How to know the Free Will of Man vs the Sovereignty of God

The Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man

Introduction:

Romans 9-11: an overview. (Read the whole passage in one reading. Get the context.)

There was a time when Romans 9:19, 20 defeated my every attempt to understand it, and I became angry every time I tried, so I finally told God I would skip it until He enabled me to understand. Several months later, He honored my intent. He gave me at least enough understanding to be at peace about it. I don’t pretend to fully grasp any single passage of scripture. God’s Word is eternal, and its depth cannot be probed by human effort.

In reality, the focus in Romans 9 is not the “Free will of man vs. Sovereignty of God” at all: Rather it is the question, “So; what about Israel? What about the Jews?”

Within the scope of that question, the “Freewill vs. Sovereignty” question does pop up, but the context relegates it to an issue of service, and election as a chosen vessel, NOT a salvation issue.

It deals nationally with Israel, not on an individual basis. Israel has never been barred from salvation, as witnessed by the fact that Paul, and all the other disciples, plus thousands of Jews at Pentecost and thereafter, were saved, and, initially, those believing Jews comprised the church!

For around 1700 years, prior to the Cross, God used Israel as His main vessel to reach the world. They repeatedly failed Him and rebelled against Him: They sought their own enrichment instead of His Glory. They followed other gods, and they made His Name to stink in the unbelieving world. (Does that sound familiar? Do you know of any groups of people doing that today?)

The Times of the Gentiles

Acts chapter 10 tells the beginning of the Gentile-dominated church, which owes everything to Israel, according to Romans 9:4, 5; 11:11-15. That dominance grew throughout the book of Acts, and it is reflected in many of the epistles. But Romans chapters 9-11 warns that it is NOT permanent, but passing, and that Israel’s best day is yet to come.

The Church is the Bride of Christ, and its members are distinct from all other believers, though we are saved by the same Grace, redeemed by the same Blood, sanctified by the same Spirit, and fed upon the same Bread of Life. Within the church, all other distinctions become insignificant, so that Paul could say, “in Christ there is not Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female,” etc. (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11.) So: What about the Jews?

What Choices Did Israel Have?

Did Israel have a choice in the matter of faith? Yes! Did God know ahead of time what their choice would be? Of course! Did he further harden their hearts to provide a clear lesson to others? Apparently so: Compare Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34, 35; 10:1, 27. In the early passages about Pharaoh, it says he hardened his own heart. In Exodus 10:7 everyone but Pharaoh saw that the hand of God was at work: They protested against the king, saying, “Don’t you understand that Egypt is destroyed?”

But, somewhere along the line, God took his already-hard heart, and extended that hardness beyond normal human capacity for stupidity, and thus took an opportunity to judge Egypt, and to set a standard for Divine Judgment that remains today, and is known throughout the world.

The Effect Upon the Unbelieving World

Pat James told me that his elderly mother, an atheist, read the secular history of the Jews, and the attempts throughout history to exterminate them. She came to see that history as proving the existence of God. She saw Him as the Savior of Israel: She could find no other explanation for their survival. Soon, shortly before she died, she chose to receive their Savior as her own!

But, God has hardened the collective hearts of unbelieving Israel, just as He did to Pharaoh. He stretches their unbelief past the logical limit, to make an example for us, the heathen gentiles.

**Unbelief is the Most Common Response Among all Humans**

Unbelievers have said, “Well, if I saw someone raised from the dead, I’d believe! I’d have no choice!” But, in Luke 16:31, God says they would not: Furthermore, He gave a living example of that truth, in John chapters 11 and 12. When the Jewish leaders saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, they did not embrace the Author of Life: They plotted to kill both Him and Lazarus.

Their unbelief and hardness of heart was incredible! And not all of it was forced upon them. Mark 3:5 says Jesus was grieved by their hardness of heart. Was it foreknown? Yes! Was it predicted? Yes! Was it forced upon them? No! They were given a choice, the same as we are.

When the Magi came to Jerusalem (Matthew chapter 2) “seeking Him that is born King of the Jews,” Herod and all Jerusalem was disturbed. But not a single person cared enough to walk the six miles down to Bethlehem with the Wise Men, to see the Child! Later, though, soldiers were sent to slaughter all the children in his age-peer group. Those were some pretty hard hearts!

The Shepherds had heard the same message, of His birth, and they rejoiced. Simeon and Anna also rejoiced. They were living proof that the remnant within Israel always exists, just as God told Elijah. But the heart of Israel as a nation was already very hard.

**A Personal Choice is Offered: “Whosoever Will”**

So…what about the issues of personal decisions, free will, etc? Does the Gospel really say, “Good News, brother! You may be predestined to spend eternity in Hell! (Heh, heh! Have a nice day…!)”? Or does it actually say, “God so loved the World…that whosoever believeth in Him shall never perish…”?

1^st John 2:2 says the payment made at the Cross is full payment not only for our sins, “…but also for the sins of the whole World.” I have to believe that while God knew my response from eternity past, He still offered me the same choice as others, and He allowed me to struggle through the making of that choice.

More than 45 years ago, a teacher of mine proposed the idea that “We approach the narrow gate, and see written above it ‘Whosoever will may come’. We enter that door by faith, and having entered, we look back, and we see above the door, on the inside: ‘Chosen in Him before the Foundation of the World!’” I suspect that this idea may be pretty close to the truth.

Is God fully Sovereign? Absolutely. And does He give us choices to make, and then hold us accountable to those choices? Absolutely. But do I understand how both can simultaneously be true? Absolutely not! However, I do recognize that The Bible clearly teaches both, so I have to teach both to the best of my ability and understanding.

God Predicts Ultimate Human Failure

The Church is predestined to fail in its Great Commission. (In fact, the modern Church seems bent on following unbelieving Israel in her failure.) Does that excuse us from responsibility? No! The Great Commission stands. The church will fail (See Revelation 3:14-19). But God offers the walk of fellowship, faith and obedience to believers, one by one. (Revelation 3:20) The church at Laodicea was being judged: Jesus did not even say, “…except ye repent…” as a way to escape judgment. But in verse 20, to every individual believer, He still made the offer for personal fellowship and obedience and blessing.

God Saves People One by One

I read a story of a small boy on a Southern California beach: A storm had hit the area the night before, and many thousands of starfish had been washed ashore. Starfish are fairly mobile underwater, but on the beach, out of the water, they are helpless. As the tide receded, the boy was picking up starfish, one by one, and heaving them out, as far as he could, into the water.

A jogger stopped, and asked what he was doing, and with dignity, the boy explained. The man laughed, and said, “This beach stretches on for miles. The starfish will soon die in the sun! What difference do you think you can make?” The boy thought for a moment, then picked up another starfish and hurled it into deep water. “It made a difference to that one!” he replied, as he stooped for another. (James 2:13 seems appropriate: “Mercy rejoices against judgment.”)

We treat obstacles to faith in the same manner. Take them one by one, and make a difference to that one. Make a difference in that one place: That one situation. Make a good decision this time. Be a good witness now: today! Blossom where you have been planted, and await the Master Gardener’s direction for any transplanting that needs to happen. We can’t see the full scope of God’s program, nor could we understand it if we saw it. But we can take the challenges one by one, and daily strive to meet them with God’s Word, and by His Spirit.

**So, Again, What About the Jews?**

One by one, God calls us to love them, and to earnestly reach out to them with the offer of eternal salvation. One by one, we seek their redemption. Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” But, as a nation, they will continue to rebel until the end of the Church Age. During the Tribulation, a remnant (144,000, to be precise) will succeed in re-evangelizing the world. But many of them and many of those they reach will be martyred for their faith and obedience. The remnant left at the end of the tribulation will be saved by Jesus’ return in glory (Revelation 19, Zechariah 14.)

Then, for the first time ever, ALL Israel shall agree that “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord.” And all Israel shall be saved.

What Will Happen Then?

Then, Jesus will judge the living nations (the gentiles) according to how they treated his brethren. (Matthew 25:31, ff) Those He judged to have been believers, and His friends, (having obeyed, by faith, in even tiny acts of compassion to the Jews and/or the other believers) will enter into the 1000-year kingdom promised throughout the history of Israel.

During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will be the center of the world’s political structure; Jerusalem will literally be the capital of the World, and Jesus will literally, physically, reign there in Jerusalem.

What About Today?

But for now, they (Israel, as a nation) are temporarily set aside: From outward appearances, they look withered, like a branch, cut from a tree. We don’t see the glory of God shining from Israel.

Now, some Christians may think that God has permanently set aside Israel, or even (as some teach) that the Church has somehow replaced Israel in the plan of God. They teach that the Church will now inherit all of Israel’s promises.

But Romans chapters 9-11 show that teaching to be false! The Church is not Israel. We will never inherit the land of Israel, nor their preeminent position during the Kingdom. The Church is called the Bride of Christ: We have an entirely different set of promises, which, while they may overlap in some ways, are completely separate from the promises to believing Israel.

What Choices Do We Have?

As believers, we are given some choices, too: 1^st Corinthians 3:10-16 outlines a two-choice offer always open to believers. We can build into our lives works, that are either “combustible” or “noncombustible.” ALL of those works will finally be tested by fire. The foundation, Christ himself, will be ours forever, along with a reward for that which does not burn, of all our works.

