Do Not Underestimate the Power of Your Covenant With God
Do Not Underestimate the Power of Your Favor With God
Do Not Let Your Brothers & Sisters Battle Sin Without Your Spiritual Air Support
ESV 1 John 5:13 ¶ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.
ESV John 20:31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
ESV 1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
ESV John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
ESV 1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
ESV 1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
Confidence here means courage, boldness, fearlessness
ESV John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
ESV Matthew 7:7 ¶ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
The connection with God is amazing. When His eyes are on us, His grace abounds to us because of His deep favor for us.
By Keith Green
Oh Lord, You're beautiful
Your face is all I seek.
For when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life--to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.
John alludes to something that his readers no doubt would understand. We have to try to piece it together.
Physical death as a consequence of sin....
In Jewish literature the idea of sin leading to death is occasionally found:
Num 18:21-22 Do not come near the tent of meeting---only Levites can...lest you die.
Some sins were punishable by death and some not. NLT Deuteronomy 22:25 ¶ "But if the man meets the engaged woman out in the country, and he rapes her, then only the man must die. 26 Do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no crime worthy of death. She is as innocent as a murder victim.
Sometimes God announces that certain sins seal the fate of a people and cannot be forgiven.
NLT Isaiah 22:14 The LORD of Heaven's Armies has revealed this to me: "Till the day you die, you will never be forgiven for this sin." That is the judgment of the Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
BUT JOHN DOESN'T refer to physical death in 1 John 5:16-17.
Does John mean blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
ESV Matthew 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
I don't think this is what John has in mind.
It seems he has apostasy in mind. John is talking about the second death.
ESV Hebrews 6:1 ¶ Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
ESV Hebrews 10:26 ¶ For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
ESV Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
ESV Revelation 21:6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
ESV 1 John 3:4 ¶ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
18 ¶ We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
John has been talking about being born of God in the gospel of John and in 1 John.
ESV 1 John 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
People born of God are changed over time.
ESV 1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
NLT Jude 1:1 This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.
19 ¶ We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
ESV John 17:15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
ESV Galatians 1:4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
ESV John 8:47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."
20 ¶ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
ESV Jeremiah 24:7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
ESV John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
ESV Romans 9:5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
ESV John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
ESV 1 Corinthians 10:14 ¶ Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
ALL THE USES OF CONFIDENCE IN LXX/GNT
(The original Greek word here is 'PARAESSIA')
ESV Leviticus 26:13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
ESV Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;
ESV Proverbs 10:10 Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
ESV Proverbs 13:5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.
ESV Job 27:10 Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
ESV Mark 8:32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
ESV John 7:4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world."
13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?
ESV John 10:24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
ESV John 11:14 Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died,
54 ¶ Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
ESV John 16:25 ¶ "I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.
29 ¶ His disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!
ESV John 18:20 Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.
ESV Acts 2:29 ¶ "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
ESV Acts 4:13 ¶ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
ESV Acts 28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
ESV 2 Corinthians 3:12 ¶ Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,
ESV 2 Corinthians 7:4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
ESV Ephesians 3:12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
ESV Ephesians 6:19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
ESV Philippians 1:20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
ESV Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
ESV 1 Timothy 3:13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
ESV Philemon 1:8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
ESV Hebrews 3:6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
ESV Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
ESV Hebrews 10:19 ¶ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
ESV 1 John 2:28 ¶ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
ESV 1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
ESV 1 John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
ESV 1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Demonstration of love 1 John 4:7-12
Have we been sold a bill of goods on love? Agape, Philia, Eros
Is there anything more important than love? Isn't loving one another the primary focus of real Christianity?
Why have I heard misinformation about love from books and pulpits all my life? What's the deal?
I've heard for years that there are three kinds of love in Greek, philia, eros and agape. Once again I read this in my study of 1 John for my sermon prep this week in an otherwise well written commentary. The common idea is that agape is God's love, outside of human beings ability or containment. It is a selfless love. Philia is brotherly or family love. The love of friendship. Eros is not a biblical term, and includes baser human desires perhaps better classified as lust.
So I was quite stunned when I found out in my pastors study years ago that is NOT accurate.
Let me first just list the Greek nouns I've found in the Semantic Domain that includes 'Love, affection, Compassion'.
Philia (love for someone or something based on association with them)
Philadelphia/os (brotherly love)
Philanthropia (love of mankind)
Philandros (a wife's love for her husband)
Philoteknos (a parents love for their children)
Philautos (love for yourself)
Philotheos (love for God)
Philostorgos (love for close relatives)
Agape (love for someone or something-showing a high regard for them or it)
Zelos (to have a deep concern or compassion for someone or something)
Epipotheo (to experience a yearning affection for someone - 'to have a great affection for, to have a yearning love for)
Splankna (deep affection or compassion)
'Platuno Ten Kardian' (idiom meaning to broaden the heart)
Embrimaomai (to have an intense, strong feeling of concern, often with the implication of indignation)
Sumpathes {You have one guess to figure this one out-no second chance sympathy if you cannot figure it out :-)}
If you combine all the phil stem words into one basic word, there are still eight kinds of love listed (not three).
Further examination shows that some of these words have a massive overlap in usage. For example, philia and agape are used for similar or identical situations in many places.
Since love is so very important to define, I believe a fresh look at just the basic lexicons and dictionaries on these words and how they are used is demanded for us. Especially in light of the discovery that there are not three basic words for love in the bible's Greek. 8 are listed, and eros is not one of them.
The word Eros is the name of the Greek mythological god of love. See a quick definition of eros from Wikipedia. Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "(romantic) love". The term erotic is derived from eros.
So we ought to focus on love and what is biblical love, so that we don't have an over spiritual definition of love that prevents us from actually loving anyone because our definition is so high that no one could attain to it.
ESV 1 John 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
ESV John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
ESV John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
ESV 1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
ESV John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
ESV 1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
ESV 1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
ESV 1 John 5:1 ¶ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
ESV 1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
ESV 1 John 5:18 ¶ We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us--
ESV John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
ESV 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
ESV 2 Thessalonians 2:16 ¶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
ESV Romans 3:19 ¶ Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 ¶ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
ESV Romans 5:6 ¶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Grudem: "propitiation means "a sacrifice that bears God's wrath to the end and in so doing changes God's wrath toward us into favor."
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
ESV Romans 13:8 ¶ Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 ¶ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Practical ways to love one another:
Give gifts. Christ is our gift from the Father.
Spend time with people.
Encourage them with words that strengthen their hearts.
Touch each other...Kiss one another with a holy kiss.
Serve one another.
The honor code of the marines. Two childhood friends fighting in the trench war of WW1.
Is there anything more important than love? Isn't loving one another the primary focus of real Christianity?
Why have I heard misinformation about love from books and pulpits all my life? What's the deal?
I've heard for years that there are three kinds of love in Greek, philia, eros and agape. Once again I read this in my study of 1 John for my sermon prep this week in an otherwise well written commentary. The common idea is that agape is God's love, outside of human beings ability or containment. It is a selfless love. Philia is brotherly or family love. The love of friendship. Eros is not a biblical term, and includes baser human desires perhaps better classified as lust.
