Down an Unfamiliar Road

 NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson I) 09/26/22

^5:1 People who believe that Jesus is the Messiah are God’s children. Anyone who loves the Father also loves the Father’s children.

EXPOSITION

Thomas Pyle (1674-1756) paraphrased verse one this way: “I observed to you before that the truth of Christ’s Messiahship was the rule whereby you are to judge men’s pretenses in religious matters. Keep then to that rule and be assured that denying Jesus to be the real Christ, the Son of God, and Savior of humankind is to deny God the Father, that sent Him into the world for that purpose. And, on the contrary, sincerely to embrace the one is to embrace the other.” ^[1] But that was over 200 years ago. So, a more up-to-date paraphrase renders it: If you believe that Jesus is the Christ – that He is God’s Son and your Savior – then you are God’s child. And all who love the Father love His children too.” ^[2]

The Apostle John begins this chapter by presenting his “test for belief.” You cannot pass this test by simply saying you believe, nor will you meet the requirements needed to complete this test by outlining your declaration or creed of faith. Instead, you must prove that you “practice yourself what you preach” [3] because “saying is one thing and doing is another.” [4]

In today’s world, what John says in verse one is a ridiculous claim. Some people would accuse them of being exclusionary or hostile because they leave no door open for Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, or any Nonchristian getting into the Kingdom of Heaven by their beliefs, misbeliefs, or unbeliefs. In the opening of his Gospel, John announces that God sent two men into the world. One called the WORD, and in Him was a revelation called the “Light” to enlighten the world as to the truth about God; the other was the forerunner of this human Messiah and received the authority to verify who the Light was. As a result, the WORD became better known as Jesus of Nazareth, while the other was known as John the Baptizer.

So, in the Apostle John’s Gospel, we find this clarification, “The true Light was coming into the world. He is the true Light that gives Light to all people. The word was already in the world. The world was made through Him, but the world did not recognize Him. Then, finally, He came to a world that belonged to Him. Some of His people did not accept Him, but some did. They believed in Him, giving them the right to become born of God. They became God’s children, but not in the way babies are usually born. It was not because of any human desire or plan – they were born of God.” ^[5]

The Light and Word came to all humanity so that whoever believed Him to be the Messiah could be given the right to call themselves children of God. So, it doesn’t matter your nationality, ethnicity, culture, race, or religion. If you believe that Jesus the Anointed One is the Son of God and that He came to show you the way to salvation and you follow that way, He will claim you as one of His. But you cannot make this decision yourself. First, the Father in heaven must choose you for that privilege, and then the Holy Spirit will arrive to guide you to the Anointed One, after which your confession of faith in Him will lead to Him accepting you.

When Jesus told His followers that if they doubted He was God’s Anointed One sent from heaven to be the Light of the world, they were free to go and find another path to God. But Peter was quick to point out, “We believe in You. We know that You are the Holy One from God.” ^[6] Thus, John’s theme in his first letter concerns the believer’s love, not just Belief, for God and how they express it by loving others.

To John, this was one of the most important things that would prove a person’s claim of being God’s child. Nowhere does John say we must love the sinner to prove we are God’s children. We can certainly show them mercy and kindness, but we are not required to love them as fellow believers in God’s family. God already loves them, and we cannot do it better than He does. Jesus loves them and proved that on the cross. Can we exceed that?

Nevertheless, we certainly are charged with loving our brothers and sisters in the Anointed One. But unfortunately, one of the most significant roadblocks to the growth of Christianity over the centuries has not been the world’s persecution and hatred but the lack of unity in the Christian community. Thus, John defines his statement concerning brotherly and sisterly love.

The Apostle John readers are not the first to be questioned about who Jesus is. It is one of our Lord’s most earnest discussions with His disciples near the Mount of Transfiguration. Why was this so important? John tells us that God gave the people who believed in Him and accepted Him as the Messiah the right to become God’s children. Many turned away from Jesus because of His challenging teaching; however, He was encouraged to hear Peter’s assurance about who His disciples believed Him to be.

