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Confidence In Prayer

CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER

1 John 5:13-21

I think we have all prayed for something or for some situation…and what we prayed for didn’t come about…it seemed as though our prayer went unheard and did no good…and as a result our faith is shaken and we lose confidence in prayer.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.

And John, here in this verse, says that the “things he has written to them about Christ and who He is”, he wrote those things so that they may “know”…and that word “know” is the Greek word “oida” which speaks of a “settled knowledge”…in other words…there is no doubt…no uncertainty…they can “know”, they can be confident that they have eternal life.

Now, what John is going to do is he is going let us know how our awareness of our present relationship with God contributes to “confidence in prayer.”

But, just because God does not answer your prayer the way you think He should does not mean that your fellowship with God is broken.

But we “know we have eternal life”…therefore look at vs. 14:

And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

And then after you ask…ask God to grant what you ask for…according to His will rather than yours.

Listen, we can pray for “anything”…but what often happens is we are motivated by selfishness; and when we don’t get our way we get upset; sometimes we turn away from God.

Remember when Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane? He asked God to “let this cup pass from Me.”

We can ask for anything…but then grant God the sovereign right to edit your requests.

You know, one of the things that we often pray for is rain, “Send us rain.” So we pray for rain.

But the point is, “according to His will” does not limit the “anything.”

And look at the very last phrase of verse 14: He hears us.

Now verse 15: And if (this is not an “iffy” issue. There is no doubt here…this is a “when”) When we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

Now, let’s go to verse 16. In verse 16 John gives us an example of something that we might ask for.

16 If (when) anyone sees (you can see it…the characteristics are visible) his brother (this is key-this is a brother or sister in Christ) committing a sin not leading to death (God has not cut him off ) he (the one praying) shall ask and God will for (dative-“to”) him (the one who is praying) give life (not eternal life) to those who commit sin not leading to death. (God answers your prayer. The granting of life here has nothing to do with the sinning brother changing. It is given because the concerned brother asks for it.)

In this verse who is it that is “committing a sin not leading to death?” A brother.

So, his brother sees him committing sin or living in a way that could cause him to lose fellowship with God, and he asks God to “grant the sinning brother life, not eternal life, but an extension of his life” and God grants that request, because his concerned brother asks for it.

Let me see if I can put this in simpler terms to help you understand what John is saying.

Now, let’s read this verse again with those names:

If anyone (Pete) see his brother (Sam) committing a sin not leading to death, he (Pete) shall ask and God will for(to) him (Pete) give life to those (Sam) who commit sin not leading unto death.

Here is the deal…Pete is noble…and Pete sees Sam sinning…and Sam is in trouble…he is slipping away. 1 John 3:8-10.

“God, I have been watching Sam and Sam has been going places he shouldn’t and I am concerned. I do not want my brother to be lost. Please do not cut him off. I am aware that his sin is hostility toward you. I am aware that you cannot and will not tolerate the practice of sin. But please don’t cut him off. Let me work with him. Please extend his life. Please don’t cut him down but keep him alive. Let me work with him.”

 Now, when Pete gets through praying what do you think he is going to do?

This tells us something about the awesome power of prayer.

This is not a verse whose main point is a discussion of “sin leading unto death.”

 Now, look at the end of vs. 16: There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.

Any sin can be unto death. What is important is the direction of the man’s walk when he sins.

I encourage each of you to study this for yourself; but what we do know for sure from this passage is there is power in prayer; and prayer may keep a struggling brother from being cut off.

Now, vs. 17:  All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

 Vs. 18: We know that no one who is born of God sins;

 Vs. 18: …but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.

 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

All through this letter John is trying to encourage those in Christ to remain faithful to Christ.

Today, that is still his primary concern. He is, all through this letter pleading with each of us to remain faithful to Christ.

If you have drifted away, come home.

 

HOW IS YOUR LOVE LIFE

HOW IS YOUR LOVE LIFE?

