TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 4:7-10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. - 1 John 4:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Like a child reaching to catch the stars, the religions of the world try to touch God. It is not so with Christianity. Missionary theologian Leslie Newbigin explains: “God's purpose for man is known not by the up-reach of human moral and intellectual striving, but by the down-reach of God's saving grace” in Jesus Christ. This is the message of today's passage, one of the most profound statements of God's love in the New Testament.

John returns to the theme of loving one another, illuminated in 3:11-24. “Dear friends” can also be translated “beloved ones” and is used repeatedly throughout this letter. This greeting anticipates the message of verses 7 through 21, the basis and power of our love. We love one another because we are loved by God first (vv. 7, 11, 19); we are His beloved ones.

In the Old Testament, God is known not merely by attributes, but ultimately by actions that reveal who He is. He is the God who made an everlasting covenant with Abraham, rescued His people from Egyptian bondage, and ushered His people into the Promised Land. Similarly here, we know what “God is love” means most precisely by God's action of sending His Son, which reveals the self-sacrificial nature of God and of His love (vv. 7-8).

Jesus Christ is the most tangible, powerful, and ultimate expression of God's great love (v. 9). Our knowledge of God's love is based upon His concrete, historical life, death, and resurrection. “One and only” emphasizes Jesus' uniqueness. He is not one among many, but God's one and only Son sent into the hostile, unbelieving world to give us life (v. 9; cf. John 17:3).

The quote from Newbigin echoes verse 10, which clarifies how Jesus secures life for us. Jesus is the “atoning sacrifice for our sins” (v. 10). His sacrificial death on the cross frees us from the obligation and consequence of our guilt before God because of sin. Jesus reckons with our sin that we might live with Him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God's initiative and self-sacrifice to love and redeem us is at the heart of our passage today. God's love is not an abstraction but tangible in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. So also must followers of Jesus love one another not merely in emotion or attitude but through meaningful deeds (v. 8; cf. 3:17-18). How might you embody God's sacrificial love to your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers? Pray that you would be God's tangible expression of love as He reveals Himself to them in Jesus.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 4:11-16
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. - 1 John 4:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
Thirty years ago many people worked with typewriters, and if they used a computer at all it might be to play Oregon Trail on green-screen Apple computer at school. Today, nearly everyone depends on computers in some way, whether for occupation, communication, or education. We rarely second-guess how the technology works or even if it will. We tacitly know and rely on computers as a backbone for society. Our text today reveals a greater, eternal foundation which we know and rely upon, not merely for a smoothly operating society but for all eternity.

From the point when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, God has made a way for His presence to dwell among His people, though in a limited sense (for example, the tabernacle and temple). Through Jesus, God has reconciled us to Himself so that He now dwells fully in us by His Spirit (see 1 Cor. 6:19). Loving one another is the sign that the invisible God lives in us and that His love is made complete in us (v. 12), for love for one another is the outgrowth of God's love for us (v. 11).

Verse 13 celebrates the reality of God dwelling in us through His gift of the Holy Spirit and serves as a hinge between verses 12 and 14: the Spirit effects our love for one another (v. 12), and the Spirit testifies to the truth about Jesus (v. 14). If we love one another, and if we believe in Jesus' true identity, God Himself lives in us. The indwelling of His Spirit provides the foundation for confidence in God's love (v. 16).

A true confession of Jesus' identity is indispensable (note 2:22-23; 4:1-3). Today's text expresses two truths about Jesus that must be acknowledged: He is Savior of the world (v. 14) and Son of God (v. 15). The emphasis is on Jesus as Savior because some among the original audience were claiming to be without sin, and they therefore didn't see their need for a Savior (cf. 1:16-2:2). “Son of God” recalls verses 9 and 10 from yesterday's text.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
First John is written to a community of Christ's followers, so let's not neglect application among the community of God's people. Often in local churches, right confession of truth might be present, yet accountability and reconciliation between people is lacking. Are there hostility, tension, power battles, unresolved issues, and unforgiven hurts among the body of Christ where you worship? Leaving sins unaddressed is not the way of God's love. Pray to be a minister of reconciliation and agent of God's love in your community.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 4:17-18
We . . . are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory. - 2 Corinthians 3:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
The context of today's text is the day of judgment (v. 17). The term “day of judgment” refers to the time when there will be a final and eternal judgment by God of all people (cf. Matt. 25:31-46; 2 Cor. 5:10). Our passage today speaks about having confidence on the day of judgment.

