TESTING YOUR CHRISTMAS With CHRISTIAN COMPLIANCE-II
— 2John :7-11; 1John 2:22-25; 4:14-16; 5:5-13—
Attention:
Our Christmas celebrations say much about what we really believe.
Need:
John supplied his readers with a test for Christian compliance in Jesus’ sonship/humanity/birth.
Jesus’ sonship/birth is a test for Christian confession/compliance...
How is faith in Jesus’ birth/sonship a test for Christian compliance?
4 tests of Christian compliance realized thru our celebration of Jesus’ birth/sonship.
2—Celebrating Jesus’ Birth Tests Our...
VICTORY(1Jn. 5:5-13)
Explanation: (1Jn. 5:5-13)
1Jn. 5:5—“Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Those who “overcome the world” are those who have established “belief” in Jesus as “the Son of God” per 4:15. Thus the presence of God’s love(4:16) in a believer’s life is what grants him/her the ability to “overcome the world.”
It is vital that one overcomes the world(Jn. 16:33) because “the world” runs contrary to the Spirit of God(1Cor. 2:14).
Jn. 16:33—““These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””
1Cor. 2:13-14—“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
The natural man has no Victory!
:6—“This is He who came by water & blood--Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water & blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.”
This “Jesus” who is the Son of God & the “Christ” “came” to His appointed mission by means of both “Water & blood.” He “came” “not only by water.” It is of importance to John for his audience to grasp the fact that Jesus came “not only by water”, but by both “water & blood.”
Mk. 1:9-11—“It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””
Many have & will comment on this somewhat enigmatic statement. These terms seem to frame the importance of Jesus earthly ministry. Jesus’ earthly ministry began with His baptism by John & ended with His death on the Cross.
We are presented with an obvious characteristic of Jesus, which can be compared to the rest of humanity but cannot be limited to humanity, otherwise He could be neither Savior(Jesus) nor Messiah(God’s Anointed One). Jesus indeed has come in flesh & blood in order to rightly accomplish God’s salvation for mankind!
“It is true that at the Cross both water & blood came out of the side of Jesus when pierced by the soldier, as John bore witness (Joh 19:34), a complete refutation of the Docetic denial of an actual human body for Jesus & of the Cerinthian distinction between Jesus & Christ.”
“The repetition of both preposition (en this time rather than dia) & the article (twi locative case) argues for two separate events with particular emphasis on the blood ("not only" ouk monon, "but" all’) which the Gnostics made light of or even denied.”—RWP
—Cerinthius(a Gnostic) believed that Christ came upon Jesus the man at His baptism, but left before his death.” John is refuting this heresy.—Skip Heitzig
—Docetists(from dokein/dokhsiv(to seem) & dokesiv(apparition/phantom). They believed Jesus merely ‘seemed’ to be Divine.
The Spirit of God who indwells us as believers, testifies to the above facts. The undeniable fact remains that Jesus came to this world thru the process of natural birth(though of a virgin) as do all people.
“Here John identifies the Spirit with truth as Jesus said of himself (Joh 14:6) without denying personality for the Holy Spirit.”—RWP
Jn. 7:37-39—“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood & cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me & drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Jn. 16:13-14—““However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; & He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine & declare it to you.”
:7—“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, & the Holy Spirit; & these three are one.”
Actually(MT & Byz): “There are three that bear witness.”
There are indeed 3 that bear witness to the fact of Jesus’ coming in the flesh & His death on the Cross. These three are absolutely in agreement with one another & undeniably with the facts.
It is a standard of Mosaic law that there be a minimum of 2 witnesses to confirm any accusation judicially presented. This is based on Deut. 19:15 which is taken up & supported in the NT in—Mat. 18:15-16; 1Cor. 13:1; 1Tim. 5:19; Rev.11:3-12(the 2 witnesses).
Deut. 19:15—““One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.”
*“In heaven” itself, there are three witnesses. John lists them as “the Father, the Word & the Holy Spirit.” In fact, these three are all “one.” God does indeed exist in unity as “Father”, “Son” & “Holy Spirit.”
