Author: Brian Burdett

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.” – 2 John 1:7

Understanding Jesus as the Bible reveals Him to be is challenging for us. However, it’s critically important! The Bible clearly demonstrates and teaches that Jesus is the eternal Son of God and one being with God. The Bible also reveals that Jesus took on a human body and nature, becoming one of us to live a perfect life before dying in our place on the cross and rising from the dead. Jesus is fully God and He is fully human. We can’t understand exactly how this works but the Bible is both explicit and implicit about this. If Jesus were anything less, in either nature, then His work on the cross couldn’t have completely dealt with our sins on the cross.

For 20 centuries, Christians have had to be careful about people teaching falsely about Jesus. Members of cults, people enthralled with human philosophies, and those who would limit God to what they themselves can explain or understand. People who would like to wreck your faith with words that sound plausible. Don’t let anyone diminish your understanding of Who Jesus is. Don’t let anyone reduce Him in your mind to just a wise teacher, moral example, revolutionary, or prophet. Don’t listen to those claiming Jesus is a created being, a spirit being, or a mere human being. Likewise, don’t let anyone reduce Him to just being a god who didn’t fully experience human birth, life, temptation, and death.

Those who teach falsely about the nature of Jesus aren’t harmless or misguided people who hold a different perspective. John teaches they are operating in the spirit of antichrist! They deceive the followers of Jesus and deny His fundamental work on our behalf. Even if you don’t like to think much about heady matters of theology, make sure you get this part right! Understand Who Jesus is and don’t entertain those who teach otherwise. #FollowJesus

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” – 1 John 2:1

This verse perfectly encapsulates the lifelong challenge and abundant grace of the Christian life. All those who have been saved as a gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ are called to live holy lives of genuine, heartfelt obedience to the commands of Jesus. As a new creation in Christ, you have the power to not sin. The power to choose joyful obedience over sinful disobedience. The Holy Spirit lives in you and you have the power to crucify your flesh’s sinful desires. It is expected of Christ-followers that we exert serious effort to living a life that pleases God. And so, John wrote this letter to encourage exactly that, challenging every believer to pursue holiness and resist sinful temptation.

And yet… we all stumble and fall into sin from time to time. None of us will be completely perfect on earth until Jesus returns. So, John makes clear that there is always abundant grace available when we do stumble back into sin. When we sin, we aren’t rejected by God. We aren’t renounced by Jesus. We aren’t abandoned by the Holy Spirit. No! To the contrary, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, the Father invites us to confess our sins and turn away from them, and Jesus intercedes on our behalf when we do. Because Jesus already paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, when He speaks up as our Advocate, we KNOW our latest sins are just as fully forgiven as our previous ones.

This isn’t God’s permission to live a sinful life, continuously presuming upon His grace. Far from it. John makes clear in other verses that if that’s our mindset, we most likely aren’t actually saved and forgiven in the first place. This is the tension of life in a fallen world after we becoming new creation in Christ. We are holy in God’s eyes and empowered and commanded to live holy lives. However, when we fail, we must not believe the devil’s lies and live defeated, guilt-ridden lives. Instead, we simply need to turn back to our Advocate, our Lord, our Savior and #FollowJesus

“The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us” – 1 John 1:2

To be made manifest is to be made visible. The point John emphasizes in the first verses of this letter is simply this: he and the other Apostles saw the earthly life of Jesus, the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. They saw Him in His earthly body and in the eternal glory He revealed to them on the mount of transfiguration. What they write in their letters and gospels is their eyewitness testimony about these events, teachings, and truths. What we read in the Bible is trustworthy and true. The good news of salvation and eternal life given as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ is trustworthy and true.

Since the Bible is God’s trustworthy, true, eyewitness account of the most important things in the history of the universe, the logical question is this…. how much time and energy are you putting into reading these accounts from the apostles and prophets? Are you reading, studying, and reflecting on Scripture every day? How does your time and energy spent reading, listening to, and thinking about the Bible compare to the other things you read, watch, listen to, and think about each day? Are you hungry to read and hear what God has revealed to us about Himself, His salvation, His will, His plans, and His ways?

If you aren’t already in the habit of reading (or listening) to the Bible daily, get started today. There are plenty of simple Bible reading plans available online but you could just start with Matthew chapter 1 and read one chapter every day. You’ll get through the New Testament in a mere 9 months. Read and be changed by God’s Word, it will certainly help you #FollowJesus

“Waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!” – 2 Peter 3:12

As followers of Jesus, we should be both patiently and eagerly anticipating the day of the Lord. Jesus will return and all of creation will be renewed. The corruption, sin, and evil of this world will be burned away like the impurities in metals and the earth will be renewed. We will enjoy unhindered fellowship with God as His visible presence dwells among us. There will be no pain, no suffering, no mourning, no sin, and no curse upon anything.

If Jesus is your Lord, He doesn’t want you to fear that day but to look forward to it. He doesn’t want you hiding in terror from this future but living for it. He calls us to imitate Him, loving God and neighbor like Him until that day dawns. But we’re also invited to hasten that day. To hurry it along. Did you realize that you have that ability? That responsibility? You do!!!

It’s something to really marvel at… you can help speed the coming of the Lord’s return! How? The surrounding verses make it clear. Ordinary Christians hasten the day of Jesus’ return by sharing the gospel with other people. As we give people from every tribe, ethnic group, and nation the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and respond in faith, we accelerate the return of Jesus. If every Christian and every church took this responsibility seriously, think how much sooner Jesus would return and evil would depart forever!

What can you do to introduce others to Jesus? What can you do to learn about and pray for missionaries and evangelists in the world? To fund the work of those taking the gospel to the most remote parts of the earth? To encourage and welcome those who return? To meet people from difficult to reach groups when they move into your neighborhood? Understand that what you do in obedience of Christ’s command to make disciples helps speed His glorious return! #FollowJesus