Losung für den 19. November
Ich will ihnen ein Herz geben, dass sie mich erkennen sollen, dass ich der HERR bin.Durch Christus Jesus seid ihr in allen Stücken reich gemacht, in aller Lehre und in aller Erkenntnis.
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
(1John 4:9)
For reading: 1 John 4:1-12
God’s love was manifested says John. It was revealed to us. It is one of those things which we would not know if God had not shown them to us.
Out of ourselves we do not know what love is. Many, however, imagine to know what love is. When they hear that God is love, and that the greatest command is the command to love, they think they know exactly what a real Christian is supposed to be - and they really “rub it in” on their friends. A Christian must be pleasant, he may not judge anybody, he may not be unkind or intolerant. He may not allege that someone is mistaken or that there are false teachings that can be dangerous. He should understand that all people with a measure of goodwill are God’s children. Even if their faith is not displayed by attending church or communion.
When one reads John, the Apostle of love, one notices that something must be very wrong with this kind of thinking. Nobody spoke more devotedly or intensely about love than he did. And nobody warned more strongly and urgently against false teachings and false prophets. And he makes it very clear what false teaching is. It is all teaching that does not clearly confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, “who has come in the flesh” (meaning Jesus became a man, human). And that God sent Him for the propitiation of our sin. It is in this that God’s love was revealed to us, such is God’s love. God loves us sinners who are hopelessly separated from His love, and sacrifices His own Son to bring us back to Him. Everyone who does not confess Jesus Christ in this way is not from God. He rejects what Gods’ love wants to give to us. He does not accept God’s propitiatory sacrifice. Everyone who denies this sacrifice and teaches accordingly, is a danger to others. John does not hesitate to call this the spirit of the Antichrist. A spiritual power that wants to destroy Christ’s purpose for coming into this world. Such persons are life-threatening, regardless of how pleasant they may be And just as clearly and uncompromisingly John states that God really is love, that He wants love, that all who know Him and live in fellowship with Him have this love. And that this love is genuine goodness, mercy and compassion as well as a willingness to help and make sacrifices. To be prepared to give one’s life for ‘the brothers’. Such is God’s love: an incorruptible “No” to lies and a boundless and sacrificial “Yes” towards the lost.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me this love. It is so much easier just to be “pleasant”. All of us are sinners and in need of mercy. Help me to see that it is for this very reason that we all need the great truth about your salvation. It is for this very reason that it would be merciless to remain silent about it and appear as if there are other ways to our salvation apart from the one you have provided for us.
Help me to be steadfast in your truth and to do this out of love. And only because of love. Not unkindly or judgmentally, not with displeasure or indignation, but simply because you love all people and they are all in need of you. Amen.
By Bo Giertz submitted by Hugo Wichmann
Devotion taken from “Impulse” August 2008 issue (Pietermaritzburg Congregation)
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