Passing From Death to Life

From Darkness to Light  God's Promises  God Promises Light in  the Darkness Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5) 1 John 3:14-24 New International Version 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. For Reflection These letters come from the following decade, circa 100-110 CE, in a community of churches that now finds it necessary to define itself against turmoil from within. Christian ideals are proving challenging to live out in the larger Greco-Roman world that maintains a variety of beliefs and standards. Isn't this where we find ourselves today?   We are called to think critically and carefully about "the spirits" of the world, those who teach new ideas and values. We must make decisions with the traditions of the community at the forefront of that process. We must abide in this communal relationship so that we may act in steadfast love in this world.   Those who live in the darkness do not see the light and become as dead to the joy, peace, and hope of living in the light. The path out of death and into life is grounded in God's love for you and that you have for others.   "Rather, life-giving will be lived out in ways much closer to the situation in most of our congregations and therefore much more challenging. Anyone who has the "life of the world" (NRSV "the world's goods," which expresses this phrase's referent but loses its connection to the laying down of life discussed in verse 16), and sees a brother or sister in need, can live out the life-giving of Jesus. The call is not just to the wealthy, or for rare acts of heroism. This is the more mundane material of daily discipleship for the church's multitude. Any disciple of Jesus, with the means to sustain life, is called to share that (i.e., to "lay down life") where it is lacking."*    This "laying down of life" means nothing less than to dwell within the life of the Father and the Son, brought to reality and witnessed by the Holy Spirit.  * Brian Peterson, Professor of New Testament, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC,https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-1-john-316-24 Pray Pray so that you may become prepared to accept the call of God to share your life as a declaration of your Christian love of others. Lay down your life for another, and know God is at work among us. Pray and respond to the calling and the comfort of the church. Forward to a friend Sign up for our mailing list!