#IHateHashtags!

When was the last time you received a letter?  Not an email, but a real, pen-to-paper letter?  It seems the ability to write carefully, expressing one’s deepest feelings in words that are well thought out, has fallen into disfavor.  People don’t even send real cards on birthdays anymore – they just post greetings on Facebook!  The well-mannered epistle has been replaced by the indiscreet tweet.  How sad.  Can you imagine the apostle Paul expressing his views on church doctrine in 140 characters or less?  Or perhaps the apostle Peter might just post a picture of Jesus on Facebook for you to “like” or not (how dare you pass up the opportunity!)  I am grateful for all of us that the Gospel was introduced to the world in the 1^st century and not the 21^st.

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved so deeply, shared his heart with his fellow believers (and us) when he took the time to pen these words:

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. ² He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.  ³ And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. ⁴ If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. ⁵ But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. ⁶ Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

I didn’t count characters, but John’s beautiful words wouldn’t fit in a single tweet.  They do, however, fit nicely into the heart of a believer, and they encompass everything we need to know to live life as God intended.

John reminds us that sin has no place in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ.  Wow!  Does that create guilt in you like it does me?  While I’m no bank robber, or child molester, I’m guilty of allowing sin to creep into my life in other ways, just as offensive to God.  But, all praise to God, Jesus Himself pleads for me before the throne of heaven, reminding the Father that my righteousness is in Him, not in my own failed attempt at sinless living. 

But John is careful to remind us that the sacrifice of Christ isn’t a purely personal gift to be cherished and packed away for our own use, but Jesus’ death for sins is a universal call to repentance and forgiveness.  Your struggle with sin is the same life-stealing cancer that eats at every person in the world, and only Jesus has a cure.  How dare we keep the Gospel to ourselves when people are perishing all around us?  The blood of Christ is not limited by geography or heritage or race and is sufficient to bring cleansing to the souls of mankind wherever it is applied.

John’s words are also meant to help us learn the key to being assured of our place in the Body of Christ.  He says, “We can be sure that we know Him IF we obey His commandments.”   Doubt doesn’t usually haunt the believer who is walking faithfully with Christ.  It is the “follower” who isn’t following who is plagued by insecurity.  Yet John says we should just “live our lives like Jesus did.”  Seems simple enough, right?  Just always subordinate your will to the Father’s.  Always love others, even when they hate you.  Turn your back on sin so you can honor God and bring glory to Him.  Invest your life to help others find peace with God.  Simple, right?  The Holy Spirit inspired John to share that challenge with us because it IS possible, not because it’s impossible.

Perhaps today is a good day to find that old stationery and a nice pen, and jot a note to someone you care about?  Sure, it takes more time than tweeting or FB Messaging, but can you imagine their response when they open that envelope and find your heart there?   I promise it’s worth the time – for both of you.

Jacob