“At this point the Latin Vulgate gives the words in the Textus Receptus, found in no Greek MS save two late cursives(162 in the Vatican Library of the fifteenth century, 34 of the sixteenth century in Trinity College, Dublin).”—RWP & Marshall
“The spurious addition is: en twi ouranwi o pathr, o logov kai to agion pneuma kai outoi oi treiv en eisin kai treiv eisin oi marturountev en thi ghi (in heaven, the Father, the Word, & the Holy Ghost: & these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth). The last clause belongs to verse 8.”—RWP
Erasmus first compared certain Greek manuscripts & the Latin Vulgate producing the 1st printed new(1516AD) Greek version(Novum Instrumentum omne)—Tyndale would later use this version to produce the Textus Receptus(from which we have the KJV/NKJV). In Erasmus’ 1st edition, he left this verse out. It appears that he was pressured to include it.—Skip Heitzig & Desiderius Erasmus & Latin Vulgate in Wikipedia
Thus the explanation beginning “in heaven...” & ending “...on earth”(:8) did not exist until ~1400 years after Jesus’ resurrection & ascension!...
:8—“And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, & the blood; & these three agree as one.”
Actually: “the Spirit, the water, & the blood, & these three agree as one.
The 3 that “bear witness” to the truth of Jesus coming in flesh are merely listed back to back with no explanation. These 3 are: “the Spirit”, “the water” & “the blood.”
The Spirit of God convicts the believer of the concurrent truth of Jesus’ humanity & of His Divinity.
Likewise so does “the water.” This reference to “water” may either refer to Jesus natural birth, thru the virgin, but many reputable commentators believe this refers to His baptism.
“The blood” is accepted by most as corresponding to Jesus’ crucifixion.
*Perhaps there is also reference to John’s depiction of the soldier’s spearing Jesus, thereby releasing both blood & water—giving the certainty that He had died(Jn. 20:31-37).
If this is the picture John was recalling, then both water & blood would reference Jesus having died, as no one could have survived the piercing & anyone familiar with such death as crucifixion would have recognized the “blood & water” as the sure signature of physical trauma ending in death to the body. Thereby Jesus had indeed come in the flesh.
All three of these listed evidences “agree” together that Jesus is indeed the Son of God( come in the flesh), & has died(on the Cross). The Spirit’s conviction, within the believer, testifies to it as well.
There is also 2)“the water” & 2)“the blood” which “bear witness together about the human nature of Jesus.
Witness the hymn: Rock of Ages—Water & Blood of sin the double cure
“Agree”—eiv to en eisin—= “To the one[point] are” OR “Are for the one thing.” In other words “to bring us to faith in Jesus as the Incarnate Son of God, the very purpose for which John wrote his Gospel(Jn. 20:31)”—RWP
5:9—“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.”
Our “reception” of man’s “witness” is commendable but there is a witness which is far & above “greater” than man’s testimony. God has sent & left testimony of “His Son.” This is the testimony to which we must adhere.
Man’s reasonings(even his highest achievements of academia) are futile & instruments of confusion, if they attempt to explain or undercut any aspect of God’s revelation, as God’s revelations are ultimately true(Rom. 3:3-4).
Rom. 3:3-4—“For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.””
God’s testimony regarding “His Son” is His factual witness.
“Receive/Accept”(See 2Jn. :10)—lambanw—1) To take; 2) To receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, To get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Witness/Testimony”3X(See 5:10, 11)—marturia—N. f.—1) A testifying—1a) The office committed to the prophets of testifying concerning future events; 2) What one testifies, testimony, i.e. Before a judge. Strong—Evidence given(judicially or genitive case).
“Testified/Borne witness/Given”(See 5:6, 7—“Bear witness” & 4:14)—marturew—V.—Present Active Participle—1) To be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. To affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration—1a) To give(not to keep back) testimony, 1b) To utter honorable testimony, give a good report, 1c) Conjure, implore. Strong—To be witness, i.e. Testify (literally or figuratively).
5:10—“He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.”
The poor soul who has not believed God’s witness of His own Anointed One, has effectually, unashamedly & openly set God forth as a “liar.” Thereby if God is a liar, there is no salvation nor redemption nor reconciliation which can be had by/thru Jesus.
God cannot lie(Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:17-18)
“the testimony that God has given...” is Literally— “....the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.”
“Liar”(See 2:22)—qeusthv—1) A liar; 2) One who breaks faith; 3) A false & faithless man. Strong—A falsifier. Used 10X.
From—qeudomai—V.—1) To lie, to speak deliberate falsehoods; 2) To deceive one by a lie, to lie to. To utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood.
