How to Understand God’s Teaching Regarding the Lord’s Table

Understanding God’s Teaching Regarding the Lord’s Table

1^st Corinthians 11:17-34

¹⁷Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

¹⁸For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

¹⁹For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

²⁰When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

²¹For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

²²What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

Paul Tells Us How to Behave

²³For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

²⁴And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

²⁵After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

²⁶For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

²⁷Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

²⁸But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

²⁹For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

³⁰For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

³¹For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

³²But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

³³Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

³⁴And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

Introduction:

In the matter of the Lord’s Table, the Corinthian believers were already in trouble: they just didn’t know it yet. Many among them were sick as judgment for sin, and some had died…God says so! Most of the time when we read about the Lord’s table, we begin in verse 23, but the context is important, so that we can see the background, and understand why they were in such trouble. So, today we will begin in verse 17.

What Was The Problem?

When we have a “pot-luck supper, in the church of today, everyone brings what they can, but we all share. If someone has nothing, (whether because they were not aware of the potluck, and so were unprepared, or because they are physically unable to bring something, or financially unable,) they are just as welcome as the one who brought a huge quantity of food. And there is usually food left over in our potlucks. We enjoy sharing and providing for one another.

But the Corinthians got together to eat, all right, and actually called it their communion, but they did not share, The rich went home stuffed with food and drink…sometimes actually drunk. The poor went home hungry and left out. Rather than fostering unity, they were producing division rooted in what they were calling the Lord’s Supper. Do you see the evil that was happening? They were splitting the church, causing deep resentment and disunity over the very thing that was supposed to draw them together.

A Root of Division

¹⁷Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. ¹⁸For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. ¹⁹For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. ²⁰When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

Paul clearly condemned what they were doing, and said this is NOT the Lord’s Supper. He said, that this practice was fostering schisms in the group. Today we might politely call them “cliques.” But it is still a division. And from chapter one we saw that Paul addressed the divisions in the church, and condemned the roots of those divisions: (Pride and self-will, as they were separating on the basis of who their favorite teacher was, and who baptized them.)

Divisions in the Church are always a bad thing. If the divisions are caused by bad teaching, false doctrine, etc., then the bad teaching is a problem, but the division is the real problem.

Jesus Gave the World Three Criteria by Which to Judge the Church:

Agapé Love (See John 13:34, 35 “³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ³⁵By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”)
Unity. (See John 17:21 “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”)
Good works. (See Matthew 5:15, 16 “¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.“)

And all three concepts were being violated, there in Corinth, when they continually dishonored the Lord and His church by their self-centered way of approaching the Lord’s Table!

Unity was Discarded, and the Poor were Shamed

²¹For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. ²²What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

Better that they never actually ate together, if they failed to share freely, in Love and Unity. If they could not share, he said to leave the “feast” at home, and only share the bread and the cup.

Does this rule out pot-luck dinners? Nope! It rules out self-centered pride and selfishness in general. It rules out causing divisions where there should be none. As we share, and the bounteous meal is spread out for all to enjoy, we usually do not even know who brought what food, unless we ask, wanting the recipe, or when the dish has been washed, wanting to know with whom to send it home. That is not the important thing. Sitting down to eat together, as a local assembly of God’s Family is what is important.

**So: What Should Happen in Celebrating the Lord’s Table?**

²³For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: ²⁴And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁵After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. ²⁶For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

So, the general practice is laid out, here in 1^st Corinthians 11:23-26. In some countries and in some cultures, they still use ONE loaf, from which each person pinches off a small piece, and ONE single cup, passed around the room, from which each person takes a sip.

Our culture shares the “one cup” in the form of dozens of tiny cups. In similar manner, we share the “one loaf” in the form of dozens of tiny unleavened crackers. I seriously doubt that this is offensive to God. But approaching the Lord’s table in an unworthy manner, causing disunity, and shame, and hurt, is definitely offensive to Him.

Where Did Paul Get His Information?

Paul laid out that which he had received from Jesus, personally, regarding the Lord’s Table.

When did Paul receive this information from Jesus? Evidently during the three years he seems to have spent in personal training under the Lord Himself. (Galatians 1:11-18) Paul received some teaching that the other Apostles did not have. Jesus specifically trained Paul to be the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” (Romans 11:13) Paul was also the one through whom the “mystery of the Church” was primarily revealed. And The Church is absolutely Holy to God.

Why all the Warnings Associated with the Lord’s table?

In 1^st Corinthians 3:17, God warns that if anyone defiles the “temple of God” (which in that context He states clearly is the Church, the Body of Christ,) then God will destroy them. God is not “playing games,” nor being unclear about His motives. The Church at Corinth was defiling the Church, and He evidently was destroying at least the worst offenders.

²⁷Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

²⁸But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

²⁹For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

³⁰For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

There are a Couple of Keys to Understanding this Passage:

The word “Unworthily” is an adverb: It modifies the verbs “eat,” and “drink.” It is not an adjective, modifying “whosoever.” Yes, on our own, we are all “unworthy.” But by God’s Grace, through faith in Jesus’s blood at the Cross and His resurrection, we have been declared righteous. (Romans 5:1) But in this passage, the word “unworthy” specifically refers to the behavior the Corinthian Church was practicing, regarding the Lord’s Supper…not the people themselves.
The command in verse 28 is for us to examine ourselves (for our motives, and behavior, and our attitude toward the Lord and the believers around us), and “so to eat of that bread, and drink of that cup!” No one is turned away from the Lord’s Table, except for obvious disrespect or flippancy or openly active disunity. We are not “examining one another for secret sins.” We examine ourselves, and we come to the table in unity and Love, confident in God’s Mercy and the acceptance we collectively have as His Children.

So, What Do We Do?

³¹For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. ³²But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

³³Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

³⁴And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

To begin with, we recognize that we are fallible human beings. We desire to do things God’s way, and we examine how and why we do what we do. Why? because we fear the Judgment of God, even though we know it is chastening, not condemnation, so we earnestly try to be obedient to God’s Word, as best we understand it.

We keep the Lord’s Table separate from any other meal. And, as we pass out the bread and the cup, we wait until all have been served, and we partake together. Is this “exactly” right? Maybe. Maybe not. But we earnestly seek to follow Jesus, as His disciples. We are not just “going through the motions.”

The Lord’s table is not just a ritual. It is one of the two ordinances given to the church. (The other is water baptism.) Both ordinances are commemorative in nature.

When a believer chooses to “follow the Lord in Baptism” they commemorate the fact that they have already been baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. (1^st Corinthians 12:13)

When we join with one another in celebrating the Lord’s Table, we commemorate the facts of Jesus’s Death, burial, resurrection and second coming! And we do so regularly, until He returns!

Conclusion of Chapter Eleven

Paul said ³⁴And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

If they could not learn to share at meals, then they were to stop their supposed “church dinners.” And, he said, there might be more that needed to be discussed, but that he would address those things in person. There are certainly things we fail to understand as we read God’s Word. None of us has a corner on correct doctrine. So, we, too, can accept that Jesus will straighten us all out, face to face. In the meantime, we do not break fellowship over minutiae.

Lord Jesus, heal our hearts of any disunity, and allow us to truly embrace the simgularity of the Body of Christ, and Love one another as Family

December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians 1-10?

What Have We Learned in 1^st Corinthians?

Return To Corinthians

We are returning to complete our study in 1^st Corinthians. We had stopped at the end of chapter ten. Subsequently, we went all the way through Ephesians, 1^st John, 2^nd John, 3^rd John and Jude. But now we hope to go back and complete what we began in our Corinthian studies.

By way of review, I will summarize what we learned, going through the first ten chapters:

In Chapter One, we Learned:

The letter is to all believers in every place and throughout all history.
There is much for which to give thanks, regarding the Church.
God Desires Unity in the Church: That is one of the three things by which the World can judge the Church. The others are the Agapé love and our behavior as believers.
We saw that Disunity can have several sources:
- Doctrinal Differences
- Personality Preferences (Who is YOUR favorite teacher? Who baptized YOU?)
- Other sources
We saw the Wisdom and Power of God as opposed to what the World thinks.
We saw that the Door to the truth is the Will, not the intellect. We choose to believe God.
We learned the nature of our calling before God. We truly are nothing Special: He is!
We learned that Jesus is the only person we can boast about.

In Chapter Two, we Learned:

That “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” is the core issue of the Good News we have to offer. We should allow Nothing else to obscure those truths.
We see that there is such a thing as a Godly “fear,” under which we serve, fearing to do things in such a way as to obscure God’s light, by leaning on Human “wisdom.”
We learned that humans do NOT know what heaven is like, beyond the limited information God has given us. He says we can’t even imagine it.
We learned the difference between a “natural man” and a “spiritual man.”
We learned our privilege: Having the “Mind of Christ.”

In Chapter Three, we Learned:

That a third type of individual exists: the Carnal man. He is a believer, but he lives in the flesh. He is not walking with Jesus, not obeying His Word.
We learned that there are eternal results for either obedience or disobedience: Rewards or loss of reward.
We learned that Salvation is a gift: Rewards are “wages” for works.
We learned that Jesus is the foundation in our lives, and that He gives us freedom to build upon that foundation. How we choose to build affects eternal rewards.
We also learned that some “wisdom” does not come from God.
We learned that the “Temple of God” is the Body of Christ—all believers as a group.
We learned that the Lord protects His church, and will punish those who willingly defile it with bad teaching or evil influence.

In Chapter Four, we Learned:

God requires Stewards to be faithful: All servants of God are stewards at various levels. God requires faithfulness to His values and His standards. He holds us accountable.
Paul pointed out that the Apostles were nothing special…and that we are nothing special, either. Jesus is the judge, over all of us.
- Thus, we learned the Humility of Discipleship.
- We learned that pride and self-will have no place in a disciple’s life.
- We learned that we are emissaries of God.
- We learned the responsibilities of the Ambassadors of God.

In Chapter Five, we Learned:

How Paul commanded the Church to deal with flagrant, open sin.
We learned that Judgment is a command: Not all judgment is bad…Most is good.
We learned the various Greek words for Judgment. God forbids some kinds, while He requires others.
We learned what five judgments believers face, or have faced.
We learned of the Coming Judgment which will NOT affect believers.
We learned why God will exclude believers from the Coming judgment.

In Chapter Six, we Learned:

God calls the Church to handle interpersonal problems between believers.
We learned what God means when he calls the believers “righteous,” and what He means when he condemns the “unrighteous.”
We learned that we were the unrighteous, but that He has taken our sins upon Himself, transferring us from darkness into the Kingdom of Christ.
We learned that because God literally owns us, Body, Soul, and Spirit, we are no longer our own, and we are not free to choose immorality.
We learned that Sexual immorality causes Spiritual, internal damage and it has lasting effects.

