I John 3:14

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We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

THE STUDY:

John is a master at dualism: light/darkness, truth/lies, righteousness/sin, and love/hate. In this verse he presents a new contrast, death/life. John seems to remain in the theme of “EITHER/OR” or “BLACK/WHITE”! John never entertains the idea of a grey area when it comes to being a follower of Christ!

The perfect tense verb “we have passed” (metabebēkamen) conveys the idea of a settled relocation, of having “crossed over [metabebēken] from death to life” (John 5:24).

The Gospel uses the same verb to write of Jesus’ approaching death—“the time had come for him to leave [metabē] this world” (John 13:1). So here John describes a spiritual transformation. They had not just “turned over a new leaf”; they had received a new life. Their previous condition was spiritual “death” (thanatou). Now, by their faith in Christ, God had brought resurrection “life” (zōēn) to them. Acting toward others in loving ways is the supreme evidence of spiritual life—“because we love our brothers.” A lack of loving deeds demonstrates that professing Christians remain in spiritual death.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that loving others is evidence of spiritual life. If we do not love we are dead spiritually.

CONCLUSION:

           I wonder if people know we are Christians by our love? I surprised my congregation one Sunday morning by flinging this question at them: “What have you done today that nobody but a Christian would do?” Many of us would say they gave something, they said something, or they bought something. But they one thing we all can do is LOVE someone. The love of God can only be demonstrated through a believer.

Are you spiritually alive or dead today?

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (122). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 3:13

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Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

THE STUDY:

We should not be surprised to the fact that the world hates those who believe in Jesus Christ. The Greek word for surprise is “Thaumazo” which means: marvel or be amazed. We get a sense that John was sharing with the reader do not be amazed to the hatred. As a matter of fact, we as believers should almost expect it. Expect what? Hatred! The Greek word is “Miseo” which means: hate, despise; disregard, be indifferent to.

The world has already been depicted in 1 John as hostile to God (1 John 2:15–17). John will describe it later as the domain of false prophets and antichrists (1 John 4:1–5), a place given to “the evil one” (5:19), and thus a sphere to be overcome^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

We walk away this morning knowing that, as a believer in Christ, the world will hate or disregard us. Let us not be surprised! The world is what needs the light and that light will resonate from those whose spirit/nature is that of Christ!

CONCLUSION:

           I am reminded of a young lady who started to come to the church I was pastoring. She was married but would attend without her husband. He was one of those guys who found it easier to hate than love. Their relationship was very turbulent but her love for Jesus was very strong.

          One day he was outside the church and I was introduced to him by a friend. I extended my hand to greet him and he looked at my hand, then looked at my face and walked away. I thought to myself, what did I do to him to cause such hatred. I have come to realize that it wasn’t me but the Spirit that dwells inside me.

          I am not surprised that the world hates us. It’s not me they hate but the one who dwells inside. When the spirit that dwells inside you doesn’t line up with the spirit of this world don’t be shocked by the hatred or resistance. Pray for them and move on!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (122). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 3:11-12 (Part 4)

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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.

THE STUDY:

This morning we are going to answer the question found in this passage, why did he murder him? John reminds his readers that because Cain “was from the evil one” love had so disappeared from his heart that he could murder his own blood brother. Casting his lot with the evil one took Cain much further into depravity than he could have imagined. John’s only explanation for Cain’s action was “because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous”^[1]

The reason for this murder was Cain’s jealous resentment of his brother’s superior righteousness (Gen. 4:2-7). In saying this, John touched a sensitive nerve, since hatred toward another Christian is often prompted by a feeling of guilt about one’s own life as compared with that person’s. It is well to remember that such reactions are satanic, as John bluntly affirmed here.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding of two things: 1. When we are being persecuted or being treated unkindly by a person it may lie within that person themselves. What we bring about in that person is the sense of guilt due to their own lack of righteousness. James 1:2-3 says, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 2. Sin will take us farther down the road of immorality than we ever thought we would go.

