Believers Live Changed Lives - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:17,

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

This comment from John follows his observation that if we love the world we cannot have the love of the Father. These two are mutually exclusive in our lives.

In the context of John's point here, doing the will of God is the change that takes place within us when we embrace Jesus Christ in faith. In the next chapter, John says, "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God." 1 John 3:9.

Getting back to 1 John 2:17, he doesn’t say that we can live forever if we do the will of God (working our way into heaven); he says those who do the will of God reflect their status, or their position, among those who have eternal life - because they have become changed people.

This is an important distinction. If we could earn eternal life by doing the will of God there would be no need to appeal to the cross of Jesus Christ. But as Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

We are hopelessly incapable of doing that which is God’s desire for the lifestyle we live without him stepping into our lives first. He steps in when we invite him in. As John says in John 1:12, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” He then enables us to live lives that are pleasing to him.

My point here is that we cannot do something to become what we are not, when doing that something can only come from being what we are not. We have to be born again to do the will of God.

The exciting point to all of this for me is that when we come to embrace Jesus Christ in faith, he changes us from within! As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are now a “new creation”. Having embraced Jesus Christ in faith we are given the Holy Spirit who enables a change within to live lives that are pleasing to God. So much so, that this becomes a reflection of whether we have eternal life or not.

Astonishing and overwhelming as I think of it this morning.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Word Of God Lives In Us! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:14c,

“I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

Many commentators for years have recognized the term “young men” as better translated as "young people", not to satisfy current cultural sensitivities but to better reflect what John actually wrote relative to the way we speak. Think in terms of “mankind” meaning “people” as opposed to “men”. I point this out only to encourage the fairer half that they share together with us males in something wonderful the Lord has worked in all of us! John tells us the word of God lives in us!

In announcing the New Covenant, we read in Jeremiah 31:33, “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” As we wait for the coming of our participation in the resurrection we look forward to the fulfillment of all that has been promised to us in this new covenant. But as we wait, we celebrate what God has already provided for us under the terms of this covenant. As John points out in our verse here, “the word of God lives in you”!

The writer of Hebrews tells us “the word of God is living and active”. Hebrews 4:12. No mere academic commodity of information here, God’s word is vibrant, pulsating with life. It has the ability to shape our thinking, our perspectives and provide all we need to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work”. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

In 2 Peter 1:3-4 we read, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

Beyond this we are told that Jesus Christ himself is the Word of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14.

All of this lives within us as children of God. It makes us strong, helping us overcome the evil one. It changes us from within, making a new creation of us, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

What a cause for worship!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Reaches Out To Us - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:13a,

“I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.”

In a poetic chant declaring why he writes to them, the apostle John enumerates the many wonderful things we believers have in Jesus Christ. In this verse he says he writes because the fathers have known him "who is from the beginning".

One of the aspects of God that I take for granted way too often is that God has made himself knowable. As opposed to keeping himself shrouded from sinful and rebellious mankind, our righteous God of perfection has revealed himself to us in many ways.

The apostle Paul notes that God is knowable through the creation around us, “…what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20.

Beyond this, God has taken steps to reveal himself to us in special ways. The writer of Hebrews observes, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:1-2.

In making himself knowable to us, he reaches well beyond just providing us information. He invites us to know him! He reaches out to us that we might find him and receive the wonderful gift of eternal life through knowing him.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-29. Even to the rebellious, to those who refuse to come to him that he invites, “Isaiah boldly says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.’ But concerning Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’” Romans 10:20-21.

There is something tremendously wonderful about a Creator who reaches out to his creation after they have spurned, rejected, rebelled and sinned against him! In spite of our sin he loves us, wants us to know him, wants us to take hold of the life he offers us so graciously.

What a God this is!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Believers Have All They Need From God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:12-14,

I write to you, dear children,
      because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
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 evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
      because you have known the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
      because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
      because you are strong,
      and the word of God lives in you,
      and you have overcome the evil one.

Here, cast in a poetic rhythm of thought, John gives his readers a set of two triplets of encouragement. “Dear children”, “fathers” and “young men” are thought by many commentators to address believers of either gender, the “fathers” and “young men” being a distinction between the spiritually mature and newer believers, the “dear children” referencing the fellowship as a whole.

The important aspect of this passage for me is that, as these false teachers were attempting to draw followers after themselves from within the ranks of the fellowship of believers, John encourages them with the reality that they have no need of anything anyone else might have to offer. Just look at what John tells them:

“Your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.”
“You have known him who is from the beginning.”
“You have overcome the evil one.”
“You have known the Father.”
“You are strong.”
“The word of God lives in you.”

What “special knowledge” might these false teachers have that any believer would need, who already possesses these wonderful things John mentions? So it is with us today!

Just look at what our loving heavenly Provider has bestowed on us!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Jesus Christ Is The Light Of The World! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:9-11,

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”

This world we live in is a lost and fallen world following Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden. After sinning against God, mankind was driven from the environment God had created for them.

Lost, fallen, and now estranged from God, they faced mortality as they lived out their lives in this cursed world. Where mankind was originally created in God’s image to enjoy God's fellowship, his life and the quality of existence of his life was considerably reduced.

Now mankind labors under the fog of a sinful nature in his lost and estranged existence from God – often refusing to even acknowledge the presence and reality of the God who created them. Scripture often refers to this as “darkness”.

But a piercing brilliance of light has come and invaded this darkness. As Isaiah prophesied twenty eight hundred years ago, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2.

John tell us, “In him [Jesus Christ] was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:4-5. In verse 9 he says, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12. And, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46.

Because Jesus Christ burst forth in the darkness of this lost world as a piercing light, John tells us those who have embraced him, those who have become God’s children, now reflect that light in their lives as it is manifested through love.

Just how wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.