1 JOHN 4: 7-14

I don’t mean to embarrass anyone but let me ask all of you, “How is your love life?”

Well, you are right, this is pretty personal. But the truth is,  it is not me that is asking; God is the One that is concerned.

Now, as we through this passage and answer that question we need to understand what God means when He speaks of “love.”

And that is the kind of love that we are to have. So, once again God asks, “How is your love life?”

Look at Vs. 7  Beloved, let us love one another (reciprocating action – back and forth; seek the highest good of each other even when we don’t deserve it or appreciate it. It is loving each other even at times when we may not be very lovable),

 …for love is from God;

 …and everyone who loves is born (is begotten…this is a perfect tense verb) of God and knows God.

But, vs. 8 The one who does not love (Love has action. It is not just something you say. It is easy to say, “I love you.” But “agape” love can be seen in what you do.) does not know God, for God is love.

Vs. 9: By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten (one and only) Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us (We didn’t start it…it started with God…He sent His Son on a death mission) and sent His Son to be the propitiation (satisfaction…God is going to be satisfied…He sends His Son on the death mission and then He carries out the penalty…and He does this…) for our sins.

Now, we talk about how much Christ loves us in that He died on the cross for us. But, which is the most difficult: to die for others; or to send your son to die for others?

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought (speaks of a moral obligation) to love one another.

Vs. 12: No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

Vs. 13: By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Vs. 14: And we (the apostles) have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus (Savior) is the Son of God (Deity), God abides in him, and he in God.

Vs. 16: And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us(Calvary is convincing…love is self-verifying…Calvary is the verification of God’s love). God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

17 By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence (Gnostic doesn’t have confidence) in the day of judgment (He is coming); because as He is (God’s love is redemptive…He is in the world in a redemptive way), so also are we in this world (We are to be in this world in a redemptive way as well).

18 There is no fear in love (He is speaking of the Gnostic here); but perfect love casts out fear (If we have love we can walk into the presence of the judge of the universe without fear), because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

19 We love, because He first loved us.

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one 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, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

 So, once again, God through the apostle John is asking, “How is your love life?”

And as far as we are concerned, we each one have a moral obligation to love each other; and it is important that our love life is good because people see God and His love through us.

And our “love life” confirms that we abide in God and that He abides in us; and our love give us confidence to stand before God without fear.

Now, look at vs. 7 again. John says that we are to “love one another.”

 

 

Test The Spirits

TEST THE SPIRITS                                  

1 John 4: 1-6

“Test, test, test.” You are probably thinking, “This preacher is losing it. Surely he can tell that the sound system is on.”

Look at vs. 1: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I think it is interesting that people “test” almost everything.

But when it comes to our eternal salvation, where knowing the truth is so  important because the truth will set us free, most people fail to test what they have been told or what they hear.

When John writes this letter he writes to Christians who were dealing with the influence of some people who claimed to be “in the know” on spiritual matters…he is writing due to the influence of the Gnostics.

And, even though this letter was written toward the end of the 1st century the Gnostic teachings are alive and well today.

So look at what John says starting in verse 1:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit…

And it is much the same today

So, how do you know which spirit to believe?

1 John 4:1  …but test (this word in the Greek literally means “to put them on trial) the spirits to see whether they are from God;

“Test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

 So how do you test them…how can you tell if they are a “false prophet?”

“By this you know the spirit of God: every spirit that confesses (acknowledges – that says the same thing that God says) that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God;

 …and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.”

John says, “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God.”

The name “Christ” means “Messiah”…”the One sent from God!”

And then John says, “is come in the flesh”… He was human!

But any spirit that denies that He is the Savior…or that denies that He is the Messiah (they want to separate Him from the God of the O.T.)…or that denies that He came in human form…that spirit is of the antichrist.

When it came to the different groups of Gnostics, the Docetist were teaching that Jesus only seemed to exist in the flesh because in their minds if Jesus was Deity then He could not possibly have anything to do with the flesh so He only appeared to have a fleshly body.