So, when the Apostle Philip witnessed to the Ethiopian Eunuch who asked the Apostle to baptize him, Philip said, “Yes, I will, but only if you believe with all your heart.” And the Eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus the Anointed One is the Son of God.” ^[7] And when the Apostle Paul wrote the Jewish members of the Church in Rome and told them about his heartfelt desire that they too would listen to his message of faith and “openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” ^[8]

Jesus put even more pressure on the subject of true believers loving God and His children when He told them that “The one who hates Me hates My Father also.” ^[9] So you can’t say you love the Father and then hate His Son or His children. But nevertheless, the Apostle James says, “it was a happy day for God when He gave us our new lives through the truth of His Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in His new family.” ^[10]

The Apostle Peter was even more expressive; he wrote, “All honor to God the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One; for it is His boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because the Anointed One rose again from the dead.” Then Peter goes on to tell us why this was so important. He writes, “Now you can have a real love for everyone because your souls have been cleansed from selfishness and hatred when you trusted the Anointed One to save you; so, see to it that you do love each other warmly, with all your hearts, for you have a new life. It was not passed on to you from your parents, for the life they gave you will fade away. This new one will last forever, for it comes from the Anointed One, God’s ever-living message to humanity.” ^[11]

The Apostle John now examines the nature of faith and agápē. They are not separate but joined in word and deed. The Anointed One and other believers are the objects of this divine love. It also involves the witness that we share concerning Him in our lives. Such a witness is necessary to honor Him. It also gives us confidence in our prayers being heard and concerning whom we offer them. Furthermore, faith in the Anointed One is evidence of regeneration that affects the happiness of regenerated Christians and their duty to keep themselves from worshipping idols. It is expressed by those known to be born of God and keep His commandments. And obeying God’s directives is not burdensome. It is simply further proof that we love God.

The first twelve verses of chapter five affirm God’s love, supported by God’s clear testimony about His Son. John shows how the nature of one’s faith gives significance to love. The message of this chapter grows out of the end of chapter four. Spiritual birth rests on the Belief in Jesus as the Messiah. Faith is the only condition for salvation. John refers to Belief three times in this section.[12] He follows this with three pronouncements: Belief’s victory (5:4), Belief’s validity (5:9), and Belief’s vitality (5:11).

The connection between faith and love brings John’s argument to the forefront in this Epistle. It involves love in the family of God. The Greek word Christos (“Christ”) means Messiah, the Anointed One. This title emphasizes His work, especially shedding His blood for our sins and suffering the death penalty.^[13] Gnostic heretics had a problem identifying Jesus with “Christos,” the Messiah. Jesus is not only genuinely human, but He is God Almighty. 

The tense of “is born” means the child of God received spiritual birth at some point in the past. The result was meant to continue permanently. Thank God there are no spiritual abortions. The only condition for salvation is believing in the person and work of the Anointed One for the forgiveness of sins. Many of us add things to salvation according to the church denomination to which we belong. Some say that a person must repent, be baptized, or join a church to receive spiritual birth. It adds conditions to salvation that God does not. God’s only condition for salvation is trust or Belief in Jesus and His work.

John uses Belief and love as partners in a close relationship. Divine life inevitably manifests itself in love for God’s family. Genuine love for God stimulates specific responses to His commandments. If a person loves God, they will love His children.^[14]  The faithful believer loves the Lord and His family because the Lord provides regeneration. Everyone who has faith in God’s Son’s Incarnation is His child, and everyone who loves God loves all of His children. If God loves those who worship Him, they should love each other because they are spiritual brothers and sisters. You cannot love one without the other. Loving other Christians is evidence of the new birth. Every child of God is entitled to each other’s love because they are birthed into the same heavenly household. They are God’s visible representatives on earth. Like-minded Christians are attracted to each other. Therefore, love starts in the visible Church. If we tell a mother that we do not like her children, we will have a problem. Love for the mother and love for her kids are a package deal. We cannot separate faith and love. One is the source of the other.

In addition, if we wish to show love for our unseen God, we should demonstrate it to God’s visible agents, His children, and members of His family. A fellow Christian is worthy of our love because they possess distinguishing features of God’s children. They feature what non-Christians do not have. Love for God shows itself in active love for His children, not just emotional attachment. We love other Christians best when we respond to God’s command to love. Love for God and His children are essentially obedient to God’s instructions. It is not how we feel about God and other believers but how we choose to relate to them.

