Eternal Life

The first letter from the apostle, John, has only five chapters (although, of course, John didn't write it in chapters and verses, any more than you or I would do so when writing a letter! These divisions were a much later addition provided to make it easier for us to look up a particular verse, or passage.). However, it is a powerful letter, full of vital insights into the Christian life, it is written to, among others, "little children" (1 John 5:21) - those who are young in the faith - so that they might "know" the majesty and wonder of eternal life - which is not the same thing as "everlasting life"!

He writes to: ". . . you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13) 

John begins his letter with a reminder of his close relationship with Jesus from whom the promise of eternal life came. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us —  that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.  (1 John 1:1-3; emphasis added). 

John, "the beloved disciple" was an eyewitness to Christ's resurrection: "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;"  (John 20: 1-8), which is the most powerful proof of the claims and promises of the Lord: "... He (the Father) has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man (the Lord Jesus) Whom He has appointed, and of this He has given assurance to all men by raising Him from the dead."  (Acts 17:31).

 

Much of that which is applied in John's letter is based on the precise teachings of the Lord Jesus Himself, heard by John and recorded in his account of the Gospel, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31).

 

Those who believe will "not perish" (John 3:15-16).
The "water" of Christ springs up to "eternal life" (John 4:14).
Whoever has eternal life "has passed" from death to life (John 5:24).
Those who come to Christ will "shall not hunger" (John 6:35).
No one is able to "snatch" the believer out of the Father's hand (John 10:28-30).
"whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:26).

 

Based on the Word of God, John gives us, in his first letter, several experiential tests by which we can know that we "live":

 

We love and keep His commandments (I John 2:3).
We know and love the truth (I John 2:20).
We love the brethren (I John 3:14).
We have God's Holy Spirit (I John 4:13). 

If this has, in any way, whet your appetite for this letter, and the other two brief notes that John wrote, then I recommend my third book in the "Faith" series - "Defending the Faith" - a link to which is at the head of the blog. Remember that all royalties are sent, directly, to Release International to support those who are the persecuted Church. I receive no material benefit.

Belief, and behaviour!

When I was teaching, I often pointed out to my pupils that what we believe effects how we behave, and that how we behave displays what we believe.  

The previous two posts have tried to deal with a very difficult, but important, concept - that the Cross of Jesus is not just an event in time, but that it was birthed in the very hearty of Almighty God from before the creation of the universe.  I realise that, for many, those posts may have been a little too 'academic', but we now move on to matters that are very practical!

The question that arises from the previous posts is simply this: If, as the written Word of God, the Bible, teaches, the Cross is something that lay upon God's heart in eternity (timelessness, not endless time - see my book Great Words of the Faith), what are the practical implications of that upon the daily lives of those who claim to be disciples of the Christ?

So often, we tend to separate our belief from our behaviour.  The truth that we hold in our heads is not allowed to penetrate our hearts.  Is the truth of the Cross - lying on God's heart in eternity - merely something to intrigue our minds; or did He intend it to be a motivation for our daily living?  I firmly believe that "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ..." (II Tim 3:16), and that, although Paul was referring there, only to the scriptures of the Old Testament, the words apply equally to the writings of the New Testament.  I further believe that those words are to be an inspiration to us in our daily lives.  So how does this amazing truth about the Cross fit in with that?

May I suggest that it does so by revealing to us what is at the heart of the universe? You see, what determines our view of the universe will, ultimately, determine our lives, and our living!  What is at the heart of our understanding of the universe will be at the heart of our conduct.  Belief  D Behaviour!

What lies at the heart of your universe?  What effects your behaviour?   Is it justice; or power; or personal pleasure?   For the disciple of Jesus, it is love - self-giving, sacrificial love.  It is the love that held Jesus to that Cross - love for you; love for me.  

Let us live our lives in the light of that love - and see the difference that we will make in the world!

I think that you will like it!

Ol' Fred had been a faithful Christian and was in the hospital, near death. The family called their preacher to stand with them. As the preacher stood next to the bed, Ol' Fred's condition appeared to deteriorate and he motioned frantically for something to write on. The pastor lovingly handed him a pen and a piece of paper, and Ol' Fred used his last bit of energy to scribble a note, then suddenly died.

