The God of Stories: Edit that Out

Gentle Reader,

This week you’ll find the second message in the God of Stories series, preached on July 30, 2024, during Rocky Mountain District Supercamp. We begin to get into the meat of John’s letter, and like a steak that’s been on the grill too long, it’s tough. But good. So very good.

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Welcome, friends! I hope you’ve all had a great day. If not – a good night’s sleep will go a long way toward making things better. But don’t go to sleep until you’re back in your cabin.

Here’s a few more things about me:

1. Even though I was born in August, summer is my least favorite season. I don’t like being hot.
2. I only drink tea when I have a really bad cold, and even then it’s gross.
3. I can’t play a single instrument.
4. I relate to John. I know what it is to have a bad temper. I’m not a screamer or a thrower of things, but I can hold a grudge like nobody’s business. Along with John, I know what it is for Jesus to patiently reshape that part of who I am – Jesus is still reshaping it.

Earlier today you spent some time sitting with two different pictures of John. It’s almost like he was two different people. The change that Jesus brought to his life is that intense. Because John had this experience of learning hard lessons the hard way, because he knew that Jesus patiently worked within and alongside him to shape him into the person Jesus wanted him to be, John has the authority to say what he’s about to say. But before we can get to what he’s about to say, we have to look at what he says before he says it. If we had hours and hours, I would go through every line of this letter because it’s full of awesome stuff. Sadly I’m told we have to do other things like eat, so what we’ll do right now is take a bird’s eye view of 1 John 1:6-2:8.

• Chapter 1 Ending –

• If we are walking in darkness (habitual sin), we can’t say that we’re in relationship with God
  • This does not mean that you’re not a Christian if you mess up
  • The question: What is the overall trajectory of your life? Are you moving closer to God/loving God more and more each day, or are you moving away from God?
• If we are walking in light (sticking close to God), then we show that Jesus has saved us
  • We also have restored relationship with each other
• If we go around thinking that we’re amazing and have never done anything wrong, then we don’t get it
• When we confess our sin, God will forgive us and help us to get going again
• John reiterates that if we’re going through life with a big head thinking we’re so amazing all on our own, we’re essentially calling God a liar and we show that we don’t know anything
  • Because the truth about us is that we’re not amazing all on our own – stick with me.
    • We need Jesus to save us. Jesus is amazing. Jesus in us makes us amazing. It’s super important to get that order correct.

• Chapter 2 Beginning –

• John encourages his readers to stick close to God so that they can live freely, without the burden of habitual sin, but he reminds them that when they do mess up, they can go to God immediately
• Jesus is our Advocate
  • Someone who publicly, before God, supports us
• Jesus alone is the sacrifice for everyone’s sin
  • Jesus alone is the way to God
• We show that we know and love Jesus by doing what Jesus says/living how God wants us to live
• John says that none of this is new information
  • Humans need constant reminders of what we already know

And now we pick up our reading again in verse 9. I invite you to stand as we honor the reading of Scripture. Hear the word of the Lord.

Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister abides in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates a brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.

I am writing to you, little children,
    because your sins are forgiven on account of his name.
I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young people,
    because you have conquered the evil one.
I write to you, children,
    because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young people,
    because you are strong
    and the word of God abides in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world, for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God abide forever.

– 1 John 2:9-17 (NRSV)

This is the word of God for the people of God. And we say together: thanks be to God. 

We’re about to work through this whole chunk, but our focus is verse 11: “Whoever hates a brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.” I don’t know if any of you are into medieval history (which you should be, because it’s cool), but that sentence is like when a knight would remove his gauntlet and smack someone across the face. It’s a major challenge. It definitely hurts. Makes you sort of jerk away from the page like you’ve been stung.

And John starts the whole passage with that kind of vibe. Verse 11 is actually like a backhanded smack with the gauntlet. Verse 9 is the first blow. “Whoever says ‘I am in the light,’ while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness.” Salty John. Bold John. He’s not giving them or us any kind of wiggle room.

So – are we saying. “I am in the light” while hating others? 

That’s a heavy question, I know. In my mind’s eye I can see the letters just hanging in the air above us. 

Let me be clear about something: I don’t ask you and myself and us together this question in order to make us feel bad. I’m not here to shame anyone. Shame isn’t of God. Shame says, “You are bad, less than.” That’s not where we want to go. We can and should reject that. Conviction – that pain you feel in your gut when you know that you’re not doing what God wants you to do – we don’t want to reject that. We don’t want to run from that. Conviction says, “That thing you did is bad, and you can be better.” The feeling that comes with it is a gracious, loving act of the Holy Spirit, telling us that we can be and do better than this. That God has better for us.

John’s a little salty and a lot bold because he is driven by that grace and love. He’s experienced that grace and love. He wants his readers then and now to learn to see the world and themselves in it as God sees. When we have that kind of vision, we come to understand that hate is a total waste of time. How can we hate what and who God loves? That makes no sense. It’s dishonest. And people who don’t know Jesus will see right through it. “Oh, you claim to love God but you think immigrants are worthless? You think women are less than? You treat someone differently because of the color of their skin? That’s great. Really shows you love God.”

Ouch, right?

Again, don’t run from that.

Don’t run from that because right away John gives us the alternative, the better path: By the grace of Jesus, stick close to God. Or to go with our story framework, remember that you are a character (but not the main character) in the story of redemption and freedom and forgiveness that God is writing. Live in the light. 

