Blog 3 January 2024 1 John 2:29-3:6

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Please read this passage before reading the homily.

God is righteous.  A Biblical person hearing this would agree because righteousness is based on right relationships.  The righteous God will judge rightly and those who judge rightly show that they, like God, have right relationships and relate to other people correctly.  God does not take sides according to God’s personal preferences as we often do but, rather, judges according to what is true and right.  God cannot be bribed; we can be.

Those who are God-like judge according to God’s standards.  These are born of God and so are called children of God.  Eventually these will see God as God is.  When we are angry, we tend to withhold ourselves from those with whom we are angry; God will not do this for us but will let us see (the smile on) God’s face.

Righteousness is the sign of our good relationship with God.  Lawlessness is a sign that we are of a different family, one that has the devil as its head.  Just as those who act righteously show themselves to be children of God, so those who do lawlessness show themselves children of the devil.  God has anointed us with God’s own word, and this is the basis of our righteousness. It comes from God, not from ourselves.

Those who commit sins commit lawlessness, do those who live righteously do righteous things.  Our righteous God has called us into righteousness.  Let us follow the advice of John and live righteously, after the manner of God, not after the manner of our own thinking.