From Pastor Perry

1 John 2:18–25 (ESV)

Warning Concerning Antichrists

18 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. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

We normally hear about the antichrist, but today’s reading states that there are many antichrists.  The Lutheran Study Bible states: “There is one God who is Father, Son, and Spirit. Because there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:5–6), it is necessary for salvation to believe what God’s Word teaches concerning the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. One cannot have the Father without holding to the Son and also to the Spirit.^[1]”  This answers the question about the Jews.  They will not go to heaven unless they believe in the Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I pray: O Lord, help us to be clear in our proclamation that we proclaim the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

1 John 2:15–17 (ESV)

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Do not cling to this world and its desires; it will soon be over. Cling to Christ and live forever! Our sinful flesh and the world entice and tempt us with their glittering promises of wealth, power, popularity, and pleasure. But all that glitters is not gold, and none of it provides for forgiveness, peace, and contentment. Christ alone provides and offers forgiveness, peace, and contentment.

I pray:  Father in heaven, do not let the desires of our sinful, selfish flesh reign over us. Fix our eyes on Your Son, our Savior, that we may ever believe in Him. Amen.^[1]

1 John 2:7–14 (ESV)

The New Commandment

⁷ Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. ⁸ At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. ⁹ Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. ¹⁰ Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. ¹¹ But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹²    I am writing to you, little children,

because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

¹³    I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

       I am writing to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

       I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.

¹⁴    I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

       I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one.

Jesus has shown us the love of God on the cross. This is the love the Law commanded but we could never fulfill. But more than that, it is the love that the Gospel imparts to those who love their brother and abide in the light so that there is in them nothing that would cause them to fall away from faith in Christ. The old commandment, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lv 19:18), condemns us all, since we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. The new commandment, “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12), is rooted in Jesus’ work, which frees us from guilt. His atonement for our sins empowers us to love as He loves.

I pray: Grant, Lord, that we trust in You and Your love, that we may always love our neighbor. Amen.^[1]

1 John 2:1–6 (ESV)

Christ Our Advocate

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴ Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

When you look at how the Bible tells us to live, it tells us to “be Holy” and to “not sin”.  We all fall short and it can be overwhelming on living a Christian life.  When we are overwhelmed, we are focusing on the wrong perspective.  We are not saved by works, but by faith alone.  As Luther says: “we are both saint and sinner at the same time.”  But we have the greatest attorney which has freed us from our sins.  Jesus is our mediator.  The Lutheran Study Bible states: “Only true children who know Jesus as their Savior can truly walk as Jesus walked and love one another as Jesus has loved them. If anyone claims to know Jesus and does not love as Jesus loves, he is a liar. When we are guilty of not loving as Jesus loved us, we have One who defends us before God’s throne and petitions our pardon for the sake of His own blood—Jesus the Righteous One. Through His endless love and forgiveness, we have salvation and have come to know Him. In Him, we love our fellow Christians.”

I pray: Father, strengthen me in my own salvation, that I might be empowered to keep Your commands and love everyone as Christ has loved me. Amen.^[1]

1 John 1:8–10 (ESV)

Walking in the Light

⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

This reading today is part of our liturgy.  The beauty of our liturgy is that it is built around God’s Word, not man’s word.  To those who see the liturgy as boring, they are missing the connection between God’s Word and our worship.  Even if I fail in my sermon… or even omitted my sermon… the liturgy has my back.  When we confess our sins in the worship service, we are confessing our sins and the Word of God.  The Lutheran Study Bible states:  John writes about faithfulness in our walk with God. Our sinful pride rejects God’s Word and seeks to deceive us so that we might not know ourselves as we are or know God as He has revealed Himself. God sees our true nature, and in Christ He reveals His nature, which is both just and gracious to us. For those who confess their sins, God is always faithful to His promise to forgive. This is just and right because of His Son, who has paid the price for our sins.

I pray: Heavenly Father, give us hearts to believe and to know ourselves as we are. Then we may truthfully confess our sins, trusting in Your forgiveness and mercy. Amen.^[1]