This first verse is an argument with several premises but one conclusion. First, it goes without saying that believing in the Incarnation involves having been birthed by God’s Spirit. To be born of God includes loving God, and love for God contains loving His children. So, to believe in the Incarnated One requires loving His children. The KJV translation, “that is begotten of Him,” [15] is not to be misunderstood as related to Anointed One alone but should be read, “born of Him.”

[1] Pyle, Thomas: A Paraphrase on Epistles of the New Testament, op. cit., Vol. II, p. 399

[2] The Living Bible

[3] Quote from Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus (254-182 BC), Asinaria, Act 3, Scene 3

[4] Quote from French writer Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) 

[5] John 1:9-13

[6] Ibid. 6:69

[7] Acts of the Apostles 8:36-37

[8] Romans 10:8-9

[9] John 15:23

[10] James 1:18

[11] 1 Peter 1:3, 22-23

[12] 1 John 5:1, 5, 10

[13] Cf. Isaiah 53:5-6

[14] 1 John 4:20-21

[15] Ibid. 5:1b

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SKEPTICS may ask, why don’t people follow the advice of numerous proverbs and maxims of forethought available for centuries? Instead, they conclude that these apply only after some rightful venture has gone “horribly wrong.” When, for instance, a person gambles and loses all they have, including their house, why didn’t they remember the old Scottish proverb, “willful waste leads to woeful want?” However, it wouldn’t have done much good because of the gambler’s greed. So, are the maxims of morality useless because people disregard them? For Christians and Jews, the Book of Proverbs is a great example. Yet, what about other religions and philosophers?

British religious poet Francis Quarles (1592-1644) once said: “In the height of thy prosperity expect adversity but fear it not. If it comes not, thou art the more sweetly possessed of the happiness thou hast and the more strongly confirmed. If it comes, thou art the more gently dispossessed of the happiness thou hadst, and the more firmly prepared.”

This has the familiar ring of the Apostle Paul’s advice: “This precious treasure – this light and power that now shine within us – is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not ours. We are often pressed on every side by troubles but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit. We are constantly being hunted, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).

I’m sure all of you know that no matter what happens in your life that alters your course for a moment, it can be taken with either a negative or positive viewpoint. Unfortunately, many see it negatively unless it is meant to make you happy. Nevertheless, some people have been very disappointed with birthday or Christmas gifts. There’s one where a girl’s father gave her a car for graduation, but her reaction was negative because it wasn’t her favorite color.

So we can see that negative thinking and poor body image can seriously affect your life. You end up feeling tired, anxious, discouraged, or even depressed. But there is no reason to become a prisoner of negative thinking, feel more secure in your identity in God, and be less vulnerable to negative emotions. It may not be easy and require some of the most challenging mental work you will ever do. But in the end, you will be on the road to feeling better about the person God created you to be so you can do what He calls you to do.

There is a theme attached to negative emotions people have been experiencing. They include Anxiety, Discouragement, Fearfulness, Frustration, Low self-esteem, and others. But how can this be? Aren’t God’s people supposed to live victorious lives because Jesus has overcome the world? Unfortunately, most people know that message mentally but do not allow it to reach their hearts.

Let this impact your mind: “The thoughts on which you abide determine the world in which you reside.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if your old ways of thinking were wiped out when you accepted Jesus as your Savior? But that doesn’t happen. You may still hear critical voices from the past, anxiety about your present circumstances, or fear of the future.

This revelation explains how God’s people can be in just as much bondage as people of the world. As God’s child, you were never meant to live under mental oppression unless you remain a slave of our sinful tendencies. To cope with this, the Apostle Paul tells us we must knock down every tower of proud ideas that raises itself against what God’s Word tells us. We should also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Jesus the Anointed One who guides you in overcoming these issues (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Thus, we learn that negative self-talk should not be allowed to roam freely in your mind where it can wreck your life; you are “called” to actively take those thoughts as prisoners by the power of God’s Word. That takes work and patience, and yes, it takes time. But the effort is worth it because it keeps you from settling in Negativville.

