Week 7 - Day 4

Day 4: “No Middle Ground” by Mordecai Jasper (ACC Elder) 

Read: 1 John 4:18-21

Review: Living the truth of Jesus in everyday life in John’s day must’ve been very challenging. Life was characterized by ethnic division, hatred, and indifference. Unity and love, when practiced, were likely within ethnic groups and occasionally between individuals from different ethnic groups. The Church likely consisted of more non-Jewish than Jewish Christians resulting in a situation characterized by fear, distrust and apathy rather than love and unity. 

Do fear, distrust, and apathy still divide the Church today? Breaking that divide required an act of God and courage back then and may require the same things today. God’s command to love our brother and sister was not and is not optional. “If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar.” So, what’s the state of the Church today? We either love God and others or we’re liars? There’s no middle ground!

Reflect: How might remembering that we love because God first loved us make it easier for me to love my brothers and sisters? Besides ethnic division, hatred, and indifference, what other stumbling blocks need to be addressed if the Church is to be known for its love and unity?