The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 356: God Is Love (2023)

Episode Date: December 22, 2023

Today Fr. Mike reminds us that God created us out of love, for love. Fr. Mike also points out where the Catholic Church draws her doctrine on the difference between mortal and venial sin, as well as what St. Paul means when he teaches that there is only "one mediator" between God and man. Today's readings are 1 John 4-5, 1 Timothy 1-3, and Proverbs 30: 24-28. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

1 Timothy 1, 2, 3 is day 356. We're reading from the second half of 1 John, if that makes any sense, 1 John chapter four and five, as well as 1 Timothy chapters one, two, and three. We're also reading from Proverbs chapter 30 verses 24 through 28. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the revised standard version, second Catholic edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. You can also subscribe to this podcast for the final few days of this 365. But you know, when you take another lap around the sun, that download could be really helpful at ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. Also subscribing could be helpful. I'm not sure. It's up to you. It's your life.

Live it for the Lord. It is day 356. We're reading 1 John chapters 4 and 5, 1 Timothy chapters 1, 2, and 3, as well as Proverbs chapter 30, verses 24 through 28. The first letter of John, chapter 4, testing the spirits. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already.

Little children, you are of God and have overcome them. For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore, what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. God is love. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his own spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,

God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. In this is love perfected within us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear

has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also. Chapter 5. Faith Conquers the World Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the one begotten by him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Testimony concerning the Son of God. but with the water and the blood. And the spirit is the witness because the spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses, the spirit, the water, and the blood. And these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his son. He who believes in the son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son.

And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life. He who has not the Son of God has not life. Epilogue I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God has not life. Epilogue I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence which we have in him,

that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. If anyone sees his brother committing what is not a deadly sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not deadly. There is sin which is deadly. I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not deadly. We know that anyone born of God does not sin, but he who was born of God keeps him

and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God and the whole world is in the power of the evil one. And we know that the son of God has come and has given us understanding to know him who is true. And we are in him who is true in his son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

The first letter of Paul to Timothy. Chapter 1. Salutation. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope. To Timothy, my true child in the faith. grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Warning against false teachers. As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus, that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the divine training that is in faith. Whereas the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart

and a good conscience and sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions. Now we know that the law is good, if anyone uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just,

but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, immoral persons, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. Gratitude for mercy. I thank him who has given me strength for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service. Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him, but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our

Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure, and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who are to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. This charge I commit to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophetic utterances which pointed to you that inspired by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made a shipwreck of their faith.

Among them, Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Chapter 2. Instructions Concerning Prayer. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings, and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectable in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle. I am telling the truth, am not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. Also, that women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire, but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion. Let a woman learn in silence, with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men. She is to keep silent. For Adam was

formed first, then Eve. and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet woman will be saved through bearing children if she continues in faith and love and holiness with modesty. Chapter 3. Qualifications of Bishops. The saying is sure. If anyone aspires to the office of bishop, The saying is sure. If anyone aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task. Now, a bishop must be above reproach,

the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way. For if a man does not know how must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way. For if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for

God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Qualifications of Deacons Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, and let them also be tested first. Then, if they prove themselves blameless, let them serve as deacons.

The women likewise must be serious, no slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husband of one wife, and let them manage their children and their households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves, and also great confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. The mystery of our religion. I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion.

He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among The book of Proverbs chapter 30 verses 24 through 28. Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise. The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer. The badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the rocks. The locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank. The lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in king's palaces. Father in heaven, we give you praise. We thank you so much for this day. Thank you, gosh, Lord, for continuing to walk with us, continue to guide us and feed us with your word

and shape us by your truth. We ask you to please help us to love, help us to love, help us to love. You are love. You have loved us first and we give you praise. As you put that love into our hearts, us first and we give you praise. As you put that love into our hearts, help us to love in return and love in response as you do. As you've loved us, help us to love the people around us. As you've loved us, help us to love you yourself. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As I told you, St. John, he's all about love. This is the key. How many times has James said in today's readings that God is love? These three words, God is love. We already noted that the catechism highlights that Jesus reveals the innermost secret of God. And the innermost secret of God is that God is an eternal exchange

of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We know that God himself is not simply a monolith, right? God is a unity, but he's a trinity of persons. That love is not what God does. Love is who God is. And so here we are made in God's image and likeness, which means that we are made for love. And what does John say? We love because he first loved us.

