Today is the last day of the Christmas break, and tomorrow I am back at work. However, while most of NZ is asleep… Christchurch is not, because they are still cleaning up. Before Christmas I was finding that the readings were concentrating on Jesus acts of salvation. But today we move to something that is a little more difficult, and one of the reasons that at times the reformed get wrong.
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
I John can drive you crazy. You are aware that you fail. Daily. Yet we are told that we have the power to keep his commandments. It does not make sense.
The confessing churches talk about the power of the spirit to keep us from error, and the need for ongoing reflection, repentence and renewal — by rituals of confession — by corporate prayers of confession. We are encouraged to pray like this daily.
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
In our struggles there is righteousness found. There is no point where we are perfect in this life.
Yet John says we can conquer the world. Some take this to mean that we can acheive perfection. I see this as an error — from the Cathars and the Gnostics to the Holiness movement — and a move away from our need to reform and renew. For when we confess our faith, we also confess our unworthiness, our imperfection, our ugliness… and mourn what we have lost and what we will only regain in Christ.