So I was quite stunned when I found out in my pastors study years ago that is NOT accurate.
Let me first just list the Greek nouns I've found in the Semantic Domain that includes 'Love, affection, Compassion'.
Philia (love for someone or something based on association with them)
Philadelphia/os (brotherly love)
Philanthropia (love of mankind)
Philandros (a wife's love for her husband)
Philoteknos (a parents love for their children)
Philautos (love for yourself)
Philotheos (love for God)
Philostorgos (love for close relatives)
Agape (love for someone or something-showing a high regard for them or it)
Zelos (to have a deep concern or compassion for someone or something)
Epipotheo (to experience a yearning affection for someone - 'to have a great affection for, to have a yearning love for)
Splankna (deep affection or compassion)
'Platuno Ten Kardian' (idiom meaning to broaden the heart)
Embrimaomai (to have an intense, strong feeling of concern, often with the implication of indignation)
Sumpathes {You have one guess to figure this one out-no second chance sympathy if you cannot figure it out :-)}
If you combine all the phil stem words into one basic word, there are still eight kinds of love listed (not three).
Further examination shows that some of these words have a massive overlap in usage. For example, philia and agape are used for similar or identical situations in many places.
Since love is so very important to define, I believe a fresh look at just the basic lexicons and dictionaries on these words and how they are used is demanded for us. Especially in light of the discovery that there are not three basic words for love in the bible's Greek. 8 are listed, and eros is not one of them.
The word Eros is the name of the Greek mythological god of love. See a quick definition of eros from Wikipedia. Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "(romantic) love". The term erotic is derived from eros.
So we ought to focus on love and what is biblical love, so that we don't have an over spiritual definition of love that prevents us from actually loving anyone because our definition is so high that no one could attain to it.
ESV 1 John 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
ESV John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
ESV John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
ESV 1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
ESV John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
ESV 1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
ESV 1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
ESV 1 John 5:1 ¶ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
ESV 1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
ESV 1 John 5:18 ¶ We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us--
ESV John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
ESV 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
ESV 2 Thessalonians 2:16 ¶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
ESV Romans 3:19 ¶ Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 ¶ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
ESV Romans 5:6 ¶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Grudem: "propitiation means "a sacrifice that bears God's wrath to the end and in so doing changes God's wrath toward us into favor."
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
ESV Romans 13:8 ¶ Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 ¶ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Practical ways to love one another:
Give gifts. Christ is our gift from the Father.
Spend time with people.
Encourage them with words that strengthen their hearts.
Touch each other...Kiss one another with a holy kiss.
Serve one another.
The honor code of the marines. Two childhood friends fighting in the trench war of WW1.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Prime Directive: Love
Is there anything more important than love? Isn't loving one another the primary focus of real Christianity? Why have I heard misinformation about love from books and pulpits all my life? What's the deal?
I've heard for years that there are three kinds of love in Greek, philia, eros and agape. Once again I read this in my study of 1 John for my sermon prep this week in an otherwise well written commentary. The common idea is that agape is God's love, outside of human beings ability or containment. It is a selfless love. Philia is brotherly or family love. The love of friendship. Eros is not a biblical term, and includes baser human desires perhaps better classified as lust.
So I was quite stunned when I found out in my pastors study years ago that is NOT accurate.
Let me first just list the Greek nouns I've found in the Semantic Domain that includes 'Love, affection, Compassion'.
Philia (love for someone or something based on association with them)
Philadelphia/os (brotherly love)
Philanthropia (love of mankind)
Philandros (a wife's love for her husband)
Philoteknos (a parents love for their children)
Philautos (love for yourself)
Philotheos (love for God)
Philostorgos (love for close relatives)
Agape (love for someone or something-showing a high regard for them or it)
Zelos (to have a deep concern or compassion for someone or something)
Epipotheo (to experience a yearning affection for someone - 'to have a great affection for, to have a yearning love for)
Splankna (deep affection or compassion)
'Platuno Ten Kardian' (idiom meaning to broaden the heart)
Embrimaomai (to have an intense, strong feeling of concern, often with the implication of indignation)
Sumpathes {You have one guess to figure this one out-no second chance sympathy if you cannot figure it out :-)}
If you combine all the phil stem words into one basic word, there are still eight kinds of love listed (not three).
Further examination shows that some of these words have a massive overlap in usage. For example, philia and agape are used for similar or identical situations in many places.
Since love is so very important to define, I believe a fresh look at just the basic lexicons and dictionaries on these words and how they are used is demanded for us. Especially in light of the discovery that there are not three basic words for love in the bible's Greek. 8 are listed, and eros is not one of them.
The word Eros is the name of the Greek mythological god of love. See a quick definition of eros from Wikipedia. See wikipedia for more on this. Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "(romantic) love". The term erotic is derived from eros.
From what I can see, agape is love with a focus on demonstration or showing itself to the recipient of love. It can be in a human or in God.
I've heard for years that there are three kinds of love in Greek, philia, eros and agape. Once again I read this in my study of 1 John for my sermon prep this week in an otherwise well written commentary. The common idea is that agape is God's love, outside of human beings ability or containment. It is a selfless love. Philia is brotherly or family love. The love of friendship. Eros is not a biblical term, and includes baser human desires perhaps better classified as lust.
So I was quite stunned when I found out in my pastors study years ago that is NOT accurate.
Let me first just list the Greek nouns I've found in the Semantic Domain that includes 'Love, affection, Compassion'.
Philia (love for someone or something based on association with them)
Philadelphia/os (brotherly love)
Philanthropia (love of mankind)
Philandros (a wife's love for her husband)
Philoteknos (a parents love for their children)
Philautos (love for yourself)
Philotheos (love for God)
Philostorgos (love for close relatives)
Agape (love for someone or something-showing a high regard for them or it)
Zelos (to have a deep concern or compassion for someone or something)
Epipotheo (to experience a yearning affection for someone - 'to have a great affection for, to have a yearning love for)
Splankna (deep affection or compassion)
'Platuno Ten Kardian' (idiom meaning to broaden the heart)
Embrimaomai (to have an intense, strong feeling of concern, often with the implication of indignation)
Sumpathes {You have one guess to figure this one out-no second chance sympathy if you cannot figure it out :-)}
If you combine all the phil stem words into one basic word, there are still eight kinds of love listed (not three).
Further examination shows that some of these words have a massive overlap in usage. For example, philia and agape are used for similar or identical situations in many places.
Since love is so very important to define, I believe a fresh look at just the basic lexicons and dictionaries on these words and how they are used is demanded for us. Especially in light of the discovery that there are not three basic words for love in the bible's Greek. 8 are listed, and eros is not one of them.
The word Eros is the name of the Greek mythological god of love. See a quick definition of eros from Wikipedia. See wikipedia for more on this. Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "(romantic) love". The term erotic is derived from eros.
From what I can see, agape is love with a focus on demonstration or showing itself to the recipient of love. It can be in a human or in God.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Children of God (Pt 3) 1 John 4:1-6
Children of God part 3
1 John 4:1-6
ESV 1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Introduction:
Dropped Hosanna off yesterday at W.C.
