Blog Update, Announcement and Plans

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Don Merritt

Happy Monday to Everyone!

Today I am releasing a newly updated collection of my series on 1, 2, and 3 John. This new edition has been improved, strengthened cleaned up and re-formatted in a way I think you will find useful for study, Bible Studies, and for prayer and reflection. It is still written for everyone, even though John gets into some very deep material. It is free of charge, and you are welcome to use it for any purpose other than for selling or monetizing. The download link is below… I would very much appreciate comments and observations on this, and please let me know if you have any issues with downloading… although I can’t imagine that you will.

My plan is to make similar revisions to all of my material on the New Testament and set up a download section for all of them. Of course, that will take some time; I will let you know how the project is going periodically.

The Next Topical Study

I am putting the finishing touches on a new topical study that will begin after Born Again. This one will be about the Nephilim from Genesis 6. The study will cover the whole range of this topic, from Genesis to Christ and will deal with the coming of wickedness, God’s judgment, spiritual warfare, and the destruction of Evil. It will not be overly sensational or speculative, instead it is the story of my investigation into these topics, and that investigation has been a hoot. I’ll be announcing the exact timing in the next 10 days or so.

By the way, if you have any ideas for new topical studies, please drop me an email, or let me know in the comments; I’d like to do more of these.

And that’s it for today, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read this. Have a great one, and I’ll see you next time!

Don

1John Revision Blog Ed. Arial 626Download
Posted in Bible, Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Protection in Deep Waters

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Don Merritt

When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.

Isaiah 43:2

When the waves rise and the current feels stronger than your strength, God’s voice cuts through the noise:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”

He doesn’t promise we’ll avoid the waters — He promises His presence within them. The trials that threaten to overwhelm us become the very places where His nearness is revealed. The river may rush, but it cannot sweep away the one held by His hand.

God’s protection isn’t always the absence of difficulty; it’s the assurance that no storm can separate us from His love. He walks beside us, steady and sure, guiding us through what feels impossible.

So today, if you find yourself standing at the edge of deep waters, remember: you are not alone. The One who commands the seas also holds your heart. His presence is your refuge, and His promise is your peace.

Posted in Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Plans, Hope and a Future

Posted on June 28, 2026 by Don Merritt

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

God spoke this promise to people who felt displaced and forgotten, reminding them of something they couldn’t see but desperately needed to know: He still had a plan.

When your own path feels uncertain, remember this—God’s love is not shaken by your circumstances. He sees the whole story. He holds the map. And His plans for you are shaped by a love that protects, restores, and leads you toward hope.

You don’t have to know the future today. It’s enough that He does, and that His heart toward you is good.

Posted in current events | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Forgiven Much, Loving Much

Posted on June 27, 2026 by Don Merritt

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Luke 7:47

In Luke 7, we are invited into a deeply personal and transformative moment. A woman known in the city as a sinner enters the house of a Pharisee where Jesus is reclining at the table. She brings an alabaster jar of perfume. Without speaking a word, she kneels at His feet, weeping. Her tears fall on His feet; she wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and pours out her costly perfume.

The room is thick with judgment. The Pharisee questions Jesus silently: If He were truly a prophet, He would know what kind of woman is touching Him. But Jesus does know. He knows her story, her sin, her shame—and He also knows her heart.

Jesus tells a parable of two debtors: one owed a great sum, the other a small one. Neither could repay the debt, so the lender forgave both. “Which of them will love him more?” Jesus asks. The obvious answer is the one forgiven more.

Then Jesus speaks the words that echo through generations: “Her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown.” Her love was not a performance to earn forgiveness; it was the evidence of a heart already touched by mercy. Forgiveness had taken root within her, and love blossomed as its fruit.

Forgiveness changes us. When we grasp the depth of what Christ has forgiven in us, pride loosens its grip. Comparison fades. Gratitude rises. We stop measuring ourselves against others and begin marveling at grace. The forgiven heart becomes a loving heart.

