Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Co-workers in Building Up the Kingdom of God
Bible portion: 2 John 1: 7-11
Devotion
Devotion
Merriam Webster Dictionary: Foundation – an underlying base or support.
Without a stable foundation, a building will not be stable nor last a long time. For our faith to be stable and last a long time we must have a strong foundation rooted in the truth and love of God.
In the 2nd epistle John 1: 1-6, John identifies himself as the Elder and the addressee as the elect lady and her children. We are not sure if he is addressing a family or members of a church but John counsels them by saying that the truth is what abides in all Christians. He goes on to say that Grace, peace and mercy comes from God himself in truth and love. John reinforces to the church the need to walk in truth and love and be obedient to the teachings of Christ and always be rooted in the doctrine that was presented to them from the very beginning. Why does John emphasize to stick to the doctrine that they heard from the beginning? In verse 7, John warns of individuals who do not acknowledge Jesus in the flesh. Many Christians at the time were leaving the church and moving toward a teaching called Docetism. Docetism is a form of a Gnostic teaching that denies the humanity of Jesus and even the salvation granted to us through Jesus. Gnosticism focused on separating Jesus Christ into a man and God. Gnostics believed that the human form of Jesus did not exist; it was just an illusion. Christians, who are rooted in the doctrine will realize that denying Jesus’s humanity denies the death and resurrection. Denying the death, burial and resurrection means we are still bound by our sins. The church is warned in this passage not to be swayed by this heresy. In verse 9, “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son”. He also warns them that individuals who teach this are deceivers and should not be allowed in our homes. If we continue to entertain this philosophy, we will be weakening our Christian foundation causing us to weaken our foundation of faith. In John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is the truth in our lives, he is the word that became flesh.” John calls all of Christ’s followers to have unwavering faith, as deceivers are trying to teach false hood and heresy.
To be co-workers in building the kingdom of God every one of us must have a solid foundation of the truth. Everyone one of us should do their best in walking in his love and teachings and avoid all contact of individuals who distort the doctrine of Christ. We must continue to stay strong in the Christian faith and work together in advancing his kingdom and abide in the doctrine. To do this, we must spend time in a relationship with our source of truth and love, studying the word and spending time in constant communion with the Father. Inviting teachings into our community that waters down the doctrine will only have us build a foundationless kingdom.
Without a stable foundation, a building will not be stable nor last a long time. For our faith to be stable and last a long time we must have a strong foundation rooted in the truth and love of God.
In the 2nd epistle John 1: 1-6, John identifies himself as the Elder and the addressee as the elect lady and her children. We are not sure if he is addressing a family or members of a church but John counsels them by saying that the truth is what abides in all Christians. He goes on to say that Grace, peace and mercy comes from God himself in truth and love. John reinforces to the church the need to walk in truth and love and be obedient to the teachings of Christ and always be rooted in the doctrine that was presented to them from the very beginning. Why does John emphasize to stick to the doctrine that they heard from the beginning? In verse 7, John warns of individuals who do not acknowledge Jesus in the flesh. Many Christians at the time were leaving the church and moving toward a teaching called Docetism. Docetism is a form of a Gnostic teaching that denies the humanity of Jesus and even the salvation granted to us through Jesus. Gnosticism focused on separating Jesus Christ into a man and God. Gnostics believed that the human form of Jesus did not exist; it was just an illusion. Christians, who are rooted in the doctrine will realize that denying Jesus’s humanity denies the death and resurrection. Denying the death, burial and resurrection means we are still bound by our sins. The church is warned in this passage not to be swayed by this heresy. In verse 9, “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son”. He also warns them that individuals who teach this are deceivers and should not be allowed in our homes. If we continue to entertain this philosophy, we will be weakening our Christian foundation causing us to weaken our foundation of faith. In John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is the truth in our lives, he is the word that became flesh.” John calls all of Christ’s followers to have unwavering faith, as deceivers are trying to teach false hood and heresy.
To be co-workers in building the kingdom of God every one of us must have a solid foundation of the truth. Everyone one of us should do their best in walking in his love and teachings and avoid all contact of individuals who distort the doctrine of Christ. We must continue to stay strong in the Christian faith and work together in advancing his kingdom and abide in the doctrine. To do this, we must spend time in a relationship with our source of truth and love, studying the word and spending time in constant communion with the Father. Inviting teachings into our community that waters down the doctrine will only have us build a foundationless kingdom.
Prayer
Lord as coworkers in the building of your kingdom we pray for strength and wisdom to walk in your truth and love. We pray that our constant communion and walk with you will help us not fall for false teachers. In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Thought for the Day
vs 6 As you have heard from the beginning his command is that you walk in love.
Jibu Abraham, LIMTC, New York
Lord as coworkers in the building of your kingdom we pray for strength and wisdom to walk in your truth and love. We pray that our constant communion and walk with you will help us not fall for false teachers. In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Thought for the Day
vs 6 As you have heard from the beginning his command is that you walk in love.
Jibu Abraham, LIMTC, New York