God invites us to work with him in His flock, in His vineyard, and in in His field. We are free to choose to do the will of the Father, or we can choose our own entertainment, our own enrichment and our own comfort, etc. Remember that those choices have eternal results, either way. It is worth thinking about.

Search God’s Word, and learn to make good choices.

Lord Jesus, train our hearts, day by day, and step by step, to choose to trust in You and to choose to follow Your leading. Transform each of us to be Your true Disciples.

October 11, 2025October 11, 2025

How to Choose Joy in a Discouraging World

All—and Nothing: Choosing Joy

Habakkuk 3:17-19; Ephesians 4:31, 32; Philippians 4:6, 7; Proverbs 15:13, 30

Introduction: Choosing Joy in the Face of Destruction

As we recall the destruction around the world, today, and see the continuing worldwide effects of sin, rebellion, persecution, oppression, greed, and poverty, it is easy to slide into either helpless rage or hopeless depression. I would suggest to you that neither is from God. That ALL of the wickedness and suffering we see in the world are the direct (or indirect) result of sin. And that God has provided a correct response for his people.

Please turn with me to Habakkuk chapter three. Habakkuk is a short book. It begins with Habakkuk’s complaint regarding the sin and oppression in Judah, the southern kingdom of divided Israel. God responded and told him that He fully intended to bring punishment through the invasion of a nation called the “Chaldeans”—whom we remember as the Babylonians. Israel and Judah were to go into captivity under Babylon.

A National Sin Problem

Habakkuk was shocked that God would use a nation far more evil than Judah, to punish His backsliding people, the Jews. God assured him that He both could and would do so, but that the Babylonians would transgress too far, and He would deal with them even more harshly than He did Judah. (Remember that Babylon, today, is just a ruin, while Jerusalem, though it has been destroyed repeatedly, is a thriving metropolis.)

Obviously, Habakkuk simply accepted this statement from God, and made a quietly amazing choice: There is nothing showy about it: He knew judgment was coming. But, he simply chose to find his joy in the LORD. (Read Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Finally, Habakkuk listed some the things he expected to see—the fall of Judah—destruction of the pleasant farms and plenteous crops, along with the destruction of Jerusalem’s splendor. He kept the list short, but, to an agrarian society, where the crops and flocks were the immediate, tangible evidence of God’s grace and blessing, these things were extremely important.

Habakkuk made his choice: “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD; I will joy in the God of my salvation.” How can we do that? How can we choose Joy? Let’s look at Ephesians 4:31, 32.

All? Yes, ALL!

Remember that Paul was in the middle of telling the Ephesian believers how to live. He told them (among many other things) that they were to put away from themselves ALL bitterness, ALL wrath, ALL anger, ALL clamor, ALL evil speaking (yes, that includes gossip, slander, etc.) and ALL malice.

Obviously, the problem is in the word “All.” If we misquote this as saying, “Let MOST bitterness and wrath, etc. be put away from you…” Then perhaps we would be “off the hook.” We might think we have an excuse. But that isn’t what it says! Furthermore, that passage is an imperative sentence (a command), and the word is “all”. We have no option to “play around” with evil thinking: God says to set ALL of it aside.

Learn to See Sin as “Weeds“

The biggest key to weeding a garden is to learn what weeds look like when they are very small, and deal with them immediately. Don’t wait to uproot them, until they are waist high and as thick as your finger. The same goes for sin. You need to learn what sin looks like when it is little.

Jesus gave us some hints (Matthew 5:27, 28). He said that the “weed” we call adultery looks like “lust” when it is little. And, maybe it is only known to the one doing the lusting. But that is the power of weeds. They are pretty little green plants when they are young: But they are nasty things when they grow up. And worse yet, they go to seed.

I do not have to wait until I completely fail and fall into sexual immorality before I stop that sin. I can recognize it when I am secretly “peeking” at some woman walking by.

What About Anger?

Obviously, we can recognize anger the same way. But, we can see that anger begins with irritation, indignation, frustration, or something of the sort. Things that we don’t recognize as sin. Be honest with yourself and God, and confess that “I am irritated… I am a little bit angry.” Recognize it as sin. Uproot that weed now! Don’t wait until you have ruined your testimony or your life, and that of your loved ones. Don’t allow bitterness and hatred to eat away at your heart, steal your joy, and ruin your relationship with God and those around you.

What about Fear?

What about fear? Many passages tell us not to fear. I am not going to read any of them right now. I only want to state that fear begins as “anxiety.” Anxiety is from unbelief—not trusting God. We—I—am anxious about all sorts of things. And I am commanded to not be anxious.

What do we call it when we do what God told us not to do? Or fail to do what He commanded us that we should do? We call it sin, don’t we? And all sin breaks fellowship with God. All sin keeps us from feeding on His Word. All sin makes our prayer life fruitless and empty. Fortunately, all sin can be taken to God in confession, according to 1^st John 1:9. (Sometimes that word “all” is pretty nice.)

Nothing? (Yes, Nothing!)

So, what kinds of things are OK to be anxious about? Surely there must be some things about which we can say, “Oh, I’m not anxious! I’m just concerned!” (heh-heh!)

Let’s turn to Philippians 4:6, 7 please. (These are good verses to memorize, by the way!) Paul says that we are to be anxious about very few things, right? Only a short list? One thing? No, he says we are to be anxious for nothing. Instead, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we are to bring our concerns to God. Did Habakkuk do that? Yes! And he had a great deal more about which to be concerned than most of us have today, though those of us who try to keep up on the world-news expose ourselves to more sources of anxiety than even Habakkuk had to face.

Anxiety is the beginning of Fear

Just like other sins, we are to recognize fear in its infancy. Anxiety is the “baby-form” of the weed called fear. This is not the good, clean, healthy kind of fear that we call the “fear of the Lord:” This is the infectious, unreasoning kind of fear that says, “God cannot take care of you—you had better take care of yourself!” This fear is from the pit.

During one of the sieges of Jerusalem, the (Assyrian) enemy captain (a fellow named “Rabshakeh”) came and told the people in those exact words, not to place their trust in God. (Isaiah 36:7, 18) Rabshakeh told the people of Jerusalem not to listen to the king who encouraged them to trust in God.

He said that none of the “local gods” had turned away his power, and that if the Jews trusted in their God, they would fall under his army, just as had the others. Rabshakeh was doing his best to instill fear, specifically unbelieving fear, in the hearts of the listeners. He even said that Hezekiah had torn down all the idols, therefore God would judge him. But Hezekiah had done so at God’s leading—God did not honor the idols, and wanted them removed. He had done a good thing! So, the people trusted in God and He saved them from the king of Assyria.

If we begin to recognize sin in its infancy, and root it out by confession and repentance, it will not gain such a deep root. If we learn to literally “pray about everything,” then we will be more focused on God than we are focused on self.

What about Human Enemies?

So, what about folks we don’t like? Do you have an enemy? Or at least, someone you think of as an enemy? In fact, maybe all you admit is that you don’t like them. How do we deal with that?

You Must Ask Yourself: “Is that person someone for whom Jesus died?”

(The Answer is “Yes!”—1^st John 2:2) If that is so, how is it that you feel free to despise them? What did Jesus say to do about our enemies? (Matthew 5:44) He said, “Love your enemies.” (And, that is the Agapé love…it has nothing to do with feelings.) He said “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you.” (Hmmm…. We are back to not being angry, not being anxious, and praying about everything, aren’t we?)

So, What about an Impending Disaster?

Is there something you can/should do to prevent it? If so, then do it. If not, then you have to accept that a disaster is “on your list for today,” and allow yourself to go through it with God. All of us face death. Each is born with a death-sentence. Those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation still face death, but it has lost its sting. Death is a shadow, not a substance, and we pass through (not fall into) the valley (not the pit) of death. We travel with Jesus.

Geologists tell us that what we call “Yellowstone Park” is actually one gigantic super-volcano, one of the three largest in the world. The geologists say that if (or when) it erupts, the United States, as we know it, will simply cease to exist. It would essentially wipe out a third to a half of the continental US.

Is there anything we can do about it? Nope! The Yellowstone Caldera is capable of an eruption 1000 times greater than that of Mt. St. Helens. There was nothing we could have done, even, to stop Mt. St. Helens from erupting: Far less the Yellowstone Super-volcano. Is there any reason to be anxious, then? No, not really! God has his plan, and we will have to accept it as it comes.

Can We Act, to Avoid Danger?

But let’s say it is something more recognizable, like a hurricane or tornado, or a fire, or flood: is it OK to “get out of the way?” Of course it is! The proverbs (Proverbs 22:3) say that “the wise man sees the evil and hides himself, while the simple continues on and is punished.”

My mother and sister were crossing West Texas in a small car. A rainstorm had begun, with wind and lightning, and it soon was raining so hard they could hardly see the road, even by driving very slowly with the wipers going at full speed. They came to an overpass, and saw a cluster of vehicles crowded up under it. Being Oregonians, they didn’t know the significance, and they simply drove on, laughing: They thought, “The rain isn’t that bad!”

But, they had no radio in the car: Everyone else was taking shelter from a tornado! They drove on, and only heard about the tornado much later. I’m grateful that God kept them safe, but in truth, had they known the danger, the wise thing would have been to take cover (and they would have done so). Wisdom and timidity are two different matters. “God has not given us the spirit of fear (timidity—cowardice) but of power, and of Love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

So, What about Depression?

