Perfect Love

March 5, 2017 Background Scripture: 1 John 4:7 – 19 Lesson Passage: 1 John 4:7 – 19 The topic “Perfect Love” could equally be rendered “God’s Love”. Indeed, the focus of the lesson text is derived from the Greek word agape. Agape describes a type of love that can only originate in God. Christians can only attempt such a love by first appropriating it from God. Agape is so unselfishly given that only God can be the originator of it. There are two key points to be understood about agape. First it is an absolutely unselfish act of the will of the one who loves. The action is manifested in benevolently giving what is perceived to be needed by the recipient. However, the one receiving the love does not determine what the action will be but the determination is made by the one giving. The text of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”, is the supreme example of agape love. Note that God did not give the world what the world desired or requested but rather what God knew the world needed. We can only begin to comprehend the extent of His unselfish motivation by considering that God and Jesus are one. God totally gave Himself as the sacrifice for sinful mankind. Because God is spirit, He came in the person of Jesus Christ that we might know Him and to give His life as a ransom for us. It is with this as a backdrop that John admonishes Christians to appropriate from God agape love and to allow ourselves to be used by God to sacrificially give. This is the perfect love. On our part, we must surrender our will to the will of God because He is the one to show us the need that others have. We then give according to that need. In the text, John admonishes Christians to commit to agape love one for another. Since we know this can only be done by appropriating agape from God and yielding our will to His, then we are assured that loving others in this way will always give evidence of the indwelling Spirit of Christ in us. This will also establish the community of faith as one where true love is at work. Perfect love is not reciprocal from person to person but from Christians to God. In other words, we don’t love others as a reaction to anything they have done for us. Rather, we unselfishly demonstrate benevolent love to others under the direction and influence of God—and only for that reason. As we yield ourselves to God, He motivates us to act and places within us the capacity to act unselfishly to meet the needs of another. The first century church took this to such an extreme that the church at Jerusalem became impoverished because they gave all they had after they had cut off their means of obtaining more. This was very much like Jesus in that he was rich but became poor that he might enrich all, who put their trust in him, with eternal riches that are beyond this world. Today’s lesson does not lead us to such an extreme but calls us into a fellowship of brethren that has the hallmark of love defining it. This is perfect love and we are invited as Christians to willfully and with joy enter in. Robert C. Hudson February 15, 2017

Christ Creates Holy Living

February 26, 2017 Background Scripture: Galatians 5:18 – 6:10 Lesson Passage: Galatians 5:18 – 26; 6:1 – 10 The Spirit of Christ in the believer is available to empower us to live holy lives. Paul, in another letter, wrote that it is God who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The Spirit of Christ gives us the desire and the ability to live holy lives. Christians cannot live holy on our own power. The Law proves that holy living is not attainable through sheer human will power or determination. In fact, the harder we try to live holy by keeping the Law—which is strictly obeying God’s commandments, the more we fail to live holy. There is a raging spiritual battle going on inside of every believer. The Spirit is at war against the flesh. The Spirit of Christ in us is fighting our old attitudes, desires, and actions. The Apostle Paul noted in yet another letter, every time we desire to do good things, evil is always present. But when we yield to the Spirit of Christ in us, then we see the fruit of the Spirit manifested in our lives. The characteristics of the Spiritual fruit give evidence that it is not the works of the flesh because the flesh yields the fruit of destruction. The text makes it clear that we only see the fruit of the Spirit when we yield ourselves to be led by the Spirit. The Spirit of Christ does not over power us and does not take away our will or control our mind. We still have the ability to choose right or wrong even as children of God. Christ patiently waits for us to submit to His guidance as Lord of our lives. After we submit to Christ’s lordship, then Christ manifests his presence in us through the demonstration of holy living. There are at least three things made evident in the background scripture to help us understand this. First, the text describes the difference between holy living and living according to the flesh. We can use these two lists to grade our own paper, so to speak. We can discern who is lord of our lives by examining the works or manner of living we engage in. One list suggests we are in charge and the other list is indicative that Christ is in charge. Secondly, the text gives instructions to the believer as to how we should react to a person being overcome by personal sin. The text stipulates that the instructions are only for those who are spiritual. One person walking in the flesh is ill-prepared to help another person walking in the flesh if one is overtaken by sin. As an analogy, a lifeguard should first and foremost know how to swim well enough to save himself. That is prerequisite before he or she enters the water and attempts to save a drowning person. When we first attempt to apply the principles of God’s word to our lives, then the results that show up in us will be instructive to others. This is not to say that we need to be perfect before we can assist another person. (Even a child who has completed the fifth grade can probably help a child who is struggling in the second grade.) Thirdly, the text indicates that believers should have a preference for other believers in showing hospitality. This is as Jesus taught it should be. In all of this, it is Christ who is creating holy living in us. Robert C. Hudson January 20, 2017