Just imagine if all Christians would take this instruction to heart and put it into practice. We would bear the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The world would see something different about us and want to know our secret. That would open the door for us to tell our unconverted neighbors and co-workers, even some family members, about Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)!

If you believe in that vision, try joining others in a 40-day challenge to transform negative self-talk into positive thinking using God’s Word.[1] Remember again: ensure that the world you live in is consistent with the abundant life that Jesus has for you! Be blessed with health, healing, and wholeness.

Courtesy of Kimberly Taylor:

Christian therapist for living fit, healthy, and empowered in Christ.

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[1] https://mintools.com/maintain-perspective.pdf.

When I was very young, I heard older people talk about a little horse named “Black Beauty.” It seemed to be some sort of icon that illustrated being polite. When I finally read the book, one portion struck me: the colt Black Beauty told the story about his mother’s advice: “I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say to you. The colts here are outstanding, but they are cart-horse colts, and of course, they have not learned manners. You have been well-bred and well-born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won the cup two years at the Newmarket races; your grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I think you have never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up gentle and good and never learn bad ways; do your work with a good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even in play.”[1]

That gave the word “beauty” a new context for me. When used for people, we often equate it with physical attractiveness or when used for objects, their design, and function. However, at first-glance, says Dale Archer, a board-certified Psychiatrist, when we meet someone new, our first impression is about looks; only later do things such as personality, intellect, and character start to take on meaning. In collecting data from several countries and cultures, researchers found that beauty is absolutely connected with success – well, at least financial success.

Then, Amy Alkon, who writes a weekly advice column titled, Ask the Advice Goddess, mentions that a vast body of evidence indicates that men and women are biologically and psychologically different and that what heterosexual men and women want in partners directly corresponds to these differences. The features men tend to go for in women – youth, clear skin, a symmetrical face, a shapely body, feminine facial features, an hourglass figure – indicate that a woman would be a healthy, fertile candidate to pass on a man’s genes. These preferences span borders, cultures, and generations, meaning yes, there really are universal standards of beauty.

Most women, says Amy, prefer men who are taller than they are, with symmetrical features. But women across cultures are intent on finding male partners with high status, power, and access to resources – meaning a short guy can add a foot to his height with a private jet, thus looking very handsome.

But broadcast and podcast expert Dr. Rebecca Ray offers that the Psychology of Beauty can be expressed in five ways: 1) Set your own beauty standards. Establish what makes you feel beautiful. You get to wear what makes you feel good. You get to use beauty to honor yourself and how it fits you. 2) Choose the voices you prefer. Listen to the women who lead the charge for authenticity, body positivity, self-acceptance, holistic beauty, and eliminate ridiculous and unattainable standards. 3) Let go of judgment (on yourself and others). All too often, we buy into the media’s rigid expectations about what beauty means and judge ourselves and others when we don’t live up to their expectations. Your beauty is your business. 4) Choose a gentle path to self-approval. The inner voice we are most familiar with is usually the voice that’s critical and condemning, especially when it comes to body image and appearance. Instead, try going gentle on yourself. Try getting in touch with the kind and soft voice inside you. After all, if self-criticism worked, we would all be perfect by now. 5) Practice self-acceptance. Practice accepting yourself for everything you are rather than attacking yourself for everything you’re not. Perfection is impossible, and attempting to attain it is a guaranteed way to feel bad about yourself. That way, you can improve yourself according to the standards you choose.

Simran Khurana, Human resource development and management consultant, stated: Whenever you see a vibrant flower or a peacock majestically strutting his colorful plumes, revere the beauty of nature. Beauty is everywhere. Appreciate the beauty around you while beauty is still in its prime. He offers some notable quotes about beauty.

Joseph Addison: “There is nothing that makes its way more directly to the soul than beauty.”

Leo Tolstoy: “It is amazing how complete the delusion is that beauty is goodness.”

Edmund Burke: “Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone.”

John Keats: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”

Henry David Thoreau: “The perception of beauty is a moral test.”

Saint Augustine: “Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.”

But as Christians, what does the Bible say about beauty?

