As John closes out his first letter, he wants to drive home just a few things. First, loving connection to Jesus Christ is the foundation that everything else rests on. Second, overflowing from that relationship, we are called to be a blessing to the world in a way that overcomes the challenges, struggles and burdens that life sends our way.
As we continue to look at what life together as Christians looks like, we lean into the posture of our hearts. What we say, how we say it, and what is behind our actions can be just as important as what we say and do. Jesus describes it by saying the words of our mouth is the overflow of our hearts. What is overflowing from your heart?
Jesus says that all who believe in Him are a new creation. 1 John 3 wades into what new that Jesus is talking about in our lives. 1 John invites us into a life long process of growing in our faith and in the likeness of our lives to Christ.
Somedays life is just hard. The believers hearing 1 John were given a reminder that their faith in Jesus is meant to be a foundation that they can lean on, trust in, and stand on no matter what life sends their way. That learning about Jesus and growing in their faith is wonderful and central, but not to fall into a trap of thinking that their faith rests in their head, but instead rests in the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.