The World

The odyssey into I John continues. I have to say that I have often overlooked this small epistle in the past. Although I don't think that I purposely did so, I just didn't consider it to be as important or as weighty as some of the Pauline epistles or Hebrews, for instance. Now that I have been in it for twenty days, my attitude towards it has totally changed. There are many great and deep themes in this small book that encompass a lot of the Christian walk. Now I understand why John Stott says in his commentary on I John that in many ways the book can be considered an introduction to the New Testament. What amazing things you discover when you actually apply yourself to Scripture. What's taken me so long??

Today I accidentally stumbled on a major (and very interesting) theme in I John--the world. There are at least 13 separate references in I John to "the world". All of them are different, but all of them go together, and all of them are helpful.

The first reference is in 2:15 where it says that we are not to love the world or the things in the world. There is a lot in vv. 15-17, perhaps enough for a separate post at another time. For now, it is enough to note the idea--don't love the world. Then, in an almost passing reference, John tells us that we can use the worlds goods to bless someone in need in 3:17. Chapter 4 brings another major point about the world--false teachers and the spirit of the antichrist are from the world, they speak from the world, and they have the attention of the world. John is definitely sounding the warning to his beloved readers that they should reject false teachers that have the earmarks of the world, and we should heed that warning, especially in this day and age.

After that comes a turning point in 4:9 where we find the idea so familiar from John's Gospel in John 3:16. God purposely sent His beloved Son into the world so that we might live. Incredible. 2:17 says that the world is passing away, but here we have our Savior coming into that world so that we might live. The picture I get is of a firefighter running into a burning building and bringing out a helpless child. This is repeated again in 4:14, and we should never fail to repeat it.

An amazing statement is made about us then in 4:17, "as he is so also are we in this world." I don't think that I know everything that is in that statement, but I am greatly challenged by it. As He is, so also am I in this world. There's more in that than I can explore today.

Finally, chapter 5 tells us that our faith overcomes the world because He is greater inside us than the one that is in the world. And 5:19 tells us that the whole world lies in the power of that one.

God, grant us strength and understanding.

Soli Deo Gloria