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How to Understand 1st Corinthians Chapter 11 Part One

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1st Corinthians Chapter 11 Part One

© 2025 by C. O. Bishop

1st Corinthians 11:2-16

Introduction:

Chapter Eleven has two main divisions: verses 2-16 discuss separation from the world, in the matters of grooming and clothing. Verses 17-34 discuss the Lord’s table. Remember that both passages are corrective teaching (as is virtually all of both 1st and 2nd Corinthians.

We remember the specific circumstances of the city of Corinth, where Paul planted this church. We remember that gross immorality ruled this city. Aphrodite’s temple was there, with all its filth, depravity and disease. That environmen heavily affected the people. They had multiple carryovers from their old life. The Spirit had released them from the extremes of the Corinthian pit. But they still had to shake free from the effect on their lives.

When we read Paul’s corrections of those behaviors, we want to “listen within the context.” Ask “what was happening there.”

Paul gives a profound, powerful command, here, in 1st Corinthians 11:1

1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

However, there were no chapter or verse divisions in the original manuscripts. So the command was in regard to 1st Corinthians 10. Paul gave a long statement saying the believers must not endanger the unity of the Body of Christ. They could do so by careless, self-centered behavior. He said that he, himself, sought to “please all men.” He did not seek his own best interest (“profit”.) Rather, he tried to do what was profitable for many, for the express purpose of possibly leading them to Christ.

In that context Paul said, “be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ.”

2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

So, in general, the Corinthian believers tried to follow his example. Paul concludes “that is Good!” But he immediately follows up with some exceptions:

Clothing, Hair, and Head-Coverings

Remember, again, where the Corinthian church was located, and the utter corruption of the society surrounding them. Consider how the rest of their city was living. All the visitors to Corinth came specifically for the depravity that was there. That can give us some understanding of what follows.

In our present-day time, we have a city that literally advertises itself as “Sin-City!” People who vacation there are cheerfully admitting that they want to enjoy the excesses of that city. Years ago, that city briefly attempted to “re-invent itself” as a “family” city. But it did not work! Everyone knew the truth and everyone preferred the truth of that sin.

So, Las Vegas, Nevada went back to its old way, flaunting its depravity. And the people that desired it to be that way were happy to see their “return to the pit.”

Why Did People Visit Corinth?

The main attraction in Corinth was the temple of Aphrodite. With a working force of 10,000 prostitutes, male and female, they had visibility all over the city. People came there to join in the immoral behavior of that city.

If a Corinthian believer did not want to associate with that filthy lifestyle, something had to change. If they did not want to look like part of that society, they had to change their ways. They had to live in such a way as to “shine in the darkness,” not “blend in.”

Did God tell them to “crusade against the sin in their city?” No, not necessarily. But He did call them to “come out from among them and be separate.” (2nd Corinthians 6:17)

So, What Visible Difference Would be Most Obvious?

Flagrant sin filled Corinth. Transvestite male prostitutes and brazen female prostitutes were everywhere. Clothing, personal grooming and hair length would be a first line of defense, as an easy way to set oneself apart.

I believe this is the primary goal, here in 1st Corinthians 11:2-16. However, some teachers see this as a “rule for Christian living,” and have interpreted it as a “Christian Dress Code.” They exclude people from churches based on whether they “obey this rule” or not.

This rule has affected our courts, though they mainly applied it to women: Women were not allowed in a courtroom without a hat: a man was required to remove any head-covering. It is possibly instructive to note that the long hair issue was not applied to the men, and men in our colonial period wore their hair long, and in a braid.

If they had short hair, they wore a wig to court, emulating longer hair. To this day, in England there is an industry, making white wigs for lawyers and judges, called “perukes,” as a shortened form of the word “periwig.” Why does the tradition persist?? I have no idea! It would seem that  law should have applied equally to men and women, but that has not always been the case. Seventy years ago, women in the USA always wore a hat in church or in court. Men were not allowed to wear a hat in either place. And the rule sprang from this passage of scripture.

What does the Rest of Scripture Say?

The problem that gives me pause is the issue of a head-covering for men being an offense, and a lack of such for women being an offense. If it were mentioned in the other epistles, it would be clear that it applies to all believers everywhere. But it is not: it is only mentioned here.

