Remember, we have a reactionary love - He loved first.  If you claim you love God but hate his children, you’re showing your true colors.  If you can’t love people you can see, how can you love something unseen?  The rule of life is simple: the one who loves God must first love his children.

ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθ’ ἡμῶν, ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ὅτι καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ. φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἀλλ’ ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον, ὅτι ὁ φόβος κόλασιν ἔχει, ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος οὐ τετελείωται ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ.

Pure love ensures we can speak freely when we face God as judge.  We’re now the face of Jesus to the world and we should all know that love doesn’t provoke fear.  Love scatters fear to the wind.  Fear comes from punishment, and there’s none of that waiting for us.  If you’re afraid, you’ve got work to do: you’re almost there - almost complete in love.

ὃς ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ θεῷ. καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν. Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐν τῷ θεῷ μένει καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει.

Whoever recognizes Jesus as the child of God will soon recognize God within themselves and themselves within God.  We’re beginning to trust in this love from God.  God encompasses love, so when we exist in love, we exist in God and God exists in us.  It’s a paradox.  It’s perfection.

Ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν. καὶ ἡμεῖς τεθεάμεθα καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκεν τὸν υἱὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου.

All of this reassures us that we live in harmony with God: He in us and we in Him.  We feel God inside of us.  We have watched and now proclaim that God sent his child to rescue us from ourselves!

Ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν. θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται: ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν τετελειωμένη ἐστιν.

If God loved us like this, let’s learn the lesson and love each other.  After all, love is easier to see than God.  No one’s ever seen Him.  But when we love, God is seen through us - we complete the puzzle.

ἐν τούτῳ ἐφανερώθη ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα ζήσωμεν δι’ αὐτοῦ. ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐχ ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠγαπήκαμεν τὸν θεόν, ἀλλ’ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἱλασμὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν.

But love is invisible.  How does one see love?  God showed us how to love by sending his unique child into humanity in order that we might truly live because of him.  In this love is seen: not in our love for God, but in God’s love for us.  Love became manifest and was sacrificed to lift the weight of our wrong-doings.

Ἀγαπητοί, ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν θεόν. ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν θεόν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν.

Loved ones.  Love mutually.  Love is from God and everyone who knows love is a child in God’s family.  Everyone who knows love - knows God.  The reverse holds true as well.  No love, no God.

αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου εἰσίν: διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλοῦσιν καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει. 6ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν: ὁ γινώσκων τὸν θεὸν ἀκούει ἡμῶν, ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν. ἐκ τούτου γινώσκομεν τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης.

Since they’re born from the material world, they naturally speak materialistic lingo.  They communicate well with the masses.  We live with purpose, sent from God, and those that have a God-sense listen to us.  Those that ignore us, sadly, have no ties to God.  These spirits clash: One is driven by truth, the other deceit.

καὶ πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ μὴ ὁμολογεῖ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν: καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου, ὃ ἀκηκόατε ὅτι ἔρχεται, καὶ νῦν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστὶν ἤδη. ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστε, τεκνία, καὶ νενικήκατε αὐτούς, ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ὑμῖν ἢ ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ.

But the whispers that refuse to admit Jesus’ divine calling are poor imitations of God’s own breath.  You knew this would happen, and the world is already beginning to smell with their foul stench. 
Remember, you are part of God’s family.  You’ve got these imitators outmatched.  They’re incubating in material things while God grows daily in you.

Ἀγαπητοί, μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα εἰ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν, ὅτι πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐξεληλύθασιν εἰς τὸν κόσμον. ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκετε τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ: πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ ὁμολογεῖ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν,

But my closest friends, I should warn you that not every breath is from God.  Scrutinize the whispers that come to you - there are many misleading voices that claim to be God.  Want to be sure it is God breathing into you?  Listen carefully to the things you hear.  God’s breath always confirms Jesus - the human Jesus - as the Chosen One.

