Thoughts on Scripture and life
for the glory of Jesus Christ
The Johannine Concept of Abiding
“Abide with me; fast falls the eventide / The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.”[1] So begins the comforting hymn by Henry F. Lyte. But, to brusquely push past the sweetness of the lyrics, what does Lyte mean by ‘abide’? Is he asking Christ to tolerate him, wait for him, accept him, remain with him, continue with him, or dwell with him?[2]
Disdainful Pride and Dishonorable Deeds
Who was Diotrophes, and what was his sin?
By the Water and the Blood
John claims that Jesus, the Son of God, came through water and blood…not by this water only, but by this water and by this blood (1 John 5:6). This is the very testimony of God (5:9). Yet, how do water and blood speak? What is their message, and why is it so important that Christ by both the water and the blood?
God’s Love for Us, Perfected
What is a perfect love? John seems to answer the question when he writes, “…If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12). So, on the surface, it seems that a perfect love for man is one that is reaches moral perfection by practicing love. But this clashes with experiential reality. Can such a love ever be achieved by mere mortal man? Is there anything that sinful man can truly claim to do perfectly—especially that highest virtue of love?
Christians Don’t Sin
Do Christians have sin, or do they not? 1 John 1:8-9 teaches that a Christian must admit he has sin, or else be condemned for not having “the truth” (1:8) and making God “a liar” (1:10) Yet 1 John 3:6b seems to teach that if one does sin at all, he does not know Christ!