Covenant Grove Daily Devotionals

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So dont be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers dont have eternal life within them. We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassionhow can Gods love be in that person? Dear children, lets not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we dont feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey Gods commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Dear children, lets not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. (I John 3:18)Love is the message of our faith: Christ died to set us free from everlasting death so we could live everlasting life with Him! Because the life of Jesus now flows through us, we are free to love each other, not as the world loves but as Christ loves sacrificially. John says words are not enough; Christlike love demands action. If we see a brother or sister in need yet close our hearts and have no compassion, how can the love of God remain in us (17)? This is why the Acts 2 church flourished, physical, and spiritual needs were met.Loving each other as Christ loves us is terribly inconvenient, messy and a little emotional. It makes us want to look for new emojis. Yet John says when we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, it proves that we have passed from death to life (14). When we can love each other like Christ loves us, then and only then, can we truly live the abundant life Jesus died to give us.

Whatever is suppressing His love in your life, name it, confess it and be FREE! How can you start loving others unconditionally as Christ loves you? Describe a time when you experienced life-giving love that changed you.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world dont recognize that we are Gods children because they dont know him. Dear friends, we are already Gods children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking Gods law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. Dear children, dont let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into Gods family do not make a practice of sinning, because Gods life is in them. So they cant keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world dont recognize that we are Gods children because they dont know Him. (I John 3:1)Through Gods amazing love and Jesus sacrifice, you are Gods child, the receiver and heir of an incredible vault of love that will never be depleted. In your willingness to accept His grace in exchange for your sin, you were born into His family with all the privileges of being His child. With the power of His Spirit residing within, you have power over sin, and power over the false accuser, Satan.

This truth enables us to avoid lies of discouragement and to STAND STRONG. But dont be surprised when co-workers, neighbors or friends question your faith, or create drama because of their decisions. If Jesus has not softened their heart, they dont understand His ways. Keep praying and sowing seeds of kindness, grace, and love.

In what specific area is the Spirit asking you to amp your prayer life? What parts of your life have you experienced victory over sin?

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you dont know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesnt have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you dont need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is trueit is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are Gods children.‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

V. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.To whom or to what are you loyal? Sometimes our thought patterns reveal loyalty to achieving success, such as: more money, influence, popularity, career growth, health, prosperity, and talent.

Many things contend for our loyalty which begins with our minds. What John is saying about the world (v. 15) is that anything that leads us away from the Father needs to be replaced by the love of Jesus. As His followers, we have been anointed by the Holy Spirit (v. 27), God Himself. Our loyalty needs to remain to Him. How do we do this?Remain in Him. (v. 27) Be loyal to God by having Him be the main topic of your thoughts. Remain in Him through prayer, speaking and listening. When negative thoughts arise, remain in Him. When tempted to stray or entertain a thought from the pattern of unholy thinking, remain in Him. Another way to remain, keep Gods promises in the forefront of your mind: you are loved more than the sparrow (Matthew 10:29-30); God is with you always and will give you strength (Isaiah 41:10); Christs perfect sacrifice covers all your sin (1 John 1:9); you will live with God forever because you believe in Him (John 3:16). With God as your constant companion, He will transform your thinking.Which practice will you rely upon today to keep your thoughts loyal to God?

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sinsand not only our sins but the sins of all the world. And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, I know God, but doesnt obey Gods commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey Gods word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandmentto love one anotheris the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining. If anyone claims, I am living in the light, but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. I am writing to you who are Gods children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. I have written to you who are Gods children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. Gods word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

V. 5-6 But those who obey Gods word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

If this set of verses had a title, I think it would be How to Mature as a Christian. John is helping new Christians understand that maturing in Christ deepens our intimacy with Christ, which makes us strong, builds our understanding of God, and brings us joy. So how is this done? In contrast to the gnostic lies which taught that knowing God was done through mystical insights such as visions, John assured Christs followers that knowing God means that one must obey God (v. 5), imitate Christ (v. 6), and love fellow Christians (v. 10).

Its a great reminder that spiritual knowledge and maturity means more than memorizing a set of verses, rules to abide by, prayers, or understanding biblical events. Spiritual maturity is actively obeying Christ and living out a life of love, putting Him first, and others next, above self-serving desires. The more steps in obedience we take, the closer to Him we cling.

When have you boldly obeyed Gods commands? How did this lead you to become closer to God? Ask Him to help you obey Him and bring Him glory. See the glory of God in you lift you from the tangles of sin, and toward understanding of the abundant life in Christ.

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

V. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.Purpose. This chapter was written with purpose, and the purpose was joy. John, the author, an apostle of Jesus, one of the original twelve disciples, was called by, lived with, served with Jesus, witnessed Jesus death, ate with, talked with, and touched Jesus wounded hands. Forty days after Jesus death, John then watched as Jesus ascended into heaven. He knew the command that Jesus gave to go out and preach the Good News that Jesus saves. He is the Christ. And no sorrow can match the joy of knowing this Jesus.The joy of this tangible evidence was challenged by false teaching confusing believers within the newly formed churches. Gnosticism was dangerously teaching that Jesus was not the Christ, but that the Christ was only spirit, thus Jesus was only an illusion. The teachings further made the allowance for grave sin emphasizing that what humans did in their flesh did not affect the purity of their own spirit. Without giving any acknowledgement to the false teaching, John refutes every aspect of it by sharing about the joy of knowing Jesus. In verses 1-4, he shows that Jesus is and was fully human and fully God and gives eternal life when we have fellowship with Jesus. In verses 5-7, John shows that God is light, and when we, as believers, walk in the light, we know the truth, Jesus, and are tied to every other believer in that unity. Finally, in verses 8-10, John helps believers know the freedom that comes with confessing our sins.Do you walk in the joy of knowing Jesus? Are the false teachings of our culture enraging you more than the joy of Christ is encouraging you? Spend time with Jesus in prayer. Ask Him to make your joy complete. Be ready to share with others the Good News. Victory is in Jesus.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love Gods children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And Jesus Christ was revealed as Gods Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the crossnot by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. the Spirit, the water, and the bloodand all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who dont believe this are actually calling God a liar because they dont believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have Gods Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death. We know that Gods children do not make a practice of sinning, for Gods Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭6‬, ‭8‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Through Jesus we take hold of eternal life today and in the future. This eternal life means victory over the world. It is tragic when people reject Jesus and His amazing love. It is tragic when Christians accept a pale form of religion rather than being plugged into the power of Gods eternal life. His life conquers sin, and so we are constantly growing and overcoming in Him. In Him we have the strength to work for justice and true peace in the world. We can overcome pain and selfishness and be willing to sacrifice like Jesus.