In 1 John 2:28, the author refers to confidence at Christ's coming that results from our loving relationship with God. In our passage today, the basis for assurance on the day of judgment is more specific. We have confidence because “love is made complete among us” (v. 17) and we are “made perfect in love” (v. 18). What does that mean? The answer lies in the last words of verse 17: “because in this world we are like him.” God's love is made complete in us as we become like His Son, Jesus, and we are “being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). Because God has loved us perfectly in Christ and made us like Him, perfect in love, we do not fear punishment on the day of judgment.

Fear is a curious word in the Bible. On one hand, Proverbs 9:10 teaches that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”; on the other hand, verse 18 in our passage states that “perfect love drives out fear.” Though seemingly different, “fear” in these two contexts is connected. As one New Testament scholar put it, “To fear God is to revere him and give him due respect and honor. Fear of God is linked to love of God and obedience to his commandments.”

Our passage today addresses the fear of God's punishment that will be meted out to unrighteous unbelievers. As Christians, we fear God, the judge of the whole world, and we give Him all the reverence, respect, glory, and honor due Him. But since He has freed us from the punishment of sin through Christ, we do not fear His condemnation.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many Christians live enslaved to fears. As Jesus sent out His twelve disciples, He addressed the topic of fear (Matt. 10:26-30). Similar to the disciples' evangelistic mission, fears can hinder us from sharing the gospel with friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. As Jesus instructed the Twelve, so also He exhorts us to throw off such fears for the sake of those who do not yet know Him. Today, pray for opportunities to courageously share the perfect love of God that drives out fear with those around you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 4:19-21
We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
Many people in our culture look to entertainment stars for guidance on how to live and love. They imbibe lessons like Tina Turner's infamous song, “What's Love Got to Do With It?” A New York Times article found that an astounding percentage of girls age 12 to 17 defended pop star Chris Brown after he beat up his girlfriend, fellow pop star Rihanna. Clearly, people are confused about the nature of true love, lost without the embrace of God's unconditional and unlimited love.

Verse 19 reiterates verse 7 through 12. We love because God first loved us. This absolutely contrasts the typical foundations and motivations of human “love.” Because of the gift of God's love we have already been given, we love others. This is exactly opposite of “loving” in order to earn the imperfect gift of human love in return. The difference between the two is profoundly significant.

Verses 20 and 21 echo 1 John 3:11-16 and commend a practical and necessary consequence of understanding verse 19. John describes someone whom his readers may encounter: the person claims she loves God, yet simultaneously speaks and acts hatefully toward brothers and sisters (v. 20). She is a liar. To lie is to make an untrue statement with the intent to deceive, to create a false or misleading impression. Her falsehood is exposed: this liar “cannot love God.”

One theme common to John's Gospel and 1 John is the invisible or unseen God (v. 20; cf. John 1:18; 5:37; 6:46). This is an argument from lesser to greater. If the readers cannot fulfill the lesser requirement to love fellow believers who are highly visible, then they cannot fulfill the greater requirement to love God the Father whom they have never seen. Jesus uses a similar argument in the Parable of the Talents (see Matt. 25:14-30). He says, “You have been faithful with a few things [the lesser]; I will put you in charge of many things [the greater]” (vv. 21, 23). Jesus is also the command giver in our passage today (v. 21; cf. John 13:34).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In light of God's Word and through the Spirit's power, prayerfully evaluate your most significant relationships. With complete honesty, finish this sentence: “I love because. . .” 1 John 4:19 turns our defective motivations for love upside down. We do not love only when we feel like it or when it feels good, but rather because God first loved us. God's love transforms us, so that we love as generous givers instead of pining takers. Memorize 1 John 4:19 so that its truth may take deep root in your relationships.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:1-5
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. - John 13:35
TODAY IN THE WORD
One leading reason missionaries return home prematurely is team strife. The pressures of cross-cultural living and decision-making with people who disagree about ministry and life philosophy germinate conflict. Team dysfunction also hinders work in local churches and other ministries, and it is often left unresolved until it becomes fatally cancerous. Today's passage inextricably connects love for fellow believers with love for God.