Verse three (so long as I limit it to the marriage relationship) is mentioned elsewhere. The marriage relationship is supposed to be a picture of Christ and the Church. (Ephesians 5:26-32) The relationship in marriage is clear. This passage does not clearly state that the relationship is limited to the marriage relationship, so some groups use it (and other similar passages) to declare a general superiority of men over women. (That is false teaching, by the way.)

3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

This teaching seems plain, but it is uncomfortable in our egalitarian society. We don’t want to admit the sovereignty of God over our lives: Far less the authority of one human above another.

Other Scripture?

But herein lies my problem: I can’t find any other place in the Bible that clearly is about the issue of hair length or the importance of veils or lack of such. As a general rule, we find that the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible: That is, we can usually find somewhere else that confirms the meaning of an otherwise obscure passage. But in this case I have found either nothing, or maybe things that are a real “stretch” to try to apply to this.

Cultural Roots

So, Why do the orthodox Jewish men cover their heads with a “tallith” (prayer shawl) when praying? Two Christian commentators said it was because the rabbinical commentators misunderstood why Moses had covered his face when he left the tabernacle. Not to confirm the authority of God: It was to hide the “fading away” of God’s glory from people watching him. Moses had not been aware that his face was glowing after he had been in the presence of God. When he became aware of it, and that it was beginning to fade, he covered up, specifically so that the watching people would not see the “fading” of that glory. (But I still have questions.)

What Does It Mean?

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

People interpret this to say that women should always have their hair covered with a shawl, a scarf, a kerchief or the like. Then (some) say that to her own husband, she does not wear a veil, but is free in his presence to display the glory of her hair.

The problem I see, is that Rebekah, in Genesis 24, had not been veiled when crossing the desert with Abraham’s eldest servant and ten other servants. But when she saw Isaac in the distance, and knew that it was he, she got off the camel, veiled herself, and fell on her knees before him, with her face to the ground. (I don’t know any Christians saying this is a part of Christian life!)

And the Men?

7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

Furthermore, the priesthood (at least the High Priest) had to wear a special hat (KJV says “fair mitre”…a pointed hat) when he served in the temple, bringing a sacrifice on behalf of the people and himself, and praying for the people and himself.

I can’t find anything in scripture, to explain this: I can simply accept that there is a truth here that I don’t understand, and I promise that if I ever have better light on it, then I will re-teach it according to that better understanding.

What About The Creation Testimony?

8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

This is in the Creation account. We can either accept the truth of it, or deny it: or, short of actually denying it, we may attempt to explain it in some way that erases the cultural offense. The plan is for Man to be incomplete without Woman. God says so. (Genesis 2:18) The relationship between the Man and the Woman is supposed to be a picture of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:26-32.) That prefiguring of Christ and the Church is demonstrated where Genesis 2:24 is quoted, verbatim, in Ephesians 5:31. (Believe it, or don’t! That is what it says.)

And the Woman was created specifically to fill the lack in Man. (What kind of lack? Possibly just the ability to reproduce, as with all the rest of the animal creation. Perhaps the lack of fellowship and companionship.

Possibly it is tied to Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. (“9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”)

What about the Angels??

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

I have no idea what verse ten means, unless it is somehow related to Genesis 6:1-5 where certain angelic beings chose to “cross over” and interbreed with humans. Those fallen angels were punished by confinement in chains of darkness, awaiting final judgment. (Jude 6; 2nd Peter 2:4) Is the head-covering a message to the angels that, “I belong to my human husband!”? Maybe, but I doubt it. Is it just a “message of submission,” as part of the things that God says the angels will learn through the church, according to Ephesians 3:10? Perhaps. But I really don’t know.

More from the Creation

11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. 12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

This still ties to the Creation: Eve was literally “taken out of man,” and formed from part of him. On the other hand, every man since Adam has been born of woman: taken back from her. But all are under the authority, protection, and sustenance of God.

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

Evidently in many cultures, long hair in a man is not seen as shameful: So, I don’t know how to interpret this. Someone told me years ago that the Greek work “phusis,” here translated as “Nature,” could also be translated as, “Culture.” However, I looked up the word “phusis” in the Greek New Testament, and it is ONLY translated as “nature,” or “naturally.” So, I don’t know where they got that idea…clearly, it was not from the Bible!

