The first epistle of John is written “to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (5:13). In order “that you may know,” the apostle presents three tests: the doctrinal test, the moral test, and the love test. On the place and importance of love for God’s people, Mark Dever writes, Do we love one another as God has loved us? John writes, “And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (4:21). If you have gotten hold of the real thing, not only will you believe Jesus is the son of God; and not only will you obey the commands of God; you will also love the people of God. John is not commanding his readers to love the people of God. He is simply saying, anyone who has gotten hold of the real thing will love the people of God. . . . Jesus is our greatest example of the love of God. In John’s Gospel, Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). —Mark Dever, The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept (Crossway, 2005), 481.

The first epistle of John is written “to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (5:13). In order “that you may know,” the apostle presents three tests: the doctrinal test, the moral test, and the love test. On the place and importance of morality, Mark Dever writes, [T]he most orthodox person in the world, who has every point of doctrine correct, is not a Christian if his or her right thinking is not coupled with right living. Let me use a story to illustrate this point. Suppose Bob starts a business and he puts me in charge of it. Then Bob travels to Europe for some business deals and leaves me with very careful instructions. While he is away, Bob sends me a few more letters with further instructions about what would be done in the office. Suppose, then, Bob returns several weeks later and finds the office in ruins. The receptionist sits listening to the local disco station while ignoring the ringing telephone. Everyone else is playing checkers, chess, or cards. There is trash in the halls. And Bob’s email is filled with angry notes from canceling customers and clients. So Bob walks up to me and says, “Mark, what happened here? Didn’t you get my letters?” I smile and say, “Oh, yeah, I got your letters. Not only did I get your letters, I loved reading them. Bob, those were wonderful letters! You know, those letters were so good that I photocopied them and gave a copy to everybody in the office. And they liked them so much we had letter studies. After work, we gathered to study them together. We also had them framed. There they are, up on the wall! What great letters! Some of us had even begun memorizing parts of them and are having our children memorize them.” Well, you can only imagine what Bob might say at this point. “Mark, why didn’t you do what the letters said to do? And what do you mean, you loved the letters? Of course you don’t!” This is what John is saying to these Christians: “You might have all your doctrine right and say you believe in Jesus. But why aren’t you obeying his commands?” If we claim to walk in the light, but we walk in the dark, we lie. Words alone, without actions, are empty. You are not a disciple if there are no actions. A disciple is one who follows. You can be as emotionally attached as you want to the word “Christian,” but if you are not following Christ you are not a disciple. Besides, why do you think Jesus lived the life he did if the kind of life you live is not important? Why do you think he died the death he did? —Mark Dever, The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept (Crossway, 2005), 480.

The first epistle of John is written “to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (5:13). In order “that you may know,” the apostle presents three tests: the doctrinal test, the moral test, and the love test. On the place and importance of doctrine, Mark Dever writes, I do not think that the church needs to worry about atheism today. That superstition has never seriously threatened the church of Jesus Christ. As a friend of mine once said, “The real danger is not unbelief, but wrong belief; not irreligion, but heresy; not the doubter, but the deceiver.” Wrong belief, heresy, and deceivers are what concern John. . . . When you share the gospel with others, you do not merely share your experience (though we certainly can share something about our own experience). Most fundamentally, you share objective truth. You share particular doctrines that are rooted in history about who Jesus is and what he did. You might decide this is not important, but then you would have to take 1 John out of the Bible. —Mark Dever, The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept (Crossway, 2005), 476, 477.

