I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. This picture is from a year ago today when those of my siblings who were in the area got together with my Mom in the skilled care unit she had moved into a few months previous.  It was a sad time because we all new she would not be with us much longer, but it was also a time where God showed me that we can serve Him until the very end.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 John 1-5

The writer makes two points which can be considered contradictory, but can be reconciled with a little thought.  Those who have fellowship with God do not continue in sin, but anyone who says that they have not and do not sin is a liar.  The clarifying comment comes when the writer tells us that he wrote this letter so that we would not sin, but if we do sin Jesus Christ will plead our case before God.  In writing this the writer reiterates a theme which comes up again and again in the New Testament.  We should seek the Holy Spirit’s transformation of our lives so that we do not sin again, not count on God’s forgiveness as we commit sin after sin.  If our faith does not give us a desire to no longer sin, it is not really faith. 

Closely tied into that is the fact that our faith will lead us to love others the same way that God does.  If we love God we will love those whom He loves.  We cannot hate someone if we love God. So, if we love God we will not hate anyone.  I think looking at this gives us a clearer understanding about what the writer wrote about sin.  I do not know anyone who hates someone for absolutely no reason. It may not be a good reason, but it is a reason nonetheless.  So, from time to time we will find ourselves developing a hate for someone, perhaps for something that most people would say justifies our hate.  When we realize that we have come to hate someone we have a choice.  We can continue to hate them, continue to sin.  Or we can seek the Holy Spirit’s transformative power and begin to love them instead.  If we do the former, we are choosing to separate ourselves from God.  If we do the latter we are embracing God’s love and following in Christ’s example.