1 John 2:29-3:6
If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness
is begotten by him.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,
for sin is lawlessness.
You know that he was revealed to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin.
No one who remains in him sins;
no one who sins has seen him or known him.
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A blessed new year to all of you! May God fill your hearts with His peace and love throughout 2012.
Do you consider yourself a righteous person? St. John tells us that “everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him.” What does this mean? John tells us that righteousness is being like Jesus. “We shall be like him” and we shall become “pure, as he is pure”.
Sin is lawlessness. Jesus came to take away our sins. He gave us the law, which was summarized by the law of love. We are called to love God with our whole being, and love our neighbor in the same respect that we love ourselves. Sin is not love God and/or our neighbor. So the way that we know that we are becoming more like Jesus is the measure by which we love God and neighbor.
John challenges us in the last line, “No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.” This seems harsh. We are all sinners. So is John saying that we don’t know Jesus; that we do not remain in Him? That sounds like what John is saying. But we are called to grow in holiness each day. That is, we are called to become more like Jesus every day. We are called to be more righteous each day. When we sin, we should confess our sins. And then the Lord tells us that we are forgiven, but “go and sin no more”.
How am I living my life as a disciple of Jesus?
Is sin dominant in my life?
Where do I need conversion?
Would others know that I am a follower of Jesus by the way that I love?
God bless,
Fr. Burke
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MISSING THE POINT
Romans 9:30-33 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling-stone”. As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (NIV)
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: – in English, and many other languages
It did not seem fair. Some Jews in Rome did not fully understand how Gentiles could be included in God’s family. Previously, they had no interest in God and did not have any interest in obeying His law. Yet, although they did not pursue righteousness, God had pursued them; and those who believed in Jesus were made righteous because of His sacrifice.
On the other hand, Jews had tried to achieve righteousness through their good works; but they failed to enter God’s family if they did not come through Jesus Christ. Although their treasured Torah prophesied the Christ and all He would achieve through His death, most Jews could not see it. Instead of Jesus becoming the Rock upon which to build their new lives, He became their biggest stumbling block. They could not see the provision God had made for them; they persisted in thinking that they could get right with God through their own efforts.
It is the same today. God loves everybody in the world, so Jesus was born to provide salvation to all who will believe. However, many cannot see that He is the Saviour that God provided – they think that He gets in the way of their religious tradition or personal ambitions. Some do not see because they have never heard, or had the gospel explained to them. That is why we need to tell them. Jesus’ commission to the church (Matthew 28:18-20) is worldwide, and if you know Jesus, the people in your little bit of the world need to hear about Him from you. And when you travel, take the message with you! Invite people to watch http://www.crosscheck.org.uk and then discuss the message with them. As today’s verses say, those who trust in Jesus will never be disappointed or put to shame.
Prayer: Saving Lord. Thank You that You have not left it to me to save myself. I know I am incapable of keeping Your Law all the time. Forgive me when I have thought that I was better than others because of my pious life; I know that I am only saved because Jesus Christ died for me, and apart from Him I have no hope for this life or eternity. Please help me to tell others about Jesus and how He will save all those who come to Him. In His Name. Amen.
By: Ronnie on January 3, 2012
at 8:58 am
Father Burke…
Merry Christmas and a Blessed & Healthy New Year too!
In Christ’s everlasting love & joy,
Rhonda
By: Rhonda on January 3, 2012
at 12:45 pm