Eng.= ‘Pseudo’ or the prefix.
“Given/Borne”(See 4:14—“Testify” & :5:6—“Bears witness”)—marturew—V.—Present Active Indicative—1) To be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. To affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration—1a) To give(not to keep back) testimony, 1b) To utter honorable testimony, give a good report, 1c) Conjure, implore. Strong—To be witness, i.e. Testify (literally or figuratively).
5:11—“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, & this life is in His Son.”
Though some may declare the testimony of God in Christ a lie, this however cannot rightly dismiss the fact of God’s express “testimony.” This true testimony is that men, women, boys & girls have “eternal life” “given” from God, & that which He has committed to give can only be had thru His only-begotten Son, Jesus.
“Given”—didwmi—Strong—To give(used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection). Thayer— Didwmi "To give" in general, opposite to lambanw "to take"; dwreomai specific, "to bestow, present."
“Eternal”(See 2:25)—aiwniov—Adj.—1) Without beginning & end, that which always has been & always will be; 2) Without beginning; 3) Without end, never to cease, everlasting. Gives prominence to the immeasurableness of eternity. Strong—Perpetual(also used of past time, or past & future as well).
“Life”2X(See 2:25; 5:12)—zwh—Strong—Life (literally or figuratively).
5:12—“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Actually both part of the phrase read “the life”—The article being present. That is, “the” specific “life” which God has granted(Jn. 1:4-5, 6-9) to all mankind of every age, thru His only-begotten Son.
A person without the Son is dead while living. They are dead to the fullness of reality, limiting themselves to a mere physical appropriation of their world. He/She cannot respond to the things of God at all. The only reaction which these ‘dead’ can respond to God at all, is regarding their sight-driven brush with salvation’s behavioral manifestations thru Christians.
?Do you have Life?
1Cor. 2:12-14—“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Js. 3:13-18—“Who is wise & understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy & self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast & lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy & self-seeking exist, confusion & every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy & good fruits, without partiality & without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
Rom. 8:5-8—“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life & peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
5:13—“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, & that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.””
What John has just written, he wrote with an express purpose. John’s purpose being, that the believing church/individuals(those who accept & hold to the actuality of Jesus’ physical manifestation as “the Son of God,” may be well-assured of their possession of “eternal life.” This is so the true Church will not be swayed into false doctrine by the many so-called prophets operating out of fleshly motivation. John’s reminder/warning is intended to encourage the Church/individuals towards a continued trust in “the name of the Son of God.”
The last phrase, “...& that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” is present in the TR & Byz. but not the MajT.
“May Know”—eidw—Perfect Active Subjunctive—Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai & oraw; properly--To see(literally or figuratively); by implication(in the perf. only)--To know.
*“May continue to believe/May believe”(TR & Byz. only)—pisteuw—Present Active Subjunctive—1) To think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in; 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. His fidelity. Strong—To have faith(in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. Credit; by implication--To entrust(especially one’s spiritual well-being to Christ).
Argumentation:
Mat. 12:16-21—“Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust.””
Gal. 5:7-8—“You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.”
Gal. 3:1-4—“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?”
1Cor. 9:24-27—“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body & bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Eph. 6:10-13—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
Heb. 12:1-3—“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, & the sin which so easily ensnares us, & let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, & has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary & discouraged in your souls.”
Illustration:
My son Matthew’s fixing his car light/Owns a 2006 Mazda 626/Difficult to replace the headlights/He lives in Boone & took it to a mechanic’ he didn’t know/The ‘mechanic’ replaced the light but now both lights are giving him trouble/In searching for his problem, Matthew found out that certain things were not quite right with the car since taking it to the ‘mechanic’/But Matthew also discovered that he is able to replace the light on his own after ordering another part/The ‘mechanic’ could not be trusted/But there is indeed VICTORY(over crooked mechanics)when it was discovered!
Application:
?Your VICTORY Tested thru Jesus’ Birth?
?You truly Celebrate Jesus’ Birth?
3— Celebrating Jesus’ Birth Tests Our...
SALVATION(1Jn. 4:14-16)
Explanation:
:14—“And we have seen & testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.”
SALVATION is about Jesus God’s Son & our Savior.
