Recently I have been accused of being a bigot and racist, a hater. Presumably because I disagreed with the political conclusions of people who intentionally ignored all testimony that disproved their positions. Now normally the race card does not work on me, as I received quite a bit of racism in my past. Absorbing that kind of treatment makes one immune to accusations that he is hurting others. For one thing, it makes you more sensitive to try to judge rightly. For another when you think others are wrong, you cannot be manipulated to agree to a position in order to avoid being labelled. The testing has strengthened you and made you able to stand alone. I am also more aware that groups frequently have anti-approaches that distance them from those who are not like them or part of their group. The subject of this has already been treated upon, and need not be repeated at this point.
But this accuser lived among Arabs and Muslims and strongly identifies with them. I do not know by how much since he uses Muslim names in addition to others. But due to this I have revisited the first letter of John, known as I John. (It is at the back of the Bible, not the gospel also written by John.) Among other things it discusses love and the obligation to love. It also addresses how to recognize heresy. Apparently John considers it loving to be able to recognize this as well as how to give and forgive. So standing for truth does not have to be unloving.
Some of this has been discussed previously, but it has been a couple of years and perhaps is not readily accessible. I opened it to chapter five. It said whoever loves the Father, loves the child (born of him.) And how do we know whether we do or not?
"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. ...And who overcomes the world but he who believes tht Jesus is the Son of God?" That was verses 2 and 5, of chapter 5.
It declares that the Spirit gives testimony. "The witness of God is this, that He has borne witness concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the witness that God has borne concerning His Son." 9b-10
After reading to the end of ch.5 with its clarity, it provides promises to have prayers answered and indicates that it is ok to pray for someone who is in error or sinning. Then I read ch. 4. (Sometimes you have to read passages separately because you might be worn out by the time you get to them. Though it is also good to read in order, that you not take something out of context.)
Now John is clear in the need to love one's brother. But he does not excuse error. He warns them on how to recognize heresy. "Do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God: because many false prophets have gone out into the world. V.1 of ch.4 -rightly printed as I Jn. 4:1. "...Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." (if not is spirit of antichrist.) Now Mohammed covered himself here because he said Jesus came and that he was Christ. But the messenger did not meet the rest of the requirements. V.9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Now propitiation means wrath catcher-as a sacrifice of a sheep or goat is to receive the wrath of the deity for a person's or family's sins. Who is this author who writes this? He says "and we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." Jesus' closest friend, John, stood at the foot of the cross watching the crucifixion, to whom Jesus entrusted the care of his mother.
He wants us to know the love God has for us, and to be convinced of, know that we are forgiven. Verse 13 of ch. 5, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." A verse on the same page as chapter 4, the last line of chapter 3 says, And we know by this that He abides in us by the Spirit He has given us. That was part of v. 24. 3:23 declares "And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another just as He commanded us."
At this point I went back to chapter one, which is excellent but a bit mystical talking about the Word. However he points out he was sharing what he saw with his eyes, what he heard, and touched. He had been there for most every moment of Jesus' ministry and was known to be the closest of all the apostles to Him. Not for a moment does he speak of only a man, a mere mortal, but of the glory.
"The Word of Life-and the life was manifested and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested to us, and what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you may have fellowship with us. And...with the Father and with His Son." parts of 1:1-3
Then he explains how it all works.
Fellowshipping with Him, He forgives our sins, washing us by the blood of Jesus His Son. Confessing our sins, he forgives and continues to cleanse us. "If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father." That translates to having an intercessor, a lawyer who argues our case before Him. That oversimplifies some of the greatest verses of all Scripture: I Jn. 1:7,9 and 2:1. Verse 2 of chapter 2 explains "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."
Besides urging us to live purely, and to love, the author explains the function of the Holy Spirit. "And this is the promise that He has made to us: eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you the anointing you received from the beginning abides in you ... His anointing teaches you about all things." 2:25-27. Then it instructs them to abide in Him so that when He returns we won't have to hide or be ashamed.
There are many promises that if what we seek is according to His will, then we will receive what we ask for. But the main thing we need to seek is to know Him. It is His commandment as well as desire. Another verse points out, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God. And such we are." 3:1.
The question is are you? If you have not the Son, you have not the Father. According to 2:23, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, and whoever confesses the Son has the Father also." Or as 5:12 says, "He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life." The life he is discussing is eternal life-per v. 11 right before it. "And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."
So if the teachings you receive instruct that God has no son, you can understand why they claim they cannot know God. Because only by knowing the Son, can you know the Father. You CAN know Him, receive His love, and abide in Him. You just have to have the right advocate. Since that is something He wants to happen, you can be assured in any prayer you make asking Him to give you that relationship. Ask for wisdom if you need it, that also He has promised to provide.
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