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 23, 2025August 23, 2025

How to Understand God’s Testimony To You About Jesus

A Letter to the Children (Part 14)

1^st John 5:6-13

⁶This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

⁷For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

⁸And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

⁹If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

¹⁰He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

¹²He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

¹³These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Introduction:

We have been studying through the first epistle of John, and finally have come to a fairly “cryptic” passage. It actually contains a somewhat “controversial” passage, as well.

The first question, in my mind is, “What is this about the water and the blood?” There are several possibilities, each with its own group of adherents:

Perhaps he means the Water and Blood that both came out of Jesus’s side when the Roman spear pierced Him.
Or, perhaps the Water of His Baptism by John, and the Blood of the Cross.
Or, finally, the Water of the Word. (Jesus fulfilling ALL the prophecies about His birth and life and ministry.) And the actual sacrificial pouring out of His Blood at the Cross.

Two Out of Three, Probably

Undoubtedly, it at least alludes to the first idea. John also said that both water and blood came out, when the spear pierced His chest at His Death.

(John 19:33-35) “³³But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: ³⁴But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. ³⁵And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.”

Why is that so important? Perhaps because the third possibility is actually the underlying truth. Jesus was and is the Living Word.

He had to fulfill all the prophecies of His Written Word, and He could not stop short of the Cross. He couldn’t just “check all the boxes,” and “touch all the bases.” He couldn’t just “declare Himself King.”

Jesus had to go to the Cross and lay down his life. He specifically shed His blood as final payment on our sin debt. Romans 3:25 specifies that He is the propitiation for our sins, “through faith in His Blood.”

They Pierced Only Jesus: Why?

They could have stabbed the spear into the other two men as well. Possibly they would have seen something similar. But, Jesus laid down His life just in time to avoid thebreaking of His legs. He fulfilled one more prophecy: “They broke none of His bones.”

The Romans did not spear the others, though they were crucified. So the testimony of the Water and the Blood only was about Him.

The Water of the Word

Remember that John also emphasized the Water of the Word, in John 3:5. Jesus said, “except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”

Peter agreed, in 1^st Peter 1:23. He said, we have been born again “by the Word of God.”

In Ephesians 5:26, Paul said, Jesus cleanses the Church, “…with the washing of water by the Word.”

The Water of the Word is absolutely necessary for salvation. Romans 1:16 says, The Gospel of Christ, being believed in, is the only thing God defines as “The power of God unto Salvation.

So, it was also critically important that Jesus fulfilled His own Word, as well as providing the blood sacrifice for our sins. Both had to be there.

Making it Real

Ultimately, only the Spirit of God can make these truths a working reality in the believer’s life. No amount of mental “imagining” can make the crucifixion or the resurrection a reality in my life. In fact, He says to set aside imagination: we are to accept the engrafted Word, by faith.

Around 1978, I was wrestling with some scriptural idea. I struggled to “reconcile God’s Word with my sense of justice.” (something along those lines)

I remember, it suddenly occurred to me, for the first time, that, “It really doesn’t matter what I think. It only matters what God says!” And I meant it: I accepted His Word, and His authority by faith! And I had peace in my own mind, because the conflicted thoughts ended immediately.

So, the Holy Spirit bore witness to my spirit that the truth of God’s Word overruled all other concerns. The Spirit bore witness, because the Spirit is Truth…just as verse six concludes.

A “Textual Controversy,” and How I Address It:

I warned that there is controversy here. Up until the late 19th century, few people made argument over it. Some obscure scholars debated whether it was “in the original manuscripts.” But, (I hasten to remind you:) We do not have the “original manuscripts.”

So, about 160 years ago, scholars publicized three previously obscure “codices.”

(A “codex” is a book that opens like what we consider “regular books,” as opposed to scrolls, that unroll.) These codices are now famous. In them, (as well as others) that verse is missing. The critics triumphantly declared that verse to have been erroneously added.

The Textus Receptus, from 1516, includes that verse. The older English translations, including everything from the Tyndale Bible, to the Authorized, or King James Version, all still have it. Some of the newer translations include it, but they have a note in the margin declaring that it is of doubtful origin.