When Samuel was frustrated over King Saul’s behavior and attitude, the Lord told him, “Do not look on his being handsome or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

The Tabernacle choir director heard King David say these words and made them into a hymn. “I praise you, for I am awesomely and beautifully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14)

King Lemuel’s mother spoke these words: “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who reverences the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30)

King Solomon, as a preacher, said that “God has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The Apostle Peter advised, “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on jewelry, beautiful clothes, or hair arrangement. Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit that is precious to God.” (1 Peter 3:3-4)

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[1] Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, published in 1877, Part I, Chapter 1

No doubt you watch the daily weather report, primarily when alerts are issued. However, women’s motivational speaker Kimberly Taylor said she woke up one morning with a weird word on her mind: “barometer.” Although she heard the word in weather reports, she didn’t know what it meant. Then, she felt the Spirit compelling her to look up the meaning. What she learned was a logical idea to share with those who often experience emotional storms – overwhelmed with depression, anger, anxiety, or other negative emotions. A barometer measures pressure in the atmosphere.

When the atmospheric pressure is high in your area, that means fair weather because the atmospheric wind downdraft can resist stormy weather patterns trying to move into where you live. But when the atmospheric pressure is low, bad weather can come into your area because of the wind updraft, and storms take the path of least resistance.

She received the spiritual insight that the only way to overcome emotional storms is to keep the atmospheric pressure inside yourself high by being packed by the downflow of the Holy Spirit. That way, when tensions are high in your external circumstances, you will be able to overcome them because they can’t get inside you. After all, He has already filled you! You are a new creation in the Anointed One, and Jesus lives out His life through you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul gives us a picture of our new character. He says, God has chosen you and made you part of His holy people. He loves you. So, your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Don’t be angry with each other but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. Together with these things, the essential part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. 

Let the peace that Jesus the Anointed One gives control your thinking. The Spirit chose you to be together in one body peacefully. And always be thankful. Let the teaching of Jesus the Anointed One live inside you comfortably. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Let everything you say bring glory and honor to Jesus, your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus (Colossians 3:12-17).

So, from now on, think of your feelings as a barometer. When you are full of the Spirit, you are full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), which describes this Spiritual fruit Jesus said glorifies God. But when you are spiritually low, you are habitually worried, troubled, fearful, doubtful, depressed, jealous, prone to anger, selfish, envious, and lack self-control (Galatians 5:19-21). These thunderstorms carry the sinful works that cause hurricanes and tornados because those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit!

When you feel this way, check your attitude. When you experience negative emotions, you will feel the tension in your body. Unfortunately, the enemy will often use this tension to move you to practice addictive habits. It’s like a puppet on a string! So, when you feel tense, consciously relax your body to release that tension. The more relaxed you are, the harder you make it for the enemy to pull on you!

Retreating to the shelter of the Most-High (Psalm 91:1), praying, meditating on His word, and speaking it to yourself throughout the day keep the spiritual pressure inside you high so you can resist emotional storms. Spiritual disciplines also inspire you to praise and worship Him. When praise and worship fill your heart, you will know that your Spiritual atmospheric pressure is high enough to endure and survive any storms that may come your way.

You can start practicing this principle every day. As you stay filled with the Spirit and let Him be your Guide, you will live a victorious life. You will also draw others to Jesus because they will see your difference and want your peace!

SKEPTICS may ask, why don’t people follow the advice of numerous proverbs and maxims of forethought available for centuries? Instead, they conclude that these apply only after some rightful venture has gone “horribly wrong.” When, for instance, a person gambles and loses all they have, including their house, why didn’t they remember the old Scottish proverb, “willful waste leads to woeful want?” But didn’t the gambler know this well-worn saying from earlier years? However, it wouldn’t have done much good. So, are the maxims of morality useless because people disregard them? For Christians and Jews, the Book of Proverbs is a great example. Yet, what about other religions and philosophers?

For example, German poet Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773-1853) once wrote:

“HE is not dead who departs this life with high fame; dead is he, though living, whose brow is branded with infamy.”

Sounds very familiar to the Apostle Paul’s message:

“You were spiritually dead because of your sins and not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins” Colossians 2:13.