Final Word on Head-coverings and Hair length:

16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

It seems that the final word is “Don’t allow this to become a point of division: it isn’t worth it. This is not a cardinal doctrine. In the Corinthian culture, at least, it was a needed change in their behavior, because they were too closely reflecting the evil around them. The principle of “separation from the world” remains today, but I do not believe that Head-coverings and hair length were given as “legal requirements” or “rules” for believers.

Lord Jesus, give us greater light, and help us to apply Your Word to our lives so as to honor You and draw others to Your Grace.

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

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What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians?

© 2025 by C. O. Bishop

Return To Corinthians

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

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

In Chapter One, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Two, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Three, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Four, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Five, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Six, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Seven, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Eight, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Nine, we Learned:

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

In Chapter Ten, we Learned:

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

Chapter Eleven Holds Rich Lessons, Too!

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

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

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How To Tell Good Leaders Apart From Bad Leaders

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3rd John: A Letter to a Faithful Brother

© 2025 by C. O. Bishop

3rd John 1-13

1 The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;  6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. 12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: 14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

Introduction:

1 The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

Gaius may be one of the men who accompanied Paul in his work. Luke mentioned men with the same name (possibly both the same man) in Acts 19:29 and Acts 20:4. Is the “Gaius” in 3rd John one of those men? Maybe. But, he is someone of whom John fully approves. In verse three we see that he was doctrinally sound, and was living the truth of the Word, not just verbally assenting to it. Read carefully: some of the passages here can be (have been) misused

The Root of the “Prosperity Gospel”

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

This verse has been used to teach that God’s primary concern is for all of us to be healthy and wealthy. That is false teaching. Hebrews 11:36-38 lists those who lost everything for the sake of the Gospel, and the name of Jesus, and it says that they were the “best of the best.” He says of them that, they were those, “of whom the world was not worthy…”

What does it mean, “to Prosper?”

I looked up the Greek word translated as, “prosper.” I had hoped to ascertain what kind of prosperity it implied. but it turns out that it is pretty much the same in Greek as it is in English: It can literally mean simply to “have a good journey,” or it can imply financial well-being.

Possibly Gaius was well-to-do, and John wished him to remain so. But, possibly his health was in question: The scriptures definitely do NOT teach that if you are walking with God you will never get sick. God says King Hezekiah was the best king Judah ever had. (2nd Kings 18:1-6.)

Old and New Testament Examples:

And King Hezekiah not only got sick: He was told he would die of it. (2nd Kings 20) But when he prayed and asked for a reprieve, God granted him healing and fifteen more years of life. In the New Testament, Epaphroditus was near death from sickness. He was sick, and it happened while he was faithfully serving Christ. (GOD says so! Philippians 2:25-30)

Whatever the circumstances, John wished for good health and general prosperity from God for Gaius. That is a common theme in our prayers for one another, too, but this verse does NOT teach that “If you have proper faith, you will always be healthy and wealthy.” That is false teaching, and it turns people’s eyes away from the Person of Christ, looking more to their own condition than to Him. It is becoming a widespread heresy, and it has ensnared many people, some of whom eventually become embittered and completely reject the entire message of Christ because they have been deceived by a false teacher or a false cult.

Leaning on Jesus

We are told to look to Jesus and to trust Him for our circumstances. Proverbs 3:5, 6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding.” A sister, here in the church, recently sent me a photograph of a power-strip, plugged into itself: The caption read, “This is what it looks like to trust in your own wisdom: there is no Power!” It is a comical picture, of course, but the message is truly serious.

Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…”

Except for the wisdom that God gives us in His Word and by His Holy Spirit, we do not have answers for the problems and questions in life. When we claim to have the answers, we are immediately ensnared in the trap of “professing ourselves to be wise.” And the result for us is the same as the result for the people in Romans 1:22. We become fools.

What Did Gaius Mean in Verse 2?

It seems that John simply extended “Best wishes” for Gaius’ life, especially based upon what he knew of Gaius’ spiritual condition. He was not stating that God’s primary concern for believers is that we should be healthy and wealthy. God gives many warnings to the rich, about their spiritual condition NOT matching their wealth. He gives none at all to the poor, suggesting that they are poor because of a lack of faith.