Some translations are a little more “sneaky:” They completely leave out verse seven, and then split verse eight, and use the first half of verse eight as “verse seven,” and the last half as “verse eight.”

There are Several Problems With Doing Such Things.

The verse doesn’t say anything that is not also confirmed elsewhere in the Bible: It strongly confirms the truth of the Trinity, stating that the Father, the Word, and the Spirit are One. Why would there be a problem with that? It simply teaches in one verse what the rest of the Bible teaches in many passages.

I don’t think I am “wise enough,” personally, to “pick through the Bible” and declare that this verse or that verse should not be there. When there is undeniable, recorded history demonstrating that a passage (or a whole apocryphal book) has been added, so that we know who added it and why they did so, and when…then that is a different matter. But to start revisiting individual verses and passing judgment on them as “suspicious,” I don’t consider myself qualified to make that call…and I don’t particularly trust many of the people who claim that they are so qualified.

And, finally, this is the problem that gives me the most pause: When we begin “slicing and dicing” the scripture, telling people that their Bible “is not really God’s Word, in its entirety,” then there is no logical stopping point. People who begin to do that in their own minds will often continue “discarding more and more” until they have nothing left that is worth believing. So, they abandon their faith, and suffer the bitterness of a lost love, and a lost relationship with the God of the Bible.

A Personal Example

My own Dad did exactly that. It began when one of his college professors began posing questions he could not resolve. “So (as he told me) “I decided I just didn’t believe that part of the Bible.” But that led to more and more “exceptions” until (he said) “Finally, the only thing I had left was ‘salvation by faith,’ and without the rest of the Bible, that didn’t make any sense either: So, I dropped that, too!” That is a pretty sad story, isn’t it? And it made a wreckage of his life!

So, I go ahead and teach this as the Word of God, just as I do the rest of the Bible. It confirms the Trinity, and I have no problem with that: The Trinity is taught all through the Word of God, and it is inescapably true, with or without this verse.

What About the Other Three Witnesses?

⁸And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. ⁹If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. ¹⁰He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

If we continue with the idea that the “Water” in this passage refers to the Word of God, then we see that the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and the Shed Blood of Jesus collectively testify of the Grace and Love of God, offered through the Cross. These three witnesses are in complete unity.

In any court, when three witnesses, each unimpeachable on his or her own strength, bear essentially identical testimony, but from three separate perspectives, the court has a fairly solid reason to make a decision: The court chooses to believe the witnesses. This is a pretty common standard for courts, and for any other choice to believe

God’s Three-fold Testimony

But remember that all three of these testimonies are from God! His testimony is greater than human testimony. God testifies to the human race regarding Jesus: The Messiah…God the Son.

John concludes that whoever believes this testimony “has the witness within himself.” If you have placed your personal trust in the Gospel, believing the witness of God, then the Holy Spirit now indwells to and continually confirms the truth of that message. But if you do not believe it, then you should know that you are calling God a liar: He is the source of this testimony, He bore record of Jesus, the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son…You have to choose how to respond.

So, What is the Record?

¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹²He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

¹³These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Record is simple:

God has given Eternal Life to the Human Race
That Life is in the Person of His Son.
Whoever possesses the Son of God, has the Eternal Life God offered.
Whoever does not have the Son of God, does not have the Life.

So…why did John go to such lengths to tell us this simple message?

There are Two Stated Motives:

John said, “These things I have written unto you who believe on the name of the Son of God; “

“That you (plural…ye) may know that ye have (present tense) eternal life, and
“That ye may (continue to) believe on the Name of the Son of God.”

Think about the importance of this message:

This knowledge, that you have eternal life, is the only protection for your mind, against the slinking, sneaking fear, and distrust, constantly whispering, “What if you are wrong?? You are a foul sinner: far too corrupt to survive the wrath of God! His Grace cannot reach to you! He will surely reject you now!”

