1 John 5:18-21 reads, "18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols."
We come today to the last four verses of 1 John. I am sure that you noticed that in v.18-20 each verse begins with "We know". The assurance in those two words is quite helpful in a world which says that there are no absolute truths. In v.18 we read, "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin." This verse is not teaching us that we will come to a place where we do not sin. No, it is teaching us that we will come to the place where we will not be ruled by sin. In other words, righteousness is possible for the Believer in Christ. The ability to transcend, to choose wisely is possible.
And v.18 concludes with, "the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them." In other words, the enemy will never be able to come to the Believer in Christ and repossess him or her. Even though this world, as John declares in v.19, is under the control of the Evil One, the Believer is assured that he, the Evil One, can not snatch us out of God's hands.
Finally, 1 John ends very peculiarly. John writes, "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." Recently, someone said to me that the trials in his life were from Satan. And, I am sure that Satan or more probably, his Cohorts, are involved in the trials that have crept up in his life. But to stop with Satan or his Cohorts is to miss the point behind the trials. You see, trials are one part of the two part process to growing the Believer's faith (see James 1, 1 Peter 1). And you will remember that faith is the heart's ability to see God. By the way, the other part of the process is hearing the spoken word of God (Romans 10:17). John instructs us to resist idols, which means that the Believer in Jesus Christ must not depend upon any other DEFINER of things, including the point of our trials. There is the worship of Narcissus, the god who fell in love with
himself. Is this not perhaps the supreme god of mankind, the worship of
self, the worship of man, the exaltation of man? The Satanic idea that we can be our own god and define best everything in our lives. How preposterous!
Showing posts with label 1 John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 John. Show all posts
Monday, May 21, 2018
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Daily Devotional #48 (1 John 5:16-17)
To this point in 1 John, the Apostle John has been instructing the Believer on the topic of prayer. Today, we come to 1 John 5:16-17 where the Apostle provides an illustration of a prayer that is in the will of God, as contrasted with one that is not in the will of God.
1 John 5:16-17 reads, "16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death."
The "sin that does not lead to death," is sin that does not lead to physical death. John, here, is instructing us to pray for the Believer so that God would give him the ability to choose life and God would grant him that life. The word that John uses here for "life" is Zoe. Zoe, as we have seen, includes the ability of the Believer in Christ to transcend. And when the Believer transcends, he increases in his ability to view life, including his choices, from the perspective of eternity. Part of the Believer's problem, while living in this fallen world, is this: we are limited by time. We evaluate life from the myopic view of time. The "life" that John is talking about here is the ability to evaluate time from the standpoint of eternity.
On the other hand, the death here that the Apostle is talking about is physical death. There is sin which a Christian can commit which will result in physical death. John writes, "There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to (physical) death." John is declaring that there are certain sins that can clearly lead to physical death. Such sins do NOT cause the Believer to lose his salvation, but these sins are physically lethal and must be shunned or the Believer is playing with death.
1 John 5:16-17 reads, "16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death."
The "sin that does not lead to death," is sin that does not lead to physical death. John, here, is instructing us to pray for the Believer so that God would give him the ability to choose life and God would grant him that life. The word that John uses here for "life" is Zoe. Zoe, as we have seen, includes the ability of the Believer in Christ to transcend. And when the Believer transcends, he increases in his ability to view life, including his choices, from the perspective of eternity. Part of the Believer's problem, while living in this fallen world, is this: we are limited by time. We evaluate life from the myopic view of time. The "life" that John is talking about here is the ability to evaluate time from the standpoint of eternity.
On the other hand, the death here that the Apostle is talking about is physical death. There is sin which a Christian can commit which will result in physical death. John writes, "There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to (physical) death." John is declaring that there are certain sins that can clearly lead to physical death. Such sins do NOT cause the Believer to lose his salvation, but these sins are physically lethal and must be shunned or the Believer is playing with death.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Daily Devotional #47 (1 John 5:14-15)
Today, we come to 1 John 5:14-17 which reads, "14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death."
Someone once said, "prayer is rebellion against the status quo." It is fitting that John closes this epistle with the subject of prayer. Prayer is a simple activity. I am reminded of my prayer life every time one of my three sons contacts me and asks for something. There are times when I hear Fathers complain about their kids calling them and asking for things; things like money, perspective, wisdom. I so enjoy it when any of my sons asks me for whatever. When they do, if I am in the position to help, I gladly do it. As I Father, I also understand that there are times when "no" is a loving response to the request of my son. God is no different. He is known to say, "yes", "no", and "maybe". We must be careful to trust His loving, wise heart to know what is best for us.
Understanding the nature of prayer is greatly important before we pray. In this closing section of this letter, the Apostle John gives us instruction about prayer, then he follows this instruction with a specific illustration. In v.14-15 we the instruction and will consider it today. Tomorrow, we will consider the illustration provided in v.16-17.
Prayer is a venture, a conversation. Prayer is evidence that we are in a relationship with God. When we often pray, we do not know what to say to God. John writes in v.14, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God." Then John writes, "that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Prayer is not an experiment, prayer is a certainty with John, a sure thing. He knows it works, and he knows how it works. Note the choice of word, "confidence."
This kind of certainty arises from the knowledge of two fundamental principles of prayer, which John gives us here: the certainty of hearing, and the certainty of having. Notice these. "If we ask anything according to his will, we know that he hears us." Perhaps the major reason for most of the unanswered prayers of the world is they are not according to God's will, and therefore they are not heard. John makes it explicitly clear that a prayer that is according to God's will is always heard. Thus, at one stroke he demolishes all those concepts of prayer which imply that prayer is a means of getting God to do our will. Prayer is never that.
Many regard prayer as a mysterious activity by which we get God to do what we want him to do. But prayer is a means of obtaining the will of God. If we pray outside His purpose there is no assurance that our prayers will be granted. Sometimes our prayers are not according to the will of God, sometimes they are. We only know that they are or aren't when He answers. God always hears every prayer that is voiced within the boundaries of his will. This is the first certainty that forms the basis of prayer -- we know we are heard.
Someone once said, "prayer is rebellion against the status quo." It is fitting that John closes this epistle with the subject of prayer. Prayer is a simple activity. I am reminded of my prayer life every time one of my three sons contacts me and asks for something. There are times when I hear Fathers complain about their kids calling them and asking for things; things like money, perspective, wisdom. I so enjoy it when any of my sons asks me for whatever. When they do, if I am in the position to help, I gladly do it. As I Father, I also understand that there are times when "no" is a loving response to the request of my son. God is no different. He is known to say, "yes", "no", and "maybe". We must be careful to trust His loving, wise heart to know what is best for us.
Understanding the nature of prayer is greatly important before we pray. In this closing section of this letter, the Apostle John gives us instruction about prayer, then he follows this instruction with a specific illustration. In v.14-15 we the instruction and will consider it today. Tomorrow, we will consider the illustration provided in v.16-17.
Prayer is a venture, a conversation. Prayer is evidence that we are in a relationship with God. When we often pray, we do not know what to say to God. John writes in v.14, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God." Then John writes, "that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Prayer is not an experiment, prayer is a certainty with John, a sure thing. He knows it works, and he knows how it works. Note the choice of word, "confidence."
This kind of certainty arises from the knowledge of two fundamental principles of prayer, which John gives us here: the certainty of hearing, and the certainty of having. Notice these. "If we ask anything according to his will, we know that he hears us." Perhaps the major reason for most of the unanswered prayers of the world is they are not according to God's will, and therefore they are not heard. John makes it explicitly clear that a prayer that is according to God's will is always heard. Thus, at one stroke he demolishes all those concepts of prayer which imply that prayer is a means of getting God to do our will. Prayer is never that.
Many regard prayer as a mysterious activity by which we get God to do what we want him to do. But prayer is a means of obtaining the will of God. If we pray outside His purpose there is no assurance that our prayers will be granted. Sometimes our prayers are not according to the will of God, sometimes they are. We only know that they are or aren't when He answers. God always hears every prayer that is voiced within the boundaries of his will. This is the first certainty that forms the basis of prayer -- we know we are heard.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Daily Devotional #46 (1 John 5:6-13)
6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus
Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it
is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Today, we come to 1 John 5:9-13. I have included v.6-8 above for the sake of context. In v.9-10, the Apostle John is saying God's testimony is more dependable than man's. When we exercise our faith on the objective testimony of God, He gives the confirmation of His Spirit. And if we refuse to do that, then we are treating God as though he were a liar.