It wasn't very many years ago when we brought her home from the hospital. She was so tiny. Then she learned to walk and talk. Then we took her on mission trips to White Russia. Then on to be a pastor's daughter in Illinois. Most of her life she's been in Normal, Illinois. I remember when we learned she could sing. Everyone seemed to love her voice, but no one loved it as much as I do still. That's my little girl. A boyfriend. A job. A high score on test after test. Suddenly it's time for college.
The emotions. The sadness. The excitement. Please remember the good things we deposited. Forget the rest.
First few months of college in my day were exciting for me. Every week I went to a different church. One day my suite mate suggested a new church to me. We went and checked it out. It was very charismatic. They were teaching a new doctrine. The idea was that your words have power on them. Sounds biblical. The idea was that if you confessed something that you caused it to happen. Sounded out there a little, but some scriptures seemed to support it. As he taught I began to pray. "Lord help me to discern if this is right?" The very night that I prayed that prayer, the pastor began to teach us how to speak in tongues. He said make some sort of a sound. Then repeat it and let your thinking just go. Soon you will be speaking in tongues. He believed that if you speak the word it becomes reality. I just had to reject this idea. The clincher was when he began to explain the word 'Logos' in John 1. He said that many Jews for many generations had been saying...'the Messiah is coming'. He said every time you say something that your words take on an invisible force or power that builds up in the atmosphere. He said that the Jews who had been confessing 'the Messiah is coming' had their words building up in the atmosphere to the point that their 'word' became flesh and dwelt among us. Now I didn't know much else, but I knew that was wrong. I felt God had given me a clear indication that this new church had a wrong spirit about it. I never went back to their services.
So how do we know if someone is on track or off track when it comes to spiritual truth?
Today's subject brings the convergence of two great areas of theology.
1) Pneumatology
Two broad areas of pneumatology include the study of Angels, both evil and elect. Secondly the study of the person and role of the Holy Spirit particularly in relationship to
human spirits.
2) Christology
Here we have the issues relating to the eternal existence of the Son of God and in focus today is what some call Incarnational Christology.
We will look at the command of this passage, the positive test, the negative test and the assurance John gives to reinforce us.
The Command of the passage
ESV 1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Often believe can mean to trust, but in this verse it tilts towards the idea of acknowledging. The idea flows around who are you going to open up to.
A) They were not a closed community. Being open to others outside bore risk. This passage shows how to have a gate on the community without being a closed community. This is important so that we don't end up becoming ingrown as a community.
Jesus has people who were not in his group that were preaching in his name during his time. He stopped his disciples from rebuking them. The Kingdom of God was never meant to be one organized group on earth. Jesus demonstrated that for us. This means that we need to be open to people from outside our 'group' or movement. Yet the apostle warns that there are many false prophets in the world coming around to spread error.
This also means that there is a body of truth that the church must hold to. This body of truth is called 'the faith' or the truth. There are minor things and there are major things. For example, what writings in the world are considered holy writ...this is a main thing. We must agree on what is and isn't the bible. Another main thing is a basic agreement on who is Jesus. This is sometimes called Christology.
In our passage today John gives two Christological tests to tell if someone is of God or not of God.
The Positive test.
2 This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.
The Negative test.
3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
Paul had some advice to the Thessalonians on prophecy. ESV 1 Thessalonians 5:20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.
ESV 1 Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
John is talking about a variation of what Paul tells the Thessalonians. It is not the same as what he talks about to the Corinthians. There you have a special spiritual gift called discerning of spirits. This is a general test for all believers that requires no special gift to use. It's a general test.
To broaden this test out a bit: What you believe about Jesus as a human and as God is crucial. What you believe about the ministry of the Spirit of God is also important. Some people have focused so much on the Holy Spirit that they rarely talk about the life, work, teachings and atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Instead they talk only of the Holy Spirit. But the principle work of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus. It hardly can be the Holy Spirit when we replace a focus on Christ with a focus on the Holy Spirit.
Summing up the doctrine of Christ with his incarnation in mind. Jesus is fully human and he is fully divine. God the Son took on Himself a human nature. This is commonly called the incarnation. So God the Son is now human also. This is often called the dual nature of Christ. He is the God-man. Not part God. Not part man. He is fully God. He is fully man. See John 1:1, 18. You may check the section on the Trinity by Wayne Grudem in Systematic Theology.
ESV John 1:1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
ESV Genesis 1:1 ¶ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
ESV John 1:14 ¶ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
ESV John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
ESV Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
John's Assurance to you: Apostolic Reinforcement
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
a) If you have repented of your sins, put your confidence in Jesus' death on the cross to bring full forgiveness to you, and have received the Holy Spirit, then you are one of God's children. If this is true, then you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. Then the consequence is that HE who lives in you is far greater than anyone else because He is God!
The spirits of this world follow their leader the devil. The devil is as far inferior to the Holy Spirit as can be imagined. So what does this mean? It means that no matter how dark it seems around you, remember that He who is in you is far superior. Through the Holy Spirit you have all the strength, power and protection you need to overcome all evil.
b) Anyone who listens to John the apostle and his teaching and is in agreement with his teaching is from God. Those who reject his teachings are in error.
Final thoughts
Don't be afraid to test everything that claims to be spiritual. Principally test everything first in the area of Christology. What do they think about who Jesus is? Do they believe He is the one true God? Do they believe He is fully human as well?
Some groups are saying that we don't need to think so much about doctrine anymore. Don't believe that idea. It is opposed by John the apostle. One crucial test for a right spirit is those who agree with the key doctrines of Jesus. This is where we part company with Mormons, JW's, Bahai, some United Methodists and United Presbyterians as well as some Catholics and many other groups. Many people teach that Jesus was one way. Or that he was a great spirit, but not the Only True God. Some teach he is a god, but not God. There are many different teachings about who Jesus is, but on these points, we will not sway. Jesus is fully God. There is only one true God. Jesus. He is fully man as well.
Furthermore, be open to people from outside the Vineyard, but test them. Test their ideas. Test prophecy. Be open to prophets, but test them.
How I did this about 10 years ago with a ministry that used to be called Lily Ministries (now called Judah International Ministries) in Mackinaw, IL.
1 John 4:1-6
ESV 1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Introduction:
Dropped Hosanna off yesterday at W.C.
It wasn't very many years ago when we brought her home from the hospital. She was so tiny. Then she learned to walk and talk. Then we took her on mission trips to White Russia. Then on to be a pastor's daughter in Illinois. Most of her life she's been in Normal, Illinois. I remember when we learned she could sing. Everyone seemed to love her voice, but no one loved it as much as I do still. That's my little girl. A boyfriend. A job. A high score on test after test. Suddenly it's time for college.
The emotions. The sadness. The excitement. Please remember the good things we deposited. Forget the rest.