This message, being believed, is the “Helmet of Salvation” required in Ephesians 6:17. If you cannot believe this passage, then you cannot put on the helmet of salvation, as protection for your mind, against the onslaught of Satan’s lies.

If anyone has questions about this security, offered by God, on the basis of Grace, through faith alone, I would be happy to address those questions with you.

Lord Jesus, help us to believe Your Word, and to apply it to our own lives in every area. Teach us to Walk with You by Faith, and to experience Your Joy and Peace as a result.

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 5, 2025August 5, 2025

Do You Know How to be Sure That You are Secure in Christ?

Biblical Support for the Security of the Believer

(“Once Saved, Always Saved”)

I. Scriptures that Guarantee Security “in Christ.”

John 5:24 – Jesus says that the believer has passed (past tense) from death to life – will not come into judgment – has everlasting life. The life given is not “everlasting” if it can be lost again.

John 6:37 – Jesus said that those who come to him will never be “cast out”. We are the Father’s gift to the Son. The Father is not going to take the gift back.

John 10:27, 28 – His sheep will never (under any circumstance) perish (be lost) Vs. 29 states that no one can pluck them out of the Father’s hand.

John 17:15, 24 – Jesus’s prayers are always answered. He prays that we will be kept from the evil one (the Devil) and that those whom the Father gives Him will be with Him in eternity.

Paul’s Epistles

Romans 8:38, 39 – Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. (Neither time, space or matter or all creation).

1 Cor. 1:29-31 – To avoid boasting, God has put us “in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 12:13) by baptism into His death. In effect, we have already died for our sins by the death of another and according to 1 Corinthians 1:30 He has already become our sanctification and redemption. This is because God sees us “in Him” (Read Gal. 2:20).

Gal. 2:20 – We have already died (been crucified) with Christ. To die (or be lost again) would be “double jeopardy.” We died for all our sins by His death.

Eph. 1:13 – We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. This is the pledge of our inheritance until our bodies are redeemed. We are God’s possession. Nothing can break this seal.

Eph. 4:30 – We are sealed even if we grieve the Holy Spirit who sealed us (2 Cor. 1:22).

Phil. 1:6 – The good work that God has begun in us, He will perfect (finish). (He doesn’t start the foundation of a house without eventually putting on the roof.)

Col. 3:3, 4 – We, as believers, have already died for our sins (all of them) by the death of Christ. Our life now is “hidden with Christ in God.” How can we be lost again?

2 Tim. 1:12 – He is able to keep us, having committed ourselves to Him.

Heb. 7:25 – He is able to save forever those who come to Him because is praying for them.

Peter’s Epistles

1 Pet. 1:5 – We are kept (protected) by His power for a salvation (of the body) to be revealed in the last time.

John and Jude

1 John 2:19 – those who are not saved (but look like they are saved) go out from us, because they are not really of us.

Jude 1 – We have been called and we are kept for Jesus Christ (by God).

II. Biblical Truth that Defines Salvation.

The Biblical doctrine of Justification by faith precludes any concept of works (self effort). Romans 3:24-25 states that justification (being declared righteous by God…resulting in salvation) is a “gift”. In verse 25 it says that Christ’s blood satisfied the holiness of God’s anger against our sins (propitiated means God is satisfied). 1 John 2:2 – He (Christ) is the propitiation (satisfaction of God’s Holiness and Justice) for our sins – all of them (They were all future when He died). We do nothing to get our salvation (but believe) and by the same token there is nothing we can do to lose it.
Romans 4:4-5 says “Now to the one who works his wage is not credited as a favor (grace), but is what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies (saves by declaring righteous) the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness”. To feel that we have to “hang on” to be saved is just another way of teaching salvation by works.
Roman’s 5:1-9 – This Scripture passage tells us that already having been justified (declared righteous) by faith we now have peace with God. It goes on to say that we stand in the grace of God (and we rejoice in the hope of His coming).
Vs.9 tells us that “we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”
Justification by God is a once for all time finished gift.
The possibility of a real believer losing their salvation would put them under the Law of God again. Galatians 3:23-25 tells us that before we were saved we were under the law. That the law “was our schoolmaster to bring us Christ” but now that faith has come we are not under the schoolmaster. “Christ is the end of the law to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:4). Eph 2:8-9 tells us that salvation is a gift. One does not work for a gift. “Not of works lest any man should boast.” Romans 8:1-4 tells us that the law was weak through the flesh. We could not keep the law, so God sent His son and with His death “condemned sin in the flesh.”
To believe that a truly saved person can lose his or her salvation is to mix up justification with sanctification. Justification is instantaneous. It happens the moment we believe in the cross of Christ.
Sanctification is a process for which we begin to develop holiness in our lives. This is accomplished in all who are saved, (justified) by the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit living in them.
Romans 8:4 tells us that righteousness is (after we are saved) produced in us by “walking in the Spirit”. Through the Holy Spirit we are to put to death the deeds (sins) of the body (Rom. 8:13).
This is the “normal spiritual life.” But though it began with free justification, the normal spiritual life has nothing to do with producing justification. Justification is the work of Christ. Sanctification (walking in the spirit) is the work of the Holy Spirit after we are saved.