Now, according to v.11, the testimony of God about His Son is that there is life in the Son. Through His Son, God has given to man the thing man lacks, eternal life. The word that John uses here for "eternal life" is the Greek word "Zoe". Zoe is not a life in quantity. It is life in quality. It is life that is adventurous, full, meaningful, relevant, purposeful. Eternal life is not some kind of irrevocable life insurance policy issued when we enter into a relationship with God. It is an ongoing living relationship with God, and it can not be separated from the Son.
I've a theory and it is this: if I do not know what "IT" is about, then I will make it about the lesser things involved. The question is "what is IT?" IT is a personal relationship with God. It is the daily choice to believe that He is there and that He is involved in my life. So much so, that I practice His presence like I would any earthly friend. All too often, we Christians, minor on the majors of the Christian life and major on the minors. As Christians, we want to be recognized for our growth in our righteousness. This mentality places the emphasis on the wrong thing. The Lord Jesus is our righteousness, even in our sanctification. You will remember that there is a clear difference between our Justification and our Sanctification. Our Justification was earned by the Lord Jesus through His perfectly lived life and His death on the cross where He absorbed all the penalty for the sin of the whole world. And, our sanctification is that process whereby our minds, wills, and emotions are being changed through His involvement in our lives. In this process we are being trained to think and make choices through His way of thinking and choosing.
Now, the center of our relationship with God is discovery. What gives our faith new life and energy is the experience of finding something new about God today that we didn’t know yesterday. In order for discovery to take place, there must be mystery. When my sons were younger, we played Hide and Go Seek. They loved playing that game of mystery. There were times when I had to clear my throat in order for them to find me. This is quite illustrative of God. He wants us to find Him. And, there are times when He makes it really hard to do so. In making it hard, He is strengthening our inquiry skills. Or should I say, faith skills.
Now, in v.12-13, the Apostle is not trying to make us agonize over whether or not we "have" the Son, but to give assurance. The infinite quality of God does not deny the reality of my finiteness. God is not only a life giver but He gives all life meaning. Meaning suggests that what I do matters. However, if I do not seek, I will not find. It seems to me that testing describes the result of circumstances, not the reason for circumstance. There are no isolated periods of testing. All of life is a test, and how we react expresses the context of our faith. Herein, we experience His Zoe.
Today, we come to 1 John 5:9-13. I have included v.6-8 above for the sake of context. In v.9-10, the Apostle John is saying God's testimony is more dependable than man's. When we exercise our faith on the objective testimony of God, He gives the confirmation of His Spirit. And if we refuse to do that, then we are treating God as though he were a liar.
Now, according to v.11, the testimony of God about His Son is that there is life in the Son. Through His Son, God has given to man the thing man lacks, eternal life. The word that John uses here for "eternal life" is the Greek word "Zoe". Zoe is not a life in quantity. It is life in quality. It is life that is adventurous, full, meaningful, relevant, purposeful. Eternal life is not some kind of irrevocable life insurance policy issued when we enter into a relationship with God. It is an ongoing living relationship with God, and it can not be separated from the Son.
I've a theory and it is this: if I do not know what "IT" is about, then I will make it about the lesser things involved. The question is "what is IT?" IT is a personal relationship with God. It is the daily choice to believe that He is there and that He is involved in my life. So much so, that I practice His presence like I would any earthly friend. All too often, we Christians, minor on the majors of the Christian life and major on the minors. As Christians, we want to be recognized for our growth in our righteousness. This mentality places the emphasis on the wrong thing. The Lord Jesus is our righteousness, even in our sanctification. You will remember that there is a clear difference between our Justification and our Sanctification. Our Justification was earned by the Lord Jesus through His perfectly lived life and His death on the cross where He absorbed all the penalty for the sin of the whole world. And, our sanctification is that process whereby our minds, wills, and emotions are being changed through His involvement in our lives. In this process we are being trained to think and make choices through His way of thinking and choosing.
Now, the center of our relationship with God is discovery. What gives our faith new life and energy is the experience of finding something new about God today that we didn’t know yesterday. In order for discovery to take place, there must be mystery. When my sons were younger, we played Hide and Go Seek. They loved playing that game of mystery. There were times when I had to clear my throat in order for them to find me. This is quite illustrative of God. He wants us to find Him. And, there are times when He makes it really hard to do so. In making it hard, He is strengthening our inquiry skills. Or should I say, faith skills.
Now, in v.12-13, the Apostle is not trying to make us agonize over whether or not we "have" the Son, but to give assurance. The infinite quality of God does not deny the reality of my finiteness. God is not only a life giver but He gives all life meaning. Meaning suggests that what I do matters. However, if I do not seek, I will not find. It seems to me that testing describes the result of circumstances, not the reason for circumstance. There are no isolated periods of testing. All of life is a test, and how we react expresses the context of our faith. Herein, we experience His Zoe.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Daily Devotional #45 (1 John 5:6-8)
1 John 5:6-8 reads, "6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus
Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it
is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement."
John proclaims in these three verses three witnesses, the Spirit, the water and the blood. Note that two of these three are external and historical, and one of them is internal and personal. The water refers to Jesus' baptism which took place a the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The blood refers to the cross which took place at the end of Jesus' ministry. Of course, the Holy Spirit was present at both of these events. The point that John is making here is this: The Lord Jesus actually came to earth as a man to provide salvation for anyone who would believe. God has given to us what we lack, eternal life. His testimony is this: he who has the Son has life, because the Son is life. That is the whole point of First John.
Having said that, we do not move from death to life unless we respond to the internal working of the Spirit of God in our hearts. In John 6:35, Jesus says “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” The Lord Jesus is stating that mankind has an inherent inability to be saved unless we is born again, or unless the Father draws him. As you know, the word “can” has reference to ability, not permission. The scripture is clear that the Father draws us to Christ. That means he 'woos' us. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He doesn’t force Himself on anyone. When the Holy Spirit regenerates us He gives us new desires. Perhaps we had previously scoffed at faith in Jesus, and now we long for a deeper and firmer faith. If He had not done that work in us, we would still be in our sins.
David said it well in Psalm 23 when he wrote, "...surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." The word "follow" is quite helpful in deepening our understanding of our condition before God. Follow in Psalm 23:6 means to rigorously and painstakingly pursue. If it were not for His grace and mercy, we'd be HOPELESS!
John proclaims in these three verses three witnesses, the Spirit, the water and the blood. Note that two of these three are external and historical, and one of them is internal and personal. The water refers to Jesus' baptism which took place a the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The blood refers to the cross which took place at the end of Jesus' ministry. Of course, the Holy Spirit was present at both of these events. The point that John is making here is this: The Lord Jesus actually came to earth as a man to provide salvation for anyone who would believe. God has given to us what we lack, eternal life. His testimony is this: he who has the Son has life, because the Son is life. That is the whole point of First John.
Having said that, we do not move from death to life unless we respond to the internal working of the Spirit of God in our hearts. In John 6:35, Jesus says “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” The Lord Jesus is stating that mankind has an inherent inability to be saved unless we is born again, or unless the Father draws him. As you know, the word “can” has reference to ability, not permission. The scripture is clear that the Father draws us to Christ. That means he 'woos' us. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He doesn’t force Himself on anyone. When the Holy Spirit regenerates us He gives us new desires. Perhaps we had previously scoffed at faith in Jesus, and now we long for a deeper and firmer faith. If He had not done that work in us, we would still be in our sins.
David said it well in Psalm 23 when he wrote, "...surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." The word "follow" is quite helpful in deepening our understanding of our condition before God. Follow in Psalm 23:6 means to rigorously and painstakingly pursue. If it were not for His grace and mercy, we'd be HOPELESS!
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Daily Devotional #44 (1 John 5:1-5)
As we transition into 1 John 5, we will notice that in v.1 which reads, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well", faith in the truth and love go together. One is the result of the other. In this first verse of 1 John 5, John is showing what it looks like to love your brother which is the previous topic in the previous chapter. And our brother is "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." Even when we differ on other subjects like politics or eschatology or the outcome of the Civil War, our common ground is that we believe that the Lord Jesus is the Christ.
Now, look at v.2-3. "2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome". In these two verses we discover that when our love for our brother arise out of our love for God and our desire to obey his Word, then we can be confident that it is really love. "This is how we know that we love the children of God," if we are acting out of love for God and a concern for his commandments. At the end of v.3 John brings attention to the idea that if we see the Bible as a set of rules, our perspective will be limited. We must admit that when we have that view, we fall into the pattern of self-righteous rule keeping. Like a child, we ask, “why do I have to do that?” However, the mature Believer understands that God’s thoughts and ways are the best for us. His commands are a blessing that keeps us within His ways. Obedience to God is not a burden for those who “believe” in Him and “love” Him. Rather, it is our privilege to follow Him.