In Chapter Seven, we Learned:

The principles of a Godly marriage.
- A gift from God.
- No immorality allowed.
- The marriage Covenant
- Mutual care
We learned that there is a parallel between a Godly marriage and the relationship between Christ and the Church
We learned something about the responsibilities of marriage.
We learned that God hates divorce.
We learned about the calling of God, and how it should affect us.
We learned that in certain times and places and harsh circumstances, marriage might not be a good idea.
We learned that regardless of circumstances we are not to allow either the World or our relationships (including marriage) to alter our relationship with Jesus.

In Chapter Eight, we Learned:

God says to govern Knowledge by Agapé Love. Knowledge puffs up: Love builds up.
Food sacrificed to idols remains physically unchanged.
The idol itself is nothing: It is a block of non-living material.
The spiritual issue is there, especially for unbelievers, but evil spirits cannot undo the work Jesus accomplished at the Cross.
While we are free in such matters, we are not to use our freedom in such a way as to weaken another believer. There are times when we abstain from our freedom in order not to cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble.

In Chapter Nine, we Learned:

The Burden of the Gospel as borne by God’s messengers.
We saw Paul defending his position as an apostle, though it seems unclear what the attacks were or what the motives for the attacks might have been..
We saw why Paul chose to forgo receiving pay for his teaching.
We saw that he worked to learn Christ-likeness, and to follow Jesus. He took his Christian life very seriously. And, He encouraged us to do the same

In Chapter Ten, we Learned:

We learned that all the experiences, good and bad. that the Children of Israel endured were examples from which we are to learn.
We learned that the Spiritual Rock from which they received millions of gallons of physical water, was, in fact, Christ Himself!
We learned that There is a sharp division between the spiritual life of the world religions and the spiritual life of followers of Jesus.
We learned that “Communion” means Fellowship. Shared experiences, values, and goals.
We were warned that the world does not have the same experiences, values or goals. We are not to join in fellowship with the world. We do not take part in their worship.
He says we are not to attempt to mix light with darkness.
He also says that we do enjoy freedom that others may lack. But we are not to misuse that freedom.
We want to live in such a way that others see the truth of God’s Word alive in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit is never an offensive thing.

Chapter Eleven Holds Rich Lessons, Too!

We will learn how we are to follow Paul as he follows Christ…
We will learn why the Corinthian believers were given special instructions as to hair length and head coverings
We will learn why the Corinthian believers were being chastised for their treatment of the Lord’s Supper

Next week, we will begin 1st Corinthians Chapter Eleven.

November 21, 2025November 21, 2025

How to Recognize False Teachers (Part Three)

How to Recognize False Teachers ( Jude, Part Three)

Jude 13-25

Introduction:

Over the past few weeks, we have begun to examine Jude’s warnings regarding false teachers and false brethren. He has given examples and has warned of the coming judgment. Here, in verses 13-19, he continues to describe such individuals by the fruits of their words and lives.

Characteristics of False Teachers

¹³Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Some such men are very vocal and public about their stance, John says they are “raging waves of the sea. ” Waves of the “raging” sort only cause damage. Storm waves are truly spectacular. Some people make special trips to the coast to watch the violence of the storm-driven waves in the winter. But such watchers usually know enough to stay out of the reach of those waves, for fear of their lives. People who get up close for a “special photo” often become casualties.

Human Movements and Waves of Unrest

Similarly, people who join movements that God did not originate eventually become part of the sad wreckage those movements bring. Even genuine believers can become distracted by the affairs of the world, and often become “shipwrecked,” unable to function as believers, because they have abandoned the path that God offered them. They have become judicially blind, and they are now unable to see His light. They unwittingly worked for the enemy, just as Samson did: He was physically blinded, and enslaved by the enemy, because of his own bad decisions.

There are deceitful leaders, who claim the mantle of “religion,” but who only use the church as a political platform. They start Political Action Committees, and Social Reform movements. They draw others to follow them, and they stir up people to anger and unrest.

In some cases, their activity may turn out well, in the short run, but often, there was a hidden agenda. The founder of the movement turns out to be “not as advertised.” They sought money, power, or fame, and often had a “secret life” that gave the lie to everything they said they believed. Sadly, when they are exposed, it also gives “ammunition” to those who claim that “all Christians are hypocrites.” They give unbelievers cause to feel more secure in their unbelief.

We are warned to stay out of the reach of such “waves” and movements. We are commanded to follow Jesus.

Wandering Stars

The phrase “wandering stars” is actually in reference to “planets.” (The Greek phrase is “asteres planetai”) They look like stars, but they do not maintain a reliable position in the sky, and (at that time) they could not be used for celestial navigation.

Today we have reliable predictions as to where in the sky a given planet should be at any given time. So, if a person wanted to use a planet for navigation, they could do so, but with great caution. But, at that time, though the planets looked like very bright stars, people could not use them for navigation, as they kept changing their relative positions in the sky.

Recently, Ann and I noticed some bright lights, to the east of us, low in the sky, hours after sunset. I first thought that they were planets, and I wondered which planets they were. But these were more unreliable than planets: They were the landing lights of distant aircraft, facing toward us, so that we had to watch carefully, to see their movement. It was fun to watch the steady stream of aircraft moving into the landing approach pattern, but we can never use such lights to guide our walk on earth. They are not in a stable location in the sky.

Don’t get your directions in life from a false teacher! They might seem to be “shining lights,” but if they are not directing you right back to the Word of God, they are unreliable guides.

God addresses false teachers quite sternly, both here and in 2^nd Peter 2. Here, it says that, because they have rejected the light of God’s Word, and because they have taught others to do so, what awaits them is the blackness of darkness forever. What a grim, terrifying statement!

So, How Do We Learn to Spot a False Teacher?

We do so by learning God’s Truth so intimately that any divergence away from His Word is immediately obvious! And the only way to do that is to deliberately, consistently, feed yourself on His Word. Study it, in orderto root yourself securely in His truth. Allow His Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Word. Go to Him in Prayer, seeking His face, to learn His ways.

Then, when a false teacher opens his or her mouth, your spirit will receive the warning “nudge” of the Holy Spirit, alerting you to listen very carefully: there is something wrong!

Reference to Enoch

Here is another apocryphal quotation. The Book of Enoch is not part of the Canon of scripture. But John uses it to remind us that judgment is coming. All through scripture He repeats the reminder, that God is still the Majesty on high, and He is the Omnipotent, Holy Judge.

¹⁴And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

¹⁵To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

The clear message here is that “no one is ‘getting away with’ anything.” Judgment is coming! Jesus is the Eternal Judge, as well as our Savior. He is the Eternal Judge of all the Earth, as revealed in Genesis 18:25, and John 5:22. He is the coming King, in Revelation 19, arriving to destroy the enemies, and to exact judgment on the Earth.

Observe the Character of False Teachers

¹⁶These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

They murmur against God, and cannot be content. These people pursue their own interests and desires, good or bad, and they do not focus on the things of God. They are great talkers: They use inspiring words, to impress people, and to influence others to think the way they do.

Other translations render this last phrase as, “they seek admiration from other men, and give their admiration to others, to gain advantage.” They seek social advantage and influence, and are willing to say and do the things that gain that advantage.

We Have Been Warned

¹⁷But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; ¹⁸How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. ¹⁹These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

In our times we have watched the stream of televangelists who have become incredibly wealthy through their preaching. Journalists have caught some in their lies and some in their immorality, and their hypocrisy. But it did not stop them: they kept right on preaching and condemning those who exposed them.

God warned us that they were coming. And the world has flocked after such leaders, openly applauding them for their excesses, and extolling them as “men of God.”

Conclusion, Response of the Believers

So…What are We Supposed to Do?

Jude switches his focus from pointing out the coming hazards and the coming judgment, to giving us final instructions as to how to live in the age of apostasy, when everything around us is collapsing into unbelief and apathy.

First: How do We Respond to God?

What are we to do, to pursue our relationship with Him? (verses 20 and 21)

²⁰But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, ²¹Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Building up (edifying) yourself in your holy faith (Do the things that God says edify believers)
Praying in the Holy Spirit. (Fervent, honest prayer, pouring your heart out before the Lord, and depending on the Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts.)
Keep yourselves in the Love of God. It is our responsibility to direct our love back toward God, who is the origin of the Agapé love. (1^st John 4:7-21)
Look for the Mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life. We look only to Jesus for eternal life. We recognize that it is only by His Mercy and Grace that He does not condemn us for our sins. God calls us to continually turn our eyes toward Him, and seek His Mercy and Grace by which to live.

Then: How do We Respond to Those Around Us?

²²And of some have compassion, making a difference: ²³And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

In the context of having warned us of ungodly teachers and deceivers, it would seem that the “some” here, must refer to unbelievers around us, though some assume it is referring to correcting sinning believers.

If we see this passage (verses 22, 23) as being about evangelism (which makes sense, as that is what the Lord left us here to do!) then we may see three categories of sinners:

One

On some, having compassion: “…making a difference” This is a strange phrase, and it is rendered differently in different translations. The distinction (difference) mentioned may be that the person on whom they are having compassion may be “making distinctions” or doubting, arguing against the gospel, or questioning the truth of God’s Word. (Some commentators see it that way.) But it sounds as though we are the ones who are called to be discerning. We may discern that a person’s doubts only amount to excuses for unbelief. We may “challenge their thinking” by using the Word of God as the Sword of the Spirit; gently reminding them that they are running out of time.

Two

“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire…” There may be some that require rather drastic urging, warning them of the coming judgment. Jesus spent far more time warning of the coming Judgment and a literal Hell, than He did describing the Joys of Heaven.

Three

…hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. There may be some that require us to exercise great caution to avoid our being drawn into the sin that is enslaving them. This has frequently happened to believers who attempted to “get close to someone” as an avenue of approach for the Gospel. They tried to “become relevant” to ungodly people by joining them in their activities.

But eventually they found that in doing so, they had wandered away from their own walk with God, and were ensnared by sin, themselves. They ruined their own testimony and instead of “becoming relevant” by joining the world, they became completely irrelevant, as there is no distinction between their life and the lives of the ones whom they are attempting to reach. Bear in mind that light dispels darkness. How? by being the opposite of darkness, not by joining it. Light exposes the deeds of darkness for what they are.

Jude’s Final Benediction

Jude closes his letter by blessing the believers, and by committing them unto the care of God. He blesses God, and declares that all Glory belongs to Him.

²⁴Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

God is the One who keeps us from falling. He is the One who will present us faultless before His throne. He is to be our eternal Joy, as Our Savior and Our God.

²⁵To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Lord Jesus, as You are making us intensely aware of the darkness of the World around us, draw us deeper into Your Light and deeper into Your Truth, so that we truly shine in that darkness, reflecting Your Light, and so that we will have answers for the doubts of those who ask a reason for our faith.

November 8, 2025November 8, 2025

Do You Know What Jude Teaches About False Teachers?

Jude: The False Teachers and Apostates (Part 1)

Judgment is Coming!

Jude 1-25 (Read it!)

