If anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.
1 John 2:3-11
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition, 2011). (2011). (Revised and updated edition., 1 Jn 2:3–11). London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Make every effort to confirm your calling and election
2 Peter 1:3-11
Key verses: Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (10, 11)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Suffering for Doing Good
1 Peter 3:8-22
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.10 For,
“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (Psalm 34:12-16)
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective
James 5:13 – 20
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back,20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
The Wisdom that Comes from Heaven
James 3:13-18
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Two kinds of wisdom are contrasted in this scripture.
The wisdom that comes from heaven (13, 17 -18) and the earthly, unspiritual, demonic wisdom (14 – 16).
Jacob & Esau
Genesis 25:19 – 34
God’s Sovereign Choice
Abraham’s God-promised-son Isaac married Rebekah (20). After 20 years, she became pregnant with twins. In Genesis 25:23, God said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
Relevant verses are found in the book of Malachi, the prophet 1:1-3.
1A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.
2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
Interpretation
The interpretation is found in Romans 10. Let us read from v6 to v13.
6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob
See v29 – 34.
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
Interpretation
The above event was interpreted in the book of Hebrews 12:16 – 17.
Hebrews 12:16-17 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
The background of Hebrews 12:17 is in Genesis 27:30 – 41.
Jesus who met a thirsty Samaritan woman
John 4:1-26
Key verse – John 4:26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
This scripture deals with a woman married & divorced 5 times and lives with the 6th man. During the conversation, she revealed that she was waiting for the perfect man, the Saviour (the Messiah, the Christ). Jesus declared in v26 “I, the one speaking to you – I am he.” Jesus is the true husband she was looking for.
The Bible indicates us that our relationships on the earth like husband & wife, father & son, and shepherd & sheep are mere shadow of true reality. God is husband and believer is His wife. The bridegroom is our Saviour and we are His brides. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep.
Men on the earth understand what women do before and after marriage would make them happy. We can apply the same principle to the relationship between ourselves and the Christ. We can think of whether we are good women to the Christ. Based on our purity, commitment, and love toward Him, we may see ourselves somewhere between pure brides and wayward wives. If you want a pure bride who makes 100% commitment to you and only loves you, you can know what the Christ also expect from us. Therefore let us always worship and serve Him only. Let us not be astray but give our heart to Him alone.
There are four types of love – Eros (erotic love) , Philia (friendship), Storge (love in family), Agape (unconditional love of God). The love the woman pursued is Eros.
We don’t know why the woman of the scripture was so love-hungry. But we all have hunger & thirst for love & satisfaction. It can make us astray and go extensive distance in life. Our life – its time and resource – is so precious and it is so important to understand and handle this issue. The solution is found in John 4.
The Bible is a so amazing book. Each verse gives us the important message. For example, v7 (how Jesus humbles himself to ask help to start communicating with close-minded woman), v9 (how this woman responds to Jesus to show scars in her heart), v15 (she is tired of the life of drawing water), v25 (she was waiting for Messiah), etc. But it is impossible to mention everything the scripture wants to tell us in one piece of writing.
Instead of interpreting verse by verse, this time, let us study a relevant topic.
God or pleasure?
2 Timothy 3:4 mentions “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” of terrible times in the last days. What does this mean? We are created to love God (Deuteronomy 6:4, 5) and love our neighbours (Leviticus 19:18). But they love pleasure (what God created) more than the Creator. We are created to worship God and serve Him only (Matthew 4:10). But they serve their own pleasure and stomach only (Romans 16:18).
When the Samaritan woman in John 4 was ignorant of the true object of worship & service to God, ‘husband’ was her object of worship & service. Human men are imperfect and have faults which could be selfishness, self-centredness, greed and/or others, causing scars in her heart. So, men are not the right object of worship. But her pursuit would never end because boundless desires she has are out of control unless worshiping, serving and obeying the true object of worship.
See Ecclesiastes 12:1
1Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
This verse also contrasts Creator and pleasure. The youth may be busy serving their pleasure, forgetting their Creator. Don’t forget we are created to serve God. The message here is “Serve God rather than pleasure.”
This verse also indicates the remorse of being gotten old without having been serving God, having wasted all life to serve pleasure.
Not serving God will result in remorse, the great remorse. Serving God is your greatest honour, privilege and desire your soul have. It is because God is your loving Father who concerns most about your happiness and interests. You owe Him for all you have. He sent His one and only Son to die for you.
God and His love are real. When we pray before God and say, “I want to serve you”, we start to recognize His presence, feel His love, remember what God did for us and can’t help crying.
Let us start to serve God in the days of our youth.
Preach the word
2 Timothy 4:1-5
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
1 John 2:15-17
1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Good reading materials during mid-year recess are found @ http://christiscoming777.com/.