Now, let's consider v.4-5, which reads, "4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." Three times in these two verses John emphasizes "overcoming the world." You will remember back in 1 John 2:16, John described the world as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I find it quite instructive that our greatest enemy is NOT outside of us. No, our greatest enemy is within.
Essentially, the bottom line question is this: How do we overcome the world? The answer is this: the life of God within us is what makes all the difference. Our dependence is on God's activity in our lives. We are at our best when we are most dependent upon God. This is the ultimate message from God throughout His word. Often, we are told that the goal of the Christian life is "a better us." This passage and the whole of scripture teaches us differently. In Colossians 2:6, we read, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him." This is the Christian life. Utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus. And when God shows up in our yielded lives, we must be diligent to give Him the glory. As Mike Yaconelli has said, "It is not that I don’t believe that Jesus changes you, it is just that my definition of “change” has changed. Whatever the change is, it is not so much outward as it is inward. This difference that God makes is often visible only to God...and no one else. It is a new way of looking at God, a new way of understanding God, an inner new-birth that liberates us not only from sin, but from our old way of viewing God. It is intimacy rather than ecstasy; it is seeing rather than speaking; it is loving rather than living; it is dancing rather than believing; it is silence rather than sentences; it is worship rather than wordship; it is playing rather than praying; it is yearning rather than conviction; it is faith characterized more by passion than belief." The alternative to all of this is to feed our pride. And when we feed our pride, we are in trouble. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we go from I, to me, to my, to moo.
Now, look at v.2-3. "2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome". In these two verses we discover that when our love for our brother arise out of our love for God and our desire to obey his Word, then we can be confident that it is really love. "This is how we know that we love the children of God," if we are acting out of love for God and a concern for his commandments. At the end of v.3 John brings attention to the idea that if we see the Bible as a set of rules, our perspective will be limited. We must admit that when we have that view, we fall into the pattern of self-righteous rule keeping. Like a child, we ask, “why do I have to do that?” However, the mature Believer understands that God’s thoughts and ways are the best for us. His commands are a blessing that keeps us within His ways. Obedience to God is not a burden for those who “believe” in Him and “love” Him. Rather, it is our privilege to follow Him.
Now, let's consider v.4-5, which reads, "4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." Three times in these two verses John emphasizes "overcoming the world." You will remember back in 1 John 2:16, John described the world as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I find it quite instructive that our greatest enemy is NOT outside of us. No, our greatest enemy is within.
Essentially, the bottom line question is this: How do we overcome the world? The answer is this: the life of God within us is what makes all the difference. Our dependence is on God's activity in our lives. We are at our best when we are most dependent upon God. This is the ultimate message from God throughout His word. Often, we are told that the goal of the Christian life is "a better us." This passage and the whole of scripture teaches us differently. In Colossians 2:6, we read, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him." This is the Christian life. Utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus. And when God shows up in our yielded lives, we must be diligent to give Him the glory. As Mike Yaconelli has said, "It is not that I don’t believe that Jesus changes you, it is just that my definition of “change” has changed. Whatever the change is, it is not so much outward as it is inward. This difference that God makes is often visible only to God...and no one else. It is a new way of looking at God, a new way of understanding God, an inner new-birth that liberates us not only from sin, but from our old way of viewing God. It is intimacy rather than ecstasy; it is seeing rather than speaking; it is loving rather than living; it is dancing rather than believing; it is silence rather than sentences; it is worship rather than wordship; it is playing rather than praying; it is yearning rather than conviction; it is faith characterized more by passion than belief." The alternative to all of this is to feed our pride. And when we feed our pride, we are in trouble. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we go from I, to me, to my, to moo.
The story is told of a young boy who was
aboard a passenger train attempting to make money selling apples. He
made his way through the train car, saying, “Apples! Would you like to
buy an apple?” When he got to the rear of the car, he still had a bagful
of apples and no money. A gentleman who noticed his plight took him aside and asked to see
one of the apples. He proceeded to go to the front of the train, polish
it conspicuously with a napkin, and then walk down the aisle eating the
apple and commenting on how delicious and refreshing it was. Then he
told the boy to try again. This time, he sold every apple. The
difference? The apples had been made attractive to the potential
customers. God is still in the apple clean up business for His glory.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Daily Devotional #43 (1 John 4:19-21)
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:19-21)
In 1 John 4:19, the Apostle John returns to the truth that our ability to love, as He does, is dependent upon Him demonstrating His love for us first. Thus the acid test for the Believer's understanding of God's love for him is how he, the Believer, treats other Christians. We see this in the book of Galatians where the Apostle Paul concludes the book with a fourfold description of the Spiritual (Spirit motivated) Christian. In Galatians 6, we see this fourfold description including: 1) The Spiritual Christian mends the broken (Galatians 6:1), 2) The Spiritual Christian helps the Needy (Galatians 6:2-6), 3) The Spiritual Christian sows to the Spirit (Galatians 6:7-10), and 4) The Spiritual Christians is captivated by the cross of Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:11-14).
In John’s day, these False Teachers claimed that there were religious exceptions to the rule of love. They believed that since they were so close to God, and they possessed knowledge of certain exotic secrets, and that they wore special robes, they were free from the responsibility to love their brothers and sisters in Christ. However, the command to love your brother and sister is an absolute; whoever loves God must also love his brother.
In 1 John 4:20-21, the Apostle goes on to point out that not loving people whom we can see with our eyes is not consistent with loving God whom we can see with our eyes. There are seven tests throughout this epistle that points out someone to be real or not. The first is in 1 John 1:6 is not honest with others. The second is in 1 John 1:8, this one is not honest with himself. The third is in 1 John 1:10, this one is not honest with God. The fourth in 1 John 2:4 is not honest with Christ. The fifth in 1 John 2:6 is not honest with the world. The sixth in 1 John 2:9 is not honest with his Christian brother. And, the seventh in 1 John 4:20. he is false to all.
Authenticity is a very important quality for the Christian. And ultimately, ones walk with the Lord Jesus is measured by ones treatment of others.
In 1 John 4:19, the Apostle John returns to the truth that our ability to love, as He does, is dependent upon Him demonstrating His love for us first. Thus the acid test for the Believer's understanding of God's love for him is how he, the Believer, treats other Christians. We see this in the book of Galatians where the Apostle Paul concludes the book with a fourfold description of the Spiritual (Spirit motivated) Christian. In Galatians 6, we see this fourfold description including: 1) The Spiritual Christian mends the broken (Galatians 6:1), 2) The Spiritual Christian helps the Needy (Galatians 6:2-6), 3) The Spiritual Christian sows to the Spirit (Galatians 6:7-10), and 4) The Spiritual Christians is captivated by the cross of Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:11-14).
In John’s day, these False Teachers claimed that there were religious exceptions to the rule of love. They believed that since they were so close to God, and they possessed knowledge of certain exotic secrets, and that they wore special robes, they were free from the responsibility to love their brothers and sisters in Christ. However, the command to love your brother and sister is an absolute; whoever loves God must also love his brother.
In 1 John 4:20-21, the Apostle goes on to point out that not loving people whom we can see with our eyes is not consistent with loving God whom we can see with our eyes. There are seven tests throughout this epistle that points out someone to be real or not. The first is in 1 John 1:6 is not honest with others. The second is in 1 John 1:8, this one is not honest with himself. The third is in 1 John 1:10, this one is not honest with God. The fourth in 1 John 2:4 is not honest with Christ. The fifth in 1 John 2:6 is not honest with the world. The sixth in 1 John 2:9 is not honest with his Christian brother. And, the seventh in 1 John 4:20. he is false to all.
Authenticity is a very important quality for the Christian. And ultimately, ones walk with the Lord Jesus is measured by ones treatment of others.
Tuesday, May 01, 2018
Daily Devotional #32 (1 John 3:16)
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." (1 John 3:16)
There is a fascinating study of the 3:16's in the Bible awaiting anyone who would venture down that road. Today, we will only consider 1 John 3:16. There is a clear connection between our belief in Jesus and how and whom we love. Our growing understanding of the eternal will eventually translate into laying down our life for others. This is the essence of the life that the Lord Jesus died to give us. It will lead us to live in a way that lays down our life for others. Laying down our lives is predicated upon Jesus first laying down his life for us. He never takes his disciple somewhere he is unwilling to go, himself. He never asks of us something He himself is unwilling to give.