At first, John seems to suggest that whoever loves God the Father loves His Son, Jesus (v. 1). Closer reading clarifies that “his child” refers to the children of God, our fellow believers. The phrase “this is how we know” occurs seven times in 1 John, including in verse 2 (cf. 2:5, 18; 3:10, 16, 19, 24). John persists in reassuring his readers regarding their relationship with God. In this case, John sets up the relationship differently: rather than knowing we love God because we love our fellow believers (2:3-11), here we know we love fellow believers because we love God and obey Him (v. 2). Taken together, it's clear that love for God and love for fellow believers cannot be separated.

Obeying God's commands is not burdensome, because through spiritual rebirth we overcome the world, the values, attitudes, and actions opposed to God. The epicenter of this faith that overcomes is the belief that Jesus Christ is God's Son. One theme of 1 John is Jesus' identity. Our text today begins and ends with two confessions about Jesus. First, Jesus is the Christ. “Christ” is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew word Messiah or “Anointed One,” who God promised would bring hope and deliverance to His people (see Jer. 23:5-6). Second, Jesus is the Son of God. He is almighty and eternally divine.

Another predominant theme of 1 John is our love for God. Christians often focus on pleasing God, serving God, and like the eldest son in Luke 15, slaving for God, yet not as frequently on loving God first and foremost. John continuously raises this topic because of its centrality for the life of faith.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you volunteer or serve full-time on a ministry team? Do you recognize the devastating effects of team disunity? The Evil One delights to bring destruction through division among servant leaders. Loving one another on your ministry team is the unshakable foundation for unleashing the Spirit's work, yet it is impossible apart from God's indwelling love in each of us. Pray regularly for team unity and commit to resolving conflict quickly (see John 17:20-23; Rom. 15:5-6; Eph. 4:2-3; Col. 3:12-13).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:6-13
I write these things to you who believe . . . so that you many know that you have eternal life. - 1 John 5:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Imagine a familiar scene from the middle of the week at a Christian summer camp. Emily is an awkward but lively twelve-year-old with braces, French braids, and denim shorts. For the first time she hears the compelling gospel message. Without hesitation, Emily accepts the promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus. Now think ahead many years. How does Emily know that what happened that July evening at summer camp still means anything? Emily's confidence has been sealed with the promises of today's text. This same assurance of God's gift of eternal life is for you today.

The word testimony and its derivatives occur eight times within eight verses, revealing the unmistakable theme of our passage. Earlier, the human testimony of the eyewitnesses is highlighted (see 1:2; 4:14), but the ultimate testimony about Jesus is revealed in verse 9. In both Old and New Testament times, important issues were decided with the testimony of two or three witnesses (cf. Deut. 17:6; John 8:17-18). John accordingly presents three witnesses: water, blood, and the Spirit (v. 7). As 1 John teaches, one of the primary roles of the Spirit is to testify to the truth about Jesus. Water refers to the baptism of Jesus by John, particularly that God the Father testifies at Jesus' baptism (see Mark 1:9-11). Blood refers to Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. All three witnesses are tangible.

Verses 10 and 11 mention two gifts from God: first, the testimony about His Son, and second, that through Him God gives eternal life. The theme of life is central to all of John's writing, including his Gospel and his letters, and life is always identified with Jesus. Jesus Himself is the life (cf. 1 John 5:20; John 14:6). The one who “has the Son” has life (v. 12). To “have Jesus” is to be indwelt by His Spirit, for God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to make their home in you (John 14:23).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Every follower of Jesus endures times of doubt, periods when we question the certainty of eternal life in Jesus. John writes to establish unquestionable confidence: “So that you may know that you have eternal life” (v. 13). This assurance does not come from a feeling or state of being, but results from belief in the reality of God's gift in Jesus, confirmed in His life, death, and resurrection and guaranteed by His Spirit. Let us rest and rejoice in God's unshakable promise of eternal life in Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:14-17
If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. - 1 John 5:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
Before Jesus died on the cross, God's people experienced daily, tangible reminders that they were separated from Him. The only access to Him had to be mediated through priests and sacrifices. Consider the numerous temple courts, from the outer courts of the Gentiles all the way into the Holy of Holies, where the high priest could enter only once a year. Do you ever stop to think that our “easy” access and confidence before God through Jesus is incredible? Now, through Christ, our Great High Priest, “the curtain of the temple was torn” (Mark 15:38), and we approach God's throne of grace with confidence (Heb. 4:14-16). This is the background of today's passage.