III. Biblical Examples:

Those Who Appeared to be Saved as Opposed to Those Who Really Were.

It should be noted that nobody in Scripture that was truly saved ever lost their salvation. Also, the Bible describes nobody that was ever “born again” more than once.

In Hebrews 6:4-8 there is a description of a type of person who, upon a casual reading, seems to have fallen away from the Lord and, as we might suppose, has therefore lost their salvation.
It should be noted in this passage that if indeed they did lose their salvation, they can’t get it back. It says “for it is impossible, if they should fall away, to renew them again unto repentance”. They would “put the Lord to open shame.”
The person described was once “enlightened” and tasted of the heavenly gift” and “made a partaker of the Holy Spirit, tasted of the good word of God and the Powers of the world to come.”
It would certainly seem (on the surface) that they had been a Christian but lost their salvation.
But let us stop and think for a moment. Have we not known people that were in the church, seemed to take part in everything others did and yet eventually left and acted as though they were never saved?
This is what John tells us in 1 John 2:19. He says that they (in this case many antichrists) “went out from us, but they were not (really) of us”. They had to leave to prove to us that they were not “of us.”
The Hebrews 6 passage aptly describes the traitor, Judas Iscariot. He looked and acted so much like all the other apostles that on the night of the last supper, after Jesus had announced that one of them would betray him, each disciple asked Jesus, “Is it I”?
Matt 26:22 – “and began every one of them to say to him, “Lord, is it I”?
This description fits Judas, who, though he had walked with the Lord Jesus three years and had partaken of the “heavenly gift.” was not really one “of them.” In fact, Jesus had said, “Have I not chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil”? (John 6:30) Judas even cast out demons! (Mark 3:14, 15; Mark 6:12; Luke 9:1)
The person described in Hebrews 6:4-8, though heavily involved in “Christian Things” and having had the advantages of even the Spirit, was never really saved, any more than Judas was.
Peter, on the other hand, appeared not to be a believer, when he denied the Lord at a crucial time (John 18:15-27). Christians don’t always act like Christians. Nevertheless, Peter was saved. Jesus had said that Satan had desired Peter, but he had prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail (Luke 22:31, 32).
Our confusion about the idea of people losing their salvation comes from our limited knowledge of who truly is saved, and who is pretending, like Judas Iscariot.
The parable of the wheat and the tares (weeds) in Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43 shows us how the authentic and the false can easily be confused. The tares looked so much like the real wheat that the angels were prohibited from plucking up the tares, lest they inadvertently pull up the real wheat also (vs 29). The wheat was a picture of real believers. The tares were not.
Another example of the false among the true is in 2 Peter 2. (The false teachers.)
It should be noted that these “false teachers” that shall come (and have come) were not really saved. The Greek word for them being “bought” (agorasanto) used here indicates that though the price was paid for them, they remained on the “slave block.” They are not saved. They ignored the price paid for them, and taught false doctrine in the church.
In the end of the chapter, we have those that “have escaped the pollution of the world” turning back to it (2nd Peter 2:20-22). The characteristic of them is they are not called “sheep,” (who turned back into dogs or pigs:) They are called “dogs” and “sows,” both regarded by the Jews as unclean animals. There had never been a true conversion. They were never saved. And, as described in this chapter, the enemy has always used evil people infiltering the church, to corrupt it.

