Last week, instead of continuing with our study of of I john, I listed a few of my favorite passages of Scripture and why these specific passages were meaningful to me.
One of the things I like to do in my spare time is listen to sermons online from other parts of the world. I happened to come across a message about the epistles of John from a Baptist church in England. I found this sermon rather shocking. The minister said that she found all of the epistles of John hard to understand, and she didn't like preaching about them. She said that they didn't make a lot of sense to her. To me, I John is a book filled with tremendous spiritual truth. I just hope that I am doing an adequate job of relating the message of I John in my writing.
For the record, this isn't the worst thing I've heard about the Bible from a minister. One minister I was reading actually said that he would never preach a message from the book of Hebrews. He said that he couldn't see any relevance in the book for today, and he didn't even understand why Hebrews was included in the Bible.
When we were last in I John, we focused on the first portion of chapter 2 which speaks about the fact that Jesus is our advocate with the Father, and how Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
We learned that Jesus satisfied both the love of God and the justice of God when Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. The judgment for sins that we should have received was placed on Jesus. Those who accept Jesus as Lord and are in Christ are no longer under judgment. Jesus has paid the debt and we are free.
Today, we continue on with verse 3 and 4 which state, "And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that sayeth, I know him, and keepeth not his ommandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
These verses are similar to John's views about sin. However, John is now placing the emphasis on the positive instead of the negative. Instead of not sinning being a distinguishing mark of one who has a true relationship with Jesus, now, John is saying that a distinguishing characteristic of a true follower of Jesus is obeying the commandments of Jesus.
These words of John are similar to the words of James and of Jesus Himself. James talks about faith without works being dead in James 2:14-26. You can say that you have faith , but if there are no works as a result of that faith, then it is a dead faith. In other words, a person who has faith without works has a profession of faith and not a possession of faith.
Jesus also spoke about this theme during His Upper Room Discourse. Jesus states in John 15:14, "You are my friends, if you do what I command you."
In the United States where I live, the vast majority of people identify in some way with the Christian religion. There is really no persecution for saying that you are a believer.
However, while so many claim to be Christians, there are actually very few who actually practice the Christian faith. For instance, In the U.S., only about 25 to 30 percent of the people who claim Christianity actually attend church. A lot of people claim the faith, it just doesn't seem that important to them.
This same thing holds true in Europe. Many claim to be Christians, but even fewer attend church than in the United States. (I think that the exception to this is Poland.)
In my country, there is also an easy believeism preached that goes something like this. Someone responds to an invitation to accept Christ. Those who respond say a prayer, and then they are said to be saved. The teaching then goes that even if you don't make Jesus the Lord of you life, if you said that prayer, you are saved and eternally secure.
I believe that the clear teaching of Jesus, James and John is in absolute opposition to this view. A Christian is someone who make Jesus Christ the Lord of his life. Part of having Jesus as Lord means doing those things that He commanded His followers to do.
Being a Christian means following Christ. However, much of modern, evangelical Christianity has reduced salvation to escaping Hell and getting into Heaven. This is not taught in Scripture. We come to Jesus to have a relationship with Him and grow in Him. We are to become more like Jesus everyday. When we die, if we are in Christ, Heaven will be our home. However, this whole emphasis to accept Jesus to get to Heaven is misplaced. Salvation is this, but it is so much more than this.
Someone who really loves Jesus, and has been truly and deeply touched by Jesus, will have a strong desire to do those things that please the Lord. When Jesus commanded to spread His teachings, the follower of Christ responds in obedience.
The person who is true follower of Jesus strives with all of his might to follow the teachings of Jesus found in the Sermon on the Mount.
If anyone says that a person can be a Christian and not follow the commandments of Jesus, that person is teaching false doctrine. This is clearly stated by John in this passage.
Verses five and six in chapter two reiterate John's statement in the previous verses. We can test whether or not we are in the faith by testing if we have a desire to follow the commandments of Jesus and imitate His life and example.
Jesus is our perfect example. We must strive to always do those things our Savior did. Jesus sought to help people. He sought to meet the needs of hurting people. With Jesus as our example, this too should be our goal.