First few months of college in my day were exciting for me. Every week I went to a different church. One day my suite mate suggested a new church to me. We went and checked it out. It was very charismatic. They were teaching a new doctrine. The idea was that your words have power on them. Sounds biblical. The idea was that if you confessed something that you caused it to happen. Sounded out there a little, but some scriptures seemed to support it. As he taught I began to pray. "Lord help me to discern if this is right?" The very night that I prayed that prayer, the pastor began to teach us how to speak in tongues. He said make some sort of a sound. Then repeat it and let your thinking just go. Soon you will be speaking in tongues. He believed that if you speak the word it becomes reality. I just had to reject this idea. The clincher was when he began to explain the word 'Logos' in John 1. He said that many Jews for many generations had been saying...'the Messiah is coming'. He said every time you say something that your words take on an invisible force or power that builds up in the atmosphere. He said that the Jews who had been confessing 'the Messiah is coming' had their words building up in the atmosphere to the point that their 'word' became flesh and dwelt among us. Now I didn't know much else, but I knew that was wrong. I felt God had given me a clear indication that this new church had a wrong spirit about it. I never went back to their services.
So how do we know if someone is on track or off track when it comes to spiritual truth?
Today's subject brings the convergence of two great areas of theology.
1) Pneumatology
Two broad areas of pneumatology include the study of Angels, both evil and elect. Secondly the study of the person and role of the Holy Spirit particularly in relationship to
human spirits.
2) Christology
Here we have the issues relating to the eternal existence of the Son of God and in focus today is what some call Incarnational Christology.
We will look at the command of this passage, the positive test, the negative test and the assurance John gives to reinforce us.
The Command of the passage
ESV 1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Often believe can mean to trust, but in this verse it tilts towards the idea of acknowledging. The idea flows around who are you going to open up to.
A) They were not a closed community. Being open to others outside bore risk. This passage shows how to have a gate on the community without being a closed community. This is important so that we don't end up becoming ingrown as a community.
Jesus has people who were not in his group that were preaching in his name during his time. He stopped his disciples from rebuking them. The Kingdom of God was never meant to be one organized group on earth. Jesus demonstrated that for us. This means that we need to be open to people from outside our 'group' or movement. Yet the apostle warns that there are many false prophets in the world coming around to spread error.
This also means that there is a body of truth that the church must hold to. This body of truth is called 'the faith' or the truth. There are minor things and there are major things. For example, what writings in the world are considered holy writ...this is a main thing. We must agree on what is and isn't the bible. Another main thing is a basic agreement on who is Jesus. This is sometimes called Christology.
In our passage today John gives two Christological tests to tell if someone is of God or not of God.
The Positive test.
2 This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.
The Negative test.
3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
Paul had some advice to the Thessalonians on prophecy. ESV 1 Thessalonians 5:20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.
ESV 1 Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
John is talking about a variation of what Paul tells the Thessalonians. It is not the same as what he talks about to the Corinthians. There you have a special spiritual gift called discerning of spirits. This is a general test for all believers that requires no special gift to use. It's a general test.
To broaden this test out a bit: What you believe about Jesus as a human and as God is crucial. What you believe about the ministry of the Spirit of God is also important. Some people have focused so much on the Holy Spirit that they rarely talk about the life, work, teachings and atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Instead they talk only of the Holy Spirit. But the principle work of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus. It hardly can be the Holy Spirit when we replace a focus on Christ with a focus on the Holy Spirit.
Summing up the doctrine of Christ with his incarnation in mind. Jesus is fully human and he is fully divine. God the Son took on Himself a human nature. This is commonly called the incarnation. So God the Son is now human also. This is often called the dual nature of Christ. He is the God-man. Not part God. Not part man. He is fully God. He is fully man. See John 1:1, 18. You may check the section on the Trinity by Wayne Grudem in Systematic Theology.
ESV John 1:1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
ESV Genesis 1:1 ¶ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
ESV John 1:14 ¶ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
ESV John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
ESV Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
John's Assurance to you: Apostolic Reinforcement
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
a) If you have repented of your sins, put your confidence in Jesus' death on the cross to bring full forgiveness to you, and have received the Holy Spirit, then you are one of God's children. If this is true, then you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. Then the consequence is that HE who lives in you is far greater than anyone else because He is God!
The spirits of this world follow their leader the devil. The devil is as far inferior to the Holy Spirit as can be imagined. So what does this mean? It means that no matter how dark it seems around you, remember that He who is in you is far superior. Through the Holy Spirit you have all the strength, power and protection you need to overcome all evil.
b) Anyone who listens to John the apostle and his teaching and is in agreement with his teaching is from God. Those who reject his teachings are in error.
Final thoughts
Don't be afraid to test everything that claims to be spiritual. Principally test everything first in the area of Christology. What do they think about who Jesus is? Do they believe He is the one true God? Do they believe He is fully human as well?
Some groups are saying that we don't need to think so much about doctrine anymore. Don't believe that idea. It is opposed by John the apostle. One crucial test for a right spirit is those who agree with the key doctrines of Jesus. This is where we part company with Mormons, JW's, Bahai, some United Methodists and United Presbyterians as well as some Catholics and many other groups. Many people teach that Jesus was one way. Or that he was a great spirit, but not the Only True God. Some teach he is a god, but not God. There are many different teachings about who Jesus is, but on these points, we will not sway. Jesus is fully God. There is only one true God. Jesus. He is fully man as well.
Furthermore, be open to people from outside the Vineyard, but test them. Test their ideas. Test prophecy. Be open to prophets, but test them.
How I did this about 10 years ago with a ministry that used to be called Lily Ministries (now called Judah International Ministries) in Mackinaw, IL.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Children of God: Kingdom of God vs Kingdom of darkness
Christ's Kingdom love vs. Dark Kingdom hatred
ESV 1 John 3:13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Echoes of ESV John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
ESV John 15:18 ¶ "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
ESV John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
ESV 1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
ESV Matthew 5:21 ¶ "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
The Kingdom of Darkness is not an impersonal Kingdom, but there is one who rules that kingdom. The Devil, Satan.
John sees two kinds of people in the world. Those with Jesus and those not.
Define world: Kosmos
What is 'death'? Here is the dominion of the kingdom of darkness: the realm of death as the NEB translates it.
What is 'life'? The dominion of the kingdom of God.
What is the main thing? Demonstrations of love.
What is Kingdom Love? Read from Spicq. His key thought is that agape must be demonstrated. Rooted in humility, a valuing of another grows so strong that a demonstration of love must transpire. Without that demonstration, there is no real agape love. The link between desire and demonstration of desire in agape is so strong that it almost overshadows the idea of motive in agape. Perhaps too much has been put on the idea that agape is 'God's love'. Agape is simply put, great value on another demonstrated.
What is the polarizing force to Christ's Kingdom love?
What is hatred? Devaluing another to the point of despising them. It is the opposite of agape love.
Is this like Star Wars...the two forces? Is the power behind Christ's Kingdom love an impersonal force? Is the Kingdom of darkness a surge of dark power of hatred?
