The Apostle John- No Longer #1

We are studying 1 John in my Life Group (Sunday School) this month, and I'd like to talk about it over the next few days.

When we think of the Apostle John, we tend to first think of him as “the one who Jesus loved” (John 13:23). His writings are full of talk about love. The problem is that our society often tends to view love as lacking strength or boldness. It's just being super nice to people no matter the consequences. The most well known verse, up until recently, has been John 3:16. “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” This niceness we've been taught to show has been taken to the extreme so that now the most quoted verse is Matthew 7:1. “Do not judge, so that you won't be judged.” They problem is that most tend take them out of context.

Please take some time to read John 3:16-21 and Matthew 7:1-6 below. It is still not the full text around these verses, but it gives one a better understanding of their context. First, ask God to open your heart to what He would have you glean from these Scriptures today. There is always something He wants to teach us. Then, read them slowly with some pencil and paper. See if there is something you need to jot down in order to look up later. It might be a thought or question that occurs to you. Make sure to take the time to explore it over the next few days.

John 3:16-21 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condem the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God. This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and the people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Matthew 7:1-6 “Do not judge, so that you won't be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but don't notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and look, there's a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Don't give what is holy to dogs or toss you pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.”

Do you see a connection between these two passages? With these verses as a base, we'll take a look at 1 John tomorrow.