CONCLUSION:

           Because of the natural law of seedtime and harvest, the farmer knows when and what to plant to achieve the desired result. He knows that you harvest wheat if you sow wheat, that you do not sow weeds and reap wheat.

           God’s moral and spiritual laws work in the same way. You cannot sow sin and reap righteousness, or indulgence and reap health, or strife and reap peace. You cannot sow “the works of the flesh” and reap “the fruit of the Spirit.”

           But there is a further truth in this law. You reap what you sow in quality, but you reap more than you sow in quantity.

          Let today be a day that is filled with the deeds of the Father and not that of the evil one!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (121–122). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (1 Jn 3:11–12). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

I John 3:11-12 (Part 3)

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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.

Disclaimer: [Today we are celebrating the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday)! With my wife by my side I will be experiencing things that no man should ever have to experience, SHOPPERS! (All of this is from my perspective)! So I think it is important for all who are heading out to read our devotionals before head.]

THE STUDY:

What we discussed in our last devotional was, as believers in the faith, we must remember Love is not based on emotion or worthiness but a commandment from God. It is something we choose to do!

John goes on to further help the readers understand what he is meaning by looking at the total opposite of Love: HATE! He points out a person that all would know and understand: CAIN! He is very forthright when he states “We should not be like Cain!” He goes on to explain the basis of this hatred “the evil one” and tells of the result of this evil, he “murdered his brother.”

Love had disappeared from Cain’s heart and evil was waiting in the wing to overtake. This is what we as Christians face each and every day.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• What we walk away with this morning is understanding that we choose who will rule us: good or evil, Christ or Satan. What dwells in the core of our hearts is what will be displayed. What was in Cain’s heart was what came forth. The same is true with us as believers. The Nature/Spirit that dwells inside of us is what we will produce. The battle will still rage inside (good vs evil) because we have not been removed from this fallen world. But one thing is for sure, if we allow our deeds to be that of the Holy Spirit we will not be like Cain!

CONCLUSION:

Cain has been a topic of discussion for many years when it comes to believers. I recall speaking to a crowd and one heckler kept shouting, “Where did Cain get his wife?” “When I could ignore him no longer, I replied, “When I get to heaven, I’ll ask him!” “Suppose he isn’t in heaven?” the guys yelled. I replied, “Then you can ask him!”

Let the Love of God rule our hearts today and not the desire to get a good deal or have things go our way. Be safe and remember let’s not be like CAIN!       

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 3:11-12 (Part 2)

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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.

THE STUDY:

Yesterday we look at verse 11 were John is saying “this is the message” meaning there is no other message that someone can refer to. The only message John is pointing to is the message from God which is “that we should love one another.” This message is one that “you have heard from the beginning” not one that has been tweaked, added too, or slightly refined over time. God’s message has been the same from creation and will always be.

This morning we know that “THIS” is referring to the message which is “love one another.” We have heard this message preached many time before by great pastors. We might even have become desensitized to the message.

The word “love” in the Greek is (agapao) which means to show or prove one’s love. This love was part of the faith “from the beginning,” which John’s audience had “heard” from the time of their earliest experience as Christians. The call to love is a present reality experienced in community—you (plural), we, and one another. The living out of mutual love among these Christians did not depend on feelings. It was an obligation that one could and should do. To love was to act in the same loving ways Christ modeled.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• What we can walk away with this morning is, as believers in the faith, we must remember Love is not based on emotion or worthiness but a commandment from God. It is something we choose to do!

CONCLUSION:

          I recall one situation in my marriage when my wife and I were having a “discussion.” (Married couples will be able to translate the word discussion.) My wife looked at me and said, “I don’t like you right now” and walked away. Just a foot note, we have been married for almost 17 years and there has been many of days were one doesn’t like the other, but we LOVE one another. We may not like what each other is saying or doing at the moment but our love for one another is there.

          I am reminded of a lady who came to me and told me she was divorcing her husband. She could not stand him anymore. I encouraged her to get even with him for all the things he has done to her. She was on board with that! I told her that over the next few months she was to act like everything was ok, cooked for him, praised him, and loved all over him. I saw her at church a few months later and I asked her if she was ready to drop the bomb and tell him she was leaving him? She said, “NO WAY!” I love this man!