Sometimes we minimize our need for forgiveness. We compare our lives to others and think our debt is small. Yet before a holy God, every heart stands in need of mercy. When we truly see the cross—when we understand the cost of our redemption—we realize that we too have been forgiven much.

And when we know we have been forgiven much, we love much.

Today, let this truth settle deeply in your soul. You are not defined by your past failures. You are not held hostage by your shame. In Christ, your debt has been canceled. The tears of repentance give way to the joy of restoration.

Come to Jesus honestly. Pour out your heart without fear. Receive His forgiveness fully. And let your life become a fragrant offering of love in response to His boundless grace.

**Prayer:**
Lord Jesus, thank You for forgiving my many sins. Help me to see the depth of Your mercy so that my heart overflows with love for You and for others. Remove pride and self-righteousness from me, and replace them with gratitude and compassion. May my life reflect the beauty of a forgiven soul. Amen.

Posted in Bible, Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Persevering in the Trials of Life

Posted on June 26, 2026 by Don Merritt

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Hebrews 12:1

There’s a quiet honesty in Hebrews 12:1. It doesn’t pretend the Christian life is easy. It doesn’t gloss over the weight we carry or the weariness that sometimes settles into our bones. Instead, it names the reality and then gently calls us forward:

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Not sprint. Not impress. Not outpace anyone else. Just… run. And keep running.

The writer knows something we often forget: perseverance is not about strength, speed, or spiritual heroics. It’s about direction. It’s about continuing to place one foot in front of the other when everything in you wants to sit down. It’s about trusting that the path God has marked out for you is still the right one, even when it feels steep or lonely or unclear.

And notice how the verse begins: “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…” You are not the first to feel tired. You are not the first to wonder if you can keep going. You are not the first to face obstacles that feel larger than your capacity.

Others have run this race before you—ordinary believers who stumbled, doubted, failed, got back up, and kept moving. Their lives whisper to yours: “Don’t quit. God is faithful. Keep going.”

Perseverance, then, is not gritting your teeth. It’s remembering your company. It’s remembering your Savior. It’s remembering your calling.

And it’s laying aside whatever slows your steps—old sins that cling, old fears that whisper, old stories that tell you you’re not enough. You don’t have to carry those anymore. They are not part of the race God has marked out for you.

So today, take a breath. Look at the path in front of you—not the whole journey, just the next few steps. Lift your eyes to the One who ran this race perfectly and now walks beside you.

You don’t have to run fast. You just have to keep going.

And by His grace, you will.

Posted in Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How to Live as Someone “Born Again”: The Daily Life of New Birth

Posted on June 25, 2026 by Don Merritt

Born Again, Part 4: Living as Those Who Are “Born from Above”

We have traced the language of “born again” in Scripture, explored the Greek behind Jesus’ words, and listened to the Early Church Fathers. Now we come to the most personal question of all: What does it actually look like to live as someone who has been “born from above”?

Being born again is not only a past event; it is a present identity and a daily way of life. In this post, we will look at how the New Testament describes the lived reality of the new birth and how that shapes our ordinary days.

A New Identity: Children of God

The first mark of the new birth is a new identity. Those who are born of God are no longer defined by their past, their failures, or their achievements, but by their relationship to the Father.

  • John 1:12–13: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… born of God.”
  • 1 John 3:1: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are.”

To live as one who is born from above is to live each day remembering: “I am a child of God by grace, not by merit.” This identity becomes the foundation for everything else.

A New Heart: New Desires and Affections

The new birth also brings a new heart—a change in what we love, desire, and pursue. The Spirit begins to reshape our inner life so that we increasingly desire what pleases God.

  • Ezekiel 36:26–27: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you… I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees.”
  • Philippians 2:13: “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Living as one who is born again means paying attention to these new desires—leaning into them, nurturing them, and trusting that God is at work even when change feels slow.