Before I close, I want to say that I realize that some who read this blog live in areas where claiming to be a Christian is a matter of life and death. I pray for all of you who live faithfully for Jesus in the midst of persecution. I pray that God will bless you and that you will know the peace of Christ in the depths of your heart.
May God bless you all. Amen.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Some Good Dog Books
As I've mentioned, I've been re-reading some of my favorite dog books as well as reading some new ones. Two of my favorite dog books are written by author David Kennard. A Shepherd's Watch and The Dogs of Windcutter Down tell the story of Mr. Kennard's efforts to make a living raising sheep in Devonshire, England. Much of the book deals with the author's relationship with his border collies Swift, Ernie, Jake, Greg, Fern and Gail. Every time I read these books, my old dream of having a sheep ranch comes back.
Another book I recommend is Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote. This is an excellent book about how Ted found Merle as a stray and about their adventures in the mountains of Wyoming. Ted Kerasote has also written a book about the dog he obtained five years after Merle's passing. That book is call Pukka: The Dog After Merle.
Finally, I'd like to recommend a book by Mark Shand called River Dog. River Dog recounts the author's trip down the Brahmaputra River in India and Bangladesh. The author was accompanied by a dog he bought in India who the author named Bhaiti.
Another book I recommend is Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote. This is an excellent book about how Ted found Merle as a stray and about their adventures in the mountains of Wyoming. Ted Kerasote has also written a book about the dog he obtained five years after Merle's passing. That book is call Pukka: The Dog After Merle.
Finally, I'd like to recommend a book by Mark Shand called River Dog. River Dog recounts the author's trip down the Brahmaputra River in India and Bangladesh. The author was accompanied by a dog he bought in India who the author named Bhaiti.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Weekend Sermon--Favorite Scriptures
For this week, I am going to step away from our study of I John for one week. Lord willing, we will resume our study of I John next week. It seems that just when you think things are going well something terrible comes and knocks you down again. That's what happened to me this week. It takes a lot of faith and trust in God just to get through the day.
This week, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite verses from the Bible.
Proverbs 12:10--"Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast."-- This verse is important to me because it shows the importance God places on animals. For most of my life, animals have been my only true friends. Many of you know that my best friend was Toby.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we should be concerned for animal welfare. The way animals are treated by some makes me sick. Many dogs and cats are abused and abandoned every year. Other animals are hunted for sport even endangered species. This passage make it clear that God considers a person to be unrighteous if that person doesn't treat animals correctly. A good person treats animals with consideration.
Psalm 50:10--"For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills."-- This passage makes it clear that animals belong to God. So often I here that since man has been given dominion over the earth he can do whatever he wants with the natural world including animals. This verse says otherwise. God created animals just as He created mankind. When we harm animals we are destroying part of the creative work of God.
Psalm 130-- This is one of my favorite Psalms. When I was in college, I sang in the college choir. One of the pieces we performed was a musical arrangement of Psalm 130 by John Rutter. The music was beautiful, as so much of Rutter's work is. This Psalm speaks about calling out to the Lord in the midst of the darkest times. It reminds me of the fact that the Lord hears us when we call upon His name.
Isaiah 55:1--"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."-- This fantastic verse reminds me that salvation is available to anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord. We cannot earn salvation. The living water provided by Christ is freely given to anyone who come to Him in repentance and faith.
Isaiah 65:17--"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind."-- This verse means a lot to me because it speaks about the fact that one day all things will be made new. When Jesus returns and establishes His kingdom upon the earth, all of the former things such as sin, pain and disease will be done away with. All of the painful memories will be washed away in the glorious presence of the eternal king.
Matthew 8:1-4-- In this passage, a leper comes to Jesus and asks Jesus to heal him. Jesus touched the leper, and the man was completely healed. I came to this verse time and time again when I suffered from a bad skin ailment. I wasn't drawn to the passage because the man in the story was healed. I was touched by the fact that Jesus reached out and touched the leper. In Jesus day, this would have been shocking. Lepers were considered unclean. But Jesus identified with and cared about the hurting people in the world. He ministered to those whom society had rejected. The people of the world may reject you, and friends may turn away, but Jesus is always there with His outstretched hand.
