December 21, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 1 John? Here’s today’s reading:
1 John 1 (NIV)
The Incarnation of the Word of Life
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ............Continue Reading
God is the light and we must intentionally walk in the light. We can not just say we follow God and live the way the world lives but rather consciously and in the knowledge of God choose to follow.
1 John 1
1John1
1 John 1
What a great time of year to be reading this passage. When we talk about the truth of Jesus and what John testifies about Him, it comes from first hand interaction with Him. How amazing that God did not find it fitting for us to believe a truth that He simply told us, but certain people got to experience Him and the testify to it.
And what did Jesus reveal in His life and words? That God is light and always acts consistent with it. In fact if we walk in the light as He is the light, our sins are forgiven. But light exposes sin as well, and so when sin comes to light and God is addressing it, then we recognize the second path to have sin forgiven is to confess that sin to God. What a great expression of grace and faith is found there. How easy would it be for God to require repentance to gain forgiveness. But that’s not what it says here. Confession should never be used to justify or condone sin. But it is the means to address sin, and reestablish the fellowship with God that sin disrupted. What a great and wise God we have, who knew we would falter in out Christian walk. But rather than sweeping it under the rug or bringing it to a person, the answer is to confess it to God and then we are cleansed….so glad that at any point in time as believers we can recover and be made right with God in fellowship…even as our relationship with God remains intact through the sacrifice of Christ and the justification that that provides.
1John 2&3
Today I am studying back in Judges in prep for our study later in Jan.
One thing I noticed about the scripture Steve read on Christmas eve, that I then posted on my FB page, was the mentioning of Midian. In Isaiah.
“For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.
For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.”
I always kind of gloss over in my mind the mentioning of events and nations that I am not completely familiar with. I usually say, “yes, some historical oppression of the Israelites.” But from reading Judges, I recognized the oppression of the Jews under Midian, specifically because of their evil in the sight of the Lord. They were persecuted by Midian FOR SEVEN YEARS. The children cried out to the Lord and He delivers them through Gideon.
I like how 1 John starts out with an insistent witness. He gives a hands-on testimony: We heard it, saw with our eyes, looked upon, hands handled, manifested, seen, heard…..they were there!