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Fish are known for swimming. Birds are known for flying. What are Christians known for? This question brings many different answers depending on who you ask, but the one thing Jesus said we should be known for is our love. John said if we don’t love others we’re guilty of murder! Today we take an honest look at our own lives to see if we are truly loving others the way Jesus loved us.
Hope is an absolutely essential part of life. Where there’s hope, there’s a will to carry on. But on that first resurrection morning, there was no group more hopeless and defeated than the followers of Christ. Even the empty tomb did not convince them. It was only when they saw their risen Lord that their lives were transformed and they were filled with an unshakable hope. Do you know this resurrection hope?
There is a tendency in human nature to take for granted the sacrifices that have been made for us during our lifetime. We often forget the blood of the patriots who gave their lives defending our freedom. We often forget the martyrs who gave their lives defending the Gospel. But are we also guilty of forgetting the greatest sacrifice ever made for us when Christ gave His life on the cross?
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Just because someone teaches from the Bible, does that mean they are teaching the truth? John warns us that there are many “antichrists” already among us, and some are inside our churches! How can we identify these people to make sure we are not following false teachers, and how can we know for sure that our own faith is real and not counterfeit?
John says we have to make a choice: either we can love the world or we can love God, but it is impossible to love both. We cannot love the sinful ways of the world and have God’s love in us at the same time. It’s one or the other. He also warns that our lives will end very differently based on what we choose to love. So where is your love taking you? Are you living for the here and now, or are you living for eternity?
As we face the struggles and uncertainties of life that often come our way, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, alone and afraid. In those times, we can find great encouragement by remembering the things that are already true of us in Christ. If you are facing difficult times, let these truths from God’s Word be the encouragement you need to find renewed hope and strength for the future.
There are certain chemicals which, when combined, produce tremendous change. Once they come in contact with each other, they cannot stay the same. In a similar way, a genuine encounter with God always produces change. John says if we claim to have had an encounter with God, but our lives have not been radically changed as a result, then we do not really know Him. Does your life show proof of this change?
The world has tried every imaginable way to end war and crime and hatred and violence, yet despite all their best efforts to bring lasting peace to mankind through education, politics and money, nothing has changed. And nothing ever will change until we recognize and admit that our greatest problem is sin, and our greatest need is a Savior.
The early church faced persecution from its inception, but after a few decades, a new enemy appeared that was even more deadly. False teachers arose from within their own ranks and began to destroy the church from the inside. John wrote this letter to give clear ways to distinguish false doctrine from authentic Christianity. Does your life show evidence of these marks of a genuine believer?
Have you ever admired a professional athlete at the top of their game and thought, “I wish that could be me. They’re so lucky!” But luck has nothing to do with it. What we fail to realize is that anyone who achieves great things in life has invested years in training, hard work and sacrifice. The Bible says if we want to grow in godliness, we will have to discipline ourselves to get there. Are you willing to pay the price?
What would you do differently if you knew you only had one year to live? This is not a hypothetical question. What if you really knew your life would end one year from today? What plans would you change, what relationships would you mend, what values would you embrace? Now, imagine the kind of difference your life could make if you started living that way today!
