I think a great synoptic title for the book of 1 John is Tough Love. If we truly love someone we do what is best for them, no matter how it may hurt them, or us, at the time. The trick is in the way we do it though. We can stand our ground firmly with a smug look, or we can do it with tears in our eyes. That is why I believe the passage we looked at yesterday in Matthew 7 goes so well with this book. We need to make particularly sure this kind of love is done from with the right and humbled heart. Then, we need to remember, the point of true love is to stand and not back down.
The first verse of tough love comes early on. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say, 'We have fellowship with Him,' and walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.”
Where do I walk? I ask this of myself less frequently than I should. What about you? Is there any darkness in our walk?
One thing I know for certain is that it is our duty as children of God to grow in maturity and not be satisfied with any aspect of our sin nature. When was the last time you felt the Holy Spirit convicting you to walk more in the light? If it has been a long time, you need to go to the Father and ask Him to show you where you have become too comfortable in the sins of this world. Trust me, unless you are dead, you are not perfected.
Perhaps you still think you've gotten it all together though. Take a look at 1 John 1:8. “If we say, 'We have no sin,' we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Take some time today to go over the areas in which you tend to walk in darkness. Ask the Lord to strengthen you once again, in order for you to turn to the light and stay there. I know I am. If you need to, find another Christian with whom you can be completely honest and ask them to keep you accountable. It really does help keep you straight knowing you will have to admit a lapse to another person.
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