Week 2 Devotions – Making of a Man

Devotions Week 2

The Making of a Man

This week, we will read through the book of 1 John together. It’s a short book, but rich in God’s Truth! It will prepare us well each day for dealing with temptation and growing in Christ. Please join together in reading God’s Word each day!

Monday, March 30

Reading –  1 John 1:1-10

“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” An important thought to me is about the power of God’s light. Darkness doesn’t overcome light. We often think that the darkness in our own life and in the world is so strong, that it will overcome the light. That is, we think our life is so riddled with sin, the world is so evil, and that God is somehow tainted by evil, overcome or overwhelmed by it. But that most certainly is not the case. God is light; in him there is nodarkness at all.

Also, quite importantly, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” That is, the light of Jesus, the blood of Jesus purifies us!

So let’s go to God honestly. Verses 8-10 are about our own condition. We are sinful. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and will forgive.

Today’s action is simple. Declare the darkness in your life, the sin, the temptations, the evil that you’ve done, and trust that Jesus is faithful and willing to forgive. Believe in the power and light of Jesus to overcome your sin! There is power in his blood to purify us all!

Now walk in the light, in fellowship together with Jesus and the church.

 

Tuesday

Reading – 1 John 2:1-11

 

Today, we are reminded of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, for our sins and the sins of the world. How did yesterday go? Did you walk in the light?

 

A lot of folks will ask us, as Christians, “How do you know God?” John would tell us, “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.” We know him by doing and keeping what is commanded of us.

 

A step further, “Whoever claims to live in him, must live as Jesus did. That’s quite the statement. But it’s important that we read on, “anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble” (Vs 10).

If we want to be like Jesus, we will love brother and sister. John will unpack this further in our study. But consider today, as an action step, a decision to make. In regards to the commands of Jesus, are you walking in the light?

Are you living as Jesus lived?

 

Ask God to examine your heart and lead you in the way of Jesus, to live as Christ lived.

 

Wednesday

Reading: 1 John 2:12-29

 

In verses 15 and 16, we see a direct tie in with our Sunday school lesson from this past Sunday. “For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world.”

 

The struggle we all face is a love for the world that can often dominate over our love for the Father. John’s point here is that as we mature in Christ, so does our love for God. These lustful things that occupy our heart and the love affair we have with the world is “passing away.” These things might be with us for a while, but our love for God, and the carrying out of God’s Will, will go on forever!

 

We go from here to a conversation about the antichrist. Lots of antichrists are showing up actually, everyone who denies the Lordship of Jesus. No matter what, 24-29 is a strong reminder to hang on, don’t give up or be led astray by what is counterfeit.

 

This is all so, when Jesus appears, we can be confident before him, at his coming. Unashamed by what we’ve done and how we’ve lived our life.

 

Take a long reflection today. When Christ appears, will their be a confident man before God, or ashamed of how he’s conducted his life?

 

What difference can today bring to start healthy habits of walking in the true light of Christ?

 

Thursday

Reading: 1 John 3:1-24

“I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me!!!!” One of my favorite songs out of the 80’s, by Foreigner is an appropriate tune for today’s text. John tells us what love is: “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” And he tells us how we are to love, “Lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (17) John gives us direct application of how that might look; pity for those without. And he goes even further, giving a direct challenge, “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

 

The great command of Scripture: “To believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” You believe this, Jesus is Lord, now show the world you really do believe it. Let it shape your mission and vision for your life.

 

That’s what life is all about! If you want to know what love is, look to Jesus. If you want to know who to love, listen to Jesus. If you want eternal life, love Jesus. It’s that simple friends. Certainly, within all of this, there is a challenge today to know love and share the love of Christ with others.

 

Friday

Reading 1 John 4:1-21

 

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

 

Sunday was about temptation, about our struggle to remain faithful to Jesus. Thus far through the book of 1 John, we are certainly challenged enough to love like Jesus loved and trust in the sacrifice of God. John at this point repeats a lot of what we already know we need to be doing. We understand love because God loves us and gave us his Son. Fittingly, today is Good Friday. Today looks grim for the disciples who follow Jesus all the way to the cross, to see him dead on the cross. But this side of the Resurrection we know that this is the day Jesus lays down his life for the world for the Father to take him up and start things new!

 

Jesus would be laid in a tomb tonight, seemingly defeated. Yet these words from John have a beautiful echo into our hearts today. “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world!” (1 John 4:4). Friends, it doesn’t get much better than that.

 

Jesus isn’t defeated at the cross, it’s only the beginning of his victory over the evil one and the darkness of the world. Jesus’ light is greater than the darkness. Jesus’ love is greater than the evil in the world. Sin, death, and the power of the evil one has no hold on Jesus. And praise God, that light that came into the world, is also in you. Walk victoriously over evil today, knowing sin and death no longer have a stranglehold of fear in your life. There is victory in Jesus.

 

“Fear not, for I have overcome the world.” – Jesus

 

“In this world, we are like Jesus.” We no longer live in fear of death, we live like he lived, we love like he loved and we drive out fear in how we love the world. Friends, let today be about Jesus, dying on the cross, driving out the fear of sin and death in the world. Let’s look forward to Sunday together, and the joy of the Resurrection!

 

Saturday

Reading: 1 John 5:1-21

 

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).

 

“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

 

This is the end of the week, but hopefully only the beginning of some important strides we are making together as Christian men. So much of 1 John is an encouragement to us to press on in our faith, to not give up, fall away or be tempted away by the world.

 

So I leave you with this thought for today and tomorrow. We won’t be having Sunday school, but we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. That event is the start of something wonderful and new. It’s the dawn of the new age, the reign of Jesus over the kingdom of God. Jesus is the firstborn of the new creation. Whoever has the Son, has life.

 

Easter is about the world receiving the Son of God, and giving life for the world.

 

Friends, keep yourselves from the things that would lead us away from this new life.


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