1 JOHN 2:3-11
DEVOTION FOR MARCH 11-12, 2007
DON’T JUST SAY IT, LIVE IT!
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep
His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever
keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we
know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself
also to walk just as He walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment
to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8
Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and
in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is
already shining. 9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his
brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in
the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who
hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not
know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1
John 2:3-11 (NKJV)
The majority of Biblical Scholars agree that the John who writes this
Epistle is the same St. John who wrote the fourth Gospel. This is the
fourth of a series of Devotions on the First Epistle of John.
Previous devotions can be found in the Archives.
It is my hope that as we meditate on St. John’s Epistle, where the
keynote is Love, that together we can grow in our Love of God.
"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so" is a song that
I learned as a small boy and that little children are still learning
today. Pastors have told me that when they have a Hymn Request Service,
very often an older adult will request "Jesus Loves Me." What makes this
hymn so popular? Is it seeing the innocent smiles and actions of the
little children singing in a program? Is it nostalgia as older people
remember back to days of their youth? Is it a desire to claim the deep
belief that Jesus loves Me?
St. John is talking about "Jesus Loves Me" in these verses. No--not the
hymn--the real truth that Jesus Loves Me. Those little children who sing
at the top of heir voices give a sense that they really believe what
they are singing. They have been taught that Jesus loves them by their
Sunday School Teachers and their parents, grandparents, aunts and
uncles. They trust these people in their lives. They have no reason to
doubt. There is the child who sings louder that the rest, the child who
waves at her family as she sings, and the child who is shy and nervous
being in front of so many people. They are all singing words they
believe. St. John would say that these are the ones who walk in the
LIGHT because they know Jesus.
Those who recall the hymn with nostalgia think back to the days when
they were small and singing. They wonder why they can’t sing the hymn
with the same sense of belief. Maybe they remember that as they grew
they came to believe that Church was not important or that the stories
of the Bible were not pertinent to their lives. They may be able to
remember Bible Stories, but only as good stories without meaning for
their life. St. John would say that these are the ones who walk in
darkness because they do not KNOW Jesus.
Those who have a real desire to claim the deep belief that Jesus Loves
They have found ways to study the Bible, have taken time to pray many
times during the day, and have taken time to respond to God’s call to
Love Thy Neighbor. St. John would say that these are the ones who walk
in the Light of God’s Word and in doing so they KNOW Jesus and His Love
for them.
Walk in the Light. Don’t just say, Jesus loves Me. Live it.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
WE PRAY: May the words of this verse from a hymn be your prayer:
Walk in the light: and thou shalt find
Thy heart made truly His
Who dwells in cloudless light enshrined
In Whom no darkness is.,
"Walk In The Light" from
cyberhymnal.org
A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION
Select one Bible Story from the New Testament. It would be best if you
did not choose The Birth of Jesus, The Crucifixion, or the Resurrection.
If you can, read this story every day for a week. Write on a pad of
paper any thought you have about what the story means to you. Each day
that you read the story, either add thoughts to your list and, if
needed, delete or change what you had previously written. Allow that
Bible Story to become a part of your life. Before you begin to read the
story, pray this simple prayer, Lord God, send your Holy Spirit upon me
to open my eyes and my heart as I read your Holy Word. AMEN