John 11:25--" Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whosoever believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."-- Of all the verses in the Bible, this is my favorite. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Because Jesus died and rose again, those who are in Christ need not fear death. When my parents passed away, this verse helped to bring me through the bad times. Both of my parents knew Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Even though they are gone, I know that they are alive in the presence of the Lord Jesus at this very moment. Because Jesus lives, I will be reunited with my parents some day. Glory be to the name of Jesus.
Acts 2:45--" And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need." -- This verse describes the practice of the early church. They helped each other out. If somebody needed something, the other members of the church helped them out. This is how it should be today. Members of the body of Christ should be there to help each other out. Unfortunately, this usually isn't the case. When religious people complain about the government being involved in providing welfare and help to people, they should ask themselves if they and their church are following the example of the earliest followers of Christ.
Hebrews 13:8-- " Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."-- Jesus doesn't change. We can read about Jesus in the Bible and know that just as He was in the Scripture, so is He today. He keeps His promises. He will always be with us.
These are just a few of my favorite verses. I hope that you will read them and ponder their meaning for you life. Amen.
This week, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite verses from the Bible.
Proverbs 12:10--"Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast."-- This verse is important to me because it shows the importance God places on animals. For most of my life, animals have been my only true friends. Many of you know that my best friend was Toby.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we should be concerned for animal welfare. The way animals are treated by some makes me sick. Many dogs and cats are abused and abandoned every year. Other animals are hunted for sport even endangered species. This passage make it clear that God considers a person to be unrighteous if that person doesn't treat animals correctly. A good person treats animals with consideration.
Psalm 50:10--"For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills."-- This passage makes it clear that animals belong to God. So often I here that since man has been given dominion over the earth he can do whatever he wants with the natural world including animals. This verse says otherwise. God created animals just as He created mankind. When we harm animals we are destroying part of the creative work of God.
Psalm 130-- This is one of my favorite Psalms. When I was in college, I sang in the college choir. One of the pieces we performed was a musical arrangement of Psalm 130 by John Rutter. The music was beautiful, as so much of Rutter's work is. This Psalm speaks about calling out to the Lord in the midst of the darkest times. It reminds me of the fact that the Lord hears us when we call upon His name.
Isaiah 55:1--"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."-- This fantastic verse reminds me that salvation is available to anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord. We cannot earn salvation. The living water provided by Christ is freely given to anyone who come to Him in repentance and faith.
Isaiah 65:17--"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind."-- This verse means a lot to me because it speaks about the fact that one day all things will be made new. When Jesus returns and establishes His kingdom upon the earth, all of the former things such as sin, pain and disease will be done away with. All of the painful memories will be washed away in the glorious presence of the eternal king.
Matthew 8:1-4-- In this passage, a leper comes to Jesus and asks Jesus to heal him. Jesus touched the leper, and the man was completely healed. I came to this verse time and time again when I suffered from a bad skin ailment. I wasn't drawn to the passage because the man in the story was healed. I was touched by the fact that Jesus reached out and touched the leper. In Jesus day, this would have been shocking. Lepers were considered unclean. But Jesus identified with and cared about the hurting people in the world. He ministered to those whom society had rejected. The people of the world may reject you, and friends may turn away, but Jesus is always there with His outstretched hand.
John 11:25--" Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whosoever believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."-- Of all the verses in the Bible, this is my favorite. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Because Jesus died and rose again, those who are in Christ need not fear death. When my parents passed away, this verse helped to bring me through the bad times. Both of my parents knew Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Even though they are gone, I know that they are alive in the presence of the Lord Jesus at this very moment. Because Jesus lives, I will be reunited with my parents some day. Glory be to the name of Jesus.
Acts 2:45--" And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need." -- This verse describes the practice of the early church. They helped each other out. If somebody needed something, the other members of the church helped them out. This is how it should be today. Members of the body of Christ should be there to help each other out. Unfortunately, this usually isn't the case. When religious people complain about the government being involved in providing welfare and help to people, they should ask themselves if they and their church are following the example of the earliest followers of Christ.