John states that not only he but others(“we”) have both “seen” & “testify” to a specific fact regarding Christian faith. John & others had experienced first-hand a particular course of action which “the Father”(God) had undertaken. “The Father’s” specific action of note is that He took it upon Himself to “send” His only-begotten “Son.” “The Son” was “sent” with a purpose, which was also the purpose of God His Father. “The Son” was “sent” in order to accomplish “the Father’s” will as “Savior” “of the” entire “world.”
Thereby without the Son” there is no salvation for any who are “of the world.” Likewise with “the Son” there is full & perfect salvation for any who are “of the world.”
“Seen/Beheld”—yeaomai—Perfect Middle Indicative—1) To behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate (often used of public shows)—1a) Of important persons that are looked on with admiration; 2) To view, take a view of—2a) In the sense of visiting, meeting with a person; 3) To learn by looking, to see with the eyes, to perceive. Yeaomai is a word not used of an indifferent spectator, but of one who looks at a thing with interest & for a purpose; would be used of a general officially reviewing or inspecting his army Strong—To look closely at, i.e. by implication--Perceive(literally or figuratively); by extension--To visit.
“Savior”—swthr—1) Saviour, deliverer, preserver. The name was given by the ancients to deities, esp. tutelary deities, to princes, kings, & in general to men who had conferred signal benefits upon their country, & in more degenerate days by the way of flattery to personages of influence. Strong—A deliverer, i.e. God or Christ.
“World”(See 5:5; 2Jn. :7)—kosmov—1) An apt & harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government; 2) Ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars, ’the heavenly hosts’, as the ornament of the heavens. 1Pe 3:3; 3) The world, the universe; 4) The circle of the earth, the earth; 5) The inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family; 6) The ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, & therefore hostile to the cause of Christ; 7) World affairs, the aggregate of things earthly; 8) Any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort. Strong—Orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication--The world(in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively [morally]).
:15—“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, & he in God.”
SALVATION is about mutual right relationship with God.
The salvation(:14), which can only be had thru the Son(:14), is actuated thru one’s “confessing” “Jesus’ as “the Son of God.” Thus it is only by personal faith(“confesses”) in Jesus that the Savior’s salvation is brought to effect in any individual’s life.
Such salvation is fully & eternally settled, determined & declared yet is nonetheless incomplete(unfulfilled)(Rom. 13:11).
Rom. 13:11—“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”
1Thes. 5:8—“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith & love, & as a helmet the hope of salvation.”
2Pet. 3:11-13—“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct & godliness, looking for & hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, & the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens & a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
*Rom. 10:9-11—“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.””
Upon one’s “confession” of Jesus, the believer is then ‘opened up’ to the degree that “God” may take up residence in that particular believer. Likewise, the confessor himself/herself comes to take up residence “in God.” The true believer is thus never estranged from God as God is ultimately & perfectly faithful to Himself(2Tim. 2:11-13). A Divine fellowship results from the believer’s “confession.”
“The possibility of spiritual fellowship with God depends on the historical fact of the incarnation...”—I Howard Marshall in NICNT
“Confesses/Acknowledges”(See 2:23)—omologew—1) To say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent; 2) To concede—2a) Not to refuse, to promise, 2b) Not to deny—2b1) To confess, 2b2) Declare, 2b3) To confess, i.e. to admit or declare one’s self guilty of what one is accused of; 3) To profess—3a) To declare openly, speak out freely, 3b) To profess one’s self the worshipper of one; 4) To praise, celebrate. Strong—To assent, i.e. Covenant, acknowledge.
“Abides/Dwelleth/Lives”(See 2:24; 4:16)—menw—1) To remain, abide—1a) in reference to place, 1b) in reference to time, 1c) in reference to state or condition; 2) To wait for, await one. Strong—a primary verb; To stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy).
:16—“And we have known & believed the love that God has for us. God is love, & he who abides in love abides in God, & God in him.””
SALVATION is about “Love.”
Such Divine fellowship(:15) is likened as “love”(agaph) or rather the fellowship is considered to be an expression of God’s “love” for the believer/confessor.
Such Divine “love” is that which John’s audience—including believers today—has actually experienced, as they have both “known & believed” that “love” which “God has for” them.
*“God” Himself is the epitome & measure of agaph “love.” Therefore for a ‘believer’ to remain in that particular classification/designation of “love”, is the certainty of assurance that he simultaneously remains in “God” Himself & thereby, “God” remains, in like manner, in the believer.
