1 John 2:7, 8 says...
Today's verses are 1 John 2:7, 8 which read,
v.7 - Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
"There is nothing new under the sun" might be a phrase you could use here but remember the context that John is working with. "What does it mean to be a genuine Christian?" is John's question. We have learned that it is those who have fellowship with God, those who walk with God, those who confess sin, and those who live holy lives because they are following and cherishing the commandments of God.
The old commandment goes back to something you have heard, so John is reminding them of something that came when they first learned about Jesus in their own lives. Remember what you first learned about Jesus or what you heard first about Christianity? For some of us it goes back to a little classroom with little chairs and a blackboard and a very animated teacher excited about a story in a big black leather book. For many of us Sunday School and family devotions and children's books of the stories of the Bible were the first exposure to this Jesus who loves us.
For others it may have been later in life but probably you came across someone who was "different" than all the rest of your friends, someone who was "walking to the beat of a different drummer" than the rest of the world. They were attractive in the peace and purpose that they had in life and they started to share what that or that Who was. They let you know that there was a God that truly loved you and made it possible for you to truly love Him back.
John is taking us back to our first contact with Jesus.
v.8 - On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
John is talking about the transformation that happens within us when we turn our eyes toward Jesus. We go from dark to light. This is new to his readers because they had stopped going toward that light or they needed to be reminded or taught what a genuine Christian is. As they are receiving this information, the Light is getting brighter that was already there. We can be "old" in years in the Lord but things can still be "new" in understanding and application to our lives.
I believe that is why the Bible never gets "old." I am amazed myself and also of many other witnesses of those who know much more about the Bible than I do and they respond that they continue to have "new" moments with God through His word. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" might be true for a dog but for the Christian, the genuine Christian, we are being exposed to more (new) of God everyday if we avail ourselves to Him.
What really excites me is when I get to see someone start that journey with Jesus. Maybe myself or my church has been privileged to play a big part in sharing the love of God with them but we or I have the joy to see the light come on in their lives. It is definitely not "old" in my life at that moment, it is all "new" again and right before my eyes just as it was for me.
"Lord, maybe I need a "old - new" moment today, something that jars me back and reinforces something about You that I heard long ago and it is new to think about it and act upon it. Lord, maybe what I need to see today is the miracle of someone seeing the Light. I pray for that. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.7 - Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
"There is nothing new under the sun" might be a phrase you could use here but remember the context that John is working with. "What does it mean to be a genuine Christian?" is John's question. We have learned that it is those who have fellowship with God, those who walk with God, those who confess sin, and those who live holy lives because they are following and cherishing the commandments of God.
The old commandment goes back to something you have heard, so John is reminding them of something that came when they first learned about Jesus in their own lives. Remember what you first learned about Jesus or what you heard first about Christianity? For some of us it goes back to a little classroom with little chairs and a blackboard and a very animated teacher excited about a story in a big black leather book. For many of us Sunday School and family devotions and children's books of the stories of the Bible were the first exposure to this Jesus who loves us.
For others it may have been later in life but probably you came across someone who was "different" than all the rest of your friends, someone who was "walking to the beat of a different drummer" than the rest of the world. They were attractive in the peace and purpose that they had in life and they started to share what that or that Who was. They let you know that there was a God that truly loved you and made it possible for you to truly love Him back.
John is taking us back to our first contact with Jesus.
v.8 - On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
John is talking about the transformation that happens within us when we turn our eyes toward Jesus. We go from dark to light. This is new to his readers because they had stopped going toward that light or they needed to be reminded or taught what a genuine Christian is. As they are receiving this information, the Light is getting brighter that was already there. We can be "old" in years in the Lord but things can still be "new" in understanding and application to our lives.
I believe that is why the Bible never gets "old." I am amazed myself and also of many other witnesses of those who know much more about the Bible than I do and they respond that they continue to have "new" moments with God through His word. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" might be true for a dog but for the Christian, the genuine Christian, we are being exposed to more (new) of God everyday if we avail ourselves to Him.
What really excites me is when I get to see someone start that journey with Jesus. Maybe myself or my church has been privileged to play a big part in sharing the love of God with them but we or I have the joy to see the light come on in their lives. It is definitely not "old" in my life at that moment, it is all "new" again and right before my eyes just as it was for me.
"Lord, maybe I need a "old - new" moment today, something that jars me back and reinforces something about You that I heard long ago and it is new to think about it and act upon it. Lord, maybe what I need to see today is the miracle of someone seeing the Light. I pray for that. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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