Hebrews 13:8-- " Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."-- Jesus doesn't change. We can read about Jesus in the Bible and know that just as He was in the Scripture, so is He today. He keeps His promises. He will always be with us.
These are just a few of my favorite verses. I hope that you will read them and ponder their meaning for you life. Amen.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Weekend Sermon--I John 2:1-2
I would like to once again thank the Lord for providing me with more writing work. It is certainly an answer to prayer. I really enjoy writing, and I'm glad I get to earn a living doing something I enjoy.
Last week, we looked at the need to confess sins. We saw that the first step in beginning our walk with Christ is to confess and repent.
After coming to Jesus, we will sometimes slip and fall. When we fall into sin, we should confess our sin to Jesus so that we can remain in fellowship with Him and not let anything hinder our relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
This week, we leave chapter one and being our examination of the second chapter. John begins chapter two by saying, "My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not, and if any man sin, we have an advocate with Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
John wants to reiterate the fact that the believer should seek to live a life free from sin. Just as John believes that this is vital, I do as well.
If we say that we have fellowship with Christ, our actions should demonstrate the fact. Our actions are part of our testimony as Christians to those who haven't committed their lives to the Lord. When those who are without Christ look at us and see that our lives are filled with sin, there is nothing that attracts the unbeliever to want to accept Jesus as the Lord of their lives. From observing us, they can't see that following Jesus makes any difference.
To be a follower of Christ means to follow Jesus and imitate His life. We are to be more like Jesus every day and lay sin and the old way of life behind. We must lay aside the works of the flesh and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit.
For those who do fall into sin, Jesus is the answer. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession on our behalf. This passage says that He is our advocate. Jesus pleads our case.
When we come to the Lord confessing our sin and asking for forgiveness, Jesus intercedes on our behalf. Because Jesus shed His blood on the cross and has risen, if we believe in Him, His blood cleanses us from sin. Jesus says to the Father that the price has been paid. We are in Christ, therefore, we can be forgiven.
John put it this way in verse 2, "And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
To propititate means to appease. Jesus appeased the wrath of God against sin on our behalf.
When man sinned, this act caused separation from God. Because of our sin, we deserved the wrath and punishment of God. Because God is just, He had to punish sin. However, God is also a God of love and mercy. God wanted to bring us back. God wanted to satisfy the demands of both His justice and love.
For this reason, Jesus Christ came into the world. He was the Lamb of God come to take away the sins of the world. Jesus lived a holy and sinless life. He fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law.
When Jesus died on the cross, He bore the sins of the world in His body. God's wrath against sin was borne by Christ. Jesus took our place. He took the punishment that we justly deserved out of His great love for us.
Jesus died for our sins. But He rose again defeating the effects of sin which are death and hell.
When we place our faith in Jesus, His blood cleanses us, and we are declared righteous based on the righteousness of Christ.
Because of what Jesus had done, when the Father looks at us, He doesn't see our sin and unrighteousness, He sees us clothed in the righteousness of His Son. God's wrath and judgment passes over us because we are in Christ.
The Old Testament Passover story explains this concept. When the children of Israel were in Egyptian bondage, God sent plagues against the Egyptians to persuade them to let His people go.
Finally, God said that He would slay the first born in Egypt. God told Moses to have each family of the Israelites sacrifice a lamb and apply the blood to the door posts of their homes. When the death angel saw the blood, he would pass over that house, and the first born of that house would be spared.
When the Father sees the blood of Christ applied to our heart, His judgment passes over us.
As John says, Jesus died for the whole world. Salvation and atonement are available to anyone who will call upon the name of the Lord. John 3:16 sums it all up, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Whosoever will may come, and that means anyone who is reading this message right now. Come to Jesus. Find forgiveness and a new life. Amen.
Last week, we looked at the need to confess sins. We saw that the first step in beginning our walk with Christ is to confess and repent.
After coming to Jesus, we will sometimes slip and fall. When we fall into sin, we should confess our sin to Jesus so that we can remain in fellowship with Him and not let anything hinder our relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
This week, we leave chapter one and being our examination of the second chapter. John begins chapter two by saying, "My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not, and if any man sin, we have an advocate with Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
John wants to reiterate the fact that the believer should seek to live a life free from sin. Just as John believes that this is vital, I do as well.
