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.
Showing posts with label 1 John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 John. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2018
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.
Monday, April 16, 2018
Daily Devotional #19 (1 John 2:20-21)
Today, we shall consider 1 John 2:20-21, which reads, 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.
We must keep in mind that we are in the middle of the Apostle John teaching about the enemies to our daily walk with the Lord Himself. And in that context, he reminds us why we do not fall for the lies of the False teachers. In v. 20, we read, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth." The anointing is none other than the Holy Spirit. The moment you and I believed in the Lord Jesus and received Him to be our Lord and Savior, we received the Holy Spirit. Now, having received him, John says, "you know the truth," you have now been made capable of knowing as God intended you to know from the beginning. Now, you have the very presence of God through the Holy Spirit, in you, enabling you to know the truth.
Notice how John uses the word "know" in this passage. In v.20 he writes "... you know the truth." And in v.21 he writes, "I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it." The word that John uses here is the Greek word "oida", which means to fully recognize and to be able make sense of something. oida is from the same root as eidon, “to see, “ is a perfect tense with a present meaning, meaning “to have seen or perceived”; hence, “to know, to have knowledge of,” to know from observation, …
One might think that John would have used the word ginosko which suggests progress in “knowledge,” while oida suggests fullness of “knowledge,”… ginosko frequently implies an active relation between the one who “knows” and the person or thing “known” … oida expresses the fact that the object has simply come within the scope of the “knower’s “ perception;…” This happens, as suggested in this passage, as the indwelling Holy Spirit, in tandem with His Word, enables the Believer to recognize what is true, real, worth investing in.
Notice how John uses the word "know" in this passage. In v.20 he writes "... you know the truth." And in v.21 he writes, "I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it." The word that John uses here is the Greek word "oida", which means to fully recognize and to be able make sense of something. oida is from the same root as eidon, “to see, “ is a perfect tense with a present meaning, meaning “to have seen or perceived”; hence, “to know, to have knowledge of,” to know from observation, …
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Daily Devotional #18 (1 John 2:18-29)
In 1 John 2:18-19, we read, 18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
For the past three days, we have considered the three expressions of the first enemy to our fellowship with God. Today, we will consider the second. The second enemy to our daily walk with the Lord is False Teachers.
These False Teachers do three things, according to 1 John 2:18-29: 1) they departed from the group of believers in v.18-19, 2) they denied the faith in v.20-25, and 3) they attempt to deceive the faithful in v.26-29.
Today, we will briefly consider v.18-19. You will notice that John identifies these False Teachers as antichrists in v.18. "Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour."
1 John 2:18-29 is a foundational study on the difference between truth and error. John begins by setting forth certain characteristics of false teaching. First, in v.19, they all begin within the Christian family. "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." Second, in v.19, they were not of the family.
Have you ever considered what makes you a Christian? What is it that makes anyone a follower of the God of the Bible. Consider Abraham, who was from Ur of the Chaldeans. If we were to look on a modern day map, we would quickly recognize that Abraham grew up in southern Iraq. And what changed Abraham? The culture that God gave him through the giving of His word. The same is true for you and me. The key is God's definition of things. In v.1-10 in this chapter, John implores is to walk in the light. The light provides the clear ability to see what is true as opposed to that which is false. We must be diligent to be in God's word daily.
Charlie Peacock said it so very well all those many years ago. You remember the lyrics. "I keep trying to find a life on my own, apart from You" ... I want to be in the Light as You are in the Light, I want to shine like the stars in the heavens. Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation, cause all I want is to be in the Light".
Stay in the LIGHT, my friend, by keeping a tight walk with Him, daily, in His word.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Daily Devotional #17 (1 John 2:15-17)
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Today, we come to the third descriptor of that first enemy to our fellowship with God. Today, we consider "the pride of life."
The only place in the Bible that this phrase "the pride of life" appears is here in 1 John 2:16. This third descriptor of "the world" will be our consideration today.
Matthew Henry once said, “The divine law cannot be reproached unless it be first misrepresented.” The divine definition of things has been misrepresented and we have believed that misrepresentation. We have bitten off the idea that we can make it without the One who holds the specifications to our existence.