Sobering thoughts on relationships: Beyond a doubt, our friendships are woven into the most intimate fabric of our lives. Our friends can help lift us to a godly walk, or lead us to disaster, like the cars of a train plunging over a cliff. —Dan Phillips, God’s Wisdom in Proverbs (Kress Biblical Resources, 2011), 161.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Child’s Prayer. “They that seek me early shall find me.” —Proverbs 8:17 Horatius Bonar (1808–1889) Holy Father! hear my cry, Holy Saviour! bend Thine ear, Holy Spirit! come Thou nigh: Father, Saviour, Spirit, hear. Father, save me from my sin, Saviour, I Thy mercy crave, Gracious Spirit, make me clean: Father, Saviour, Spirit, save. Father, let me taste Thy love, Saviour, fill my soul with peace, Spirit, come my heart to move: Father, Son, and Spirit, bless. Father, Son, and Spirit,—Thou One Jehovah, shed abroad All Thy grace within me now; Be my Father and my God. —Horatius Bonar, Hymns of Faith and Hope, First Series (James Nisbet & Co., 1878). 8You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. —1 Corinthians 4 22And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.” —Luke 17 The Saints’ Joy And Sorrow. I place together these two verses, the words of the disciple, and the words of the Master, as breathing the same spirit. They speak of present pressure and trouble; they point to a day of deliverance and triumph; they indicate the feelings of Christ’s church, in this evil day and evil world. Paul means to say “I wish the time of reigning were really come, as ye seem to think, for then should we share in that glory, instead of being the off scouring of all things”; as if feeling most deeply present trial, and longing for the day when the glory shall be revealed. The Lord means to say, “days are coming when ye shall long, even for one of the days of the Son of man”; pointing to approaching tribulation, and intimating that under the pressure of this, they would long for even one day’s relief. Both these passages are written for us. I. The pressure of present evil. There is evil in the world; and there will be till Christ come. There is evil in the church. There is sin, confusion, darkness, pain, affliction in many forms, bereavements, persecutions, anxieties, cares, vexations, poverty, hatred, contempt, with many more such evils. They come on us daily. They press hard on us and weigh us down. Each disciple has his own special lot, and peculiar trial. Paul felt his deeply; and we must all feel ours, for we are not made insensible to sorrow by our becoming believers. The Head felt His sorrows, and prayed “let this cup pass from me,” so the body in all its members feels its sorrows, and “desires one of the days of the Son of man,” or desires “to depart and be with Christ,” or longs that the day of reigning were come, or wishes to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord. “O wretched man that I am,” we crying reference to the inner conflict. “Woe is me that I dwell in Meshech,” we cry concerning the fightings and storms without. II. The anticipation of coming good. This good is called by our Lord “the days of the Son of man,” in contrast with the present days, which are simply days of man, or “man’s day,” “this present evil world.” It is called by the apostle the time of reigning, in contrast with the present time of down-treading and persecution. These good days are coming, and we fix our hope upon them. They are blessed, and glorious, and endless. They shall reverse every thing that is evil now, whether pertaining to soul or body, to man and man’s earth, to the church and to the world. It is resurrection that we look for; the times of restitution; a kingdom; new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Then all shall be holy, happy, peaceful; the body glorified, the earth renewed, Satan bound, Antichrist overthrown, sorrow turned into joy, the cross exchanged for the crown, the tents of Kedar for the New Jerusalem, the wilderness for Canaan, the weariness of the pilgrimage for the everlasting rest. III. The desire of relief. Paul’s words express this desire, and Christ’s prediction intimates the same thing. We are not expected to be satisfied with pain and sorrow, so as not to long for their removal. We long for deliverance; nay for the most temporary respite, even for one of the days of the Son of man. The burden is at times so heavy that we cry out under it, and wish that the present days were shortened, and the glory hastened. One day’s respite would be a great thing for us, when overwhelmed at times with evil. But the respite comes not; patience must have her perfect work. There is no sin in the desire; only let it not be impatient. “Not my will but thine be done.” IV. The frequent disappointment. The sky seems for an hour to clear; and then the clouds return after the rain. The sunshine promises, and then passes away. We seem to come within sight of Canaan, and then another range of desert mountains rises up between. The day seems almost breaking, but it breaks not; the shadows seem just departing, but they depart not. Often we say, the long road is ending, the next turn will bring us to its termination; and then instead, another long stretch of road lengthens out before us. Often we say, Surely this darkness cannot last, this evil must have spent itself, but in vain we thus think. The time is not yet. Often we say, Surely Christ is coming, the reign of crime is ending, the era of holy peace is at hand, the kingdom is going to begin; and then the prospect darkens again; and we seem to hear the voice, “Not yet, not yet.” Often we cry, “How long,” and the answer is “Wait,” be patient, stablish your hearts; it will not be long. V. The kingdom at last. These are sure things. They will come at last, though on the back of many disappointments. He that shall come will come and will not tarry. The signs of the times have often cheated us, but at length they shall be found true. They will introduce the kingdom and the rest. The glory shall break forth; the Son of man shall be revealed; He who is our life shall appear. The ransomed of the Lord shall return with songs; the days of our mourning shall be ended; sorrow and sighing shall flee away. VI. The connection between present evil and future good. Our present light affliction worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Present evil is that out of which the coming good is to spring. Light is sown for the righteous; but it is sown in darkness. It is out of sickness and darkness that our immortal health and strength are to come. The grave is the birthplace of incorruption. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. Thus God shall overcome evil with good; out of sin educing holiness; out of our brief sorrow the eternal joy. —Horatius Bonar, Light & Truth: Bible Thoughts & Themes Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” —John 12:12–13 All Glory, Laud and Honor All glory, laud and honor, To Thee, Redeemer, King, To Whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring: Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son, Who in the Lord’s Name comest, The King and Blessèd One. The company of angels Are praising Thee on High, And mortal men and all things Created make reply: The people of the Hebrews With palms before Thee went; Our prayer and praise and anthems Before Thee we present. To Thee, before Thy passion, They sang their hymns of praise; To Thee, now high exalted, Our melody we raise: Thou didst accept their praises— Accept the praise we bring, Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King! —Great Hymns of the Faith (Zondervan, 1968). From cyberhymnal.org: “[Translator] Neale noted ‘another verse was usually sung until the 17th Century, at the quaintness of which we can scarcely avoid a smile’:” Be Thou, O Lord, the Rider, And we the little ass, That to God’s holy city Together we may pass.