Day 5 – Community

08.22.12

1 John 5.4 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. NASB

Last Saturday, August 18^th, I embarked on an activity that I have never done before: I am devoting 40 days to reading and meditating on the New Testament Epistle of First John. Today, I finished (at least on the calendar) day 5. And so for the next 35 days I am going to read through 1 John by reading a chapter a day. I’ve decided that it would be a nice alternative to my annual reading plan and (tongue in cheek) I won’t disappoint God J.

Some of my thoughts regarding my reading are these: 40 days is a significant period of time in human calculations. Jesus fasted for 40 days. Moses spent 40 days up on Mt. Sinai getting the instruction of God. So, forty days in 1 John seems to be an appropriate length of time to give myself to reading this very important and insightful portion of God’s ancient writings. As of today I’ve realized 40 days doesn’t even scratch the surface… I could give the next forty years to the study of 1 John.

1 John is like James – it hits you in the face… hard. Actually it hits me hard in the hard heart I have – hard. John’s words are strong and call me to a different plane of living. John wrote these words apparently to a community of people whose beliefs were under attack under the criticism of insidious dissidents. (I think they were intellectuals using man’s argument to take down the tenets of faith in Christ.) John wrote to his people to help them combat the criticism and sarcasm of men who hate the truth and want to water it down make it less hard and more palpable.

And so today is the crescendo of: this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. And John closes out his letter with these simple words: little children, guard yourselves from idols. If there is one thing that needs to be overcome in this world it is the arrogant, self-righteous, critical opinions, and snide commentary of men (who are often educated beyond their intelligence.) One thing that smarts is man’s sarcastic pity: you poor uneducated fool. An idol may be to wrongly worship intelligence. An idol may be to be knowledgeable about all the wrong things. An idol may be to fear man’s criticism and phony pity.

One thing the world will not accept is the statement that our faith has overcome the them. “How pathetic!” is their cry. John says, Fear not little ones, Jesus has overcome the world’s intelligentsia, and because you believe in Him, you have as well. Little children, guard yourselves from intimidation; guard yourselves from the sneers, the laughter, the ridicule and the mocking; if they knew what you know they’d keep themselves from it as well.

Day 5, thirty-five more to go. I think I’ll change up versions too – nothing like a little different perspective and as some of you know: I’m all about perspective…