July 1, 2019
1 John 2:7-11 New Living Translation (NLT)
Do you ever find yourself speaking poorly about a brother or sister in Christ? Do you not like a fellow believer?
In our passage today we learn from the “Apostle of Love”, John. He not only writes about love, but he puts the true love of Christ into action within his life. At one time Jesus nicknamed John and his brother, James, the “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17), and in Luke (9:51-56) these two brothers wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy a village. So, John may have not always been known as the “Apostle of Love”, however, he followed Jesus and grew to know that reality is to be lived by God’s way, and no longer the world’s way. In verses 7 – 11 John repeatedly uses the words: love, life (living), and light. These words belong together in our lives as Christians. Our love is affected when we choose to either live in light or darkness. If we are walking in the light of Christ, we will love our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. If we are walking in the darkness of the world, we will spread hatred even amongst our brothers and sisters. John lived his life loving like Jesus, and so should we.
1 John 2:7-11
A New Commandment
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment – to love one another – is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for loving me. Help me to live my life in your likeness. Guide me to be Your light for others. I pray for a hedge of Your protection around me from the darkness of the enemy. May you please forgive those who struggle with releasing the darkness. Break the chains of hatred that the enemy holds on them. I ask all of this in your name, Jesus. Amen.
Written by Jen Auer