When we do this, when we live in the light, we are able to love others. And let’s get practical with that. You are not going to be besties with everyone you meet. That’s okay. Some personalities just don’t click. You don’t have to have the same level of closeness with every single person ever. You’re not going to agree with everyone on every point. John helps us to get a handle on what it looks like to love others as God loves. That word there we see as “cause for stumbling,” it’s the Greek skandalon. (You see our word “scandal” there). That means to lay a trap or a snare for an enemy. Doing something intentionally in the hopes that others will fall flat on their faces. When we live in the light, we don’t do this. We aren’t each other’s enemies. In fact, my other friend Paul over in his letter to the church in Ephesus tells us that no other human beings are our enemies (read Ephesians 6:12). So we might not be besties with everyone. We might not click with every person ever. But we don’t treat anyone like an enemy, especially those who are part of the family of God.

Remember last night when I talked about John encouraging his readers to remember what they have in common? It’s the same thing here. You have Jesus in common with a whole lot of people, some of whom with which you will have deep disagreements. But they’re your family.

That family theme is evident in another poem that John shares in vs. 12-14. We see those family terms there: little children, fathers, young people. Your translation might say “brothers” instead of “young people,” so an important point here: mothers and sisters are included. John is just writing in a style common to his time, which might kind of annoy us today because he seems to leave out a significant amount of people – actually, half. But John’s not anti-women. His second letter is actually addressed to “the elect lady and her children,” which could be the Church as a whole because the Church is often talked about using feminine imagery – men, that’s right, you’re part of the Bride of Christ – or it could be a singular woman he’s writing to there. 

But that’s all a bit of a side note. I include that so we know that John is speaking to everyone here. What is John telling us in this poem? Why does he plop it in the middle of his letter?

First, this functions as another explanation for why he is writing. Second, this is a distinct reminder for them of who they actually are. John tells us that we are:

• Forgiven because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• People who know God.
• Conquerors of evil.
• Children of God.
• Strong.
• Embraced by God.
• Overcomers of evil.

Let me run through that list again: forgiven, knowledgeable, conquerors, children of the King, strong, embraced, overcomers. Let’s celebrate that! This is who and what we are! 

We are strong because God is with us. The enemy – remember, not other human beings, but what Scripture calls the satan, a spiritual accuser or adversary – cannot take us out or pin us down because Christ won the war! Yes, there are still battles. Yes, there are choices we have to make. But the accuser is not stronger than the Advocate, Jesus Christ. Keep remembering who you are. Keep choosing to follow and obey the Winner.

Because of Christ and all he has done for us, because of who we are, we have the power to reject darkness and keep choosing light. John puts this in terms of not “loving the world.” He’s just told us that hate isn’t of God, so when he says, “don’t love the world,” we have to do a little thinking about that. John’s not going to say one thing and then just contradict himself. 

When John says, “don’t love the world,” he means don’t chase or wallow in the things that are often valued in our cultures:

• Hate
• Greed
• Lust
• Violence
• Materialism
• Arrogance
• Racism

These things are anti-God. They lead us away from God. Each one of these things makes promises to us. “If you hate them, you’ll come out on top!” “If you hoard your stuff, you’ll be safe!” “You know that you’re better than they are.” Shiny promises. Things that make us think we’ll be secure, safe. Empty, false promises. Security and safety is found only in being close to God. In living the way God wants us to live.

“…those who do the will of God abide forever.” What is the will of God? We get really wrapped up in that question. Does God want me to go to this or that college? Take this or that part-time job? Clean the bathroom or play more video games? Okay, one of those is easier to answer than the others. 

It’s not really about the specifics, although it’s never bad or wrong to seek God’s wisdom. You should definitely do that. And it’s also not really about a static list of “dos” and “donts.” First, what God wants you to change, give up, do differently might not be exactly the same as what God directs me to change, give up, or do differently. We don’t all struggle with the exact same things in the exact same way, and so how God works in and on us doesn’t look exactly the same. Second, some people are just wired to be pretty good at following the rules. But you can follow the rules and not be doing God’s will. You can keep to the right side of the line and not be in relationship with God.

What this is really about is knowing that God is at the center. That God is the author of the story. Doing God’s will isn’t about having every specific nailed down at all times. If you want to do God’s will, focus on God. Love God. Nurture your relationship with God through Bible reading, prayer, time spent in nature, singing, spending time with God’s people. 

That last one: We need to help each other do this. We need to encourage each other to keep choosing the light. Because darkness is sneaky. It creeps up on us. 

We have to have each other’s backs, even the backs of the ones with whom we don’t click. “…but whoever hates a brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.” Darkness leads to more darkness. You can’t have just a little on the side. It can’t be mostly Jesus, like 95% Jesus, and 5% darkness. It just doesn’t work that way. Because as light spreads, so too does darkness.

Thankfully, our God is gracious and patient. Our God is faithful to sting our hearts and minds with warning when we’re starting to get away from the light. We’ll talk more about some of those reminders tomorrow. 

For now, I want us to pause together. Let’s all take the quietest, deepest breath we’ve taken all day. Let it out slowly. 

Our culture encourages the darkness of hate and division. We see it all the time on the news and across social media. Those of us who have jobs see it in our workplaces. Those of us who are in school see it in our classrooms. It’s really difficult to not give into the urge to throw nasty words and even physical punches at those who aren’t in “our group,” in whatever ways we choose to define that. But John is super clear that hate doesn’t come from God. Hate isn’t a characteristic of God’s people.

You’ve all got notebooks. For the next few moments, we are going to sit in silence with God. We’re going to ask God to show us if we have hate in our hearts. If names of people or groups come to your mind, write them down. Keep this page in your notebook because we’re going to do something with it later. Right now, ask God to help you to see them as God sees them. Ask God to fill you with light.

GRACE AND PEACE ALONG THE WAY,

MARIE

Image Courtesy of Tracey Parish