This is so incredible. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. This is chapter four, verse 18. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. This is chapter four, verse 18. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. We love, again, as I said, we love because he first loved us. This is so important for us, that you were loved first, that he loved you first.

Before anything else, sometimes people can resent the fact. I mean, I've talked with a lot of people who have said, you know, I never asked God to make me. I never asked God to have a life. I've never asked God to exist. And they resent God because pain has done something to them. You know, it's done a number on their hearts. And yet at the same time, why did God make them not for pain? He made them for love. And we have to respond to that love. Of course, we don't just receive it. And that's true. We do receive God's love, but we don't just receive that love. As John points out, the way to love God is to obey his commandments. We have to love our neighbor, of course, by taking care of our neighbor, but we love God by obeying his commandments. And he says in chapter five, this is the love of God that we

keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. And that is so critical for us. Remember, we heard that yesterday. I kind of anticipated today's reading where John says, he who does not love his brother, whom he sees cannot truly love the God whom he does not see. And so we have to love our neighbor. That's one way we love God. The other way we love God is through worship. The other way we love God is through obedience, the obedience to his commands. And that is, that's the test. And that's why I just say, God, please help me. Please help me. Now, at the end of John's first letter here, he talks about different kinds of sins. Now, one, some people wonder like, wait, you Catholics talk about different kinds of sins. Now, some people wonder, like,

wait, you Catholics talk about things like mortal sins and venial sins. And where do you get that idea? Well, we get it right from here, right from 1 John chapter 5, where John says, we know that all wrongdoing is sin, but there is such a thing as deadly sin, and there is such a thing as sin that is not deadly. Deadly is aka mortal, mortal sin, and venial is aka not deadly. And so that is where we get that doctrine of the difference between mortal and venial sin. Going into the first letter of Paul to Timothy, what's going on? You know, Timothy, remember Timothy? He had a grandmother and a mother who were faithful. His father was a Greek. And so when Timothy was converted, when Timothy was baptized, Paul also circumcised him.

And he considered Paul to be his father and spiritual father. And definitely Paul considered Timothy to be his spiritual son. He heard that there were some issues going on in the church of Ephesus. And so Paul sent Timothy to go correct them. Timothy was a fellow journeyman, fellow apostle, essentially, kind of an understudy, maybe a mentee or a disciple of Paul. Paul was the disciple or Paul was the mentor. And so Paul sent Timothy to Ephesus to correct some things that were going on.

There were some wrong teachings. And that's what he addresses right away in the first letter of Paul to Timothy. Right away, he says, I want to warn you against those false teachers and certain good persons even. People have a good conscience, the pure heart, but sometimes what can happen is there are people who are turned aside, turned aside from following the Lord Jesus by these false teachers. And then he goes on. I love this, uh, his gratitude for his mercy, because here's Paul who recognizes that he has been definitely the recipient of God's love and recipient of God's mercy.

He says, I am the foremost of sinners, but I received mercy for this reason, that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who are to believe in him for eternal life. That's one of the things, you know, sometimes our models are flawless. And that's a fake model. That's a fake prototype because no one is flawless except the Lord alone, right? No one is perfect except the Lord alone. Paul was able to say, actually, God used me as the foremost of sinners to be an apostle. Why? So that those other people, he actually just listed before this, listed ungodly and sinners, murderers, immoral persons, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, this whole thing.

All those people, they can have hope because Paul is saying, I was the worst. And here you have hope now because look what God has done in me as the worst, what he can do for you because what he's done for me, he can do for you in an even greater. Now, Paul does mention two people, Himenaeus and Alexander. He says, by rejecting conscience, certain persons have made a shipwreck of their faith, which is true. We can lose our salvation. And this is one of the reasons why St. Paul says, work out your salvation and fear and trembling. We know this. Jesus even says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my

father. And so we recognize that even Paul says, these people have made a shipwreck of their faith by rejecting conscience. And so we can, we can lose that. Paul also instructs them to pray for all people, especially those who are over them in authority in some way. A couple of things. Paul also notes in chapter two, verse 3 and 4, it says, This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. That is absolutely clear, that God does not predestine anyone to hell. God has made every human being to belong to him.

