The "Doing" Part: I John 2-3

Originally posted Thursday, January 7, 2010

So here we are - the final year of my decade-long personal Bible journal. The first several years are saved in a hard drive somewhere. In fact, I believe the hard drive that stores them, has been removed and is put away somewhere.

In September of 2001, I ended up missing several weeks of journaling. The 911 attack changed a lot of routines.

When I went through divorce, and entered grad school, I got behind, many times. But in the summer of 2006 I used my spare time to get caught up.

In today's passage, we read a lot about behaving as Christ followers. John says that if we claim to be Christians, we must act like it. If you have faith, it will show! And yet we are not saved by works! No, this is not talking about that!

A works-based religion deals in ritual, brick-and-mortar buildings, observing seasons, festivals, and holy days.

But if you love others as Christ does, you are not building your salvation on works! If you are in the light, you will show forth the light. You will love others! You will have the right attitude, and it will be evident to others!

Everyone born of God keeps from doing wrong.

Notice that John does not mention our thoughts! I believe that the Christian always struggles with temptation, evil thoughts, hateful musings . . .

But we master our minds by doing what's right, anyway! We train our thoughts, and hearts, by insisting that we love others, by practicing love and showing it forth; by being loving and being a light to the world, no matter how we feel about it!

So, the "doing" that John mentions; the avoiding wrong that is mandatory for Christians, has nothing to do with "works."

If you are in Christ, you will love others. And if you love others, it will totally be manifest in behaviors that are not wrong, at all!