Friday 20 January 2017
- Bible Book:
- 1 John
‘We love because he first loved us.’ (v. 19)
Psalm: Psalm 89:19-32
Background
The writer of 1 John takes for granted the widespreadexpectation in the New Testament that in the future there will be amoment of reckoning with God for the way we have lived, whetherthis is thought of as occurring at the end of the world or at theend of an individual's life. But it is envisaged here, not as ithas often been - the opening of an account book with good and baddeeds listed in opposing columns - but as turning on thesingle question, do we love God? If we do, then we need not beafraid of the future. If we do not, we may well be afraid of whatthe future may hold.
But the claim to love God must be justified by reality. If we donot love the person we can see and touch, our claim to love God whois invisible is an empty one. The language is different, but thepoint is the same as the one Jesus made in
To Ponder
- How easy is it to love others as God has loved us? Whatdifficulties would you identify?
- Does the thought of Judgement Day make you anxious? If so, why?If not, why not?
- Can we ever reach "perfection in love" (v. 18)? Why?