In addition to the assurance of eternal life (v. 13), there is confidence in prayer (vv. 14-15). This passage celebrates our confidence not only in Christ's victory to bring us into God's presence, but also confidence that God hears us when we beseech Him according to His will. “He hears us” is repeated twice and suggests a positive response. Jesus similarly promises answered prayer while sharing the Passover meal with His disciples (John 16:23).

Verse 16 offers an example of praying according to God's will. Previously, John outlines what to do when you yourself sin (1:9). Here he teaches that we need to pray for fellow believers who fall into sin. The “sin that does not lead to death” includes those sins committed by believers in Jesus. Forgiveness is offered by Christ's atoning sacrifice. To pray with confidence for our fellow believer who is trapped in sin is to pray that God would grant him life. This is in accord with God's will.

The “sin that leads to death” is all sin committed apart from belief in Jesus. This sin leads to spiritual death (Rom. 6:23). The unbeliever who denies Jesus and His essential, atoning death does not have the remedy for sin and the sin nature, and therefore without belief he cannot experience life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's passage emphasizes confidence in prayer and the prayer of Christians for fellow believers. Praying according to God's will may seem intimidating. How do we know God's will? We know His will first and foremost in the person of Jesus Christ and as it's revealed in the Scriptures. Today, pray the prayer Jesus taught His disciples as a template for praying according to God's will (Matt. 6:9-13). For a deeper study of this prayer, read The Lord and His Prayer by N. T. Wright or Praying the Lord's Prayer by J. I. Packer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:18
We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? - Romans 6:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
For the next three days, we will study the end of chapter 5, summarizing key points of John's letter. Yesterday's passage addressed brothers and sisters in Christ who commit a sin that does not lead to death, acknowledging that God's children are not sinless. Today's verse teaches the other side of this lesson: children of God do not continue to sin. They do not prolong sinful behavior without interruption, without the intention of stopping, or without an attitude of repentance. Persistence in sin does not characterize those born of God and in whom His Spirit lives. Paul makes a similar point: “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Rom. 6:2).

The second half of verse 18 begins with a reference to Jesus. Though the letter has not previously referred to Jesus as “the one born of God,” Jesus has been called God's “one and only Son” (4:9). There is no doubt; Jesus is “the one” who provides security. This protection is offered to “anyone born of God.”

To understand the second half of verse 18, we must recognize the implied “because” connecting the two sentences. In 1 John 3:9, the reason that children of God do not continue to sin is because God's seed, His Spirit, is in them. Here, a second reason is given: No one born of God continues to sin because Jesus keeps him or her safe. From what does Jesus keep them safe? Jesus protects those born of God from the Evil One (cf. John 17:15). “Evil one” is used interchangeably with “the devil” in 1 John (see 2:13-14; 3:8, 10, 12).

Also, in the context of John's letter, this safety and protection that Jesus provides to those born of God is most closely linked to protection against false teachers and from being led astray. Recall that the nucleus of the devil's work is deception and leading God's people astray, which he has been doing from the beginning.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we begin the conclusion to 1 John, take some time to review the key themes of this book. What promises have been outlined? What assurances are here for believers? What are some key words and verses? How does this letter challenge your relationship with God and other believers? If God has impressed something on your heart, record that in your spiritual journal or place where you keep notes. In your prayer time, thank God for His promises and assurances, and for His help to live out the exhortations in 1 John.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:19
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. - Ephesians 6:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
In C. S. Lewis's book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lucy visits Narnia through a wardrobe and learns from Mr. Tumnus that the White Witch “has got all Narnia under her thumb. It's she that makes it always winter and never Christmas.” The so-called Queen put an enchantment over Narnia to keep it forever in winter, but never Christmas. Yet Mr. Beaver announces, “Aslan is on the move. He's the King. He's the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here . . . the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this moment. He'll settle the White Queen all right.” Similarly, the prince of this world and his imminent defeat is the focus of today's passage.

When studying God's Word, noting comparisons and contrasts is a helpful tool for interpreting the text. Notice the connection between today's verse and yesterday's. Also, observe the contrast between God's children and the Satan-dominated “world,” which, as we have seen before, is a familiar theme in 1 John (cf. 2:15-17; 3:10; 4:5-6). John compares the position of God's children to the position of the unbelieving world: the former belong to God while the latter lives under the authority and power of the Evil One. Believers in Jesus Christ are no longer under the Evil One's control, and no longer slaves to sin; sin is not their master. God our Father “has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col. 1:13).

