Couldn’t help but share this given that we’re reading 1 John this week. Enjoy. (With a special tip of the hat to my small group.)
Our Stunning Ability for Self-Deception
Our focus passage this week was a shorter selection with only a handful of verses from the end of chapter one. But in those few verses we see what I believe is a progression of deceit.
In the context of our sinfulness and subsequent confession, John looks at three lies and their implications.
Verse 6
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Verse 8
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Verse 10
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
The first is an example of someone who is sinning yet claiming such sinful behavior is good. They walk in the darkness, but call the darkness light. In a somewhat similar vein the second example is an equally foolish position, claiming to have no sin. Since all of us have sinned and no one is righteous, the only way to claim to have no sin is to again call good what is truly evil. The third example again claims that we have no sin, and this gets to the implication that if we have no sin, we need to savior. If we have no need for Christ then we have made him and God out to be liars.
I don’t think John is going through an abstract hypothetical here. I think he brings these points up because he has come up against similar claims. So he lays it out plainly, showing the reader the ability sinful humanity has for deception. In verse six “we lie”, verse eight “we deceive ourselves”, and in verse ten we go so far as to “make him a liar.” We lie to others, lie to ourselves, and portray God as a liar.
The second one really struck me when I studied this before. Our lies will carry us to the point of even lying to ourselves. One translation renders it that “we fool ourselves” and another that “we lead ourselves astray.” We repeat a lie so often that we begin to take it as truth. What an indication of the effects of sin in our own lives and our inability to judge what is right. We can fooled with no one to thank but ourself. It is one thing for someone else to try to deceive us, but we easily go along with our own lies.
Really think about that phrase: deceive ourselves. What is key to being able to deceive someone else? You know something that they do not. You are aware of the lie, but they are ignorant. If the other person knows the lie, your chance to deceive vanishes. So how in the world could we play both parts? How can we taken in by deceit in such a way!? How can I both know the lie and believe it? But again, I think this is revealing of our fallen nature and how we are in such dire straits thanks to sin. We are enticed to believe just what we want to believe and in pursuit of that, we’ll swallow just about anything.
Perhaps this could get too detached from reality, but John gives us great examples. If not self-deception what is it when we claim to be in the light or to love God yet we hate our brother? (1 John 2:9 and 1 John 4:20) To love God is to love our neighbor and follow his commands, so how can we claim to be loving him and following him while at the same time hating the ones he came to save?
Let’s not let that last question be rhetorical. How? Because we feed ourselves lies. We deceive ourselves into thinking we can do whatever it is we’d like to do. We believe all that we do is good, and even the sin we commit is thought of as walking in the light.
We need to be reminded by books like 1 John of what is true. We need to be reminded of what is in the light and not to do so by following some inner light found within me. To seek truth and not some knock-off, second rate, unsatisfying counterfeit, we need to steep ourselves in the Bible, surround ourselves with wise sisters and brothers, and desperately and humbly seek God in prayer. If we acknowledge that we, like anyone else, can fall victim to such self-destructive self-deception, then we know we need others. I can’t do this on my own, and left to my own devices I’ll be so much more likely to weave my own truth. I need and we all need to submit ourselves to God’s Word, and seek to test ourselves according to it.
What Kind of Love the Father has Lavished Upon Us
1 John is a book that hits on a number of topics, but love sure is one of them. It could be tempting by the time you reach chapter three to just gloss over all this love talk. But if you do you’d miss a beautiful line of Scripture. I actually like the sound of the NIV so I’ll quote from there:
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
Our understanding of love is defined in many ways through passages in this book as we’re told what love has done, who has loved first, what love should look like now, and so on. But this line has such simplicity and profundity. God’s love for us is visible in the fact that he would call us his very own children. The Christian understanding of how we relate to God is amazing in that fact. There is not some distant God who cares little for the affairs of this tiny world. We do not have a God who tolerates us because of what we do for it. Our God loved us before we ever could and calls us his children. We are no long slaves to sin and bound to death, rather we are rescued from that peril and are God’s sons and daughters.