If we say that we have fellowship with Christ, our actions should demonstrate the fact. Our actions are part of our testimony as Christians to those who haven't committed their lives to the Lord. When those who are without Christ look at us and see that our lives are filled with sin, there is nothing that attracts the unbeliever to want to accept Jesus as the Lord of their lives. From observing us, they can't see that following Jesus makes any difference.
To be a follower of Christ means to follow Jesus and imitate His life. We are to be more like Jesus every day and lay sin and the old way of life behind. We must lay aside the works of the flesh and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit.
For those who do fall into sin, Jesus is the answer. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession on our behalf. This passage says that He is our advocate. Jesus pleads our case.
When we come to the Lord confessing our sin and asking for forgiveness, Jesus intercedes on our behalf. Because Jesus shed His blood on the cross and has risen, if we believe in Him, His blood cleanses us from sin. Jesus says to the Father that the price has been paid. We are in Christ, therefore, we can be forgiven.
John put it this way in verse 2, "And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
To propititate means to appease. Jesus appeased the wrath of God against sin on our behalf.
When man sinned, this act caused separation from God. Because of our sin, we deserved the wrath and punishment of God. Because God is just, He had to punish sin. However, God is also a God of love and mercy. God wanted to bring us back. God wanted to satisfy the demands of both His justice and love.
For this reason, Jesus Christ came into the world. He was the Lamb of God come to take away the sins of the world. Jesus lived a holy and sinless life. He fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law.
When Jesus died on the cross, He bore the sins of the world in His body. God's wrath against sin was borne by Christ. Jesus took our place. He took the punishment that we justly deserved out of His great love for us.
Jesus died for our sins. But He rose again defeating the effects of sin which are death and hell.
When we place our faith in Jesus, His blood cleanses us, and we are declared righteous based on the righteousness of Christ.
Because of what Jesus had done, when the Father looks at us, He doesn't see our sin and unrighteousness, He sees us clothed in the righteousness of His Son. God's wrath and judgment passes over us because we are in Christ.
The Old Testament Passover story explains this concept. When the children of Israel were in Egyptian bondage, God sent plagues against the Egyptians to persuade them to let His people go.
Finally, God said that He would slay the first born in Egypt. God told Moses to have each family of the Israelites sacrifice a lamb and apply the blood to the door posts of their homes. When the death angel saw the blood, he would pass over that house, and the first born of that house would be spared.
When the Father sees the blood of Christ applied to our heart, His judgment passes over us.
As John says, Jesus died for the whole world. Salvation and atonement are available to anyone who will call upon the name of the Lord. John 3:16 sums it all up, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Whosoever will may come, and that means anyone who is reading this message right now. Come to Jesus. Find forgiveness and a new life. Amen.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A Verse For the Day
Matthew 5:6--"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Thanksgiving
I want to say thank you and give praise to the Lord for providing me with a writing job. I've been without much work for a long time. Today, I got good news on the job front. I want to thank you all for your prayers about this matter. Once again, thank you Lord.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Weekend Sermon--I John 1:8-10
Well, I made it through the week, but I have to admit that it wasn't easy. To top off missing my friend, I was once again rejected from some jobs. I need a job, and I am trusting in the Lord for provision. I ask those of you who read this blog to continue to pray about this if you would be so kind.
The last time we were in our study of I John, we talked about walking in the light and walking in the darkness. John teaches us that if we claim to belong to Jesus but walk in darkness we don't really know Jesus. We have a profession of faith and not a true relationship with Jesus.
One of the ways a person can tell that he is a child of God is if he is walking in the light. Someone who claims Jesus as Lord will follow the teachings and commandments of Jesus.
Today, we pick up our study in I John 1:8 which states, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." This verse has two applications.
The first application of this verse is to those in the world who have never come to faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous. There is none who seek after God. There is no one who does what is good.
The first step in stepping out of the darkness and into the light is the recognition that one is sinner and needs a Savior.
This is similar to people who are engaged in various addictive behaviors. You can talk and talk to someone who drinks too much about their problem with alcohol, however; it won't do any good until the person who has the problem recognizes the problem and realizes the need for help.