IV. Other Scriptures Seeming to Suggest that Once Saved, You Could Be Lost:

Matthew 24:13 “He that endureth until the end, the same shall be saved.”.

The question becomes “saved from what?” Those who remain faithful to the Lord until the end of that Terrible Tribulation Time, described in the context, will be physically delivered to enter the millennial kingdom in their physical bodies. The passage is not talking about personal salvation from sin.

There will be those who are not killed during the “Great Tribulation” and do believe in Christ.

These are those who will still have their physical bodies so that they can produce the children described in Isaiah 11:6, 8; 65:20.

1st Corinthians 10:12 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Again, the context of the verse is very important. The context of this passage indicates a tendency of Christians going back into their old practices of sin, just like many in ancient Israel did in the desert. Obviously Christians “fall”, but this does not mean that they are lost again or that God is even through with them. I can fall. You can fall. But our salvation doesn’t depend on us. He has already bought us (Philippians 1:6.)

In Galatians 5:4 we have the expression “fallen from grace”

Again, we must not read into the word “fallen” the idea of being “lost” in regard to salvation. The writer to the Galatians (Paul) was showing that when they, as a group, were including circumcision as part of salvation, they had fallen away from the doctrine of Grace. Remember that Grace excludes any human ritual or work.

In John 15:6 the passage is talking about “fruit bearing”. Those that remain in Christ will bear “much fruit”. The word in the Greek is meiné, meaning “remain.” The idea of remaining in Christ has to do with the behavior of the person in regard to fruit bearing.
(Compare 1^st John 1:7… “walking in the Light,” with Him.)

It is not the same as the believer being placed into (baptized into) the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. (1st Corinthians 12:13). That is his position, brought about by Christ (or the Holy Spirit) when he was saved. The “remaining in Christ” in John 15:1-8 is his action: his subsequent behavior, if he is to produce fruit.

Notice in verse 6 that if he does not abide (remain) in this way, he is thrown into the fire by men, not angels, as in Matthew 13:41, 42. The believer who is not fruitful, who does not “remain with” (walking with) Christ is cast aside by men, “and trodden under foot.”

(Matthew 5:13). Paul spoke of such people as “castaways” (put on the shelf). Not useful to God. Again, this passage is not talking about salvation, but service: how to produce fruit for the Lord.

V. Eternal Security:

The relationship that exists between us and God is a personal relationship. Throughout the Bible the Heavenly father is always coaching us on how to live, because He deeply loves us.

This love is to be returned by us and so we find many scriptures that try to show us the unhappy consequences of not returning His love. We need Him.

Like any good parent (and God is the best), He does not want us to languish in insecurity. How can we love a parent if we are never sure whether that our relationship with them is secure and settled? A believer in that doubtful condition is unsettled, fearful and insecure.

This is certainly not His will, as we have tried to show by His precious Word.

Remember that the “Helmet of Salvation,” described in Ephesians 6:17, is designed to protect your head…your mind…your thoughts.

In 1^st John 5:11-13, God says that He wants you to know that you have Eternal Life. If you ignore this truth, and/or deny that you can know you are eternally secure in Christ, by His completed work, alone, then you simply cannot “wear” the Helmet of Salvation: Your thoughts will be “fair game” for the enemy, continually suggesting that God is going to reject you.

Richard Banham

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.

June 14, 2025June 15, 2025

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

A Letter to the Children (Part 5)

What Does it Mean to Be a Child of God?

1^st John 2:12-17

Introduction: Bible Terminology Regarding the Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Letter to the Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Positional Truths

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

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

Condition, in Contrast to Position

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

Fathers and Young Men

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

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

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

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

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

Back to the Children

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

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

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

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

What About the World Around Us?