Every day there are clear opportunities for us to lay down our lives for others. Friends, family members, and even those whom we have never met are awaiting the influence of God through our yielded lives. Most of the time these moments go unnoticed. Most would consider them no big deal. However, in the kingdom of God, these moments influence the lives of eventual Believers with whom we will spend eternity in heaven. The question is this: will you be a part of this process?
“Greater love has no one than this,” Jesus once stated, “than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Why would anyone choose to put themselves at the rear of the line in any context? Because that person understands love. In 1969 the Thresher, an American made submarine, imploded off the coast of Virginia out in the Atlantic. When the officials examined the cause of the implosion, they cited faulty welding. Someone once said, "Biblical conviction will keep you from capsizing in a world of torrential waters." We live in a world that is full of intense pressures. And if we are not defined by the truth, well, we will implode under the intense pressure.
God created us with two basic needs:1) to be loved, and 2) to love. We all naturally long to be loved, but this is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to love, but we can not give what we do not have. The security that being loved brings to the human heart enables us to love others, even those who do not love us. If we have faulty welding, we will implode. When we accept ourselves as He does, we cease to pursue the acceptance of others, then we are secure enough to live for a purpose much bigger than ourselves.
Toward the end of his life, Dr. John Nash received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. John Nash is the only person to be awarded both the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and the Abel Prize. Dr. Nash went from a person who said, "In madness I thought I was the most important person in the world" to the person who said, "I've made the most important discovery of my life. It's only in the mysterious equation of love that any logical reasons can be found. I'm only here tonight because of you. You're the only reason I am...you're all my reasons.” Of course, the reason John said the latter was due to the unending love of his wife, Alicia. Alicia Nash was the unsung hero of this duo. As chronicled in the movie, A Beautiful Mind, Alicia endured the greatest of difficulties with John, all the while continuing to love John, even when most encouraged her to forsake him. Their story illustrates the essence of agape love. Loving the unlovable, even when they can not return the love.
There is a fascinating study of the 3:16's in the Bible awaiting anyone who would venture down that road. Today, we will only consider 1 John 3:16. There is a clear connection between our belief in Jesus and how and whom we love. Our growing understanding of the eternal will eventually translate into laying down our life for others. This is the essence of the life that the Lord Jesus died to give us. It will lead us to live in a way that lays down our life for others. Laying down our lives is predicated upon Jesus first laying down his life for us. He never takes his disciple somewhere he is unwilling to go, himself. He never asks of us something He himself is unwilling to give.
Every day there are clear opportunities for us to lay down our lives for others. Friends, family members, and even those whom we have never met are awaiting the influence of God through our yielded lives. Most of the time these moments go unnoticed. Most would consider them no big deal. However, in the kingdom of God, these moments influence the lives of eventual Believers with whom we will spend eternity in heaven. The question is this: will you be a part of this process?
“Greater love has no one than this,” Jesus once stated, “than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Why would anyone choose to put themselves at the rear of the line in any context? Because that person understands love. In 1969 the Thresher, an American made submarine, imploded off the coast of Virginia out in the Atlantic. When the officials examined the cause of the implosion, they cited faulty welding. Someone once said, "Biblical conviction will keep you from capsizing in a world of torrential waters." We live in a world that is full of intense pressures. And if we are not defined by the truth, well, we will implode under the intense pressure.
God created us with two basic needs:1) to be loved, and 2) to love. We all naturally long to be loved, but this is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to love, but we can not give what we do not have. The security that being loved brings to the human heart enables us to love others, even those who do not love us. If we have faulty welding, we will implode. When we accept ourselves as He does, we cease to pursue the acceptance of others, then we are secure enough to live for a purpose much bigger than ourselves.
Toward the end of his life, Dr. John Nash received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. John Nash is the only person to be awarded both the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and the Abel Prize. Dr. Nash went from a person who said, "In madness I thought I was the most important person in the world" to the person who said, "I've made the most important discovery of my life. It's only in the mysterious equation of love that any logical reasons can be found. I'm only here tonight because of you. You're the only reason I am...you're all my reasons.” Of course, the reason John said the latter was due to the unending love of his wife, Alicia. Alicia Nash was the unsung hero of this duo. As chronicled in the movie, A Beautiful Mind, Alicia endured the greatest of difficulties with John, all the while continuing to love John, even when most encouraged her to forsake him. Their story illustrates the essence of agape love. Loving the unlovable, even when they can not return the love.
In madness, I thought I was the most important person in the world.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_forbes_nash_jr_539727
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_forbes_nash_jr_539727
In madness, I thought I was the most important person in the world.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_forbes_nash_jr_539727
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_forbes_nash_jr_539727
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Daily Devotional #30 (1 John 3:13)
Today, we come to 1 John 3:13 which reads, "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you."
As we saw yesterday, in 1 John 3:11-12, the Apostle John has introduced another contrast: love and hate. The story of Cain and Abel is used of the Apostle to help us to see this contrast. The goal that John has here is this: the Devil inspired jealousy within Cain's heart. As a result, Cain's jealousy gave rise to hatred. And his hatred culminated in murder. Cain is the model of the unbelieving world that you and I mix with every day. You might say, "the world is Cain's posterity." And, the same Devil who inspired Cain to hate and ultimately murder, influences the people of this world accordingly.
In v.13, John writes, "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." You see, the faith of the Believer in the God of the Bible, condemns the world and they do not know what to do with their angst. The world does not hate good people; the world only hates Christian people. If you are just a good person, the world will admire and like you. The world likes good people because it feels that they are a compliment to itself. So the world applauds them. But the world, we are told, hates Christians, not because they are hateful, not because they are good, not because they do good, but specifically because they are of God. The world's hatred for the christian is misplaced.
I will never forget when I experienced this for the first time. I was working at B&B Loan Company in Savannah, Georgia. B&B Loan Company was a fancy name for a Pawn Shop. It was a Saturday morning and we were preparing for the day. I was responsible to place all of the jewelry back in the jewelry case, among other things. It was my habit, since I was a young christian of about six months, to listen to the radio program of Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of Atlanta's First Baptist Church. So, I am listening and working, when all of a sudden the radio went silent. I walked over to the radio and turned it back on. Just then, I noticed that the radio had been turned off by one of my older, unbelieving co-workers. As I turned the radio back on, the co-worker came at me. To make a long story short, he slapped me. I was so mad that I wanted to strike him in return. This was my first experience with what John is telling us here in 1 John 3:13. The point is this: the Christian must not be surprised that the unbelieving world hates us. The Lord Jesus told us that their misplaced hatred is really for Him (John 15:18). We must be compassionate at every turn. And by doing so, pointing them to the Lord Jesus Himself.
Finally, the end of the Pawn Shop story. I walked away and went to the front door of the business. As I stared out the door, with tears in my eyes, the man who had struck me came and apologized for his actions. This proud man was not known for such actions. I would only hope that he trusted in the Lord Jesus as his Savior before he past away just a few years ago, because of that moment.
As we saw yesterday, in 1 John 3:11-12, the Apostle John has introduced another contrast: love and hate. The story of Cain and Abel is used of the Apostle to help us to see this contrast. The goal that John has here is this: the Devil inspired jealousy within Cain's heart. As a result, Cain's jealousy gave rise to hatred. And his hatred culminated in murder. Cain is the model of the unbelieving world that you and I mix with every day. You might say, "the world is Cain's posterity." And, the same Devil who inspired Cain to hate and ultimately murder, influences the people of this world accordingly.
In v.13, John writes, "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." You see, the faith of the Believer in the God of the Bible, condemns the world and they do not know what to do with their angst. The world does not hate good people; the world only hates Christian people. If you are just a good person, the world will admire and like you. The world likes good people because it feels that they are a compliment to itself. So the world applauds them. But the world, we are told, hates Christians, not because they are hateful, not because they are good, not because they do good, but specifically because they are of God. The world's hatred for the christian is misplaced.
I will never forget when I experienced this for the first time. I was working at B&B Loan Company in Savannah, Georgia. B&B Loan Company was a fancy name for a Pawn Shop. It was a Saturday morning and we were preparing for the day. I was responsible to place all of the jewelry back in the jewelry case, among other things. It was my habit, since I was a young christian of about six months, to listen to the radio program of Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of Atlanta's First Baptist Church. So, I am listening and working, when all of a sudden the radio went silent. I walked over to the radio and turned it back on. Just then, I noticed that the radio had been turned off by one of my older, unbelieving co-workers. As I turned the radio back on, the co-worker came at me. To make a long story short, he slapped me. I was so mad that I wanted to strike him in return. This was my first experience with what John is telling us here in 1 John 3:13. The point is this: the Christian must not be surprised that the unbelieving world hates us. The Lord Jesus told us that their misplaced hatred is really for Him (John 15:18). We must be compassionate at every turn. And by doing so, pointing them to the Lord Jesus Himself.