Many years ago, one of my colleagues took a group of students on a Field Trip. They arrived at their destination, enjoyed the educational experience, then loaded the bus and headed back to the school. One their way back to the school, they stopped at a gas station to fuel up the bus. My colleague made the terrible mistake of putting gasoline in a bus which operated off of a diesel engine. "Pride of Life" is much like that. Trying to get through life not allowing the one who made us make the decisions about how that life should be lived.
John makes it clear that anything that produces the pride of life comes from a love of the world and “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The essence of the pride of life is exalting oneself above God. It is when we arrogantly boast that we are the captains to our own ship. Eve wanted to be like God in her knowledge, not content to live in a perfect world under His perfect grace and care for her. Therefore, she chose in concert with Lucifer who opposed God and subsequently became Satan.
The arrogant boasting which constitutes the pride of life motivates the other two lusts as it seeks to elevate itself above all others and fulfill all personal desires. This pride is the root cause of strife in families, and societies. It exalts self in direct contradiction to Jesus’ statement that those who would follow Him must take up their cross (an instrument of death) and deny themselves. The pride of life stands in our way if we truly seek to be servants of God.
It is the arrogance that separates us from others and limits our effectiveness in the kingdom. The pride of life “comes not from the Father, but from the world.” And, as such, it is passing away with the world, but those who resist and overcome the temptation of the pride of life do the will of God, and “the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17)
Today, we come to the third descriptor of that first enemy to our fellowship with God. Today, we consider "the pride of life."
The only place in the Bible that this phrase "the pride of life" appears is here in 1 John 2:16. This third descriptor of "the world" will be our consideration today.
Matthew Henry once said, “The divine law cannot be reproached unless it be first misrepresented.” The divine definition of things has been misrepresented and we have believed that misrepresentation. We have bitten off the idea that we can make it without the One who holds the specifications to our existence.
Many years ago, one of my colleagues took a group of students on a Field Trip. They arrived at their destination, enjoyed the educational experience, then loaded the bus and headed back to the school. One their way back to the school, they stopped at a gas station to fuel up the bus. My colleague made the terrible mistake of putting gasoline in a bus which operated off of a diesel engine. "Pride of Life" is much like that. Trying to get through life not allowing the one who made us make the decisions about how that life should be lived.
John makes it clear that anything that produces the pride of life comes from a love of the world and “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The essence of the pride of life is exalting oneself above God. It is when we arrogantly boast that we are the captains to our own ship. Eve wanted to be like God in her knowledge, not content to live in a perfect world under His perfect grace and care for her. Therefore, she chose in concert with Lucifer who opposed God and subsequently became Satan.
The arrogant boasting which constitutes the pride of life motivates the other two lusts as it seeks to elevate itself above all others and fulfill all personal desires. This pride is the root cause of strife in families, and societies. It exalts self in direct contradiction to Jesus’ statement that those who would follow Him must take up their cross (an instrument of death) and deny themselves. The pride of life stands in our way if we truly seek to be servants of God.
It is the arrogance that separates us from others and limits our effectiveness in the kingdom. The pride of life “comes not from the Father, but from the world.” And, as such, it is passing away with the world, but those who resist and overcome the temptation of the pride of life do the will of God, and “the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17)
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Daily Devotional #16 (1 John 2:15-17)
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
The second descriptor of the world, that first enemy of our fellowship with God, is "the lust of the eyes". Whereas, the lust of the flesh is a distorted desire for pleasure, the lust of the eyes is a distorted desire for possessions.
The last of the Ten Commandments says, "Do not covet." Without covetousness, all of the other nine commandments are not possible. As in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, in every garden of life, God has placed something that is beyond our created reach.
In Genesis 13:10-11, Lot chose the land next to Sodom according to the way it looked. Basing our decisions on how things look could fall under the purview of "the lust of the eyes." But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death (James 1:14-15). Lusts are pleasant to the eyes because they deceive us into thinking that we can run our lives for ourselves.
Not much is more enticing than to believe that we are self-operating-selves. This is the origin of self-effort and self-righteousness. Lust is thus believing that we have a life outside God and that we somehow can improve ourselves.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Daily Devotional #15 (1 John 2:15-17)
In 1 John 2:15-29, John warns us of three enemies to our fellowship with the Lord. Today, we will consider the first, which is the world.