          What happened to her desire to divorce him? She started to see him through the eyes of Jesus which chooses to love. Thank you Jesus for choosing to Love us on that cross.

           

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (121). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 3:11-12 (Part 1)

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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.

THE STUDY:

When we look at this verse we may read it in a simple form. But when we look at it in the Greek it takes on a whole different flavor. John uses the Greek word “houtos” that is translated in the ESV as THIS. This Greek word is not just a simple formed word but one that pacts a punch. This is what the scholars call a demonstrative word — A demonstrative pronoun singles out an object or person, and often acts as an adjective, modifying a noun. For example, in the sentence “That dog is vicious,” the demonstrative pronoun “that” modifies the noun “dog.” What dog? THAT Dog!

John is saying “this is the message” meaning there is no other message that someone can refer to. The only message John is pointing to is the message from God which is “that we should love one another.” This message is one that “you have heard from the beginning” not a message that has been tweaked, added too, or slightly refined over time. God’s message has been the same from creation and will always be.

Why would John point this out to those who were “so called” believers? Because of the false teachings that those of the faith were being swayed by.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• What we might be tempted too walk away with is the idea that “No one is trying to sway us away from Christ” or better yet, “There are a multitude of different ways to God!” Satan would love for us to buy into these ideas. We are living in a day and time that is not far removed from those kind of days which John and the rest of the Apostles lived in.

• I write to you this morning, for the same reason John wrote to his flock, so that you may understand THE TRUTH! Not some tweaked, added too, or slightly refined over time message of the Gospel. Christ is the only way to the Father! How do we know this? We have heard it preached, we sing songs about it, and we have seen it lived out in the saints of old. We have known it from the beginning!

CONCLUSION:

          Today’s world is filled with a better way, a more sophisticated way, a more modern way, a more enlightened way, and even a more powerful way other than that of Christ. Jesus tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life …” Church, there is no other way! So as we walk out of our houses today and into this sinful world let us remember the message that was from the beginning, LOVE!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 3:10

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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.

THE STUDY:

John starts off this verse in reference to the previous verses, “By this it is evident.” John, again, makes a tender reference to his flock, “who are the children of God.” John makes it very clear throughout his writings that a believers actions, motives, and words will be that of righteousness (Christ). John insists that righteousness is relational. It is relational first toward God—“children of God.” This brings a positive relationship toward others. One rightly related to God will love his “brothers.”^[1]

In this entire letter John presents our existence in terms of two categories: you are either a child of God or you are a child of the devil. John sees only absolutes: light or darkness, truth or the lie, God or the devil, life or death. For him there is no middle ground. There are no alternatives.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that we live in a world that is split: light or darkness, truth or lies, Good or evil, God or NOT! We will make a choice in which world to live in. If we choose Christ then we have hope, power, and a rich future (Listen to the Sermon from 11/20/11). Some may think they don’t have to choose! In that case you have made your choice, NOT GOD!

CONCLUSION:

           The mayor of Toronto launched a “Light the Night” campaign. The idea was for residents to leave their lights burning overnight in order to discourage crime. A similar campaign was carried out in the Oakland, California, area, and reports show that crime was greatly reduced—in fact, reduced fantastically.

          John encourages his readers to live in the light so that darkness is discouraged and dispersed. My encouragement for us today is the same, let the light shine in our hearts so we may cast that light into this dark world.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (119). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (304). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 3:8-9 (Part 4)

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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.

THE STUDY:

Yesterday, we looked at the aspect of being born of God and making a practice of sinning found in the first part of verse 9. As we read this verse, no believer of the faith would argue the statement by John “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning!” John could have ended this statement and moved on to other things but he decided to give two reasons why this statement is true!

