Verse: 1 John 3:23-24
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Devotion
1 John was written to a group of Christians as an encouragement to stand firm in their faith. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the message spread throughout the region like wildfire. Some people believed, and it changed their lives. And for others, it was news that came and went. There was a group of people in this town that were trying to tear down the Christians’ faith. So, the books of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John were written to remind people of the foundations of their faith and to stay grounded in what they knew to be true.
In 1 John 3:23, John is bringing it back to the basics –
1. Believe Jesus is God, He died for our sins, and was resurrected – and you will be saved.
2. Our greatest command is to love one another.
That is Christianity in a nutshell. No matter what people try to add or take away, this is the foundation of our faith.
We are still faced with the same issues of this town John was writing to. Today, we are told that the basics of our faith are wrong. As a Christian, how can I know with certainty that my foundations are true?" John ends his point by saying “And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” You can know – because we have the Holy Spirit. God will become evident in your life, if you let him. I have been blessed to be able to walk with Jesus for 20 years, and when I have doubts about our faith, I remember all the things in my life that I knew were because of God. I have built up memory after memory where I know that God showed up in my life and there is no other explanation.
If you are a new believer, I want to encourage you to stand firm. Walk with God and He WILL show up in your life.
If you are not so new in your faith, I want to encourage you to look back at all God has done in your life.
If you feel like God has not shown up in your life, I want to encourage you to seek Him. Lean into prayer, read your Bible, and spend time in God’s community. I know with certainty that He will show up for you in supernatural ways.
Prayer
God, I pray for the people in our Church. I pray that we can know your truth because of the Spirit that lives within us. I pray that our doubts get quelled and we build confidence in You.
Guest Author: Joanna Martin