“Don’t shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him.”
C.S. Lewis
Passage
13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
1 John 5:13–15 (NASB95)
"The hands that created the stars are the same hands that were nailed to the cross for you. Take time to meditate on His great love for you! #yesterday #photooftheday #prayer #twolovers #guahan #guam #devotion #praise #faith #hope #love #likesforlikes #ph" by Lel4nd is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Background
Quote- Clive Staples Lewis, FBA (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University and Cambridge University. He is best known as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, but he is also noted for his other works of fiction, such as The Screwtape Letters and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, including Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. Lewis was a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings.
Passage- The book of 1stJohn is a General Epistle. It is written by the Apostle John around 85-95 A.D. probably from Ephesus. The key personalities are the Apostles Peter and Paul. Its purpose was to warn about the increasing threat of false teachings and to reassure Christians of their faith and love in Jesus Christ.
It was written to combat false teachings that had to do with the denial that Jesus had a genuine human body (1:1). This Gnostic view of matter as being evil led to two responses, asceticism or licentiousness. He very clearly writes to give the true tests of a true Christian. These tests also contradicted the Gnostic licentious approach to Christianity. He gives several means to measure the reality of one’s conversion experience.
Lesson Notes
Opening Statement
According to Haley’s Bible Handbook the word “know” is a key word in this letter from chapter 2 onward. We can know a thing and not do it. We can know a thing and choose to not believe it. But what happens when we begin to doubt our unbelief?
Ask: Do we “know” we have eternal life?
Point: please read the following:
13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:13 (NASB95)
Ask: What does it mean “to know” something?
Point: See Definitions for the English and Greek words “know.”
Ask: Why do we call a conversation with God “prayer?”
Point: “conversations” with people of power typically do not happen unless the one side wants something from the other. These are typically “petitions” before earthly authorities.
Ask: Are there Do’s and Don’ts of prayer?
Point: Yes. Please read the following:
5“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
8“So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:5–8 (NASB95)
Ask: “Don’t be seen asking,” “Ask in secret,” “Don’t pray with meaningless words,” “They suppose they will be heard for their many words.” What do these words of Jesus tell us about prayer?
Point: Let it come from the heart with your own words, your own way, and say what you mean.
Ask: “If I am praying in private how will people see me, “Shine so that through you, others can see Him?”
Point: Please read the following:
5“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
Matthew 6:5 (NASB95)
Ask: So, how do we pray without letting others know but still shine in a way that let’s others see Him through us?
Point: Please read the following:
25“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
26“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
Mark 11:25–26 (NASB95)
Ask: What is another word for “transgressions” and who are these “transgressions” against?
Point: Sin, and sometimes they are against us, but most of the time they are things we see in others that we think God doesn’t like.
Ask: How does all this come together? How is prayer privately, taking Jesus’ hand so that when we shine it is to reflect His glory and not our own?
Point: Please read the following:
24“Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
Mark 11:24 (NASB95)
Ask: Do we have another word for what that scripture from Mark calls us to do?
Point: Yes, Faith.
Closing Statement
This lesson is an excellent example for why you cannot take a single piece of scripture out of context and how everything in scripture works together. The Great Commission calls us to “make disciples of all nations.” Jesus tells us after washing feet to “go and do likewise” meaning serve people. Praying for others is asking God to do a thing for them, sometimes for us too. Jesus clearly tells us how to pray, but also that we must forgive for that prayer to work because if we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us. Lastly, we are told in our prayer we must believe it will come about which is faith. All this is working in tandem to help us take His hand so that we shine reflecting Him to those around us. Our faith is what lets us reflect His love to the world so that it isn’t about us, but about Him. When we successfully make it more about Him than ourselves, that enables someone else to be open to taking His hand and getting back in the boat too.
Questions for the Week
Question 1 Consider your personal faith and the word “know.”
Question 2 How much of what you “know” do you believe as truth?
Question 3 Consider examining what you think you bleieve as truth based on the idea that acting on truth is how we demonstrate we believe a thing.
Question 4 List any and all actions or changes you think you should make in your life based on what you said you believe as “truth” and the decisions you do or do not make based on those truths.
Definitions
know
verb (used with object),knew, known, know·ing.
1. to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty:I know the situation fully.
2. to have established or fixed in the mind or memory:to know a poem by heart; Do you know the way to the park from here?
3. to be cognizant or aware of:I know it.
4. be acquainted with (a thing, place, person, etc.), as by sight, experience, or report:to know the mayor.
5. to understand from experience or attainment (usually followed by how before an infinitive):to know how to make gingerbread.
6. to be able to distinguish, as one from another:to know right from wrong.
7. Archaic. to have sexual intercourse with.
verb (used without object),knew, known, know·ing.
8. to have knowledge or clear and certain perception, as of fact or truth.
9. to be cognizant or aware, as of some fact, circumstance, or occurrence; have information, as about something.
noun
10. the fact or state of knowing; knowledge.
Greek Strong’s Number: 1492 Know
Greek Word: εἴδω
Transliteration: eidō
Phonetic Pronunciation: i’-do
Greek Word: οἶδα
Transliteration: oida
Phonetic Pronunciation: oy’-da
Root: a root word
Cross Reference: TDNT - 5:116, 673
Part of Speech: v
Vine’s Words: Can, Canst, Could, Cannot, Know, Known, Knowledge, Unknown
Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV:
know 281
cannot tell + <G3756> 8
know how 7
wist 6
miscellaneous translations 19
see 314
behold 17
look 6
perceive 5
vr see 3
vr know 1
[Total Count: 667]
a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent <G3700> (optanomai) and <G3708> (horao); properly to see (literal or figurative); by implication (in the perf. only) to know:- be aware, behold, × can (+ not tell), consider, (have) know (-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand, wish, wot. Compare <G3700> (optanomai).
Great lesson today!