First, John understands that whoever is born of God makes a practice of NOT sinning because God’s seed abides in that person. The word seed is defined as descendant, child, or offspring, but in this manner seed (Sperma) is referring to the very Nature of God. This goes with the previous statement, makes a practice (poieo – to do). John is stating the fact that someone who has been reborn of God, the very nature of God is in them. This is not to be the evidence of “once saved always saved,” but the idea that God’s faithfulness remains inside the believer. If the relationship with God is broken, it is a result of the person’s actions, not Gods.

The second reason is the person has been (born of God) radically changed. This phrase is almost identical to the one found at the beginning of this verse. But the reason John refers back to it is because of its significance. If you are given birth from God (9a) then from God we are given birth (9b). God created us (birthed us) and because of sin we are in need of a rebirth which is offered by God through Christ.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning understanding that as a believer in Christ the very nature that dwells inside of us is that of God. With that seed we have the power (through the Holy Spirit) to NOT sin. This doesn’t mean we CANNOT sin but that we don’t have to.

CONCLUSION:

          Let this be our prayer today:

 “This the secret of the holy,

 Not our holiness, but HIM:

  Jesus! empty us and fill us

 With Thy fullness to the brim.”^[1]

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 3:8-9 (Part 3)

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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.

THE STUDY:

As we read verse 9, no believer of the faith would argue the statement by John “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning!” John could have ended this statement and moved on to other things but he decided to give two reasons why this statement is true! Before we look at those two reasons we need to understand what it means to be “born of God” and what John is referring to when he says “makes a practice!”

This is the second of ten references to be being “born of God” in 1 John.^[1] Not sinning doesn’t mean it’s the consequence of being born of God but its proof of being born of God. The phrase born of God is characteristic of John, for he uses it repeatedly (2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). It signifies that a person has been born spiritually in the past and continues in the present as God’s child. That is, he finds his origin and existence in God. Whereas the person who practices sin has Satan as his father, the born-again believer knows that God is his Father. The words of Jesus are relevant: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matt. 7:18).^[2]

There are two theories about the significance of this statement “Makes a practice of sinning” (Poieo): (1) it relates to the gnostic false teachers, especially that faction that reduced salvation to intellectual concepts, thereby removing the necessity of a moral lifestyle or (2) the PRESENT TENSE verb emphasizes continual, habitual, sinful activity (cf. Rom. 6:1), not isolated acts of sins (cf. Rom. 6:15).^[3]  What we believe is to be the understanding of Christ and his power is that once we accept Him as our Lord and savior He becomes the very Nature that dwells within us. Our practice becomes that of Christ and not sin!

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• What we walk away with this morning is the understanding that the nature that dwells inside of us is the very nature that will be produced. John is letting the reader know you will no longer be bent toward sin but toward Christ!

CONCLUSION:

          Have you ever said, “Why did I just do or say that?” You said this after all the smoke had settled and you were reflecting on your actions. As a sinner I would ask this question often. The reason I would do the things I did was due to the nature that dwells inside of me. It was not the Holy Spirit so, in turn, it was that of Satan. Now that I have accepted Christ, the question “Why did I just do or say that” is still there but I have a different answer today: JESUS CHRIST!

          Let today be a day we practice Jesus and not sin! Let His nature transfer from our being so that others may see and receive His glory.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (124). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (303). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[3] Utley, R. J. D. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple's Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (221). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

I John 3:8-9 (Part 2)

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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.

THE STUDY:

John’s language starts to turn a little passionate. This sentence is not to be read as an explanation but more so as a demonstrative point! Parents can understand this idea. We would say, “Clean your room because we have company coming over!” We say it with a firm and passionate tone. We are saying it not necessarily because we have company coming over but due to the fact that we may have repeated it over and over earlier. This statement is made due to the fact that they are not listening and we want to get their attention.

