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Numbers 1:2-3

The Numbers Don’t Lie!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 2, 2023

It’s time to get organized! I believe this is where the book of “Numbers” gets its name. God directs the two million Israelites to be organized into companies. This is a census for war. Numbers 1:2-3 says, “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.  From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.” I expect this might be the first official census recorded in the world, however, I haven’t researched other civilizations. There have always been censuses in the world. I have some records of the 1895 census from Omaha that has my great grandfather, Louis Larsen as the head of household with his wife Anna and their six kids, with Earnest, my grandfather being 9 years old at the time. But the census that Moses was to take of the Israelites was of those 20 years old and older. They had to be capable of going to war before they made it into the census.

It appears that the general organization of the huge nation began with the fact that they were divided into the twelve tribes according to which patriarch they descended from Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Manasseh, Ephraim (the two sons of Joseph) and Benjamin. The tribes were subdivided into clans. Then into patriarchal houses and finally into families. But the phrase “company by company” lets us know that the census was in preparation for war. One of the ancient Akkadian texts uses similar language for “mustering the troops.” Some commentators want to understand this census as simply a numbering of the people like the censuses we have taken in various cities. But, as one commentator says, “The wording is so patently military in nature, however, that this escape is simply not possible. The point of the census was to prepare the armies of Israel for their triumphal war of conquest against the peoples of Canaan. In fulfillment of the promise the Lord made to father Abraham.” The Israelites were being prepared in inherit these promises of becoming a great nation by taking the promised land that was “inhabited by numerous nations and ethnic groups. Those nations and groupings were pervaded with evil; the sins of the Amorites had now reached their full measure (cf. Gen 15:16); the campaign of conquest was soon to begin.”[1]

Duguid says, “The census was thus a tangible, physical reminder that God had been faithful to the promises he had made to multiply his people and to bring them out of Egypt (see 1:1). God had been faithful to his Word: the numbers don’t lie. This should have been a source of great encouragement to God’s people as they headed into battle to take the Promised Land. They certainly didn’t lack the resources to do the task that God had assigned them. Since God had been faithful to his promises in the past, he could be counted on also in the future.”[2] The sad end of the book of Numbers records a different census. The only two still in the census were Joshua and Caleb. The rest died in the wilderness never realizing their dream. They died between slavery and freedom. Indeed, they never faced war, but they never tasted freedom either. William Wallace, of Braveheart fame, is supposed to have said, “Everyman dies, but some never truly live.”

[1] Allen, Ronald B. 1990. “Numbers.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, 2:704–5. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

[2] Duguid, Iain M., and R. Kent Hughes. 2006. Numbers: God’s Presence in the Wilderness. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

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Leviticus 1:3, Various

A Sacrifice of True Value

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 1, 2023

When God instructed the Israelites regarding the quality of the burnt offering, He required one of actual value. Leviticus 1:3 says, “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.” With the burnt offering, only a male animal would be acceptable. One might think that a female from the flock might be more valuable because they produced milk and were the instrument of reproduction. But as Matthew observes, “The significance of the male beast was more symbolic than the actual value.” Though the female reproduced, she did not do so without the male. So, the male animal “was viewed as the symbolically significant animal since it was representative of the whole herd as the chief animal and the most virile.”[1]

This male animal must be “without blemish.” By its name, “sacrifice,” one is giving up something of value. Baker observed, “They also were to have been at a cost to the offeror, that is, a sacrifice. In an agricultural society where wealth and the very maintenance of life were measured in livestock, these animal presents came from the very life necessities of the people.”[2] When David made his burnt offering to the Lord in 2 Samuel 24:24, he said, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” You might remember that in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi confronted the people for offering less valuable sacrifices to God. In Malachi 1:8, he said, “When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil?” The problem is that we don’t have anything of great value. Any sacrifice I might offer is blind, lame, or sick. None of our possessions can win acceptance by God. No matter how much we give, we will never be able to buy God’s acceptance. It’s not for sale. Only an unblemished sacrifice will prove acceptable to God as the verse closes. The “Tent of Meeting” is where people met with God and had to bring an acceptable gift to be received by God.