Introduction:

Jude, is the writer of this epistle; he is the brother of James (per verse one) who was the half-brother of Jesus (Please compare Matthew 13:55. James and Jude are the names of two of the half-brothers of the Lord.) They are the writers of the epistles of James and Jude.

Both James and Jude introduce themselves as “the servant…of Jesus Christ.” They do not claim any special privileges or authority due to sharing half his gene-pool. Until late in His ministry, they were not even believers, so it seems fitting that they see themselves as “servants,” not “special-case super-saints.”

They finally realized that Jesus was not “just their older brother,” but truly God in the flesh. So, they repented of all they had previously imagined of Him. (They once thought that He was crazy, or that He was promoting himself as a prophet or a leader.) They abandoned all their former opinions. Therefore, they no longer knew Him from a fleshly perspective: So now they simply called themselves His servants. 2^nd Corinthians 5:16 says, “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” This is a good way for us to see Him, too!

These men, with ample cause to think of themselves more highly than others, did not do so. It behooves us to follow their example. In my own case, the longer I “toddle along,” trying to walk with Jesus, the more I realize that I am nobody special…I’m just a servant of Jesus!

To Whom is the Epistle Addressed?

¹Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified (sanctified means “Declared holy: Set apart for His service”) by God the Father, and preserved in (kept in) Jesus Christ, and called: (Yes, you are called! If you are a believer, you are called to serve Jesus with your life. Read Romans 8:28-30, and spend some time thinking about the implications for your own life!)

Years ago, an older woman emphatically told me that “Yes, you are saved by faith, but you are kept by works!” This verse clearly refutes that false teaching: He says we are “preserved in Jesus Christ”. That is a passive truth on our part. God is the one taking action on our behalf. He does the “keeping,” as well as the calling.

²Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. (Notice the order in which these things are offered: You cannot have peace with God before having received His Mercy as a guilty sinner. And, after receiving His Mercy, and His peace, His Love should begin to take root in your heart.)

The Result of Genuine Faith

³Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common (that which all believers share: what we “have in common”) salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

What does it mean to “contend for the faith?” Titus 1:9-13 makes it clear that deacons should at least be able to use God’s Word well enough to spot false teaching and show it to be false. But this passage seems to make it the responsibility of every believer to grow into that ability… taking a stand for the faith. (Compare Ephesians 6:10-18. The armor of God is definitely for all believers!)

When a verse begins with the transition word, “for,” it is giving the reason for the previous statement. (Why should believers contend for the faith? Because… false brethren and false teachers abound.)

The Subject: Men who have “Crept In Unawares:” False Teachers.

⁴For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

We have this clue that perhaps not all those who came out of Egypt were actually believers. However, it may be noted that ALL of them had placed themselves under the blood of the Passover Lamb. All had left Egypt with Moses. All had crossed the Red Sea on foot. There was no one among them who did not “qualify as a believer,” by those standards.

Unbelief Among Believers

But, in Numbers 14, the LORD commanded them to go into the promised land, and they ALL believed the evil report of the ten spies, as opposed to the godly, correct report of the other two (Joshua and Caleb.) They did not believe God, when it came time to actually enter into His promises. And ALL of that (huge) group of people, who assumedly were believers, were destroyed. They died in the wilderness. The ten spies who gave false testimony, discouraging the people, died on the spot, under God’s Judgment. But, over the next forty years, that entire generation died, before God took their children into the land, and fulfilled His promises.

So, the question for us remains: Were they “under the blood?” Evidently they were! No one died in their homes. Were they “followers of God?” Evidently they were! I seriously doubt that I would have just “taken off across a desert with Pharoah’s army chasing me,” much less walked between the “walls of water” (See Exodus 14:22) to cross the Red Sea on foot. So…were they believers? I think they were! But God still judges unbelief among believers, too.

A Warning to Believers

Hebrews 4:1-11 warns us that due to unbelief of that same sort, we, too, can fail to enter into the “Rest” of God. Jesus’s finished work at the Cross should enable us to “Cease from our own works” and rest in HIS works.

If you think that your works are somehow making you righteous before God, or that they are maintaining your standing with Him, then you are not “resting” in His completed work. You are supplanting His work with your own! As a result, you can never rest, because you fear that without your continued Good Works, you may be lost. But God says we are to place our full trust in His completed work, and that, on the basis of that faith, we can KNOW that we have eternal life (John 5:11-13.)

The Israelites (in Numbers 14) should have “rested in God’s word,” and entered the land in full confidence: But they saw the question as being “Can we defeat the giants?” not, “Has God truly given us the land?” Joshua and Caleb argued that “Because God has given us the land, we cannot fail!” But, because the people completely rejected that specific promise, God judged them for their unbelief.

Judgement of Fallen Angels

⁶And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

We might ask ourselves, “which angels fell into this specific judgment?” The ones we call demons evidently did not, as they were present in the time of Christ, and apparently still are today.

But, if we think of a specific group of angelic beings who “stepped across the boundary” between Angelic existence and Human existence and (Genesis 6:1-4) interbred with humans, then this comment may make perfect sense. Those angels are “in everlasting chains under darkness” waiting for the final judgment. But Satan and the rest of the fallen angels are not chained…yet.

Judgment of Specific Humans

⁷Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

We still remember Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of God’s fierce judgment. And, ironically, the people who “go after strange flesh” in the same manner they did are still called “sodomites” today (though not very often, as public opinion has shifted to actually approve of them.) But the Law still calls the sins they commit “sodomy” in today’s legal terminology. God “set them forth as an example,” as the scripture says, and the example still stands.

Beginning A List of Examples

⁸Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Once again, this is nothing new: In Romans 1:21-32 Paul describes the pattern of behavior and deterioration of morality and faith, within the Human Race. The pattern hasn’t changed. Humans still follow this pattern! We wallow in our sin, and we proudly say things like, “Ain’t nobody tells me what to do!” I had a man who claimed to be a believer tell me those exact words, angrily declaring himself to be the only authority in his life.

Additionally, and even more common: We feel free to slander politicians we don’t like, as well as other people in authority. Unbelievers even go so far as to mock the Lord himself. They mock His Word with impunity, and make gross allegations against Him, sometimes very publicly.

Jude Includes Extra-biblical Examples

⁹Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Here is a peculiar comment…it stands alone in scripture. There is no other reference to this event. All we know about the body of Moses (other than this snippet) is that GOD buried the body of Moses, and no one has ever known where.

This is actually a quote from an apocryphal text, claiming an argument regarding the burial of Moses. We don’t see the original text as authoritative, but Jude used it as an example of treating high rank with respect. It is the concept of “we salute the rank, not the man.” That is pretty much all we can use it for. We recognize and respect the authority of the badge, for example, even when the person wearing it is acting in an unrespectable manner.

But regarding this specific incident, please read Deuteronomy 34:5, 6. God says that He buried Moses’s body, and that no human knows where it is. Make of it what you will.

This is not the only place in scripture where a writer cited an extrabiblical source to support an argument. Paul did so in Acts 17:28 as well as in Titus 1:12. We may be uncomfortable with that fact, but it remains a fact. (Jude does it again in verse 17.)

More Examples

¹⁰But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

Jude says, effectively, that these people are acting as though they are animals, without a consciousness of right or wrong, without an awareness of a sovereign God’s authority over them. I have witnessed a male robin, fighting his own reflection in a shiny hubcap. It was funny to watch, but the bird was not playing. He was attacking something he could not understand.

The people Jude addresses, here, speak evil of things they know nothing about. I have had people defiantly tell me that “The Bible is nothing but fairytales!” When I confronted them with the fact that they had not read it at all, and thus they did not know what they were talking about, they were angry, but they could not respond. It was the truth! They did NOT know!

¹¹Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Here are three examples in one verse:

Cain tried to circumvent his own guilt as a sinner: He avoided a blood sacrifice. When that failed, he attacked the one who had already been accepted by God on the basis of that blood sacrifice, and killed him! This has been a pattern throughout history, as well.

Balaam was a real prophet, a real believer, but he sold out and was killed. Today he is only remembered for having sold out and having betrayed Israel, in direct disobedience to God.

Core (Old Testament spelling “Korah”) in Numbers 16:1-34, defied Moses as the appointed authority, assuming that Moses was promoting himself as the leader, when in fact, God had appointed him, and had proven it over and over, in supernatural ways. It is astonishing to me that Korah and his comrades could assume that they could take over, and that God would empower them in similar fashion. But God supernaturally put to death all those who followed Korah. At the authority of God, through Moses, the earth swallowed up Korah and his comrades, so that alive, they and thier familie fell into hell. (Wow! What an awful judgment!)

We will have to continue this passage at a later date. Jude has a lot more to say about false teachers, and false brethren. But the Judgment of God is Prominent throughout this epistle.

Lord Jesus, please open our eyes to see Your truth, and to apply it to our own lives. Help us to consistently reject the false claims of the World, of our own deceitful hearts an of the enemy. Let us shine as lights in the current darkness and present You as the Only source of Light.

August 30, 2025August 31, 2025

How to Understand John’s Closing Notes to the Children

A Letter to the Children (Part 15)

1^st John 5:14-21, Final Notes

¹⁴And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: ¹⁵And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

¹⁶If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. ¹⁷All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. ¹⁸We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. ¹⁹And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

²⁰And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

²¹Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Introduction:

To begin with, John wraps up his first epistle with several related comments: He offers Encouragement, Teaching, and Admonishment.

Encouragement in Prayer

Obviously, knowing God hears us is a real source of encouragement. This is because we know we are not just “talking into the void.”

There are several verses about answered prayer, in the book of First John, and we can learn about prayer, here.

Teaching, Regarding Sin, and Judgment, and Righteousness

We see that God calls something a “sin unto death.” We will have to compare the rest of Scripture to understand that concept, but it is there for us to learn. Also, we see a definition of sin, here: one of four such definitions in the New Testament.

Admonishment Regarding the Difference Between the One True God and Idols

Finally, John reiterates the union with Christ that has been conferred upon us. More specifically, that we actually can know Him, and we have been placed into Him.

Furthermore, he reiterates what Jesus said in John 17:3. “This is eternal Life that they may know thee the One True God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”

And, finally, in contrast to that One True God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, he admonishes us to avoid everything that is not that “One True God.” He says, “Little Children, keep yourselves from idols!” Amen!

What do We Know About Prayer?

Obviously, Jesus encouraged his disciples to always pray.

Also, Paul told the Thessalonian believers to “pray without ceasing.”

Paul also told Timothy that the believers were to pray for all men everywhere, and especially for the leaders, so that the believers could have peaceful lives. God also says this was a “good and acceptable” thing. He said God “ desires all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Sometimes we say, “Well, prayer is just talking to God!” That is an extremely simplistic view of prayer, but true, if only in the same sense that “talking is just communicating with your voice.”

There is More to Prayer thanThat!