No! In James 2:5 God says the poor are rich in faith. (click the link and read it!)

3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.

Evidently the traveling teachers saw that Gaius was living the faith, and obeying the truth. Possibly it was because they saw that he did what John commanded in 2nd John 4-10. He had questioned them thoroughly before choosing to house and to feed them and sending them on their way, with provisions. They knew that he was faithful to the truth because of his actions, not just his words.

4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

This agrees with 2nd John 4. But it also seems to imply that John considered Gaius to be his spiritual offspring…at least at some level. Whether John had personally introduced Gaius to faith in Christ, or simply had been feeding him and seeing him grow up in the faith, so that he saw Gaius as his “son in the faith,” we cannot know for sure. But we can see the sense of responsibility John felt and understand how pleased he felt to hear from others that Gaius was living the reality of His faith, and standing for the truth of the Gospel.

Fellowship in the Ministry of Missionaries

This is both in contrast and agreement with the warning and admonition given in 2nd John 4-10. John had also commended “the elect lady” for walking in truth. But he had warned her against lacking discernment, and thereby inadvertently supporting false teachers. Here, in 3rd John 5-8, he commends Gaius for supporting true teachers (“missionaries,” we might call them) and states that by doing so, we are thereby being “fellow-helpers to the truth.”

What questions should we ask?

How did he know they were true teachers? John gave some “litmus tests” in 1st John 4:1-6, and in 2nd John 4-10. The “tests” were doctrinal in nature. What were these teachers teaching? The questions had to do with the person and work of Jesus. Is he truly God in the Flesh? Is he truly virgin-born, thus fulfilling the “Seed of the Woman” prophecy? Did His blood truly satisfy the judgment and Holiness of God for the sins of the entire human race? Was he truly dead, and truly buried? Was He physically resurrected, and is He the eternal God, still today? Is His forgiveness available by faith in His blood, alone…without additional works?

I don’t know what questions Gaius may have asked. But these are the sorts of questions we ought to be asking before supporting missions. We try to only support missionaries who are faithfully teaching good doctrine and the pure Gospel of Christ.

Becoming Partners in the Work of the Gospel

5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

Part of the proof of the character of these teachers is that they were not “seeking a handout,” and were only being funded by other believers who saw their work as being from God.

8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.

This is God’s approval for Missionary support, and His statement that by doing so we are taking part in their ministry.

A Bad Leader: A Counterexample to Good Leadership

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

This is the only example of a New Testament church where one man had seized preeminence. All the other mentions of the church leaders stated “elders” (plural) in each “church” (singular.) But Diotrephes wanted to be the chief ruler. He rejected the authority of the apostles, and he rejected the travelling teachers, approved by the apostles. Further, he excommunicated believers who did receive the brethren.

This is a very stern warning to churches who declare themselves to be the sole proprietors of God’s truth. When WE become the standards of what is true, rather than God’s Word, we are in trouble with God.

10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Diotrephes didn’t know it yet, but he was in deep trouble! There are many religious leaders in the world today, some of them claiming to be followers of Jesus, who are in the same trouble.

God does not allow us to elevate ourselves above God’s Word, nor to elevate ourselves above our fellow-servants. We do use the Word as a filter, to decide how to respond to people claiming to be disciples. God warns us in advance that false teachers abound and that false brethren are dangerous. (2nd Corinthians 11:26) He warns us not to be partakers with them. (2nd John 9, 10; Ephesians 5:7)

Conclusion: Follow That Which is Good.

11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

John had just warned them of an evil among them: He told them to “follow not that which is evil!” Then he said, in contrast, “Follow that which is good!” He gave his recommendation that Demetrius was a better example.

12Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

Two “Rulers of the Synagogue” (not the Church)

It is an interesting thing to observe, in Acts 18:8, and Acts 18:17 two consecutive “chief rulers” of the Synagogue at Corinth. One, Crispus, became a believer in Jesus, and evidently abandoned his position as “ruler of the synagogue.”