This is where we must understand that the burnt offering is a type of Christ and the offering he made for us. This is how the New Testament understands the burnt offerings of the Old Testament. Jude closes his short book with a beautiful truth which he commends to you and me. He says, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.” Helm captures the essence of this point when he writes, “The words ‘without blemish’ in Leviticus contain the substance of Jude’s word ‘blameless.’ In essence, Jude is saying that all those trusting in the sacrifice of Christ will become like the blameless sacrifice that secured access to the Father. We will be presented, through Christ, as acceptable in his sight!”[3] This is indeed cause for great joy! Paul agrees with Jude. He writes, in Colossians 1:22, “He (Jesus) has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him (God).” A web blogger closes his comments on this by saying, “Through Christ, you are without blemish before God. What ‘blemishes’ or mistakes do you feel crushed under when you come to God? Let them go because God sees you without blemish, thanks to Christ.”[4]

[1] Mathews, Kenneth A. 2009. Leviticus: Holy God, Holy People. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[2] Baker, David W. 1996. “Leviticus.” In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, edited by Philip W. Comfort, 2:16. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

[3] Helm, David R. 2008. 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[4] https://faithgracejesus.com/2017-06/without-blemish.html

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Exodus 1:6-7, Genesis 1:28, 9:1-3, 12:2-3

The Seed, Land, and a Blessing!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 31, 2023

The setting at the beginning of the book of Exodus shows us a very prosperous nation of Israel living in Egypt. As long as Joseph and his brother were alive the Egyptians seemed to have been favorable to them. What was more important was that God richly blessed the children of Jacob. Exodus 1:6-7 tells us, “Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong so that the land was filled with them.” These two verses connect us with three of God’s promises in Genesis. The first one is the promise to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and fill the earth and the second one is to Noah after the flood, and the third one is to Abraham and his descendants.

Back in Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” As Jacob and his family moved to Egypt during the great famine in Canaan this blessing of God continued on Jacob and his descendants. Then after the flood, in Genesis 9:1-3, “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand, they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” Then, in Genesis 12:2-3, God tells Abram to leave his home in Ur, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Jacob’s descendants now had become as God had promised was on their way to becoming a great nation. There are three things needed for a nation. The first one is fulfilled in these verses of Exodus. The Israelites had multiplied into a large population. Gingrich observes, “During the whole of their 215-years stay in Egypt, the Israelites grew from a family of 70 souls to a nation of over 2,000,000 souls.”[1] David Mescheloff, Orthodox community rabbi, Ph.D. Mathematics & Ph.D. Talmud, wrote, “The key is the Jewish traditional observation that the families averaged 6 children during that period of slavery. A high birth rate among slaves is a well-known fact, due, among other things, to the comfort from the horror of their slavery that men and women who are slaves may find in each other’s arms. In any event, just think of the number of generations in, say a 200-year period. Say eight. So, if you start from one and just take 6 to the eighth power you get almost 1,700,000. So, given that they started in Egypt at 70, there’s not the slightest difficulty in throwing in other factors that can change the size of a population to conclude that the population report in the Torah of how many Israelites were saved from their slavery in Egypt is completely reasonable.”[2] But to fulfill God’s promise of becoming a great “Nation” Israel needed a common constitution. That would be given in other parts of the Pentateuch. They also needed a common land to live in together. That would come in the book of Joshua. God promised a seed, children. A land, Israel. The blessing the Law which would be fulfilled by the Messiah to become a blessing for the whole world.

[1] Gingrich, Roy E. 2001. The Book of Exodus. Memphis, TN: Riverside Printing.

[2] https://www.quora.com/How-did-the-population-of-the-ancient-Israelites-go-from-Jacob-and-his-12-sons-and-their-families-to-over-a-million-people-by-the-time-God-freed-them-from-Egypt

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Genesis 7:2-3, Acts 10:13-15

Clean and Unclean

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 30, 2023

In Genesis chapter 7, God gives Noah instructions regarding what animals to take with him on the Ark. Verses 2, and 3 say, “Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.” He is to take seven pairs of clean animals and only one pair of each of the unclean animals. I think the idea of cleanliness in this text refers to those acceptable to God for sacrifice. The distinction between clean and unclean animals had to do with what was acceptable as a sacrifice to God and what was acceptable to eat as well. The specific dietary restrictions are laid out more specifically in the book of Leviticus. Even though God didn’t give animals as food for man until after the flood, it’s assumed that the readers already understand the difference between the two. According to one blogger, “Clean animals: land animals that chew the cud and have a divided hoof, such as cattle, deer, goats, and sheep; seafood with both fins and scales, such as bluegill, grouper, and cod; certain birds, including chickens, doves, and ducks; and even some insects, such as grasshoppers and locusts.” He continued then with the second list, “Unclean animals: land animals that either do not chew the cud or do not have a split hoof, such as pigs, dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, and rats; seafood lacking either fins or scales, such as shellfish, lobster, oysters, and catfish; some birds, such as owls, hawks, and vultures; and other animals, such as reptiles and amphibians.”