There are whole books on the subject, but I would like to point out that we are each a three-part being: body, soul and spirit. All three parts affect the whole. If you allow your spirit to be unhealthy, through sin or neglect, it will affect the whole person. And, if you feed your soul on emotional trauma and unnecessary, ungodly drama, then it will affect the whole person. If you allow your physical body to deteriorate through lack of exercise, bad physical habits, lack of sleep, or bad nutrition, eventually it will affect the whole person.

Elijah suffered from depression on at least one occasion (1^st Kings 19.) He begged God to let him die. God took care of the physical needs first; he gave him sleep, food, and water, and then exercise. Then he corrected his thinking: you see, one of the things tormenting Elijah’s mind was simply an error. He did not know the facts. God straightened him out on that level. Finally, He gave him a purpose—a new assignment from God. And the depression was gone!

Can We “Alleviate” Depression?

In many (not “all”) cases, depression can be alleviated by following God’s example and getting adequate sleep, good nutrition, proper exercise and proper thought-food, or emotional-food. (What kind of music do you listen to? What kind of books do you read? Are you watching TV? What kind of shows? Do you watch Movies? What kind of movies? What kind of conversations do you engage in?) Finally, most importantly, how is your spirit being fed? Are you in the Word? And, are you feeding on the Word, or just putting in your time? Are you rejoicing in the Lord? Or just doubting him?

Proverbs 15:30 says that “The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good word maketh the bones fat.” (Fat bones?) He says that I can choose the light of the eyes…I can look to the light, rather than focusing on darkness. We don’t deny that darkness exists. We simply shine the light of God’s Word on the dark things, thereby dispelling the darkness. That is healthy! It “nourishes the bones.” It makes you strong. And it rejoices the heart.

Yet Will I Rejoice in the LORD

Let’s go back to Habakkuk 3:18, 19. The all-caps “LORD” is how the translators chose to designate the YHWH of Hebrew scriptures. This is the “I AM”, of Moses’ experience. The “I AM THAT I AM:” It was God’s answer to the question, “Who are you?”

We are to rejoice in who God is. We are to rejoice in all of his attributes. Learn to list in your mind all that you know about God, and to find joy in who He is. Thank Him, and rejoice in each thing as you remember it. Can you at least look around yourself at the creation and rejoice in the incredible variety and intricacies of life? Can you take joy in the order of the creation, its beauty and the fact that the Maker thereof has chosen to reveal himself to you at all?

Habakkuk said, “I will joy in the God of my salvation.” If nothing else, can you be glad that you are saved? Can you take heart in his Grace? Ponder for a moment why God even wanted to save you. I confess that I can’t understand His love at all. I do not know why he stooped to save us all. But I am awfully glad He did. I can rejoice in that!

Hind’s Feet on High Places

In conclusion, look at verse 19. Habakkuk says that the result of finding your joy in the LORD is that He will make your feet like “hind’s feet.”. (A “hind” is a type of deer that loves high country. It is extremely sure-footed, and very seldom falls.) God says He will not only make you sure-footed, so that you will never fall: He says He will also “set you on your high places.” He will put you above the disasters of life …make it possible to see things from His perspective.

We read in 2^nd Peter 1:10 that “…if you practice these things you will never fall.” (What things??) The things he listed in verses 2-9. We are to grow in the Lord, by Bible study, prayer, and obedience. Some of the commands that we are to obey involve the words “all”, and “nothing”. We can either “learn to lay aside all the sin that so easily entangles us” and “be anxious for nothing,” or we can go on muddling along in darkness, wasting our time and our lives, and being miserable as a result. That is the choice we have to make.

Joy is a choice. It takes practice. It takes diligence. But it is a choice, and it is one we can live with. I haven’t mastered this, but I am working at it, and will continue to do so. There are those around us who have already learned to choose joy. Take their example, and that of Habakkuk….

Choose Joy.

Lord Jesus, help us to respond to Your Word in faith, and make us surefooted in our walk with You. Teach us the art of contentment and the treasures of Joy.

October 4, 2025October 4, 2025

Balance the Truth of God’s Judgment with the Love of Christ

2nd John: A Letter to “The Elect Lady”

2^nd John 1-13

Introduction:

The book of 1st John was “a letter to the children.”

The book of 2^nd John is a letter to “the Elect Lady.” Who is she? God does not tell us.

There are several possibilities: She could have been someone John knew, personally, in whose home believers were meeting. We don’t know for certain whether the “Elect Lady” was an actual woman, or if John was addressing a local church, in the feminine form, as a portion of the Body of Christ: The Bride.

Whether an individual or a local assembly, His message includes an Emphasis on Truth, as a foundational concept. It includes a Reminder of the Commandment of Christ, and a Warning against joining in the works of false teachers. All three are directly applicable today. So, we can take these teachings and apply them to our own lives.

A Strong Emphasis on Truth

Notice that, in the first four verses, John emphasized “Truth” five times. We frequently hear people claim that “God’s Primary attribute is Love,” because of 1^st John 4:7, 8, where it states that “God is Love”…but the rest of the Bible makes it clear that His Primary Attribute is Holiness. And His truth goes right along with that Holiness.

In Numbers 23:19, God says, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of a man, that He should repent.” Remember, too, that Jesus did not say, “I am the way, the Love and the Life.” He said, “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by Me.” Jesus also said, in John 4:24, that “God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.” Jesus said, in John 8:32, “Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” So it seems we cannot over-stress the importance of the Truth of God’s Word.

¹The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

We can easily forget that Jesus said He is the truth. If we remember that, then we see that John said He loved this person (or persons) in Christ. Further, he said that anyone else who had an ongoing relationship with that Truth (Jesus) would love her, too!

Remember: 1^st John 4:11, 12 says, “¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. ¹²No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Truth is the Ground and Basis of Faith.

John says that the reason we love each other is for the truth’s sake. Specifically for the sake of the Truth which now dwells in us. In John 14:16-23, we see that the Holy Spirit will live in us forever, and that, in the person of the Spirit of God, Jesus (God the Son) AND God the Father have made their abode with us!

²For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. ³Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. ⁴I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

According to John 1:17, Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. God reveals the truth. We believe Him, trusting in His Word, as opposed to believing the countless contrary voices around us in the World: And He calls that trust “Faith.”

On the basis of that faith, He declares us righteous, just as He did Abram. God calls this “Justification.” It means that God has declared you righteous. But He only does so on the basis of faith in His Word. In Romans 3:25, God makes it very specific: He says that salvation is based upon faith in the Blood of Jesus.

Jesus is the Living Truth

John confirms, here, that the Truth (Jesus) “dwells in us” (verse 2) and that “He shall be with you forever!” But, he also says that in addition to “knowing the truth” (verse 1), he asks us to “walk in the truth” (verse 4.) Walking in the truth builds greater faith.

Romans 1:17 says that as we continue in the Gospel of Christ, the Righteousness of God is revealed “from faith to faith.” Obedience to God, by faith, allows us to see the Righteousness of God, which, in turn, builds greater faith. 1^st John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life.”

A Reminder of the Commandment of Christ

⁵And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

⁶And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

John reminds the “elect lady” (whoever she is…I lean somewhat toward it being an actual person, though unnamed…but it could be a church.) He reminds her that we still have the same commandment Jesus gave from the beginning: That we are to exercise agapé love toward our fellow believers. And our blessing lies in obedience to that command.

But there may have been an ongoing trend within that church, (or that family) to receive “anyone and everyone” as if they were Godly teachers. The warning that follows this blessing is in stark contrast to the extensive message expounding the agapé love in 1^st John. He says there are some limitations as to how we are to receive traveling teachers. We are not to assume they are all Godly teachers, sent by God.

Why The Warning? False Teachers Abound!

(Compare 1^st John 4:1-3) The Spirit of Antichrist is already at work in the World, and we are called to discern that voice of evil when it arises. And the “litmus test” of false teachers, is their doctrine:

What Do They Do With Jesus?

Is He literally God in the flesh? Did He have a real, flesh-and-blood, physical, human body that God sent Him to offer as a sacrifice (God’s chosen sacrifice) in order for us to be saved? And was He physically, bodily, resurrected as predicted? Is He reigning as God the Son today? Is He coming back, physically, literally, and visibly, as He predicted?

All the false religions and cults (that I am aware of) deny the deity of Christ. They deny that He truly is God in the Flesh. Also, they deny that He is the Eternal Judge, as well as the only Savior. They deny the reality of the Virgin Birth, as well as denying the literal resurrection.

Such people are turning away sinners from salvation: They turn people away from the living God, and away from the Cross of Christ: They supplant the Grace of God with the Works of Religion!

⁷For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. ⁸Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

(Notice that there is a danger of losing rewards!) This seems to be a core message in the letter: He warned the recipients that they could ruin their own testimonies by consorting with false teachers. And that it was possible to lose the rewards they otherwise would gain through obedience to and respect for, the truth of the Gospel.

So, What Should We Do?

⁹Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: ¹¹For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

He states categorically that those who do not abide in this doctrine of Christ do NOT have God! This is the way we can sort out the false teachers from the faithful brothers. There is a serious warning here, against “supporting” false teachers by any means, or fellowshipping (partnering) with them.