The second, Sosthenes, was savagely beaten by the unbelieving gentiles, after which, he evidently also became a believer…when? We don’t know, but Paul mentioned him in his first letter to Corinth, (1st Corinthians 1:1) as a brother in Christ. The point is that there is no mention of a “chief ruler” of a church. Perhaps Diotrephes was trying to connect to that Jewish tradition under the Law. I don’t know. But John condemned Diotrephes’s works and he commended Demetrius. I think we can learn from that contrast.

We are given to hope that Demetrius was able to stand against Diotrephes, and that the church would have flourished under a multiple elders, (Gaius and Demetrius, to start?) not that one man who sought to be the “ruler.”

Personal Contact When Possible

13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:

Personal contact is important: Sometimes a letter is the best thing, but, these believers had the hope that John would meet with them soon. Did he? We don’t know. But that was his hope as well. The letter, however, stood for eternity. We learn from it today.

14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

John’s final blessing to the believers with Gaius, through the mediation of Gaius, stands as one of the rarities among the epistles. Virtually all the epistles are addressed to the churches, NOT the leaders. The leaders are simply part of the church. This one is addressed to an individual. Verse 9 may reveal that Diotrephes had been intercepting John’s previous letters. So, this time, he circumvented Diotrephes by writing to Gaius.

But the blessings extended to the rest of the flock.

Lord Jesus, enable us to absorb the teachings in this epistle and to guide our decisions by the examples given here. Teach us to be the living examples of Jesus on Earth.

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

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The Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man

© August 2009 by C. O. Bishop. Revised 2025.

Introduction:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Times of the Gentiles

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

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

What Choices Did Israel Have?

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

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

The Effect Upon the Unbelieving World

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

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

Unbelief is the Most Common Response Among all Humans

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

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

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

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

A Personal Choice is Offered: “Whosoever Will”

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

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

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

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

God Predicts Ultimate Human Failure

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

God Saves People One by One

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

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

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

So, Again, What About the Jews?

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

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

What Will Happen Then?

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

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

What About Today?

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

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

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

What Choices Do We Have?

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

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

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

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

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How to Choose Joy in a Discouraging World

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All—and Nothing: Choosing Joy

© C. O. Bishop  September 11, 2011 Revised 2025

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

Introduction: Choosing Joy in the Face of Destruction

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

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

A National Sin Problem

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

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

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

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

All?  Yes, ALL!

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

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

Learn to See Sin as “Weeds“

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

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

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

What About Anger?

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

What about Fear?

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

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

Nothing? (Yes, Nothing!)

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

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

Anxiety is the beginning of Fear

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

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

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

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

What about Human Enemies?

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

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

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

So, What about an Impending Disaster?

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

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

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

Can We Act, to Avoid Danger?

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

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

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

So, What about Depression?

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

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

Can We “Alleviate” Depression?

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

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

Yet Will I Rejoice in the LORD

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

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

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

Hind’s Feet on High Places

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

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

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

Choose Joy.

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

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

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

2nd John 1-13

Introduction:

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

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

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

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

A Strong Emphasis on Truth

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

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

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

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

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

Truth is the Ground and Basis of Faith.

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

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

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

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

Jesus is the Living Truth

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

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

A Reminder of the Commandment of Christ

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

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

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

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

Why The Warning? False Teachers Abound!

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

What Do They Do With Jesus?

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

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

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

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

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

So, What Should We Do?

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

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

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

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

Think Carefully About Who You Support!

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

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

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

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

Personal Contact is Important

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

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

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

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

The Outreach is Worldwide

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

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

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

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

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

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How To Know and Experience The Love and Victory of God

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A Letter to the Children (Part 13)

© 2025 by C. O. Bishop

1st 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 1st 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?

2 By 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.

“21 He 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. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus 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.)

3 For 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, “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For 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?”

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who 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. 1st 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 2nd 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.

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How To Have More Confidence In Your Relationship With Jesus

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A Letter to the Children (Part 9)

1st John 3:17-24

© 2025 C. O. Bishop

Agapé Love is an Action Word

17 But 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? 18 My 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 1st 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:

“14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And 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? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, 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?

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, 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 “31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He 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? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who 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 1st 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?

22 And 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.

23 And 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

24 And 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.

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

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A Letter to the Children  (Part 5)

What Does it Mean to Be a Child of God?