A New Power: Walking by the Spirit

Those who are born of the Spirit are called to walk by the Spirit. The Christian life is not lived in our own strength, but in dependence on the One who gave us new life.

  • Galatians 5:16: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
  • Romans 8:14: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

Practically, this means learning to respond to the Spirit’s promptings—turning to God in prayer, submitting our decisions to Him, and relying on His strength in temptation, weakness, and suffering.

A New Direction: Turning from Darkness to Light

The new birth sets a new direction for our lives. We still struggle with sin, but we no longer make peace with it. Instead, we begin a lifelong turning from darkness to light.

  • 1 John 1:7: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…”
  • 1 John 3:9: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin… because they have been born of God.”

To live as one who is born from above is not to live perfectly, but to live repentantly—confessing sin, receiving forgiveness, and continuing to walk toward the light of Christ.

A New Community: Life with Other Born‑Again Believers

The new birth never leaves us isolated. Those who are born of God are brought into a family—a community of brothers and sisters who share the same new life.

  • 1 John 4:7: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
  • Acts 2:42: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Living as one who is born again means learning to love, forgive, encourage, and bear with other believers, recognizing that the same Spirit who lives in us lives in them.

A New Hope: Looking Toward Our Final Renewal

Finally, the new birth points forward to a future completion. The life we now have is the beginning of something that will one day be made perfect when Christ returns.

  • 1 Peter 1:3: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
  • 1 John 3:2–3: “We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him… All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

To live as one who is born from above is to live with this hope in view—knowing that the God who began this new life in us will one day bring it to completion.

Putting It All Together

Being “born again” is not just a moment in the past; it is a present reality and a future hope. It means:

  • New identity: we are children of God.
  • New heart: our desires are being reshaped by grace.
  • New power: we walk by the Spirit, not in our own strength.
  • New direction: we turn from darkness and walk in the light.
  • New community: we belong to a family of faith.
  • New hope: we look toward the day when our new life is complete.

In our next installment, we will address some common misunderstandings about being “born again” and consider how recovering the biblical meaning can renew our preaching, teaching, and personal witness.

Posted in Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unharmed in the Lions’ Den

Posted on June 24, 2026 by Don Merritt

“The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” 

Daniel 6:23

Morning light had not yet erased the memory of the night.

The stone had been sealed. The lions had been near. The silence must have been thick enough to feel. And yet, when Daniel was lifted from the pit, there were no wounds. No evidence of violence. No mark of fear. Only the quiet testimony of trust.

Scripture does not say Daniel fought the lions. It does not say he prayed them away. It simply says he trusted his God.

Trust is often quieter than we expect. It does not always roar. Sometimes it kneels. Sometimes it waits in the dark. Sometimes it rests while danger breathes in the shadows.

Daniel’s deliverance began long before he entered the den. It began in the daily rhythm of prayer. In windows opened toward Jerusalem. In a heart settled in God long before the crisis came. The lions’ den only revealed what had already been formed in secret: a life anchored in trust.

We often imagine trust as the moment God rescues us. But Daniel shows us something deeper. Trust is the posture we carry into the den. It is the calm that steadies the soul when outcomes are uncertain. It is the quiet confidence that whether God shuts the lions’ mouths—or not—He remains faithful.

And sometimes, like Daniel, we are lifted out unharmed.

Other times, the den feels longer. The night feels heavier. Yet even there, trust is not wasted. God is present in every sealed space. No stone rolled into place can shut Him out.

What strikes the heart most tenderly is this: no wound was found on him. The same God who allowed the trial preserved Daniel within it. Trust did not remove him from danger immediately; it carried him safely through it.

Today, you may stand before your own den—circumstances that feel immovable, voices that accuse, fears that prowl. Trust may feel fragile in your hands.

But trust is not about the strength of your grip. It is about the faithfulness of the One you hold.

Lift your eyes toward Him. Open your windows in prayer. Rest your heart where Daniel rested his.

The God who kept Daniel is the same today.