The children of God inherit victory over the devil because Christ came to destroy his work (1 John 3:8). Jesus has pronounced judgment on the world, and the prince of this world has been driven out. But a tension exists: although the devil has been defeated once for all through Christ's death and resurrection (see Col. 2:13-15), the unbelieving world is still under his control until he is finally bound and dethroned forever (Rev. 20:1-3, 7-10).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Ephesians makes clear that until Christ returns, we will battle against “the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (6:12). In order to stand strong against “the devil's schemes,” such as lying, lust, covetousness, injustice, and general spiritual attack, let us put on the full armor of God (6:11-18). The LifeGuide Bible Study Spiritual Warfare by Jack Kuhatschek is an excellent workbook for individuals or groups seeking to stand in the midst of spiritual struggle.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:20
He is the true God and eternal life. - 1 John 5:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 2008, Minnesota Public Radio aired Nikki Tundel's story, “Societies Create Jesus in Their Own Image,” describing how artistic renderings of Jesus throughout the centuries depict Him in the likeness of their own experiences and cultural attributes: “Christians simply relate better to a savior who looks like them.” Rather than cultural expectations or assumptions that He is like us, though, God's Word should shape our portrait of Jesus. Today's passage paints a triumphant picture of Christ.

Three consecutive verses begin with “we know” (vv. 18-20). In fact, the word know occurs twenty-seven times in 1 John. John strengthens readers' confidence in Jesus and their relationship with Him. Our knowledge is not mere whimsical hope; it is sturdy assurance built on the indestructible foundation of Christ's life, death, and resurrection.

John highlights two aspects of Christ's work: Jesus “came,” leaving His glory with the Father to take on human flesh (cf. Phil. 2:6-8); and He gave understanding of His Father to believers (see John 14:6-9). “So that we may know him” implies that we know God not by striving to reach Him, but by God revealing Himself to us.

“Him who is true” is God the Father, whose Son is Jesus Christ. We are “in him” because we are in His Son (cf. 1 John 2:24); we cannot be in God without being in His Son. Our mutual indwelling with the Father and Son, which is effected through the Spirit, is a prominent theme in 1 John.

Does “he” in the last phrase of verse 20 refer to the Father or His Son? Three indicators point to Jesus: Jesus is the nearest noun referenced; Jesus is the acting subject of verse 20; and eternal life is connected with Jesus in 1 John (1:1-2; 5:11-13). What an exultant ending to John's letter! New Testament scholar Rudolph Schnackenburg declares: “Here the full identity of Jesus with God is recognized without reserve.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Are you ever surprised by Jesus when you encounter Him in the Scriptures? Is your understanding of Him shaped by God's Word and your personal relationship with Him or by your expectations, experiences, and prejudices? We should always submit our notion of Jesus and who He is to the truth revealed in Scripture. If you ever find yourself explaining away something about Jesus in the Bible, prayerfully ask God to help you understand His Son as shown in His Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 5:21
Watch your life and doctrine closely. - 1 Timothy 4:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
When navigating a ship, an error of one degree seems miniscule, but continued travel in an errant direction will lead the vessel miles off course. Similarly, false belief about Jesus, even if seemingly slight, has increasingly deleterious effects upon orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right practice). Today's text warns against such false belief leading to idolatry.

Nothing in 1 John readies us for 5:21, as nothing explicit is said about idols up to this point in John's letter, though he does call Jesus “true God” (v. 20). John may be speaking of the actual idolatry of his day (cf. Acts 17:23; 1 Thess. 1:9), but it is more likely that the “idols” are those conjured by the false teachers. Idolatry is the worship of false gods. The antichrists' false claims about Jesus are idolatrous, because false belief leads to worship of something that is not God. In contrast, John exhorts us to maintain right belief about Jesus, “the true God and eternal life” (v. 20). Those who truly know Jesus completely avoid idols and those who endorse them.

First John 5:18-21 summarize John's major themes. As our study of 1 John ends, let's review one edifying thread woven through John's letter: assurance for believers in Jesus Christ, God's Son. First, assurance is grounded in obedience to the command to love and live like Jesus (2:3-6; 3:14). Second, confidence on the day of judgment is based on righteous living and loving in Christ (2:28-29; 4:17).