We are not even so much as to offer a blessing to them. Galatians 1:6-9 says how God feels about people teaching a false Gospel. He says, “Let them be accursed!” So, why would you want to help them or bless them, in activities that God has already cursed? We must not join them in their sin, nor allow our testimony to be muddled or contaminated, by mixing with them.

Think Carefully About Who You Support!

This is one of the reasons we think carefully as a church, about what sort of missionary work we support. It is also an appropriate warning against receiving false teachers into your home, as if they were the honest messengers of God. 1^st John 4:1-3 says to “test them!” Ask them what they teach concerning these fundamental truths of God’s Word. And, if they seem to be “hedging” or “acting coy” about what they teach, take notice! If they are not willing to give a straight answer, then you must recognize that as a warning. They are not dealing in truth.

We actually had such a man as a pastor, years ago. He was teaching things that caused us to wonder whether he believed the Bible was God’s Word. So, we asked him outright: “Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?” He hedged, saying, “I believe the Bible is completely trustworthy!” But that did not answer the question!

So, we asked again, with emphasis: “Do you believe the Bible is THE Word of God?” This time we got a straight answer: “Of course I don’t!” (We were shocked!)

But, then we knew what we were dealing with: He was a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” and he was turning people away from Jesus. This is the kind of question a believer must be willing to ask, and to demand a straight answer from a professed “teacher of the Bible.”

Personal Contact is Important

¹²Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

John recognized that, in general, personal contact, face to face, is more effective than a letter. There is nothing wrong with a written communication, and for some things it is far superior: You can always “go back and review” what was actually said, in writing. There is far less ambiguity, and little room for doubt. But between friends and as a personal teacher, his personal contact would be a greater comfort and a deeper influence on the other believers.

¹³The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

This is one of the verses that makes me lean toward believing that it may have been an individual believer to whom he wrote, but I could see it meaning a local assembly, as well. Either way, it points out the unity in the Body of Christ at large.

The Outreach is Worldwide

We have brothers and sisters in Kenya and in Pakistan, who pray for us regularly, and who are thrilled at what the Lord is doing through our little church, as we are thrilled at what He is doing in theirs. We greet them, and bless them. They greet us and bless us, sending us photographs and testimonies of the believers there, rejoicing in God’s Word. And we rejoice with them!

Last night, the two primary leaders in Pakistan called me, in a video call, thanking us for the teaching they have received and for the Audio Bibles our church has been sending. They have been faithfully delivering those Bibles to the poor people in the slave camps in Pakistan.

Those leaders said that their church prays faithfully for our church and for the leaders here. They are taking the things they learn through us, and they are re-teaching it to younger believers who will also take it seriously, and who will go on to teach others. It was a joy to visit with them, to share the blessings, and to fellowship in the Word of God.

This is the Church, worldwide, looking to bless one another in Christ! That is what we do!

Lord Jesus, allow us to immerse ourselves in Your Work, and in Your Joy. Change our focus and make us true disciples of the Living Christ.

September 27, 2025September 27, 2025

How to Know God’s Will for Your Life, and Have His Assurance

Answers from the Mouth of God (Part Two)

How can I know God’s Will for my life?

Introduction: What About My “Feelings of Unworthiness?”

To begin with, let’s stop, and just admit it to ourselves: If I consider my personal abilities, my strengths, or my righteousness, of course I’m unworthy! But God isn’t looking at those things, so why am I?

God has already permanently placed you into the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:13 says that all believers were baptized into one Body of Christ, by the same Holy Spirit.) Ephesians 2:6 says He has already seated us with Christ in the heavenly places. We have been raised with Christ and we are seated with him in Heaven! (Strange: it doesn’t feel that way, does it?) Ephesians 1:13, 14 says we are sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit until the redemption of the purchased possession. (That’s us!)

Ephesians 4:24 says your new nature is already perfect in Him: That your new nature has been created in the likeness of God, in righteousness and true Holiness. And 2 Corinthians 5:21 says you have been made to be the Righteousness of God in Him. It says that Christ became sin for us, though he knew no sin, so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him. God no longer sees your sin at all, except as a hindrance to the blessing and work He wants to accomplish in you. According to Jesus’ promise, in John 5:24,you will never face condemnation.

Consider a Practical Example:

What would you think if, after a few attempts to learn to write his name, at age 4, your child declared himself a failure, and unworthy to be called your son? The issue of whether he could write his name is ultimately insignificant, and it has no bearing whatsoever on whether he is your son. The same is true in our relationship with God the Father.

We became children of God by rebirth, upon receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. Our works have nothing to do with whether we are saved. Our good works are only possible because we are children of God; not “required in order to make us children of God.”

Your child has the possibility of learning to write, because he is a human child. But some humans never learn to write. However, even if you could teach a dog to write, it would not become human. An unbeliever may do “good works:” Possibly even more consistently than most believers! But he does it for different reasons. Those reasons will be revealed, and his “good works” will not change his lost standing before God. Works are not in the picture at all, except as a result of saving Faith.

Feelings are Not a Reliable Measure of Reality

Finally, we need to recognize that “feelings are only valid when they reflect reality:” They are not a measure of reality. The fact of God’s Word is the true reality. We place our faith in His Word, and then we change our way of life to match His principles. We embrace His values as our own. Feelings of joy, satisfaction, and awe at the Majesty of God should follow.

But the fact is that our feelings don’t reliably reflect the reality of our new relationship with God. So, we need to constantly review the facts.

We can bask in the glory of God’s presence in His Word, and we can rejoice in fellowship with other believers. Those practices tend to insulate us from the negative feelings that besiege us through our life in the World. God’s Word reveals which feelings are from Him, and which are from our old sin nature. Satan will try to use my old nature as a tool to make me unprofitable to God. That is part of the battle—avoiding the traps he sets for our minds.

So, How Can I know God’s Will for My Life?

This is a very important question to answer, especially for a believer who has already settled the issue of his/her salvation. The Bible gives a great deal of information on the subject, and I won’t try to cover it all right now. The basics are as follows:

**Read the General Instructions:**

God gives a number of instructions to all believers: He wants all of us to walk in obedience to Him. He wants us all to live lives that are pleasing to Him, and which honor him before men. Additionally, He wants all of us to believe His Word; trust His grace, and His wisdom; and to tell the good news of salvation to others. He wants all of us to fellowship with Him, and with other believers. Finally, He wants all of us to pray constantly, and to be an encouragement to other believers, as well as praying for their needs.

What about Holiness?

He wants all of us to live without sin, but He knows our frailty, and He is more than fair: If we sin, we are to confess it to Him, make right whatever wrong has been done (if possible,) and go on walking with Him. The Lord wants all of us to love Him, above all things, and to grow in that love. He wants His Love to spill over from our lives into those around us, and to bless all those around us.

Human Relations:

God wants all of us to serve as His ambassadors, to reach the lost and dying world around us with the Gospel. He gives all of us instructions, as to how this is to be accomplished.

He gives all of us instructions as to how to relate to our spouses, our children, our employers or employees, the government, the police, the lost people around us, and to fellow Christians.

In short, all the general instructions regarding how to live for God are in the Bible.

Specific Instructions

Specific instruction, as to what school to attend, or who to marry, or how much to give, or where to seek employment, are a little different: They are a matter of applying the principles of wisdom given in God’s Word, and praying for guidance. If we write down the “pro’s and con’s,” and then apply God’s principles, to make our choices, many decisions can become a process of elimination.

How to Apply the Principles

Start by obeying the things you know, and praying for wisdom on the things you don’t know. (James 1:5) Then search the scriptures to see if there is a governing principle by which you can make the specific decision that is troubling you. If all the truth you know seems to point in a given direction, feel free to go that way.

Making Choices

If the answers you come up with really leave two equally good options, feel free to choose on the basis of personal preference. But be cautious; examine why you prefer one over the other. Ask God for guidance. It is OK to seek the counsel of others whom you consider wise in the Word, as well.

Finally, if you have gone as far as you can, and have made the best decision you know how, then commit your way to God, and trust Him to direct your path. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path.”)

If He “closes doors,” so to speak, it could be that He is redirecting you. On the other hand, it could simply be an obstacle that you must overcome. At any rate, God wants you to know His will. He does not “play games of hide and seek,” or make you try to guess. If you are truly willing to obey His will, and are actively seeking His will, then you will eventually be directed by Him.

Knowledge is For the Purpose of Conduct

Remember that knowledge is for the purpose of conduct, not curiosity. If you are not already willing to do the will of God, then don’t bother asking what it is. We are not free to choose, on the basis of personal whim, whether to obey God. But many of the choices for which we want His direction are covered by principles, and He simply tells us to learn the principles in His Word.

But don’t make the error of asking God’s will so that you can decide whether to submit yourself to it. He doesn’t give directions to “submit them to us for approval.” His will is to be obeyed, not “considered.”

Assurance as a Believer

You can have assurance as a believer, then, based on the promise of God’s Word, that you will never be lost, and that God will continue to love you and provide for you, even through hard times, sickness, and death.

Also, you can have assurance that, as you search His Word for principles to live by, He will lead you in the path of His choosing.

You can have assurance that, if you follow the principles in His Word, the choices you make will be within His will, and that you will enjoy his blessing and guidance.

