It's been a tough few weeks, lots of sadness and pain for folks around me, a lot for me to pray through. Illness, family in life-saving operations (and thank God recovery), friends suffering in the increasing horror of war, friends going to be with Jesus, believers held captive and suffering because they follow Christ, natural disasters, increased practical need. One of the greatest encouragements to me has been my readings and reflections on 1 John. What pervades and percolates throughout John's writings is the reality of his love for Christ and relationship with Christ, and more importantly the reality of Christ's love for him and relationship with him. The Apostle knew Jesus, and out of ongoing closeness with him through all circumstances flowed everything else. The presence and reality of Christ, his millisecond-by-millisecond commitment to us is the greatest treasure we can ever have.
In a world so full of bitterness, brokenness, angst, perversion, depravity, degradation of humanity and individualism from pride, we can feel rightly downcast, dejected and just plain worn out, "peopled out". There is one remedy for all this fatigue, however, and it is Christ and his love. The Apostle knew Christ in the flesh and in the Spirit. (1 John 1:1-2). Our Saviour is light which dispels all darkness. The reality of Christ's love and all he manifested as the perfect man, displaying God on earth, made so many things both harder for John and yet more wonderful. True discipleship is both hard and beautiful at the same time. The closer we grow in our relationship to Christ, the more challenged we are, the full of his goodness we are. Think of John as the one friend who remained at the foot of the cross when everyone else dispersed. His love for Christ and his presence went beyond circumstances, and more importantly, he knew that Christ's love for him was greater than all circumstances. Such is the perspective we need to cultivate.
The beloved disciple - Our identity.
Throughout the writings of John, his signature and call sign is his identity in the love of Christ. (John 13:23. 19:26, 21:7). You and I are friends of Jesus. Let that sink in. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We have everything we need for life and godliness in Him. He is our hope, our reason to get out of bed in the morning, our perspective. Whatever happens in life, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, even death itself, for he has conquered it for us in his love. His life (1 John 2:6, 4:14), death ( 1:7), resurrection (5:11 ) and return (2:28) are our identity, reason for life, and message of love.
The instruction to love - Our modus operandi.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Stating the bloomin obvious... the great command "to love one another "as he has loved us is a relational one. Those close to Christ live out Theology from the inside out. Our lives are to be governed by our hearts, not just our heads. The old hymn which says "you ask me how I know he lives - he lives within my heart" has got a bad press from my camp of theological nerds, who state that the historical resurrection is all that is needed; subjective feelings should never govern our lives. Of course there is truth, but there is also conversely the biblical truth that hearts of flesh know God, love, and obey him; when dead theology can know the truth and remain stoically yet to be changed by it.
Our hearts have been changed to a heart of flesh which beats with his love for a broken world, broken people, and yes, sometimes a broken local and global church because Christ has loved us. Because he first loved me, His heart makes mine beat with new life. Because he lives, I live. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; I have a reason to unconditionally love. He loves me.
His love keeps going and keeps me going.
I will never get over the mystery that Christ has shown me such consistent, never-changing, patient, forgiving, understanding love. When I have long given up on myself, he has not given up on me.
Even in eternity, this will be my song and insurmountable summit. Like John, we go through many hard things in life (death of our closest friends and family, persecution, in John's case, torture), but we do so with two key relationships present: that of the reigning Son and that of His family. As Christ entrusts care for Mary (John 19:26-27) to John, it is based on the reality of John's changed heart and Christ's love to transform all things to be fruitful. He who was "the son of thunder" has been transformed into the reliable rock of relational care. He who runs to the empty tomb does so relationally, for a friend, for a saviour, for the impact the consequences have on all of the family of faith. He is a pastor, but only because he became a friend of Jesus.
There are times we are very aware of our frailties and vulnerabilities as spiritual leaders. It is tempting to professionalise and switch on a formality which is not real for fear of people seeing our weakness. This is not true of the inner circle of Jesus Christ. Peter wore his heart on his sleeve (before ripping it and sewing it back on again several times). Those closest to Christ are there because of the raw reality of relationship authenticity. It is impossible to be close to Christ without it. Christ's love punctures our pretence and pastors our pridefulness. Our hearts must grow in love for Christ, and out of that beats love for the lost, the church family, all friends made in the image of God, regardless of whether they are reconnected with him yet or not. When John heard Jesus instruct about love, he saw it through the eyes of a reality which backed up the message in every dimension, and so John lived out the message from his heart, and so should we.
His Love is our song for old age.
Unlike the apostles martyred for the faith, John survived by miracle and grace, the only one to die peacefully. It wasn't that his life was easy. Domitian reportedly had him thrown into boiling oil, yet he remained protected and unharmed in the presence of Christ in a way which mirrors others who know the safekeeping love of our God (Daniel 3:25). Our times are different to John, Irenaeus, and Clement, but faith is always under fire; friendship with Christ never goes unchallenged. However, there is always His company for those who live by faith; the evidence of His love is always at hand.
The reality of love is always relevant.
Yet the old man was wheeled out for church, with failing eyesight and many a battle fought. When it came to the invitation to preach, he always had his message prepared, in his heart, in his life... "Beloved children, love one another". The message of Christ's love is the only hope for our world; it is objectively always the message needed this side of eternity. It is always the appropriate subjective message also. We have sat at the table of Christ, and daily in his company we eat the choicest spiritual foods in his presence and forgiveness. We taste and see that THE LORD IS GOOD, and has been good to us. We stand outside an empty tomb and know our sin is gone, death is dead, Christ is with us forevermore and reigns over all things. We know that he has gifted his presence. Behold, he is with us always. The Great Commission is being outworked in his company. Friendship, authority and love. The great command brings joy as we live in his presence and love; the great collaboration can happen because each of us knows that we only love because He first loved us.
The church needs a message of love. Internally, we focus on secondary issues which can be so divisive. Externally, we are often known more for judgmentalism and bigotry than grace and love. Those who have been with the church today can find reasons to say that God does not live here; our lack of love should not be that reason. Those who had been with Jesus were obvious (John 4:13). Being with Jesus transforms us into distinctly bold people of courageous love and confidence in God. We become people unafraid to leave our hearts all out there. We do not fear rejection or being misunderstood; we simply want to live a life poured out in love for Jesus. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is patient, kind, unboastful; it honours and seeks the honour of others, protecting, trusting, building hope and trust. Love is the silver bullet our churches are searching for. In Christ we and his love we have all we need.
Lord Jesus, as I walk through life, thank you that you walk with me and in me. May others see your love and walk in my walk, till we are together with you in eternity.
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