Ruth 4:8-12. Final chapter – Our home with Christ in the word “abide”.

Thursday May 17, 2018

 

Title: Ruth 4:8-12. Final chapter – Our home with Christ in the word “abide”.

 

1Jo 2:9 The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

 

1Jo 2:10 The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

 

1Jo 2:11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

 

There is something we are to hate.

 

Joh 12:25

“He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.”

 

Not that he hates his life but the life as it would only be in this world. We would hate to exist as only what defines our worldly life, home, job, family, etc. All of the best things in life without Christ would be terrible. We love our life that is Christ, and because we do, we love our family, job, home as we take care of them as unto Christ. Imagine a life devoid of Christ. This you should hate.

 

The claim to love God but not my brother is fully inconsistent. The love of God is unchangeable. God’s love cannot be redefined as my whims change toward my fellow man or Christian.

 

The contrast of light and darkness is also a contrast of fellowship and non-fellowship.  

 

John wrote that to walk in darkness is to not have fellowship with Christ.

 

1Jo 1:5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

 

1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

 

1Jo 1:7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [New Covenant in His blood].

 

In context, John is describing the false teachers as walking in darkness and he is describing his flock who have stood firm on the truth as walking in the light. He is not addressing isolated sin but life.

 

Though in some circles this text has evolved through the work of various theologians and pastors into a moment by moment self-examination or evaluation, in the context of the entire book, one would not read it that way. All of us sin from time to time. Some days are worse than others. None of it is condoned, but at the same time, to evaluate yourself based on isolated sins, all of us would stand condemned since all of us are guilty.

 

John is getting at our core beliefs and our foundational truths. What is it that you believe? What is the drumbeat that you march to? Who is the Lord of your life? The most committed Christians still have failure, but the blood of Jesus cleanses us, as the New Covenant states, “Your sins and iniquities I remember no more,” and so we are not condemned. We are defined by who we are in Christ, and if we understand that, we will choose to abide in Him as a rule, though we cannot be consistently sinless.

 

The life of God’s love, which has been gifted to every saint, is manifest in love of the brethren. This is light and sight.

 

Any so-called Christian who seeks a life outside that of love is a foolish man. Can Christians be foolish? “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you.” Yes, foolish and deceived can be the description of a believer. The Galatians had adopted the Mosaic Law as a means of worship and we can bet that very soon, all who did so, lacked love in their hearts. The Corinthians were full of jealousy and strife, easily identifiable markers for a lack of love.

 

Eph 5:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;

 

Eph 5:8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light

 

Eph 5:9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness [the way] and righteousness [the life] and truth),

 

The fruit of the light is Christ; the way, the truth, and the light. Every believer is light, and so he should walk.

 

Eph 5:10 trying to learn [proving] what is pleasing to the Lord.

 

Eph 5:11 And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;

 

Eph 5:12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

 

Eph 5:13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

 

Think of that statement, “everything that becomes visible is light.”

 

Can we imagine a person who sees the light of the truth and then rejects it?

 

Joh 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [lay hold of, apprehend, or conquer] it.

 

I can imagine a person to whom the light of the truth is revealed rejecting it, but I have yet to hear of a person who sees the light and declines it. John’s prologue in verse 5 introduces the conflict in the world. Darkness attempts to conquer light, but it is impossible. If a man saw the light for what it is, God in the flesh, would he try to conquer it?

 

Mat 13:18-19

“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.”

 

Jesus pointed out that they didn’t understand it. The Greek word literally means “to bring together in the mind.”

 

Joh 12:35 Jesus therefore said to them, "For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light [in the light], that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

 

Joh 12:36 "While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light."