the basic message #E9
1 John 1:6-7
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.
1st John is a little treasure chest of scriptural references of what it really means to claim Christianity. In only 5 short chapters John very effectively hammers the point that you must do more than just say you’re a Christian. Read on:
1 John 2:3-6
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Try this math equation: 2 + 2 = 5. Since we were kids, we’ve been taught that the answer is 4, it’s an irrefutable law of math. How about the passage above? Isn’t that also an irrefutable truth? (If your answer is no, we need to talk). Since it is pure truth, may I ask, “Are you a liar”. I am, since I know but don’t always follow God’s commands. That’s the bad news, but the good news is that I have an advocate that stands is my place for the punishment I deserve.
1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
There’s that word “claim” again. How many of us make an unjustified claim of Christianity? Question: Was Jesus a racist? Even a racist would probably answer no, so why do we have racists who claim Christianity? Was Jesus a man who hoarded money or possessions? I see no record of Jesus owning anything but the clothes on his back, but I know many people who claim Christianity that would shoot to kill if someone were stealing their car. I’ll admit there was a time not too many years ago that I would have done the same thing, but now I realize that even a miserable car thief’s life is not mine to take- especially for something as silly as a hunk of steel and plastic. Maybe we should get some bracelets made that say “WWJD-HSTCT” which means: “What would Jesus do? He’d shoot the car thief”. If you would shoot, and claim to walk as Jesus did, then Jesus would pull the trigger too, right?
1 John 2:14-15
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Some think that the term “brother” is used only when describing another Christian. I believe that all of God’s human creations are brothers or sisters. Question: When you hate someone, do you find out if they’re a fellow Christian, or do you hate them anyway? If a guy is stealing your car, do you shout, “Hey! Are you a Christian?”, before you pull the trigger? Seems to me like the easiest way to allow a person to become your brother or sister is to simply treat them like a brother or sister. Innocent until proven guilty- right?