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The Most Important Word in The Bible

daily text logoMay 12, 2015

1 John 5:1-4

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

CONSIDER THIS

new-truth

What would you say is the most important word in today’s reading?

Would it be Jesus or God or love or believes or how about overcome?

Here’s my vote: Everyone.

In fact, it may be the most important word in all of the Bible.

Everyone is such a powerful and beautiful word. It says you and me and all of us. Noone has to be left out. It says there’s more than enough room. Come one. Come all. This is the meaning of inclusive.

Everyone who believes. We aren’t talking about intellectual assent here but trusting faith. To believe means your life can be summed up in one word: Yes.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah. Most people who don’t believe in Jesus don’t not believe because of Jesus but because of their displeasure in his followers. While this is understandable, it is not acceptable. Jesus stands on his own and in a category of his own, independent of his proponents or detractors. His words speak for themselves. His deeds tell their own story. His death on the cross stands as the signal day in the history of the human race, second only to his resurrection from the dead, which radiates the unquenchable, unstoppable truth of all the ages past and all the eternity to come: Everyone who believes Jesus is the Christ is born of God.

John says the same thing in a similar way in chapter one of his gospel account.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12-13. 

There’s a final word to point out in today’s text. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ . . . . overcomes.

This is not immunity to struggling or suffering or hardships or injustices or injury or pain or failures or anything else. The promise is to overcome.

Everyone. Who wouldn’t take that offer? It is a very very good deal. It is exceedingly good news.

I want to say to the Daily Text Readers– herein lies our mission. We want EVERYONE to know about this offer, this very good deal, this exceedingly good news.

J.D. Walt writes daily for Seedbed’s Daily Text. He serves as Seedbed’s Sower in Chief. Follow him @jdwalt on Twitter or email him at jd.walt@seedbed.com. Get the Daily Text delivered to your inbox fresh every morning. Subscribe HERE.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

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