© 2025 by C. O. Bishop

1st John 2:12-17

Introduction: Bible Terminology Regarding the Children

I thought I remembered that the Greek word in 1st 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 1st 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

12 I 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.

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

4 According 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:

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

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

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

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

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

10 That 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:

11 In 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:

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

13 In 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,

14 Which 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

13 I 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. 1st 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.

14 I 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?

15 Love 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 (“10 For 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; 2 Wherein 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: 3 Among 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 1st 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:

16 For 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. 17 And 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.

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What is Our Mission, from God’s perspective?

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Our Mission, from God’s perspective

© C. O. Bishop 8/15/14 THCF 8/17/14 (revised 2025)

Ephesians 6:18-24

Introduction:

Communication is a critically important factor in any relationship as well as any endeavor or business. But we often set aside communication, saying “They don’t need to know that!” We could avoid many conflicts by clear communication: Both sent and received. Perhaps this is one reason God calls Jesus the “logos”—the Word—the “ultimate communication” of God. And we do need to know that!

Hebrews 1:1 says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…” and then it goes on to demonstrate that Jesus was and is God’s greatest communication of Himself to Mankind. We could say that is “a given communication”…but there has to be a reception, of course.

The Word Became flesh. God communicated in human form. He had sent signs in the creation, judgments, prophets, visions and dreams…all as communication. Finally, he showed up in person, God in the flesh: Jesus himself—God’s best communication.

When we receive Christ, we have believed God—received His communication. When we obey his Word, we are demonstrating faith: (received communication again.) John 1:11, 12 says that the Word “Came unto his own (Israel) and his own received him not, but to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the children of God.” 

As a nation the Jews refused to believe. But God gave the ones who did believe the new birth, and they received the Holy Spirit to indwell them forever.  Communication is critically important…let’s look at some of the different kinds:

Four Kinds of Communication

Here in Ephesians 6:18-24, We find four kinds of communication listed:

  1. Prayer—communication from us to God
  2. Witnessing—communication from us to unbelievers—to “make known the mystery…”
  3. Sharing with believers—feedback—prayer requests, sharing answered prayers—both joys and sorrows, “that ye may know…” (By the way,we must distinguish this from Gossip. This is “…so that ye may know our affairs.” Gossip is crossing over into talking about other people behind their back…one must learn the difference.)
  4. God communicating His peace, his love and His living Grace to the believers, every day.

All four of these forms of communication are to be part of the daily Christian life. All are part of the job Jesus gave us to do. So: What is the job?

What is the Overall Mission of the Church—Our Reason for Existing?

The Great Commission is literally our “marching orders,” and World Evangelism is the only job Jesus has assigned to the Church. Everything else is how we are to carry out that One Assignment.

Consider: Everything else He told us to do, we could do better out of the world than in it. (Do you think you “love one another” better now than you will after you are finally rid of your old sin nature?) But the job of being an ambassador can only be done here in this life. And that is why He keeps us here: He wants us to do that job! So, how does each of the types of communication fit into the overall job?

Prayer: Communication with God

Many passages tell us how to pray, how often to pray, how not to pray, etc. But, Paul gives some specific commands and requests, here: He commands us to pray continually in the Spirit, for the brethren, with all supplication and perseverance. He asks prayer for himself, too, and I think it is important to see exactly for what it was he asked for prayer.

It had nothing to do with his finances, his work, his home, his health, etc. It only involved his doing the job God sent him to do.  He asked that “utterance may be given”—that he would be able to communicate the Gospel. He specifically asked twice that God would allow him boldness, so that he could speak as he ought to speak, and that he could “make known the mystery of the Gospel.”

Make Known the Mystery of the Gospel

If you don’t give someone enough information that they could make a decision for Christ,then you have not “made known the mystery of the gospel!” Sharing the Gospel with unbelievers has to be from the desire to feed them the bread of life. If you are afraid to give them the whole truth (Bad news and Good news,) then ultimately, you are not giving the Good News. We need to pray this same thing for ourselves, for boldness to make known the mystery of the Gospel.

