Wednesday, July 18, 2012

That ye may have fellowship with God.

In 1 John chapters 1-3, we learn from John's teachings that we need to gain fellowship with God and come to know Him. John teaches us several ways that we can have fellowship with God. The following verses teach us ways that we can accomplish this.

1 John 1:8-10
  • recognize our sins
  • confess our sins (repent)

1 John 2:3-6

  • keep God's commandments
  • follow the example of our Savior

1 John 2:9-11; 3:11-19

  • love others
  • help those in need

1 John 2:15-17

  • "love not the world, neither the things that are in the world"
  • keep ourselves from pride

1 John 2:20-21,27

  • we must be taught by the spirit
  • have a testimony of Jesus Christ

1 John 3:4-6

  • we must not continue in sin

As we do the things that John admonishes, we draw closer to God and we invite his spirit to be with us. We can have fellowship with him. As I look at this list and think of how I can implement this counsel in my life to strengthen my relationship with God, I want to focus on loving others. I can implement this in my life by praying for increased love for others as well as for opportunities to serve. I can strive to be more patient with my family and others and try harder to build people up instead of finding their faults. I can also focus on heeding the promptings that come to serve others. All to often I second guess those promptings or fail to act on them and I need to respond quickly and without question when those promptings come to me. I also can be more mindful of others needs and then serve with a joyful heart and a spirit of gratitude that I can share my time and talents with others. The scriptures teach us that in order for us to truly love God, we must love his children. 1 John 4:21 "And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."

To complete this assignment, I read the required verses to make a list of John's teachings.

I chose this assignment because I really liked these verses and it really stood out to me just how important it is for us to draw closer to our Heavenly Father and have that fellowship with him.

The best thing about this assignment was being able to reflect on areas where I can improve and draw closer to God.

I am not sure how this assignment can be improved other than to set goals that will help me focus on my desire to love and serve others and note the changes that happen within myself.

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