Finally, the end of the Pawn Shop story. I walked away and went to the front door of the business. As I stared out the door, with tears in my eyes, the man who had struck me came and apologized for his actions. This proud man was not known for such actions. I would only hope that he trusted in the Lord Jesus as his Savior before he past away just a few years ago, because of that moment.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Daily Devotional #29 (1 John 3:12)
1 John 3:12 reads, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous."
In 1 John 3:11-12, the Apostle John has introduced another contrast. With this contrast we discover the two most powerful forces at work in the world today: love and hate. In v.12, John uses a story from Genesis 4 about two brothers. The story of Cain and Abel: when one suddenly took his ax and struck his brother in the head and murdered him. If we understand the conflict between Cain and Abel, we will understand why fight today.
Beginning in 1 John 3:11, John traces for us the intertwining of these two forces, love and hate. As we considered yesterday, love, comes from God. However, God's love, in the heart of unsaved man, is self-serving.This is not the way God intended it to be.
The Apostle John says Cain "belonged to the evil one," which is a reference to the Devil. It, therefore, bears to reason that the presence of hate in the human heart reveals that the individual who expresses hate is a slave to the Devil. Hate is love twisted from its intended purpose. The scriptures are clear that the Devil has twisted what God has created. As a result, anyone who hates is, as Cain was, being manipulated by the Devil. When Cain began to burn with hatred for his brother, there was a quiet takeover. The Devil had gotten a foothold and had his way with the myopic vision of Cain.
Now, notice the question that John asks in v.12: "And why did he murder him?" The answer is given: "Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous." In Genesis 4, we are told that both of them brought an offering to the Lord. Abel of the first offspring lambs of his flock, while Cain brought the fruits of his field. He was a farmer and so he brought a gift of grain or fruit to God. In Hebrews 11:4 we are told that it was "by faith" that Abel offered his offering to God. Abel offered his in obedience to what God had asked; Cain did not offer his by faith, and therefore he refused to offer what God had asked. And, when his offering was rejected, Cain was angry.
God's response to Cain is revealing: "Why does your countenance fall? Why are you angry? Do you not know that a sin offering is lying at the door?" (Genesis 4:6-7). Cain could have changed his course at this point, but, he didn't. At that moment he fell into the trap of the Devil. He felt that he was not treated fairly by God, and he turned against God. The result in Cain's case was the deadly swing of the ax and the gush of his brother's blood.
It ultimately comes down to who defines us, doesn't it? I remember the first weekend after I was "born again". Some friends came over to my house on that Friday night in 1981. So many times before this night we did what we did that night. However, I noticed something different in me. I noticed that I no longer wanted to do the things with these friends that I had done so many times. It puzzled me, for I did not understand what had happened to me, that I was now influenced by the Holy Spirit who now lived in my spirit. It has been like that ever since. I would like to say that I have always turned away from the lurings of the enemy. I have not. However, that Friday night, I experienced, for the first time in my life, the difference between the influence of the enemy and the influence of my God. It all comes back to a quote that I heard many years ago: "the root of sin is the suspicion that God is not good." Getting us to believe that God is not good is the enemies way of getting a foothold in our lives.
In 1 John 3:11-12, the Apostle John has introduced another contrast. With this contrast we discover the two most powerful forces at work in the world today: love and hate. In v.12, John uses a story from Genesis 4 about two brothers. The story of Cain and Abel: when one suddenly took his ax and struck his brother in the head and murdered him. If we understand the conflict between Cain and Abel, we will understand why fight today.
Beginning in 1 John 3:11, John traces for us the intertwining of these two forces, love and hate. As we considered yesterday, love, comes from God. However, God's love, in the heart of unsaved man, is self-serving.This is not the way God intended it to be.
The Apostle John says Cain "belonged to the evil one," which is a reference to the Devil. It, therefore, bears to reason that the presence of hate in the human heart reveals that the individual who expresses hate is a slave to the Devil. Hate is love twisted from its intended purpose. The scriptures are clear that the Devil has twisted what God has created. As a result, anyone who hates is, as Cain was, being manipulated by the Devil. When Cain began to burn with hatred for his brother, there was a quiet takeover. The Devil had gotten a foothold and had his way with the myopic vision of Cain.
Now, notice the question that John asks in v.12: "And why did he murder him?" The answer is given: "Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous." In Genesis 4, we are told that both of them brought an offering to the Lord. Abel of the first offspring lambs of his flock, while Cain brought the fruits of his field. He was a farmer and so he brought a gift of grain or fruit to God. In Hebrews 11:4 we are told that it was "by faith" that Abel offered his offering to God. Abel offered his in obedience to what God had asked; Cain did not offer his by faith, and therefore he refused to offer what God had asked. And, when his offering was rejected, Cain was angry.
God's response to Cain is revealing: "Why does your countenance fall? Why are you angry? Do you not know that a sin offering is lying at the door?" (Genesis 4:6-7). Cain could have changed his course at this point, but, he didn't. At that moment he fell into the trap of the Devil. He felt that he was not treated fairly by God, and he turned against God. The result in Cain's case was the deadly swing of the ax and the gush of his brother's blood.
It ultimately comes down to who defines us, doesn't it? I remember the first weekend after I was "born again". Some friends came over to my house on that Friday night in 1981. So many times before this night we did what we did that night. However, I noticed something different in me. I noticed that I no longer wanted to do the things with these friends that I had done so many times. It puzzled me, for I did not understand what had happened to me, that I was now influenced by the Holy Spirit who now lived in my spirit. It has been like that ever since. I would like to say that I have always turned away from the lurings of the enemy. I have not. However, that Friday night, I experienced, for the first time in my life, the difference between the influence of the enemy and the influence of my God. It all comes back to a quote that I heard many years ago: "the root of sin is the suspicion that God is not good." Getting us to believe that God is not good is the enemies way of getting a foothold in our lives.
Friday, April 27, 2018
Daily Devotional #28 (1 John 3:11)
Today, we are considering 1 John 3:11 which introduces a new theme in this first epistle of John. The new theme can be seen in v.11 which reads, "For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." The new theme is love. As you know, there are four different Greek words used in the New Testament for the word "love". The word that John uses here is "agape", which is commitment love. Agape is the type of love that enables us to love those who do not love us in return. Not like "because of" love or "if" love, agape is "in spite of" love. I love you, in spite of the fact that you do not love me.
The Apostle John has already written about light and darkness, death and life, truth and error, God and the devil. Now he ties together two new themes: love and hate. The contrasts of this life give us points of reference. These points of reference enable us to determine whether something is true, and substantive enough to believe in.
The Bible never claims that Christians have a monopoly on love. But it does claim that there is a difference between the love of a Christian and the love of a non-Christian, and it is a difference which is described in this very letter as the difference between death and life.
Recently, I was meeting with a young man who claimed to be an atheist. The conversation came to the place where I asked him, "what is love?" His answer was weak: "a chemical reaction in the brain." Love is the greatest motivation in the world. It is more than an emotion, as the word that John uses here indicates. Agape is a love which not only loves those who love you, but which loves those who do not love you. It is a love which does not depend upon a reciprocal relationship, but loves anyhow, loving the unlovely, the unqualified, the ungrateful, the selfish, and the difficult.
John writes "love one another". Love is a relational word. I am reminded that the first negative idea in the Bible is that man was alone (Genesis 2:18). I find it interesting that this first negative was not a product of the Fall which takes place in Genesis 3. So, loneliness, not a product a product of sin, is a good thing. It is often the impetus of people turning to God.
Isaiah 53:8 reads, "By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished." This verse is clear, the Lord Jesus embraced the loneliness on our behalf, so that we could know eternal life. The law of entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, states that anything left in isolation, deteriorates. Jesus embraced, to its fullness, spiritual entropy, so that you and I can live from this moment onward, know what eternal life is, the type of life that has the influence of eternity on it. The products of eternal life shows up in our lives in a variety of ways: wisdom, joy, peace, are just a few.
