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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday July 14, 2019
LIVING AS CHILDREN OF GOD
1 John 3
As
Christians, we know that our goal is to live like CHRIST, however, the problem
we have, is getting started “right now”. We break GOD’s Law whenever we sin
against HIM, even “right now”, and so “right now” we need to start acting like
we want to become a part of HIS eternal kingdom.
In 1 John chapter 3, verses 1-10, John
invites us to see how our Heavenly FATHER loves us by allowing us to become HIS
children just as CHRIST is, “right now”, even though we have never lived up to
the standards for this life that JESUS did. JESUS showed us, through HIS
behavior in life, that HE really is the SON of the living GOD. And so, true
children of GOD “act like it”, and that’s the only description in scripture
that tells us how we can identify a follower of GOD the SON. True followers of
CHRIST see HIM for what HE really is and they desire to emulate as closely as
possible.
Whenever we sin, we oppose the law of GOD,
and whenever we agree with sin (i.e. with homosexuality) we also oppose the Law
of GOD, even though we may not be homosexual ourselves. Any opposition to the
moral standards that GOD lays out in HIS Word is deemed by GOD as being
anti-CHRIST, no matter how minor we may think it is. Make no mistake about it,
and don’t let anyone deceive you, those who do the right thing according to
GOD, are living in righteousness, and those who don’t, have chosen to side with
satan. There is no “gray area” between “right” and “wrong”, we’re either all
the way with GOD, the MASTER and CREATOR of the universe, or, we’re all the way
with satan, the prince of this world (Vs.7-10).
In verses 11-24, John continues his
divinely inspired ramblings by jumping back to the subject of “love one
another”. However, here in this segment, he raises his plea to another level,
as he urges his readers to transform their “words of love” into “GODly actions
of love”. What does it profit a man to boast of his love and faith, if that love
and faith does not compel him into action? (v.18)
The fact that we cast everything over to
GOD does not give us a right to sit back and do nothing, for the true
Christian, can never be just a spectator. Love is not just having knowledge of
GOD’s existence, but rather, true love comes from knowing GOD on a personal
level through prayer, and a close, careful, and sober study of HIS Word.
GOD’s love is, quite literally, a
reflection of HIS OWN heart flowing to us through CHRIST JESUS, and, the
infusion of the HOLY SPIRIT in us. When we love our Christian brothers and
sisters as CHRIST commands us, it serves as proof that we have passed from
death (permanent separation from GOD), into eternal life (new life in CHRIST).
A person, that has no love for his fellowman, has not passed into the light,
but rather, continues to linger on, in darkness.
In verses 18-19 the apostle urges us to
stop just saying that we love each other and start putting it into action. It
is by our actions that we know when we are living in the truth, and knowing
that, we can be confident whenever we stand before the LORD, even in those
times when our hearts condemn us, as Peter’s did in John 21.
In reality, the only way we can prove our
love for JESUS is by loving others, and the best way to show our love for each
other is in our actions towards one another. Love is the greatest privilege the
world has ever known, and it is also the world’s greatest enduring thing,
however, inevitably, love brings with it, the world’s greatest responsibility.
From the beginning, GOD made “responsibility” to be the obverse of “privilege”,
and then, he made “love” to be inseparable from the two.
In chapter 15 of the Gospel of John, verses
12-13, JESUS commands us to love one another as HE loves us, and there HE also
tells us how to measure that love to see if it is sufficient enough to meet HIS
demand. There JESUS states that, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends” (KJV).
JESUS goes on to state that we are HIS
friends if we obey HIM, and if we obey HIM, HE will no longer refer to us as
“servants”, but rather, we will become members of HIS holy family and the
household of GOD (v.14). Looking back, we now know that for Peter and all the
other disciples, love brought a cross that they all had the privilege and
responsibility of bearing in their own way. Love always involves
responsibility, and it always involves a sacrifice. We don’t really love JESUS
unless we are willing to take on HIS task, and take up our own cross.
We may never be able to write or think like
the Apostle John, or be able to travel to the ends of the earth, and preach
like the Apostle Paul. However, it is a certainty that we can all follow in the
footsteps of Peter, by obeying the instructions of JESUS that were laid down to
HIS disciples just prior to HIS ascension back into Heaven (John 21:15-17).
If we love JESUS, let each of us help someone
else guard against going astray, and if we love JESUS, let each of us love one
another all of the time, and if we love JESUS, let each us, as Christians,
begin to feed JESUS’ sheep, with the nourishing spiritual food, of the Word of
GOD.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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