NorMel House Devotions

  Read 1 John 2:28 – 3:10 and Romans 6:1 – 14 When you meet someone, how do you identify yourself? Do you say, “I’m a mom of…” or “I’m so and so’s wife…” How do you define yourself? Do you ever say, “I’m a child of God”? For, as John says in 1 John 3:1, “that is what we are!” We are children of God! But how is that possible? We are lawless sinners, but Jesus came to take our sin away (1 John 3: 5). Because He is sinless, we too, are made sinless in God’s eyes. John isn’t saying that the believer’s life is sinless in and of themselves, but rather, the believer’s life is made distinctive by doing what is right. In Christ we have the Holy Spirit who helps us. Satan cannot control believers but will be overcome and destroyed by Christ’s work. Sin is of the devil and Jesus came to destroy “the devil’s work” (1 John 3: 8). As God’s children, we are “born of God” and therefore have His seed (1 John 3:9). Just as children inherit the traits of their parents, so, we too will be like our H...

Read 1 John 2:18-27 Our Bible passage today comes under the heading, "Warning against the anti-christs." John warns the readers that there are already anti-christs in the world. A sense of urgency is apparent through the repeated use of the word "last." Twice in verse 18, he says it is the "last hour." John believed the end of days was already there. He wanted the readers to be alert and prepared so they wouldn't be led astray by false prophets and anti-christs. John called the early Gnostics anti-christs because they denied Christ's humanity. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul also warns against them when he refers to the "man of lawlessness." He warns that there will be a falling away from faith; an active rebellion leading the forces of evil. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus said, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible." Jesus said this while e...

Read 1 John 2:1-17 To "walk in the light" might seem like a strange expression, but John explains what it means in today's text. It's not a literal light, but the light of God and His Word. What is walking in the light? Well, the text tells us that to walk in the light is not to sin but to strive to be obedient to God's Word. You must strive to know God. How does one get to know God? By reading His Word! When we read His Word, we learn that it also means we must strive to live Christ-like lives. The Word of God must live in us; we must not be liars or haters. When we do walk in the light, John tells us that our sins are forgiven because Jesus intercedes for us before the Father. Just as one has an advocate before the judge in court, we have Jesus to go before our heavenly judge. Our love for God will be seen in obedience to Him, and "God's love is truly made complete." John is telling the reader that true light is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the s...

Read 1 John 1:5-10 John writes that God is light. In the beginning, God spoke, and there was light (see Genesis 1:3). He even sent His Son to be a light in this dark world. We sinned and brought the darkness. In John 8:12, Jesus calls Himself the light of the world. Logically speaking, we know you can not be both light and dark. Either light is shining on you, or you are in darkness. John tells us that God is light and we can not have fellowship with Him if we walk in darkness. Ephesians 5:8 says, "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." We know that God is light but Psalm 119:105 tells us that God's Word is also light. "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Our text tells us that walking in the light, as He is, gives us fellowship with one another and gives us the blood of Christ to purify us from sin. Sin is darkness. If we claim to be without sin, we are, as our text says, liars, and ...

Read 1 John 1:1-4 John dives right into the heart of the matter. He starts his letter off by refuting the teachings of the Gnostics. The Gnostics believed that the body, and all physical matter, is evil. Only the Spirit can be good. They denied Christ's humanity, saying that Christ only seemed to be human or that the divine Christ came and was temporarily joined with the man for a short part of His time on earth. John refutes this right away by witnessing Christ's body and life. He tells the reader, "That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life." John calls Christ the Word of Life because He is the source of life and the Supreme ruler over life. John also says this in the book of John, chapter 1: 1-2, where he writes, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." He goes on to a...

Read Ephesians 6:21-24 It's rather interesting that Paul wrote a long letter to the Ephesians without our expected contents. Most letters are written to tell how the writer has been doing and inquire after the readers' well-being. Paul, however, writes a beautiful letter, not to correct an error, as his letters typically do, but to further instruct and teach what God's eternal purpose is, and how we, as Christians, ought to live to that purpose. The letter to the Ephesians reminds the reader several times that our salvation and every good thing are by God's grace alone. In chapter 2:5, he writes, "it is by grace you have been saved." Again in chapter 2:8, he says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Paul does not boast about his own God-given tasks, but three times in Chapter 3, he reminds the reader that it is by God's grace that he was sent to the Gentiles. It's n...

 Read Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul wrote to the Ephesians with many instructions on how we, as Christians, are to live our lives. He comes to the close of the letter addressing how we will be able to live the way he has instructed. Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God, being strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Why? Because we are in the midst of a war! We are fighting spiritual warfare against darkness and the spiritual forces of evil, both here on earth and in the heavenly realms. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says, "For though we walk in the flesh we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." How can we, simple and sinful beings, possibly hope to fight the things we can not even see? Paul tells us to stand firm, to "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." Some believe that Paul had Isaiah 59:17 in mind, as it says ther...