We are not merely saved from sin then left in a position always needing to please a capricious God who could easily reverse his judgment. No we are saved from sin and saved for God himself. He is faithful to his promises and has adopted us as his children, an action that cannot then be undone. What love God has truly lavished upon us that we are his own, and how overwhelming it is when we fix our mind upon the fact that we are his beloved.
A Letter on Love: Welcome to 1 John
We have now finished our history blitz, at least according to the calendar. Some of you now find yourself wondering what to do with a mere five chapters to read this whole week. Not long ago, if you divided it evenly for each day, we were reading six chapters per day. Others have no idea who these over-achievers are that I’m talking about and are looking forward to this week being when you finish out 2 Chronicles. That is a good plan, too.
Either way, don’t forget we are in a different genre with 1 John. Take your time. Ask yourself what issues may have been present that caused John to write on these specific topics. If you only have 1 John to read this week, try reading it once through in a sitting and the again slowly. See if that helps you to get a sense of the larger message. There is plenty packed in this short book–we spent almost a whole year studying it not that long ago!
Maintenance for Focus Passage
I tried to upload this week’s focus passage in a different way this week since I was away from my computer, and I thought I had succeeded. I even bragged to my wife that it was complicated, but I figured it out.
Well, I spoke too soon. I’ve heard of some problems so I have gotten to a computer and fixed the issue. (Or at least I think I really have this time!) Sorry for any inconveniences.
To make it all the easier, here’s the link:
The Reception of What Should Be Good News
In 2 Chronicle 30 Hezekiah delivers a word to all of Judah and Israel, calling the people to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. Right worship has fallen by the wayside and when he begins his rule he makes it first order to restore the temple. But what we see in the chapter is another reminder about the way that those who follow God are received. I mentioned this earlier in a post on 1 Corinthians, but I think we should be reminded and then prepare ourselves for how people will see us.
Hezekiah sends out a message and in verse 10 it says the people laughed, scorn, and mock the messengers. They do not disagree or disregard. No simple “no thank you.” Instead mockery. How do you handle condescension? Do you react well when someone thinks so little of your belief that they do not deem it worthy of reply, but just laugh you off? Hezekiah was in the right and was doing what was good and he faces scorn. Are we ready for such a reaction?
There is great blessing for those who follow Christ, but we ought to build up resolve and find courage and conviction because Christ told us that in this world there will be suffering. But the one we serve also tells us that he has overcome the world.
For what and to whom we are Thankful
As tradition would have it, today we spend time thinking about what we’re thankful for. We probably could use a bit more thinking about to whom we are thankful. But to get back to first question, I have an answer inspired our readings.
Both Kings and Chronicles include a story when the people find the law of God that had been lost. Can you imagine what we would do today if our Bible either didn’t exist or had been lost generations ago? We have such a source for thanksgiving bound in this book that we take for granted. We have good news to share. We have reason for hope. We read of our past and our future.
We may not read it as we should, but even for those who never read it, there are few who have not experienced the effects of the Bible in their own lives. God could have left us with a lot of questions, but he has blessed us with knowledge of himself, especially revealed in the witness of Jesus Christ. For this I am thankful.
Looking ahead to our goal, especially in tough times
How is it finishing our History Blitz? So far it is hard.
I have driven halfway down the east coast which hasn’t afforded me much reading time, and when I have had the chance, other things have come up. I’ve seen grandparents and visited quite a bit with them and of course I wouldn’t want to limit that time that is increasingly rare to go off and read. My kids have been sick, which is just another drain on time and energy.
I have excuses. But, I have had chances before bed and didn’t have my priorities then. When my wife took some turns to drive, I could’ve then, too. I have excuses, but they are not quite good enough. Perhaps I don’t have the same time I do other weeks, but there is still time, nonetheless. This is no easy task, but few things of great worth often are.
It is hard, but I am excited to keep working hard reading and spending time with God in his word. I am looking ahead toward the goal of having all of the Bible read by the end of the year. It is especially especially in challenging times that I need to be reminded of the “why” and keep focused on our purpose. We know God will bless us through the reading of his word and we will be all the more equipped to follow him and serve his will in the world.
Year in the Bible 