Scripture lists different kinds of prayer. The most common prayer we seem to experience is “supplication,” or “petition:” It means asking God for something, whether for ourselves or for someone else. There is nothing wrong with asking: in fact, Philippians 4:6, 7 commands it, along with the giving of thanks. James 4:2, 3 says that sometimes we don’t have what we need because we did not bother to ask the Lord: But he also says, sometimes we do not receive what we asked for because we had wrong motives in asking.

Confession of our sins and our failings, to the God we serve, is also a type of prayer. And it probably should usually precede the other kinds of prayer, because the psalmist said, in Psalm 66:18, that “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

When we Praise God, that is a form of prayer. When we Worship or Adore Him, it is also a form of prayer.

We should make the Giving of Thanks a constant part of our prayers: Paul told the Thessalonian believers (1st Thessalonians 5:18) “In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!”

Sometimes I remind myself of the other kinds of prayer, so that I do not always come to God asking for something, but rather bring the confession and worship. I use an acrostic, C.A.S.T.

Confession, Adoration, Supplication, Thanksgiving. He commands us to “Cast” all our cares upon Him because he cares for us. 1^st John 5:14, 15 is a final review on Prayer.

What Do We Know About Sin, Judgment, and Righteousness?

in John 16:8, Jesus said, “When He (the Holy Spirit) is come, He shall convict the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment.”

So, it seems fitting that John discusses those three again, here, near the end of the New Testament. There are several things to notice, and some questions to ask, here:

The people in verses 16-18 are all believers. John addresses believers, and he refers to the one in sin as a brother.
All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin NOT unto death
But there is also a sin that IS unto death: What KIND of death?
If the sin is not a “sin unto death,” what kind of sin is it? And why would we need to pray for that brother to save his life, if it is not a sin unto death anyway?
Why does John immediately confirm, seemingly, that “real believers don’t sin?” Or does he really say that?

Where Did God Judge Your Sins?

If a person is a genuine believer, where did the Lord judge their sins? And, what portion of their sins did He judge there? (When Jesus died for YOUR sins at the Cross, how many of YOUR sins were still in the future? The answer? All our sins were future, and He judged them All at the Cross.)

Jesus said, (John 5:24) that the moment you believed in Him and His finished work at the Cross, you crossed over from spiritual death into spiritual life! (And it was written in “perfect tense,” which implies that you can’t cross back into that spiritual death. You can’t be “UN-born-again!”

So…what kind of death are we talking about? I can experience a sort of “walking dead:” a separation from fellowship with Jesus, caused by any unconfessed sin that I hang onto, whether anger, lust, or any other sin I am unwilling to confess.

Definitions of Sin

Verse 17 says “all unrighteousness is sin” This is one of four New Testament definitions of sin:

1^st John 3:4 “…sin is the transgression of the Law.”
1^st John 5:17 “all unrighteousness is sin.”
James 4:17 “…to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Romans 14:23 “…whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

What is a Sin Not Unto Death?

But v. 17 also says “there is a sin not unto death.” So, it can’t be either of these types of spiritual death. You can’t be lost again, but you DO separate yourself from fellowship every time you choose to sin. Neither of those can fit in this context. That leaves only physical death.

There are sins that call for capital punishment. If a Christian commits such a crime, (and they can do so: We are warned in 1^st Peter 4:15 to not be a murderer, etc.) then John says, in such a case, we are not to pray that they escape judgment. Their sins were judged at the Cross, yes: but there are always consequences for sins, in this life.

New Testament Examples

And there are cases in the New Testament where believers were literally “taken home” by God for sins that the world would not have judged, at all: But they were actions which undermined the holiness of God’s work on earth. In Acts chapter 5, we saw Ananias and Sapphira, who were believers, but who lied to God, trying to gain honor before other believers. And God revealed their sin, and took their lives.

In 1^st Corinthians chapter 11, we read of people who took lightly the holiness and solemnity of the Lord’s Supper. Paul said many of them had been physically sick, and some had physically died, because of that sin.

In both those cases, God decreed that their sin was “unto death,” and it was physical death, but it was for sins that the world would not even have seen as sin, but about which God does care. God does not “ignore our sin.” He hates sin, but He loves the sinners and died for them. And even among believers, He may say, “You have gone far enough! I am bringing you home!”

What About “Sinning Believers?”

In verse 18, John said, “¹⁸We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. ¹⁹And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”

Some folk attempt to teach that this means “real Christians never sin!” That teaching is not only contrary to the experience of every born-again believer I have ever known; it is also contrary to the truth of God’s Word. Christians do sin. Every single genuine believer is a saved sinner, trying to live in the reality of their new born-again nature. And we often fail!

A New Testament Example:

Peter was already a believer when he denied Jesus, cursing, and swearing that he never knew Jesus. How do I know? Jesus said so! In several places, actually, but specifically, in John 15:3, Jesus told the eleven (including Peter) that they all were clean, through the Word that Jesus had spoken unto them.

And, in Antioch, long after Peter had received the Holy Spirit, both Barnabas and Peter were caught up in the hypocrisy of the Jews who claimed that they could not eat with the Gentile believers. (Galatians 2:11-14) But, honestly, Why would John tell the believers to confess their sins and be cleansed, in 1^st John 1:9, if believers never sin?? The answer is, they do sin!

But a believer should not be comfortable in their sin, nor should they willingly continue in sin. One of the results of genuine saving faith isa true continuing repentance, as we see the sin in our lives and confess it, and desire to completely abandon our old way of life.

We know that the World will continually present us with temptations and traps, attempting to ensnare us and to render us unfruitful in our Christian life. But if you have been born again, then you are literally the offspring of God, and you will desire to be with Him, and to walk with Him and to work with Him. You will desire to see Him at work in your life, and desire to see your new life transformed into His holy, righteous life.

The New Life and its Source

²¹Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Jesus, the Son of God, came, born in human flesh, and provided eternal life through faith in His shed blood at the Cross.

Through Him, every believer begins to learn the reality of the New Life in Christ. We have been placed into Him by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our bodies, as a guarantee that we cannot be lost again. He is the true light of the World, the true life that God offers to the World, and the true God in the Flesh who died for us.

Jesus said, in John 17:3 “And this is eternal life that they may know thee the One True God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”

He invites us to know Him on an experiential basis, joining Him in His work, in His Love, and in His Life. This is the invitation of God which has been extended to the World from the beginning.

Avoiding Idols

Anything we allow to distract us from the relationship He has offered, is an idol. We ignore the true source of the Living Water, and we go “drink from a muddy creek,” contaminated by the World, the Flesh, or the Devil.

We can either accept HIS invitation, responding daily by faith, or we can ignore it, and miss out. Those are the choices.

Lord Jesus, we ask that you would shine more and more brightly in each of our lives, through the study of your Written Word, and by the authority of Your Holy Spirit, so that we see that we truly have been called as your ambassadors, to be your hands and feet and voice, here on Earth. Give us the faith to follow You in every way.

August 16, 2025August 16, 2025

How To Know and Experience The Love and Victory of God

A Letter to the Children (Part 13)

1^st John 5:1-5

Introduction:

John begins this passage with the critical importance of Faith:

¹ Whosoever believeth [trusts…is persuaded: Greek “pisteuon”] that Jesus is the Christ [the Messiah] is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat [the One who “sired” you as a born-again child…the offspring…of God] loveth him also that is begotten of him. [The other “born-ones” of God.]

First, the “belief” implied here in 1^st John 5:1, is not simply “intellectual assent.” It is not just a casual “admission of a fact.” Rather, it is a decision to trust in Jesus as the Messiah, with all that the name “Messiah” implies. It is a deliberate choice. It is a commitment to depend upon His blood at the Cross, as our only hope for salvation.

Also, the result of that choice (which we call “saving faith”) is multifaceted: At that very moment, The Holy Spirit placed each of us into the Body of Christ, permanently. Finally, (also permanently) the Holy Spirit indwelt each of us, individually. Also, we gained a new position, in Christ, and a new destiny as His born-again child…His offspring. As a result, we began a new relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe. We do so through the Person of Jesus the Messiah. And, as we daily choose to engage in that relationship, He works daily to “transform us through the renewing of our minds,” by His Love.

Furthermore, Romans 12:2 encourages us to choose that continual renewal. He calls us to embrace that transformation. In contrast, he says to avoid being compressed and deformed by the World. Avoid being forced into its mold, conforming us to its values.

What Does That “Transformed Life” Look Like?

²By this we know that we love the children [“tekna“…offspring] of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

Compare Jesus’s words in John 14:21-23.

“²¹He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. ²²Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? ²³Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The agapé love always manifests itself in behavior. As we allow our experiential knowledge of Christ to grow deeper, we will find ourselves more thoroughly committed to obey Him. As we learn to love God with the agapé love, and learn to walk in obedience to Him, we suddenly realize that in so doing, we are also loving the brethren.

Change in Perspective

We discover, experientially and progressively, that His way is literally always the best. So, we choose, more and more consistently, to follow His lead. As a result, we respond to our “fellow-travelers” and we react to our surroundings more and more consistently the way Jesus would have us to respond and react.

One of the results of that particular transformation is that unbelievers see the change in our attitudes and behavior, and they have to admit to themselves that “whatever they’ve got, it seems to be real!” (Remember, Jesus said, “by this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Again, this is the agapé love, not just brotherly love.)

³For this is the love of God, [this is what marks people who love God, as opposed to loving the World, or loving self.] that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. [Not heavy…Not burdensome.]

A genuinely transformed life is willingly seeking to obey the Word of God, Jesus, Himself. We seek to obey the Spirit of God. We desire to walk in fellowship with Him, in Partnership with Him in His Work.

Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work.” The “transformed life” begins to echo that desire, seeing the completion of His work as the beating heart of God in our daily lives.

Serving With Jesus

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Remember that, when Jesus said, “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” He meant exactly that! Clearly, the life He calls us to enjoy is impossibly hard in the flesh…it can’t be done at all! However, He never asked us to “live the Christian life” in our own strength. On the contrary, He said “apart from Me ye can do nothing!”

I am told that the Greek word Jesus used for “yoke” implied a double-harness, whereby two workers could share a load, and get far more accomplished. He did not say, “Here, put my yoke upon you and become my slave.” Rather, He invites us to join Him in double-harness, and work with Him.

Laborers Together With Christ

This is what is different about being a “disciple” of Jesus, as opposed to being a disciple of any human teacher: We are not just “trying to emulate our teacher,” or trying to “earn His favor” through obedience. He conferred His favor upon us “unearned.” (We call that Grace!)

He has already “blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in the heavenly places.” He is working with us, and as we walk with Him, He is transforming us from the inside, so as to make us His fellow-laborers. And He promises to reward His “fellow-laborers.”

But allowing Him to live through you makes even the things we consider “major trials” to be relatively easy. Unbelievers experience the same sorts of things, and they have no supernatural “comforter” on whom they can lean and find “rest for their souls,” as Jesus promised us.

What About “Victory in Jesus?”