This is John’s way of reinforcing/stating the fact of Divine fellowship, as set forth in :15, is the certainty of fellowship involving God’s “love.”
“Known”—ginwskw—1) To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel—1a) To become known; 2) To know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of; 3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man & a woman; 4) To become acquainted with, to know. Ginwskw is a knowledge grounded on personal experience. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb; To "know"(absolutely) in a great variety of applications & with many implications.
“Believed/Rely”(See 5:5, 10, 13)—pisteuw—1) To think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in; 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. His fidelity. Strong—To have faith(in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. Credit; by implication--To entrust(especially one’s spiritual well-being to Christ).
“Love”3X—agaph—1) Brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; 2) Love feasts. Strong—Love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially(plural)--A love-feast.
Argumentation:
Rom. 7:24-8:1—“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Lk. 19:10—““for the Son of Man has come to seek & to save that which was lost.””
Jn. 1:29—“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, & said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Rom. 6:6-14—“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, & your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Rom 8:31-37—“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, & furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Jn. 3:16-19—““For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, & men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
Col. 1:12-14—“giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness & conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 26:13-18—““at midday, O king[Agrippa], along the road I[Paul] saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me & those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me & saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise & stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister & a witness both of the things which you have seen & of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, & from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins & an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’”
Eph. 1:3-10—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom & prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven & which are on earth--in Him.”
1Pet 2:24—“who Himself[Jesus] bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.”
Heb. 9:27-28—“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
Jn. 3:14-17—““And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness[Num. 21:4-9], even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Illustration:
Sam’s rescue of the Lilly(dog)/She was emaciated when he found her/She had been kept in a cage with other dogs & had no room to do dog things/He brought her home where we put some weight on her & gave her to a couple that would care for her properly/Lilly was helpless, she could not save herself/SALVATION
Rescue—an animal in an impossible position—Stranded, Captured, Caged, Tethered, Fenced/Tests Our SALVATION
Application:
?Your SALVATION Tested thru Jesus’ Birth?
?You truly Celebrate Jesus’ Birth?
4— Celebrating Jesus’ Birth Tests Our...
POSSESSIONs & POSITION(1Jn. 2:22-25)
Explanation: Has:the Father, Son & Eternal life & Abides: eternally in God
:22—“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father & the Son.”
John sets forth an undeniable test for determining whether we should heed certain people claiming they are protectors & bestowers of Christian truth.
Upon one’s denying both “the Father & the Son” of God, he sets Himself up as “antichrist,’ or one who openly opposes the true Christ known openly as Jesus. The following verses(:23-24) expand on this truth making it plain that John’s purpose is to recognize that one’s belief must include both or none.
“You cannot repudiate Christ in any sense without putting yourself on the side of Antichrist.”—John MacArthur
Bound up in the word “Christ”, is the Hebrew equivalent termed ‘Messiah’ or the uniquely ‘anointed One.’ He is the anointed Prophet, the uniquely anointed Priest & Mediator between men & God. He is also the anointed King, the anointed Redeemer, as well as the sovereign Lord.
“Liar”(See 5:10)—qeusthv—1) A liar; 2) One who breaks faith; 3) A false & faithless man. Strong—A falsifier. Used 10X.
Eng.= ‘Pseudo’ or the prefix.
“Denies”2X(See :23)—arneomai—1) To deny; 2) To deny someone—2a) To deny one’s self—2a1) To disregard his own interests or to prove false to himself, 2a2) Act entirely unlike himself; 3) To deny, abnegate, abjure; 4) Not to accept, to reject, to refuse something offered. Strong—To contradict, i.e. Disavow, reject, abnegate.
From—a—(as a negative particle)—&—rew—To pour forth, utter, i.e. Speak or say. thus = ‘Speak against’
“Christ”—Cristov—Adj.—= “Anointed.” Strong—Anointed, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.
“Son”—uiov—Strong—apparently a primary word; A "son"(sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship. Thayer—Uiov emphasizes the idea of relationship, & considers especially the inward, ethical, & legal aspects.
“Antichrist”(See 2Jn. :7)—anticristov—1) The adversary of the Messiah. One diametrically opposed to Christ, one who sets himself up against Christ, proclaiming that there is no Christ. Used 5X.
