Why He Writes (2)

1 John 4:1

1 John 4:1 ESV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 John 4:7

1 John 4:7 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Some definitions

Ortho = straight

Orthodoxy = straight teaching

Orthopraxy = straight practice/action

Train derail

Or worse...

train derail 2

So how do we arrive at “straight/correct teaching” and “straight/correct practice”? How do we test these?

Testing

The first step is for the analyst to state the two hypotheses so that only one can be right.

The final step is to analyze the result and either reject the null hypothesis or state that the null is plausible, given the data.

Testing Orthodoxy - Progressive vs Historic Christianity

2. Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience “God,” the Sacredness, Oneness and Unity of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom, including Earth, in our spiritual journey; From The 8 Points of Progressive Christianity, @progressivechristianity.org

John 14:6

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Historic Christianity

There are foundational beliefs to which we must hold.

Jude 3

Jude 3 ESV

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

1 Corinthians 15:3-5

1 Corinthians 15:3–5 ESV

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

2 John 10–11 ESV

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

So, let’s test this in a real world, current events kind of way.

hold place

Inauguration closing prayer by Rev. Silvester Beaman, AME church candidate for Bishop in 2021.

“We will seek healing of those who are sick and diseased,” he said. “We will mourn our dead. We will befriend the lonely, the least and the left out. We will share our abundance with those who are hungry. We will do justly to the oppressed, acknowledge sin and seek forgiveness, thus grasping reconciliation.”

we will seek the good in and for all our neighbors,” loving the unlovable, removing the stigma of the so-called untouchables and caring for our most vulnerable: our children, the elderly, the emotionally challenged and the poor.

“We will seek rehabilitation beyond correction,” he said. “We’ll extend opportunity to those locked out of opportunity. We will make friends of our enemies”

To your glory, majesty, dominion, and power, forever. Hallelujah! Glory! Hallelujah! In the strong name of our collective faith, Amen.”

Faith requires an object. Just what is this “collective faith” and can it be trusted? How will we know it when we see it?

Jesus! Say the name!

Only one name by which we are saved. Jesus!

Only one name at which every knee will bow. Jesus!

Only one name that leads us to the Father. Jesus!

Test the spirits.

Testing Orthopraxy - Christian Love

So how shall we define “love” - Greek word here is agape’

I John 4:10-11

1 John 4:10–11 ESV

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

First, Second, and Third John: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary Commentary

John’s use of the article with love removes it from the abstract conceptual sphere into the concrete world of reality (Lenski, 502).

hold place

But Christianity does say, "Hey, the way you are going is a dead end. Please turn around." That's what we do when people we love are headed down bad roads, because that's what God does for us. Love is not a light thing. Sometimes it is hard and may even seem hurtful in the moment. 1 John 4:19-21

Mark 10:21

Mark 10:21 ESV

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Did not affirm his poor choice. Did not force him to make another choice. Loved him at every step he took away from the only hope he truly had.

Love is heartbreaking work sometimes. But it persists, it prevails, it refuses to hate.

Hate the sin love the sinner. Some say the two can’t be separated.

My mom has cancer, I hate cancer. I love my mom.

Sin is the condition, not the identity.

1 JOhn 4:20

1 John 4:20 ESV

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Two questions:

Is your doctrine correct?

Is your love correct?