The Cerenthians believed that Jesus was a plain, ordinary man and lived that way until His baptism at which point the Messiah took up abode in the body of Jesus and stayed there until He was nailed to the cross at which point the Messiah left and the human Jesus died on the cross, a plain, ordinary man.

The Ebionites denied the deity of Christ altogether; that he was just a man.

The Denialists taught that Jesus could never be viewed as being equal to the Father.

The Essenes  and Judaizers said that Jesus wasn’t enough; that you needed more.

Now, what about these groups that exist today (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Shintoism, Spiritualism, Zoroastronism, Paganism, New Age, Scientology, Jehovah Witness); what do they say about Jesus?

Now look at verse 5. John says:

5 They (false prophets) are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.

So John says: They (false prophets) are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.

 Now vs. 6: We (the apostles) are from God; he who knows God listens to us, he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

This is not talking about a man who sincerely seeks the truth of God’s word and because of a wrong understanding teaches in error.

This passage is not talking about that…there are many difficult passages in the Bible and every one of us who teaches and have taught will, from time to time, teach something that may not be right.

And they will tell you all kinds of things some of which sound so good…so right…so pleasing.

We have all of these different religions and religious groups in the world today…something that God never intended…but knew would happen.

With these guidelines comes great responsibility…because the only way you can follow these guidelines that God has given…they only way you can keep from being deceived…is you have to have a firm, confident, knowledge of what the Word of God says.

What does the word say about Jesus Christ who came in human form?

And because there are many false prophets that have gone out into the world.

 

 

Love And A Clear Conscience

LOVE AND A CLEAR CONSCIENCE

1 John 3:18-24

 Several years ago the number one song in America was “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” and you could say, that is exactly the way the Gnostics, those who thought they were enlightened, or the antichrist mentioned in chapter 2 thought, “What’s love got to do with it?”

Here in chapter 3, John says that love has everything to do with it!

 Regardless of what the Gnostics say, those who claim to have a special knowledge, John says, “If you want to be right with God; if you want to be in fellowship with God; if you want the assurance of eternal life; love has everything to do with it!”

But John doesn’t leave it up to the Gnostics or anyone else to define what love is. Look at vs. 16. John says: “We know love by this, that He (Jesus) laid down His life for us;”

And look at what our response should be to His love; vs. 16:    …and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

And most of us will, more than likely, never find ourselves literally laying down our lives for our brethren. .

But whoever has the world’s goods (means of livelihood – you are capable of helping), and beholds his brother in need (food, clothing, shelter, medicine) and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Now, vs. 18: Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

So, that is the standard; vs. 16-18 is our assignment: 1) Be willing to lay down your life for your brethren; 2) give of your livelihood to help your brother and sister in Christ who are in need; and  3) manifest a sincere love by your actions, and not just by word.

But how many of us can fully live up to this standard? How many of us can fully love like Christ?

We shall know by this (by our actions of love) that we are of the truth (we are not pretending to love), and shall assure our heart before Him, 20 in whatever our heart condemns us;

 Because we feel like we have failed to live up to the standard.

And later we fill bad thinking perhaps that we “Didn’t do enough”; we “wish we could have done more.”

But John says here that our sincere actions of love show that we are “of the truth and we can stand with assured hearts before God.”

And look at the end of verse 20: …for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

 And notice that little phrase at the end of vs. 20: …for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

 Look at vs. 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 the things that are pleasing in His sight.

 Vs. 19-22 tells us that a Christian can live without guilt complexes even in the midst of failure.

Vs. 23:  And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

Vs.24 And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

So, “What’s love got to do with it?”

And we will probably never have to literally “lay down our lives” to help a brother or sister; but we may be compelled to “lay down our lives” in other ways.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

I John 3: 10-18

If I were to ask you what the ‘STEPS TO SALVATION” are…you would probably say, “Hear, Believe, Confess, Repent, Be Baptized, and walk in the light.

