Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 94th. Edition.
Dear Holy Nation,
Today we begin with Chapter 5, the chapter that has been dubbed the chapter of assurance. Our passage today (1 John 5:1-2) is a transition from the previous one. We begin to talk about the New Birth and our certainty of our future in Christ, but we are also looking back on the love for the neighbor. This passage weaves the two together.
Simple Argument (v. 1). The new birth is not a complicated mystery that only a few can fathom. The requirement is that one “believes that Jesus is the Christ.” Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, which means the Anointed One. There are three offices in the Old Testament whose holders were anointed, the priest, the king, and the prophet. Not every holder of such office was anointed, necessarily, but anointing with oil was symbolic of the fact that the person was chosen by God and that God’s Spirit was on him. The offices were separated and two of them – the office of priest and that of a king, were mutually exclusive. When King Saul presumed to perform priestly duties (1 Samuel 13:8-14), he lost the kingdom also. King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16-23) did a similar thing and ended up a leper.
It is instructive, therefore, that Jesus as the Anointed One is Prophet, Priest, and King! But anointing in this particular instance also affirms Jesus’ divine nature. Early Christians often used the name Jesus in recognition of human nature and Christ, of the divine. The right doctrine matters, people. But the right belief results in the new birth, otherwise it is not faith but simple knowledge of facts, which even demons have (James 2:19). It follows that one who loves God will also love those who are born of God. This does not need a rocket scientist to figure out. The problem is, we often fail to do that which is obvious, even to the simplest mind.
Simple Affirmation (v. 2). Every species has unique characteristics that distinguish it from all others. The “species” of those who belong to God is distinguished by obedience. This obedience is best demonstrated by love. Jesus said as much when he told his disciples, “Love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35). In a sense, John is saying that obeying God and keeping his commandments is simply the love of others!
Think about it, if you loved others with pure, godly love, is there a chance that any of your actions would violate any one of God’s commandments? Not in a month of Sundays!
Your Loving Pastor Chris.