Our movie backgrounds have clouded our ability to see the scripture here. There are two realms operating here. One realm is the region or atmosphere where Christ rules. That dimension is called the Kingdom of God because Christ rules in us. The other realm is death. Recall our focus on Hosea a few months ago: ESV Hosea 13:14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
And to his Corinthian letter Paul writes: ESV 1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
Through the death of Christ on the cross He broke the power of sin, the sting of death was overcome, we died to the law and to the world! Hallelujah! John focuses on the fact that this is a demonstration of the Kingdom of Heaven's Life because it was an act of love for us. The Kingdom of heaven is focused on the person of Jesus Christ.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
ESV John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
Agape in our hearts is personal...ESV Romans 16:14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.
17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
ESV James 2:15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
ESV Deuteronomy 15:7 ¶ "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,
ESV 1 John 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
ESV James 1:22 ¶ But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
19 ¶ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
ESV Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
ESV Romans 5:18 ¶ Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
ESV Hebrews 13:20 ¶ Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
ESV 1 John 4:13 ¶ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
ESV Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
ESV 1 John 3:13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Echoes of ESV John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
ESV John 15:18 ¶ "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
ESV John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
ESV 1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
ESV Matthew 5:21 ¶ "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
The Kingdom of Darkness is not an impersonal Kingdom, but there is one who rules that kingdom. The Devil, Satan.
John sees two kinds of people in the world. Those with Jesus and those not.
Define world: Kosmos
What is 'death'? Here is the dominion of the kingdom of darkness: the realm of death as the NEB translates it.
What is 'life'? The dominion of the kingdom of God.
What is the main thing? Demonstrations of love.
What is Kingdom Love? Read from Spicq. His key thought is that agape must be demonstrated. Rooted in humility, a valuing of another grows so strong that a demonstration of love must transpire. Without that demonstration, there is no real agape love. The link between desire and demonstration of desire in agape is so strong that it almost overshadows the idea of motive in agape. Perhaps too much has been put on the idea that agape is 'God's love'. Agape is simply put, great value on another demonstrated.
What is the polarizing force to Christ's Kingdom love?
What is hatred? Devaluing another to the point of despising them. It is the opposite of agape love.
Is this like Star Wars...the two forces? Is the power behind Christ's Kingdom love an impersonal force? Is the Kingdom of darkness a surge of dark power of hatred?
Our movie backgrounds have clouded our ability to see the scripture here. There are two realms operating here. One realm is the region or atmosphere where Christ rules. That dimension is called the Kingdom of God because Christ rules in us. The other realm is death. Recall our focus on Hosea a few months ago: ESV Hosea 13:14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
And to his Corinthian letter Paul writes: ESV 1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
Through the death of Christ on the cross He broke the power of sin, the sting of death was overcome, we died to the law and to the world! Hallelujah! John focuses on the fact that this is a demonstration of the Kingdom of Heaven's Life because it was an act of love for us. The Kingdom of heaven is focused on the person of Jesus Christ.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
ESV John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
Agape in our hearts is personal...ESV Romans 16:14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.
17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
ESV James 2:15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
ESV Deuteronomy 15:7 ¶ "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,
ESV 1 John 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
ESV James 1:22 ¶ But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
19 ¶ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
ESV Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
ESV Romans 5:18 ¶ Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
ESV Hebrews 13:20 ¶ Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
ESV 1 John 4:13 ¶ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
ESV Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
1 John 3:13-24 English, French, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian
ESV 1 John 3:13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 ¶ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
NEG 1 John 3:13 Ne vous étonnez pas, frères, si le monde vous hait. 14 Nous savons que nous sommes passés de la mort à la vie, parce que nous aimons les frères. Celui qui n'aime pas demeure dans la mort. 15 Quiconque hait son frère est un meurtrier, et vous savez qu 'aucun meurtrier n'a la vie éternelle demeurant en lui. 16 Nous avons connu l'amour, en ce qu 'il a donné sa vie pour nous; nous aussi, nous devons donner notre vie pour les frères. 17 Si quelqu'un possède les biens du monde, et que, voyant son frère dans le besoin, il lui ferme ses entrailles, comment l'amour de Dieu demeure -t-il en lui ? 18 Petits enfants, n'aimons pas en paroles et avec la langue, mais en actions et avec vérité. 19 ¶ Par là nous connaîtrons que nous sommes de la vérité, et nous rassurerons nos coeurs devant lui; 20 car si notre coeur nous condamne, Dieu est plus grand que notre coeur, et il connaît toutes choses. 21 Bien-aimés, si notre coeur ne nous condamne pas, nous avons de l'assurance devant Dieu. 22 Quoi que ce soit que nous demandions, nous le recevons de lui, parce que nous gardons ses commandements et que nous faisons ce qui lui est agréable. 23 Et c'est ici son commandement: que nous croyions au nom de son Fils Jésus -Christ, et que nous nous aimions les uns les autres, selon le commandement qu'il nous a donné. 24 Celui qui garde ses commandements demeure en Dieu, et Dieu en lui; et nous connaissons qu 'il demeure en nous par l'Esprit qu 'il nous a donné.
BGT 1 John 3:13 [Καὶ] μὴ θαυμάζετε, ἀδελφοί, εἰ μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος. 14 ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι μεταβεβήκαμεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς· ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν μένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ. 15 πᾶς ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν, καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν αὐτῷ μένουσαν. 16 ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν· καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι. 17 ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ; 18 Τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. 19 ¶ [Καὶ] ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν, καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν, 20 ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία, ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν καὶ γινώσκει πάντα. 21 Ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία [ἡμῶν] μὴ καταγινώσκῃ, παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεόν 22 καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν λαμβάνομεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν. 23 Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν. 24 καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος οὗ ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν.
SBP 1 John 3:13 Näo se admirem, irmäos, se os que säo do mundo vos odeiam. 14 Nós sabemos que passámos da morte para a vida porque amamos os irmäos. Aquele que näo ama ainda está morto. 15 Todo aquele que tem ódio ao seu irmäo é um assassino. E sabem que os assassinos näo têm dentro de si a vida eterna. 16 Eis como nós podemos saber o que é o amor: Jesus Cristo deu a sua vida por nós; portanto, também nós devemos dar a nossa vida pelos nossos irmäos. 17 Se alguém possui bens neste mundo e, vendo o irmäo em necessidade lhe fechar o seu coraçäo, como permanecerá nele o amor de Deus? 18 Meus filhos, näo amemos com palavras e discursos, mas com acções e com verdade. 19 ¶ Desta maneira sabemos que somos da verdade e que a nossa consciência se pode sentir tranquila diante de Deus. 20 Se o nosso coraçäo nos acusa, Deus é maior do que o nosso coraçäo e conhece tudo. 21 Queridos amigos, se o nosso coraçäo näo nos acusa, temos plena confiança em Deus 22 e tudo aquilo que lhe pedirmos havemos de o receber, porque obedecemos aos seus mandamentos e fazemos aquilo que lhe agrada. 23 E aquilo que ele nos mandou é que acreditemos em Jesus Cristo, seu Filho, e nos amemos uns aos outros como ele nos mandou. 24 Aquele que obedece aos mandamentos de Deus permanece em Deus e Deus nele. E sabemos que Deus está em nós graças ao Espírito que ele nos deu.