However, in this passage that we are going to cover John indicates that there is one more item required for salvation…that Hear, Believe, Confess, Repent, Baptism and walk in the light are not enough.

Now, keep in mind that John is writing this due to the influence of the Gnostics…and what John is doing is he is writing to tell these Christians not to give in to the Gnostic teachings…

In fact, look at verse 10: By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice (present tense) righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

But what I really want you to notice is the last phrase of Vs. 10…because John moves into another facet that excludes the Gnostics from fellowship with God…but not only the Gnostics but anyone who does not have what John mentions here. Look at the end of vs. 10 again:

…anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; (reciprocating action)

The Gnostics didn’t have a love for their brothers…they were Elitists…they thought that they were enlightened…they were smarter than others…and in their great wisdom they looked down on those who weren’t as smart at they were.

And, it must be the right kind of love!  Look at vs. 11.

John says that we “should love one anothernot as Cain, who was of the evil one.”

John says, “We are not to love like Cain, who was of the evil one!”

John says, “Don’t love like Cain, who was of the evil one…”

Look at verse 12: And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds (speaks of a practice) were evil and his brother’s were righteous.

What about Abel’s walk and status? He was righteous as God is righteous.

Now look at verse 13: “Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates (detests, hateful)  you.”

Now, if the world loves us what does that mean?

Now look at verse 14: “We know that we have passed out of death into life…he is going to tell us how we know…

“We know that we have passed out of death into life….because we love (present indicative) the brethren. He who does not love abides (present indicative) in death.

Now, look at verse 15:  Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer;

And look at what John says next: …and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Vs. 16:  We know love (agape) by this, that He laid down His life for us (the church).

John says, “He laid down His life for us.”

; and we ought (Ophelay – speaks of a moral obligation: we are indebted, bound) to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Vs. 17: But whoever has the world’s goods (the means of livelihood – food, clothing, shelter) and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart (shows no compassion) against  him, how does the love of God abide in him?

This is a day to day assignment…love is not an isolated act.

18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

He says we are to love “in deed and truth.”

What are the steps to salvation: Hear, Believe, Confess, Repent, Baptized, Love, and walk in the light.

These Gnostics said they had fellowship with God even though they hated each other…and John says, “If there is no love for one another…there is no fellowship.”

If you look at our culture and society it is evident that most people do not know what real love is.

 

Sin Does Matter

SIN DOES MATTER

1 John 3:4-10

I want you to notice vs. 7 again. John says, “Little children, let no one deceive you…”

So, what is the deception; what is the lie?

Well, we must remember John’s purpose for writing this letter.

The specific Gnostic teaching that John deals with here in this passage is the teaching that said, “Sin doesn’t matter.”

In other words you can be a fornicator, an idolater, an adulterer, effeminate, a homosexual, 10 a thief, covetous, a drunkard, a reviler, a swindler, be filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; one who gossips, 30 slanders, hates God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventor of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and still go to heaven.

The Gnostics said that “sin doesn’t matter” and that deception or lie is extremely prevalent today. And that is the lie that John refutes in this passage. Look starting in verse 4:

4 Everyone (There are not exceptions. People often want to exclude themselves or certain individuals from this teaching but John doesn’t exclude anyone.)

Everyone who practices sin…

And John says, “Everyone who does that, who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”

Now verse 5: And you know that He (Jesus) appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

And notice the end of the verse where it says, “…and in Him there is no sin.”

These Gnostics were saying, “Sin doesn’t matter. We practice sin and we have fellowship with God.”

Now look at verse 6: No one (again, no exceptions) who abides(present tense – acts in accordance, obeys) in Him sins (present tense – practice.)

And look at what John says next: …no one who sins(present tense…on going action) has seen Him or knows Him.

Vs. 7: Little children(these are new Christians…the most vulnerable to the Gnostic teachings), let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

 Vs. 7  “The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is”; how righteous is God?