God resolved not to destroy all life on the earth but to preserve a remnant of both man and animals (as well as birds). Roop observes, “These redundant instructions preparing for the Flood serve to emphasize God’s resolve that not all life shall perish in the Flood. That same resolve becomes a hallmark of God’s relationship to the post-Flood world. Insofar as the key question of the Flood narrative is ‘can life survive God’s coming in judgment?’ the answer is clearly ‘Yes.’ God will see to it.”[1] We see in some of Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels, as well as John’s vision in the book of Revelation, that there will be another Judgment upon mankind on the earth. Will he be totally wiped out? No, there will be a remnant, and God will see to it.

The big difference between the diet of the Jews and the diets of those who occupied the land that they were preparing to enter was these very animals. Jews would not eat unclean animals. The Canaanites ate them all. The Jews would not have anything to do with people who ate those things. But the Holy Spirit, working on Peter, did away with that restriction. In Acts 10, Peter had a vision or dream about a big platter (sheet?) coming down out of heaven, and according to Acts 10:23-15, “In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’  But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.’ And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’”  Because Noah brought with him a pair, male and female, of unclean animals with him on the Ark as God directed, is the reason we can have shrimp today. I’m glad!

[1] Roop, Eugene F. 1987. Genesis. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.

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Revelation 1:1, Various

John’s Angel

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 29, 2023

During John’s Revelation, we are introduced to an angel. The final sentence of verse 1 of Chapter one says, “He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.” It’s interesting because an angel is also said to have been the mediator of the books of Moses. In Acts 7:38, we read that when Steven speaks about Moses, he says, “This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.” Then in verse 53 of the same chapter of Acts, Steven accuses the Jewish leaders of the murder of Jesus even though Moses prophesied about the coming of a prophet who would be greater than himself. He includes the comment that the Jews who received the law through Moses “received the law as delivered by angels” and yet did not keep it. Then the writer of Hebrews also speaks of “the word spoken by angels” regarding the coming of the Son of God. The angel who speaks to John and gives him this fantastic Revelation is never identified. The Old Testament angels are not identified either. The only thing we know of John’s angel is that he was one of the seven angels to pour out the bowls of God’s wrath on the earth, which is recorded in the later chapters of John’s Revelations. We never learn which one of the seven this angel is. This angel remains a mystery for us, and we don’t hear much about him until the last chapter. In Revelation 22:6, John says, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

The big question regarding this issue is “mediation.” Some will argue that God gave the Law directly to Moses without a mediator. Several places in the Old Testament either say that or imply it. In Deuteronomy 33, they argue that God came “accompanied” by his saints to bring the Law to Moses. Yet the Hebrew phrase “Holy Ones” might mean angels as well as saints. It’s interesting also to notice that the Septuagint, the Greek Translation of the Old Testament, actually used the word “angels” in the text of Deuteronomy 33. Putting all the passages regarding mediation together in the Bible, there appear to be several levels of mediation. First, the angels mediated between God and Moses. Then Moses mediated between the angels and the Israelites. Although there seems to be clear evidence of God’s mediation through angels at times, we must not forget that salvation is not one of the things they can mediate. Paul tells Timothy, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” We don’t need to believe in angels to be saved. We need to believe only in Jesus, who has mediated God’s love and offered salvation to us all through his death and resurrection. Yet, we cannot miss the fact that God might mediate the truth of Christ’s actions on our behalf through mediators. He even uses preachers and other Christians today to bring us the truth of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, angels may still be at work somehow today.