Hi friends,
You may have noticed the absence of updates for the past few months. Truth is, I came across a verse I didn’t know exactly how to translate. It stumped me for hours, days, and even weeks on end. I went to every resource I had, looking for a clear-cut answer. It was like a puzzle piece I just couldn’t place! There’s this particular verse at the end of 1 John 3 that talks about belief. We often talk about belief in Jesus, but this verse doesn’t exactly say that.

It says we should believe in the NAME of Jesus. Not Jesus. His name. What the heck does that mean?

What’s in a name?
Remember those movies that deal with ancient paranormal stuff? Like your Indiana Jones or Hellboy movies. There’s always somebody talking about the power of someone’s true name. Your name defines you. It holds power.

But it also represents you.

In the ancient world, your name was more than a label. Your name was your cause. The name of Jesus should fill a person with certain emotions and feelings. Words create reactions in us. Like “Hero,” “Love,” and “Sacrifice.” Feel yourself respond to those words. The author of 1 John describes it as the filling of “God’s breath.” Believing in Jesus’ cause should fill you with the spirit of God. But what does that mean?

Emotions create a physical reaction in many of us. Ever feel love so strongly that your gut feels full of it? Or get so excited your lungs feel full of fresh air? In many ways, we comprehend the Spirit of God in the flesh. We feel it inside of us.

It’s no surprise, then, that the word used for “spirit” is the same word for breath and wind. You know how we say “God bless you!” when people sneeze? Well, it’s kind of the same thing. People once believed that foreign spirits could enter you through your lungs. What seems like very defined and separate words in the Bible are actually very inter-related!

As Chapter 4 is posted, keep in mind the superstition ancient people held towards whispers, breaths, spirits, or anything influential. They can change you. We often need to be on guard that the things we cherish continue to be the things we cherish! It is too easy sometimes to let another person’s words, deeds, or general spirit influence and change you - and often for the worse.

The author of 1 John spends a lot of time in chapter 4 reinforcing his friends to be cautious about what “whispers” are from God. There’s a lot of people trying to make their own voices God’s voice. So who can you trust? The scriptures put it simply. Whatever reaffirms Jesus’ cause - loving mutually - is from God. If it is full of love it is full of God.


Chris

καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν. καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ: καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος οὗ ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν.

The rules of life are simple.  Believe everything Jesus’ name stands for.  And how, exactly, did the Son of God demonstrate the rules to us?  He loved.  Whoever preserves this rule of life lives in God and God lives in them.  When we love mutually we feel God’s breath flow into us!

ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν καὶ γινώσκει πάντα  ἀγαπητοί ἐὰν ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν μὴ καταγινώσκῃ παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεόν  καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν λαμβάνομεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν

Feelings can be misleading and falsely convicting.  But God will never mislead us.  He knows everything, including our hearts.  If we’re not busy feeling guilty, we can confidently focus on our proximity to God.  With this mindset, we discover that we’ve come so close to God that when we ask, He answers!  We preserve the rules-of-life that He has given us and He takes pleasure in our enthusiasm.

ὃς δ’ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ  τεκνία μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ  καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν

Don’t hoard your life.  A person might have every comfort, but see their family in need.  Rather than sacrifice their resources, they sever their innermost feelings.  How can the love of God stay in someone who feels nothing?  Families know that love isn’t a mere sound or word, but earnest action and honesty.  When we’re near our father, he guides our hearts toward these things.

ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι μεταβεβήκαμεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν μένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ  πᾶς ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν αὐτῷ μένουσαν  ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι

We take comfort that we have left Cain’s murderous mind-set behind to live and love like Abel.  If you won’t love, all you’ve got waiting is death.  But if you hate, you’re murdering in your mind.  Ironic, isn’t it?  Murderers have no inherit value for life and won’t live eternally.  Their murderous intentions are turned upon themselves.  We know a better way to die… and to live:  in Love.  He died for us, his family.  This is how we should live: giving our lives to each other - even in death.