Is it OK to pray for our physical circumstances? Yes! But how you pray reveals your priorities. If the main things we pray for are good health and good income, how do we differ from the folks who are actively preaching a “prosperity doctrine?” (Teachingthat “if you are right with God, then He will make you healthy and wealthy!”) We know that is false teaching, but our prayer life reveals that we really think that way somewhat, ourselves. Paul’s prayer life, on the other hand, is very instructive. He prayed for the physical well-being of others only a few times, and, at least once, when he prayed for his own physical health, God said, “My Grace is sufficient for thee!”

But God commands us to pray—for the world leaders, for all believers, and for the lost. He invites us to pray for ourselves, as well: Just realize that not all “hard times” are outside the will of God. Some suffering is a gift from God. We need to be in submission to God. But He tells us to “cast our cares on him,” to “pray without ceasing,” and to “pray, believing that He hears us.”

Evangelism: Communication With a Lost World

What about evangelism? We already talked about it a little, but the truth is, Evangelism is supposed to be part of every believer’s life. We are Ambassadors for Christ. How will an ambassador of a country function if he is not making contacts “for his nation,” as his job dictates? (Or “for God,” in our case?)

We are sent as the messengers of eternal life. We are to share the bread of life, the water of life, the free gift of God’s Grace. Every bit of that requires communication. Can some of it be non-verbal? Certainly it can! But it cannot all be non-verbal. The Grace your unbelieving friend, co-worker or family-member may see in your life still has to be explained!

Peter said in 1st Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you…” That requires verbal communication. And the Lord simply says “be ready”…it’s going to happen. That is part of the job…it’s part of the Christian life.

Remember that though the overall goal is to reach the World with the Gospel, it still requires meeting the unbelievers one by one, as a rule. You meet them where they are, and you feed them where they are hungry. You go beyond the “normal” world standards for generosity and kindness, and you share the reason for your faith at every opportunity.

Fellowship: Communion—Sharing With Other Believers

Who do you like to “hang out with,” and why? Who are your real friends? And when you are visiting with other believers, do you ever include the Lord in your conversations? Or is He “shut out until Sunday?” Can you really be “carrying out the mission of the Church” if you are not also fellowshipping with other believers around the person of Christ?

I remember reading in an account of Paul Fleming (one of the founders of New Tribes Mission), how, prior to the founding of New Tribes, he had gone to Malaysia with a different organization. He was fervent in his desire to reach the lost, and excited about the opportunities that seemed to surround him.

Not Everyone wants to “Share” in the Ministry.

At a “missionary gathering,” he unrolled a map and began sharing with a group of men about a tribe that he’d heard of in the back-country hills of Malaysia. He didn’t get far before one of the other men shut him down, saying, “Fleming, let’s not talk shop!” He was shocked and hurt to discover that to the rest of the group, yes, this was “the job,” but to them it was “just” a job; they did not want to talk about it “on their own time.” What does this suggest about the reality of their “servant-to-master” relationship with Christ? It was not a reality: This was their “day off.”

I once telephoned a pastor on a Monday, enthusiastic about something in the church. He answered the phone and angrily reproached me for calling him “on his day off.” I was shocked, but I quietly apologized, and finally said, “I don’t have a day off.” He called back later and apologized for his response, but still later, I  came to realize that the first response had accurately reflected reality. The second response was only covering his social error. It was “just a job” to him.

Bad Communication

We do need to be aware that not all “Christian communication” is of God. I have frequently heard communication that obviously is just gossip, but it is prefaced with “Let me tell you this so you can pray about it…” (Do you want to know something? God says he hates gossip!) Be careful that your communication is of a sort that would honor God and edify the rest of the believers. Do make a point of sharing your own prayer requests and those that are public information…just be wise about what is discussed. It is easy to cross over into gossip.

Sharing your OWN joys and needs is Not Gossip

Notice that what Paul shared with them through Tychicus was information about himself: “…so that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.” Was Tychicus talking about Paul? Surely he was…at Paul’s direction, and with the express intent of sharing the results of their earnest prayers on his behalf, and the work that he was doing.

The result was not “fun stuff to know and tell,” but rather joy and comfort for the believers. It was exactly the information that Paul would have told them if he had been personally present. Tychicus was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing. (By the way, he was the scribe who wrote the letter, as Paul dictated, and the one who hand-delivered it as well.)

