Thursday February 26, 2015

Read 1 John 3:11-13

The world loves a love story. Almost every movie has some form of a love story built into the main plot or into the sub plot. Most of the songs on the radio are about love. Stories and novels have been about love since writing began.  As an example, the Hunger Games, the second highest earning movie in 2014, has as the sub plot the to and fro love tension between Katniss and Peter and/or Gale as the trio seek to overcome the evil powers and intentions of the Capitol. Taken 3, another big box office money spinner in 2014, is based around the injustice of a man being framed for his wife’s murder –a miscarriage of justice and a destruction of a love relationship.  Need we go on? The world loves a love story. We all do.

How is it then that verse 13 can be in the Bible? What does verse 13 mean? How can John possibly say

1 John 3:13 (NIV84)

Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

If God is love, if Christians are loving and oozing out love and if the world loves a love story, how can the world possibly hate us? We could see the threads of love and righteousness throughout 1 John 3 as totally separate and unrelated to a large degree. We could treat them as separate entities. Unfortunately for this approach, the Word of God here weaves them together and has them intertwined around each other. Separating them would be a grave injustice and would suggest that love, any form of love, even the love of the world, is from God and Jesus honouring.

But Consider 1 Peter 2:21-23

21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

When Jesus was being crucified he reacted in love and righteousness. He did not retaliate to save His own skin. He did not lie or deceive to get away. He did not make counter threats but rather submitted in love to the Father’s will. Had Jesus reacted in any way but righteousness and love, His sacrifice would not have been acceptable to God.

Love intertwined with righteousness is the kind of love that refuses to counter attack, retaliate or to make threats. This is what the world finds very threatening. When the world sees righteousness it is threatened and retaliates because it is challenged about its own unrighteousness. When the world is confronted with love and righteousness together it is doubly threatened and lashes out. If the world tried to remove Jesus by nailing Him to the cross, can we, the followers of Jesus expect anything less?

Prayer:

Use the day’s reading notes and Bible passage to pray meaningfully:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray that you personally would have opportunities to show the love of Jesus to someone outside of Christ Jesus.

· Pray this for your family.

· Pray this for your cell group.

· Pray this for your congregation.

 Discussion & Reflection

1. What are the implications of love intertwined with righteousness for

a. two teenagers thinking of going out with each other?

b. parents and their children

c. two Christian friends

2. Describe what love and righteousness could look like if love and righteousness were separated?

3. In 2 Chronicles 30 we see love and righteousness sitting together and working together, even though many aspects of the   law are “broken”. Can you explain how they sit together in this chapter?