The Apostle John has already written about light and darkness, death and life, truth and error, God and the devil. Now he ties together two new themes: love and hate. The contrasts of this life give us points of reference. These points of reference enable us to determine whether something is true, and substantive enough to believe in.
The Bible never claims that Christians have a monopoly on love. But it does claim that there is a difference between the love of a Christian and the love of a non-Christian, and it is a difference which is described in this very letter as the difference between death and life.
Recently, I was meeting with a young man who claimed to be an atheist. The conversation came to the place where I asked him, "what is love?" His answer was weak: "a chemical reaction in the brain." Love is the greatest motivation in the world. It is more than an emotion, as the word that John uses here indicates. Agape is a love which not only loves those who love you, but which loves those who do not love you. It is a love which does not depend upon a reciprocal relationship, but loves anyhow, loving the unlovely, the unqualified, the ungrateful, the selfish, and the difficult.
John writes "love one another". Love is a relational word. I am reminded that the first negative idea in the Bible is that man was alone (Genesis 2:18). I find it interesting that this first negative was not a product of the Fall which takes place in Genesis 3. So, loneliness, not a product a product of sin, is a good thing. It is often the impetus of people turning to God.
Isaiah 53:8 reads, "By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished." This verse is clear, the Lord Jesus embraced the loneliness on our behalf, so that we could know eternal life. The law of entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, states that anything left in isolation, deteriorates. Jesus embraced, to its fullness, spiritual entropy, so that you and I can live from this moment onward, know what eternal life is, the type of life that has the influence of eternity on it. The products of eternal life shows up in our lives in a variety of ways: wisdom, joy, peace, are just a few.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Daily Devotional #27 (1 John 3:9-10)
In 1 John 3, John gives us three reasons why the Believer would want to live a Godlike lifestyle. Today, we will consider the third, which is: the Holy Spirit lives in us.
1 John 3:9-10 reads, "9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister."
In order to understand what the Apostle is trying to communicate we must consider 1 John 1:8, "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." So, it is obvious when John writes in 1 John 3:9, "No one who is born of God will continue to sin..." he did not mean that the Believer ceases to sin. What John is trying to convey is this: the Christian cannot persist in habitual, continual sin because he is born of God. The Christian's spiritual parents, so to speak, are the word of God and the Holy Spirit. Just as my children bear my image, so the Believer will bear God's image. Sin will no longer be natural for the Believer. His heart is set toward God because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life.
In these two verses we learn that the Believer has been given the Holy Spirit in order to lead him into the truth. If you are a Christian, have you ever wondered why you have been "born again" or made alive to God? John tells us in v.10 the answer to this question. John writes, "This is how we know who the children of God are..." This is how we know. Why would it be necessary for anyone to know that a person is a child of God, that he does what is right and loves his brother? 1 John 3:9 tells us the answer. The reason a Believer performs anything good is due to the fact that God's seed (The Holy Spirit) remains in him. Remains! This implies that the Believer can not lose the seed (the Holy Spirit). You see, you and I are here to point others to Him. He is the answer.
Now, v.10 clearly says that all people are either in God's kingdom or the kingdom of the Devil. John is bringing to mind the words of the Lord Jesus himself when he said, "You are of your father, the Devil, and the works of your father you are going to be doing," John 8:44).
This phrase, "children of the Devil" means that they reflect the nature and characteristics of the Devil. All of mankind was born children of the Devil because we are all part of the fallen race of Adam. We are children of Adam who sold himself to the Devil, and all his children are like him. It is only by new birth that we become children of God. That is why Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Unless you be born again, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God," (John 3:3). We are all here to declare that there is a way out of this bondage to the Devil. Every day, you and I are introduced to many opportunities to share the Gospel with the ultimate purpose of helping those who are children of the Devil to see the light of the free gift of God through the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.
Finally, the ultimate question is this: will you seize those opportunities?
In 1982, just a few months after I was "born again", God began exercising my heart to share my newfound relationship with Him with a friend by the name of Tyler. Tyler worked with me at the local grocery store. One Sunday I went into work and was told that Tyler was in the hospital in a coma. I was devastated because I had resisted the Lord's urging to tell Tyler about Him. I was fairly sure that Tyler was not a Believer in the Lord Jesus. Well, to make a long story shorter, I visited Tyler in the hospital. I'm not sure that he heard my story. If he did, he had a chance to decide whether to receive God's free gift of forgiveness through the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. This story has fueled my zeal to tell others about the love of God since.
1 John 3:9-10 reads, "9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister."
In order to understand what the Apostle is trying to communicate we must consider 1 John 1:8, "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." So, it is obvious when John writes in 1 John 3:9, "No one who is born of God will continue to sin..." he did not mean that the Believer ceases to sin. What John is trying to convey is this: the Christian cannot persist in habitual, continual sin because he is born of God. The Christian's spiritual parents, so to speak, are the word of God and the Holy Spirit. Just as my children bear my image, so the Believer will bear God's image. Sin will no longer be natural for the Believer. His heart is set toward God because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life.
In these two verses we learn that the Believer has been given the Holy Spirit in order to lead him into the truth. If you are a Christian, have you ever wondered why you have been "born again" or made alive to God? John tells us in v.10 the answer to this question. John writes, "This is how we know who the children of God are..." This is how we know. Why would it be necessary for anyone to know that a person is a child of God, that he does what is right and loves his brother? 1 John 3:9 tells us the answer. The reason a Believer performs anything good is due to the fact that God's seed (The Holy Spirit) remains in him. Remains! This implies that the Believer can not lose the seed (the Holy Spirit). You see, you and I are here to point others to Him. He is the answer.
Now, v.10 clearly says that all people are either in God's kingdom or the kingdom of the Devil. John is bringing to mind the words of the Lord Jesus himself when he said, "You are of your father, the Devil, and the works of your father you are going to be doing," John 8:44).
This phrase, "children of the Devil" means that they reflect the nature and characteristics of the Devil. All of mankind was born children of the Devil because we are all part of the fallen race of Adam. We are children of Adam who sold himself to the Devil, and all his children are like him. It is only by new birth that we become children of God. That is why Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Unless you be born again, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God," (John 3:3). We are all here to declare that there is a way out of this bondage to the Devil. Every day, you and I are introduced to many opportunities to share the Gospel with the ultimate purpose of helping those who are children of the Devil to see the light of the free gift of God through the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.
Finally, the ultimate question is this: will you seize those opportunities?
In 1982, just a few months after I was "born again", God began exercising my heart to share my newfound relationship with Him with a friend by the name of Tyler. Tyler worked with me at the local grocery store. One Sunday I went into work and was told that Tyler was in the hospital in a coma. I was devastated because I had resisted the Lord's urging to tell Tyler about Him. I was fairly sure that Tyler was not a Believer in the Lord Jesus. Well, to make a long story shorter, I visited Tyler in the hospital. I'm not sure that he heard my story. If he did, he had a chance to decide whether to receive God's free gift of forgiveness through the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. This story has fueled my zeal to tell others about the love of God since.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Daily Devotional #26 (1 John 3:4-8)
Today, we are considering 1 John 3:4-8 which reads, " 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work."
In these verses we see the second reason why the Believer should pursue a life that is godlike. This second reason is that the Son died for him.
There are three reasons given in these verses for which the Lord Jesus died for us. The first is found in v.4-6 which reads, " 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him."
Did you see it? The Lord Jesus died in order to take away our sin.
Consider the design of His cross. The horizontal beam represents the width of God's love, the vertical beam represents the height of His holiness. The cross is the intersection of God's love and holiness, it is the axis point where He forgave man without lowering His standards.
There is a second reason the Lord Jesus died according to v.6 which reads, "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." He died in order to make our pursuit of faith possible. Faith is the heart's ability to see God. And it only makes sense in reverse. Throughout the scriptures we see that the man of God acts, then he sees. Such is the nature of faith. To sin, as v.6 suggests, is to not be defined out of a personal relationship with God. When we are being defined by Him, we are not defining things for ourselves or sinning. In this case, we are walking with Him by faith. The Lord Jesus died, so that we could pursue Him in a personal relationship.
Finally, there is a third reason the Lord Jesus died according to v.7-8 which reads, " 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." The third reason is that He might destroy the works of the Devil. Destroy here does not mean to annihilate, it means to render it powerless. The Devil does not maintain control in the life of the Believer. The Believer is no longer under his dominion. Where once, the Believer was controlled by the dark forces of the Evil One, we are now in the kingdom of God's Beloved Son.
A family had recently moved into a new neighborhood. In this family was a seven year old boy who loved riding his bike. Just a day into living in the new neighborhood the boy ventured out on a bike ride. Before long he realized that he was lost. The tears began to flow as the fear gripped him.