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

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

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

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

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

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

World System of Thought and Values

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

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

Three Weapons Satan Has Used throughout History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Modern Experience

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

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

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

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

May 17, 2025May 17, 2025

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

A Letter to the Children (Part 3)

1^st John 2:1, 2

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

Introduction:

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

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

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

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

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

So, What is an Advocate?

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

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

Serious Charges

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

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

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

**The Father is Not the Judge**

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

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

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

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

So, What is a Propitiation?

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

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

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

The Result: A “Legally Dead Man!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus Died For the Whole World

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

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

He Bought the Whole Field!

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

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

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

He Paid the Whole Price!

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

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

The Offer is Good!

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

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

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

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

Every Mouth Will Be Stopped!

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

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

A Modern Example

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

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

Redemption

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

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

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

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

May 3, 2025May 3, 2025

A Letter to the Little Children of God (Part 1)

Studies in 1st John: a Letter to the Children (Part 1)

Introduction:

The Apostle John wrote this letter (called “the first epistle general of John” in many Bibles.) Most people call it, simply, “1^st John”. He wrote the epistle near the end of his life, probably in about 90 AD. (Possibly just before his exile to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the Revelation, six years later.)

John addresses the believers as “teknia.” That is the Greek word meaning “little children.” He does not use “huioi,” meaning “sons… adult sons: heirs.” In this book, John only uses the word “huion” (singular) in the references to Jesus Christ, as THE Son of God.

The word “teknia” literally means “born ones.”. The word “huion” carries the additional connotation of a legal relationship as an heir. “Teknia” only carries a familial connotation, and is a term of tender care…we are His “offspring.”

Five Objectives

John states five purposes in writing the letter. These are effects he desires to accomplish in our lives by the means of this letter.

That you may have fellowship with other believers, the Father and the Son. (1:3)
That your joy may be full. (1:4)
That you will not sin. (2:1)
That you may KNOW (“eidēte”—meaning to “know now, as a fact”) that you have eternal life. (5:13)
That you may [continue to] believe on the name of the Son of God. (5:13) (The words “continue to” are not in the Greek. But the word “pisteuēte” is in the present tense, implying a generally continuous action in the present time.) (“Pisteuō” is the infinitive verb, “to believe.”

If we can accomplish these five things in our study I will be happy, too. But this is the beginning place for a disciple. This is where we learn how to maintain our relationship with God and with His people.

Chapter 1

John Introduces His Grand Topic: Jesus, the “Word of Life”

The first two verses could almost be seen as the “subject line” on a report:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled of the Word of Life; (for the Life was manifested , and we have seen it and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us;)”

Notice that John leaves no doubt that he and the other apostles were valid witnesses. They had no collective “vision.” Nor was it a carefully crafted story, concocted, and agreed upon by all. Jesus lived and worked among them. They saw Him in person. They heard him speak, not only in sermons, and “teaching moments,” but in casual, everyday life. He was their personal mentor: they learned who He was, by full, daily contact, continually, for three years or more.

You can do this, too, in a way. The more time you spend with Jesus, in the Word, in prayer, and in your daily walk, the better you will know Him!

The Fellowship Objective

³That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

John introduced the subject of the book: Namely, the message that God gave him to share with the other believers. Then he declares the first purpose: that we should have full fellowship with God and with one another. Some commentators break this into two separate issues. In a sense you could accurately do so. It is technically possible for you to be in fellowship with God, and out of fellowship with other believers. (Unusual, but it could happen.)

That is relatively rare, however. Usually, when we have a problem with other believers, it is not just “their problem.” We usually cannot just “go on fellowshipping with God,” and ignore the issue between us and the other brother or sister. We are also commanded to “endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

This subject “Sin versus Fellowship,” will dominate much of the first Epistle of John. But John introduces a second purpose for the book in the very next verse.

**The Joy Objective: “That Your Joy May be Full”**

⁴And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Don’t miss John’s second stated purpose in writing. “That Your Joy May be Full.” If we desire Joy, we need to prioritize fellowship. You will not experience the Joy of the Lord when you are not in fellowship with Him. Amos 3:3 poses the rhetorical question, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (And, the implied answer is “No! They can’t!”)