I like how Michaels finishes his commentary on this passage. He writes, “Angels are not a familiar part of our world today, even among devout Christians. When I was in college, a friend from high school then studying for the Russian Orthodox priesthood asked me if I believed in angels. Being a new Christian, I said I did, not because I had given the matter much thought but because I felt this was the proper answer. My friend was surprised at my reply, telling me that he had never before met a Protestant who believed in angels. The fact is, however, that we cannot make much sense of the book of Revelation without believing in angels, or if we cannot quite bring ourselves to believe, we must at least make a conscious effort to suspend our disbelief in order to participate fully in the story.”[1]

[1] Michaels, J. Ramsey. 1997. Revelation. Vol. 20. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

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Jude 1:2, Hebrews 4;16, Romans 15:13

Mercy, Peace, and Love!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 28, 2023

Whereas most of the epistles seem to have the greeting of grace, and peace, and sometimes Paul or Peter adds mercy to make it a threefold greeting, Jude changes the greeting in his letter to include love instead of grace.  Jude 1:2 says, “May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Ed Pentecost observed, “The divine provisions of mercy, peace, and love included in Jude’s greeting are needed by Christians living in the licentious atmosphere of apostate teaching. God’s mercy can sustain them in times of difficulty.” Ed then uses Hebrews 4:16 as his reference. According to this passage, we can see that God’s grace is intimately associated with God’s mercy. It says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” When Jude uses mercy, he automatically implies grace. Then Ed continues his comments on verse 2 of Jude and says, “His peace can give a subtle calmness when evil abounds.” He then refers to Romans 15:13 which says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Now we’ve added “hope” to our equation. It seems that all the good things of life are commended to Christians by the writers of these letters. Finally, Ed reaches the third greeting of “love” and says, “His love can protect and assure believers in the face of peril.”[1] Even when things look bad in life we can feel that God’s love for us will carry us through any trial. So, it’s mercy, peace, love, faith, hope, joy, and the certainty of God’s grace that carry us all through the valley of the shadow of death and will present us blameless before the throne at the time of judgment. Just believing in the truth of these things can comfort the grieving heart.

In the early years of the church, there were many false teachers. They would argue against mercy, peace, and love in favor of judgment, unrest, and retaliation. Judgment in place of mercy. Unrest and stress in the place of peace. The law of lex-talionis in place of love. You get what you deserve in life. This is the call of the legalists in Jude’s day and our day as well. They want us to see ourselves as the Pharisees saw themselves. They paid the tithe of all their income. They observed every feast day and sabbath celebration. They fasted a couple of times a week and therefore their good work should foster a sense of pride and self-satisfaction. God would therefore owe them something. But as for me, it doesn’t matter how many religious things I do, I can’t escape the reality of my sinful nature. I don’t deserve anything from God. I’ve been watching the ads on TV that call for those on social security to call a particular 800 number to make sure they are getting all they deserve. Honestly, I don’t want what I deserve. Almost everything in my life is the result of mercy, grace, and love. I don’t want to pursue what I deserve.

Those that promote such ideas know nothing of God’s grace, mercy, and peace, not to mention God’s love. Their entire focus is on what we must do. Be good! Don’t think bad thoughts! Give to the poor! Go to church! Talk about God! The true focus that will bring mercy, peace, and love is Jesus. He calls us to come to Him and this life of stress and living up to the expectation of others trying harder and doing more will melt away in God’s peace. “Come to me” Jesus calls, “and I will give you rest.” Pentecost continues with some final comments on this verse, “The nature of the salutation reflects the writer’s attitude. Jude’s choice of words introduces his deep-seated compassion and heartfelt concern for his readers. He longed for them to know in the fullest measure God’s “mercy, peace, and love.” Jude overflowed with love for the believers while warning them about those who were making their way into the church to destroy it, those who knew nothing of God’s mercy, peace, or love.”

[1] Pentecost, Edward C. 1985. “Jude.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 2:919. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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3 John 1:3-4, John 14:6

What is Truth?

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 27, 2023

 It’s all about “truth.” John is writing to those who have it, those who are walking in it, and his joy in hearing about it all. 3 John 1:3-4 says, “For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” John is really interested in the concept of “truth.” On his “Grace to You” website, John MacArthur talks about truth. He says, “Ask anyone today, ‘What is truth?’ and you’re sure to start an interesting conversation. Try it on a university campus and you’re likely to receive laughter, scorn, and derision. The concept of truth has clearly fallen on hard times, and the consequences of rejecting it are ravaging human society. So let’s go back to the starting point and answer the question: What is truth? One of the most profound and eternally significant questions in the Bible was posed by an unbeliever. Pilate—the man who handed Jesus over to be crucified—turned to Jesus in His final hour, and asked, ‘What is truth?’ It was a rhetorical question, a cynical response to what Jesus had just revealed: ‘I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.’ Two thousand years later, the whole world breathes Pilate’s cynicism. Some say truth is a power play, a metanarrative constructed by the elite for the purpose of controlling the ignorant masses. To some, truth is subjective, the individual world of preference and opinion. Others believe truth is a collective judgment, the product of cultural consensus, and still, others flatly deny the concept of truth altogether.”[1]