⁴For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ⁵Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

We frequently sing the hymns, “Victory in Jesus,” and “Faith is the Victory,” but I think we seldom connect either of them with this passage. 1^st John 5:4, 5 spells out the fact that our faith in Jesus as the Messiah, as the incarnate Son of God…God in the flesh…that faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

Hezekiah’s Example

The moment King Hezekiah (In 2^nd Chronicles 29-32) set out to trust the Lord and to worship Him only, God began blessing Him with protection and sustenance. And, when the enemy (King Sennacherib, of Assyria) laid siege to Jerusalem, Hezekiah was already in the habit of trusting the Lord for all things. So, he simply continued to do so. And you may recall the rest of the story: The Angel of the LORD went out that night (We call Him Jesus) and He killed 185,000 troops in the enemy army. The rest packed up and went home. And the enemy king was murdered by his own sons while he worshipped in the temple of his god, Nisroch.

That Victory belonged entirely to God, but it was given to Hezekiah and Jerusalem by Grace, through Faith. And God says that if you are trusting in Jesus as the Son of God, the sacrificial Lamb of God, then He has made you a victor over the World. You have been declared the victor, by Grace, through Faith.

No Coincidences!

As we continue to trust Him and walk with Him, and Work with Him, the victories become more pronounced. We will no longer feel tempted to just say, Well that was serendipitous!” or “What a coincidence that was!” We will recognize His hand at work in our lives, and we will be encouraged to exercise still greater faith.

There was no “coincidence” that caused 185,000 troops to die that night outside Jerusalem. And, it was not due to any “coincidence” that the remaining forces decided they had better things to do, back in Assyria.

It was no coincidence (and no surprise to us,) that Sennacherib was murdered by his own sons. We have learned the character of God: People who mock Him and who attack His people will be judged by Him.

What Are You Seeking?

Our victories may not be of such earthshaking character. But, in our own lives, the lives of our friends and families, and in our church family, we can learn to look for such victories. We have frequently noted that “God has big hands, and He leaves big fingerprints.” If we learn to watch for them, we see His fingerprints everywhere.

J. Vernon McGee told about a big game hunter who spent five months in India When he came home, he was regaling some friends and acquaintances with stories of the hunt. But someone asked about missionaries, and he remarked that he saw missions as a waste of time and money. He said, “In the five months I was there, I didn’t see a single missionary!” An old man on the edge of the group asked, “Pardon me for asking, but how long did you say you were in India?”

The man replied, “Five months!”

The old man pressed on: “And, why did you go there?”

The hunter replied, “To hunt tigers!”

“And, did you see any tigers?”

“Oh, yes,” the man replied: “We saw scores of them!”

The old man said, “That is very odd! I was in India for thirty years, and I never saw a tiger! But, then…I was there as a missionary, and I saw hundreds of other missionaries! It must depend upon what one is looking for!”

Make it “Personal:” What are YOU Seeking?

As we walk by faith, seeking God’s will, and looking for His “fingerprints:” As we seek the evidence of His handiwork, we gain deeper and deeper insight into His Word, and we become increasingly alert to His working in our lives. And that is exactly what He wants us to do!

Lord Jesus, teach us to love the Brethren, to obey Your Word, and to learn to see the victory of God in our own lives.

June 21, 2025June 21, 2025

How to Understand: “The Last Time” and “Antichrists”

Paired Concepts: “The Last Time” and “Antichrists”

1^st John 2:18-29

¹⁸Little children [paidia], it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist [singular] shall come, even now are there many antichrists [plural]; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Introduction to The Last Times…“the Final Hour.”

We often think of the “end times” as something that begins after the Rapture of the Church; And in one sense, that is accurate. The “Day of the Lord” does begin with the rapture of the church. And it runs through to the Great White Throne Judgment after the Millennial kingdom.

It is important to remember that John was speaking to the Church at large, around AD 90, not AD 2025. So, we have been living in “the Last Days” ever since Acts chapter two, when the Church Age fully began. It has been nearly 2000 years! The first century Church understood that they were living in the last days, just as fully as we are today. They did not have all the modern fulfillments of prophecy that we have. They simply had the Word of God on the matter, and they believed Him.

Greek Roots

The Greek words “eskaté ōra” are translated as “last time.” (The words literally mean, “last hour.”)

The word “eskaté” is the root of the theological term “eschatology.”

Eschatology means the “study of last things.” Or, the “study of the end times.” But we usually mean “the study of the end times beginning at the rapture!” But John meant the entire Church age and everything to follow.

So, we know that we are already living in the “last hour.” Our behavior and priorities and choices should reflect that knowledge. The Greek word “eskaté” appears 54 times in the New Testament. But 46 of those times, it is translated “last:” Not always referring to the end times, either…it was used just as we use the English adjective “last.”

A Clue about the Last Times

One “clue” John gave us that we truly are in the end times, is that the world is full of the “spirit of antichrist.” (1^st John 4:3 “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”)

Many deny the deity of Christ and even deny the Incarnation, at one level or another. Some deny that He ever existed, though most do not. The secular historians of that time wrote about Jesus, but condemned him as a troublemaker and as a false messiah. No one in that time denied that Jesus had existed: they just rejected Him wholesale. This seems to be part of what John calls the “spirit of antichrist.” But more specifically, perhaps he means those in religious circles who deny that Jesus is “God in the Flesh.” He is the Creator God, incarnate. The Judge of all the Earth.

Who is Jesus, Really?

I heard a pastor say, “I don’t want people praying to Jesus!” But in Hebrews 1:6, God the Father commanded all the angels to worship God the Son, at the moment of His birth. The angels, of all beings, know to worship ONLY God: So, if they worship Jesus, how much more should we, who, for the moment are lower than the angels, also worship Him?

In John 5:22, 23, Jesus said He is the ONLY Judge of all the earth. “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: ²³That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

God the Father said Jesus is the Creator, in Hebrews 1:8-12 “⁸But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. ⁹Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

¹⁰And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: ¹¹They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; ¹²And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”

Some people—even some claiming to be Christians—hotly deny that Jesus is the Creator: This response reveals the “spirit of antichrist.” True believers are filled with Joy and Wonder to realize that their Savior is actually the Creator and Judge as well.

**Doctrine (And How We Respond to It) Truly Matters!**

Eventually, those who deny His Deity and His Authority will separate themselves from those who believe He to be as He reveals Himself in His Word. They leave, calling us deluded fools. They think we are “idolizing” Jesus. No! He is the true God of the Old Testament and He concludes the New Testament. Jesus is the exact opposite of an idol. He received worship from humans during His earthly life, and from the Angels even before He created the world. But His detractors eventually throw up their hands in disgust, and they leave.

¹⁹They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

It is a mistake to use verse 19 to condemn anyone who leaves a local assembly as being “an unbeliever in disguise.” A person might drift away, or even suddenly leave, for many reasons. Some are drawn away by the “priorities of work and family:” They fail to see God’s priorities encompassing all their needs, including work and family.

Some were hurt by other people in the flock: That wound has not been healed. That disunity has not been mended. They left to escape trauma! Ezekiel 34:4 says some of the flock have been “driven away.” We do not condemn such a person as if they were somehow lacking when the truth is that the oversight of the shepherds is lacking. The flock is sinning (Ezekiel 34:17-22.) The flock is scattered “…because there is no shepherd.” (Ezekiel 34:8)

The Holy Spirit Rules in Truth

²⁰But ye have an unction [an anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things. ²¹I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

All believers have the same Holy Spirit: He dwells in us. If we allow Him to do so, He produces Biblical unity…not forced conformity, but rather consensus: two or more coming to precisely the same conclusion, because they are guided by the same Spirit. (Two genuine believers may come to slightly different conclusions regarding the interpretation of some given passage of scripture, and there is no disunity implied.)

Satan’s lies are to turn us away from faith in The Lord Jesus, and to cause us to believe some other voice, in His place. The Holy Spirit never disagrees with the Bible. He is the Author of it. He agrees with the Living Word, Jesus, because He is God. There is no disunity in the Godhead!

Denying the Messiah

So, from the very beginning of the Gospels, some have rejected Jesus with great animosity. His own neighbors in Nazareth attempted to kill Him, intending to throw Him off a cliff. The enemies in John chapter 11 watched Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, and immediately plotted to kill both Lazarus and Jesus, to suppress the truth that Jesus was the Messiah.

²²Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. ²³Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Jesus addressed this dichotomy, in John 5:22, 23, saying “He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which sent Him.”

Not everyone who “claims the Name of Jesus” has actually received Him as Savior. Maybe they simply do not see themselves as a lost sinner, needing a Savior. Maybe they have never understood that Jesus claimed to be anything more than just a man. I have met people who did not seem to be rejecting Jesus, but simply had no idea that Jesus was God in the Flesh.

“Antichrists” (Plural) or “THE Antichrist” (Singular)?

But those who do understand His claim and who openly reject it, seem to be the people John labels as being “antichrists” in the plural sense, as opposed to the Antichrist (singular,) who is clearly described and predicted in 2^nd Thessalonians 2:3-12.

So, John warns us, here, against those who desire to subvert believers and to render them ineffective. We are to stay in the teaching of God’s Word and not allow ourselves to be diverted to some other belief, no matter how attractive it may sound.

Abiding in Christ, and in His Word

²⁴Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

Jesus taught on this idea in John 15:5-8, saying for us to abide in Him and abide in His Word (also see John 8:31 “If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed.”)

In 2^nd Peter 1:19-21, He warns that we are to see His Written Word as our only source of Light in a dark world: We are to focus our attention on His light as we would focus our eyes on a physical light in a physically dark place.

²⁵And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

Each of us, individually, entered into our relationship with him, as we heard the portion of His Word that we call the Gospel of Salvation: It is the Good News of Jesus’s Death, Burial and Resurrection for our sake.

It is the fact that His blood fully paid for our sins…my sin, personally! He paid for Your sin, personally! And, having entered that relationship through faith in His promise of eternal life by His Grace, we continue therein through continued faith in His Promises and Obedience to His Word.

**So, Why is This Passage Included in the Bible?**

²⁶These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

This is another “purpose clause:” John knew that Satan, the enemy of our souls, will use whatever means he can, to deceive us and to “seduce us” away from our walk with Jesus. That enemy has done the same things to the entire human race, ever since the Creation of the World.

²⁷But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

As people sometimes say, “We have an Edge!” We have the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is guarding our hearts. We are not entirely dependent upon human teachers: Rather, we each have an indwelling teacher who quietly warns us when a deceiver speaks. I think each of you have experienced something of this sort: someone was expounding on a subject, and you suddenly felt a warning in your mind, that “Something is very wrong with this message!”

A Built-in Warning System

Bank employees are carefully trained to recognize counterfeits: How? By intense study of real currency and of real identification, etc. They may not even know “precisely” what is wrong about a bill or an ID card…they just know immediately that “something is wrong:” They can take it to their supervisor who will confirm their suspicion, and point out exactly what is wrong.