John is basically doing the same thing to his children in this letter. When we look at the Greek we can see it! The reason Christ came was for the purpose (eis touto, unto this) of conquering sin.^[1] The word “appeared” phaneroō  in the Greek means “to bring to light so as to make clear.” The problem with false teachers was not that the gospel was unclear to them, but that they had their own theological/philosophical agenda.^[2]

The purpose of Jesus’ appearance in time and flesh was “to destroy the works of the devil.” This means “to loose,” “to unbind,” or “to destroy.” Jesus did just that on Calvary, but humans must respond to His finished work and free gift by receiving Him by faith (cf. John 1:12).^[3]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that the world will look at Christ in us and not understand. We understand because we have the light which makes things clear to us. Don’t be disheartened because friends and family members don’t understand why you do what you do for Jesus. If they are not believers of the faith, Jesus tells us they will not understand, At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children (Matt. 11:25). But for us who are followers of Christ, He says, Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (John 24:45)

CONCLUSION:

My prayer for all us today is that the Holy Spirit would work through us today so that many would come to the faith and their minds would be open to “understand.” You might be reading this morning and saying, I don’t understand the ways of Christ! Ask Him to open your mind so that you may understand clearly His ways.         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (117). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Utley, R. J. D. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple's Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (221). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

^[3] Utley, R. J. D. (1999). Vol. Volume 4: The Beloved Disciple's Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John. Study Guide Commentary Series (221). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

I John 3:8-9 (Part 1)

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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.^[1]

THE STUDY:

John uses the same phrase “makes a practice” found in verse 7 here in verse 8. Whoever “PRODUCES” sin is of the devil. John is referring to the fact that one’s life demonstrates who they are in allegiance with, sin (the devil) or righteousness (Jesus Christ). Just as a Christian lives under the influence of God living in him, so do sinners live under the influence of the devil and allow themselves to be seduced by him. Consequently, just as he who is born of God and in whom God dwells does what God does, or concretely, ‘lives the same kind of life as Christ lived’ (1 Jn 2:6), that of a son of God, so the ‘children of the devil’ can only do what their ‘father wants’ (Jn 8:44), those very deeds which the Son of God came to undo (1 Jn 3:8).^[2]

We discussed, yesterday, how the very nature that dwells inside of us is “produced” from us. If we are producing righteousness then our nature is that of Christ, but if we are producing sin then our nature is that of the devil. This is the devil's normal life and those who imitate him become his spiritual children.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that the very nature that dwells inside us is what will be produced. When we accept Christ as our personal savior we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us. WE GET IT ALL! That spirit starts to become the very nature that pours from our being. Christ said to His disciples, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9). As the Holy Spirit dwells inside us, that’s what others will see.

CONCLUSION:

          In the movie, Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis played a psychologist who was treating a young boy. This young boy had a line in the movie that has become a catch phrase in our culture today, “I see dead people.”

The very nature that dwells inside of a believer is one of Christ and not of self. Paul states that we are “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.^[3] When the world looks at us (believers of the faith) they should see “dead people”: A person who has died to self and alive in Christ.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001 (1 Jn 3:8–9). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[2] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (122–123). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001 (Eph 4:22–24). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

I John 3:7

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Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

THE STUDY:

Again, we read John’s endearment, “little children,” to his flock. He’s reminding them to “let no one deceive you”! Just because we are believers in the faith doesn’t exclude us from being deceived (lead astray). As a matter of fact, one will find that the deceiver (Satan) will turn up the pursuit for our souls once we have become a follower of Christ.

John states, “Whoever practices righteousness” which means whoever produces righteousness. John is revealing the understanding that the very nature of our being should be Christ! Once He is our very nature the only thing we can produce “Christ” (righteousness). I hear an evangelist recently state that apple trees can only produce “apples!” Why? Because this is their nature! Once we have accepted Christ, surrender all to Him, and die out to self our nature changes. The only thing we can produce is Christ, the very nature that lives inside of us.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We can walk away this morning with the understanding that our nature needs to be that of Christ. When our nature is that of Christ we can’t help but to produce (practice) righteousness. Let today be a day that we surrender all to Christ so that we can produce righteousness.

CONCLUSION:

          I came across this poem that I thought would be fitting for today’s devotional:

Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today

He has no feet but our feet to lead men in the way

He has no tongue but our tongue to tell men how He died

He has no help but our help to bring them to His side.