And when the morning comes, you may find—perhaps to your quiet amazement—that no wound remains where fear once threatened to mark you.

Posted in Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Born Again and the Early Church Fathers: How They Understood the New Birth

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Don Merritt

Born Again, Part 3

When Jesus spoke of being “born from above” in John 3, He was not introducing a passing religious slogan. The earliest Christian teachers—the Church Fathers—treated the new birth as central to the Christian life. For them, it was not merely a metaphor, but a real, God‑given transformation that marked the beginning of salvation and the shape of the Christian journey.

In this post, we will explore how key Early Church Fathers understood the new birth, how they connected it to Scripture, and how their insights can deepen our own understanding of what it means to be “born again.”

The New Birth as a Divine Work

The Fathers consistently emphasized that new birth is God’s work, not human self‑improvement. They read John 3, John 1:12–13, and Titus 3:5 as describing a decisive act of God’s grace.

  • John 1:13: “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
  • Titus 3:5: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

For the Fathers, these texts meant that the new birth is a gift—something God does in us, not something we achieve by moral effort or religious performance.

New Birth and Union with Christ

The Early Church Fathers also saw the new birth as the beginning of union with Christ. To be “born of God” was to be joined to Christ’s death and resurrection, to share in His life, and to be adopted into God’s family.

  • Romans 6:4: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead… we too may live a new life.”
  • Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

They understood new birth as the doorway into this shared life with Christ—a real participation in His resurrection power.

The Language of Re‑Creation

The Fathers loved the language of “re‑creation.” They saw the new birth as God beginning a new creation in the believer, echoing Paul’s words:

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

To be born again was to have the old life—marked by sin, alienation, and spiritual death—replaced by a new life marked by grace, adoption, and the indwelling Spirit. This was not merely a change of religious label, but a change of nature.

New Birth and the Holy Spirit

The Fathers read John 3:5—“no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit”—as a deeply Trinitarian reality. The Spirit is the One who brings about the new birth, applying the work of Christ and drawing the believer into the Father’s family.

  • John 3:8: “The wind blows wherever it pleases… So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

For them, the new birth was inseparable from the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. To be born again was to be indwelt, renewed, and led by the Spirit of God.

Ethical Transformation: A New Way of Life

The Early Church Fathers also stressed that new birth leads to a new way of living. Spiritual rebirth was not only a change of status before God, but the beginning of a transformed life marked by holiness, love, and obedience.

  • 1 John 3:9: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin… they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

They did not mean that believers become sinless, but that the new birth sets a new direction: away from the old patterns of darkness and toward a life that reflects the character of Christ.

Why Their Perspective Still Matters

In a world where “born again” can be reduced to a label or a momentary decision, the Early Church Fathers call us back to the depth of Jesus’ teaching. For them, new birth was:

  • Divine: a work God performs in us.
  • Relational: the beginning of union with Christ and adoption into God’s family.
  • Transformational: the start of a new creation and a new way of life.
  • Spiritual: brought about and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

To be “born again” is to receive a new life from God, to be drawn into the life of Christ, and to begin walking in the power of the Spirit. It is far more than a slogan—it is the heart of Christian existence.

In our next installment, we will turn from the Early Church to our own lives today and ask: What does it mean to live as those who have been truly “born from above”?

Born Again Part 1

Born Again Part 2

Posted in • Biblical Studies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Nearness of God’s Love

Posted on June 22, 2026 by Don Merritt

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” 

 Psalm 34:18

There are moments in life when the heart feels too heavy to carry. Disappointment settles in quietly; grief lingers longer than expected. Dreams fracture; relationships strain. In these spaces, it can feel as though we are alone inside our pain, unseen and unheard.

Yet Psalm 34:18 speaks gently into that ache: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” Not distant. Not indifferent. Close.

