And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

1 John 3

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 1 John 3:23

I resume my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of 1 John 3:18-24.  Here, John builds his discussion of how we are to love one another - our brothers and sisters in Christ...and to do this not just in words but in actions. We are comforted in knowing that despite how we will not be perfect in our pursuit of obedience, but that when we fall short (and we will), we will not be condemned (see also Romans 8:1) for this despite the wages of sin being death (Romans 6:23) - this is the emphasis of vv19-21.  Our confidence extends beyond freedom from condemnation to God interceding on our behalf and responding to our prayers - v22.  We should be careful how we interpret this text because this does not mean we get anything we ask of God - no.  We must first abide in Him and Him in us - see v24. If we are in Him and Him in us (see also John 15 and discussion of how God is the Vine and believers are the branches), our asks of God will be in alignment of His will for us - see also Romans 12:2 how God transforms and renews our mind to understand His will for us. Abide in Jesus!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good and perfect and I know that You hear and respond to all of my prayers and that I can approach You in confidence knowing this.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of this blessing nor any blessings You pour out for me or my salvation.  My sin is great and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John 3

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 1 John 3:11

I resume my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of 1 John 3:11-18. Here, John dives right into the second greatest commandment as given to us by Jesus - to love one another (see Matthew 22:34-40).  We are given the biblical negative example of Cain from Genesis 4, where Cain, driven by envy, killed his brother.  Then, in v13 we are told not to be surprised if the world hates us as believers - the world (those not children of God - children of God bear the image of God and follow/obey God) loves itself and created things first and not God first.  As such the world does not love as God loves and there is no Holy Spirit for the world - so of course the world will want to hate and persecute Christians.  But we as believers, per v14 we have life and this is marked by our love of God first then for others.  Hate - even in our heart - per v15 is murder itself and contrary to love and this is a marker of being of the world and a lover of the world vs God. A positive example of love is provided in v16 where we know love because of what Jesus did - he died for us! A negative example of love is provided in v17 where we see that we are not obeying God or abiding in Him if we see a brother or sister in Christ in need but we don't help them.  This commandment is carried over into v18 where John shares that we should not be seen as hypocrites by talking about love but not doing it - similar to a message in James 1. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I KNOW You laid down Your life for me and that You love me - and that You ask that we love You and love others.  Help me grow in my love for You and others - please help me with obedience to You.  I am grateful for the blessing of being a child of God but I need Your help - every day as my sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.     

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

I continue my study of Hebrews, moving to Hebrews 10:19-25 and I am assisted in my understanding by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series for Hebrews.  The commentary outlines two divisions for this text:

I. Confidence in Christ (10:19-22): Here a key point raised by the commentary is how "Christian[s] hold on not by [their] own tenacity, but by God’s faithfulness. We will persevere until the end because God does not abandon his children." We are referred to John 6:37 and 10:28 as evidence of this claim.

II. Holding On to the Confession (10:23-25): The commentary shares how the text describes that Christian perseverance can only occur through the body - we must avoid isolation as each part of the body needs all of the other parts of the body. V25 includes an admonishment to not neglect this togetherness. We need each other in the church.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good - and I have assurance of my salvation - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You are saving a place for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Portions of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35

Day 58 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on directives from God through Moses for various civil matters, personal rights and responsibilities - with a focus on fair and honest dealings.

Just as God wanted the Israelites to live in peace among each other as they entered the Promised Land, He wants us to live in peace among ourselves today.  As believers we are to love God and then love others as God loves us.  It is through our lives that we become "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1) - God then lives through us and we can be a light to others.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has placed people in my life that love and forgive me as You do - thank You Jesus for Your grace, including Your grace through others.  I am grateful but undeserving.  I sin...and often harsh with others.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. v8-10

As I posted yesterday, Peter wants us to do good and to be a light.  This message is reinforced in 1 Peter 4 with additional instructions to love others...above all.