If we are missing the Joy of the Lord, we need to ask “Why?” You can ask yourself, “Am I doing what God wants me to do right now? If so, am I simply under attack from the enemy? Do I need to use the shield of faith more diligently, and draw closer to the Lord in trust?”

Or, have you allowed other relationships or other pursuits to lure you away? Have you left behind the Centrality of Christ in your Life? This is the only mention of “joy” in this epistle. He mentions “joy” only once in each of his epistles. I don’t know why.

Fellowship with Others and with God

⁵This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:⁷But 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 cleanseth us from all sin.

Initially, we may feel that our disagreement with someone else is “just their problem”. But we usually get frustrated or angry ourselves, and then we have sin to confess as well. Also, usually, whatever breaks fellowship between us and another believer will also break fellowship with God. So, what breaks fellowship between us and God?

**What Breaks Fellowship With God?**

Only Sin. We can’t rightly call it anything else. But bear in mind that the sin issues here in the book of 1^st John are things already dealt with at the Cross—these are believers he is addressing.

Only your fellowship with God, and your reward areat risk—you are not going to “lose your position in Christ.” The Forgiveness he will address in verse nine is relational, not positional. It has to do with “Keeping Peace in the Family of God,” not “Trying to maintain your position as His Child.”

Where Does Sin Begin?

We sometimes may say we are just “out of sorts”…(and that may be true.) But how we respond to fatigue, frustrating circumstances, etc. determines whether we go on walking with God, or we get “off in the weeds” somewhere, wondering what happened.

John puts it this way: “God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” John makes it the difference between day and night…the difference between light and dark. He says there is no middle ground. I am either in complete obedience to Him, or I am out of fellowship.

He makes it clear that if I am walking with Him, I have to be walking in the Light as He is in the Light. Here is the question: Am I doing now what I know He wants me to be doing, right now?” We might protest, “But I’m not always sure I know what He wants me to be doing!”

How Do I Determine God’s Will?

Consider God’s stated priorities in the Bible to be your “General Handbook for the Child of God” and see whether you can find some “General” instructions that could give you direction. It might not be any “earthshaking” revelation: It might be something as simple and “mundane” as prioritizing the things you need to do in a day, and then “doing the next thing” on that list.

In my case, if I know that I am going to be teaching soon, then I need to make certain that all the preparation is complete before I can “go do other things I would like to do.”

But, sometimes a “home task” is time-sensitive, and must be done immediately or not at all. In that case, I may choose to do that first, knowing that the result may be that I will be up late that night, completing the studying for the next class. In either case, if I am doing what I believe God wants me to do, I can confidently call on Him for help and inspiration, etc. to get things done in a timely manner.

But I do not agree with the preachers I have known who boasted, “I don’t need to study! I just open my mouth and let God fill it!” That is grossly irresponsible. (Yes, God can do that! But He commands us to “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”) So, I choose to study!

We All Sin!

“⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

John says that we all have a sin problem. He says, “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

But there are whole branches of Christendom who claim that you can “achieve sinless perfection” in this life. In fact, some even teach that “you lost your sin nature when you became a believer.” If that were true, the majority of the New Testament would be pointless, because believers would never need instructions as to how to avoid sin: Without a sin nature, they could never be tempted, let alone sin and need to restore fellowship.

(In Romans 7:17-25, Paul taught very clearly that he had his old sin nature, and that his new nature desired only to follow God, but his old nature rebelled. He saw his only hope for victory in the Person of Christ.)

How To Restore Fellowship With God

⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John goes on to give the means by which to regain fellowship…he says, “if we confess out sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

I learned this verse fairly early as a believer, but I still did not understand how important and how simple it truly is: It does not say, “as a last resort, come crawling to God begging for forgiveness!” He says, confess (agree with God concerning) your sin, and He will immediately forgive you and you can begin walking with Him again!