When I first became a Christian, some of my sins were so obvious, and I let God work on them right away. I changed quickly: my attitude and arrogance got better, I grew discipline in Christ that shaped my life, and I learned to be more compassionate to others. What I am finding now, though, is that there are more ways that I need to change but these are a lot harder. God is trying to move me from materialism to simplicity, and from over-teaching to the power of a listening presence. I hold tightly to these bad habits, and I even resist the work that God is trying to do in me. Eternal life is not just me accepting Gods forgiveness and then waiting for heaven. I can experience eternal life now a life transformed closer and closer to Christ!What are the bad habits the Lord is working to delete from your life?

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the worlds viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception. Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real lovenot that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, I love God, but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we dont love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Gods love is strong. When people try to deceive us, Gods love speaks truth and challenges the lies that others tell us. God challenges the lies we tell ourselves. Gods love gives us strength to speak even when people in the world will not listen.

Gods love is strong. He died and sacrificed for us. In Him we can overcome our selfishness and be able to serve and sacrifice for each other. We can be transformed closer and closer into love. God is love. We know we are growing closer to God as we grow more and more in His love a love that is invested in others, speaks truth, stands strong, and forgives.

Gods love is strong. Jesus is the full expression of His love, and His love is made visible when we love each other like Jesus. His love is strong enough to drive out our fear of punishment. His love grows confidence in us we are eternally accepted; we are His children; we are loved in community; we are gifted and called. His love is strong and grows us in strength strong enough to reach out to the weak and help them find His victory.How has Gods love helped you be strong? Where do you need an extra dose of Gods strong love in your life today?

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world dont recognize that we are Gods children because they dont know him. Dear friends, we are already Gods children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking Gods law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. Dear children, dont let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into Gods family do not make a practice of sinning, because Gods life is in them. So they cant keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So dont be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers dont have eternal life within them. We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassionhow can Gods love be in that person? Dear children, lets not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we dont feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey Gods commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Acceptance is not the same thing as love. Tolerance sees what is wrong, yet (typically) is silent. God loves us so much that He calls us His children, and He is willing to discipline us in love. God is strongly against sin if we dont fight against sin it shows that Gods life is not in us. Sin hurts us, hurts others, and brings pain to God. Gods love does not turn a blind eye to sin; God speaks out against sin because He loves us.

Acceptance and tolerance are passive; love is actively invested in a person. Jesus showed what real love is by sacrificing Himself for us and that is how we are to love each other. This is much more than acceptance; this is love in action, sacrificiallove. Gods love is strong, it fights the good fight, it says what needs to be said, and it is willing to suffer to stop selfishness. Acceptance and tolerance are good, but they will never sacrifice like love.How can you open your heart for more of Gods love? How can you love others with His love?

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sinsand not only our sins but the sins of all the world. And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, I know God, but doesnt obey Gods commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey Gods word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandmentto love one anotheris the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining. If anyone claims, I am living in the light, but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. I am writing to you who are Gods children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. I have written to you who are Gods children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. Gods word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one. Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you dont know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesnt have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you dont need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is trueit is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are Gods children.‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Johns letter is all about love, but he is not afraid of speaking out strongly against sin. He can do this because he knows it is not enough to love each other, we must love God as well. Too often we try to water down the truth to get people to like us or want to be around us, calling this fellowship. But true fellowship starts as fellowship with the Father, Son, and Spirit a relationship of truth and love. The life and love of God are poured into our hearts, and so we share life with each other, and love each other with His love. This is why John is adamant that we put aside the sin that hinders us and put love into action because that is what true fellowship looks like.So often I hold back what needs to be said because I dont want to offend people. Then I lament that no one is standing up for the truth. If I love people, I need to be willing to speak the truth and invite people to tell me the truth too. Sin is deadly. True love hates sin. Jesus died because of sin; I need to be willing to speak out against sin, in love, even if that means loss or suffering for me.How do you hold together love and truth? What do you need to work on today: speaking truth or loving with actions?

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We need to live out what we believe. John walked with Jesus, physically touched Him, and saw Him transfigured in glory. John was proclaiming the light of the world so that people could experience the joy that is only found in Him. There is no darkness in God. If we are truly walking with God, then life will be changed. We dont overcome darkness by our own power, but by confessing our selfish darkness to Him, and allowing His light into the dark areas.We will live out what we believe so let's be honest with the testimony of our actions what do my actions say about my beliefs? I can say that God is first, but do my actions live that out? There is a power in being honest with yourself and the reality of your actions and beliefs. A person can move forward when they can confess that their actions do not line up with Gods Word and then commit to living Gods way of life.What dark area of your soul is Jesus trying to transform? What are the steps you can take to cooperate with His work in you?