In 1 John 2:15-17, we read, 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Note that John defines the world in three parts: 1) the lust of the flesh, 2) the lust of the eyes, and 3) the pride of life.
God warns us against the world because it impairs our proper understanding of love. We think that the world is outside of us, yet this passage clearly states that the world is inside us. Thus, we naturally love ourselves or our flesh the most. The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. You see, it is out of the heart that our issues flow. Therefore, we must be careful what we give our hearts to, because what we give our heart to is what we will love and worship. I find it very instructive that the first time the word "worship" appears in the Bible is the same context where the word "love" first appears (see Genesis 22).
The flesh is our sinful nature, the sinful tendencies within each of us. The flesh always seeks pleasure apart from the perimeters which God has given us. The word used for "lust" in this passage is epithumia, which means strong desires. In this context, desires which are contrary to the Spirit.
In addition, the world is defined by John as the lust of the eyes. The lust of the eyes, like that of the flesh goes beyond simple needs. Simply put, the lust of the eyes is the desire to possess what we see or to have those things which have visual appeal. The sin of coveting is a prime example of the result of giving in to the lust of the eyes. To covet means to have a yearning or a strong desire to have something that rightfully belongs to someone else.
Finally, the third definition of the world in 1 John 2:15-17 is the pride of life. The first two definitions of the world had to do with satisfying ourselves, not as God intended us to be satisfied. The pride of life, however, cannot exist except as it relates to others. It seeks to create a sense of envy, rivalry, and burning jealousy in the hearts of others and gives us pleasure in doing this to them. It is the desire to outshine or to out rank someone else. In Isaiah 14, Lucifer said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High”. In Daniel 4, we read of the plight of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar who went from I, to me, to my, to MOO. King Nebuchadnezzar resisting the will of the God of the Bible to the point of being humbled to the point of behaving like a cow grazing on the grass of the land.
Whereas the world affects our response to the love of God in 1 John 2:15, according to 1 John 2:17, the world affects our response to the will of God. Doing the will of God is a joy to those who abide in the love of God.
This is why John is warning us of this first enemy of our fellowship with God. It harms us when we ignore God's definition of things. Martin Luther said it well, "I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But the things I have placed in God's hands I still possess." It is kind of like toothpaste, the tighter we squeeze, the less we have."You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)
In 1 John 2:15-17, we read, 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Note that John defines the world in three parts: 1) the lust of the flesh, 2) the lust of the eyes, and 3) the pride of life.
God warns us against the world because it impairs our proper understanding of love. We think that the world is outside of us, yet this passage clearly states that the world is inside us. Thus, we naturally love ourselves or our flesh the most. The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. You see, it is out of the heart that our issues flow. Therefore, we must be careful what we give our hearts to, because what we give our heart to is what we will love and worship. I find it very instructive that the first time the word "worship" appears in the Bible is the same context where the word "love" first appears (see Genesis 22).
In addition, the world is defined by John as the lust of the eyes. The lust of the eyes, like that of the flesh goes beyond simple needs. Simply put, the lust of the eyes is the desire to possess what we see or to have those things which have visual appeal. The sin of coveting is a prime example of the result of giving in to the lust of the eyes. To covet means to have a yearning or a strong desire to have something that rightfully belongs to someone else.
Finally, the third definition of the world in 1 John 2:15-17 is the pride of life. The first two definitions of the world had to do with satisfying ourselves, not as God intended us to be satisfied. The pride of life, however, cannot exist except as it relates to others. It seeks to create a sense of envy, rivalry, and burning jealousy in the hearts of others and gives us pleasure in doing this to them. It is the desire to outshine or to out rank someone else. In Isaiah 14, Lucifer said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High”. In Daniel 4, we read of the plight of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar who went from I, to me, to my, to MOO. King Nebuchadnezzar resisting the will of the God of the Bible to the point of being humbled to the point of behaving like a cow grazing on the grass of the land.
Whereas the world affects our response to the love of God in 1 John 2:15, according to 1 John 2:17, the world affects our response to the will of God. Doing the will of God is a joy to those who abide in the love of God.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Daily Devotional #14 (1 John 2:12-14)
12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:12-14)
The first three is Little Children, Fathers & Young Men.