Third, certainty in prayer results from living and praying according to God's will (3:21-22; 5:14). Fourth, God's testimony about Jesus resides in our hearts (5:9-13). Lastly, all assurance is guaranteed through God's Spirit living in us (3:23-24; 4:13). As one New Testament scholar states: “The grounds of assurance are ethical, not emotional; objective, not subjective; plain and tangible, not microscopic and elusive.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sometimes Christians read God's Word piecemeal, one verse or passage at a time, often without connecting the small portion to the larger context, namely, the chapter, book, Testament, and Bible as a whole. Today, take time to read 1 John in its entirety. This is a good practice for any Bible study: at the end of a study, take some time to re-read the entire book. If you need a resource to encourage you, read Gordon Fee's How to Read the Bible Book by Book.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 John 1-13
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” - 1 Corinthians 15:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the quest to be new or cutting-edge, some artists can simply create absurdity. From Project Runway avant-garde fashions to Iron Chef culinary confections to American Idol melodies, the judges love to say, “Don't mess with a classic.” Today's passage hails the foundational teaching about Jesus, a true unchangeable constant.

Important questions to ask about 2 John concern the identity of these characters. Who is the elder, the chosen lady and her children, and her chosen sister (vv. 1, 13)? “Elder” likely does not refer to a church officer, since that office is usually indicated in the New Testament by the plural “elders” (see Acts 15). Rather, the writer of 2 John is a spiritual father to his readers. Most scholars consider “the chosen lady and her children” to be a metaphorical address to a local church and its members. Consequently, “her chosen sister” is the elder's church community.

Numerous echoes from 1 John are identifiable: truth; a new command, love one another; Jesus is God's Son; deceivers; world; and others. Alternatively, one new admonition stands out (vv. 8-9). When viewed in parallel, “what you have worked for” is the true “teaching of Christ”: the reward is having God. Jesus' words also illuminate today's text: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29). The author contrasts running ahead with continuing in the teaching of Christ (v. 9). Truly, the mature believers graduate from spiritual milk to solid food (cf. Heb. 5:11-14)—but this is not what the elder has in mind in this passage. Verse 9 warns against accepting seemingly enlightened ideas, which when exposed turn out to be counterfeit. In the present context, the deceiver and antichrist denies the humanity of Jesus (v. 7).

The elder prescribes practical ways to resist the false teachers, namely deny them hospitality (vv. 10-11). In the ancient world this meant to refuse the itinerants lodging in one's home and a speaking platform in the church assembly. To welcome them in these ways would be to condone their wicked work.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's text warns us of perilous associations and influences. Do not give false teaching a listening ear, for this kind of hospitality can contaminate us. In our culture that promotes tolerance, it can be challenging to stand for truth. Allow the Holy Spirit to identify any toxic conversations or wayward advisors in your life, and prayerfully resolve to avoid them. Ask the Lord for strength to stand for Him and His Word when confronted with false teaching.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Chronicles 17:16-27
Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? - 1 Chronicles 17:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Interior Castle is a sixteenth-century Christian classic of the inner spiritual life. In it, Teresa of Avila (in Spain) meditated: “I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God, for, beholding His greatness we are struck by our own baseness, His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble.”

David's response to God's stunning promises showed that he understood this truth. He realized that although his request to build a temple had been denied, God had richly blessed him, and he responded with humble thankfulness. He acknowledged his own unworthiness to receive such grand promises, as well as the Lord's grace-filled guidance of his life and kingship. He saw clearly that the rise of Israel wasn't about him and his abilities, but rather about God's glory, will, and promises (v. 20).

David also located recent success in the larger stream of biblical history, recounting how God had chosen Israel for Himself, established a covenant relationship, redeemed them out of slavery in Egypt, given victories as they conquered the Promised Land, and has a plan to bless all the nations. Situating God's promises in a bigger picture, thus emphasizing His faithfulness rather than any one point in history, would have particularly encouraged the original audience of this passage in Chronicles.