We all know how it feels when something precious to us gets broken. Maybe there is some cherished memory, friend, object, or relationship that seems to disintegrate for no reason. Perhaps you felt as if something got broken in your life – either something within you or something in your circumstances?

When this happens, we often develop destructive habits, like emotional eating, as a reaction to brokenness. We do it hoping that such an unfamiliar habit can soothe our hurt feelings. And perhaps it does relieve the pain or grief for a little while – making us forget the brokenness. But sooner or later, those jagged pieces “cut” us again.

Before we know it, we get caught up in a destructive cycle; trying to escape that pain of brokenness to that something we hope will make us feel whole.

King David described this feeling well in Psalm 38:8:

“I am exhausted and completely crushed.

My groans come from an anguished heart” (New Living Translation NLT).

If you feel something broken in your life keeps driving you back to harmful behavior, here’s a prayer I read that may help you start the healing process.

This prayer contains the thoughts of two scriptures:

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a repentant spirit” (Psalm 34:18). New Living Translation

God is high and lifted up. He lives forever. His name is holy. He says, “I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and sorry for their sins. I will give new life to those who are humble in spirit. I will give new life to those who are sorry for their sins” (Isaiah 57:15). Easy to Read Version.

To receive the Lord’s help when you are broken is to first recognize that you cannot repair yourself.

Many people are enslaved to corroding habits because they refuse to admit they need help. Their pride prevents them from doing so.

They treasure having a “golden image” of self-sufficiency and looking strong before others while falling apart inside. Yet, underneath it all, they live under the fear of being “found out.”

But freedom and healing will come when you cease worshipping the ego’s golden image and get real. You agree with God that destructive habit is not good. You are ready to submit your heart to Him for healing so you can be truly whole. It is of no benefit to you and may result in more brokenness.

Here is a prayer for you:

“Gracious Heavenly Father, in the compassionate name of Jesus, I am so grateful to you that You saved me from my sins! You said my sinful tendencies should have no dominion over me, for I am not under law but grace. I need your blessing so I can walk in freedom every day.

You welcome those who have a broken spirit and a broken and repentant heart. So, heavenly Father, let me come boldly into your throne room and stay there to receive Your mercy and to find grace to help me in my time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Lord, I am weak and broken in my heart, mind, soul, and body.

I recognize You as the One who heals the brokenhearted and binds up our wounds. I honor You as the Repairer of the Breach. Make me whole in You. Fill me with your comfort and your peace.

I am Your child, Your handiwork. I renounce the broken cisterns I’ve run dry in my life, those worthless things that can hold no water. Instead, I turn to You in my brokenness, the Fountain of Living Waters. You promised that those who come to You would have access to an everlasting spring – waters that will never fail. These waters will revive me and refresh others.

I believe Your word. Each day, perfect me in Your love. I know it is only Your perfect love that will cast out fear. As You heal me, make me a channel of blessing so that I may share with others the healing that You have worked out in me.

Thank You for saving me, Lord. Thank You for giving me a new vision beyond my pain, a new life that is complete – one that is healthy, healed, and whole in You!”

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Here’s a little insight into the mysteries of 1 John 5: We know that the Apostle John was fond of tests. We find ten of them in Chapter five.

The test of belief

The test of love

The test of believers

The test of divine unity

The test of God’s Son

The test of truth

The test of prayer

The test of sin

The test of antichrist

The test of Christian identity

I believe you will enjoy discovering how the tests work and what they reveal.

I can hardly wait to get started; I hope you are too.

Have you ever been told to be more assertive? In the Oxford Dictionary, assertiveness is defined as direct, firm, positive – and, when necessary, persistent – action intended to promote equality in person-to-person relationships. In Psychology Today magazine, we read that assertiveness is a social skill that relies heavily on effective communication while simultaneously respecting the thoughts and wishes of others. People who are assertive clearly and respectfully communicate their wants, needs, positions, and boundaries to others.

There’s no question of where they stand, no matter what the topic. Individuals with high assertiveness don’t shy away from defending their points of view or goals or trying to influence others to see their side. They are open to both compliments and constructive criticism. People can improve their assertiveness through practical exercises and experience.