NVI 1 John 3:13 Hermanos, no se extrañen si el mundo los odia. 14 Nosotros sabemos que hemos pasado de la muerte a la vida porque amamos a nuestros hermanos. El que no ama permanece en la muerte. 15 Todo el que odia a su hermano es un asesino, y ustedes saben que en ningún asesino permanece la vida eterna. 16 En esto conocemos lo que es el amor: en que Jesucristo entregó su vida por nosotros. Así también nosotros debemos entregar la vida por nuestros hermanos. 17 Si alguien que posee bienes materiales ve que su hermano está pasando necesidad, y no tiene compasión de él, ¿cómo se puede decir que el amor de Dios habita en él? 18 Queridos hijos, no amemos de palabra ni de labios para afuera, sino con hechos y de verdad. 19 ¶ En esto sabremos que somos de la verdad, y nos sentiremos seguros delante de él: 20 que aunque nuestro corazón nos condene, Dios es más grande que nuestro corazón y lo sabe todo. 21 Queridos hermanos, si el corazón no nos condena, tenemos confianza delante de Dios, 22 y recibimos todo lo que le pedimos porque obedecemos sus mandamientos y hacemos lo que le agrada. 23 Y éste es su mandamiento: que creamos en el nombre de su Hijo Jesucristo, y que nos amemos los unos a los otros, pues así lo ha dispuesto. 24 El que obedece sus mandamientos permanece en Dios, y Dios en él. ¿Cómo sabemos que él permanece en nosotros? Por el Espíritu que nos dio.
RST 1 John 3:13 Не дивитесь, братия мои, если мир ненавидит вас. 14 Мы знаем, что мы перешли из смерти в жизнь, потому что любим братьев; не любящий брата пребывает в смерти. 15 Всякий, ненавидящий брата своего, есть человекоубийца; а вы знаете, что никакой человекоубийца не имеет жизни вечной, в нем пребывающей. 16 Любовь познали мы в том, что Он положил за нас душу Свою: и мы должны полагать души свои за братьев. 17 А кто имеет достаток в мире, но, видя брата своего в нужде, затворяет от него сердце свое,-- как пребывает в том любовь Божия? 18 Дети мои! станем любить не словом или языком, но делом и истиною. 19 ¶ И вот по чему узнаём, что мы от истины, и успокаиваем пред Ним сердца наши; 20 ибо если сердце наше осуждает нас, то [кольми паче Бог], потому что Бог больше сердца нашего и знает всё. 21 Возлюбленные! если сердце наше не осуждает нас, то мы имеем дерзновение к Богу, 22 и, чего ни попросим, получим от Него, потому что соблюдаем заповеди Его и делаем благоугодное пред Ним. 23 А заповедь Его та, чтобы мы веровали во имя Сына Его Иисуса Христа и любили друг друга, как Он заповедал нам. 24 И кто сохраняет заповеди Его, тот пребывает в Нем, и Он в том. А что Он пребывает в нас, узнаём по духу, который Он дал нам.
NEG 1 John 3:13 Ne vous étonnez pas, frères, si le monde vous hait. 14 Nous savons que nous sommes passés de la mort à la vie, parce que nous aimons les frères. Celui qui n'aime pas demeure dans la mort. 15 Quiconque hait son frère est un meurtrier, et vous savez qu 'aucun meurtrier n'a la vie éternelle demeurant en lui. 16 Nous avons connu l'amour, en ce qu 'il a donné sa vie pour nous; nous aussi, nous devons donner notre vie pour les frères. 17 Si quelqu'un possède les biens du monde, et que, voyant son frère dans le besoin, il lui ferme ses entrailles, comment l'amour de Dieu demeure -t-il en lui ? 18 Petits enfants, n'aimons pas en paroles et avec la langue, mais en actions et avec vérité. 19 ¶ Par là nous connaîtrons que nous sommes de la vérité, et nous rassurerons nos coeurs devant lui; 20 car si notre coeur nous condamne, Dieu est plus grand que notre coeur, et il connaît toutes choses. 21 Bien-aimés, si notre coeur ne nous condamne pas, nous avons de l'assurance devant Dieu. 22 Quoi que ce soit que nous demandions, nous le recevons de lui, parce que nous gardons ses commandements et que nous faisons ce qui lui est agréable. 23 Et c'est ici son commandement: que nous croyions au nom de son Fils Jésus -Christ, et que nous nous aimions les uns les autres, selon le commandement qu'il nous a donné. 24 Celui qui garde ses commandements demeure en Dieu, et Dieu en lui; et nous connaissons qu 'il demeure en nous par l'Esprit qu 'il nous a donné.
BGT 1 John 3:13 [Καὶ] μὴ θαυμάζετε, ἀδελφοί, εἰ μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος. 14 ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι μεταβεβήκαμεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς· ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν μένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ. 15 πᾶς ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν, καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν αὐτῷ μένουσαν. 16 ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν· καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι. 17 ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ; 18 Τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. 19 ¶ [Καὶ] ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν, καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν, 20 ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία, ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν καὶ γινώσκει πάντα. 21 Ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία [ἡμῶν] μὴ καταγινώσκῃ, παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεόν 22 καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν λαμβάνομεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν. 23 Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν. 24 καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος οὗ ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν.
SBP 1 John 3:13 Näo se admirem, irmäos, se os que säo do mundo vos odeiam. 14 Nós sabemos que passámos da morte para a vida porque amamos os irmäos. Aquele que näo ama ainda está morto. 15 Todo aquele que tem ódio ao seu irmäo é um assassino. E sabem que os assassinos näo têm dentro de si a vida eterna. 16 Eis como nós podemos saber o que é o amor: Jesus Cristo deu a sua vida por nós; portanto, também nós devemos dar a nossa vida pelos nossos irmäos. 17 Se alguém possui bens neste mundo e, vendo o irmäo em necessidade lhe fechar o seu coraçäo, como permanecerá nele o amor de Deus? 18 Meus filhos, näo amemos com palavras e discursos, mas com acções e com verdade. 19 ¶ Desta maneira sabemos que somos da verdade e que a nossa consciência se pode sentir tranquila diante de Deus. 20 Se o nosso coraçäo nos acusa, Deus é maior do que o nosso coraçäo e conhece tudo. 21 Queridos amigos, se o nosso coraçäo näo nos acusa, temos plena confiança em Deus 22 e tudo aquilo que lhe pedirmos havemos de o receber, porque obedecemos aos seus mandamentos e fazemos aquilo que lhe agrada. 23 E aquilo que ele nos mandou é que acreditemos em Jesus Cristo, seu Filho, e nos amemos uns aos outros como ele nos mandou. 24 Aquele que obedece aos mandamentos de Deus permanece em Deus e Deus nele. E sabemos que Deus está em nós graças ao Espírito que ele nos deu.