We have the Author of Truth living in us, as our constant supervisor and Protector. He warns us in the same way. We study the “Real Currency” of God’s Word, to prepare ourselves to clearly see the world. When we hear teaching that just…sounds “off,” to us, we go back to the Written Word, to check and see precisely what is wrong. That is the practice for which the people in Berea were commended, in Acts 17:11. “They received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Perfect! Do that!)

So, What’s The “Conclusion?”

²⁸And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. ²⁹If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

We “abide in Him,” ourselves, by continuing in His Word, and by striving to walk with Him in the Light, as we saw in the previous chapter. That ongoing experiential relationship gives us a growing confidence in the joy of His return, as opposed to our fearing His return.

But He also gave us a way to “look around us” and spot bad teachers and false brethren. We are not “judging others” in a negative sense: We simply apply the standard God has given, so as to have godly discernment in our dealings with people.

Lord Jesus, teach us what it means to walk in the light, and to recognize the many false teachers in the world today, as we compare their teaching with the precepts in Your Written Word. Help us to apply Your Wisdom in every area of our lives.

June 14, 2025June 15, 2025

How to Understand What it Means to be a Child of God

A Letter to the Children (Part 5)

What Does it Mean to Be a Child of God?

1^st John 2:12-17

Introduction: Bible Terminology Regarding the Children

I thought I remembered that the Greek word in 1^st John, translated as “little children,” was “nepoi” but I was mistaken. The word “nepoi,” means “babies who can’t talk yet,” and it is always translated “babe,” “child,” or “childish.” But that word is not used in 1^st John at all.

The word translated as “little children,” here in verse 12, and back in verse 1, is “teknia.” “Teknon” (singular) or “teknia” (plural) means “offspring:” it literally means “born-ones.” We are now the legitimate children of God…His offspring, born of Him! That is a positional truth: we are permanently “in Christ,” and forever His “born-ones.”

But, at the end of verse 13, the word translated as “little children” is “paidia,” meaning “toddlers: little children.”

Earlier in verse 13, the word translated “young men” is “neaniskoi.” “Neaniskos” (singular) or “neaniskoi” (plural) simply means “young man” or “young men” and that is the only way it is translated in the Bible.

And, at the beginning of verse 13, God used the word “pateres” which is the plural of “pater.” It is virtually always translated as “fathers.”

God uses these four words to describe the relative levels of maturity among believers.

The Letter to the Children

¹²I write unto you, little children [teknia], because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

Again, this is positional truth: If you have been born again as a child of God, then your sins have already been forgiven for the sake of the name of Jesus. Your position in Him guarantees a number of “positional” truths. Some of those are listed in Ephesians 1:3-14.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

⁷In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

⁸Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

⁹Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

¹⁰That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

¹¹In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹²That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Positional Truths

God has already blessed you with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in Christ.
You were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.
You are holy and blameless before him, in His Love.
You are predestined to be recognized as a full heir of God.
You are predestined to fulfill the good pleasure of His will
You are predestined to be to the praise of the Glory of His Grace.
You are already accepted in the beloved (Christ.)
You already have been redeemed through His blood.
You already have full forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace.
God has already abundantly blessed you in His wisdom and prudence.
He has made known unto you the mystery of His will…one piece at a time.
Your inheritance in Him is secure.
You will eternally be to his glory and praise.
Your position in Him is sealed by the Holy Spirit.
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the “down payment” of the rest of the glorious inheritance promised to you. You are absolutely secure in Christ because He says so, and because the Holy Spirit is your guide, and your guard; and He seals you in Christ until the redemption of the purchased possession.

If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior: If you have placed your faith in His shed blood at the Cross, then every single thing in that passage is true of you as a believer, regardless of how you are behaving today. Your position (“In Christ”) is perfect.

Condition, in Contrast to Position

But your condition could be terrible. You could be wallowing in sin and self-pity, or giving in to every desire of your old sin nature. That sin, given time, will ruin you! But you are still safe, under the Blood of the Cross. You are losing eternal reward, through self-indulgence, and apathy. But the fact is, once Jesus takes hold of you, He never lets go!

Fathers and Young Men

¹³I write unto you, fathers [pateres], because ye have known him that is from the beginning.

This distinction seems not to be based only on the length of time a person has been a believer: The word translated “known,” here, is the ginosko form of knowledge, just as in chapter one. It implies that the ones whom God calls “fathers” have been in an ongoing, growing relationship with Jesus for a long time. It seems to imply a level of maturity and stability, based upon a long-term, experiential relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Does “time in service” necessarily produce wisdom? No! There are people who spend their whole lives striving to follow God in their own strength, and never tap into His wisdom and power. So, because they have not been in an “ongoing, growing relationship” with the Person of Christ, effectively, they have just been “practicing religion.” As a result, they remain carnal and spiritually unwise. These are not the ones God calls “fathers” in the faith.

I write unto you, young men [neaniskoi], because ye have overcome the wicked one.

The “young men” are the growing, strong believers who are learning to overcome by faith, and have learned a habit of obedience to Christ.

Back to the Children

I write unto you, little children [paidia], because ye have known [ginōskō] the Father.

The relationship between the new believers (toddlers) and God, their Father, is fertile ground for growth. A receptive heart for His Word is expected in them, so they can feed on His Word and grow, spiritually. 1^st Peter 2:2 says, “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.” This is part of that personal, experiential knowledge of God in which we are called to immerse ourselves.

¹⁴I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Notice that the reason the young men have become strong is that the Word of God abides in them. And the result of that strength, based upon an active relationship with God’s Word, is that they have overcome the wicked one. That should be adequate motivation for us to choose to soak up God’s Word, and let it richly abide in us as well.

What About the World Around Us?

¹⁵Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

This is a command to not Love! How do we reconcile John 3:16 “For God so Loved the World…” with this command, telling us (seemingly) to do the opposite?

First, we want to notice that the “things in the World,” according to verses 15 and 16 are not the same as the people of the World…the lost sinners Jesus came to save. The sinners Jesus came to save are ensnared by the sins and lusts of the “World System of thought, values, and behavior.”

Positionally, they, too, are enemies of God, according to Romans 5:10 (“¹⁰For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”)

And they all were born as children of wrath according to Ephesians 2:1-3, (“¹ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”)

But God still sees them as the precious souls for whom He died. He wants them to be saved.

World System of Thought and Values

In contrast, the World system of ungodly thought, forever at odds with all of God’s righteousness, is an enemy that cannot be saved. God loves the sinner, but He condemns the sin.

He came to save sinners, according to 1^st Timothy 1:15. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” But God is not attempting to “rescue” the pattern of rebellion and idolatry and violence that is in the World System of values.

Three Weapons Satan Has Used throughout History

God reveals the true contents of the World System of Values:

¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

The Lust of the Flesh,
The Lust of the Eyes, and
The Pride of Life.

Think back: where did we first see those three weapons used on a human? It was in Genesis chapter three, where the woman saw:

That the fruit was good to eat (lust of the flesh)
That it was pleasant to the eyes, (lust of the eyes) and
That it was to be desired to make one wise. (Pride of life.)

Where else did we see them used? It was in Matthew chapter four, where Satan tested Jesus in the desert. He said,

You’re hungry! Turn these rocks into bread! (The lust of the flesh.)
Look at the glory of the World! I will give you all this wealth! (The lust of the eyes.)
Prove yourself! Throw yourself down, and make the angels save you! (The pride of life.)

Modern Experience

All that sort of thinking (“Follow your heart!” “Take care of number one! “Pay yourself first!”” “If it feels good, do it!” “Name it and Claim it!” “Keep up with the Joneses!” “Impress your friends and neighbors!” “Toot your own horn: No one else will do it for you!” “You deserve a break today!”) All of that is easily recognized as a ploy of the enemy, and a trap, once you recognize it as his handiwork.

But all those values are temporary: They have zero lasting value. The toys and joys of this life are fleeting, at best. The decisions and choices we make will either have eternal value, building an eternal reward … or they will not.

Learn to recognize Satan’s sneak-attacks: In contrast, learn to seek and find the leading of God. There is a spiritual war in progress, and the outcome will have eternal results.

Lord Jesus, teach us to follow You faithfully, and to become the Men and Women of God You have called us to be. Make us alert against the attacks of our enemy, and guard our hearts against him. Teach us to see the works of the flesh as evil, and the wisdom of the world as a trap. Teach us to walk in the light with You.

May 17, 2025May 17, 2025

How To Understand the Message of 1st John 2:1, 2

A Letter to the Children (Part 3)

1^st John 2:1, 2

¹“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ²And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Introduction:

Last week we examined “How God Feels About Sin.” We could see the reason why God hates sin, and why it is possible for Him to love the sinner, even though they are actively, continually sinning. He sees them as the victims but also as the perpetrators. They are guilty, but He desires to save them from their sins.

In opening the second chapter, John says, “My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not…” This is the third “purpose clause” in the book of 1^st John. (The last two are in chapter five.)

This “purpose clause” seems obvious, to us, but really it is a fairly key issue…he doesn’t just give us 1^st John 1:9, and say “Got Sin? Noooo problem! Just ‘fess up, and it’s GONE!” as if He were a snake-oil salesman. In a very real sense, that seems true, because genuine confession requires a “change of mind” about our sin (that change of mind is called repentance) and He really does cleanse us!

But we mustn’t take it lightly: Sin IS a problem…and God does NOT take it lightly: He hates sin! He is not encouraging us to “wallow in sin,” and then just slap on a “confession bandage!” Paul addresses that attitude in Romans 6:1. He poses the rhetorical question, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” And the answer, in strongest terms, is “God Forbid! May it never be! In short, NO!”

God does give us a way to restore our broken fellowship, but He does not want us to sin. And He has also provided us with an eternal advocate to maintain our position within His Grace!

So, What is an Advocate?

Verse one says “Jesus Christ the Righteous” is our “advocate” with the Father, (and verse two adds that He is the propitiation for our sin.) Both are true—and people frequently say, “You see, He’s our ‘lawyer for the defense,’ …but that is not entirely accurate.

An advocate is not always a “lawyer:” It more widely means one who speaks up for another on their behalf. A dictionary definition is: “a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc.” Consider the medical field: If you are helpless, in a hospital bed, it is a wonderful thing to have an advocate, who can go to the doctor in charge, and say, “The patient in room X is in a great deal of pain: her afternoon pain medication seems to have been missed.” That is one practical way an advocate works, speaking up for one who has no means of defense.

Serious Charges

Jesus does speak on our behalf, and His Blood forever stands as the testimony of our secure place in Him. But it is a far more serious matter, than simply “intervening when something is wrong at a hospital.”

I have heard people say, because of 1^st John 2:1, “You see, God the Father is the Judge, and Jesus is the Court-appointed Attorney for the Defense.” Then they ask us to imagine the “attorney” walking into the courtroom, winking at the Judge, and whispering, “Hi, Dad!”

