Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Hello, good people.
Lots of rain and wind today. Besides that, it’s been a unique day in many respects. Elvin and Eunice spent the night. They were not in such a hurry to get off early—so Eunice joined Becki in going to the Woodburn Bible Study, and Elvin hung out with me. We first picked up milk and cream at the farm in Colton to use with breakfast, then visited a family nearby with our guitars and sang some of our old songs, and then made a delivery of some hardware to another friend. They headed out after some lunch together. Fun time.
Just out of curiosity, I opened my devotional archive folder from 2013 and looked at the composition for today. I have to admit that I quite like it—so much so that I’m going to stick it on here as an attachment. It’s from Zechariah 14. The ideas contained are becoming more relevant all the time.
I have both signwork and woodworking glaring at me. I had better get some of it done.
Blessings. Love, Dad/Ray.
John has a lot to say about truth in all his writings. While he uses the term in many ways, it all focuses on the truth that man is a sinner in need of a savior, and that God, in incredible love, has provided only ONE way for man’s rescue from his eternally hopeless state—Jesus. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (I John 5:12). You can’t state it more simply than that!
In this tiny epistle, John presents five practical spins of this central theme.
LOVE IN THE TRUTH (v. 1). He begins his letter by saying, “To my dear friend, Gaius, whom I love in the truth.” He is acknowledging that Gaius, by virtue of his embracing the same standard of truth, is on the same page with him—which offers the basis of a valuable friendship bond. That’s the best kind of fellowship there is.
FAITHFULNESS TO THE TRUTH (v. 3). Of course, it all has to begin at the heart level. Grappling with this theme and embracing it as valid truth is contained in the assignment for building an essential personal theology.
WALK IN THE TRUTH (v. 3). Heart-level belief in this truth must then be translated into lifestyle so that there is no contradiction between what a person says and what he does.
WORK TOGETHER FOR THE TRUTH (v. 8). It would be immoral to possess the absolute cure for cancer and not share it. It is more immoral to possess the cure for sin and not want to do something about sharing it with others in need.
REPUTATION BY THE TRUTH (v. 12). Demetrius was a man who was a role model of the first four points and was awarded respect and recognition by others who live by this truth. That’s the best kind of reputation. John mentions an opposite example by the name of Diotrephes who was a demonstration of classical hypocrisy (v. 9).