Notice what those three all have in common? God’s Word! That is where we find our assurance. Try to establish a regular habit of reading (or listening to the reading of) God’s Word, the Bible. That is where you will find assurance and peace. In this congregation, we will continue to feed on His Word, and we trust that it will be to your encouragement, as well.

What Does it Mean, to “Feed on the Word?”

There are five fundamental ways you can feed on God’s Word:

Hear it
Read it
Study it
Memorize it
Meditate upon it.

Each of the five ways in the above list requires more effort than the one before—and more time. Guess which end of the list has the most effect upon your life. Yep. The ones that cost you the most in terms of time and commitment are the ones that will do you the most good. The same thing is true for most relationships. The ones into which you put the most time and effort usually become the most valuable and enjoyable.

You Have to Make it Personal

Decide how you want to relate to the Lord. If you only want a “lifejacket” in the storms of life, then you may find that when the storms actually come you don’t really know how to use the lifejacket. If you want his guidance and love, and approval, and constant fellowship, then when the storms come, you will find that you are already prepared, and you can rest in Him.

I pray you will direct your hearts to find your assurance in the person of Christ, through His written Word, through His Holy Spirit, and through fellowship with other believers.

If there are specific questions for which you want answers, any of the leaders in this church will be happy to help you find them. You have only to ask.

Lord Jesus, please direct each of our hearts to make our relationship with you to be a personal priority, not just a matter of preference, and a conviction, not a convenience. Teach us to choose to feed on Your Word, and change our lives to reflect Your character.

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.

August 2, 2025August 2, 2025

Learn How To Understand The Love Of God

A Letter to the Children (Part 11)

1^st John 4:7-13

How to Understand the Agapé Love

Introduction:

It is interesting to note that “Agapé” is the only word John uses for “Love,” in his three epistles. The only place the Greek word “phileo” even occurs in his epistles, is as part of another word, in 3^rd John 9. Where Diotrephes “loveth to have the preeminence,” the Greek word is “philotropeuon.” (Not a good love!)

One other “key” place where John uses the word “phileo” is John 21:15-17. John quoted a conversation: “phileo” happened a total of four times: Jesus had asked Peter, “do you love (agapé) Me?” and Peter replied using “phileo,” saying “Yes, You know I love (have deep affection for) You!”

This exchange happened twice. But the third time, Jesus also used the word “phileo.” It grieved Peter, because this time Jesus asked, “Do you phileo Me?” But he again replied using “phileo!” (Peter may have felt he could not claim “full commitment” to Christ, as just six weeks earlier, he had denied that he even knew Him!) Therefore, he claimed nothing greater than affection.

John used the word “phileo” eight times, in the Gospel of John. He also used it twice in Revelation (3:19 and 22:15.) Total of 15 times, always regarding the idea of “affection.”

Those are the only times in ALL of John’s writings where he used the word “phileo.” But he used the word “agapé” a total of 73 times!

John committed himself to the principle of Agapé!

The Principle of Agapé Love

⁷Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

John says “beloved (to all believers) let us love one another, for… (because) Love is of God…”

I have long felt that “probably” the true agapé love was only possible by the Holy Spirit. This verse seems to confirm the notion. I will no longer say “probably!” Here’s why:

(Agapé) Love is of God (as opposed to any other source!)
Every one who loves (with agapé love) is born of God.
- (You must be born again, or it can’t happen!)
AND (using “ginosko,” the experiential, practical, ongoing personal relationship word) knoweth God! It means you not only must be born again, but you have to be in fellowship with God at that moment, so that the Holy Spirit is in control! It does not mean simply that “you are acquainted with Him!”

You see, John gave us three facts: (a) God is the only source of agapé love. (b) Therefore, only a born-of-God believer can experience it, and (c) It can only be experienced by one who is currently under the control of the Holy Spirit!

On the basis of those three facts, John says, “Let’s put it into practice!”

Love and Fellowship

⁸He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

If we bear in mind that the word for “know,” here, is “ginosko” (meaning an experiential, ongoing, “present-tense relationship” knowledge) and that the only word for Love, in this epistle is “agapé,” then we can see that John states unequivocally that if you are not exhibiting the agapé love, then you are out of fellowship! (And why?) Because “God is Love!”

People routinely quote this passage as if it were some sort of “Re-definition of God.” But, while God exemplifies the Agapé Love in every way, this passage does not say “God equals Love.” Therefore it also cannot be inverted to claim that “Love equals God.”

Thus, it also does not say “God is the Author of anything and everything that anyone might call Love!” So, the people today, claiming, “Love is Love!” are dead wrong. This verse is specifically about the Agapé Love…nothing else!

Attributes of God

Some people also want to use this passage to claim that “God’s primary attribute is Love.” This is also not true: His primary attribute (stated over and over, in both the Old and the New Testaments,) is Holiness!

In Isaiah 6:1-8, the Seraphim, surrounding the high throne of Christ, did not remark about the Love of God: They cried out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of Hosts! The whole earth is filled with His Glory!” And Isaiah, in response, did not say, “Wow! I’m surely glad to know He loves me!”

No! He said “Woe is me, for I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts!”

Isaiah thought he was about to die, because he, as a sinner, had seen the King! He saw the Holiness of God, and his own unholiness! He feared the inevitable, terrible Judgment of God! (That is a good fear! God says so, in Psalm 19:9!)

But Isaiah went on to learn the Love of God.

The Love of God

⁹In this was manifested [made known] the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

This matches perfectly the Love described in John 3:16. “For God ‘so’ loved …” Meaning, “In this manner God loved: God demonstrated His agapé Love in this way. In the Spanish Bible, it is very clear: “Porque de tal manera amo Dios al Mundo…” In this manner, God loved the World….

What IS Agapé Love?

The Love of God has nothing to do with emotions or feelings: It has to do with a commitment to the well-being of the recipient of that Love.

We have discussed all of this, before, but, when we look at 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8, where God gives the most comprehensive description of the Agapé Love, we find that every single descriptor is an action word: Nothing is dependent upon emotions or feelings. All of it has to do with how we respond to the needs of those around us.

God demonstrated that agapé love by going to the Cross for us. Jesus, as God in the Flesh, willingly presented Himself as the only acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the whole human race.

What Changed?

Hebrews 10:5-10 explains the transition between the Old Testament sacrifices (all of which pointed toward the Cross) and the Cross itself:

“⁵Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering [The Old Testament offerings] thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: ⁶In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. ⁷Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

⁸Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; ⁹Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. ¹⁰By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Notice that Jesus came, knowing why He came! (“A body thou hast prepared for me! I come to do thy will. In the volume of the book, it is written of me!)

Despite God the Father confirming that Jesus, God the Son, was the Creator (see Hebrews 1:6-13, especially verses 8-10) Jesus (God the Son) came in obedience to God the Father, to be the sacrifice for our sins!

The Ultimate Source

In Jeremiah 2:12-13, God calls upon the whole creation to see the two evils that His people, the Jews, had committed:

They had forsaken their God, the only source of Living Water (compare John 7:37-39.)
They had made for themselves “cisterns” (holding standing water at best… rains, whenever they came, would fill the cisterns.) But, the Cisterns were cracked anyway, and could not even hold water…the stale water they thought they would use rather than depend upon an ongoing love-relationship with their Creator to provide the fresh, living water they truly needed.

The Only Source

He, (Jesus specifically) is the only source of Living Water: He is also the only source of the Agapé love! When we try to manufacture a pious-looking “love,” via programs, or 12-step plans, or any other human “gimmickry,” we are missing the point.

Trying to “achieve His Love” by our own strength or our own “clever methods” is comparable to the Israelites attempting to “store up manna” for the next day. It did not work! They had to gather the Manna every day, for that day alone! The Creator God has to be the source of The Love of God, on a continuing basis: You can’t “store it up and use it sparingly,” hoping to “have enough for later.”

¹⁰Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

The Love that God requires from His people has only one possible source: It emanates from an ongoing love-relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. The source is invisible, but the results are not!

¹²No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

God’s love does not need “perfecting,” as we use that word. The word translated as “perfect” in scripture usually has to do with “completion:” God’s Love finds completion as it is exemplified in His people by means of the Holy Spirit actively working through them. We become His hands and His feet. Speaking as His ambassadors, we serve as His mouthpiece. We Love the People in His Name, and by His Spirit.

Our Confidence in Him

¹³Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Each of us, as believers, can look back and remember the times when God has stepped in, and by His Holy Spirit, conformed us to His image, in one area or another. We are aware (to one degree or another) of His abiding presence, and we are grateful that He will never leave us.

God also calls us to see that presence as permanent evidence that we have already been placed into the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit has permanently indwelt us. All of this happened at the moment you were born again. But He also gives us the ongoing witness of the Holy Spirit, encouraging us, and comforting us. He is always there, and He reminds us that we are not alone. (See 1^st Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:12-14.)

The Biggest Change

But the change in our lives that is most astonishing is that we can actually care for someone else, without being concerned with our own selfish interests. A young woman once shared with us how she had gone to a “women’s retreat” of some sort. After the retreat began, the leaders assigned the women times wherein they would help serve food or wash dishes, etc..

She told us, “ And, I thought, ‘But I didn’t come here to serve! I came here to be served!’ ” Immediately, the Holy Spirit used His Word to convict her heart: She instantly remembered what Jesus said, in Mark 10:45, “The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many!”

