Author: NBibens

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What are you passionate about? In our modern culture, we often hear that we should follow our passions. Passion is the barometer of whether something is good or not. If you are passionate about something, then that thing is good for you. Relationships based on passion are deemed the best relationships. But is passion an accurate gauge of goodness? 

In 1 Peter 1:14, the Bible says, “…do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.” Everyone has various passions and desires. But what shapes those passions? Where do they come from? Are they based on carnal wants, or are our desires shaped by God’s Word? Passion and desire are not enough to determine what is right and good. When our passions are not shaped or tempered by obedience to God’s Word, they are more likely to lead us into sin and judgment. Let God’s Word guide your life, not ignorant passions. 

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No one enjoys hard times, but a great way to endure trials is to know something better is waiting. We can make it through a rough week at work knowing that the project is nearly finished. Athletes push through the pain of training because they know the benefits they will receive come game time. Soldiers endure the trials of boot camp, understanding that such training might save their lives in battle. Understanding what waits enables us to endure. Nowhere is this truer than spiritually.

First John 3:2 says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” We don’t know everything about eternity, but we know this—it will be perfect because we will be with the Lord. We know the faithful will be glorified and live forever with Christ. That knowledge is perhaps the most empowering and strengthening knowledge we could ever possess. 

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When will the world end? Many people have spent considerable time and effort trying to figure that out. They scour Scripture for clues that might reveal the time of the end. All such effort is a sad waste because Jesus said no one knows the day or the hour that He will return in judgment. But that doesn’t mean the Lord’s coming should catch us by surprise. On the contrary, we should always be ready for the Lord’s return!

Understanding the nature of this final era of redemptive history is part of First John’s “we know” passages. In 2:18, John writes, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” If that was true then, it’s certainly true now. We know that no further revelation is coming. We know all that’s left is for the Lord to return. We know it’s the last hour, but are we ready?

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In John’s first letter, the phrase “we know” pops up several times. Over the past few days, we noticed verses where John teaches us what we know through obedience. There is another key theme John develops along the lines of our knowledge—love. In 3:14, John says, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” Two verses later, we read, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

When we know the Lord And what He’s done for us, we know true love. But understanding love isn’t academic—it’s transforming. If we have indeed known the love of Christ, then we will love the Lord and others. We know we serve God when we obey his commandments, and God commands that we love one another. 

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Yesterday we considered 1 John 2:3, where the beloved Apostle John says that we know we have come to know the Lord when we keep His commandments. John returns to this concept repeatedly in his brief epistle. In chapter 3:24, he says, “Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” In 5:2, he writes, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” Then, in 5:18, we read, “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” Many today say that obedience is unimportant. Yet John emphasizes that it is through obedience to the Lord that we know we love and serve God.

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Isn’t it nice to be “in the know?” Whenever we find ourselves lacking knowledge, life can be difficult and confusing. However, when we have sufficient knowledge, life can become more stable and productive. But are we aware of things we should know regarding faith?

In his epistles, the Apostle John wrote about several things Christians should know. Let’s consider a few of those things this week.

In 1 John 2:3, John writes, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” As we seek to serve the Lord, is there a way we can be assured we know the Lord and serve Him faithfully? Yes, there is! Our obedience to the Lord demonstrates we know Him. If, however, we do not know the Lord’s words or obey His commands, then whatever we believe, we cannot be assured that we truly know the Lord.