However, the world is deceiving itself because most people don't realize that they are sinners. I actually know one woman who claims that she has never once committed a sin. Of course, this is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture.
Most people don't realize that as James says if you offend in one area of the law, you have broken the whole law. They don't understand that they were born in sin with a sin nature in rebellion against the light of the life of God.
The second application of this verse is to those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. We have recognized our sin and our need of a Savior. However, some Christians don't recognize that they still slip and fall and need to continue to confess their sins.
Now, keep in mind what John said. A believer is not someone who is sinning all of the time. We're walking in the light now laying aside the sin's of the old man.
The vast majority of believers still struggle and need to confess their sins.
Some denominations teach a belief in entire sanctification. The doctrine states that a person can arrive at a state in this life where they no longer sin. Some believe that this is accomplished instantaneously by a second work of grace while others believe in progressive sanctification leading to perfection.
I don't entirely dismiss the second idea. I certainly don't believe as I was taught in the church of my youth that we sin every day, so we need to ask forgiveness everyday.
As believers, we need to be progressing in our Christian faith becoming more like Jesus each day. As we mature in the faith, we should sin less and less. I believe that it is possible for someone to reach a stage where they aren't sinning. However, in my experience, it isn't the norm. I know that I'm sure not perfect.
With this in mind, John goes on in verse nine to state, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As with verse eight, verse nine also has two applications.
The person who comes to realize that they are a sinner and need a Savior must confess their sin and repent. They need to tell the Lord that they recognize that they have offend His holiness and are now ready to turn away from sin and to salvation.
If someone comes to Jesus in repentance and faith, Jesus will forgive them and cleanse them from all of their sin. Some people claim that they've sinned too much and God can't forgive their wickedness. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Any sinner who confesses his sin to the Lord will be forgiven and cleansed from sin based on the finished work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
As far as believers are concerned, we need to make confession of sin a part of our prayers. I think that it is one of the first things we should do when we pray. We need to put our relationship with the Lord back on line.
When we sin, we break our fellowship with God. We don't lose our salvation, but our relationship with the Lord isn't what it should be. If we confess our sins, Jesus will forgive us, cleanse us, and restore us to fellowship.
It should be our desire to be in fellowship with Jesus. We need to walk in the light of Christ and strive to be like Jesus and not to commit sin. If we do, we should immediately confess and be forgiven.
If you have never turned to Jesus as Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so today. Recognize that you are a sinner. Repent of your sin, and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. May God bless you. Amen.
The last time we were in our study of I John, we talked about walking in the light and walking in the darkness. John teaches us that if we claim to belong to Jesus but walk in darkness we don't really know Jesus. We have a profession of faith and not a true relationship with Jesus.
One of the ways a person can tell that he is a child of God is if he is walking in the light. Someone who claims Jesus as Lord will follow the teachings and commandments of Jesus.
Today, we pick up our study in I John 1:8 which states, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." This verse has two applications.
The first application of this verse is to those in the world who have never come to faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous. There is none who seek after God. There is no one who does what is good.
The first step in stepping out of the darkness and into the light is the recognition that one is sinner and needs a Savior.
This is similar to people who are engaged in various addictive behaviors. You can talk and talk to someone who drinks too much about their problem with alcohol, however; it won't do any good until the person who has the problem recognizes the problem and realizes the need for help.
However, the world is deceiving itself because most people don't realize that they are sinners. I actually know one woman who claims that she has never once committed a sin. Of course, this is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture.
Most people don't realize that as James says if you offend in one area of the law, you have broken the whole law. They don't understand that they were born in sin with a sin nature in rebellion against the light of the life of God.
The second application of this verse is to those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. We have recognized our sin and our need of a Savior. However, some Christians don't recognize that they still slip and fall and need to continue to confess their sins.
Now, keep in mind what John said. A believer is not someone who is sinning all of the time. We're walking in the light now laying aside the sin's of the old man.
The vast majority of believers still struggle and need to confess their sins.
Some denominations teach a belief in entire sanctification. The doctrine states that a person can arrive at a state in this life where they no longer sin. Some believe that this is accomplished instantaneously by a second work of grace while others believe in progressive sanctification leading to perfection.
