Well, between wife taking our 4 year old and finishing breakfast, I got some time and WOW.
Starting with v. 7, John talks about a new covenant, but not a new covenant – love one another. It’s old school – given through the OT, but still, John shows that it has deeper meaning. Why? Christ. It’s actually very close to our message Sunday about revealing hiddle sin through the light of Christ.
You see, the Holy Spirit, the part of the Trinity we speak and hear from with our spirit, is light. What do we know about light? In darkness, it’s the only thing noticed. Things are attracted to it (“I’m gonna touch it” from Finding Nemo popped into my head) and it takes a lot to block our a lot of it. So, the Spirit shines through our spirit into our soul. Why is this important for “love one another?” Because if we had those hidden things – those past hurts that are now resentment, those horrible words that are now depression – those were cause by SOME ONE. We close our hearts and they become hardened. The result? We can’t love one another the way we are meant to. Only the Light, shining into us can heal us and transform us into what He wants. Trust me, I know the “I can’t handle it again” or the “what if they hurt me again” , and all I can say is do you want to live in fear, or live for God? It’s a process either way, one is filled with lonliness, the other with a “peace that passes all understanding”. Sounds pretty good to me.
Later, in v 12-14, I think I see the gameplan we need to have with our children and new believers. The mature know God, know who He is. The “young” win the battles with our enemy with putting scripture in their hearts. What an amazing blueprint for the Christian life. When we come to know Christ, we are to fill our hearts with scripture, use it for Him, then the experiences of using it teaches us who He is.
How are we using the Word that in our hearts?
Do we fill our hearts with dirt or with light?
Who are we sharing the light with?