NVI 1 John 3:13 Hermanos, no se extrañen si el mundo los odia. 14 Nosotros sabemos que hemos pasado de la muerte a la vida porque amamos a nuestros hermanos. El que no ama permanece en la muerte. 15 Todo el que odia a su hermano es un asesino, y ustedes saben que en ningún asesino permanece la vida eterna. 16 En esto conocemos lo que es el amor: en que Jesucristo entregó su vida por nosotros. Así también nosotros debemos entregar la vida por nuestros hermanos. 17 Si alguien que posee bienes materiales ve que su hermano está pasando necesidad, y no tiene compasión de él, ¿cómo se puede decir que el amor de Dios habita en él? 18 Queridos hijos, no amemos de palabra ni de labios para afuera, sino con hechos y de verdad. 19 ¶ En esto sabremos que somos de la verdad, y nos sentiremos seguros delante de él: 20 que aunque nuestro corazón nos condene, Dios es más grande que nuestro corazón y lo sabe todo. 21 Queridos hermanos, si el corazón no nos condena, tenemos confianza delante de Dios, 22 y recibimos todo lo que le pedimos porque obedecemos sus mandamientos y hacemos lo que le agrada. 23 Y éste es su mandamiento: que creamos en el nombre de su Hijo Jesucristo, y que nos amemos los unos a los otros, pues así lo ha dispuesto. 24 El que obedece sus mandamientos permanece en Dios, y Dios en él. ¿Cómo sabemos que él permanece en nosotros? Por el Espíritu que nos dio.
RST 1 John 3:13 Не дивитесь, братия мои, если мир ненавидит вас. 14 Мы знаем, что мы перешли из смерти в жизнь, потому что любим братьев; не любящий брата пребывает в смерти. 15 Всякий, ненавидящий брата своего, есть человекоубийца; а вы знаете, что никакой человекоубийца не имеет жизни вечной, в нем пребывающей. 16 Любовь познали мы в том, что Он положил за нас душу Свою: и мы должны полагать души свои за братьев. 17 А кто имеет достаток в мире, но, видя брата своего в нужде, затворяет от него сердце свое,-- как пребывает в том любовь Божия? 18 Дети мои! станем любить не словом или языком, но делом и истиною. 19 ¶ И вот по чему узнаём, что мы от истины, и успокаиваем пред Ним сердца наши; 20 ибо если сердце наше осуждает нас, то [кольми паче Бог], потому что Бог больше сердца нашего и знает всё. 21 Возлюбленные! если сердце наше не осуждает нас, то мы имеем дерзновение к Богу, 22 и, чего ни попросим, получим от Него, потому что соблюдаем заповеди Его и делаем благоугодное пред Ним. 23 А заповедь Его та, чтобы мы веровали во имя Сына Его Иисуса Христа и любили друг друга, как Он заповедал нам. 24 И кто сохраняет заповеди Его, тот пребывает в Нем, и Он в том. А что Он пребывает в нас, узнаём по духу, который Он дал нам.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
ASK (Abide, See, Keep Watch) 1 John 2:28 to 3:12
ASK
Children of God Part 1 1 John 2:28-3:12
ESV 1 John 2:28 ¶ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
3:1 ¶ See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 ¶ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 11 ¶ For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
Abide in Him
What does it mean to abide in Him? The word abide means to dwell or to live. This is a reference to a deep and permanent relationship to God in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
This is the only command in John's letters that has a direct and immediate focus on the person of Christ. It calls directly to mind the commands of Jesus in John's gospel.
ESV John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
ESV John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
Abiding in Jesus means to be aware of Him all the time. It means to live conscious of the existence of God. It means to live with an awareness of God's presence around you. To abide 'in Jesus' means to be connected to Jesus every day, every night. It means to live for Him always. It means to draw your strength from Jesus for all you do. It means your whole life is the life of a saint. You are part of God's extending His kingdom into the realms of darkness. You get to enjoy the presence of Jesus forever...starting now!
Meditating on Jesus is the conclusion of all good doctrine. Meditating on Jesus is the conclusion of all good living. To live well and to believe well, we end up 'in Jesus'. His life fills us and surrounds us. It is to experience Jesus! ESV Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good.
It is to enjoy His word. ESV Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
If Jesus' words abide in us, and we abide in Him, then we begin to understand 'abide in Him' a little more.
To abide in Jesus means to be changed by contact with Jesus. It means to be transformed by His nature. A failure to be changed, means we are not experiencing Jesus!
WHY ABIDE IN HIM?
ESV 1 John 2:28 ¶ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
True Christians ought to live with an eye of hope on the potential of Jesus' return to the earth. This is called the second coming of Christ. The reason it is the second coming is because He came already as a baby. But he has promised to return. And he has asked us to be ready for his return.
The key to being ready for his return is to abide in Jesus.
The story of the drunk at the city square in Springfield, Missouri who got 'saved' and was thoroughly confused by the experience.
The issue of a changed life is at the core of this verse. People who pray a prayer to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior but do not take sincere steps to repent of their sins are really just playing a spiritual looking game.
Whatever happened to 'come as you are'? The point is not that you have to clean yourself up to come to Jesus. No, Jesus welcomes everyone who comes to Him in humility. The point is that if you have been with Jesus you are not going to be left as you were before you came to Him. This is because Jesus' nature is just. His nature is righteous. Does this mean that you have to be perfect to be a real Christian? How easily we forget what John just said a few minutes before (if we were reading his letter aloud straight through)!
ESV 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
See what kind of love
3:1 ¶ See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 ¶ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
I believe the key word in this paragraph is the word 'see'. That John is describing is not some physical evidence like a bloodied knife, or a finger print analysis for a court room to
review. No-he is calling us to a revelatory experience of recognizing how great God's love is for us!
The key in this revelation is the object of our vision. What is it that we are to actually see? It is the avalanche of God's agape for us.
Agape is to have love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard - 'to love, to regard with affection, loving concern, love.'
In the NT it includes the idea of communicating love so that the one who is loved has some evidence of the love that is there.
ESV John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The evidence of the love of God is the Son of God's appearance on our behalf. The epitomy of that is cross.
The soil of agape is humility. God humbled himself in order to accomplish the work of the cross. ESV Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
When you value someone and humble yourself, then you have the potential of true love. If you see yourself as superior to someone else you cannot love them.
The amazing thing is that God loves us and has granted us such a high status that we would be called 'children of God'!! This is a stunning truth because of who God is and because of who we were. And the fulness of the greatness of this statement has not yet been exposed because we don't know fully what everything will be like when Christ returns.
The great hymn of our forefathers in the faith...Amazing Love Amazing Love (And Can It Be)
words by Charles Wesley
And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, my God, should die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?
He left His Father's throne above; so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race!
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast-bound in sin and nature's night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke--the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free!
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee!
Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?
No condemnation now I dread. Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
John comes back to his point earlier by approaching it from the opposite perspective.
ESV 1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
ESV 1 John 3:6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
These are two sides of the same exact coin. Basically if you say that you have met Jesus Christ...you cannot be the same person you were before you met him. Jesus calls men to follow him.
