Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 76th. Edition
Dear Family,
Today’s passage (1 John 2:7-11) is part of a preamble. The apostle talks about writing a commandment, old in one sense and new in another, but he does not pen the commandment until verse 15. The preceding verses give the rationale, the reason why this commandment is necessary.
The Commandment Concept. Introduced (vv. 7-8). John is about to tell something really important. He intends to Do so, in order to counter the false teachings circulating among the Christians. He says that the commandment is Not New (v. 7). This is because the essence of the commandment can be found in the scriptures (Old Testament) that existed then.
Sometimes we look for a word from God, even pray and fast for it, but the written word has already spoken. A case in point is how often Christian young people pray, seeking God’s will on whether they should marry the unbeliever they have fallen in love with. All they need to do is read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18! Yet New (v. 8).
The commandment is new, not because it introduces new instructions, but because its application is in a new setting. That new setting is that there is a shift in powers. Since the resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the process of phasing out the darkness has begun. In his gospel, the apostle puts it this way, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [overcome] it” (John 1:5). As long as the light shines, darkness hasn’t got a chance. It is an absurdity for darkness to be present where the light shines.
This thought triggers another in John’s thinking, The Contradiction of Contempt Exposed (vv. 9-11). Relationships among believers often cause friction and it is easy to yield to hate. The unfortunate result is Stumbling in the Darkness (vv. 9, 11). Hate blinds one so that one’s choices can no longer be reasonable. This is tragic because hate ends up destroying the one who hates it. In contrast, there is Stability in Daylight (v. 10). A person who loves has a clarity of vision. Sometimes the person loved is not deserving of it. The person who loves knows it but chooses to love, anyway.
He/she is not deceived or deluding him/herself, but choosing to follow the example of the Master, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
It all very simple – whether offended or not, we choose darkness and blindness, when we opt to hate; and we choose light when going for love, whether the object of our love deserves it or not.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.