“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” – 1 John 3:14

One of the unmistakable marks of a life saved and transformed by God’s grace is a consistent love for fellow believers. The Christian life is never intended to be a solitary life. We’re saved through faith and called into active, deep Christian community. It’s impossible to obey many of the commands of Scripture apart from other believers in our lives. So we must practice genuine love toward other Christians.

As children of God, we should love our brothers and sisters in the faith. Even when they disappoint us. Even when they frustrate us. Even when they embarrass us. Even when we don’t particularly like them. Our ability to love others intentionally, practically, and consistently gives us assurance that we have indeed passed from the grasp of sin and death into the glorious Kingdom of Christ.

This Advent season, examine your heart. Are you full of love toward other believers or is there a trail of broken relationships? Who can’t you stand or won’t you ever talk to again? If there’s a list of fellow believers you don’t love, whom you resent or condemn, or toward whom you carry a grudge you need to work on that. You need to work on forgiving them – to God and to them directly. You need to work on loving them even when you don’t particularly like them. Make peace and pursue reconciliation. This isn’t just for their good, it’s for yours because, “whoever does not love abides in death.”

“By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” – 1 John 3:10

Ouch! The Apostle John doesn’t pull any punches does he??? Before we reflect on the critical point John’s making, let’s be clear – we are born again and adopted by God as His children entirely by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. There is literally nothing we do, can do, or must do to be saved, forgiven, made clean, and adopted by God.

However, if that’s actually happened to us, then there will be unmistakable evidence of that in our hearts, minds, and actions. Those who truly believe in Jesus and have been born again as children of God will reveal that by the way they lived changed (and changing) lives.

Through the presence of God’s Spirit in our hearts, children of God will lose their love and tolerance for their own sin. They will sense God’s hatred of their favorite “pet” sin. Though Christians won’t ever be perfect, we should be increasingly aware of our sins and working ever-harder to eradicate them from our lives, whether they are matters of action, speech, thought, or inaction. We should increasingly desire to practice the righteousness modeled and commanded by Jesus as a reflection of the inner righteousness we already have in God’s eyes through faith in Christ.

Likewise, if we are children of God, we should demonstrate increasing love toward other believers. We shouldn’t be content to be angry or bitter toward fellow Christians, earnestly seeking peace, love, and reconciliation through Christ.

A crucial implication of John’s letter is that if you think you’re a Christian based on a prior profession of faith or regular church attendance, but you aren’t increasingly practicing righteousness, aren’t trying to crucify the sins that tempt you, and aren’t finding yourself loving other Christians, you need to seriously reflect on your faith. Who and what do you actually believe in? Is it Jesus or a self-styled caricature of Jesus? Do you understand what it means to believe in Christ and how it should change your life? Do you know what it means to deny yourself and take up your cross each day? Consider discussing these questions with a more mature Christian who may be able to help you discern your present spiritual condition and what to do next.

“No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” – 1 John 2:23

It’s very popular in our wonderfully diverse and pluralistic culture to say there are many paths to God. This view is becoming increasingly popular among American Christians. Why? Because it feels nice. Nobody’s feelings get hurt. Nobody gets offended. Moreover, if true, it relieves us of the heavy, life-changing obligation to be deeply concerned for the spiritual wellbeing of those who don’t know Jesus. Saying there are many paths to God makes us sound understanding, open-minded, and sophisticated. If we say this, then nobody around us will get too mad at us for our faith.

Unfortunately, the claim there are many paths to God is completely false and utterly contrary to the plain teaching of Jesus! There’s only one way to God the Father and that’s through God the Son, Jesus the Christ. If you like Jesus and claim to like and care about what He said, then you are indeed burdened with obligation by this truth. Jesus was quite clear and Scripture is consistent: to know Jesus Christ is to know God and to deny Christ is to remain separated from God.

This will offend many in our world today. It will offend modern sensibilities and sincerely held religious beliefs. It will sound close-minded and make us less popular. Too bad! The stakes in this matter are eternal. Because Scripture is clear, Christians must shoulder the burden of concern for the eternal destination of those around us who don’t know Christ. Our obligation to go, baptize, and teach people to follow Jesus remains while all around us are billions of people who face an eternity separated from God (by their own sin) unless they experience the gracious reconciliation that’s only offered through faith in Jesus.

“Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” – Daniel 6:23

Already an old man and a faithful servant and advisor to many kings, Daniel once again was tested in his faith. His enemies sought to bring him down by making it illegal to worship any other god. So what did Daniel do? He continued to worship God. Three times each day he prayed to the Lord and for that he was arrested and thrown into a den of hungry lions.

When the law was made, Daniel didn’t make a big deal about it. He didn’t protest it. He didn’t flee it. He wasn’t disrespectful or defiant. He also didn’t submit to it. Daniel quietly obeyed God and disobeyed the law. The law changed nothing about how Daniel praised, prayed, and worshiped God. This is a powerful example to each of us! Daniel had absolutely no interest in compromising his faith or disobeying God simply to obey an earthly law, even though it could cost him his life. Daniel was a smart man who understood the consequences and chose God’s approval over that of powerful people.

Because of his quiet, steadfast faith Daniel was once again rescued by God, this time from the jaws of hungry lions. God was revealed to a pagan king through Daniel’s willingness to quietly die for his faith. God’s power, God’s faithfulness, and God’s kindness were made publicly visible, because Daniel trusted in his God.

We won’t all have a “Daniel” moment in our lives, but we should all be prepared for one. We should be prepared to suffer consequences for our faith and to do so with grace and love toward our enemies, just as Christ commanded and demonstrated. We won’t all receive a “Daniel” rescue here on earth, but we should trust that God can absolutely provide such rescue. We should also remember that our ultimate rescue will never be on earth, but will be into the eternal love and presence of Christ our Savior.

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:8-9

Many of us will struggle at times with God’s sense of timing. Why is He so slow to act? Why are things suddenly moving so quickly? When will things get better instead of worse? When will it become clear what God is doing? These questions and frustrations are certainly natural, but they generally reflect our foolishness in applying a human perception of time on the God Who stands astride time itself.

Just as God’s ways aren’t our ways (His are higher and better) and God’s thoughts aren’t our thoughts (His are higher and better), likewise, God’s understanding of time and timing aren’t our understanding of these things (His is higher and better). God sees and knows what’s absolutely best across all of time. Therefore, He is able to act not when we FEEL like He should, but when He KNOWS He should.

Similarly, God’s purpose in acting isn’t generally the same as ours. We usually want God to act on our timetable for our comfort and convenience. That isn’t God’s priority. His priority is the salvation of as many people as possible. God will use extended times of hardship, stress, and sorrow to save people from their deepest problem (sin). Therefore He will work on the timetable that guides the most into repentance. That usually won’t be the timetable we’d prefer. Nonetheless out of faith in God and love for those who need to repent, we must discipline ourselves to be patient and trust the Lord.