THE TEACHING OF ETERNAL LIFE
Shalom,
Today we are going to study one of the books
written by the Apostle John, the author of the Gospel of John and the book of
Revelation. What message did he deliver? 1 John 1: 1-2 write, "What has been from the beginning that we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have witnessed and which
we have touched with our hands concerning the Word of life (logos) - that is
what we write it to you. The life (zoe) has already been revealed and we have
seen it and now we bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life (zoe) that is with the father and has been revealed to us. "
The writing style of the Apostle John above looks
the same as the way he wrote in the Gospel of John 1: 1 which states, "In
the beginning was the Word (logos); The Word (logos) is with God and the Word is
God. "
If we take a closer look at the original language (Greek),
we will find two Greek words meaning 'life.' Each has a distinctively different
nuance of meaning. What is the difference?
·Life (bios) written in Mark
12: 44; 2 Timothy 2: 4 and Luke 15:12 concerns livelihood, daily living and
wealth.
·Life (zoe) written in
John 3:16; Matthew 19:16 and 1 John 1: 2 deals with eternal life and fellowship
with the Father.
In the New Testament (in the original language), the word 'bios' is only mentioned 10 times while the word 'zoe' is
recorded 135 times.
This means that the Bible emphasizes 'eternal life' more than 'making a living, wealth, and everyday life'. Remember, Jesus came into the world on a rescue mission with an eye to eternal life instead of focusing on blessings in the form of physical wealth.
This means that the Bible emphasizes 'eternal life' more than 'making a living, wealth, and everyday life'. Remember, Jesus came into the world on a rescue mission with an eye to eternal life instead of focusing on blessings in the form of physical wealth.
The Apostle John claims that eternal
life (zoe) has been revealed to him. Speaking of eternal life (zoe), he wants
to share with and remind us at the same time that we must know that God is
light and that in Him there is absolutely no darkness (1 John 1: 5).
What is the requirement for eternal life (zoe)?
Ø
Gaining a fellowship with the Lord (1 John 1: 3, 6a)
For that matter, we do not live in darkness (v. 6b); if we live in darkness, we are actually liars
even though we claim we have communion with Him. What is living in darkness all
about? If there is hatred for your brother (1 John 2: 9).
Be vigilant since hatred rises contention but love covers all transgressions (Proverbs 10:12). It is further said that a man who hates his brother is a murderer, and he has no eternal life (zoe). We know that Satan is the murderer of men and the father of lies (John 8:44). Therefore let us love not in word but in deed and in truth (1 John 3: 15,18).
Be vigilant since hatred rises contention but love covers all transgressions (Proverbs 10:12). It is further said that a man who hates his brother is a murderer, and he has no eternal life (zoe). We know that Satan is the murderer of men and the father of lies (John 8:44). Therefore let us love not in word but in deed and in truth (1 John 3: 15,18).
How to get rid of hatred as the darkness of sin that covers our hearts?
Through the purification by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1: 7). If our fellowship
with God in the light goes well, hatred will gradually disappear.
Learning point: Spare no room in your heart for hatred toward your spouse, parents and fellow workers in God’s
service, etc.! Hostile attitude can be
expressed in various ways. Some do it right away with their sharp hurting words
but others know how to hide it behind their smiles. No one, not even our
beloved one, knows our hearts but God (Luke 5:22) and we ourselves.
Ø
Attaining the right and true knowledge of the Lord (1
John 2: 3-5)
How? By obeying His commands, God's love
will be perfected in us. In fact, God' forgiving love in us enables us to forgive
those who wrong us and this does not make sense to men.
Specifically, the Word of God
is addressed to those who have known Him and who have defeated the evil because
the Word of God dwells in them (1 John 2: 12-14).
The Word of God firmly reminds us not to love the world for all things in it such as the flesh desires, the lust of the eyes and
the pride of life (bios) are all passing away (vv.15-17). The translations of BIS and Interlinear write, "Everything
in this world that is desired by the sinful nature of man, seen and coveted
from his wealth is things not of the Father, but of the world." (v. 16)
Undeniably, we still live in the world and need to buy and enjoy one thing or another. But what the Word of God means is that our sanctified attitude, instead of our sinful nature, should control our desires.
For example: When shopping in the Mall, do we shop like the unbelievers who go on a shopping spree just to satisfy the desires of the eyes? God is not against the rich but we should be careful with the way we manage our material blessings, because we came naked into this world and we will 'leave' this world without holding anything in our hands (Ecclesiastes 5:14).
And how about the way men look at women? The Bible reminds us that every man who looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).
For example: When shopping in the Mall, do we shop like the unbelievers who go on a shopping spree just to satisfy the desires of the eyes? God is not against the rich but we should be careful with the way we manage our material blessings, because we came naked into this world and we will 'leave' this world without holding anything in our hands (Ecclesiastes 5:14).
And how about the way men look at women? The Bible reminds us that every man who looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).
Learning point: Do not nurture in mind and heart the love for the world and everything in it.
Ø
Obtaining hope for the Lord (1 John
3: 2-3)
Those who hope for Him will purify
themselves as He is holy. And everyone who remains in Him does not sin anymore
(v. 6), meaning that everyone who lives in and becomes one with Christ does not continue to sin because whoever continues to
sin comes from the devil who has been sinning from the
beginning (v. 8).
What are the criteria of sin? Sin is the
transgression of God's law (v. 4b). Be alert because continuous sinful deeds gradually increase in intensity, transforming people into antichrists
who deny the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22). God forbid that we should not belong to them (1 John 2: 18-19)!
Learning point: Do not give room to ongoing sinful practices.
Through the preaching of the Word of God,
we understand the differences in everyday life when it comes to
earning a living (bios) and eternal life (zoe) that we must single-mindedly pursue.
For that reason, we must leave the darkness packed with hatred. That way, we can have a fellowship with God and do His commands. By not loving the world and everything in it, we will know Him more deeply. We can put our hope in Him if we sanctify ourselves and quit sinning. Then the guarantee of eternal life is within our grasps. Amen.
For that reason, we must leave the darkness packed with hatred. That way, we can have a fellowship with God and do His commands. By not loving the world and everything in it, we will know Him more deeply. We can put our hope in Him if we sanctify ourselves and quit sinning. Then the guarantee of eternal life is within our grasps. Amen.
By Lay Pastor Setio Dharma Kusuma
Lemah Putro, Sunday, October 23, 2017
0 Response to "THE TEACHING OF ETERNAL LIFE"
Post a Comment