Category: A Moment with the Master

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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.

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How do you respond to adversity? How do you handle hardship? If you were to lose everything and face poverty, what would you do? We might think the response to affliction and poverty would be misery and despair. But that doesn’t have to be the case. In 2 Corinthians 8, the Apostle Paul holds up Christians from Macedonia as a wonderful example. He says, “…in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” 

How did they respond to severe affliction? With abundant joy. How? They focused on helping others, not wallowing in their misery. How did they handle poverty? They were overwhelmingly generous. They didn’t cling to what precious little they had—they gave to others who were also in need. They remind us that our situations don’t define us. We can choose how to respond to life situations, even the hard ones, with joy and generosity. 

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Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 says, “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” 

Here Solomon gives a short plan for enjoying life. First, remember all good things are from God, and thus be thankful. Second, we should accept our lot—that is, be content. And third, we should find joy in our work. Work isn’t always fun, but if we have the ability and power to work, then we should be thankful and seek joy in productivity. 

If we will develop thankfulness, and contentment and always work in light of God’s blessings, we can find great joy. Many are busy seeking selfish gain, while others turn to laziness to seek joy. But the faithful follower of God can find joy in fruitful labor. 

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When things go bad, we often want someone to blame, even if we are the ones at fault. In Numbers 20, the Israelites came to a place in the wilderness without water. The people grew angry and said to Moses, “Why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”^[1] The people blamed Moses for their plight, but it was their fault! 

Had they obeyed God, they could have conquered Canaan and been living in a land flowing with milk and honey. Instead, they rebelled and were punished for 40 years. That wasn’t Moses’ fault. He hadn’t brought them to an evil place—they had made evil choices. When we encounter problems, instead of casting blame, we would do well to do some self-reflection first and see if perhaps we are the one who needs to change.

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^[1] Num. 20:5

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In Acts 18, we are introduced to Apollos. This man would become an important convert to Christianity and a powerful gospel preacher. In verse 24, Apollos is described as “mighty in the Scriptures.”^[1] That’s quite a compliment. What made Apollos mighty in the Scriptures?

Well, first, he knew the Scriptures. Some translations say that he was “well-versed” or “competent.” He had spent time reading, studying, and learning God’s Word. It’s impossible to be mighty in the Scriptures without putting forth the effort to learn them. But there was more to Apollos. 

He didn’t just know the Scriptures—he was passionate about discussing God’s Word with others. He wasn’t just an academic—he sought to help others by sharing God’s Word with them. And perhaps what made him mightiest of all is that he was correctible. When others explained God’s way more accurately, he humbly accepted the instruction and changed. Being mighty in the Scriptures means always being willing to learn and be corrected.

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^[1] LSB

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What is life? What makes life valuable and fulfilling? What does real life actually consist of? Well, there’s one thing life isn’t about—possessions. In Luke 12:15, Jesus says, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” That statement is true for both the poor and the rich. One translation renders Jesus’ words this way: “…for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 

It’s easy to think our lives would be better if we just had more. More money, more stuff, nicer stuff, and so on. Or if we are wealthy, it might be tempting to tie our value to our possessions. Jesus knows the strength of such temptation and thus warns us against covetousness. Whether we are rich, poor, or somewhere in between, we must remember that it is faithfulness to God, not our possessions, that brings value and meaning to life. 

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Do you ever feel tired and worn out? There are so many things that can wear us down. Sadly, we often let frivolous things consume our time and wear us down. But sometimes, even good and honorable things can become burdensome. Doing what is right and good can bring its own set of challenges. But instead of giving up on goodness, we need to cultivate an attitude that will empower us to persist. 

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” God knows that it isn’t always easy for us to do good. Sometimes, we are persecuted. Sometimes, we’re mocked. Other times, it seems fruitless, or maybe we feel alone trying to be faithful. Whatever might get us down, God says, “Don’t give up.” Reaping blessings for doing good isn’t just a wish—it’s a promise from God. So don’t give up, and don’t grow weary in doing good and following the Lord. 

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How would you describe your relationship with God’s Word? Are you a casual reader? Is it something you think about now and then but not consistently? Is it entirely ignored? Do you ever talk about Scripture with others?

The Apostle Paul sets a high standard but also demonstrates a goal worth striving for. Acts 18:5 says, “When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. ” Another translation renders that verse “…Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”^[1] What commitment! Paul gave the same devotion to the Word that most people give to their careers and livelihoods. True, Paul was an apostle. But in our own capacity, each of us can be absorbed with the Word. We can make studying Scripture a priority and sharing it a habit. 

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^[1] NET