Reading 58

2 Peter 2 – 1 John 2

As some of you know, I’m a word nerd (self-proclaimed). And I have to admit that as I read today’s reading, I was enthralled by a word – I know, go figure. It was a small word. This time, the word that caught my attention was “if.”

Eight times, John uses the word “if” in the span of twelve verses (1 John 1:5-2:6).

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world.

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Those who say, “I know him,” but do not do what he commands are liars, and the truth is not in them. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

When I started looking at the “ifs” themselves, I noticed that a number of them are paired up in contrast each other. The first pairing especially stood out to me: “if we claim to have fellowship with him, and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t live out the truth. But, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin….”

What I take away from this is that I need to walk in the light to have fellowship with God and by doing that in turn enables me to have fellowship with others around me as well as God. We are told that if we walk with him, we will have fellowship with one another and that Christ’s blood purifies us from sin, which means we can then have fellowship with God because we’ve been justified before him.

All of that leads me to look at the last “if” which says, “if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.” When we’re in fellowship with God, when we’re walking with him, when we’re confessing our sins and keeping his commands, it all comes together and our love for God is made complete.

Cristin

Reading #58 (audio)