The written Word of God
God knows how easy for us to forget biblical principles that will help guide our living. This is why John had been commissioned by God to write His Word. The act of writing God’s Word connotes permanence. Therefore, the readers of the epistle should bear in mind how important that the Word of God should be retained in their hearts and minds. “This is the new covenant…I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). Having the written Word of God in the Scriptures will help recalling valuable admonition and teachings from God. And if there is something that we should never forget is the truth that God’s children had experienced forgiveness of their sin. This truth about forgiveness should be proclaimed. “It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations” (Luke 24:47). God forgives sin once and for all. The forgiveness is only obtained through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Such knowledge about salvation should always be in the mind of His children. The assurance of knowing that you are a child of God because you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ is what will help you grow and mature in your faith. There is nothing that is so important to the devil than to place doubt in the minds of the believers. His goal is to deceive and to put out a lie so we will not stand in the written Word of God instead be overcome with fear. “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44b). When Satan tested the Lord Jesus Christ after forty days and forty nights of fasting, Satan twisted the message of God’s Word. Yet, Jesus stood His ground and did not allow Satan to distort God’s Word. “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ Then the devil went away” (Matthew 4:10-11a). Let us not neglect reading the written Word of God for it is in His Word that we can stand against the deception of Satan.
Blessings,
Comments