The "so what?" of Easter is evident in the whole ministry of the church. During the 40 days between the Resurrection and Christ's Ascension we are looking at the first letter of St. John to the church. Last week we talked about his words in chapter 1 "to make our, or your, joy complete." Today we are going to look at the LOVE that St. John refers to in the 3rd chapter.
1 John
3:1-7
How
great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be
called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world
does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we
are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.
But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies
himself, just as He is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in
fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that He appeared so that He
might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. No one who lives in
Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him
or known Him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He
who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.
This is the theme for our church; striving to be a first century church in the 21st century. We talk about "knowing Christ and making HIM known." Through: BELONG, BELIEVE, BECOME.
BELONG: We see in this chapter these words in action. Verse 1 starts with LOVE. This is a LOVE that is "lavished" on us. It is not just a big hug but it leads to the redemption and adoption of us as "Children of God." He says that is what we are! That is what we are because of the love of the father, even without our response. St. John shared this in his gospel chapter 3: "16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." How do we as a church make people feel that they are children of God, for that is what we are!?
BELIEVE: We see that St. John then explains that the world into which we are called to serve will not know us because it does not know him. We like to look at KNOW as a Hebrew word "Yada"which is an intimate relationship rather than the Greek way of "knowledge" as "thinking." We want to experience Jesus as HE IS and in the presence of His people when we worship together and partake of HIS body and blood. We believe more, because of the relationship we have with Jesus and HIS people, than with the knowledge we learn in classes.
BECOME: He then talks about about being purified and growing into Christ-likeness. He says that if we do not grow in sanctification we do not KNOW Christ. This is why, as we grow in our relationship by belonging, which is total grace and love, we grow in purity. Salvation, or belonging to God, is all the work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. St. Paul says in Ephesians 2: 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Therefore we are justified by grace through faith, we belong, then we grow in relationship "knowing" and then becoming more like Christ as witnesses and doing the good works that God has planned for us.
Today we celebrate with all of heaven, as Luke 15 states, as we welcome Asher into the family. Through simple water and God's mighty Word we will publicly celebrate what the Lord is doing in lavishing the father's love on Asher. May God allow us to know the POWER of LOVE each little Easter and throughout the week so that we may be light and salt in this world and make Christ known by our example and in our relationships.
Christ has risen! He has risen INDEED! Hallelujah! AMEN
Love in Christ, our Risen Lord and Savior,
Pastor Bryan
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