Our last
blog raised the question ‘Is antichrist
a Jew?’ and now John moves on to warn the family in ch3 of his first
epistle...
But what
would this old fisherman know? At first glance he seems to rave on and repeat
himself, in a mess like the bottom of his boat!
Well, he has battled the elements in desperate struggles to stay alive
in storms on the Sea of Galilee, while trying to make a living. He also watched his Master dying from
crucifixion, then his brother was executed too. He knows far more about life
and death struggles than his ‘very spiritual’ critics with their heresies that
destroy all hope of redemption!
(Why does
John bring in hope here? If we sneak a
look at The Revelation that John saw later, we find: “as many as would not worship the
image of the beast should be killed”…and then: “the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus…which had not worshipped the beast, neither his
image, neither had received his mark…”)
Grim times are
ahead!... so here is the hope:
What love of the
Father that…’we should be called the sons of God’!
Not only that… Christ is coming and when He is revealed…’we shall be like Him; for we
shall see Him as He is’!
Meanwhile
there is a life and death struggle going on between the Son of God and the
devil (our accuser) just like Cain slew his brother Abel – yet another contrast
like evil vs righteousness, sin vs purity, in John’s profound letter.
Now it’s
time we get out there and walk the walk - not just talk the talk.
Stop
sinning and start showing you love your brother – even lay down your life for him!
“We
know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.”
Yup, the
stakes are high and it’s time to get ‘fair dinkum’.
Which
camp do I really belong to?...God’s or the devil’s?
NEXT: The crux of John's message:
Revelation 13:15 ; 20:4 Genesis 4:8 Hebrews 11:4
ReplyDelete