When I was in Bible School, a friend told me that he had not known of this verse at all, for about two years: So anytime he was out of fellowship, it felt to him as though he had lost his salvation. He encountered a couple of older Christians who taught him about the issue of fellowship, and showed him this passage. He told me, “Chet, it was just like getting saved all over again! I finally knew how to get back on my feet after having stumbled!”

If you have not memorized this verse, I would encourage you to do so, as it is one we tend to use often. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, our conscience becomes more refined, and we find ourselves confessing sin that we once would have completely overlooked, in our ignorance. It may seem that we are actually “sinning more,” but usually it is just a matter of “seeing” things we never saw before.

A Practical Example

I had a friend at work, from El Salvador, who had to go back to El Salvador for a few days. He had been gone for ten years, so he thought it would be wonderful to “be home again.”

But he found out that it was no longer “home.” He was sweating profusely, in the heat and humidity, and he was constantly aware of the lack of cleanliness around him, both in terms of personal hygiene and in food preparation. There were times when he could hardly stand being there, even though he knew that the place had not changed: HE had changed. Before emigrating, he had lived with all those realities without a problem. But, he no longer fit there: he had been in the United states too long.

How About Our Lives With God?

That old song, “This World is not my Home” is true. We are no longer citizens of this world.

As you learn to walk with God, you will become aware of things like that in your old life: sins that once were amusing to you or even pleasant and thrilling, have become not only repugnant, but grief-inspiring, as you remember that you were once a willing participant in that life.

That is why 1^st John 1:9 is so important: It allows us to quickly regain our walk with the Lord and continue to grow strong and stable in our relationship with Him.

Next week we will move on, into our study of 1^st John. You can read ahead, but we will begin with 1^st John 1:10. (Give that one some thought.)

Lord Jesus, help us to internalize Your Word, so that we keep short accounts with You as our Savior and Master. Help us to learn the reality of walking in the light, as You are in the Light, Teach us to be Your true disciples!

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 14)

1st John 5:6-13

Introduction:

Two Out of Three, Probably

They Pierced Only Jesus: Why?

The Water of the Word

Making it Real

A “Textual Controversy,” and How I Address It:

There are Several Problems With Doing Such Things.

A Personal Example

What About the Other Three Witnesses?

God’s Three-fold Testimony

So, What is the Record?

The Record is simple:

There are Two Stated Motives:

A Letter to the Children (Part 13)

1st John 5:1-5

Introduction:

What Does That “Transformed Life” Look Like?

Change in Perspective

Serving With Jesus

Laborers Together With Christ

What About “Victory in Jesus?”

Hezekiah’s Example

No Coincidences!

What Are You Seeking?

Make it “Personal:” What are YOU Seeking?

Biblical Support for the Security of the Believer

(“Once Saved, Always Saved”)

I. Scriptures that Guarantee Security “in Christ.”

Paul’s Epistles

Peter’s Epistles

John and Jude

II. Biblical Truth that Defines Salvation.

III. Biblical Examples:

Those Who Appeared to be Saved as Opposed to Those Who Really Were.

IV. Other Scriptures Seeming to Suggest that Once Saved, You Could Be Lost:

V. Eternal Security:

A Letter to the Children (Part 9)

1st John 3:17-24

Agapé Love is an Action Word

Compare Two Similar Passages

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

And What Does He Require Of Us?

James Agrees!

Paul Agrees, Too!

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

Another Way to Understand this Verse

God is Backing His People!

What about Answered Prayer?

The Indwelling Holy Spirit

The Engagement Ring of the Bride of Christ

Bringing Home the Bride

A Letter to the Children (Part 8)

1st John 3:7-16

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

There are Different Sources of Wisdom

Self-Will-Sourced “Wisdom”

Crowd-Sourced “Wisdom“

False Brethren

Origin of All Humans

In What Way is the Church Different?

So, What is the Primary Command in Question?

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

1^st John 5:6-13

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

1^st John 2:12-17

1^st John 2:1, 2

**The Father is Not the Judge**

**The Joy Objective: “That Your Joy May be Full”**

**What Breaks Fellowship With God?**