We share with others freely when we know that they are faithful brothers and sisters. Paul said Tychicus was a beloved brother and a faithful minister. That is why he was entirely comfortable with Tychicus speaking on his behalf. I have had people who I barely knew, and with whom I had virtually no relationship, let alone a secure one, enticing me to share very personal information about my private life. Warily, I firmly but respectfully said that I did not think that would be profitable.

I later found out that my hesitation was well-founded—that individual ultimately proved to be a gossip, deliberately using against other people things that were supposedly shared with him in confidence, as a pastor. That is a sad story, but it is all too common among believers. Don’t allow yourself to fall into that trap, either on the “telling end” or the “listening end.”

Received Blessing:

God Completing the Cycle and Communicating with His People

So, how does God communicate with the believers? We know He communicates through the Written Word, and via the Holy Spirit, but the things Paul prays for here are gifts from God, communicating His love and blessing to the saints:

Paul prayed for peace, and love, with faith, for the brethren. All three in this context are not associated with salvation, but rather the blessings associated with walking in obedience and fellowship with God. The fact that they were “brethren” precludes any thought that he was praying for them to achieve peace with God. Peace with God was achieved at the Cross, and was eternally theirs the moment they trusted Jesus as their Savior. (Ephesians 2:14-16; Romans 5:1)

The Grace Paul prayed for, in this passage, for the believers, as well as the peace, and love with faith, are the necessary commodities we need, to live the Christian life. We walk by faith. We walk in Love. And, we experience the peace of God, as we daily experience the living Grace of God.

Conclusion:

Paul gave a benediction, directed at believers, but narrowing the field just a little. He said “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” If I interpret this to simply mean that “because my new nature can do no wrong, and that it truly loves Jesus completely,” then I might conclude that it only says “…because you have a new nature, as a believer, the Grace of God is always with you.” And, in a way, that is certainly true.

But Paul is saying something more direct and with deeper implication: It is a promise of God’s living Grace upon and with every believer who actually walks with God. Jesus said, “If you love me you will obey my commandments.”  I really doubt that any of the disciples said, “Heh, heh! Well, you know, because we have a new nature that can’t sin, we are always obedient at heart…”

God Takes Sin Seriously

No, God takes sin seriously, even in a believer’s life…in fact, more so, in a way: Though the punishment for my crimes against God was carried out at the Cross, there are still consequences for sin, and rewards for obedience. God specifically says that he disciplines his children.

So, the promise here is actually “narrowed” a bit—all the promises in chapter one were positional in nature—they are true of us simply because we are born again. But this one, like others, is conditional. It is conditional upon consistent obedience and a sincere Agapé Love.

It is interesting: the English word, “Sincere,” comes from the Latin word “sincerus,” which literally means “without wax”—untainted, unadulterated. But there are about six different Greek words from which the translators got the English word “sincere”—and none of them mean “without wax.” None carry precisely the same idea as the English word. In this particular case, the Greek word is “aphtharsia,” meaning “without corruption.”

A Conditional Promise

So, Paul held out a conditional promise: Agapé love is not “mushy feelings” or even “fondness:” It is an act of the will whereby the person doing the loving, acts entirely in the best interest of the person (or principle) receiving the love. Look at 1st Corinthians 13…every single example given in defining Agapé love is an action: It is not about feeling at all, but rather, doing.

So, what does it mean to “Love the Lord Jesus Christ without corruption?” If you saw a marriage within which one party was surreptitiously cheating on the other, or at least constantly getting dangerously close to adultery, wouldn’t you see that as corruption in that marriage?

Think about how frequently you teeter on the edge of sin, or even plunge into outright rebellion and sin, because of anger, or greed, self-gratification, laziness, or whatever. When we choose to go our own way, we are putting our own selves above God; our own desires above His. That is precisely what Paul is quietly warning against. He is holding out a special promise for those who put Jesus first in their lives, across the board, without hedging.

It is worth pursuing, and it is possible to attain, or he wouldn’t have offered it. I suspect it is a “you get out of it what you put into it” arrangement: “Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7-9 read it)

Give this some serious thought, and consider how you can claim this conditional promise in your own life.

Lord Jesus, help us to purify our hearts and to love You without corruption. Teach us to become the Ambassadors You have called us to be, serving as Your hands and feet and voice in this dying world. Amen!

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