Posts Tagged ‘1 John’

Ever stopped to think about labels you’ve seen in the grocery store?  I went to to the store recently (and on my brain was Gideon from Judges 6.)  At Publix, I saw labels on the items I bought.  From tomato sauce, bread, yogurt, candy, milk, coffee, soda etc., I took a deeper look at these labels.  Marketing is all about the label, isn’t it.  They make you want to purchase the item in the store.  Typically, the better marketing, the better chance someone has at purchasing the product.  But aside from the marketing aspect, the labels do play an important role.  They explain what is in the product.  Nutritional values are listed on the items (if edible, that is.)  How many calories, how much sugar, how much protein, etc.

As we talked about yesterday, we all have labels assigned to us as well.  Some are accurate, and some, not so much.  Some other people have assigned to us because of failures or mishaps, or something unfortunate we’ve been through or we’ve experienced on some level.  Some labels we give to ourselves because of tough things we’ve done, done to us, or just other personal experiences. What are some of your labels?  But more importantly, when others label you (or if you’ve labeled yourself), do you believe those labels?

I want you to be encouraged today by God’s label…He has lots of labels for us in Scripture, but today, focus on just one.

Take 1 John 3:1.  It says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; as so we are.”

• What does 1 John 3:1 say we are?  What’s the label from John’s writing?
• How does this encourage your heart to know that you’ve been labelled this?
• What are the benefits of being a child of God?  What are the ramifications of sonship in God’s Kingdom?

Dig Deeper,

PC

I’m continuing to read in 1 John 3, and I’m seeing more of a link between Christ-followers and unity with our brothers and sisters.  God must have me here for some reason, either I’m struggling with unity with Sonya, EB & CS, or church members, or God is leading RiverStone to be dogged about the uncompromising command to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.  After all, our relationships are intended to demonstrate what we believe about our great Savior and Rescuer, Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:10 says, “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are:  Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”

Did you catch that?  John simply lays it out for us – how do we know what the Children of God are and who the children of the devil are?  One of the distinguishing marks of a true believer and follower of Jesus is unconditional, agape, God-type love for our brothers.  So in light of this…let’s ask some questions:

1. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the least and 10 being the greatest, how am I doing at unconditional love?  What could help me move 1 point towards a better unconditional love?
2. What are the challenges of unconditional love?  Why is it so stinkin’ hard?
3. What do you think happens when non-believers see believers modeling and participating in unconditional love?

PC