God did not make death. We already heard that. He does not rejoice in the destruction of the living. We also hear in 1 Timothy that God, our Savior, desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. He never predestines. He never creates someone for hell. He actually creates everyone for heaven. We get to choose whether we choose heaven or not. It goes on in verse 5, for there is one God and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all. This is really important because we recognize there's only one way to the father and the

one way to the father is Jesus Christ. He is the one mediator between God and man. There's no other way. There's no way to reconciliation with God other than Jesus Christ. And this is so important, especially as we're coming to an end of this 365 days, is we've journeyed from the very beginning of the story to this point. And what was the whole point of the story? Was God trying to draw people to himself, trying to call them to trust him? And he's saying, let me be the mediator between me and you, essentially. And that is in Jesus Christ. Now, sometimes people say, because there's only one mediator between God and man, you

don't need to go through anyone else in any other situation, any other, like, for example, why do you have to confess your sins to a priest or anything like that? Because there's only one mediator. Why do you pray to saints? Because there's only one mediator. And we say, of course, the one who actually mediated our salvation is the one human being and God himself, Jesus Christ. So God and man in Jesus is the one

mediator who established this, as he says, who gave himself as a ransom for all. Without that, yeah, completely, there's no such thing as reconciliation. There's no such thing as salvation. But Paul isn't saying that no one else mediates, right? Because we do that all the time. Paul even says to, in his letters, he says, hey, pray for me. What is praying for someone other than mediating on their behalf? Also, even think about this, baptism. Now, sometimes people have a, you know, they have a little burr in their saddle when it comes to confession.

You guys have to go through a priest to have God forgive your sins? Well, no, but that's how Jesus set it up when he said to his apostles, receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you forgive are forgiven. Those whose sins you hold bound are held bound. Jesus set it up this way. But also think about baptism. No one in the history of Christianity has ever baptized themselves. There's always salvation coming through baptism, as Peter wrote, salvation mediated through the ministry of another human being. So we recognize that this, yes, there is one mediator between God and man, who is the only one who brought humanity and divinity back into reconciliation. That doesn't

mean that we don't have a role in helping other people come to know Jesus or else why would I even be reading this podcast? Because right now I'm mediating God's word to you by reading it out loud into a microphone. And it's being mediated to you by this whole team at Ascension who are putting together this podcast. So keep this in mind. There is one mediator between God and man, the man, Jesus Christ, because without him, without God himself incarnate, fully God and fully man, there's no salvation. But God shares this role of mediation. He shares this role of bringing others to him with his children because he loves us that much.

Does that make sense? Hopefully it does. Last little note, qualifications of bishops and qualifications of deacons. I think sometimes, sorry, last two notes. People say, wait a second, you just said that bishops and deacons are married. Yep. In the early church, there were married deacons. There are married bishops. The apostles, a lot of them are married. Here's Paul, who's not married. And so there's no rule about that. Just as Catholics, we are accustomed to our priests and bishops not being married,

which is completely normal too. That's a development that happened in the history of the church. The last piece here I want to make, I know this is a little bit long, but here's the last piece. What would you say is the pillar and foundation of truth? I always ask people this. What would you say is the pillar and bulwark of truth? Some people say, well, the Bible. And say, okay, great.

What does the Bible say is the pillar and foundation or the pillar and bulwark of truth? Well, in 1 Timothy 3, verse 15, St. Paul, the Bible itself, says that the church is the pillar and foundation of truth. We know that the church has given us the scriptures. The church has given us the Bible, and the church has interpreted the Bible. The church has given us doctrine. As we read in Thessalonians, St. Paul said, remember and follow what I handed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

So we have both things. We have written tradition, which is called the Bible. We have the oral tradition, which is called the magisterium or the teaching office of the church. And so there's that piece of what's the pillar and foundation of truth? What's the Bible say? The Bible says the church is the pillar and foundation or pillar and bulwark of truth. And I'm thankful for the Lord because as St. Augustine said, I would not believe in the

gospels had not the Catholic church told me that I could believe in them. And so we know that we're grateful for this whole year. We're grateful for every one of these scriptures. And we're grateful, of course, for the church that Jesus Christ founded that has given us these scriptures. Ah, I just, again, not to make an argument, but just to explain where I'm coming from as a Catholic priest. I'm so grateful for you.

I'm so grateful. I'm sorry, I'm laughing at this microphone, wondering like, are they thinking I'm crazy right now? Maybe you think I'm crazy right now, but I'm just, I'm crazy for him, crazy for the church, and I, and now it sounds stupid, crazy for y'all. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me.

My name's Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.