The preacher thought it best not to look at the note at that time, so he placed it in his jacket pocket. At the funeral, as he was finishing the eulogy, he realised that he was wearing the same jacket that he was wearing when Ol' Fred died. 

He said, "You know, Ol' Fred handed me a note just before he died. I haven't looked at it, but knowing Fred, I'm sure there's a word of inspiration there for us all."

He opened the note, and read, (Scroll down - it's worth it!)




































 "Please step to your left - you're standing on my oxygen tube!"

The Ten Words (10)

In many ways, this last of the Ten Words (Commandments) may be seen as the most serious!   It reads: "You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbour's." (Ex 20:17).

Basically, the commandment is instructing us to control our material desires.  There is, I would contend, nothing inherently wrong with admiring that which is possessed by another; or even of wishing that I had such an item myself.  It is, however, when my desire for that item begins to take control; to eat into my being like a cancer; to become my main obsession; that I am breaking this tenth commandment.

Ultimately, to covet that which belongs to someone else is to express dissatisfaction God's provision for myself.  In the modern, materialistic, society in which so many of the world's inhabitants live, this is not a welcome thought.  Surely, if my neighbour (and cf. Luke 10:29ff) has a brand-new, top-of-the-range, car I am entitled to a similar model!  If my neighbour has just purchased a 50" flat-screen television set, am I not entitled to the same level of home entertainment?   My neighbour has a cleaning lady come in, every day, to attend to housework, and cooking.  Why should I not have the same benefit?  That, sadly, is the attitude of so many in the 'civilised', and 'developed' west!

However, I stated, above that, in many ways, this commandment may be seen as the most serious - or, at least, the breaking of it can lead to so much more.  You see, if I covet in this way, I am putting personal greed, lust, and self before God.  That is idolatry, and is the breaking of the second commandment.  However, such covetousness may lead me to break into someone's home and take the item that I desire so obsessively.  That breaks commandment number eight - I have stolen.  Regretfully, in the course of my burglary, my neighbour returns, unexpectedly.  In order to cover my tracks, I hit him with the crowbar that I used to gain entry to his home and, in so doing, I murder him.  I have now added commandment six to my growing list of transgressions! 

Having escaped to my own home without any further 'mishap', I find that, shortly afterwards, the local constabulary are questioning everyone in the street in their search for clues as to the identity of the perpetrator of this double crime.  Well, I am hardly going to confess - so I lie!  That is the breaking of the ninth commandment!   I then decide that I should, at least, put on a show and visit my neighbour's widow in order to express my shock, and offer my sympathy.  She is an attractive woman.  I return more frequently - just to be of assistance! - and, before I know it, I am engaged in an affair.  Down goes commandment number seven.  My agèd parents find out about my misdeeds, and are shocked.  This was not the way in which they had reared their little boy.  That breaks commandment number five.

Have you been counting?  I make it that I have now broken a total of six of the ten commandments - all because I coveted in the first place!

So, is there an answer?  Of course there is.  The same God Who gave us these commandments also assures us that "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (I Cor. 10:13).

Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, Paul also writes: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like.  I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:16-24).

One more post on this subject - but that will have to wait until next month!

Thoughtful one-liners!

I've been gathering up so many useful quotations, recently, that I thought it was time that I shared a few more.  They are not given in any particular order of either preference or importance, although one or two do seem particularly applicable to my own ongoing situation in France!

"Not everything that can be counted, counts; and not everything that counts, can be counted".  (Albert Einstein)

"The most important things in life aren't things."  (from Rick de Koster: one of my Dutch friends)

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness."  (Martin Luther)

"Christianity has not been tried and found to be wanting; it has been found to be difficult, and not tried!"  (G.K.Chesterton)

"To be almost saved is to be totally lost"  ('Wayside pulpit'; New Paris, Ohio)

"When things don't go your way, God has plans of His own.  Better plans!"  (Word for Today, UCB)

"Motivation gets you through the day, but inspiration lasts a lifetime."  (Nick Vujicic - born without hands,
arms, or legs: just one 'chicken drumstick'! Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHgeFE   if you dare!)

"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done"  (Louis Brandeis)

"If you don't like the way you were born ... try being born again!"  ('Wayside pulpit'; Mobile, Alabama)