We are the only Bible the careless world will read,

We are the sinner’s gospel; we are the scoffer’s creed;

We are the Lord’s last message, given in word and deed;

What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?

What if our hands are busy with other work than His?

What if our feet are walking where sin’s allurement is?

What if our tongue is speaking of things His lips would spurn?

How can we hope to help Him or welcome His return?

—Annie Johnston Flint^[1]

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 3:6

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No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

THE STUDY:

Two perfect tense verbs appear. The first, “has not seen him,” strongly affirms that the person continuing to live habitually in sin has never truly seen Christ initially and certainly does not have Christ in view now. The second, “has not known him,” stresses that such a one has never authentically “known” Christ and obviously does not know Christ now. True vision and knowledge have abiding results. These verbs provide a direct contrast to the opening lines of the letter.

Abiding in Jesus means sin is excluded. Conversely, ongoing sinning means that Christ is not known. John’s views here are consistent with the dualism expressed throughout. This verse does not declare occasions of sin to be impossible. Rather it asserts that a sinful life does not characterize the child of God. As one is constantly abiding, one is simultaneously kept from the practice of sin. The image of sinlessness is a lofty call to holy and consistent living in obedience before God.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with this morning knowing sin is habitual. We don’t fall into sin like a hole in the ground. We don’t get hit by sin like a baseball coming at us in a battering cage. Sin is a willful transgression against a known law of God. Sin is when we put our hand to God and say, “My way God not yours.”

• Sin is habitual! This habit can be broken through Christ; the one who defeated sin and death. Living a life, in Christ, moves us to become habitual in Christ. This Christian life moves us to a higher level of living. Not a life that doesn’t sin but a life that does not have to sin.  

CONCLUSION:

          A preacher was speaking from the text, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Suddenly he was interrupted by an atheist who asked, “How can blood cleanse sin?” For a moment the preacher was silent; then he countered, “How can water quench thirst?” “I do not know,” replied the infidel, “but I know that it does.” “Neither do I know how the blood of Jesus cleanses sin,” answered the preacher, “but I know that it does.”

          Let me encourage you today with the understanding that Jesus frees us from sin. The power that dwells inside us is sufficient for this life of Holiness. With Christ, WE CAN DO IT!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (115–116). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 3:5

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You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

THE STUDY:

The verb “away” (airō) is used in the Fourth Gospel with the sense of a change of location (John 2:16; 11:39, 41; 19:31, 38; 20:1, 13). Sins are taken away by the atoning work of “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) whose death was a representative bearing away of sin. But the term may imply more than simply to “take away”. It can also suggest removal in the sense of destruction. The Jews in John 19:15 call for the death, by execution, of Jesus, “Take him away [aron]! Crucify him!” (see Luke 23:18). These usages suggest not just a new residence for sin, but its eventual removal by defeat/destruction.

John is not presenting Christ as having come simply to counterbalance sin in the human heart, that is, to hold down evil so as to give holiness a chance at succeeding in the believer. Christ came to complete a decisive victory over sin.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We can walk away, today, with the understanding, as one of the great hymn writers penned down,  Jesus “PAID IT ALL.”. The Victory is ours to obtain if we simply accept, acknowledge, and believe in the one who paid it all. In this victory we can stand in the midst of sin and walk away from it, rebuke it, or both.

CONCLUSION:

           I recall, as a kid, an old TV show called “The Flip Wilson Show.” One of the famous quotes from that show was, “The devil made me do it.” I have used this quote many times in sermons as an example of our society today. Everyone wants to blame someone else for their sins but the bottom line is we can only blame ourselves. We can’t even blame the devil!

          We can do something about it though. We can repent, accept, and start living in the victory Christ has provided for us. Let Jesus “take away” your sins today and start living in the power of Christ!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (115). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 3:4

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Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

THE STUDY:

This verse is translated so many different ways:

NASB: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness”

NKJV: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness”

NRSV: “Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness”

TEV: “Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God’s law”

             Two senses may be present in this verse. First, sin is a breaking of the law. People create a performance record of violations; they break the law in an ongoing way.

