Tuesday August 6, 2024
Passing the Test
By Jenny Pfister and Betsy Leigh
In one of my college classes, a professor came into the classroom, denying that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh. He believed in a god that sounded much like my God. The “feel good” doctrine of this teacher was just close enough to the “abundant life” doctrine of Jesus. By the end of the semester, he had many doubting everything they had known to be true. In what seemed like a flash, the gospel truth had been put to the test and most of the class had failed. This was a New Testament class and the Christian professor had purposely proven a valuable point.
The Christian community of the early church was much like that classroom of students—it was in danger of succumbing to false teachings concerning the cornerstone doctrine of Jesus Christ, as well as the doctrines of sin and redemption. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, John responded with a resounding assertion of assurance for believers.
The first epistle of John challenges Christians today in several areas of our faith. Let us see if we can pass these tests:
(1 Jn. 1:1-2:6) The test of FELLOWSHIP—Are we choosing to fellowship with Godly encouragers or are we in relationship with the world? Are we surrounding ourselves with righteous brothers and sisters? With whom do we have the most in common?
(1 Jn. 2:7-17) The test of SEPARATION—Have we separated ourselves out from the world? Do we look more like Christ or more like the world? Do we really know that love for the world is incompatible with love for God? To whom am I conformed?
(1 Jn. 2:18-28) The test of TRUTH—Have we equipped ourselves with the Word of God? Are we prepared for the bombardment of the enemy? Is there enough Holy Spirit in us to counteract the deception in the world?
(1 Jn. 2:29-3:12) The test of RIGHTEOUSNESS—-Are we living a righteous life, doing what is right even when it is difficult? Do we keep ourselves pure and abstain from sinning? Do we love others? (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of righteous)
(1 Jn. 3:13-18) The test of LOVE—Are we buying the world’s idea of love? Or are we allowing God’s love to permeate our whole being, demonstrating that love for all?
(1 Jn. 3:19-24) The test of OBEDIENCE—Are we submitted to the Voice of God? Which voice is our master . . . God’s, the enemy’s, or our own?
(1 Jn. 4:1-21) The test of FEAR—Do we have a rightful, awesome reverence for the things of God? Or do we trample underfoot the holy and sacred things of our King?
(1 Jn. 5:1-12) The test of FAITH—Are we faithful as to not abandon our faith in the invisible for that which we can see and touch? Do we believe?
These eight tests have touched every aspect of our lives . . . our God, our families, our peers, our church, our world, and ourselves. Who we are, what we believe, and why we believe were all put to a rigorous series of examinations. And like the Christian community of 1 John, we may have failed some of the tests. But that is not defeat!
You see, John concludes the letter with this powerful truth: We possess eternal life with God. And in that life lies the power, and the promise, and the Person of God. The answer to every question in every test is Jesus . . . and with that, we can never fail.