Praying for God to keep His promises is the safest prayer there is (vv. 23-27)! So why did David bother? Or why should we? Because claiming God's promises in prayer shows faith, helps align our individual human wills with His will, can better attune us to what His plans are, and can help keep our motives rightly focused on His glory, not ours. In addition, God's promises can give us courage to pray what seems to us unthinkable, but is not so to a Sovereign for whom nothing is beyond His love, power, and wisdom (cf. Ps. 21:6-7). God delights to hear His people appeal to His character that He has revealed to us.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
David's joyful, humble response in today's reading acknowledges God's faithfulness to His chosen people, dating all the way back to His covenant with Abraham. What promises do we have in Christ? It's a wonderful topic for additional study, one that will certainly encourage your heart. One way to keep these in mind is to create your own flip chart with a different promise on each page. As you keep it at your desk or by your kitchen sink, you can meditate on God's faithfulness to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jude 1-16
Fight the good fight of the faith. - 1 Timothy 6:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
Midrash is a Hebrew term literally meaning “to investigate” or “to study.” Midrash is an ancient method of interpreting biblical texts whereby examples from Scripture are interpreted to reflect and apply to contemporary situations. Jude employs the technique of midrash to address the situation facing his readers. His prevalent use of this Jewish tradition suggests that he and probably even his original readers were Jewish Christians (vv. 5-15).

Most New Testament scholars identify Jude as the brother of Jesus, pointing to the author's self-designation as “a brother of James” (v. 1; cf. Matt. 13:55). Jude was not a follower of Jesus during his brother's lifetime, but like James joined the Christian movement after Christ's resurrection. Verses 3 and 4 announce the purpose for Jude's letter: to expose the false teachers in their midst and to urge his readers to fight for the faith. The shepherding imagery of verse 12 identifies the “godless men” as false teachers (cf. Ezek. 34:1-10). “Faith” here is used as a synonym for the gospel of Jesus Christ; it is also depicted as something one must fight for in order to maintain.

The ungodly men who “secretly slipped among” them distort God's grace and reject Christ's lordship in exchange for immoral living (vv. 4, 8). Jude describes and condemns the false teachers (vv. 5-19). He uses numerous illustrations to thoroughly convince his readers of the threat posed by the infiltrators. Jude's point is clear: in the same way the Old Testament exemplars such as Sodom and Gomorrah and Balaam faced judgment, so too will these wicked, poisonous men. They will be like condemned creation, purposeless and unproductive. “The Lord is coming . . . to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way” (vv. 14-15).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer distinguishes between “cheap” and “costly” grace: “Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without discipline, communion without confession.” Jude says it is changing God's grace “into a license for immorality” (v. 4). Costly grace demands repentance that leads to transformation. Bonhoeffer said, “It is costly because it compels one to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him.” Let's daily count the cost of discipleship and receive God's grace.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jude 17-25
Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Jude 21
TODAY IN THE WORD
In Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper contends, “Life is war because the maintenance of our faith and the laying hold of eternal life is a constant fight.” This echoes yesterday's discussion about the fight of faith and reflects Jude's closing remarks (vv. 20-21, 24). In order to live in light of eternity, we must, through regularly practiced exercises, maintain spiritual fitness for present wartime conditions.

Verses 20 through 23 instruct readers on how to “contend for the faith” (v. 3). First, Christ's followers must maintain and “build up” their own relationship with God (vv. 20-21). This includes praying according to God's will in fellowship with His Spirit and living in light of the Lord's return. Second, Jude urges his readers to “be merciful” to those contaminated by the false teachers (v. 22), which entails saving them from deception's snare. These traps of lies will lead to eternal judgment (v. 23). This smaller-scale rescue mission reflects God's large-scale mission to save His people (cf. John 3:16-17). The last phrase of verse 23 warns the readers to make every effort to avoid being corrupted themselves.

Jude concludes his letter with a doxology or short song of praise to God (vv. 24-25). He reassures his readers that God Himself will protect and preserve them through their present trials until Christ returns, at which point they will stand blameless and joyful before their Creator and King. Jude's heartening words are not uncommon to the New Testament. In his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul teaches that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” and that no trial or adversary can separate believers from God's love in Christ (8:28, 31-39). The author of Hebrews prays: “May the God of peace . . . equip you with everything good for doing his will” (13:20-21).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jude ends looking forward to Christ's return (vv. 21, 24). The spirit of anticipation for Christ's return was prevalent among the early church. The term Maranatha! or “Come, Lord Jesus!” reflects this spirit (1 Cor. 16:22; cf. Rev. 22:20). Expecting and anticipating Christ's return causes us to live as disciplined, watchful stewards of God's kingdom. Is your life characterized by a longing for Christ's return? Today, reflect on the potential effects of such longing in your family, work, and relationships.