In a busy world, we need to know that God is MORE than the world – is OTHER than the world – and yet IN the world TO HELP US OVERCOME THE WORLD.
This gives us direction, permission, conviction, and excuse – to NOT be as affected BY the world as the world thinks we should be.
Granted, we never want to be slouchers – and many scriptures point to that – if you don’t work you don’t eat – those kind of scriptures. So we do want to abide in the Lord – and live our best lives…
And while we are not to be affected, we are afflicted by the world and the situations. We just are.
And while we ARE to be effective in effecting change and in showing LOVE, we are to remember that these too are gifts from God – to work on HIS behalf – and His Be Whole…
I appreciate a pick me up from 1st John – from five chapters of this letter – here are the first two – as a reminder in wisdom to look to the Lord – believe in the Lord – and just keep going…
He who does the will of God abides forever. = BELIEVING, LOVING, ACTING, KNOWING…
John writes:
that – truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
that – our JOY may be FULL
that – God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
that – if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another
that – the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
that – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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SO – so that we may not sin.
SO – we KNOW we have an Advocate with the Father, and Jesus Christ the righteous – not for ours only but also for the whole world.
SO – that we know Him
SO – we keep His commandments
SO – we keep His word,
SO – the love of God is perfected in us.
SO – we know that we are in Him – and to walk just as He walked.
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BECAUSE – it is an old commandment which we have had from the beginning – the word heard from the beginning
BECAUSE – the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining
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KNOWING – He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness
KNOWING – He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
KNOWING – He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
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SO REMEMBER – Children – your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake
SO REMEMBER – Fathers – you have known Him who is from the beginning
SO REMEMBER – Youth – you have overcome the wicked one
SO REMEMBER – Children – you have known the Father
SO REMEMBER – Fathers – you have known Him who is from the beginning
SO REMEMBER – Youth – you are strong, and the word of God abides in you
YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE
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Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
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For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
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And the world is passing away, and the lust of the world is passing away.
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But he who does the will of God abides forever.
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He who does the will of God abides forever. = BELIEVING, LOVING, ACTING, KNOWING, REMEMBERING…
AMEN
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1 John 1-2:17 NKJV
What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
Fellowship with Him and One Another
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
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ch2
The Test of Knowing Christ
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
The Test of Knowing Him
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Their Spiritual State
12 I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
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