That sounds palatable to us: It might seem pleasant, even, and perhaps amusing. But, in the first place, it seems to trivialize the tremendously serious charges against us. This is not a game. Sin is serious. God does not take lightly the sins of the human race, and He is not running some sort of “mock” trial: He has already poured out all His wrathfor all our sins on the person of Jesus, at the Cross! Try to think back to the judgment of the Genesis Flood. How is that for “serious?” The judgment of Sin at the Cross was more serious!

**The Father is Not the Judge**

And the other matter is this: Jesus says that the Father is NOT the Judge. In John 5:22 He said, “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son:” (Hmm. That poses a problem, doesn’t it?) And then, of course, we have the additional problem of Isaiah 9:6, where He says that “…the Son…shall be called the everlasting Father…!”

While God says that The Lord Jesus is our advocate with the Father, we must simply accept what God says about the Trinity. We should not try to make it fit our legal structure, or anything else in our experience. Yes, Romans 8:34 confirms thatJesus is forever at the right hand of the Father on Our behalf, interceding for us. That is His advocacy!

And remember what it cost Jesus to earn that right! Jesus allows His blood to speak against judgment for us. He suffered unimaginably because of our sins. Do you really want to add to His shame, by continuing in Sin?

John says one of his reasons for writing is that we would commit ourselves to turning away from sin. But he also says God has made one provision for our failures: It is Jesus!

So, What is a Propitiation?

“²And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

A propitiation is a “sacrifice that satisfies”…it is a payment that brings “legal settlement.” Jesus made the full payment for the sins of the whole world. But he did it to free us from sin, not to free us TO sin.

A “propitiation” to God is the “satisfaction of God’s Holiness and Justice.” Jesus died as full satisfaction of the Law of God. This is how that works: I broke the Law, and the Law required my death. But Jesus died in my place, and the Law of God now records His death as Mine!

The Result: A “Legally Dead Man!”

The Law now says that I am dead! Galatians 2:19-21 says so! “¹⁹For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. ²⁰I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

I am dead to the Law, and, according to Romans I am also dead to Sin! So, God calls me to live that way. Romans 6:2, 11 each say we are dead to sin. and that we are to believe it and act on it.

Romans 6:2 “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Romans 6:11 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

You see: It is a serious matter of God’s Holiness and Justice having been satisfied by the substitutionary sacrifice that Jesus voluntarily made on our behalf. And now He simply asks that we live in that reality, not bumbling along as if nothing has changed.

(Incidentally, Romans 3:25 specifies that He is the “…propitiation through faith in His blood.” You cannot side-step the Cross. God confronts us with the seriousness of our sin, in the gory, historical fact of Jesus’s execution on the Cross.)

Jesus Died For the Whole World

But here is another problem: John states unequivocally that Jesus is the “Propitiation,” not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole World!

How is that possible? How can He have “satisfied the justice and righteousness of God” for the Sins of the Whole World, when the majority of the World’s people reject Him, and mock him?

He Bought the Whole Field!

The answer may lie in His parable about a man “buying the whole field” for the treasure within that field. In Matthew 13:44, Jesus is the “man” in the parable, buying the whole field, to gain the treasure hidden in the field. Jesus paid for the sins of all humans in order to gain access to those who would respond to Him in faith.

It could also be argued that “the treasure is Israel:” and perhaps it is! But my only point, here, is that Jesus bought the whole field, and, in Matthew 13:38, Jesus had just explained, (in relation to a previous parable,) that “The field is the World.”

Remember, too, that in John 12:32, Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” So, Jesus has “bought the field,” and He is drawing all sinners to himself, but He has warned us that the majority will still defy him, and be lost.

He Paid the Whole Price!

Perhaps another way to look at it is that “Jesus wrote a check at the Cross, for the amount of ‘Eternal Life’ directing the ‘Bank’ to Pay to the order of: ‘Whosoever Believeth in Him’ and He signed it in His own blood.” He gives us the choice then, to either “endorse that check by faith,” or reject it, and lose it entirely.

People have argued with me vehemently against this verse, saying, “But, that doesn’t make SENSE, Chet! Why would Jesus pay for the sins of people He knew would reject Him and be lost anyway??” And all I could answer them was, “It does not have to make sense to you! God is not asking for your approval! He bought the whole field because it pleased Him to do so!”

The Offer is Good!

And now He makes the honest offer: “…That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He could not honestly make that offer without having made the entire payment. But He did!

This is not just an obscure passage, or ‘open to interpretation’ in some other way: In John 3:17, Jesus said, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (Not “the elect”… “the world”) God made that provision for all humans, knowing that that majority would reject His offer.

John 3:18 adds this explanation: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

You see, that is the “Bad News” of the Gospel: “The Whole World is under the condemnation of God’s Holiness and Justice, because of Sin!”

Every Mouth Will Be Stopped!

Romans 3:19 says, “…that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

I really don’t want to be “one of those mouths,” prattling on, arguing against God’s Holiness and saying, “Well that doesn’t make sense to me!” He says He will close every mouth!

A Modern Example

In American courts, in recent years, certain people, claiming to be “Sovereign Citizens,” stand in our courts, accused of some misdemeanor. But they defy the laws of both federal and state courts. They attempt to claim that they are not under those laws: that they are immune to such laws.

Would you care to guess how effective that “defense” has been? You’d be correct if you guessed that it is not effective at all! Judges may respond fairly patiently, trying to explain that such a claim has no merit and no legal standing. But the usual result is that the offender ends up with both the original offense and a new charge of “Contempt of Court!” All they needed, to avoid the contempt charge, was to confess that the law did apply to them, and that they had broken it.

Redemption

Notice the first half of John 3:18, though. It simply says, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned.” That is a fairly simple requirement, isn’t it? God says if we confess that we are sinners, and if, by faith, we lay our hands on that one blood sacrifice Jesus has made for our redemption, then He no longer condemns us, because Jesus’s death now stands on record as our death, and His Righteousness is now applied to our account! He truly has “bought us out of the marketplace, where we were slaves of Sin,” and He has “set us free to walk with Him!”

That is an amazing truth, and John calls us to learn to live in that reality! In addition, Jesus has given us the privilege of serving as His Ambassadors, offering that same redemption to anyone who will listen.

The Gospel does not say, “Good News, Brother! You may be predestined to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire!” No! That borders on blasphemy! The Gospel of Christ says, “Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest!” And, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink! And finally, Whosoever will, may come!” The facts are the same for all humans, and the offer is the same, to all humans. “Whosoever will, may Come!”

Lord Jesus, impress upon our hearts the urgency of the Gospel, knowing that the world is NOT “waiting for the message:” They are dying and being lost for eternity! Raise us as faithful messengers of that Gospel to a dying World!

December 28, 2024December 28, 2024

How To Maintain The Seven-fold Unity of the Spirit

The Seven-fold Unity of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:3-6 (Read it)

Introduction:

I don’t know what your inward thoughts may be, but, in my flesh,I know I feel perfectly free to mentally dismiss another person, just because I disapprove of something in their life. We used to say, “I don’t like the way he parts his hair,” when we really meant, “I have taken an unreasoning dislike to that person.”

Many of us think we have “personal freedom” to like or dislike people on a whim. We may exclude someone from our personal sphere of fellowship because of some small difference of opinion. The problem with this behavior is that God says we do not have that right!

Last time we spoke, we saw that Ephesians 4:3 says , “endeavor to maintain the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” It is a command: Though it is stated as a plea, that is a command. In order to obey a command, one must at least understand what it says. So; what in the world is the “Unity of the Spirit?” And how do we “endeavor to maintain” it?

The Seven-Fold Unity of the Spirit

God centers our real, God-established unity around seven things:

One Body
One Spirit
One Hope of our Calling
One Lord
One Faith
One Baptism
One God and Father

If all of those unities are in place, we are not to break fellowship. If someone is deliberately teaching contrary to those, then they are heretical, that is, “causing division,” and must be avoided.

Not “Human-Sourced”

None of those seven are “humanly established”—they are simply facts, established by God. Based on those seven unities, which, together, comprise the Unity of the Spirit, we are to function in unity as well. We are not to have discord among us. Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us a pretty good idea about how God feels about disunity: “These six things doth the LORD hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him…” Sowing discord among brethren is one of ‘em, folks. So let’s take a closer look at the Unity of the Spirit, with a view as to how we are to maintain it.

Why “Seven?”

First, it seems appropriate to point out what may be obvious to many…the unity is Seven-fold. Many times, in scripture, God uses the number “seven,” to convey a sense of “completeness.” For instance, the judgments in the book of The Revelation include seven “seals,” within the seventh of which are seven blasts of angelic trumpets—the seventh of which is commonly referred to as the “Last Trumpet,” or the “Trumpet of Doom.” Within that seventh trumpet are seven bowls or vials. This is the completion of Man’s reign on earth. “Three” is often seen as the number of humanity…and “seven,” the number of completion. Hence three sevens, nested within one another.

Jesus lists seven churches in Revelation chapters 2-3, summing up either the possible attributes of all local churches, or spanning the complete history of the Church age…or both, depending on how one sees it.

But here we have the Unity of the Spirit, given by God as a completed entity; “no assembly required, no batteries needed.” All we are told to do is maintain it. So…how do we do that? By not breaking it unnecessarily. Church splits and fractured unity are so common, today, that the world sees us as a laughingstock.

They talk about “believing Baptists”…meaning, “if we don’t fully agree, we’ll ‘be leaving!’” Believers hop from church to church, finding something in every assembly to justify their leaving, frequently in a self-righteous huff.

But, God says “maintain the Unity of the Spirit”…endeavor to do so—work at it! That is what “endeavor” means…it isn’t simply that we should half-heartedly “try.” (“Well, we did our best, but you can’t be friends with everybody…”) God says, “Work at it. Endeavor to keep it.”

There is Only One Body of Christ.

We talk of the various denominations as being different churches, and, in a sense, they are. But the only acceptable division is to be geographical, and demographic, in the sense of language, culture, etc. It is never to be a division regarding some obscure doctrine, or “which teacher a particular assembly likes to follow.” Look at 1^st Corinthians 1:11-13: Paul notes that specific reason for divisions and he utterly condemns it. He points out that neither he nor Apollos were anything important…and, more importantly, that Christ is not divided. Nor is the Body of Christ to be divided.

There were numerous house-churches in larger cities, but, in general, it seems, there were only geographical differences; the church at Ephesus—the Churches of Galatia, etc. It was not the “First Baptist Church of West New Orleans” or some such thing. At most, it might be the “Church that meets at Chloe’s house.” Again, geography was the only barrier.

Could language be a barrier? Certainly, it could be. It is tough to fellowship freely with someone whose language is completely foreign to you. But remember: all members of the Body of Christ speak Agapé as their native language. I have had good (but limited) fellowship with believers of other languages. The Love and acceptance were there…we just couldn’t talk about it much.