Well, what is truth? Truth is not pragmatism. Whatever works is true. It’s not whatever is understandable. People can manufacture lies that people can understand. It’s not what makes people feel good. In fact, sometimes the truth does just the opposite. It’s not what the majority of people say is right. History is full of examples where the majority was wrong. “The Greek word for ‘truth’ is aletheia, which literally means to ‘un-hide’ or ‘hiding nothing.’ It conveys the thought that truth is always there, always open and available for all to see, with nothing being hidden or obscured. The Hebrew word for ‘truth’ is emeth, which means ‘firmness,’ ‘constancy’ and ‘duration.’ Such a definition implies an everlasting substance and something that can be relied upon.”[2] To me, and many other simple-minded people, truth is something that is in accord with reality.

Just before He stood before Pilate to be judged, Jesus told His disciples, “I am the truth.” What an incredible statement. Can a person be “the truth?” He could if He was indeed whom He claimed to be. He was to whom all judgment had been entrusted. While looking out over the Grand Canyon a man said, “I don’t like this ditch at all.” The guide answered, “the Grand Canyon is not on trial. You are.” Pilate and the Jewish religious leaders who brought dozens of lies and false charges against Jesus thought they were judging Him. In reality, Jesus was judging them. “Pilate evidently never came to a knowledge of the truth. Eusebius, the historian and Bishop of Caesarea, records the fact that Pilate ultimately committed suicide sometime during the reign of the emperor Caligula—a sad ending and a reminder for everyone that ignoring the truth always leads to undesired consequences.”

[1] https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A379/what-is-truth

[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-truth.html

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2 John 1:2-3, 1 John 4:7-98

Grace, Mercy, Peace, Love and Truth

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 26, 2023

There has been much discussion on whether John is writing to a particular person or to a local church in his 2nd epistle. He begins by talking about his love for them and then adds that he is not alone in his love for them. “This love is shared by ‘all who know the truth’ (πάντες οἱ ἐγνωκότες τὴν ἀλήθειαν); and such an assertion is a further indication that the elder is here addressing a church, and not an individual.”[1] The truth John is writing about is one that abides in both John and his readers and will remain with “us” he says forever. 2 John 1:2-3 says that his love for them is “Because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:  Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.”

Grace, mercy, and peace all come from God and Jesus. We experience them from God in “truth and in love.” These two concepts: truth and love are essential in any truly loving relationship. Tim Keller wrote, “Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it.”[2] The mood in our secular world reverses the truth in a way to demean the value of truth. In 1 John 4:7-8, we read, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Yes, God is love, but love is not God. The tendency today is to love everyone at all times with no concern for the truth. We need both to build and affirm healthy relationships.

This is not easy to do in our society. It’s easy for us to be truthful and loving with those close to us and those who agree with us. It’s more difficult to hold on to love amid strong controversy. I’m always leaning toward one and away from the other. It’s extremely difficult to keep them in balance. This is especially true in our sexually permissive culture. A Focus on the family article added, “People of faith too often default to one of the polar extremes: downplaying unpopular teachings of Scripture to avoid offence (love without truth) or else doubling down on their convictions with little regard for the feelings of others (truth without love).” Grace and peace are two commendations that most of the writers of the New Testament epistles send to their readers. In Paul’s letters, he adds a third one when he writes to Timothy. That is “mercy.” John includes that third blessing of mercy also in his 2nd epistle. God’s grace comes to us when we confess the truth of our sinfulness. Sin is living a life contrary to God’s revealed truth. We can only receive Grace from God when we acknowledge sin. Mercy comes from God once we acknowledge our sins and accept our need for God’s grace. He forgives us and doesn’t give us what we deserve. That’s mercy. Peace then will follow. When we acknowledge sin and turn to Christ we get Grace. When we confess, we get mercy in that God does not give us what we deserve. Peace with God follows.

[1] Smalley, Stephen S. 1984. 1, 2, 3 John. Vol. 51. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

[2] https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/truth-and-love-in-complex-times

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