8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

 9 No one who “is” (punctiliar present active) born of God (born in the past and stays born) practices sin,

  Vs. 9…because His seed (Greek word “sperma”…used in Mk. 4:14 where Jesus taught the parable of the soils and referred to the “seed” as being the “Word.”)

abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

 These Gnostics said that “sin makes no difference.”

But regardless of what John says here…people still believe today what these Gnostics taught…and sadly…many preachers teach this same thing.

In those situations I am saying that we shouldn’t be caring and sensitive.

If sin doesn’t matter, then there is no need to evangelize.

If sin doesn’t matter, then there is no need for Christ.

If sin doesn’t matter, then there is no need to come to the assemblies.

If people would quit teaching the “man who practices sin” into heaven, do you think it would change or society?

The Gnostic teaching that John deals with here in these verses is very much alive today and sadly it is being spread by men who call themselves “Gospel Preachers.”

 

 

 

 

Aint It Amazing

AIN’T IT AMAZING

1 John 3:1-3

How many of you know what “language of amazement” is?

Well, that is how John begins this chapter. Look at verse 1. John says: “See how great a love…”

And where John says, “How great a love…or what manner of love” that is the Greek word “potapos” and it has behind it the idea of “something amazing.”

But there something more to be amazed about…look what he says next; “See (give deep consideration to)…the great (amazing) love…the Father…has bestowed

And look at the next phrase…this great love was “bestowed” by the Father…upon us!

In and of ourselves we aren’t righteous people…we were sinners and we still are sinners…and yet Christ died for us.

But there is more…look at what else John says: “See…give deep consideration to…the great or amazing love…the Father…has bestowed or given upon us…that we should be called children of God;

So what you have here in this one verse is “amazing love…an amazing gift…and amazing status.”

Now, I want you to look at that last statement where John says “that we should be called children of God.”

Remember why John is writing this letter?

In fact, look at the end of verse 1: For this reason the world (Gnostics) does not know us, because it did not know Him.

 A lot of people claim to be…and maybe that is why we sometimes don’t fully appreciate the amazing status that we have….this has been trivialized.

But for those who do walk in the light…who do have the love of God in them…who do keep His commandments…who do love one another…who do let the word abide in them…who love the Father and not the world…who recognize the deity, the humanity, and the Messiah-ship of Christ…you are…you can be sure…that you are a child of God.

John writes this to refute the Gnostics…and to remind us of the amazing lovethe amazing gift…and the amazing status that we have.

Now, look at verse 2 again. John says, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be.

I will tell you…remember the Gnostics…some of them had come up with all different kinds of ideas.

But John refutes that. He says, “We are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be.”

And John says, in the here and now we are “children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be.”

What we do know, because of the word of God…we will be like Him.

Scripture does not attempt to define “what we shall be.”

And now, go back to 1 John 3: 3 and look at this very important verse…because this verse tells us a lot about how we are to be and live.

3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him(no one else…no thing else) purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Why do you think John says this?

What has John taught us?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Antichrist

THE ANTICHRIST

1 John 2:18-29

 This past week I got a notice in the mail and on the envelop it said, “Urgent!”

Nothing to a lot of people and the reason it doesn’t mean much to a lot of people is because we use the term when the situation isn’t really “urgent.”

But there are times and instances when the situation is really “urgent” and should be treated as such.

Look with me at vs. 18 again.

Vs. 18: Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.

So here in vs. 18 John is speaking to the “children” or to those who are new converts…because the new converts are the weakest in their faith…they are babies in Christ…they are the most susceptible…they are the ones who are in the most danger!.

So John says, “Children, it is the last hour”…two times in this verse John says, “It is the last hour.”

Now initially when you look at this statement it sounds like an  “end of time statement.”

And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.”

John 5:27  “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour (a change)  is coming and now is, when the dead (spiritually) shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live.

John 5:28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour (a change) is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (Here Jesus is saying, “It is time for a change.”)

