The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 15 March 2020 – TOPIC: WALKING IN CHRIST’S COMMANDMENTS
Click HERE to Read Previous MESSAGES
DATE: SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020
(Lent 3)
TOPIC: WALKING IN CHRIST’S COMMANDMENTS
READ: 2 JOHN 1-13 (NKJV)
1. THE ELDER, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth,
2. because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3. Grace, mercy, [and] peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4. I rejoiced greatly that I have found [some] of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.
5. And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.
6. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
7. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ [as] coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but [that] we may receive a full reward.
9. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
10. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;
11. for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
12. Having many things to write to you, I did not wish [to do so] with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13. The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.
THE MESSAGE:
This letter written by an Elder of the Church, John, to the elect lady and her children is centred on walking in Christ’s commandments. He rejoiced greatly that he found some of them walking in truth as commandment received from the Father (verse 4). He urged them to love one another, reminding them that it was not a new commandment. “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments” (verse 6a). He warned them also to beware of deceivers who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. He called such people Antichrist (verse 7).
Christ summarised all the commandments of God into two – loving God with all one’s heart, soul and mind and loving one’s neighbour as one loves himself (Matthew 22:37-40).
Christ also added in John 13:34, “…That you love one another as I have loved you…”When one loves God, he will live only to please God in all areas of his life. When you love your neighbour as yourself, you will never think of committing any evil against him. As John pointed out, love to one another is not a new commandment.
The problem is: Are we walking in these commandments? In 1 John 4:20-21,we are reminded that we can love God whom we do not see through loving our fellow men whom we see. We can conveniently walk in the commandments of Christ by first surrendering our lives to Him. Christ’s commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3b). That is, they can be kept. Ask for the grace of Christ.
PRAYER: My dear Lord, help me to walk in Your commandments which are hinged on love