EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/14/2025 10:57 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “Introduction to 1 John 3:11-18”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
1 John 3:11-18
Message of the verses: “11 For this is the
message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one
another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother.
And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his
brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates
you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the
brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his
brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding
in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes
his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little
children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”
Let me begin with the last part of the last SD so
that I can then quote the verses that go along with this paragraph.
“Love, then, in contrast to those in Satan’s realm, has
always been an essential characteristic of every true Christian. The rest of the New Testament consistently
bears out this truth.”
Hope does not
disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Rom. 5:5)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such
things there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23).
Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no
need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to
love one another; (1 Thess. 4:9).
Since you have in obedience to the truth
purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one
another from the heart, (1 Peter 1:22).
And this is love, that we walk according to His
commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning,
that you should walk in it (2 John 1:6).
“God not only commands those who are in
Christ to show love (cf. John 5:12; Rom. 12:10; 1 Peter 4:8). He also enables them to obey that mandate, granting them the capacity to do
what He requires (cf. Rom. 5:5).”
“and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured
out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
I
wish to quote one more paragraph in ending this Spiritual Diary. “There is nothing novel or unprecedented,
then, about John’s teaching that Christians are marked by love for one another.
(His teaching—cf. 2:7-11).” Now I will
quote 1 John 2:7-11 before continuing with this quotation from this paragraph. “7 Beloved, I am not writing a new
commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning;
the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 On the other hand, I am
writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the
darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. 9 The one who
says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness
until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no
cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who 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.” “Because
God loves them (Rom. 5:8; Eph. 1:3-14; 2:4-5), people (Matt. 22:37-39; Eph.
5:2; 1 John 4:19). Thus the apostle’s
instruction here is not new, but is ‘an old commandment which you have had from
the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard’ (2:7; cf.
v. 10; 4:7-8).”
1/14/2025 11:22 PM
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