April 18, 2015: 1 John 2:1-5

We encourage you to read this devotion three times a day.  Start in the morning and reflect upon the morning reflection question. Then in the afternoon, read it again and reflect using the noon question for reflection.  For the evening, take time to ponder how this has resonated with you in the day and reflecting using the evening question.  We offer a prayer with each devotion for you to pray or we invite you to pray what is in your heart.

1 John 2:1-5

2 My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you don’t sin. But if you do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. ² He is God’s way of dealing with our sins, not only ours but the sins of the whole world. ³ This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments. ⁴ The one who claims, “I know him,” while not keeping his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this person. ⁵ But the love of God is truly perfected in whoever keeps his word. This is how we know we are in him.

Reflection:

I had a youth who thought it was odd that we said the prayer of confession each week.   He thought it was redundant.  After discussion, he started to understand we confessed our sins, but asked for forgiveness. He began to take this as he could do whatever during the week because come Sunday he would be forgiven.  Not quite. Verse 5 points out that we become perfected in God's love.  We are made knew.  This is only possible through God.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: When have you needed to be forgiven?

Noon: How do you forgive others?

Evening: Do you know others or maybe yourself who have tried to take advantage of God's grace?