Several times John in his writing uses the word “hour” but he doesn’t use it in the context of “end of time”…he uses it to refer to a change.

So, what you have in 1 John 2:18 is a warning about a change.

And why is this so “urgent?”  Because “even now many antichrists have risen.”

And this should not be a surprise to these new converts because John says that they have “heard (past tense) that these antichrist (these people who were against Christ) were coming.”

In fact, look at what John writes in 2 John vs. 8. John says, Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.

John is not talking about the “end of time.”

So John says, “Even now many antichrist have arisen.” Who are these “antichrist?”

Well, notice in vs.18 that John says that these antichrist are many.

 But when John speaks of “many antichrist” he is speaking more specifically about the many different currents of antichristian teachings and doctrines coming from false teachers who claimed to have a special knowledge (syncretizing the gospel of Christ with their human reasoning).

 In chapter 1:7 some of these false teachers were teaching that you could “walk in the darkness and still have fellowship with God.”

And look at vs. 19: John says, “They went out from us (they claimed to be Christians), but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us.

John says, “These antichrist went out from usbut were not really a part of us.”

The church didn’t lose anything when these people left because the church never had them in the first place.

And look at vs. 22:  Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

And if you look at vs. 26 you see why John is writing this: These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.

 Why would they do this? To justify themselves.

 These “children, these new converts” were going to encounter many different facets of antichristian teachings, just as we do today.

So, what do we do? In the presence of this danger that exists today, what do we do to keep from being deceived by those who pervert the word of God?

John says, These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.

 27 And as for you, the anointing which you received… (What is this anointing? Well, you learn what the anointing is by what the anointing does!)

27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you…

Now, vs. 27 again: And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you  and you have no need for anyone to teach you (why?); because His anointing teaches you about all things (redemption and salvation), and is true and is not a lie, and just as it (not a person) has taught you, you abide in Him.

 What is this “anointing?” Well, it is something that teaches us; about all things.

And what John is saying is, there are many false teachers and there are many false teachings who will deceive you and lead you astray.

  

Little Children, Fathers, Young Men

LITTLE CHILDREN, FATHERS, AND YOUNG MEN

1 John 2:12-17

 ___________ do you have a watch? Here is what I am going to do…I am writing a number down and if you guess the number you get to keep the watch, but if you don’t guess the number, I get the watch!

I am sure that most of you have had some young men come by your house and they want to tell you about their prophet…and they want to give you their prophet’s so called “Latter Day Revelation.”

The reason I mention these things to you is because that is basically what John is saying here in this passage: Why would you give up what is already yours for something else?

Now it is important that you keep in mind that John is writing this to counter what the Gnostics were teaching and to counter their influence on these Christians.

So look at this passage…

Now, obviously, when he says he is writing to “little children” he isn’t referring to age.

Instead, he is referring to their spiritual chronology…their spiritual maturity.

Now look at verse 12:  I am writing to you (present tense) little children, because your sins are forgiven you (perfect tense in the Greek: speaks of a present state resulting from a past completed action; their sins were forgiven in the past and they are still being forgiven) for His name’s sake.

Look at what else John says to these “little children” or these new coverts…look at the end of vs. 13:

 I have written to you (now it is past tense – this speaks of past correspondence), children, because you know the Father (perfect tense).

Now, if their sins are forgiven…and if they know the Father…they don’t need to listen to the Gnostic doctrine. The Gnostic doctrine is of no value to them.

And the same is true for us…”why give up what you already have…for something else?”

Now look at what else John says in vs. 13: I am writing to you (present tense), fathers, because you know (perfect tense – again, this speaks of a present state as the result of a past completed action) Him who has been from the beginning (the beginning of Christianity).

Now look at verse 14:

I have written to you (past tense- speaks of past correspondence), fathers, because you know Him (perfect tense) who has been from the beginning.

Why would they give up what they already have for something else or why would they have to add to it?

And the same is true for us…”why give up what you already have…for something else?”

