Why does John give us this preview of Heaven? Perhaps it is all about Hope, that vital fuel and stimulate necessary for all that we do successfully in life and for Him. It is also the fuel for us to be encouraged so we can encourage others-to prosper and grow in times of stress, suffering, and confusion. He has prepared a place for us; what is more wonderful than that?
When you take a look at our culture, fast food places on almost every corner and countless opportunities to eat whatever you wish, even a committed Christian may never consider Fasting. Yet, one of the classic, Christian aspects of growing deeper in the faith is Fasting.
All have sinned, no one is immune therefore we have no right to judge! Hear is the root cause of sin and their various manifestations to how we as Christians can get caught up in a heinous sin too: Being Judgmental.
One main factor has to and must come into play for us to live the Christian life, as we should with obedience and love. We are to put on Christ and take off ourselves. This means we are to remove our selfish will and pride and mimic His character to the best of our abilities.
We have to realize Christianity has a cost to it. The cost may be big, but we can take comfort it is well worth the cost beyond our understanding!
Is the power and love of God enduring in you? Is your Christian life having results to it? The word "therefore" is referring to the results, conclusions, or applications that are to be in our lives from the reasons given.
The devil wants to get a hold on us so he can attack to discourage and sway us away from God and His ways. Our defense is simple; we are to stand firm in Christ, pray, and allow His work in us and not ours; what we would bring to the table is just fuel for the devil and his ways!
God is calling us to be proactive with our faith so we can grow and be mature. This requires us to be faithful which requires us to submit and to be humble. The result is respect, cooperation, unity, community, and the power of His Fruit at work.
Most Christians ignorantly will state that the law has nothing to do with then since they are under grace. But, according to the Bible, this is not the case!
God does not reject us; rather, it is us who reject Him, He goes out of His way to give us the grace we do not deserve. He gives us His Way, even though we continue to fight against Him by hardening our hearts and rejecting His Truth and precepts.