An assertive person communicates their wishes clearly and sets boundaries but does not make demands of others or lash out at unmet requests. Being assertive allows someone to make overtures to others and stand up for themselves or others non-aggressively. It can also protect them from bullies and other social predators. But keep in mind, sometimes insisting on helping someone out may seem appropriate assertiveness, but to the other person, it could be taken as unwanted interference and lack of trust in their ability.

From a cognitive standpoint, assertive people experience fewer anxious thoughts, even when under stress. From a behavioral perspective, assertive people are firm without being rude. They react to positive and negative emotions without becoming aggressive or resorting to passivity. People unable to assert themselves may experience sensitivity to criticism, extreme passivity, insecurity, anxiety, or even low self-esteem. Sometimes they are treated like emotional doormats whose needs always come second. In extreme cases, they may completely lose sight of what they need and want in life.

Dr. Jeremy Sutton, a writer, and researcher, studying the human capacity to push physical and mental limits, tells us that we all seek different outcomes in life. For example, one employee wants a vacation, another a raise, and someone else wants flexible working hours to spend more time with their family. Assertiveness is crucial when our desired outcomes compete with others. It affects how hard we push to get what we want and varies with time, context, and experience. Whether we concede ground or identify creative solutions that accommodate others’ needs can be down to our degree of assertiveness.

Being assertive or responsive enables the individual to influence others effectively; this could be as simple as providing information or an answer clearly, asking questions, backing up answers with solid reasons, or being persuasive. Conversely aggressive, and passive behaviors such as sarcasm, patronizing, putting yourself down, and avoidance are ultimately self-defeating. They damage the individual and the surrounding people.

Psychologist Joaquin Selva is a behavioral neuroscience researcher and scientific editor. He explains that assertiveness is a behavior used to express one’s needs in a healthy, prosocial manner. Being assertive can be beneficial in various social settings, although there can also be consequences to being excessively assertive. While some people are naturally more assertive, you can quickly learn to be assertive without being offensive.

This last point about equality is vital, as being assertive is about securing what one feels is fair, not simply manipulating people into giving one what they want. Assertiveness is a “stable and distinctive individual characteristic by which healthy and unhealthy persons may be distinguished.”

Assertive behaviors can be proactive or reactive as well as verbal or nonverbal so that one can assert themselves in many ways. Some examples of exercising assertiveness at work could include asking one’s boss for a raise, asking a coworker to do their share of a project, or simply not allowing someone to interrupt.

Assertiveness is similar to aggression, but there is a significant difference. Assertiveness involves “standing up for one’s rights without infringing upon those of others.” In contrast, aggression involves “the use of noxious stimuli to maintain rights.” The difference is that assertive people seek rights to put them on an equal footing with others, while aggressive people seek more rights. This distinction shows why assertiveness is a healthy, prosocial behavior while aggression is not.

Some literature considers aggressive behaviors to be a subset of assertiveness rather than a distinct behavior. Although, in these cases, aggression is considered “over-assertiveness,” there remains a distinction between aggression and the optimal amount of assertiveness. This difference is also defined as “aggressive assertiveness” and “adaptive assertiveness.”

Studies show, for instance, that more assertive nursing students scored higher on a “psychological empowerment” measure defined in terms of sense of meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. Nursing students have also demonstrated a positive relationship between assertiveness and self-esteem. These benefits do not come from constantly acting assertively. However, it is essential to be assertive “in situations where the issue [is] important and when confrontation [is] agreeable,” but it is also important to be less assertive “in situations where the issue [is] unimportant and confrontation [is] not appropriate.”

Minimal assertiveness can lead to low achievement in work, while maximal assertiveness can hurt social relationships. In other words, the most significant benefits of assertiveness come from knowing when to be assertive rather than always being assertive and knowing how assertive one should be. Assertiveness can also serve as a protective factor. In some women who had just given birth, having higher levels of assertiveness meant they were less likely to develop postpartum depressive symptoms. While these findings are contingent upon the participant’s level of “cognitive flexibility,” they still show that being assertive can help one during negotiations and be a valuable trait to have in general.

