Archives for June 2020

Dear Church Family, We've seen how God's love in Christ for His people causes hate (1 John 3:11-15) how the world hates those who are born of God. And, we've seen also how God's love in Christ for His people causes change: "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16). Jesus' sacrificial love ...

Dear Church Family, Last week, in 1 John 3:11-15, we saw how God's love in Christ for His people causes hate. That is to say, the world will hate those who are loved by God, those who are born again and thus love Him. John goes all the way back to the first example of fratricide wherein Cain slew his brother Abel because Cain's deeds were evil and Abel's deeds were righte...

Dear Church Family, The love of God for His people is a major theme in Scripture. God's very nature is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Our being predestined to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, is based in the love of God (Ephesians 1:4-5). Because He died for us, the love of Christ controls how we live and how we interact with others (2 Corinthians 5:14). Indeed,...

Dear Church Family, Last week, in our look at 1 John 2:28-3:5, we reflected on how as a child of God, "be" comes before "do." That is to say, according to God's Word, we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And then, only after we have been made a new creation, are we enabled to do good works out of thankfulness for what Christ has already done...