Everything is summed up in these three books. Everything. That is not to say that we close the cover to the rest of the writings of the Book that has shown us the path of/to Life, as if we can just check off or strike through one of our Bucket List bullets. Rather, we should hunger to know, with salivating soul pangs, everything we can know about the One responsible for the words written in this book referred to as The Scriptures, The Holy Bible, The Word of God, The Bible. Just as so many desire to know their ancestorial beginnings, their 'roots' (searching through public records, web sites, census records, combing through cemeteries, speaking with family elders and acquaintances etc), we should desire even more to know the One who made those beginnings happen in the first place. Wouldn't you agree?
I know very little about my biological roots. My immediate family beginnings were fragmented and fraught with one 'intention' -- survival. There was a time in the past when I desired to sink my rusting spade into the layers of dirt and dust left behind from former generations. Much like an archeologist on the hunt for hidden antiquities, carefully brushing each shard of clay and bone, I would sort through the ancient anals of time, the bones and ashes buried amongst the pillaged, decayed roots of my DNA, a bloodline trailing secrets I would probably not want to know (as well as those which might provoke me to self-righteously pride in so as to offset the putrid odor of lingering shadows screaming out into a scandalous darkness of space and time).
Nope, not going there anymore.
Why run around attempting to pin the tail on a ghostly donkey, all the while blindfolded, having to depend solely on the voices of those telling me to "go left".. "no, right".. "no, straight ahead"; when I can trace the roots of a beginning that began before I was even a spark of light in my mother's womb? And I don't have to be shamed by the acts of generations past or present, because I have been given a new status as an adopted child of the Most High God (Ephesians 1:5).
As His child, how am I to live?
1, 2 and 3 John tells us exactly how we are to live when we say that we are His children. I encourage you to read and study these three books on your own. They are very short and won't take much of your time. But time is eternal and these words are living words and eternal life to our souls. Here is my summary of some of the truths I gained from studying 1,2 and 3 John. Do you agree in spirit and in truth with me, through the spirit of Truth who is given freely to those who call on and believe in the Name of the only begotten Son of God the Father, Jesus the Messiah?
~ Believe in Him
~ Guard His commands
~ Do righteousness and love your brother in Christ
~ Believe in Christ and love one another
~ Love in deed and in truth
~ Possess both Christ and the Father by staying in His teachings
~ The one who is doing good is of God
~ The one who is doing evil has not seen God
~ Stay in Him
~ Stay in Him
~ Stay in Him
And how do we know we stay in Him?
If we BELIEVE in Him, guard His commands and love one another.
And what are His Commands?
That we believe in Jesus/Yeshusa and love one another in deed and in word/truth.
As to our true heritage, the heritage of the one who has chosen to believe in the Name of the only begotton Son of Elohim (Mighty One), guard His commands and love one another:
Hear the Word of the Lord who is faithful, trustworthy and true
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written,
“You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
1Peter 1:3-25 ESV
"imperishable, undefiled and unfading"
These are the ancestorial roots I desire.
The ones we all should desire.
It is enough.
Jesus Christ/Yeshua ha'Mashiah is enough!
Praise Him all who have breath!
Praise Him ALL the earth!
Praise Him!