Jesus calls men to repent and believe. ESV Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The word repent means change. Change your life because the Kingdom of Heaven is here right now.
It's like a person who does an animal imitation. Suppose you got down on all fours and pretended to be a doggy playing with your kids. You don't normally run around on your hands and knees. You only do that to act like a dog. But a real dog, a real dog doesn't pretend. It's how he really is. He really does run around on all fours. For a dog to walk upright is a chore and unnatural.
My point is that Christians don't act righteous because they are in church now...or because they are talking to the pastor...or because they are 'doing ministry'. Nope. Christians do what is right because they naturally do what is right now because their nature has been changed by an encounter with Jesus. In fact, that encounter with Jesus leaves us with a desire to walk in His presence always.
So how does this nature transformation happen? We find a clues through out scripture. For example, in Isaiah 25:8 we have a prophecy that is truly amazing.
ESV Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
ESV 1 Corinthians 15:50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 ¶ Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
ESV 1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.
Central to all of this is the work of the Cross. It is through the proclamation of the work of the cross that we have overcome.
Keep Watch For Deception (Let No One Deceive You)
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 11 ¶ For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
How you treat your brother in Christ is the proof in the pudding that you are truly different. Learn the lesson from Cain and Abel.
Gen 4:3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." 8 ¶ Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
ESV Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion.
The antidote in Jude is the same as in 1 John. Keep yourself in God's love...with an eye toward the return of Christ. ESV Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Jude is clearly relevant because he also deals with deception in the church.
ABIDE
SEE
KEEP WATCH
Children of God Part 1 1 John 2:28-3:12
ESV 1 John 2:28 ¶ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
3:1 ¶ See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 ¶ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 11 ¶ For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
Abide in Him
What does it mean to abide in Him? The word abide means to dwell or to live. This is a reference to a deep and permanent relationship to God in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
This is the only command in John's letters that has a direct and immediate focus on the person of Christ. It calls directly to mind the commands of Jesus in John's gospel.
ESV John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
ESV John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
Abiding in Jesus means to be aware of Him all the time. It means to live conscious of the existence of God. It means to live with an awareness of God's presence around you. To abide 'in Jesus' means to be connected to Jesus every day, every night. It means to live for Him always. It means to draw your strength from Jesus for all you do. It means your whole life is the life of a saint. You are part of God's extending His kingdom into the realms of darkness. You get to enjoy the presence of Jesus forever...starting now!
Meditating on Jesus is the conclusion of all good doctrine. Meditating on Jesus is the conclusion of all good living. To live well and to believe well, we end up 'in Jesus'. His life fills us and surrounds us. It is to experience Jesus! ESV Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good.
It is to enjoy His word. ESV Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
If Jesus' words abide in us, and we abide in Him, then we begin to understand 'abide in Him' a little more.
To abide in Jesus means to be changed by contact with Jesus. It means to be transformed by His nature. A failure to be changed, means we are not experiencing Jesus!
WHY ABIDE IN HIM?
ESV 1 John 2:28 ¶ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
True Christians ought to live with an eye of hope on the potential of Jesus' return to the earth. This is called the second coming of Christ. The reason it is the second coming is because He came already as a baby. But he has promised to return. And he has asked us to be ready for his return.
The key to being ready for his return is to abide in Jesus.
The story of the drunk at the city square in Springfield, Missouri who got 'saved' and was thoroughly confused by the experience.
The issue of a changed life is at the core of this verse. People who pray a prayer to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior but do not take sincere steps to repent of their sins are really just playing a spiritual looking game.
Whatever happened to 'come as you are'? The point is not that you have to clean yourself up to come to Jesus. No, Jesus welcomes everyone who comes to Him in humility. The point is that if you have been with Jesus you are not going to be left as you were before you came to Him. This is because Jesus' nature is just. His nature is righteous. Does this mean that you have to be perfect to be a real Christian? How easily we forget what John just said a few minutes before (if we were reading his letter aloud straight through)!
ESV 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
See what kind of love
3:1 ¶ See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 ¶ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
I believe the key word in this paragraph is the word 'see'. That John is describing is not some physical evidence like a bloodied knife, or a finger print analysis for a court room to
review. No-he is calling us to a revelatory experience of recognizing how great God's love is for us!
The key in this revelation is the object of our vision. What is it that we are to actually see? It is the avalanche of God's agape for us.
Agape is to have love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard - 'to love, to regard with affection, loving concern, love.'
In the NT it includes the idea of communicating love so that the one who is loved has some evidence of the love that is there.
ESV John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The evidence of the love of God is the Son of God's appearance on our behalf. The epitomy of that is cross.
The soil of agape is humility. God humbled himself in order to accomplish the work of the cross. ESV Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
When you value someone and humble yourself, then you have the potential of true love. If you see yourself as superior to someone else you cannot love them.
The amazing thing is that God loves us and has granted us such a high status that we would be called 'children of God'!! This is a stunning truth because of who God is and because of who we were. And the fulness of the greatness of this statement has not yet been exposed because we don't know fully what everything will be like when Christ returns.
The great hymn of our forefathers in the faith...Amazing Love Amazing Love (And Can It Be)
words by Charles Wesley
And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, my God, should die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?
He left His Father's throne above; so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race!
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast-bound in sin and nature's night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke--the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free!
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee!
Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?
No condemnation now I dread. Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
John comes back to his point earlier by approaching it from the opposite perspective.
ESV 1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
ESV 1 John 3:6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
These are two sides of the same exact coin. Basically if you say that you have met Jesus Christ...you cannot be the same person you were before you met him. Jesus calls men to follow him.
Jesus calls men to repent and believe. ESV Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The word repent means change. Change your life because the Kingdom of Heaven is here right now.
It's like a person who does an animal imitation. Suppose you got down on all fours and pretended to be a doggy playing with your kids. You don't normally run around on your hands and knees. You only do that to act like a dog. But a real dog, a real dog doesn't pretend. It's how he really is. He really does run around on all fours. For a dog to walk upright is a chore and unnatural.
My point is that Christians don't act righteous because they are in church now...or because they are talking to the pastor...or because they are 'doing ministry'. Nope. Christians do what is right because they naturally do what is right now because their nature has been changed by an encounter with Jesus. In fact, that encounter with Jesus leaves us with a desire to walk in His presence always.
So how does this nature transformation happen? We find a clues through out scripture. For example, in Isaiah 25:8 we have a prophecy that is truly amazing.
ESV Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
ESV 1 Corinthians 15:50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 ¶ Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
ESV 1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.
Central to all of this is the work of the Cross. It is through the proclamation of the work of the cross that we have overcome.
Keep Watch For Deception (Let No One Deceive You)
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 11 ¶ For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
How you treat your brother in Christ is the proof in the pudding that you are truly different. Learn the lesson from Cain and Abel.
Gen 4:3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." 8 ¶ Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
ESV Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion.
The antidote in Jude is the same as in 1 John. Keep yourself in God's love...with an eye toward the return of Christ. ESV Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Jude is clearly relevant because he also deals with deception in the church.
ABIDE
SEE
KEEP WATCH
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