The Knowing Christ Factor
Dr. Jerry Branch
1 John 2:3-6
1 John 2:3-6 (ESV)
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says ''I know him'' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
A lot of people in America say that they are Christians...
in fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 70% of all Americans identify themselves as Christians.
I found it interesting that although their grouping as Christian includes not only Catholic and Protestant, it also included Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses...yet those two amount to just 1.3% of the 70%.
But when hearing statistics like that, don't you sort of wonder why it is that we don't see more Christ-like influence and actions in American? Because it seems to me that if almost 70% of American is Christian as this poll suggests, then why do we not see more people acting like Christians? Not to mention, there wouldn't be enough church buildings to house that many people going to worship on Sundays. Just saying...
I strongly suspect that Just maybe the percentages would change IF the pollsters used the 'definition' that John gives here in the passage we're looking at today.
So, today, as we continue to go through 1 John, as I read this passage over, and thought about it quite a bit, and asked myself, what can we learn from it, I came to the conclusion that this passage is good for all of us who call ourselves Christians...
But not so that we can go and nit-pick ourselves nor others, but instead, I believe this passage is a very good passage that gives all of us some solid Biblical instruction...instruction that will help us take a good look at our own lives and check ourselves out to see how well we are matching up with God ...
Dr. Jerry Branch
1 John 2:3-6
1 John 2:3-6 (ESV)
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says ''I know him'' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
A lot of people in America say that they are Christians...
in fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 70% of all Americans identify themselves as Christians.
I found it interesting that although their grouping as Christian includes not only Catholic and Protestant, it also included Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses...yet those two amount to just 1.3% of the 70%.
But when hearing statistics like that, don't you sort of wonder why it is that we don't see more Christ-like influence and actions in American? Because it seems to me that if almost 70% of American is Christian as this poll suggests, then why do we not see more people acting like Christians? Not to mention, there wouldn't be enough church buildings to house that many people going to worship on Sundays. Just saying...
I strongly suspect that Just maybe the percentages would change IF the pollsters used the 'definition' that John gives here in the passage we're looking at today.
So, today, as we continue to go through 1 John, as I read this passage over, and thought about it quite a bit, and asked myself, what can we learn from it, I came to the conclusion that this passage is good for all of us who call ourselves Christians...
But not so that we can go and nit-pick ourselves nor others, but instead, I believe this passage is a very good passage that gives all of us some solid Biblical instruction...instruction that will help us take a good look at our own lives and check ourselves out to see how well we are matching up with God ...
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