Introduction
Do you want blessings? Have you ever stopped to consider how you could get them? God actually tells us where the path to blessing lies. 1 John 3:22-24 describes that path. Reflect on the following poem: God made a path of blessing, Of mercy, life, and love, Which winds through all life’s eras And leads to home above. He wants to richly bless me So He has told me how To walk that path of blessing, And I will take it now. The key to keeping on it Is keeping God’s commands, His blessing is stored up for The one who with Him stands. His goodness and His mercy My footsteps will pursue If I will walk with Jesus And do what He would do. Lord, I will seek to love You, I’ll do what you command – I’m eagerly awaiting The blessings in Your hand. by: Christina Joy Hommes Are you ready to learn about the path to blessing?
Observation
Prayer
God wrote the Bible because He wants us to know Him through it. Ask Him to open your eyes to see wonderful things in it, and commit to believe and do whatever it says.
Read Focus Verses
Read 1 John 3:22-24 with fresh eyes. Look for words or phrases that are repeated since these help us understand what a passage is about.
Repeated Word
As you read the passage, did you notice a word or concept that is repeated several times in these verses?
Keyword – Commands
Let’s use this symbol to mark all the places that God’s commands are spoken of in our passage.
Mark Commandments
Go ahead and read through 1 John 3:22-24 again, this time marking all of the references to God’s commands.
Sweet Promise
What promise is made in verse 22?
Qualified for Clarity
There are two identifying markers of those who qualify for this promise. To whom does God promise that He will give them what they ask?
Two Sides of One Command
In verse 23, God’s commandment has two parts, like two sides of one coin. What are the two aspects of God’s commandment to us?
Believe
People believe in many different things – sometimes without really stopping to think about it. What does God tell us to believe in verse 23?
Indwelling Presence
In whom does verse 24 tell us God will dwell?
By This We Know
Verse 24 also gives us a way to know if God abides in us. What has God given us to assure us that He abides in us?
The Trinity
Can you find mention of all three persons of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? (Hint: One of them is spoken of, but not directly named.)
Interpretation
Granting Desires
Psalm 37:4 is similar to 1 John 3:22, and clarifies our understanding of what God is saying.
Desires Granted
What kind of people find their desires granted by the Lord as described in Psalm 37:4?
Delighting in God
God says that He will grant the requests of those who keep His commandments and delight in Him? What about keeping His commandments and delighting in God makes a person ask for and desire things which God will grant?
The Weight of a Name
In Bible times, a person’s name signified more than what their parent called them. A name represented who a person was. Everything about them was represented when their name was spoken. In verse 23 we are told to believe on the Name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. What are some of the things about Him that this means we must believe?
Name Above all Names
Philippians 2:9-11 talks about Jesus’ Name. Read it, and let the magnificence of His Name overwhelm you as if it was new.
Half-Way Compromise?
Can you please God by obeying half of verse 23? For example, if you try to love the people around you, but do not believe everything God has revealed about Jesus Christ and trust Him as your Savior, can you please God? Why or why not?
Love One Another
Earlier in this chapter we saw a verse which said something similar to the second part of God’s command expressed in verse 23. Read 1 John 3:11 and note the similarity.
Abiding
Read John 15:1-11. Notice how that passage expands on the one we are looking at today, but discusses the same themes.
God’s Gift – the Holy Spirit
As you noticed earlier, verse 24 tells us that we can know that God abides in us if He has given us His Spirit. Read Romans 8:9 and see what it says about having the Spirit.
Everyone?
According to Romans 8:9, can someone be Christ’s, and not have the Holy Spirit?
Grievous Burdens?
This passage has talked a lot about keeping God’s commands. Read what 1 John 5:3 says about a Christian’s response to God’s commands.
Trust and Obey
This hymn reflects on the blessings that comes with obedience. Consider the words, and evaluate whether it reflects how you think about obedience
Application
Believe on His Name
Do you believe on the Name of God’s Son Jesus Christ and all that He has revealed that this means?
Desires and Requests
Do your desires and requests testify that you do or do not delight in the Lord and keep His commands? In the ways they do not, how are you going to change them (remember how you found Scripture teaches they are changed – by keeping God’s commands and delighting in Him)?
Grievous or Joyous?
Are God’s commands grievous to you, or do you love Him so much you delight to do what pleases Him? Is there anything you need to change about the way you think about God’s commandments today?
Is it Mine?
How are you going to do what this passage directs so that you can walk in the path of blessing today?
Wrapup
Closing
We hope that this study has helped you see God’s blessings and how to live so that He will bless you.
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