The result? God changed her heart, on the spot! She served cheerfully, knowing that in so doing, she was obeying Him and blessing others!

As believers, and as followers of Jesus, we desire to see the Lord change our hearts in similar fashion!

Lord Jesus, please steer us way from the trap of being conformed to the values of the World. Inspire our hearts with Your Holiness and Your Love, and transform us by the renewing of our minds! Fill us with Your Living water, and let it flow through us to the World beyond.

July 19, 2025July 19, 2025

How To Have More Confidence In Your Relationship With Jesus

A Letter to the Children (Part 9)

1^st John 3:17-24

Agapé Love is an Action Word

¹⁷But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? ¹⁸My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but [in contrast] in deed and in truth.

The agapé love is a practical matter. It is not a matter of “how we feel” or “what we say,” although those ideas can be involved. It is a matter of what we choose to actually do to benefit another.

God described His own Love, in the Gospel of John 3:16…He said “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It is interesting to note that the phrase “God so loved…” means “in this manner, God loved…” In the Spanish Bible this is translated, “Por que de tal manera amo Dios al mundo…” in this way, God loved the world… He Gave His own life for ours.

Compare Two Similar Passages

Last week we saw (in 1^st John 3:16) that the Creator God, Himself laid down His life for His Creation. If we fail to understand the Deity of Christ: that He Himself is the Creator, then we have a problem. That verse sounds like a contradiction of the passage in The Gospel of John 3:16. But it is the same writer (The Apostle John) and the same Author (the Holy Spirit.) So, evidently The Lord gave this to us, just to underscore the Unity of the Trinity.

We saw something similar in Acts 20:28. Paul stated that God purchased the Church with His own Blood. (Some translations balk at that idea. They insert the words “the blood of His Son.”)

But Paul called the elders to shepherd “the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

God teaches the Deity of Christ throughout the Old and New Testaments. He truly is God in the Flesh!

**So, What Action Did Jesus Take as a Result of Agapé Love?**

He willingly sacrificed Himself to serve as a substitute for us…Jesus became our sin! He took the place of the vile mess of the sins of all humanity. In this way, God the Father could pour out His wrath on our sins without destroying us all.

The Lord gave every believer, a new nature, and He provided us with a guaranteed entry into His eternal presence. He placed His Spirit within us, and promised never to leave us. Jesus pleads continually on our behalf, and He promises He will never lose a single one of His “Born-again” children. He says, “I give unto them Eternal Life and they Shall Never Perish!

And What Does He Require Of Us?

The Bible tells what He asks of us on the basis of the Agapé Love which He implanted in us. Wouldn’t you agree that the things He asks are very fair, and reasonable requests? All He asks us to do is to reflect the light of His Love. We don’t even have to “produce it!”

We reflect His Love by offering it to those around us in practical ways. He says in verse 17, that if we see a need in a brother or sister’s life and if we close our hearts against them, ignoring their need, that is the opposite of Agapé. We are choosing to not meet their need.

John goes on to say, “let us not Love in word or in tongue, but in deed, and in truth!” This is a very practical matter! It is not just Theory!

James Agrees!

James 2:14-18 confirms this concept:

“¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

People often quote this passage in James in an attempt to teach that salvation is by works. But notice, in verse 18, that the challenger is a fellow human: “A Man may say ‘Show me your faith without works: I will show you my faith by my works.’” Humans cannot “see faith” without the “object lesson” of works.

Paul Agrees, Too!

God sees the heart. He justifies the sinner By Grace through Faith, alone. But Humans only agree that a person is righteous if they can see the accompanying works that should follow.

God reminds us of that in Ephesians 2:10, saying that as believers (saved by Grace through Faith) God has “Created us in Christ Jesus unto Good Works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.”

So, James and John and Paul all agree that “works should follow faith”…But, if NO change is happening in your life, especially in terms of how you view the brothers and sisters in Christ, and how you reach out to meet their needs, then you do have serious cause to question what sort of relationship you really have with Jesus.

So, How Can I Examine My Own Walk With God?

¹⁹And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. ²⁰For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. ²¹Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

There are two possibilities here: one is that we feel “convicted” about something, and John’s comment would mean, “If you think it is a bad thing, how do you suppose God feels about it?” So, if we are living with Him in such a way that our life is marked by the joy of the Lord, then we have confidence before Him.

Another Way to Understand this Verse

But, the other possibility is that, as Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, our heart is deceitful, and it may condemn us needlessly. If we are “feeling guilty,” when God’s Word does not condemn us, then the “accuser of the brethren” may be the true source of the self-condemnation.

In that case, John’s comment may be to assure us that God is the final judge of all things. He is the one who, by Grace, has declared you righteous on the basis of faith alone. (See Revelation 12:10, and remember who the accuser of the brethren is!)

Romans 8:31-34 echoes this idea, saying “³¹What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? ³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? ³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

God is Backing His People!

So, following that idea, we can see that from God’s perspective we are already “home free” with Him. Ephesians 2:6 says that we are already seated in the Heavenlies in Christ. This is absolutely beyond my comprehension if I try to “Think in terms of my new location.” All I can do is accept it by faith, and rejoice in humble thanksgiving, that He has declared me to be already Accepted in the Beloved…already Redeemed…already Forgiven!

Are there times when we have sinned, and our heart is condemning the sin? Yes! And, rest assured: God hates sin far more than we ever can. But He has already made you clean, through His Word. So, all He asks now, is that we go back to 1^st John 1:9, and confess: agree with Him concerning that sin. Then He calls us to return to obedience by faith.

What about Answered Prayer?

²²And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Notice, here, that “answered prayer” is a “conditional promise.” If you are walking with Him and doing what He asks, then there is an increased chance that you will also be praying according to His will. Here, too, John reminds us of what the primary commands are: Faith in Christ, and Agapé love for the brethren.

²³And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

If we are ignoring those two conditions, then we have no reason to expect Him to answer our prayers with what we requested. (Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me,”)

The Indwelling Holy Spirit

²⁴And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

According to Ephesians 1:13-14, the Indwelling Holy Spirit is the “Earnest of our inheritance.” In real estate sales, the buyer may make a money deposit to assure the seller that his or her intent is serious, and that he or she fully intends to complete the transaction. This deposit is called the “earnest.” In similar fashion, in traditional American culture a suitor will provide an engagement ring, as a guarantee that he intends to follow through with the pending marriage.

The Engagement Ring of the Bride of Christ

A young fiancée may spend a lot of private moments looking at her engagement ring, and thinking of the changed future she now faces. Her constant assurance is in her future husband, but the ring is the constant reminder that he is hers and she is his. We find that same assurance in the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is the “Engagement Ring” for all members of the Bride of Christ!

In Genesis 24, we see a very tender story of the Servant of the Father, travelling to find a Bride for the Son. After the Servant had presented the offer, and once the Bride had agreed to go, nothing on earth could separate her from that Servant whose only task, from that moment forward, was to Bring Home the Bride! And, when the Servant returned home, He reported to the Son, not the Father. Interesting, isn’t it?

Bringing Home the Bride

The Holy Spirit is not going to allow you to “get lost again” by any means. He will deliver you to the Son, without fail!

So, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are “looking at our wedding ring,” and declaring the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus, as well as His Second Coming. By the Holy Spirit, we have been given the confidence to say, “Yes! The Bride-Price has been paid, at the Cross!

Jesus, the Messiah, died, fulfilling the promises of God, and satisfying the Justice of God. He was buried, demonstrating the absolute fact of His death. He was resurrected on the third day, fulfilling the Promises of God, and demonstrating that God was absolutely satisfied with His sacrifice. Finally, the human witnesses all testified to the truth of the resurrection, even though it cost many of them their lives.

The entire concept of the Bride of Christ is founded upon those historical facts, but the facts are continually affirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. He seeks to build our confidence in His Grace, and to confirm us in His Love.

Lord Jesus, we pray that Your Love will be continually before our eyes, and that Your Holy Spirit will find freedom to direct our ways, as we look to You in faith.

July 12, 2025July 12, 2025

How to Understand the “Other Side” of John 13:34, 35

A Letter to the Children (Part 8)

1^st John 3:7-16

Examining The “Other Side” of John 13:34, 35

Remember that Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples….” Well, the word, “ALL” includes us, as believers. Jesus gave the World three means by which to judge the church…meaning us! They are to “critique” us…we who “claim the name of Jesus.” Jesus gave those three criteria to the World. He invites them to look at our lives and judge whether what we say is true, and whether our lives reflect the truth of God’s Word.

The Agapé Love: John 13:34, 35
The Unity of the Spirit: John 17:21; Ephesians 4:3
The Good Works that God has ordained for us to do. Matthew 5:15, 16; Ephesians 2:10

We can use those same three ways (and others,) to look within the church and recognize potential trouble before it grows too big to deal with. Paul warned the Ephesians elders, in Acts 20:28-31, that predators (“grievous wolves”) would arise from within the church, even from among the leadership, trying to lead away people to follow them instead of Christ: They try to persuade people to believe their doctrine instead of believing the sound teaching of the Word of God.

And those elders in Acts 20 were to guard against such predators. So, how can we recognize the counterfeits? Primarily by becoming so familiar with the “genuine article” that fakes are obvious.