God’s love is not reserved for our strongest days. It does not wait for us to compose ourselves or regain our footing. Instead, His love draws near precisely when we are at our most fragile. When our hearts are cracked open by sorrow, they are not met with judgment, but with tenderness. God does not turn away from brokenness; He moves toward it.

There is something deeply comforting in knowing that our pain does not repel God—it attracts His compassion. The world may celebrate strength and self-sufficiency, but God responds to vulnerability with presence. He sits with us in the quiet tears, in the questions without answers, in the long nights when sleep will not come. His nearness is not loud or overwhelming; it is steady, faithful, and patient.

The second half of the verse promises that He “saves those who are crushed in spirit.” This saving is not always immediate rescue from circumstances, but often a deeper restoration. God mends what feels irreparably shattered. He breathes hope into weary souls. He reminds us that our brokenness is not the end of our story.

God’s love is most clearly revealed not in the absence of suffering, but in His refusal to abandon us in it. The cross itself stands as the ultimate testimony that God enters into human pain. In Jesus, we see a Savior who understands heartbreak, betrayal, and suffering—and who transforms them through love.

When we are brokenhearted, we are not beyond God’s reach. We are, in fact, within His embrace.

God’s Wrod invites us to rest in this truth: that in our lowest moments, God is closest. His love bends down to meet us where we are. And in that nearness, we find the quiet assurance that we are held, known, and deeply loved.

Posted in Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Faith Meets Forgiveness

Posted on June 21, 2026 by Don Merritt

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 2:5

There is something striking about this moment in Mark’s Gospel. A paralyzed man is lowered through a roof by desperate, determined friends. The room is crowded. The air is thick with expectation. Everyone is waiting for a miracle.

And Jesus speaks — not to the man’s legs, but to his heart.

“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

It almost feels unexpected. The man came for healing. His friends came for healing. The crowd anticipated healing. But Jesus saw something deeper than physical paralysis. He saw the weight the man carried inside — the silent burden of guilt, shame, and separation from God.

Before restoring his body, Jesus restored his soul.

Forgiveness: Our Deepest Need

We often approach God with visible needs — health, provision, direction, relief from hardship. These are real and important. Yet beneath many of our prayers lies a deeper ache: the need to be made right with God.

Sin has a way of paralyzing us internally. It whispers that we are unworthy. It keeps us stuck in regret. It convinces us that our past defines our future.

But Jesus addresses the deepest need first. His words, “Son, your sins are forgiven,” are tender and personal. He does not speak condemnation. He speaks restoration. He calls the man “Son” — a word of belonging before performance, acceptance before achievement.

Forgiveness is not an afterthought in the kingdom of God. It is the starting point.

Faith That Brings Us to Jesus

Mark tells us that Jesus saw “their faith.” The faith of the friends mattered. The faith that carried, climbed, dug, and lowered mattered. Faith does not have to be eloquent; it only needs to be persistent.

Perhaps there are seasons when we feel spiritually paralyzed — unable to move forward, weighed down by mistakes or doubts. In those moments, we may need the faith of others to carry us. A praying friend. A believing family member. A church community that refuses to let us stay stuck.

And when we are the strong ones, we are called to carry others to Jesus — not to fix them, not to judge them, but simply to bring them into His presence.

The Freedom of Being Forgiven

Forgiveness is not denial. It is not pretending sin doesn’t matter. It is the costly gift of grace — where Jesus takes what paralyzes us and replaces it with peace.

When Jesus forgave the paralytic, He publicly declared what heaven had already decided: this man was no longer defined by his sin. Soon after, He would tell him to rise and walk — and he did. Physical healing followed spiritual restoration.

When we receive forgiveness, something inside us rises. Shame loosens its grip. Hope returns. We begin to walk differently.

A Question for Reflection

What are you carrying today that Jesus longs to forgive?
What roof might need to be opened in your heart so His grace can reach the deepest places?

Hear His words personally:
“My child, your sins are forgiven.”

And in that forgiveness, find the courage to stand, to walk, and to live free.

Posted in Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment