Reaching Out Into The Community
Works In Faith Inc.
From my understanding, this is the general classification groups for the books of the Bible
Old Testament: Pentateuch, Historical books, Psalms & writings, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets
New Testament: Gospels, Historical Narrative, Pauline letters, General Epistles,
Apocryphal Books
1 John is believed to be written by John, one of the apostles and falls in the general epistles category. It was written to a group of people that were Christians to encourage them and demonstrate how faith should affect them. It also tells Christians to guard against falsehoods.
Chapter one seems to be emphasizing Christ Jesus and the way to eternal life. It is a reminder that although we have sinned (and we all have) that we are forgiven because our Lord Jesus died on the cross for us. What amazes me is to picture John writing this book in his elder years with such conviction and determination to proclaim the word because he saw it all. He was there when Jesus preached to the crowds and when Jesus healed the sick. He saw all the miracles, all the teachings, and mostly he saw his Lord up on the cross. John is God’s instrument to declare the truth and preach upon what he witnessed firsthand.
Chapter 2 is a reminder to love God and not the world. As I walk around and see all the gadgets and all the technology that surrounds us, I am reminded of how real our world seems. These trivial things seem so important at the time, new cell phones that you can navigate the internet faster, new cars that can basically drive by themselves, better TV’s with higher definition to watch the shows that are of this world, the new sports team that may win this year, and I ask myself, what does any of this have to do with Christ or God?
1 John 2:15-17 states “Do not love the world or anything in this world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world... The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Which world are you living in, God’s or man’s. As a Christian, I strive to live each day in God’s world, as a man I often am enticed to live in my world- the human world. It is a constant struggle to remember that everything I do is a reflection of my Lord and I find myself falling short all the time. It is hard to remember to improve myself with only those things that God would want in my life. As I turn on the radio, I hear the music that I like- a seductive drum beat or amazing vocals- only to remind myself to ask the question “is this edifying to my soul-is this what a person of God should be listening to” 1 John is refreshing to study because it encourages me to live as God would want not as my sinful nature would desire.
Old Testament: Pentateuch, Historical books, Psalms & writings, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets
New Testament: Gospels, Historical Narrative, Pauline letters, General Epistles,
Apocryphal Books
1 John is believed to be written by John, one of the apostles and falls in the general epistles category. It was written to a group of people that were Christians to encourage them and demonstrate how faith should affect them. It also tells Christians to guard against falsehoods.
Chapter one seems to be emphasizing Christ Jesus and the way to eternal life. It is a reminder that although we have sinned (and we all have) that we are forgiven because our Lord Jesus died on the cross for us. What amazes me is to picture John writing this book in his elder years with such conviction and determination to proclaim the word because he saw it all. He was there when Jesus preached to the crowds and when Jesus healed the sick. He saw all the miracles, all the teachings, and mostly he saw his Lord up on the cross. John is God’s instrument to declare the truth and preach upon what he witnessed firsthand.
Chapter 2 is a reminder to love God and not the world. As I walk around and see all the gadgets and all the technology that surrounds us, I am reminded of how real our world seems. These trivial things seem so important at the time, new cell phones that you can navigate the internet faster, new cars that can basically drive by themselves, better TV’s with higher definition to watch the shows that are of this world, the new sports team that may win this year, and I ask myself, what does any of this have to do with Christ or God?
1 John 2:15-17 states “Do not love the world or anything in this world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world... The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Which world are you living in, God’s or man’s. As a Christian, I strive to live each day in God’s world, as a man I often am enticed to live in my world- the human world. It is a constant struggle to remember that everything I do is a reflection of my Lord and I find myself falling short all the time. It is hard to remember to improve myself with only those things that God would want in my life. As I turn on the radio, I hear the music that I like- a seductive drum beat or amazing vocals- only to remind myself to ask the question “is this edifying to my soul-is this what a person of God should be listening to” 1 John is refreshing to study because it encourages me to live as God would want not as my sinful nature would desire.