December 24 - 1 John 1-5: What a Gift!

I first began wrestling with 1 John when I was a young teen, struggling with loving my younger, pesky sister.  John's strong words, "whoever hates is still in the dark" (1:10) and "anyone who doesn't love [brothers and sisters] is as good as dead" (3:14) were beyond convicting to me.  They were terrifying.  I vividly remember the moment and the welling emotions of reading this book.

Now, it's the rest of the story,

And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God - what a gift! - and we are living in the Truth itself, in God's Son, Jesus Christ.   (5:20)

The gift of Jesus is that in my sin, my complete inability to love my sister (or anyone else!), He utterly forgives (1:8-10); He is embedded deeply within me (2:26, 28; 3:24); I am His child (3:1); His love becomes complete in me (4:11-12); His Spirit gives life and intimate relationship with God (4:13-16); His life of love resides in me (4:17).   He has revealed my helplessness to love and given me His Son to show me how to love and to provide the power to love.

Father, this "forgiven, but still empty well-digger, a saved but still whiny comfort-seeker, a regenerate but still blessing-demander like me" (66LL) is overwhelmed with Your gift of life and of love that resides within me, Your "relational energy" (66LL) that can move through me.  "I am Yours!  Therefore, I can love." (66LL)