Reverend Tyler TeBrink, Cornerstone Baptist Church
Since I’ve been at Cornerstone, we have been working our way through 1 John on Sunday mornings.
It has been such a blessing to work through this letter with my new church family.
One of the defining characteristics of the letter is John’s focus on love. In chapter two, John speaks of an old commandment that his audience has heard before but at the same time, it is a new commandment. The commandment he speaks of is that of love. It is a command that is old while at the same time, is renewed in our Lord Jesus. God has loved His people since the very beginning and has called them to both love Him and love their neighbor.
From the very beginning, He has showered His people with love, despite the reality that they constantly look to other gods and things for their hope and satisfaction.
In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent, they should have died for their sin against God, but He showed them mercy and in His curse of the serpent, He gave a promise. A promise that would be fulfilled in Jesus. A promise that a descendent of Eve would crush the serpent. This was fulfilled when Jesus died and rose from the dead, defeating sin and death.
Even as far back as Genesis, we see God’s love demonstrated for His people. If you search Scripture, time after time, God is there, guiding His people, calling them back to Himself. This love God has for His people is the same love God has called His people to have for Him and for their neighbor. This is the old commandment they have had since the beginning.
Fast forward to the ministry of Jesus. He shows us what it looks like to perfectly love God and to love others. He takes the old commandment and renews it. Having a genuine love for…
For the complete column see this week’s edition of the Centralia Fireside Guard.