There is Only One Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God. There is only one of Him, and he indwells every single real believer, individually. He does not need us to tell them how to live. He tells them in His Word, and He tells them by his guidance of their new nature. Does he send believers to correct other believers? Surely He does! But we frequently specialize in “correcting” areas concerning which the Holy Scriptures are utterly silent…and we often ignore things about which it is clear. And when we do attempt to “correct” someone, too often we are not in tune with the Holy Spirit, because the correction is not born of Love, but of condemnation and pride.

The same Spirit indwells us all and makes us one in Christ. Bear that in mind, regarding people with whom you have “personality conflicts.” (God has a shorter word for this: He calls it “Sin.”)

The Holy Spirit never leads contrary to the Written Word of God. Remember this, when someone (maybe you) claims that “The Holy Spirit is leading them to” do such and such. If it is clearly contrary to sound doctrine, then it is not the Holy Spirit doing the leading. There is only One Holy Spirit, and He never creates division, except to demand that believers follow the Word of God…you see, not all of them want to do so. We are to endeavor to maintain His unity.

There is Only One Hope of our Calling.

Did you think there is a different heaven for other churches, maybe? All real believers are headed for the same real place, facing the same real God, standing before the same real Judgment Seat of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:10, 11) Do you want to stand next to someone at that Judgment Seat, and for the first time in forever, see them as your beloved brother or sister, with whom you should have been having pure fellowship, but with whom you only had discord? How will that feel? On what basis do you feel justified in rejecting any believer you have known? Or, having been on the receiving end, by what excuse have they rejected you? (Usually, it is mutual.)

Remember that you will spend eternity with that person. Better to learn to love them now, rather than to go through life having your fellowship with God damaged by your bad relationship with other believers. Do you think that can’t happen? Peter specifically warned husbands to love their wives in a particular way, so that their prayers would not be hindered. (1^st Peter 3:7)

There is Only One Lord.

The “One Lord” is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. One might think that this one is a “given.” But many people have taken license to “re-construct Jesus” to their own specifications. One aspect of this “re-construction” is that they generally conclude that Jesus is not God in the Flesh, but rather (pick one):

Just a great teacher and prophet
An exalted man
A powerful spirit being
A lesser god
Or some other form of created being, but NOT the Creator.

Sorry…any doctrine that concludes Jesus is other than the Everlasting Father is false . Why do I say this? I mean, really…: He is God the SON, right? (Turn to Isaiah 9:6, 7.)

“His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, THE mighty God, THE everlasting Father.” (There it is!) Do you know what Jesus said about this? He claimed to be the Judge of all the Earth (John 5:22…compare Genesis 18:25). He said that all men were to honor Him “as they honor the Father” and He went on to say that if they do not honor the Son (to that level) then they do not honor the Father who sent Him. (John 5:23)

Make a Choice!

That’s a pretty straight, hard, clean “line in the sand,” if you ask me. You either see Jesus as THE God of the Universe, or you do not truly see him.

Further, his character and doctrine are carefully laid out in the Word of God. He is not some radical philosopher, or social activist, or ascetic monk, or any of the other ways he has been portrayed; he is the Holy God of the Universe, in Human flesh. Fully Man…and fully God.

Deal with it! Embrace it! Accept him as the Bible teaches him to be! And, if the church you are attending does not honor him in that way, then you may prayerfully consider finding a church that does. One thing all the “cults” have in common is that they all claim to honor Jesus, but none (that I am aware of) embrace his deity as spelled out in scripture.

One further point: He is Lord! He is the Master. We are to obey him in all things, and when we do, there will be unity. There can only be disunity when we are not following Him. Dr. McGee points out that, when an orchestral conductor lifts his baton, all the players’ eyes are on him and all their instruments are silent. When the conductor begins the count, the instruments all come in at their proper times, playing their proper melodies, counterpoints, harmonies, etc.! Why?

Because; (a) they have the written music before them, (b) they are in full agreement as to what it says, and (c) they have agreed to allow the Conductor to interpret it for the group. Make no mistake—the Conductor is Christ…not some pastor or teacher. But when we are in tune, and following that Conductor, we will be in harmony here on Earth.

There is Only One Faith.

Throughout history, people have tried to codify this “one faith” in creeds, each claiming to outline the “one true faith.” The word “catholic” has been stolen by a particular group of people claiming to have that “one true faith.” The English word “catholic” used to only mean “universal”…but now it is so completely associated with the Roman Catholic sect, that I never use the word in teaching. I am trying to not cause doctrinal confusion. When that word is used, today, every single hearer automatically thinks of Romanism, not the unity of the body of Christ. So I have abandoned that term to the opposition. The concept is what matters.

We believe the Bible to be literally God’s written Word, and, in the original Manuscripts, without error. Could someone be saved and have some doubts about that? Certainly, they could. Many do, because of bad teaching. But could they miss the fact that Jesus is the only Savior and that His blood was shed as the single payment for the sins of the whole world and still be saved? I would have trouble with that one unless they were a brand-new believer, and completely untaught. At some point, the “One Faith” has to center on the “One Savior.”

There may be various digressions into error that would not separate them from the Person of Christ, but any teaching that turns the heart of the believer away from a personal faith in the living Christ as being their only avenue to God is at least suspect, and probably fatally flawed.

What is the “Apostles’ Doctrine?”

Acts 2:42 refers to “the Apostle’s Doctrine.” I would say that is the same as the “one faith.” If you want to see what it entails, then study the epistles. The epistles comprise the Apostle’s Doctrine. Most churches have a “doctrinal statement,” somewhere, that can be requested and read. I am told that we have one somewhere, but I’m not sure I have seen it.

We simply believe the Bible is the Word of God and that it is completely true: that it is meant to be understood and, where applicable, obeyed. We believe that Jesus truly is who he said he was…God in the Flesh, and the only Savior. We believe that faith alone, in response to His Grace is all that is required for salvation. We believe that one can know now…today…that one has eternal life; and that one’s sins have been completely forgiven. All these are part of that “One Faith.”

There is Only One Baptism:

This is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, wherein He permanently places the believer into the Body of Christ. (1^st Corinthians 12:13) This is not water-baptism. There are many different forms of water baptism, and we are not to break fellowship over them. Oddly enough, the main contention over the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is concerning when it occurs.

According to the scriptures, it happens at the moment of salvation. Romans 8:9 states that if you don’t have the Holy Spirit, then you aren’t saved. So it has to happen at the moment of salvation. Jesus stated (John 5:24) that when a person hears the Gospel and believes it, they are saved. They have eternal life at that moment. So, it must happen at the moment one places his or her faith in Jesus as his/her savior.

There is Only One God and Father of all.

Many have interpreted this to mean that God is the Father of all Humans. Jesus showed the falsehood of that teaching. He told the Pharisees that they were of their Father, the Devil (John 8:44). Paul confirmed, in Ephesians 2, that we were (past tense) all the children of wrath, by nature—by birth. In Romans 5:10 he stated that we were all the enemies of God…not his beloved children.

But that One God and Father, who is the Father of all believers, through the new birth, is the One to whom we owe our Love and Worship. Remember that Jesus is called the Everlasting Father. Do I understand the Trinity? No! Absolutely not! But do I preach it? Yes, absolutely! And that One God is above all else; He is through all time and Space, and He is in all true believers. He is preeminent, omnipotent, omnipresent, and indwelling His children forever.

How Do We Maintain Unity?

Based on these seven facts that collectively form the “Unity of the Spirit” we are commanded to maintain Love and fellowship between ourselves and all other believers. It is possible that some differences, while they do NOT destroy unity or fellowship might still be a practical hindrance to working together, say, in Evangelism. Paul admits this. But we are still free to work separately, rejoicing that they, too, are carrying the Gospel to those who have not heard it.

So, rather than bicker, let’s get on with the job, ourselves, and not allow our petty disagreements to defile the message of Christ. We all have work to do, and we are all called to work with Jesus at that task.

God give us Grace to Work together, and to Love one another, in Jesus’ Name.
Amen!

Understanding God’s Teaching Regarding the Lord’s Table

1st Corinthians 11:17-34

Paul Tells Us How to Behave

Introduction:

What Was The Problem?

A Root of Division

Unity was Discarded, and the Poor were Shamed

So: What Should Happen in Celebrating the Lord’s Table?

Where Did Paul Get His Information?

Why all the Warnings Associated with the Lord’s table?

There are a Couple of Keys to Understanding this Passage:

So, What Do We Do?

Conclusion of Chapter Eleven

What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians?

Return To Corinthians

In Chapter One, we Learned:

In Chapter Two, we Learned:

In Chapter Three, we Learned:

In Chapter Four, we Learned:

In Chapter Five, we Learned:

In Chapter Six, we Learned:

In Chapter Seven, we Learned:

In Chapter Eight, we Learned:

In Chapter Nine, we Learned:

In Chapter Ten, we Learned:

Chapter Eleven Holds Rich Lessons, Too!

How to Recognize False Teachers ( Jude, Part Three)

Jude 13-25

Introduction:

Characteristics of False Teachers

Human Movements and Waves of Unrest

Wandering Stars

So, How Do We Learn to Spot a False Teacher?

Reference to Enoch

Observe the Character of False Teachers

We Have Been Warned

Conclusion, Response of the Believers

So…What are We Supposed to Do?

First: How do We Respond to God?

Then: How do We Respond to Those Around Us?

One

Two

Three

Jude’s Final Benediction

Jude: The False Teachers and Apostates (Part 1)

Judgment is Coming!

Jude 1-25 (Read it!)

Introduction:

To Whom is the Epistle Addressed?

The Result of Genuine Faith

The Subject: Men who have “Crept In Unawares:” False Teachers.

Unbelief Among Believers

A Warning to Believers

Judgement of Fallen Angels

Judgment of Specific Humans

Beginning A List of Examples

Jude Includes Extra-biblical Examples

More Examples

Here are three examples in one verse:

A Letter to the Children (Part 15)

1st John 5:14-21, Final Notes

Introduction:

Encouragement in Prayer

Teaching, Regarding Sin, and Judgment, and Righteousness

Admonishment Regarding the Difference Between the One True God and Idols

What do We Know About Prayer?

There is More to Prayer thanThat!

What Do We Know About Sin, Judgment, and Righteousness?

Where Did God Judge Your Sins?

Definitions of Sin

What is a Sin Not Unto Death?

New Testament Examples

What About “Sinning Believers?”

A New Testament Example:

The New Life and its Source

Avoiding Idols

A Letter to the Children (Part 13)

1st John 5:1-5

Introduction:

What Does That “Transformed Life” Look Like?

1^st Corinthians 11:17-34

**So: What Should Happen in Celebrating the Lord’s Table?**

What Have We Learned in 1^st Corinthians?

1^st John 5:14-21, Final Notes

1^st John 5:1-5

**Doctrine (And How We Respond to It) Truly Matters!**

**So, Why is This Passage Included in the Bible?**

1^st John 2:12-17

1^st John 2:1, 2

**The Father is Not the Judge**