I don't entirely dismiss the second idea. I certainly don't believe as I was taught in the church of my youth that we sin every day, so we need to ask forgiveness everyday.
As believers, we need to be progressing in our Christian faith becoming more like Jesus each day. As we mature in the faith, we should sin less and less. I believe that it is possible for someone to reach a stage where they aren't sinning. However, in my experience, it isn't the norm. I know that I'm sure not perfect.
With this in mind, John goes on in verse nine to state, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As with verse eight, verse nine also has two applications.
The person who comes to realize that they are a sinner and need a Savior must confess their sin and repent. They need to tell the Lord that they recognize that they have offend His holiness and are now ready to turn away from sin and to salvation.
If someone comes to Jesus in repentance and faith, Jesus will forgive them and cleanse them from all of their sin. Some people claim that they've sinned too much and God can't forgive their wickedness. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Any sinner who confesses his sin to the Lord will be forgiven and cleansed from sin based on the finished work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
As far as believers are concerned, we need to make confession of sin a part of our prayers. I think that it is one of the first things we should do when we pray. We need to put our relationship with the Lord back on line.
When we sin, we break our fellowship with God. We don't lose our salvation, but our relationship with the Lord isn't what it should be. If we confess our sins, Jesus will forgive us, cleanse us, and restore us to fellowship.
It should be our desire to be in fellowship with Jesus. We need to walk in the light of Christ and strive to be like Jesus and not to commit sin. If we do, we should immediately confess and be forgiven.
If you have never turned to Jesus as Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so today. Recognize that you are a sinner. Repent of your sin, and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. May God bless you. Amen.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Various Thoughts
I have a few different things to write about today. First of all, I'm sorry about not posting the Weekend Sermon. I was just not at my best last week. Lord willing, I'll be back on track this week, and we will resume our study of I John.
I'd ask that those who read this blog continue to pray for me. I'm looking for more work, and I'm not having much luck. Hopefully, my writing income will pick up and I can find some other work. Some people claim that the economy is picking up. I don't see much evidence of it where I live.
Tomorrow is June 5th, and that day is one of four very difficult days on the calender. June 5th is the day my friend Toby passed away 16 years ago. I miss him so much I can hardly stand it sometimes. Please pray that I will make it through the day. The other bad days on the calender are October 17 which is the day my Mom had her bad stroke. She was never the same after that. September 19 is the day my Mom passed away almost 5 years after this stroke. The other bad day is February 17 when my Dad passed away. He had a massive stroke as well, but he didn't recover like my Mom did.
Finally, I finished reading a dog book I read a few years back called "Ella in Europe". This is an interesting book about the author and his dog travelling around Europe. The author is struck by how much more European countries accept dogs than does the United States. In Europe, the author was able to take his dog on trains and into the finest hotels and restaurants. France seemed like a great country to have a dog. I could have taken Toby to restaurants and out shopping in little bookstores. I can just picture the two of us walking along the banks of the Seine.
I'd ask that those who read this blog continue to pray for me. I'm looking for more work, and I'm not having much luck. Hopefully, my writing income will pick up and I can find some other work. Some people claim that the economy is picking up. I don't see much evidence of it where I live.
Tomorrow is June 5th, and that day is one of four very difficult days on the calender. June 5th is the day my friend Toby passed away 16 years ago. I miss him so much I can hardly stand it sometimes. Please pray that I will make it through the day. The other bad days on the calender are October 17 which is the day my Mom had her bad stroke. She was never the same after that. September 19 is the day my Mom passed away almost 5 years after this stroke. The other bad day is February 17 when my Dad passed away. He had a massive stroke as well, but he didn't recover like my Mom did.
Finally, I finished reading a dog book I read a few years back called "Ella in Europe". This is an interesting book about the author and his dog travelling around Europe. The author is struck by how much more European countries accept dogs than does the United States. In Europe, the author was able to take his dog on trains and into the finest hotels and restaurants. France seemed like a great country to have a dog. I could have taken Toby to restaurants and out shopping in little bookstores. I can just picture the two of us walking along the banks of the Seine.
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