Love One Another

 

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.” (Galatians 6:1-3)

Christian, when someone is found to have sinned, you who are living Spirit-directed and close to God should, with God’s given meekness and gentleness, strengthen and help that person walk close to God and do His will. Carry each other’s burdens as they are tempted and endure trials, just as Jesus helps you carry your burdens, so they are not too heavy and give encouragement to each other. This is one way to love God and neighbor. It fulfills the law of Christ, which Matthew recorded in Matthew 22:37-40.

In case you think you are important or better than another, rid yourself of that idea. Don’t deceive yourself. None of us is better than others. We each are tempted, sin, and carry heavy burdens. That’s why Jesus told us to love each other, so we receive help, encouragement, and love, and then grow closer to God and more like Jesus.

Notice the person who sees the sin of another is aware, confronts the other person in love, encourages, and walks with that person all in the power and will of God. Living in this way affects the mind, heart, body, and spirit of a person. It grows both the helper and the recipient in their faith and walk with God. One should never note a person’s sin and broadcast it, but should invest in that person by heart, word, and action through the Holy Spirit.

Lures and Choices

“When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him…’” (John 13:31, BSB)

John’s recounting of Judas’ betray of Jesus in chapter thirteen should lead people to consider their life choices. He used Judas’ betrayal of Jesus to highlight the choices Jesus gives people. The text explains the choices and the consequences. Judas’ name became synonymous for a reason. We can learn from Judas’ actions and their results. What can we learn from this occurrence during Jesus’ earthly life? What did Jesus say happened right after Judas walked away from him?

Judas’ departure from the supper table to see the priests pointed a sign toward Jesus. This sign declared Jesus is the Son of Man. Judas believed Jesus was the Messiah, but he did not believe in Jesus. He did not accept salvation from his sins by faith in Jesus. According to John, Judas “had gone out” (exerchomai). (Interestingly, other Bible writers used exerchomai to tell of demons leaving.) What caused Judas to betray Jesus? What caused him to choose money instead of salvation? Did God fore-ordain that Judas would betray Jesús and not be saved?

God knew someone would betray Jesus. Many of us refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and our Savior. We might run from Him when God is convicting us of our sins. We may avoid Jesus when we do not want to obey God. Perhaps we run from God because someone in our past, who was a supposed Christian, hurt us. People run away from Jesus for various reasons. God does not force our belief or our giving up the right to ourselves. God gives each of us a choice to follow Jesus or not. Despite knowing Jesus is the Messiah, Judas refused to trust Him for salvation and eternal life. Perhaps the fastest way Judas found to avoid spiritual conviction was to leave Jesus’ presence, physically. The lure of thirty pieces of silver from the priests to betray Jesus led Judas to desire “easy money.” The lure fed Judas’ love of money. It provided a safe distance from Jesus’ influence, so he would not have to deal with his heart’s sin conviction.

Jesus grieves the lost souls in the world. He desires no one to be lost. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us this. Peter wrote, “God is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit­--did not want Judas to run away from Jesus or the Spirit’s convicting him of his sins. God’s desire is for all to repent, believe in Jesus, and be saved from sins. By that salvation, each person enters an eternal relationship with Him. Judas chose to run from the Holy Spirit’s convicting of his heart and run toward his temptation.

God is greater than any person. He can use all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Satan tried to thwart God’s plan to provide eternal forgiveness and salvation through Jesus. But Satan was not all-knowing, almighty, or omnipotent. God’s plans prevail. God’s plan never forces a person to receive salvation. His plan in John 13:31 was for Jesus to be glorified as the Son of Man, the Messiah. God’s plan included Himself being glorified. Glorification of Jesus and God affirmed they are real, trustworthy, and the only deity. The human life of Jesus came to its culmination, and His heavenly reality became apparent with the start of His finish on earth that Passover week. The person betraying Jesus that week ushered in the last days of Jesus’ earthly life.

Jesus planned to be crucified as the perfect human sacrifice—one without sin. He planned to die as the sacrifice for the sins of humanity. According to God’s plan, anyone who has faith in Jesus and repents of their sins can receive salvation and be restored to a right relationship with God. As Jesus’ last days opened, Judas’ betrayal of Him led to Jesus’ glorification as Son of Man, deity. Jesus was 100% human and is 100% God. Jesus and the Father received glory that day. The disciples acknowledged and honored Jesus’ true nature, part of the Trinity.

Jesus wants everyone to accept His offer of salvation and avoid eternal separation from God. He does not want backhand acknowledgement of His divinity by the intentional turning away from Him, like Judas. Jesus wishes for a relationship with each person by their belief in Him as their Savior from their sins.

What lures you away from God and the salvation He gives to everyone who believes in Jesus? What do you choose for your life instead of acknowledging Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Don’t be the person who fears the future and chooses what is tangible. Choose absolute certainty in the Savior and guaranteed eternal life with God. Judas saw and believed Jesus was God manifested in the flesh, but he chose a lure instead of Jesus. 

 

Imitation and Arrogance

 

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” (3 John 1:11)

Diotrephes refused to give shelter and food to Christians passing through his town. This happened often enough that John was compelled to write about him in his third letter. This one-chapter epistle is about what Diotrephes was doing, how he viewed himself, and what the good Christ-follower should be and do.

John began by commending Gaius for what Christians are expected to be and do—be hospitable to traveling teachers of Christ. Gaius’ actions came from his relationship with and obedience of Jesus and were the baseline of what was expected of Christ-followers.

After setting the example, John juxtaposed the alternative with Diotrophes’ actions and attitude. Diotrephes refused to receive instruction about being hospitable to traveling Christ-followers.  To John, this signaled an arrogance problem. That arrogance led Diotrephes to feel self-important and tout it aloud by slandering traveling evangelists. His heart problem led to a speech problem. Diotrophes’ heart problem led to an action problem; he refused to give shelter, sustenance, and support to Christian travelers. He farthered this attitude by forbidding his congregants to offer hospitality and excommunicating those who gave shelter and food against his command.

Diotrophes had a “me” problem. He determined church law is what he demanded. For Diotrophes, church actions were what he approved. What he commanded, said, and did was the “law.”

John’s example of Diotrophes taught a succinct Christian truth. He wrote, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God” (vs 11). John applied Jesus’ teaching of the two greatest commandments from Matthew 22:36-40. He made a teachable moment. Loving God and your neighbor includes giving shelter, sustenance, and support, at the minimum, to fellow believers.

John’s letter, directed to rebuke Diotrophes, provided edification and commendation. He taught believers should be hospitable. Additionally, John commended Gaius and Demetrius by using them as the example of how a Christ-follower should speak, act, and consider themselves compared to others.

From this short letter, we are led to consider how God is prompting us. Do we need an attitude/heart change, so we are more like Jesus? Do we need to alter how we live and what we say so we act and speak like our Savior? Do we need to grow more in our relationship with God? These questions should be part of your daily time(s) with God.

 Where do you not have a heart like Christ? In what area of life do you regard yourself as the authority? What are you doing and saying that does not imitate Jesus or look like what He taught?

Do you look and sound like Jesus, Gaius, and Demetrius or like Diotrophes?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:36-39)