In 1 John 2:16 we read, “for everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
The second three is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
The Apostle John is giving us here in v.12-14 three characteristics that enable us to realize and maintain a mature walk with God. Having considered the first two, Gratitude and Faith, today, we consider the third, Bible-based Convictions.
The Apostle John writes three things to the Young Men ... "you have overcome the evil one”, "you are strong", "and the word of God lives in you".
Someone once said, "Convictions will keep you from capsizing in a world of torrential waters." I have discovered that the convictions that have been forged into my life came on the heals of intense struggle with pain and trouble. During those times when I HAD to have substantive answers to my questions. Isn't it funny how this works? We do not grow in our faith, unless we are willing to wrestle with our doubts. The cousin of doubt is faith. And real faith brings the believer to the scriptures for revelation from God. Wrong faith brings us to the scriptures for information. Information without revelation equals empty religion. Real faith leads me to one overall conviction, whatever is dear to Jesus is dear to me.
Are you battling the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? Of course you are. God has equipped you with Gratitude, Faith, and Bible-based Convictions. Be diligent to foster these three daily.
Monday, April 09, 2018
Daily Devotional #13 (1 John 2:12-14)
As mentioned in our previous devotional, in 1 John 2:12-14 John introduces us to a third factor which follows relationship and fellowship, and it is maturity. There are two threes in 1 John 2 ...
12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
In v.12-14 we see little Children, Fathers & Young Men. 1 John 2:16 reads, “for everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
In v.16 we have the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The Apostle John is giving us here in v.12-14 three characteristics that enable us to realize and maintain a mature walk with God. Having considered the first, Gratitude, today, we consider the second, faith.
Many Christians today see our faith as a value system. But no Value System can express the essence of Christianity. It is not God’s purpose that our lives be built on a value system. He desires that our
lives be built on His Son. An intimate relationship with Him produces an authentic Godly lifestyle. To focus on behavior will not produce a Godly lifestyle.
GOD created the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to give man a choice. The choice to live dependently of independently of God. Satan convinced them to go their own way and from that day forward mankind has judged himself by a value system of right and wrong.
You see, they didn’t know morality (right from wrong) until they began to live independently of God.
God’s desire was for man to chose to make Him the center and authority of our lives. Today, God is the same. In Romans 8:8 we learn that those who are in the flesh can not please God. God is not impressed with human goodness. Because it is nothing more than self-righteousness. The problem is that the fruit is from the wrong tree. Faith in the God of the Bible will always be at the core of our victory.
Before the Fall, man was conscientious of his dependence upon God. After the Fall, his focus was placed squarely upon his behavior. Our focus must remain on our Savior. And when that focus is correct, we are in position to experience a different kind of faith; the kind of faith that wages war against the enemy and pursues a heart driven fellowship with the Savior. It si the kind of faith that gives eyes to our hearts for Him.
12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
In v.12-14 we see little Children, Fathers & Young Men. 1 John 2:16 reads, “for everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
In v.16 we have the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The Apostle John is giving us here in v.12-14 three characteristics that enable us to realize and maintain a mature walk with God. Having considered the first, Gratitude, today, we consider the second, faith.
Many Christians today see our faith as a value system. But no Value System can express the essence of Christianity. It is not God’s purpose that our lives be built on a value system. He desires that our
lives be built on His Son. An intimate relationship with Him produces an authentic Godly lifestyle. To focus on behavior will not produce a Godly lifestyle.
GOD created the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to give man a choice. The choice to live dependently of independently of God. Satan convinced them to go their own way and from that day forward mankind has judged himself by a value system of right and wrong.
You see, they didn’t know morality (right from wrong) until they began to live independently of God.
God’s desire was for man to chose to make Him the center and authority of our lives. Today, God is the same. In Romans 8:8 we learn that those who are in the flesh can not please God. God is not impressed with human goodness. Because it is nothing more than self-righteousness. The problem is that the fruit is from the wrong tree. Faith in the God of the Bible will always be at the core of our victory.