There are Different Sources of Wisdom

In James 3:13-18, God warns all the believers, as to how to distinguish the difference between Godly Wisdom and counterfeit “wisdom” from other sources. He names three “other sources:” The world, the flesh, and the devil (He used the words, “earthly, sensual, devilish.”) But He gives a nine-fold “checklist” as to how to recognize God’s Wisdom. If any of those attributes of Godly Wisdom are clearly missing, especially in a continuing, repeating pattern, then we can safely conclude that the source is not the Lord.

Self-Will-Sourced “Wisdom”

Some people claim their “own wisdom.” But it is rooted in the flesh: Self-will. Self-proclaimed wisdom. (Romans 1:22 “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”)

Crowd-Sourced “Wisdom“

Some may say, “Well, Everybody knows that…” but if whatever it is that “everybody knows” is not in full agreement with the Word of God, then they are simply tapping into the “pooled error,” and “pooled folly” of the World. Romans 3:10-12 says, regarding the human race, “¹⁰As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹²They are all gone out of the way, they are together [collectively] become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Paul was quoting Psalm 14.)

And some will go so far as to teach counter to the Bible: They imply that the Bible is just “out of date,” or “obsolete,” or they claim that parts of it are “mythological” in nature. This practice is directly from the pit, as Satan said, in Genesis 3:4, “Thou sssshalt not ssssurely die…!” (Hear the hiss of the Serpent!)

You see, one of Satan’s “sharpest weapons” is Denying the truth of God’s Word. First, He convinces us that “We are pretty sharp characters! We are really wise!”

Then he convinces us that collectively, we are obviously wiser than any one of us acting alone could be. (Many times, in history, ONE person alone has stood for what was right. Others persecuted and often killed them for their faithfulness to the truth. But history proved that the ones who stood alone were correct, and that their persecutors were simply murderers!)

The teaching, here in 1^st John 3:7-16 corroborates all the other passages about “false brethren.” (Compare 2^nd Corinthians 11:26 “…perils among false brethren.”

Also, Galatians 2:4 “…false brethren unawares brought in.” Unbelievers infiltrated the church, and were corrupting the teaching.)

False Brethren

⁷Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. [Remember that the verbs here are continuous, not intermittent. This is a lifestyle issue, and a “common practice” issue, not a question of “sinless perfection.”]

⁸He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

⁹Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

It is possible that this verse is in direct reference to the New Nature of the born-again believer. It would fit, as it refers to “His Seed:” the new nature of a born-again believer is created in the likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness (see Ephesians 4:24.) that new nature truly cannot sin. But our problem is that we still have our old sinful nature, which cannot be repaired so as to practice righteousness. So there is a constant war in progress.

¹⁰In this the children [tekna] of God are manifest, and the children [tekna] of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Origin of All Humans

Please remember that all of us began life as the “spiritual offspring” of the Evil One. (Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “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.”

No human (apart from Jesus,) is exempt from this fact: Jesus confirmed it in John 8:44. He told His accusers that they were the children of their father the Devil. But the Ephesians passage tells us that we all started there, too! (Paul included himself in that “we.”)

In What Way is the Church Different?

So, how does the church differ from the rest of the human race? 1^st Peter 1:16-23 says,

“⁶Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. ¹⁷And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: ¹⁸Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

¹⁹But [you were redeemed] with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: ²⁰Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, ²¹Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. ²²Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: ²³Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

Those are all “Positional Truths.” They are true of all believers, because of their “position” in Christ, without regard to “how they are doing” right now. But, if those things are not true of a person, he or she is not a believer at all. Can I “see into another person’s heart?” (No, I can’t!) But God does give us certain clues, and He expects us to use them for the protection of ourselves and of the flock.

So, What is the Primary Command in Question?

¹¹For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. [John 13:34, 35]

¹²Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

John draws a sharp contrast, here, between Righteous behavior and Evil. The evil will always desire to destroy the righteous: It will not seek peace and reconciliation.

¹³Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

Remember that Jesus warned us about this: In John 15:18, 19, He said, “¹⁸If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Believers can Fail in this, too!

We don’t want to be too quick to point a finger and declare that someone else is not a believer. But it does remain a possibility. How people respond to the Word of God is a good predictor to how they will respond to Jesus Himself: He is the Word!

¹⁴We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

I can at least apply this test to my own heart: Do I love the brethren (with the Agapé love?) Or do I see them primarily as a “bother,” and an irritation, as opposed to a “brother,” and a blessing? Do I wish for restoration of full fellowship, or do I just wish they would all “just straighten up and fly right?”

Remember that, in Revelation 12:10, Satan is called “the accuser of the brethren.” I do not want to be a “junior accuser,” and join him in that evil work. I want to be careful not to become critical of others.

However, if we can easily see a continuing practice of accusations, gossip, harsh criticism, etc., a total lack of regard for God’s Word, and if we can observe a general discomfort around other believers, it might be a cause for suspicion that the person may not be saved. We need to be careful, though: A believer who is out of fellowship can behave exactly like an unbeliever. (In similar manner, a person in a deep coma looks pretty much like a dead corpse…but we don’t bury them…because they aren’t really dead! They just look that way!)

The Love of the Brethren as a “Litmus Test”

¹⁵Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

It is interesting to see that the teaching Jesus gave (Matthew 5:21, 22) in the Sermon on the Mount, regarding “hatred vs. murder” is reiterated in very clear terms, here in 1^st John. Jesus expanded upon His Law, and pointed out that the root cause of murder was unreasoning anger and hatred. He said that the motive itself made you guilty before God.

But here, we see a contrast laid out for us!

¹⁶Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Notice Two things:

First,

It does not say, “We perceive the love of Christ.” It says, “We perceive the love of GOD, because HE laid down His life for us!” It (again) highlights the Deity of Christ! He is truly “God in the Flesh,” and He (as GOD) has laid down His life for us! (Ponder that one for a while!)

And,

Second:

The opposite of Murder is “laying down one’s life” for others. It usually does not mean “losing one’s life.” But it always means “laying down” one’s own life, with its plans, privileges and priorities, to meet the actual need of the brother or sister in question.

It means setting aside what seems good for me, in favor of what the real need in the other person’s life is. And what they need may not even be what they want: A brother whose sin is about to destroy his marriage (or in some other way is having serious consequences) probably will not “truly appreciate your pointing it out to him.”

Jesus Commands us to Go!

But Agapé love requires that you do so, anyway. Jesus taught that responsibility in John 13:6-16, in the washing of the disciple’s feet. Galatians 6:1-5 spells out that responsibility, and makes it clear what the real issue is: Restoration is the only acceptable motive. If you think you are there to “straighten ‘em out,” please don’t go.

Am I “comfortable” with coming to a brother and “washing his feet” by alerting him to the danger of the sin in which he is entangled? NO! I am not! But it has to be done. And, in truth, it may “blow up in my face!” He may mark me as his enemy, for my attempting to help. That is a risk we take. But if someone who is calls himself a brother continually rejects all admonition, God tells us to understand that he may not be a believer. (Matthew 18:15-17)

In that case, we approach him as we would approach a non-Christian, and we offer forgiveness and eternal life on the basis of the Blood of Jesus. We do not malign them, nor do we reject them, but rather, we consider them a “mission field.”

It is entirely possible for an unbeliever to “infiltrate” a local church. We don’t have to be blind to that possibility, nor need we be alarmed when it happens. We have been warned in advance!

Lord Jesus, help us to see the World through Your eyes, and to Love the Brethren in sincerity! Give us the Wisdom from Your Word to discern reality and meet their needs appropriately in the Love of Christ.

June 29, 2025June 29, 2025

Do You Understand the Amazing Love of God?

A Letter to the Children (Part 7)

1^st John 3

Amazing Love

¹ Behold, what manner of love [agapé] the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons [children, actually: “tekna”…offspring] of God: therefore the world knoweth [ginosko: relational, experiential knowledge] us not, because it knew [ginosko] him not.

My Apology and Explanation

I do not like to spend much time on “original languages:” The vast majority of believers today have no access to such information, and likely never will. The Holy Spirit is perfectly capable of teaching His Word without resorting to translational criticism. That being said, this is one of the passages where it maybe important to expose at least some of the original language. (Sorry!)

Some of the doctrinal problems we sometimes run into today are caused by translators who also had a “doctrinal problem.”

Historical Examples

For instance, though I teach from the King James Bible (for reasons I am perfectly happy to explain to anyone who wants to know) I know the translators were faced with many doctrinal issues. Regardless of their personal “doctrinal purity,” they were in a dangerous environment within (and under the full authority of) the church of England.

The Anglican Church had a number of bad doctrinal stances, carried over from their roots in the Roman Catholic religion. And the English monarch (King James, at the time) was (and is) always the head of the Anglican Church. So, they could not “correctly” translate certain words, or phrases, for fear of not only losing the privilege of producing an “Authorized Version” of the English Bible, but also running a risk of being persecuted by the religious powers of that time.

A Translation Example

One easy example to point out is that the word “baptize” is a Greek word: Not English. It had a very practical, common use, and meaning: it meant, “to dip,” or “to immerse!” Even today, the word is used when dyeing cloth, for example, as, when they “immerse” the cloth in a particular pot of dye, the cloth is permanently identified with that dye.

