1 John 5:1-5
Verse 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands.
We continue looking at how we can love others by loving God and obeying His commands. Having looked at the God-focused commands we now turn to the interpersonal commands. These next six commands are very familiar to us, even the youngest among us can recite at least a few of them, but how good are we at loving others through living them out?
The first of the bottom 6 is a good thing to remember at any age though more often quoted to young children. Honoring our parents is not about obedience – although that is an important part of it when we are under our parents’ guidance – it is about speaking well of them and treating them with the respect they deserve because God gave them to us for a reason. If we don’t respect our fathers whom we can see, how can we expect to respect our Father who we can’t see?
This next one is something we all think we are doing great at because we haven’t killed a single person, but as we learned last week, that isn’t all this command is talking about. Just as we are needing to respect our parents by not speaking badly of them, Jesus said speaking badly to someone was a way of killing them. When we say mean or bad things, especially lies although we will talk about that tomorrow, we are murdering them in spirit.
We are commanded to love other people and so that is about speaking life into them not tearing them down or being unkind to them. Whether talking to them or simply about them, if we are not saying something to or about them that we would mind hearing about ourselves, we probably shouldn’t say it. Nor should we think it because if we think it often enough, it is likely to come out of our mouth at some point.
The next command may seem like it is only for the married among us but the truth is each of us must obey this command no matter our age or marital status. While the act of adultery is part of what this command is about, Jesus was very clear that the thoughts which lead to it, also break the command. Just as thinking meanly about someone is killing them in our hearts, thinking about someone impurely, is sinning against them and God in our hearts.
Making It Personal
What attitude do you have towards your parents? Who do you regularly murder? How do you fight impure thoughts?
Making It Personal Kids
How much do you obey your mom and dad? Do you talk badly about them to your friends? Do you say mean things about other people?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for giving us commands to help us live lovingly to You and others. Give us the desire to obey Your every command. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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