How have your views of Jesus, obedience, and love been reshaped throughout this journey in 1 John? Check out what others have been learning these past few months!
Rob Shorey: 1 John 5
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” – 1 John 5: 2-3
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” – John 15:12-14
How beautifully simple, these words from 1 John 5 and the Gospel of John. We are not called to something that is difficult to understand.
We are not called to an exam that will measure our understanding of the finer points of theology.
We are not called to cultivate “special knowledge” that only an elect few possess.
We are not called to show how our lives compare against a checklist of “do” and “do not” rules.
We are not called to defend God against “attacks” from the world, both real and perceived.
We are not called to have a well developed answer to every question that we may be asked.
We are called to love. We are commanded to love. So simple. So beautifully simple that anyone can understand it. Sure, simple does not mean easy, and keeping this command is the greater challenge than understanding it. A daily challenge. A challenge that often requires “all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.”
But the encouragement, to me, is that the starting point is clear. And it will always be clear. It is clear when I am living the command, when I am refusing to live it, and when I am starting it all over again. At least I don’t have to be stuck at the starting line, pondering the command itself!
Thank you, church family, for reading 1 John along with us! We’ve loved hearing the honest thoughts, reactions and perspectives of others.