"Which way do I go to get back home?", he thought to himself. Just then a police officer noticed the perplexed boy. Thinking he could help the boy find his way home, the officer began to ask the boy if he lived near certain places like the school on Fifth Street or the supermarket on Third Street. Just then the officer asked the boy if he lived near the church with the big white cross on top of it on First Street. The boys face brightened, and he said, "Sir, if you will point me in the direction of the cross, I will find my way home."
In these verses we see the second reason why the Believer should pursue a life that is godlike. This second reason is that the Son died for him.
Did you see it? The Lord Jesus died in order to take away our sin.
There is a second reason the Lord Jesus died according to v.6 which reads, "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." He died in order to make our pursuit of faith possible. Faith is the heart's ability to see God. And it only makes sense in reverse. Throughout the scriptures we see that the man of God acts, then he sees. Such is the nature of faith. To sin, as v.6 suggests, is to not be defined out of a personal relationship with God. When we are being defined by Him, we are not defining things for ourselves or sinning. In this case, we are walking with Him by faith. The Lord Jesus died, so that we could pursue Him in a personal relationship.
Finally, there is a third reason the Lord Jesus died according to v.7-8 which reads, " 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." The third reason is that He might destroy the works of the Devil. Destroy here does not mean to annihilate, it means to render it powerless. The Devil does not maintain control in the life of the Believer. The Believer is no longer under his dominion. Where once, the Believer was controlled by the dark forces of the Evil One, we are now in the kingdom of God's Beloved Son.
A family had recently moved into a new neighborhood. In this family was a seven year old boy who loved riding his bike. Just a day into living in the new neighborhood the boy ventured out on a bike ride. Before long he realized that he was lost. The tears began to flow as the fear gripped him.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Daily Devotional #25 (1 John 3:1-3)
In 1 John 3, John gives us three reasons why we want to live Godlike lives. Today, we will consider the first.
1 John 3:1-3 reads, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure."
That which is obvious about these three verses is that they describe the love of the Father for His children. This is the first motivation behind the Believer in the Lord Jesus wanting to live a godly life. Notice the emphasis of each of these verses. In v.1 the emphasis is on what we are. "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" In v.2 the emphasis is on what we shall be. "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." And in v.3 the emphasis is on what we should be. "All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure."
When my oldest son, Greg, was a little boy I put him to bed nearly every night. On one night, as I lay with him on his bed, I asked him, "Greg, is there anyone who loves you more than your old dad?" Greg paused, and then said, "yep, God." So true are those words. There is no one who loves us more than our Father in heaven. According to Romans 5:8, we discover, "When we were without strength,"
when we were helpless, when we were unable to make any contribution to
the salvation that we so desperately needed, when there was not a thing we
could do about it, we were utterly bankrupt, "when we were without strength, at the right time Christ
died for the ungodly," -- for us. But it does not stop there, it goes on
even further. "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
Of course, not all mankind are the children of God. Biblically speaking, only those who receive the Lord Jesus as Savior are the children of God. In Galatians 3:26 we read, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith."
Finally, Max Lucado said it well when he said, "To live as God's child is to know that you are loved by your Maker not because you try to please him and succeed, or fail to please him and apologize, but because he wants to be your Father. Nothing more."
1 John 3:1-3 reads, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure."
That which is obvious about these three verses is that they describe the love of the Father for His children. This is the first motivation behind the Believer in the Lord Jesus wanting to live a godly life. Notice the emphasis of each of these verses. In v.1 the emphasis is on what we are. "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" In v.2 the emphasis is on what we shall be. "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." And in v.3 the emphasis is on what we should be. "All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure."
Of course, not all mankind are the children of God. Biblically speaking, only those who receive the Lord Jesus as Savior are the children of God. In Galatians 3:26 we read, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith."
Finally, Max Lucado said it well when he said, "To live as God's child is to know that you are loved by your Maker not because you try to please him and succeed, or fail to please him and apologize, but because he wants to be your Father. Nothing more."
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Daily Devotional #24 (1 John 2:29)
In order to understand what the Apostle is trying to convey here, we must understand the word that he uses for "right." Right is whatever God does. God is the standard for all good behavior. God is always consistent with himself. He will always acts like God. Therefore, whatever he does is right or righteous. "If
you know how God behaves, then you will know that whoever behaves like
God is born of him." The Apostle John is saying, if anything good comes out of the Believer's life, and it should, the Believer can not take credit for it because it the Lord Jesus that is producing the good or right behavior. This makes me think of the Rich Young Ruler who referred to the Lord Jesus as "good" in Luke 18. The Lord Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." In those days, a potential disciple would approach a Rabbi whom they wanted to follow. If the Rabbi was interested in the guy becoming a disciple, he would ask him certain questions to determine if he was suitable as a disciple. If not, he would be sent away, and if he accepted him, he would say, 'come, follow me' and he became the Rabbi's disciple. One teaching technique that Rabbis used was posing questions. He would ask questions of his disciples, and the disciples would debate among themselves and the Rabbi would listen. When they had arrived upon the correct answer, the discussion would be over and the disciples accepted the Rabbi's yoke or teaching. "God is great and God is good, but without Him we are neither."
Let me close with a story to illustrate our point. A group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago.
They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time
for Christmas night’s dinner. In their rush through the airport, one of
these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of
apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they
all managed to reach the plane, just in time. All but one. He told the
others to go on without him and went back to where the apples were all
over the floor. He was glad he did. The little girl, the apple seller, was totally blind! She was softly
crying, tears running down her cheeks, as she groped for her spilled
produce, the crowd swirling about her, rushing to their flights. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put
them back on the table and helped reorganize her display. He set aside
the bruised and battered apples in a separate basket. When he had
finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, “Here, please
take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?” She nodded through her tears. He continued, “I hope we didn’t spoil your day too badly.” As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, “Mister….” He paused and turned to look back. She continued, “Are you Jesus?”
Friday, April 20, 2018
Daily Devotional #23 (1 John 2:28)
1 John 2:28 reads, "And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at His coming."
The Greek word used here in v.28 for "coming" is the word, parousia, which means "presence," the presence of the Lord Jesus.
This is the most frequently mentioned truth in all of the New Testament. Here, the Apostle John is encouraging the Believer in Christ to abide in his fellowship with the Lord Jesus due to the fact that He is coming again. It is possible for the Believer to have "confidence before the Lord," or "to shrink from Him in shame." Why would John warn the Believer like this? Why would John see the need to warn the Believer of experiencing shame at the next appearing of the Lord Jesus?
Do you remember in Genesis 3, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, after the Fall, hid from the Lord God as he walked in the Garden in the coolness of the day.
God called
out "Adam, where are you?" After the Fall, God called out to Adam, "Why did you hide?" And Adam
said, "Because we found we were naked."Adam realized that by ignoring God's word, he felt the type of shame that made him hide from God. But if we just look at this verse from this negative perspective, we miss John's whole point. This verse is not intended to be negative. It is given to show us how to
avoid standing in the Lord's presence unashamed, and to
have confidence before Him at His appearing.
The key to 1 John 2:28 is in the three words "abide in Him." This means to not place your confidence in yourself, but to live out of the full acceptance that you have in the Lord Jesus. The only basis for any Believer to have confidence, especially in the presence of the Lord, can only come from our position in Him. And the Believer did and does not earn that status.
When the Believer lacks this confidence, only to be found in the Lord Jesus alone, the result will be weakness, ineffectiveness, and a lack of productiveness. For the Believer to abide is for him to live out of God's evaluation of him through the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. I like to use this illustration. When I trusted the Lord Jesus as my Savior, I made it possible, by faith, for the Father to see me through the lens of His Son. Through abiding in Him, living out of that full acceptance through the perfection of the Lord Jesus' life, death and resurrection, I am perfect as He. this perfection is not based on the Believer's improving ability to be more godly, it is based upon his perfect position in Christ. And as a result, I will be confident at His appearing.
The Greek word used here in v.28 for "coming" is the word, parousia, which means "presence," the presence of the Lord Jesus.
This is the most frequently mentioned truth in all of the New Testament. Here, the Apostle John is encouraging the Believer in Christ to abide in his fellowship with the Lord Jesus due to the fact that He is coming again. It is possible for the Believer to have "confidence before the Lord," or "to shrink from Him in shame." Why would John warn the Believer like this? Why would John see the need to warn the Believer of experiencing shame at the next appearing of the Lord Jesus?
