The word of the day is “hear.” If you want to know the true character of a leader, look at those who are following him or her. Leaders will attract adherents who appeal to them, and over time they will mold their flocks after their teachings and example. In our reading of 1 John 3:21-4:6, the apostle contrasts those who are “of the world” and those who are “of God.” Those who are “of the world” pay attention to worldly things. Those who are “of God” are attentive to godly things. Thus, the apostle writes, “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us” (vs. 6). The book of…
The word of the day is “condemn.” We believe that God forgives us when we turn to Him for mercy.   But though we receive this forgiveness from the Lord, do we forgive ourselves? Today’s reading of 1 John 3:11-20 proclaims our Heavenly Father’s answer to those of us who cannot let go of the guilt we carry. The apostle writes, “for if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things” (vs. 20). Becoming aware of our sins is a good thing. As the story of the Prodigal Son teaches, coming to terms with our trespasses propels us on the way back to the home of our Heavenly Father.  As the parable of the Publican…
The word of the day is “hope.” There is a difference between hope and anticipation. To hope is to desire something with the expectation that you will receive it in the future.   But to anticipate something is to experience what receiving it will be like in advance. A child may hope for a birthday party. But if she anticipates it, she feels as if its reality has already come.  She is filled with the happiness of expectation. The Promise to God’s Children In today’s reading of 1 John 2:18-3:10, the apostle notes that the hope to be “like Christ” can be so strong that believers anticipate it in the present. Accordingly, John reveals the hope of the vision of God,…
The word of the day is “body.”  Of all the gifts of God, one of the most precious and yet neglected and mistreated is the body. Yet in our reading of 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul writes, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and that you are not your own?” (vs. 19).  Today the apostle promotes the attitude of reverence for the body that Christ has “bought with a price.” In the current pandemic, we have found that our bodies are vulnerable and subject to corruption, that is, to disease, growing old, and dying.  Still, no matter whether we spoil or abuse our…
The word of the day is “truth.” In matters of faith more than any other, the truth is of utmost importance. But how do we arrive at the truth? Some think that they can achieve truth by constant study.  In our reading of 2 Timothy 3:1-9, the apostle teaches that those who rely on human inquiry are deluded and subject to delusion.  He observes that they are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (vs. 7). If we do a “close reading” of this verse, we can find suggestions about avoiding endless and fruitless pursuits of learning about the spiritual. At the same time, we can discover how to reach the truth of the…
The word of the day is “commandment.” “Love your neighbor!” It’s an age-old commandment, repeated so often it seems almost like an old and worn-out platitude. But in today’s reading of 1 John 2:7-17, the apostle appears to contradict himself by saying that the command to love one another is new. He writes, “I am writing you no new commandment but an old commandment that you had from the beginning… Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is in Him [Christ] and you…” vs. 8). Today we talk about what makes the commandment to “love one another” radically new. The “Old” Commandment “From the beginning,” John says that the faithful have already heard the “word” of the old…
The word of the day is “know.” Do we “know Christ?”  Consider what is at stake in this question. The Lord said, “And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). In our reading of 1 John 1:8-2:6, John proposes a test to answer this ultimate question.  The apostle writes, “By this, we know that we know him [Jesus Christ], if we keep his commandments (vs. 3).  We can worship, pray, fast, read the Scriptures, give offerings, and do many other acts of piety, and still not “know” Christ. Our reading teaches that the way to know Christ is to “walk just as He walked” (vs.…
The word of the day is “slowness.”  The Lord has promised to return in glory to judge the world and reign over a new heaven and a new earth. Today’s reading of 2 Peter 3:1-18 answers scoffers who question whether the Word of the Lord will occur since it has not happened yet. To rebuff their arguments, Peter says that the cynics are asking the wrong question. He writes that the most important thing is to answer, “What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (vs. 11). We cannot know the day or hour of the Lord’s coming. Yet, we can only look forward to it in faith and conform ourselves and our lives to…
The word of the day is “wells.  Wells are meant to provide water.  But if a well becomes dry, it is a useless hole in the ground.   In our reading of 2 Peter 2:9-22, the apostle compares false teachers to dried up wells (vs. 17)  that are a  great disappointment to a thirsty traveler.  In today’s study, we will contrast these empty pits with the flowing fountains of living water that the Lord gives who come to Him to drink (John 4:13-14). Appealing to the Passions of Covetousness and Lewdness The apostle’s emphasis is on deceivers who exploit and allure the faithful. The term “exploit” is derived from the idea of business or trade. In this case, the trade is…
The word of the day is “Spirit.” Today’s reading of 2 Peter 1:20-2:19 explains why the apostle could say that the word of prophecy is a trustworthy lamp to guide us in our dark world (2 Peter 1:19). He writes, “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (vs. 20).  Thus, the apostle confirms that the words of the prophets are wholly reliable.  But is our reading of the same words equally dependable? A Message Not from Human Persons The apostle points out that we can trust the prophets’ word because their message did not come…