Editor’s note: Campfire Scripture: Bible verses every week day followed by a short manful devotional. Goes great with marshmallows and a billy tea.
Can’t get around to reading the Word everyday? I’ve got you covered. Just what a man needs to keep him reading and thinking about the Word of God everyday.
So roll out your swag, kick your boots off and enjoy.
Book Author and Date:
John. That John, the beloved, eyewitness to the resurrection and one of Christ’s twelve disciples; he was present at the transfiguration. John wrote this letter late in life, around A.D. 90-95.
Tags:
Right living, Correction.
Context:
John is writing to a close friend Gaius. This is the shortest book in the NT, with a few brief passages teaching on hospitality, what to do and what not to do. Specifically John is condemning the actions of a one ‘Diotrephes’.
What I Reckon:
A very simple truth again demonstrating scriptures emphasis on righteous living, shunning evil and practising good. But it adds a qualifier ‘the one who does evil has not seen God‘. John I think is the most straightforward about evil and sin. In other passages also he talks explicitly about sin, and those who sin are not of God.
It’s true that as long as we live in this fallen world and fallen state, even while we are saved and forgiven of our sins, we will suffer temptation. This is not an excuse to live in sin, or to trivialize the sin in our life.
John also states matter-of-factly that those who do good are of God. As I’ve said before, we do not do good in order to be saved, we do good because we are. In fact it is impossible to do ‘good’ unless we are of God (Rom 8:5-8). We seek righteousness and holiness not as a remission of sins, but as a sign to the world that our sins have been forgiven; we live righteously, striving for holiness, because Christ is Holy.
Men, never tire in sharpening the iron. Check yourselves. If you’re living in sin, stop making excuses, tell a mate about it, tell the Lord about it, repent. If it’s something persistent, don’t let it fester, do something about it. Get help, get counselling, talk to a pastor. Take action.
Nothing about Christianity is passive. Everything is active. We actively abhor sin, we actively seek righteousness, we actively share the gospel, Christ actively forgives our sins and the Holy Spirit actively dwells within us, guiding us in righteousness.
Seek the narrow path (Matt 7:13).
References
All Campfire Scripture passages are taken from the New American Standard Bible, unless otherwise stated.
John MacArthur, 2006, The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (1995 edition).