Now, look at the “young men” in verse 13:

I am writing to you (present tense), young men, because you have overcome (perfect tense) the evil one.

Vs. 14: I have written to you (past tense- speaks of past correspondence), young men, because you are strong (present tense), and the word of God abides (present tense) in you, and you have overcome (perfect tense) the evil one.

And isn’t that true for us today?

And notice the results of John’s past correspondence. Because of his past correspondence the little children, fathers, and young men “know Him; they have overcome the evil one, they are strong, and the word abides in them.”

But regardless, because of John’s past correspondence and his present writing, these “little children, young men, and fathers” are in fellowship with God.

And  the same is true for us.

If anyone who comes to your door and says, “You need this new revelation or you need what this “latter day prophet” has to say, they are doing the same thing that these Gnostics were doing when John wrote this letter.

Now, why do you suppose that John writes to all three categories of people here: little children, young men, and fathers?

Now, look at verse 15…again…remember that John is dealing with the influence of the Gnostic’s teaching. Look what he says:

15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world.

Look what John says next: “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Vs. 16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (internal appetite for what you do not have) and the lust of the eyes (external appetite for what you do not have) and the boastful pride of life (wrong attitude concerning internal and external that we do have…the haughty display of possessions)  is not from the Father, but is from the world.

 17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.

 The world can build up your ego and satisfy your fleshly appetites…but that is all it can give you.

Brethren, what we have in Christ…is incomparably more valuable and precious…than all that the world can offer and give.

The Old And New Commandments

THE OLD AND NEW COMMANDMENT

1 John 2:7-11

Like many today, when John wrote this letter to these followers of Christ, there were a lot of people who claimed to be “in fellowship” with God.

So, John writes this letter to dispute their claims of fellowship; to clear up the confusion; and to tell us who really does have fellowship with God.

Some other Gnostics, the Ascetics and Monastics, said that they were in fellowship with God because “they had no sin”; 1:8, 10.

Then the Libertine Gnostics and the Antinomians said in chapter 2:4 that “You don’t have to keep God’s commandments to have fellowship with God…God doesn’t care about commandment keeping.”

Now, we come to the passage that was read; chapter 2: 7-11 and in these verses John is going to dispute another claim of fellowship by the Gnostics.

Now, John has just said that if you have fellowship with Him, you are going to keep His commandments.”

Vs. 7:  Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you,

Notice the words “new”…in the Greek that is the word “Kainos” and that speaks of something “new in time…and new in kind.”

What is he talking about?

Well, first of all look at the commandment in verse 10:”The one who loves his brother…”

Well, look with me at John 13: 34.

Now, what makes this commandment so “new.” Let me show you.

Go back now and look at the standard that Jesus sets forth in John 13:34.

The word for “love” is “agape” in the Greek and there is no “self” in it.

The old love found in Lev. 19:18 was incomplete and faulty while the love found in John 13:34 is complete and perfect.

But John now says that he is writing an “old commandment which you have had from the beginning.”

In fact, John says that they have had it from the “beginning”: from the beginning of what?

So let’s look at what John says again:  Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you,

Jesus was and is the standard of love…and it is to be our standard also.

Now, look at the next part of the verse. John says, “…because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

But what were the Gnostics doing? Well, look at vs. 9.

These brethren really needed to understand this and so do we. John says, The one who says he is in the light…

Vs. 9: The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

Now verse 10: The one who loves (present indicative) his brother abides(present indicative) in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

And do you see that phrase “there is no cause for stumbling in him?”

Vs. 11: But the one who 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.

Now, why would a Gnostic hate his brother?

The Gnostics had two different categories of people: the Psukoi or soul people and the Pneumatoi or spirit people.

But then there was another category of people…this was the Sarkoi…the flesh people…people without this special illumination…this special knowledge…

So, how is our fellowship with God?

We are not going to love as perfectly as He loved.

Let’s show the world that we are all disciples of Christ by loving each other the way our Lord loves us.