Do you remember in Genesis 3, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, after the Fall, hid from the Lord God as he walked in the Garden in the coolness of the day.
The key to 1 John 2:28 is in the three words "abide in Him." This means to not place your confidence in yourself, but to live out of the full acceptance that you have in the Lord Jesus. The only basis for any Believer to have confidence, especially in the presence of the Lord, can only come from our position in Him. And the Believer did and does not earn that status.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Daily Devotional #22 (1 John 2:26-27)
According to Ephesians 2:1-2 we read, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."
According to these verses all mankind was born in the condition of being dead to God.
But according to Ephesians 2:4-5, we read, "4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."
Because of God's great love for man, it is now possible for all to be forgiven of our sinful condition. The Bible consistently teaches that the only thing that makes us right before God is the payment that the Lord Jesus made on the behalf of anyone who is humble enough to receive the free gift of God of forgiveness.
Having been made right with God, the Believer in Christ has been given the Holy Spirit who keeps us from being deceived by those who would try to lead us astray.
1 John 2:26-27, we read, "26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him."
As we have considered before, the anointing is the Holy Spirit who helps the Believer gain His insight on how to live. That is why at this level no human being can help you, although the Holy Spirit will often base his teaching upon the word which the human teacher brings.
John is not saying that the anointing of the Spirit enables us to know the truth of Christ by giving additional information beyond what they heard from the beginning. On the contrary John is intent on telling them they have enough revelation in what they heard from the beginning. He does not want to set them off in pursuit of something new. Remember 1 John 2:7?, "Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard."
Let the Word abide in you, and abide in the Spirit, as god through Him, the Holy Spirit speaks to you and leads you to do His bidding!
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Daily Devotional #21 (1 John 2:24-25)
Did you know ...
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes.
80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes.
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
Fatherlessness in the US today is a problem. Mankind longs to know that the universe is not merely a heartless, impersonal machine. The Bible teaches: behind all of creation is a Father with a Father's heart who is good at orchestrating our lives if we let Him.
In today's devotional we come to 1 John 2:24-25 which reads, "24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life."
These two verses help us to know the process that is involved in the Believer experiencing the life that the Lord Jesus died to give us -- ETERNAL LIFE. The first step involved in this process is found in 1 John 2:14 "... see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you."
John 12:48-50 reads, "48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
"... see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you." This word "remains" in v.24, literally, means "to possess you." Recently, Debbie and I had some friends from Ohio come to visit us. Since there was going to be some time when they would be in our house without us, we said to them, "make yourselves at home." This is the idea that John is communicating with us. As our friends inhabited our house, John is telling us to let the truth inhabit, dwell in, and abide in us.
Notice the second step involved in this process. It is seen in v.24, as well. "If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father." This means that when the truth inhabits and possesses you, then the Son and the Father will possess you. This is the same thing that the Lord Jesus told His disciples in John 14:21 which reads, "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
The result of this abiding and remaining and inhabiting is zoe, which is ETERNAL LIFE. Life that has the touch of eternity on it. This eternal life is the daily adventure of experiencing God's leading IN OUR LIVES. It is the discovery of the definitions of God in every opportunity. When we poise ourselves to be defined by God, life becomes an adventure.
This is illustrated by a story which goes back to February of 1982. I was only four months old in my faith. A friend asked if I had planned to go to a youth conference which was taking place in Brunswick, Georgia. I said, "I didn't even know of the conference." After being informed of the conference, I agreed to go. When we arrived at the conference, we learned that there were no more beds for us, so we got a room at the local Ramada Inn. After getting into our room, instead of going to the conference, we went into the bar at the Hotel where we passed out gospel tracts. To make a long story short, at about 3:30am, the lead singer of the band that was playing in that bar trusted Christ as her Savior. I will never forget the words that she spoke to me that night. She said, "I have been praying that God would send someone to me to help me." Wow, of all the people God could have sent, He sent me and my friend.
Zoe or "ETERNAL LIFE" is to be experienced now with God defining our lives. We will be defined by God when we abide, remain, and inhabit in our relationship with Him. And, as a result, He will abide, remain, and inhabit in us. That is zoe. And that is living this life with a Father who best defines us.
God has given us two tools to help in this process: 1) His Word, 2) His Spirit. And now, ABIDE in the Father's love. There is no greater definer of our lives than He.
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes.
80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes.
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
Fatherlessness in the US today is a problem. Mankind longs to know that the universe is not merely a heartless, impersonal machine. The Bible teaches: behind all of creation is a Father with a Father's heart who is good at orchestrating our lives if we let Him.
In today's devotional we come to 1 John 2:24-25 which reads, "24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life."
These two verses help us to know the process that is involved in the Believer experiencing the life that the Lord Jesus died to give us -- ETERNAL LIFE. The first step involved in this process is found in 1 John 2:14 "... see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you."
"... see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you." This word "remains" in v.24, literally, means "to possess you." Recently, Debbie and I had some friends from Ohio come to visit us. Since there was going to be some time when they would be in our house without us, we said to them, "make yourselves at home." This is the idea that John is communicating with us. As our friends inhabited our house, John is telling us to let the truth inhabit, dwell in, and abide in us.
Notice the second step involved in this process. It is seen in v.24, as well. "If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father." This means that when the truth inhabits and possesses you, then the Son and the Father will possess you. This is the same thing that the Lord Jesus told His disciples in John 14:21 which reads, "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
The result of this abiding and remaining and inhabiting is zoe, which is ETERNAL LIFE. Life that has the touch of eternity on it. This eternal life is the daily adventure of experiencing God's leading IN OUR LIVES. It is the discovery of the definitions of God in every opportunity. When we poise ourselves to be defined by God, life becomes an adventure.
This is illustrated by a story which goes back to February of 1982. I was only four months old in my faith. A friend asked if I had planned to go to a youth conference which was taking place in Brunswick, Georgia. I said, "I didn't even know of the conference." After being informed of the conference, I agreed to go. When we arrived at the conference, we learned that there were no more beds for us, so we got a room at the local Ramada Inn. After getting into our room, instead of going to the conference, we went into the bar at the Hotel where we passed out gospel tracts. To make a long story short, at about 3:30am, the lead singer of the band that was playing in that bar trusted Christ as her Savior. I will never forget the words that she spoke to me that night. She said, "I have been praying that God would send someone to me to help me." Wow, of all the people God could have sent, He sent me and my friend.
Zoe or "ETERNAL LIFE" is to be experienced now with God defining our lives. We will be defined by God when we abide, remain, and inhabit in our relationship with Him. And, as a result, He will abide, remain, and inhabit in us. That is zoe. And that is living this life with a Father who best defines us.
God has given us two tools to help in this process: 1) His Word, 2) His Spirit. And now, ABIDE in the Father's love. There is no greater definer of our lives than He.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Daily Devotional #20 (1 John 2:22-24)
Here, the Apostle John resumes his analysis of the enemies to the Believer's fellowship with God. He reveals the nature of error in three verses. As mentioned in v.22, if you deny the deity (the Godness) of Jesus Christ is to deny the Trinity. One of the earliest heresies which is reflected here in 1 John 2 is that Jesus was nothing but a man upon whom the spirit of Christ came. And, as the Lord Jesus grew up and came to the day of His baptism, at that point, the Christ Spirit came upon him and dwelt within him. This heresy says that the Spirit remained with Jesus the man until that day when he was buried. This heresy obviously denies the incarnation, the fact announced in John's Gospel that "the word was made flesh," (John 1:14).
Now, John is not the only biblical writer to refer to the deity of the Lord Jesus, others do so, as well.
Paul called Jesus “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13) Thomas, one of the twelve disciples, called Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)
Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, said that the coming Messiah would be God. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a Child (a reference to His humanity) is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God (a reference to His deity), Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
GOD the Father called Jesus “God.” Hebrews 1:8 says, “But to the Son He (God the Father) says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.’” (Quoting Psalm 45:6-7)
It is obvious that the Lord Jesus was and is God. I turn your attention to John's gospel, chapter eight. Notice verses 44 through 46.
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?As in 1 John 2, John refers here to the Devil as a Liar. In context, the Lord Jesus is in a discussion with the religious leaders of the day. These leaders are trying to show up the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus asks them a great question in verse 46. Notice it, "Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?" Notice their answer in verse 48 "The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” Did you notice that? Look at it again.
48 "The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” Do you see what they are not saying? They never answer His question about sin. Do you know why? They couldn't. The loudest display of Christ's divinity is their silence. Something to think about.
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