A rocky few days of pain, I’m sorry to have missed a few days here. It is life-giving to me to write and recall and remember all the day the Lord is teaching me through this time. My eyes are filled with the tragedy of Syria, the searching for loved ones, the father holding his daughter’s hand, she is gone. I’m not here to answer the why question. I’m certainly not able to understand all the complexities at play here.
I rest my feet on the solid rock of the word of God. I gather strength, understanding and wisdom by opening the text daily. I reason my way through the hard parts and as well as the Psalm 91s of His word. You know what I mean? I drink from passages like Psalm 91, Psalm 103, Psalm 23, but I sip and research my way through the end of 1 John 5. I do this because I want to know the full authority of the word.
What is John’s purpose of writing this book? Let’s return to the beginning.
“what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship [as partners] with us. And indeed our fellowship [which is a distinguishing mark of born-again believers] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation].”
1 John 1:3-4 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/1jn.1.3-4.AMP
John specifically tells his audience why he is writing. Fellowship with one another and with the God-head. John’s joy is made complete by sharing in salvation. So, as we finish this book today, he finishes as he began. Fellowship.
“Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.”
1 John 5:14-15 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/1jn.5.14-15.HCSB
True fellowship with God is marked by walking and living in His will. Asking according to his will. I’m surrounded by people who are asking, begging on behalf of their loved ones. This is the truth I pray. He hears. I know He hears. I’m not sure when the answer will come or how it will come. I know Jesus hears me. Hears you. Hears the cries of the parents’ on behalf of their children. Hears the cries of family for family. So, I declare what I know. Over and over again.
He hears.
“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One. We are in the true One — that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”
1 John 5:18-21 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/1jn.5.18-21.HCSB
As in previous chapters and posts, we know that we still sin. We are practicing the deeds of light and yes, we fall to temptation. However, the difference is, we know when we sin. We ask to be cleansed by the blood of Christ and we walk on.
So we know God keeps us. We are held, even in the hospitals, waiting for news of loved ones. We are held when we hurt. We are held when answers are not forthcoming. We are held here. Now. Jesus has come and he has brought us understanding. That. We. May. Know. Jesus is the true One. We are in the true One. So we take the next step.
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