Then Lucia Grosaru, editor of Psychology Corner, offers that a person whose thoughts and actions are guided by assertive principles can openly express their opinions, feelings, needs, and desires while acting according to chosen objectives and goals while at the same time respecting the views, feelings, needs, wants, dreams, and goals of others.

Basic principles linked to Assertiveness include the following:

• Knowingly claiming your rights while at the same time respecting the rights of others.

• Having the ability to set and respect personal boundaries.

• Recognizing and assigning value to yourself and others. 

• Awareness of your strengths and vulnerabilities and, at the same time, recognizing the strengths of others and treating their vulnerabilities in a considerate manner.

• Realizing you are in control of your own life. You are also aware that others have the right and skills to control their own lives.

• Taking an active role in guiding your life.

• Being guided by a sense of equality and seeking to promote equity in social interactions.

• Acknowledging responsibility for your actions and understanding the limits of that responsibility. You also understand that others are responsible for their actions.

But what does God’s Word say about assertiveness?

King David made it clear, “Yahweh is our Light and our Protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who assert right living” (Psalm 84:11-12). And his son, King Solomon, added: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as assertive as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1). So, we can see why after Jeremiah the prophet said told God he didn’t think he was able to communicate what God wanted the people to hear, the LORD would tell him, “Don’t say I’m just a child, for you will go wherever I send you and speak whatever I tell you to. Be assertive for I, the Lord, will be with you and see you through” (Jeremiah 1:7-8).

Then when Jesus came, He had a similar message for His disciples and others who followed Him. You’ve heard the old saying, “Love your friends and hate your enemies.” But I have news for you, be assertive and love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will act as your heavenly Father’s faithful children (Matthew 5:43-45).

Later, Jesus was very assertive, warning that no one can become my disciple unless they first sit down and count their blessings – and then renounces them all for me. After all, what good is salt that has lost its saltiness? Flavorless salt is fit for nothing – not even for fertilizer. It isn’t worth anything and must be gotten rid of. Think hard if you want to understand what I just said (Luke 14:33-35).

The Apostle Paul was also conscious of assertiveness as a virtue. He advised believers to stop being untruthful to each other, be assertive, tell the truth, for we are parts of each other, and when we are dishonest with each other, we hurt ourselves (Ephesians 4:25). 

But it was our Lord’s Great Commission that should serve as our reason for being assertive when He charged His followers to go out and train everyone they meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19).

Kimberly Taylor is a certified Christian life coach with a heart for helping others struggling with various disorders. Once 240 pounds and a size 22, she can testify of God’s goodness and healing power to overcome. She lost 85 pounds due to implementing techniques through the management of Biblical principles.

She shares with us some of the healthiest daily habits to practice, telling us that she suffered from a severe bout with depression years ago. Yet, in the midst of it, the Lord challenged her with a verse found in Psalm 119:164: “Seven times a day I praise you because your laws are fair.” So, He impressed upon her to get a journal and write down seven things each day for which she was thankful. He further challenged her to do it each day for thirty days. She did. And by the end of that thirty days, she was happier and more peaceful than she had ever been! That depression lifted. If it ever tries to come back, she now knows how to resist it with gratitude – one of the healthiest habits.

Kimberly says it now seems that science is just catching up with God’s Word. For instance, a psychologist once studied people who suffered from depression and other neurotic disorders. He discovered that they all had one thing in common. They were all fault finders.

They focused on the worst within themselves, in other people, or in their life situations. However, praise and thankfulness are God’s will for His people. Listen to what the Apostle Paul tells us: “Therefore, whatever happens, always be grateful” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This is how God wants us to live in the Anointed One, Jesus.

Kimberly adds that she believes many who suffer from emotional issues can take comfort in the words of the prophet Isaiah. He prophesied that the “Comforter God would send will provide for those who mourn, giving them garlands instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit, so that they will be called oaks of righteousness planted by ADONAI, in which He takes great pride” (Isaiah 61:1-3 – Complete Jewish Bible).

Think about this: You must choose what clothes to wear daily. They don’t just magically appear on your body! So, set your heart on praise and thanksgiving each day, which is one of the healthiest habits. Then, try it every day for thirty days and see if it doesn’t help you on your health journey! I am sure you will agree it is the healthiest thing you can do daily.