Why would that be a problem? Well… the Anglican church has always practiced baptism by sprinkling, and, specifically, as infant baptism. Both ideas are completely foreign to the New Testament, and both were taken directly from Roman Catholicism. So, if the translators had actually translated the Greek word, it would have revealed the false doctrine and erroneous practices of the Anglican Church, and definitely would have gotten themselves into deep trouble. It would also have eliminated the possibility of completing the translation on which they had worked so hard.

Why would that matter?

But, how would it have changed the scriptures? In cases where the English Bible says “dip” or “dipped”, it would have changed nothing! When Jesus “dipped” the sop in the cup, and handed it to Judas, the Greek word is “baptas” which is correctly translated into the phrases, “having dipped” and “had dipped.”

But in all the phrases where they used the Greek word “baptize” (transliterating, rather than translating,) it would change to dip, or immerse. (Repent and be dipped? John the dipper??) All the modern arguments about water baptism would never have occurred, and people today would have clear understanding about “what baptism is” (and “isn’t!”) But the translators, who clearly knew the correct meaning, were constrained by their circumstances to “hedge” on that idea, and just use the Greek word, instead of translating. There are other examples, too:

²Beloved, now are we the sons [“tekna”…offspring] of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: [We WILL be “sons!”] but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

So, what would be the problem with translating “tekna” in this passage as “offspring” or as “children?” I’m not sure, honestly. But it definitely diminishes the truth that Jesus is the true SON, meaning the “crown prince,” or the Heir of all things.” The word translated as “Son,” where Jesus is concerned, is “huios,” meaning “the adult heir…and He is fully authoritative as the Heir.”

Sons of God

Right now, Jesus is the only Person who fulfils that definition. But as we see in this verse, “When He shall appear, we shall be like Him.” Romans 8:23 agrees with this, saying that we will experience the “adoption” (another poorly translated word…huiothesis means the “placement of Sons”) when we receive our new bodies! We will literally be like Him! And, it is definitely future tense. It will happen, without fail, but it has not happened yet.

So, I try not to use the phrase “sons of God,” too loosely: It has a specific meaning, and, although we have received the “spirit of adoption,” in the person of the Holy Spirit, (meaning the “spirit of sonship,” again using the word “huiothesis,”) we are not, as yet, called the “sons” …the huioi…of God. Currently, we are the offspring of God (teknoi,) born into His family by the New Birth.

We can be called “nepoi” as “babies, just learning to talk,” but we are encouraged to move beyond that as soon as we can. We are usually called simply “teknoi,” meaning “born-ones.” And sometimes we are called “paidia,” meaning “little children…or toddlers.”

Result of the New Birth

³And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he [Christ] is pure.

The result of being born into God’s family by the new birth, according to Ephesians 4:24, is that we now have a new nature: A created new nature: Created in the likeness of God, in righteousness and true holiness. That new nature deeply and genuinely desires to be like Jesus, in His righteousness and holiness.

So, the “battle” has already begun in the new believer’s life: We still possess our old sinful nature, but we are now a separate entity, a new creation in Christ. And God only wants to deal with the new nature. We are in a daily struggle to learn to walk with Jesus. We are continually trying to behave like children of God, because we are children of God.

A Personal Example

We recently visited our daughter and her husband, with their new baby son, Luka. Ann and I noticed that when we were holding and entertaining Luka, and either Stephanie or Josip entered the room, Luka’s little eyes were fixed on them: He would ignore our attempts to entertain him at that point. He saw them as the center of his existence, and it was clear that he wanted nothing more than to be with them and to receive their love and care.

We are to respond to Jesus in that same way: We yearn to be with Him and to receive His love and care. We yearn to walk with Him, so as to learn from Him and to go where He goes, doing the things that He does. Ephesians 5:1 says “Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children.” That same devotion to “following Mommy and Daddy” that we see in small children is supposed to be our natural response to the Lord Jesus.

What Can Entangle Our Feet so that We Fall?

Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily besets us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Our own sin is the one thing that trips us up, and causes us to fail to walk with Jesus. Our new nature sincerely desires to walk with Him in holiness and obedience, but our old sinful nature still schemes to get its own way, and the enemy uses it against us.

So…What is Sin?

⁴Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Here, again, it is good to consider the Greek verbs. At this point, I often encourage people to look at other translations, or look in Bible dictionaries, if they need to: You need to understand that the issue here is practicing sin. No human being, still in their natural body, is “without sin.”

I have only met a few people who claimed to “no longer sin.” When I questioned them even a little, it came to light that they had simply “redefined sin.” But, we know from 1^st John 1:8-10 that we all sin: Anyone who claims that they do not sin is (at the very least) fooling only himself. In addition, there is a real possibility that he is not even a believer: Believers know they are “saved sinners.” But we do not want to be continuing in that practice.

When someone claims they never have sinned, I know for certain they are not a believer: Every believer came to Christ as a lost sinner, confessing that he or she needed a Savior, and by faith, they all have placed their trust in Jesus Christ as their one and only Hope of salvation from eternal judgment. There are no exceptions.

Yet Another Translation Example

Incidentally, the phrase “transgresses the Law” and “is the transgression of the Law” both are translated from the single Greek word “anomia,” meaning Lawlessness. The Greek word for “Law” is “nomos”, and the prefix “a-” means “without.” (For example, I suffer from “sleep apnea”…the Greek word for “breath” is “pneuma” and the word “a-pnea” means “without breath.” I tend to stop breathing when I sleep.)

So, this idea is one of lawlessness… not just failing to keep the Mosaic Law. It could also include the “New Commandment” Jesus gave us, the “royal law,” that we are to practice the agapé love toward one another. However, this is also one of the four definitions of sin in the New Testament:

Sin is the transgression of the Law: lawlessness. (1^st John 3:4)

All unrighteousness (adikia) is Sin (1^st John 5:17)

If a man knows to do good and doeth it not, to him it is Sin. (James 4:17) and,

Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin (Romans 14:23)

Behold the Lamb of God!

⁵And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

John 1:29 says “Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.” Everyone who trusts in Him is placed into Him by the Holy Spirit (baptized into him…immersed in Him), and “in Him is no Sin.” The Lord sees the new nature of every believer as being in Christ, and He sees us without sin.

But since we still have our old sinful natures, He warns us that the enemy is going to try to pull us away, so that we give up walking with Him. But Jesus called us all to abide in Him: keep walking with Him. Abide in His Word. John 8:31 says “if ye continue in My Word, then are ye my disciples indeed.”

⁶Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

This ties perfectly to the promise of God in Galatians 5:16 “…walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”

The Impossible Call of God

Is it easy? NO! It is impossible without His continual oversight and control.

We turn our eyes upon Jesus, and we follow Him. And, we immerse ourselves in His Word, and we walk with Him. We go to prayer, and we talk with Him. Then, we listen for His voice in our silence, and we look again to His Word, hoping to see whether we have missed His reply.

This is how the disciples, down through the centuries have sought His face, and sought His Grace, and learned to apply His Word to their lives in meaningful ways!

Lord Jesus, please lead us to walk and live as Your true disciples, and not to follow our old patterns of apathy and sin.

The Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man

Introduction:

The Times of the Gentiles

What Choices Did Israel Have?

The Effect Upon the Unbelieving World

Unbelief is the Most Common Response Among all Humans

A Personal Choice is Offered: “Whosoever Will”

God Predicts Ultimate Human Failure

God Saves People One by One

So, Again, What About the Jews?

What Will Happen Then?

What About Today?

What Choices Do We Have?

All—and Nothing: Choosing Joy

Habakkuk 3:17-19; Ephesians 4:31, 32; Philippians 4:6, 7; Proverbs 15:13, 30

Introduction: Choosing Joy in the Face of Destruction

A National Sin Problem

All? Yes, ALL!

Learn to See Sin as “Weeds“

What About Anger?

What about Fear?

Nothing? (Yes, Nothing!)

Anxiety is the beginning of Fear

What about Human Enemies?

You Must Ask Yourself: “Is that person someone for whom Jesus died?”

So, What about an Impending Disaster?

Can We Act, to Avoid Danger?

So, What about Depression?

Can We “Alleviate” Depression?

Yet Will I Rejoice in the LORD

Hind’s Feet on High Places

2nd John: A Letter to “The Elect Lady”

Introduction:

A Strong Emphasis on Truth

Truth is the Ground and Basis of Faith.

Jesus is the Living Truth

A Reminder of the Commandment of Christ

Why The Warning? False Teachers Abound!

What Do They Do With Jesus?

So, What Should We Do?

Think Carefully About Who You Support!

Personal Contact is Important

The Outreach is Worldwide

Answers from the Mouth of God (Part Two)

How can I know God’s Will for my life?

Introduction: What About My “Feelings of Unworthiness?”

Consider a Practical Example:

Feelings are Not a Reliable Measure of Reality

So, How Can I know God’s Will for My Life?

Read the General Instructions:

What about Holiness?

Human Relations:

Specific Instructions

How to Apply the Principles

Making Choices

Knowledge is For the Purpose of Conduct

Assurance as a Believer

What Does it Mean, to “Feed on the Word?”

You Have to Make it Personal

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?

**Unbelief is the Most Common Response Among all Humans**

**A Personal Choice is Offered: “Whosoever Will”**

**So, Again, What About the Jews?**

**Read the General Instructions:**

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

1^st John 5:1-5

1^st John 3:17-24

**So, What Action Did Jesus Take as a Result of Agapé Love?**

1^st John 3:7-16