Chris - finding the balance here is not easy.

¹⁵ Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ¹⁶ For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.