John Albert Thomas Solo Piano

1 John – What God Did For Us

In my last post I wrote down a list of things the Apostle John had to say about God in his first letter.

In this post I want to catalog the things he wrote about those who believe in that God, particularly about Jesus.

• The believer has fellowship with the Father and the Son, who is Jesus.
• The believer has fellowship with other believers.
• This fellowship provides great joy for the believer.
• The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
• The Father forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
• The believer still sins, but when he does, Jesus the Righteous stands as our Advocate before the Father.
• Our sins weigh us down with a debt only payable by death.
• The Father accepts the death of Jesus as sufficient payment for our sins and the sins of the whole world.  He marks our account as paid in full.
• When we also accept Jesus’ death in our place, He gives us a new life, born of God, which extends on even after death.
• This new life is evidenced by the fact that the believer loves Him and that overflows into love for other believers.
• The believer is gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ, walking in the same way He walked.
• The believer’s sins are completely forgiven for the glory of Christ.
• The believer knows the Father personally.
• The believer has finally overcome Satan.
• The believer has strength that comes from the Spirit who has taken up permanent residence in his heart.
• The believer discovers that this world is temporary, and his love for it decreases.
• Instead, the believer realizes that he is in this world for a reason, and he wants to do everything God has prepared him to do.
• The Spirit of God remains in the believer and keeps him faithful.
• The Spirit of God trains the believer’s mind to think His thoughts, understand His ways, and know the truth about Jesus.
• The Spirit of God teaches the believer everything he needs to know; His teaching is complete and sufficient.
• The believer will not shrink from Christ in shame when He returns; he has no fear of standing before God on the Day of Judgment.
• The Father loves the believer enough to adopt him as His own child.  This adoption has already taken place.
• When Christ returns the believer will complete the transformation into His likeness.
• That hope has a purifying effect on the believer.
• Sin loses it’s appeal to the believer.
• He is no longer a slave to sin.  That was his old nature.
• He can’t help wanting to do what is right.  This desire grows.  It’s in his new nature.
• The believer finds himself with a natural affection for his fellow believers.
• The believer loses his ability to hate.
• His love for fellow believers grows to the point where he’s willing to give up his own rights for the good of his brothers–even his own life–just as Christ did.
• Showing love to other believers–caring for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs–becomes a frequent and natural occurrence.
• Sometimes the believer doubts about his relationship with the Father, perhaps due to sin.  God already knows and is not surprised.  The believer is to trust God’s love instead of his own thoughts concerning himself.
• The believer can be confident that God hears his prayers, and that He will give everything he asks according to His will.
• The Spirit inside the believer helps the believer determine the difference between false teaching and truth.
• The Spirit inside the believer is more powerful than any spiritual opposition he may face, including Satan.
• The Spirit uses the Scriptures to strengthen the believer against such opposition.
• The Father loves the believer to the point that it overflows into love for others.
• He remains in the believer, convincing him that His love is perfect, and giving him the ability to share that love with others.
• The Spirit gives the believer a continued faith in Jesus as the Son of God, Savior of the world.
• The believer finds that obeying the commandment to love God and love his brothers is a natural delight rather than a burdensome chore.
• The believer will be tempted to place his affections on the things of this world so that they consume his thoughts, his time, and his money.
• Instead, he must keep his focus and delight on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

ALL of that because Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  Now we know why it’s called Good News!

Leashing The Dogs Of Doubt

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief !”
Mark 9:24 (NIV)

Doubts are the persistent nippings of dogs.

Some of these doubts are so full of venom that they harden the heart.  Once bitten, a victim finds that he cannot believe in anything outside himself.  He disowns his heavenly Father much like one might disown his earthly one.  In his mind, there is no God.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 14:1a

I have at times been grazed with such a bite, usually inflicted by the skeptic who is satisfied with nothing but his own answer, whose heart was hardened long ago.  My own doubts about God’s existence are always momentary, for He graciously reminds me that He does not require my permission or my faith to exist–that He was, and is, and will be, long after I return to dust.

There are other doubts from other dogs that are equally dangerous.

Their potency lies in their ability to paralyze the believer.  These toxins work their way into the spiritual nervous system and draw into question the character of God, His wisdom, and His power.

• Is God really good?
• Why doesn’t He care?
• Does God really know what He’s doing?
• How could He let this happen?
• Where was God when I needed Him most?
• How am I going to get out of this mess?

I have keenly felt this during times of financial need, especially during this past year when expenses outweighed income and no solution was apparent.  It is much easier to trust a credit card than to trust God.  Yet, without fail, every time Becky and I trusted God to provide, He did.  It was not always in the manner expected, but He did. 

And yet, despite His faithfulness to me and my family, I still struggle with doubt every time a financial crisis hits (though the sting has weakened).  It reminds me of what the Apostle John wrote of his contemporaries.

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
John 12:37

Do you struggle with doubts, too?

How do we keep the dogs at bay?

• Read the Bible and memorize the promises - In it, God clearly displays His goodness, His wisdom, and His power to save.
• Pray – You cannot deny the person you are speaking with.  Praying while you read the Bible is detoxifying and invigorating.  It softens the heart and brings life to your spirit.
• Seek Counsel - You cannot fend off the dogs alone; you need others who have battled these dogs before to fight with you.  Surround yourself with like-minded believers.
• Practice – When times are tough we tend to leave God as the last resort.  Next time, go to Him first.  Ask for more faith, and persist till He satisfies your aching heart.

The Apostle Paul wrote this of Abraham,

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Romans 4:20-21

May the same be true of us, and may all who follow us find us faithful to the end.

If you find encouragement in this, pass it on.