Devotionals for August 15, 2023

Have you signed up for Launching Arrows Parenting Conference yet? It's coming up on August 25-26! SIGN UP HERE!!

1 John 2:3-6; 9-11

3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:

6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

There is strong textual evidence in the New Testament for the idea that love is at the center of holiness. This is not the picture of holiness I received growing up in mainline Protestantism. Holiness tended to be something that referred *only* to doing or not doing something. It is important to be obedient in everything, and John emphasizes that the way we live demonstrates whether we “know” God or not. Interestingly, however, he follows this by focusing on one particular sin; hatred toward others. John connects faith to obedience (v. 4), and then connects obedience to love (v. 9-11). This indicates that this is primarily what he means by “the way in which [Jesus] walked” (v. 6).

Jesus was not holy merely because he observed the Sabbath, remained sexually pure, and got circumcised. Jesus’ holiness was defined by love. Everything He did was loving, even His rebukes. If we define love as the “relational and redemptive movement toward another person”, Jesus is the perfect example of this. He related to others, caring, healing, and tending to their needs. He also redeemed others, rescuing them from false beliefs and rival kingdoms and ultimately rescuing them from sin and death. To be a follower of His means to love as He did.

Q: What does this passage say about those who do not love their brother?

Q: What does relational and redemptive love look like in your life?

Q: What kind of theology can you teach someone with the love of Christ at the center?

"May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."

Lord, teach us to relate to one another on earth as we will in Your coming kingdom. Give us the love of your Son. Amen.