Word for Today, Mon, 24 Sep 2001: How can we be sure that we belong to Him?
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
I would like to share a clear message directly from scripture
today. It comes from one of three short letters, called
"episples" that the apostle John wrote. The apostle John was
also one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus. In fact,
John was part of Jesus' inner circle, and was referred to as "the
disciple whom Jesus loved". After reading this chapter of
scripture, perhaps the reason for this title will become more
clear.
For your convenience, I have taken the entire chapter from the
New Living Translation, which I obtained from a portion of the
"Bible In A Year" reading at
bible.crosswalk.com/BibleInAYear/DailyReading.cgi.
1 John 2
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not
sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before
the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God
completely. 2 He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away
not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
3 And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his
commandments. 4 If someone says, "I belong to God," but doesn't
obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live
in the truth. 5 But those who obey God's word really do love
him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. 6
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ
did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment, for it is an
old one you have always had, right from the beginning. This
commandment to love one another is the same message you heard
before. 8 Yet it is also new. This commandment is true in
Christ and is true among you, because the darkness is
disappearing and the true light is already shining. 9 If anyone
says, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother
or sister, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone
who loves other Christians is living in the light and does not
cause anyone to stumble. 11 Anyone who hates a Christian brother
or sister is living and walking in darkness. Such a person is
lost, having been blinded by the darkness.
12 I am writing to you, my dear children, because your sins have
been forgiven because of Jesus. 13 I am writing to you who are
mature because you know Christ, the one who is from the
beginning. I am writing to you who are young because you have
won your battle with Satan. 14 I have written to you, children,
because you have known the Father. I have written to you who are
mature because you know Christ, the one who is from the
beginning. I have written to you who are young because you are
strong with God's word living in your hearts, and you have won
your battle with Satan. 15 Stop loving this evil world and all
that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that
you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world
offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for
everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not
from the Father. They are from this evil world. 17 And this
world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if
you do the will of God, you will live forever.
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the
Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have
appeared. From this we know that the end of the world has come.
19 These people left our churches because they never really
belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When
they left us, it proved that they do not belong with us.
20 But you are not like that, for the Holy Spirit has come upon
you, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you
not because you don't know the truth but because you know the
difference between truth and falsehood. 22 And who is the great
liar? The one who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Such
people are antichrists, for they have denied the Father and the
Son. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn't have the Father
either. But anyone who confesses the Son has the Father also.
24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from
the beginning. If you do, you will continue to live in
fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this
fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. 26 I have
written these things to you because you need to be aware of those
who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy
Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to
teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you all things,
and what he teaches is true it is not a lie. So continue in
what he has taught you, and continue to live in Christ.
28 And now, dear children, continue to live in fellowship with
Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and
not shrink back from him in shame. 29 Since we know that God is
always right, we also know that all who do what is right are his
children.
Your Brother in Christ,
Brian
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Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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