THE APOSTLE JOHN , who describes himself as “The elder” (2 John 1:1, 3 John 1:1), writes words of deep encouragement to the family of God throughout all three of his late-in-life letters to the faithful. The unifying thread of thought that has the deepest embedment in his comments is that of the grace of God to us in, by, and through Jesus that makes draws us all into the One. Speaking out of the spiritual corporal entity that Paul calls “the one body in Christ” (Rom. 12:5), he guides us firmly but gently into that sacred space. “We proclaim to you the eternal life. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:2-3) In his gospel, John says that Jesus “came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:11-12)
Next he adds this very personal outreach from his own heart, an invitation into the quickening familial relationship in the stream of life that emanates out of heaven (cf. Rev. 22:1) and which brings vibrant new life wherever it flows (cf. Ezek. 47:9). John says, “We write this to make our joy complete.” (1 John 1:4) We sense and trust his openness, and perhaps visualize a warm embrace, a bench in the cool shade overlooking a refreshing view of a garden, and we anticipate spontaneous barrier-free conversation. We have found a new old friend, and a valued mentor.
There is far more than friendship and fellowship that “binds us together” (Col. 3:14). We have become one family, and we are of the same blood. Paul writes to us out of the same ethos that John inhabits, and to which both invite you and me, and reminds us that “Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity.” (Eph. 2:13, 15b) And so John says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1a) And lest we have not yet grasped the depth of our inclusion and must be forcefully made to consider this fact, he states emphatically “And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1b)
Occasionally, in our unbelieving belief (cf. Mark 9:24), we may wonder how this is possible, and if we can trust in this gift that seems so improbable as we observe the tensions in the world around us. Day by day, the spirit of distrust spawns as eggs of a viper both out of and into our culture. Paul turns our thoughts away from the distressing extant behaviors of the tawdry exterior world inward to the sacred space. He reminds us of the new life within us. “The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” (Rom. 8:15b, 16-17) He furthers the assurance of our inclusion to the family of God through Jesus, saying that we are “to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Rom. 8:29)
John gives us a litmus test for our adoptive inclusion to the family—one that clearly indicates the condition of our inner heart convictions by our externally manifested behavior. “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.” (1 John 3:10) He adds, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other.” (1 John 3:14)
Jesus noted that the greatest command is to love God, but added to that “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:39) The love that overflows from the heart filled by God behaves far differently than the insipid imitations or the corrupted perversions of love displayed in the darkened realm that so often surrounds us. Heavenly love is not erotic, but deeply bonded and *unconditional, a characteristic of God. Only those who are restored to his image through the Spirit that flows out of Jesus Christ have the capacity to display **filial love. Paul tells us of the quality of such love. “Love is patient, kind, does not envy or boast, is not self-seeking, always trusts, hopes, perseveres.” (1 Cor. 13:4) The outward display of such love towards each other, says Paul, produces “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Col. 3:12) He adds, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Col. 3:14)
It is the living Spirit of Jesus within us that bears testimony to the new capacity for love that is both in us and overflows from us as the actions of love. The doing of love comes from the being who is love, and come out of our personal new being. John tells us that “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us.” (1 John 4:16-17a) And, O Child of God, John the Elder smiles and tenderly, affectionately, and with deep and abiding love, says “This is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1 John 3:24)
Q. Am I motivated by a love for others that wants only the best for them?
*Strong’s 25 – “agape:” “To love dearly.”
**Strong’s 5368 – “phileo:” “To treat affectionately or kindly, to befriend.”
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