This week we are going to be looking deeper at 1 John 5.  Today we’ll be looking at verses 13-21 and what they can mean to our lives:

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14 And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. 16 If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one—to those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal.
18 We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. 19 We know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Today as I read this and thought about what we were told earlier, about sins and death, I kept coming back to thinking about the power of the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin, to challenge us to righteousness, and call us forward into holiness. But I also thought about one of the major ways that the Spirit does this.

Through our relationships.  We need people around us, especially now, to love us, to care for us to pull us, and yes, to hold us accountable.  I hope that I have people in my life to where when I’m sinning are falling far away from God, will pull me closer.  Will check on me.  Will challenge me.  Will call me out. Will help me to walk faithfully.  Will forgive me when I fall and will help me to walk more faithfully. We all need that. I need that.  You need that. We each need that. We need those folks walking beside who will help walk faithfully with God.

That’s how we avoid not just the sin of blasphemy, but all the sins that can destroy us and keep us from walking well. Those who keep us from sin, but also call us forward each moment of each day.

We need each other.  Who are your people?  I have some dear friends that I would not have made it through these last few months without.  Who are your people?  If we want to walk well, we have to have them.

Remember who your people are. And be that kind of person for someone else.

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