Second, people may have a spirit hostile to the laws of God—sin is a lawless spirit. Sin may be understood especially as a lawless attitude toward God. Thus, sin is a condition from which believers must be set free. Paul writes similarly of sin as an inner compulsion that combats his better, spiritual judgment (see Rom 7:23).

Foundationally, John appears to believe that people sin because they are first sinners. They have an anti-God attitude that manifests itself in opposition to the purposes of God. Thus, the most fundamental need for everyone is to find correction for the core character problem, an answer that will turn the heart’s affections strongly godward. Such a solution would make it as natural to do the right, the holy, as formerly it was “natural” to do the wrong, the sinful.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning understanding that we are naturally “bent toward sin!” This all can be changed by the one who dwells inside of us: Jesus! We cannot change our nature but the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us can. This is what Paul meant when he talked about dying to the old self! Death and life are eternal but they each have different results: one is the result of (death), the other is the surrender of (life).

CONCLUSION:

What is sin?

 Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.

 Man calls it a blunder; God calls it blindness.

 Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.

 Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice.

 Man calls it an error; God calls it an enmity.

 Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a fatality.

 Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an iniquity.

 Man calls it a luxury; God calls it a leprosy.

 Man calls it a liberty; God calls it lawlessness.

 Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy.

 Man calls it a mistake; God calls it a madness.

 Man calls it a weakness; God calls it willfulness. ^[2]

Today, let the Spirit that lives inside you point you toward a life that is filled with His glory and not a life of sin that will lead to death!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (114). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 3:3 (Part 2)

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And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

THE STUDY:

          If you remember yesterday we talked about the measure of true holiness being Christlikeness. Holiness is not first and foremost adherence to rules or standards. Rather it is the divine life being lived out through us. This morning we want to look at what John mean by “purifies himself?” The basic idea is of the preparation required to enter the divine presence. The cultic background of the terminology is that of ritual purity. In John 11:55 those preparing themselves for Passover went to Jerusalem “for their ceremonial cleansing” (hagnisōsin, see Exod 19:10–11). But here the term should be understood ethically as in the rest of the NT (Jas 4:8; 1 Pet 1:22).

Related language appears in John 17:19 when Jesus said, “I sanctify myself” (hagiazō emauton). This is Jesus’ preparation just prior to his return to the immediate presence of the Father. Jesus’ self-sanctification (making himself holy!) is his dedication to the cross to fulfill the will of the Father. It is the ethic of the redemptive mission of the Christ, the supremely revealed way of life.

Yet one cannot humanly accomplish the cleansing, sanctifying work is required to conquer sin. Only the holy God can fully purge and sanctify. To purify self is to be understood in the context of the pardon and cleansing from sin that is available only through Christ’s atoning death. But after accepting Christ’s sacrifice for sin we present our lives “as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (Rom 12:1). It is in this placing of our redeemed lives fully at God’s disposal that the call to purify self should be understood.

          This kind of living faith honors God and adheres to Scripture. A surrendered life gives God unhindered space in which to work. To the degree that we invite God’s purifying presence into our lives, to that degree we are engaged in purifying ourselves.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that a life that is given up, forgiven, and walking in Christ is a life that is purified. Christ purifies, we surrender! This can only be done through a life that is faithful to God and honors and obeys Gods Word!

CONCLUSION:

In 1887, just following an evangelistic meeting held by Dwight L. Moody, a young man stood to share his story in an after-service testimony meeting. As he was speaking, it became clear to many that he knew little about the Bible or acceptable Christian doctrine. His closing lines, however, spoke volumes to seasoned and new believers alike: I'm not quite sure. But I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey.

Daniel Towner was in the audience that night and was so struck by the power of those simple words that he quickly jotted them down, and then delivered them to a man named John Sammis, who developed the lyrics to one of the favorite old time hymn, Trust and Obey.

          Purifying ourselves is simply trusting and obeying! Let your day be filled with trust in Jesus Christ and being obedient to His will for your life.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (113). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.