· Spiritual Formation · 2 min read
Simplicity Of The Son
What does it mean to live by grace?
“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard so that you may also have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” — 1 John 1:2-3
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9
The goal of a follower of Jesus, as described in this chapter, is twofold:
- Have fellowship with the Father and His Son.
- Proclaim what you have seen and heard.
It’s pretty simple. I think the moment we make it about ourselves is the moment we miss it. God wants to be with us, so we should be with Him. The more time we spend with Him, the more He will adjust, fix, and purify our hearts to be conformed increasingly into the image of His Son. When that happens, we love God and people more and more. But the key here is that God purifies our hearts (1 John 1:9 “HE is faithful and just to purify us from all unrighteousness”). God does the work inside us—we just receive.
It is hard to believe because it’s backwards. It’s especially hard for me to believe and walk in it. All it is is letting go and receiving, but I tend to have tightly clenched fists. I like to work. I like to do things myself and not need any help from others.
“Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’” — John 6:28-29
