How does love comprehend faith and works?

We discussed the relationship between faith and works yesterday morning. Here is a short discussion that wraps it up well.

Questions for this morning

We will finish up 1 John 5 this morning, then dive into 2 John, which has only one chapter. Here are some questions to consider:

1. Again, John enjoins his "little ones" to be wary of deceivers, the antichrists. What are the little ones supposed to hold onto?
2. Another reprise: John challenges the little ones to love, with obedience to the commandment, which is not new. Why does he keep writing about this?

Let's start with these questions today, and gaze once again into the Word, God's perfect law of freedom.

A few questions

Here are some questions for today.

1. What does it mean to confess Jesus?
2. Does God act based on our love or lack thereof?
3. How does on recognize the Holy Spirit has been given to someone?
4. How is fear cast out?

Progression, confidence

During our discussion last Thursday, we talked about one question at length: Why should we be confident before the judgement of God?

And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming. 1 John 2:28

Here is the progression of answers we came up with, each answer getting closer and closer to the center of the question.

1. Confident if we keep the commandments.
2. Confident if we acknowledge the Lamb.
3. Confident because it is nor a surprise -- it is something foretold.
4. Confident because of faith.
5. Confident because of the Messiah's sacrifice on the Cross.
6. Confident because it is based on God's love for us.

At that point, we could go no deeper into the matter: God's love for us is a sure and solid bedrock.

Or, as St. Paul said in the city of Athens, "in Him we live and move and have our being."

A few comments from this morning

1. It is good to pray with faith like the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' clothes.
   Jesus hears the prayer of faith, expressed in words (the leper, Jairus, the Canaanite woman, the good thief) or in silence (the bearers of the paralytic, the woman with a hemorrhage who touches his clothes, the tears and ointment of the sinful woman)... Healing infirmities or forgiving sins, Jesus always responds to a prayer offered in faith: "Your faith has made you well; go in peace."
2. It is helpful to examine your conscience and the state of faith, asking "Where would I be?"
   1. In the synagogue criticizing Jesus?
   2. Touching the hem of his garment?
   3. Back at the rear of the crowd, observing but not getting too close?
   4. Hard-headed and oblivious like the Twelve?
   We talked a long time about our own hard-headed moments, like the Twelve.
3. When Jairus' daughter became so ill, the Lord got Jairus' attention like a 2×4. We discussed some of our own 2×4 experiences from the Lord.
4. Is it possible to get closer to the Lord than just touching the hem of his clothes?
5. Throughout the morning, we referred to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, from Isaiah 11:2ff:
   1. wisdom
   2. understanding
   3. counsel
   4. fortitude
   5. knowledge
   6. piety
   7. fear of the Lord
   Even though the individuals in Mark 5 -- the man loosed of demons, the woman cured of hemorrhage, Jairus -- did not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit yet, they still displayed wisdom and fortitude and fear of the Lord.
   

No doubt, these three individuals also came to see their Savior from their hearts burning with love, the best of all the gifts.

Rembrandt, supper at Emmaus (Luke 24)