Before the Fall, man was conscientious of his dependence upon God. After the Fall, his focus was placed squarely upon his behavior. Our focus must remain on our Savior. And when that focus is correct, we are in position to experience a different kind of faith; the kind of faith that wages war against the enemy and pursues a heart driven fellowship with the Savior. It si the kind of faith that gives eyes to our hearts for Him.
Sunday, April 08, 2018
Daily Devotional #12 (1 John 2:12)
In 1 John 2:12-14 John introduces us to a third factor which follows relationship and fellowship. He adds a word which we will find frequently on the pages of Scripture -- maturity.
Notice that there are two threes in 1 John 2
12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
In v.12-14 we see little Children, Fathers & Young Men. In 1 John 2:16 reads, “for everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
In v.16 we see the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The Apostle John here in v.12-14, is providing is with three characteristics that will enable us to realize and maintain spiritual maturity.
Today we will just consider the first of these three characteristics which are weapons against our spiritual enemy. The first characteristic or weapon is gratitude.
You will notice that to the children, John writes two things: 1) your sins have been forgiven and 2) you know the Father.
What is the connection here between these two? I believe Luke 7:36-48 illustrates the answer to that question well. It reads, 36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:36-48)
Our gratitude is directly related to our understanding of forgiveness. In fact, Luke 15:11-24 reads,
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
The Lord Jesus deliberately sets before us two remarkable things. One is the freedom this young man sought, and the other is the freedom he actually found. There is not one of us who does not know how this young man felt while he was living at home. We all know the sense of oppressive authority and the revolt that seethes within against it. We have all had a sense of being held down, restrained, under leash. In the innocent conceit of youth, it is easy for this young man to think that he has already arrived at the place where he is able to handle his own affairs fully and completely. He was undoubtedly approaching that time and he chafes under the restraint of his father, murmuring and grumbling to himself.
Luke 15:17-21 reads, 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ He thought that he had lost his identity as a son. Perhaps the most hopeful sentence in this story is the phrase with which this section is introduced, "But when he came to himself."
As his money disappeared he had to sell his clothes in order to eat. He took off his shoes and sold those. Then he took off his coat and sold that. Then he took off his shirt and sold that. And then he came to himself! As the Prodigal sat among the pigs in the pigsty, he realized that all the things that he once had, he had gotten from his father. His possessions, his money, his clothes, his food, his drink, even his very body, the passions of which he had unleashed. He had gotten them all from him.
He had been living on the capital of another, and had made no investment himself.
Notice that there are two threes in 1 John 2
12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
In v.12-14 we see little Children, Fathers & Young Men. In 1 John 2:16 reads, “for everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
In v.16 we see the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The Apostle John here in v.12-14, is providing is with three characteristics that will enable us to realize and maintain spiritual maturity.
Today we will just consider the first of these three characteristics which are weapons against our spiritual enemy. The first characteristic or weapon is gratitude.
You will notice that to the children, John writes two things: 1) your sins have been forgiven and 2) you know the Father.
What is the connection here between these two? I believe Luke 7:36-48 illustrates the answer to that question well. It reads, 36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:36-48)
Our gratitude is directly related to our understanding of forgiveness. In fact, Luke 15:11-24 reads,
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
The Lord Jesus deliberately sets before us two remarkable things. One is the freedom this young man sought, and the other is the freedom he actually found. There is not one of us who does not know how this young man felt while he was living at home. We all know the sense of oppressive authority and the revolt that seethes within against it. We have all had a sense of being held down, restrained, under leash. In the innocent conceit of youth, it is easy for this young man to think that he has already arrived at the place where he is able to handle his own affairs fully and completely. He was undoubtedly approaching that time and he chafes under the restraint of his father, murmuring and grumbling to himself.
Luke 15:17-21 reads, 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ He thought that he had lost his identity as a son. Perhaps the most hopeful sentence in this story is the phrase with which this section is introduced, "But when he came to himself."
As his money disappeared he had to sell his clothes in order to eat. He took off his shoes and sold those. Then he took off his coat and sold that. Then he took off his shirt and sold that. And then he came to himself! As the Prodigal sat among the pigs in the pigsty, he realized that all the things that he once had, he had gotten from his father. His possessions, his money, his clothes, his food, his drink, even his very body, the passions of which he had unleashed. He had gotten them all from him.
He had been living on the capital of another, and had made no investment himself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)