As a fellowship, we are journeying through the letter of 1 John on Sundays.
One thing that becomes evident very quickly is that many of those John is
writing about claim to know God without the accompanying lifestyle. We all
know the old adage: “Talk is cheap”. However, John is not as concerned about
claims about knowing God as he is about the evidence that supports such a
claim. He sets the 3 tests we need to pass if our claim to know God is going to
hold up water.
- Do I believe the right things about Jesus? (2:23; 4:2; 4:15; 5:1)
- Do I obey the commands of God? (2:3-6)
- Do I love others? (2:7-11)
These tests progress from belief about Jesus to a response to God, and then to
an orientation towards people. True belief must always express itself in
practical terms in every aspect and area of our lives. If I say I love my wife but
my life does not testify to that, how true is that statement? Our claims can
never be separated from our practice because our practice tells us how
legitimate our claims are. An African proverb might be helpful here: “I cannot
hear what you are saying because your actions are speaking too loudly”.
We have to ask ourselves the simple but challenging question: How are we
testing?
Is my life rooted in the right beliefs about who Jesus is?
Am I expressing my love towards God by doing what he says?
Is my life orientated in love towards others?
My prayer is that as we pursue God and commit ourselves to him, that we will
pass each of these tests with flying colours.
Blessings
Nico