Living in harmony with Jesus Christ,in the light of his love,is the foundation for living together in harmony for human beings. The church,when it is faithful,models and spreads that quality of flourishing. That’s what we explore this week in our reading and reflecting on this text. Please join the conversation with your comments. And join us on Friday evening at 5:30PM for Bible study and on Sunday morning at 9:45AM for worship to continue the conversation.
1 1 We write to you about the Word of life,which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it,and we have seen it with our eyes;yes,we have seen it,and our hands have touched it. 2 When this life became visible,we saw it;so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us. 3 What we have seen and heard we announce to you also,so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 We write this in order that our joy may be complete.
5 Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this:God is light,and there is no darkness at all in him. 6 If,then,we say that we have fellowship with him,yet at the same time live in the darkness,we are lying both in our words and in our actions. 7 But if we live in the light—just as he is in the light—then we have fellowship with one another,and the blood of Jesus,his Son,purifies us from every sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin,we deceive ourselves,and there is no truth in us. 9 But if we confess our sins to God,he will keep his promise and do what is right:he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. 10 If we say that we have not sinned,we make a liar out of God,and his word is not in us.
2 1 I am writing this to you,my children,so that you will not sin;but if anyone does sin,we have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf—Jesus Christ,the righteous one. 2 And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven,and not our sins only,but also the sins of everyone.
Living together and seeking the harmony that we see in the Holy Trinity brings joy. It’s the true source of joy. The mutual affection,care,and understanding that Father,Son,and Holy Spirit enjoy in their relationship is the model for all human communities,particularly the church. This harmony is both a gift to receive and a goal to seek. We can manage,with the guidance of the Holy Spirit,our attitudes and behaviours to build harmony that honours all voices and seeks the best alignment of our talents in the service of the Commonwealth of God. When we fail to contribute to harmony,when we interfer with harmony,we are invited to confess,repent,and move on to live more fully in the light of God’s love in Jesus Christ. Harmony does not mean not have arguments. It does mean having and resolving arguments that are concerned with the best ways of serving the Commonwealth of God.
A simple and intelilegnt point,well made. Thanks!