John Piper helps us understand 1 Peter 4:8 in particular by pointing out that in the context of the end times, we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ deeply as during times of stress and when faith is threatened - love strengthens faith.

I must do more to love my brothers and sisters in Christ.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You never cease to act and love on my behalf.  I know You will never leave or forsake me and You love me when it feels as if those in the world do not.  You never let me down.  Thank You Jesus for always loving me.  I am not deserving of such love.  I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. v24-25

As a result of Jesus sacrifice on the cross, the author of Hebrews wants us to "hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful (v23)."  Our ability to "hold unswervingly to the hope" we have in Jesus is very difficult outside of our brothers and sisters in Christ who spur us on through encouragement and sharpening.

John Piper provides many other scripture examples on these topics.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has given me brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage me and help me grow into who You desire for me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and encouragement.  I am often harsh with my words and actions and I gossip.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help em grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.

Zechariah 8

In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you. v23

As both Israel and Judah rebuild Jerusalem, the temple, and their lives after exile, The Lord offers encouragement through promises of blessing.  The Lord also admonishes the Jews to love one another:

These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord. v16-17

Unfortunately, with all that is going on in the world today, it is difficult to find others who are obedient to God in these ways.  Yet we know as believers that as v23 states if we are a light, others will be drawn to us and God will restore those drawn to Him and make them more like Him so that more can love one another.  The challenges we face in this world are only those that God can solve by giving us new hearts.

Be a light.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You are light and truth and I am drawn to You and through You, I have a new heart and rebirth...and life to the full.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love as daily miss the mark. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. v14

As the Lord responds to Habakkuk's plea for justice - see post yesterday - God promises punishment for the wicked.  In v9-19, God promises woe for those who disobey God and seek gain and glory for themselves above God.  We are to love God first and foremost and then others as God loves us.

Ten Commandments
Greatest Commandment(s)
"Love one another" as Jesus loves you

One way or another every knee will bow and every tongue will acknowledge the Lord of Lords - Jesus Christ.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has helped me grow in my faith - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord. “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.

2 Samuel 23

But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord. “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. v16-17

David had his Mighty Warriors and together I suspect these men would do anything for each other.  These men exemplified the love for one another that Jesus refers to as the 2nd most important commandment:


Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus restates this command (with what appears to be a higher bar):

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

First and foremost, we all need Jesus.  So that we all remain "sharp" (Proverbs 27:17) and we also all need our own Mighty Warriors.

See also post here.

Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.  My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers. Psalm 141:5

 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.  1 Thessalonians 5:11

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has given me my own mighty warriors who have sharpened me and encouraged me. Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love as I continue to be harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.

Ruth 1

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me. v16-17

God desires us to live together - to support and encourage one another, to assist us with physical needs, to pray with others, and to sharpen others.  This is God's intent from the beginning.

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18

God sent Moses with Aaron to rescue the Israelites - see Exodus 4.

David had his mighty warriors.

Luke provides us with a picture of the church as God intends for us in Acts 2:42-47.

See also posts here. 

Lord Jesus, please help me be another for someone else and find another for myself.

My Prayer: You are an awesome God who has delivered me from my own sin, redeemed me, rescued me, and blessed me beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus.  Yet I am not worth such efforts because I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  You have done so already - praise Jesus!  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

1 John 3

Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. v15

If we love God with all of our heart, soul and mind there is no room for hate because we effectively remain near to Him and become more like Him and Jesus loves all of His children, even those who sin (because we all sin - Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8).  

We must love one another.

Matthew 22:37-40
John 13
1 John 4:7-12

My Prayer: Lord, You are an awesome God, the King of Kings and the Name Above All Names.  You were before all, in all, through all, created all, and hold all things together.  Without You I can do no good things.  You protect me, You bless me, encourage me, love me, have compassion and mercy on me...thank You Jesus.  I know my words are insufficient for all that You are but I am hopeful that my words and my life are a living sacrifice for You.  Please forgive me for my harsh words towards others.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.