how then should we live?

1 John 2

1 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.

2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins;

and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

  3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.

4 If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.

5 But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him.

That is how we know we are living in him.

6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.


7 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 commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.

8 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.

  9 If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister,

that person is still living in darkness.

10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light

and does not cause others to stumble.

11 But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness.

Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

12 I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.

13 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.

14 I have written to you who are God's 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.

God's word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.


15 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.

16 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.

17 And this world is fading away,

along with everything that people crave.

But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

So, if we say we follow Jesus, we should live like He lived?

Do we do that?

Do we love others unconditionally?

Do we love at all?

Are the “notorious sinners” of our time draw to us because of our love for them?

Do we care about the “least of these”?

Is there any difference from the rest of the world in the quality of our lives as followers of Jesus?

Do we REALLY trust God to the point that it shows?

Are we the people He wants us to be & do the things He wants us to do?

Do people think of us, would they quantify their basic concept of us as we are like Jesus?

I don't think that's what the world thinks of us these days.

Mostly because they are correct.

We aren't those things so much of the time, in so many ways, with so many people & situations.

What have we done?

Let our “middle class values” supercede what Jesus lived out & taught us to be & do?

Or have we simply attained “fire insurance” but continue to live our lives as we please?

Tough questions?

Maybe...

But every day it seems I'm having to live down some Christian whose behavior is certainly not Christ like.

And so much of the time I have to make reparations for the cruel & unjust behaviors expressed towards nonbelievers who cross my path every day.

And all of this could be alleviated is we'd just be & do what John says...

“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

Think about it...