From—anti—1) Over against, opposite to, before; 2) For, instead of, in place of (something).—&— Cristov(See above).
:23—“Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
*John further fleshes out his statement of :22 by stating that to “deny” the “Son” of God is to actually “deny” the “Father” of that “Son.”
Likewise, to accept the “Son” of God “the Father” is also to accept “the Father.”
*Thereby, without acceptance of “the Son” there can be no true “acknowledgment” of “the Father”, though one may claim to love God(“the Father”) aside from His only-begotten Son.
“He is to God as you are to your father. You bear the same essence. You are the son of your father. You’re genetically put together from your father. You bear the same essential life essence, you are human because he is human. And Jesus is the Son of God, since God is God, Jesus then is God as well. Since God is deity, divine, so is Jesus. [Saying] anything less than...Jesus is Messiah, Savior, promised, anointed, prophet, priest & King, Redeemer, ...& you’ve denied the Son & you have therefore denied the Father. The Son & the Father are one.”—John MacArthur
*The practical reality is that there are very many who claim to love or know(about) God, but these are oblivious to the fact that they are, in effect, denying the very ‘God’ they claim because they have no “acknowledgment” of Jesus as “the Son.” This would include both lost non-Messianic Jews(not accepting Jesus as Messiah) & lost Gentiles who have perhaps grown up in Jewish or Christian homes & are familiar with terms of religious engagement.
This would also include those who are so ignorant of reality that they have never even given their thoughts over to envision the Trinitarian nature of God’s existence, & particularly the relationship of God the Father to His Son, totally disavowing their possibility for salvation. They have trusted a god of their own divising.
“Acknowledges/Confesses”(See 4:15; 2Jn. :7)—omologew—1) To say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent; 2) To concede—2a) Not to refuse, to promise, 2b) Not to deny—2b1) To confess, 2b2) Declare, 2b3) To confess, i.e. to admit or declare one’s self guilty of what one is accused of; 3) To profess—3a) To declare openly, speak out freely, 3b) To profess one’s self the worshipper of one; 4) To praise, celebrate. Strong—To assent, i.e. Covenant, acknowledge.
:24—“Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son & in the Father.”
Seeing as there are many “liars”, denying “Jesus” as the “Christ”(:22), it is of utmost importance that the true child of God maintain the same truth which he/she had accepted originally. The Christian is charged with actively preserving the genuinely salvific principles of God’s revelation in Christ, & thus not to fall victim to any compellingly close doctrine which entertains dissension from revealed truth.
This is not a new concept:
Deut. 13:1-3—““If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, & he gives you a sign or a wonder, & the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’--which you have not known--‘& let us serve them,’ “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart & with all your soul.”
The “beginning” word which the believer has received is that which causes them to “abide” in both “the Son & in the Father.”
Any other doctrine or explanation of doctrine which contradicts this is both divisive & at variance with God’s revealed truth.
“Heard”2X—akouw—1) To be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; 2) To hear, 2b) To attend to, consider what is or has been said, 2c) To understand, perceive the sense of what is said; 3) to hear something. Strong—a primary verb; To hear (in various senses).
“Beginning”2X—arch—1) Beginning, origin; 2) The person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader; 3) That by which anything begins to be, the origin, the active cause; 4) The extremity of a thing—4a) Of the corners of a sail; 5) The first place, principality, rule, magistracy—5a) Of angels & demons. Strong—properly abstract--A commencement, or concretely--Chief(in various applications of order, time, place, or rank). Strong—a primary verb; To stay(in a given place, state, relation or expectancy).
:25—“And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life.””
That which has actually come to reside in the believer “from the beginning”(:24) is none other than “the promise” of God.
This “promise” is simply the sure “promise” of “eternal life.” “Eternal life” is not which can be had now in a person’s present life on earth, but is the “eternal life” which is “promised” to the faithful.
Biblical eternal life is not an indulgence in flesh as with many religious systems such as Islam or various mythologies, nor is it an escapist system such as Hinduism & Buddhism of becoming ‘one’ with the universe.
The “eternal life” of Christianity is the “promise” of God establishing a permanent dwelling for His people in His holy/unadulterated presence, where they will always experience the fullness of His love.
“Promise”—epaggelia—N.f.—1) Announcement; 2) Promise—2a) The act of promising, a promise given or to be given, 2b) A promised good or blessing. Strong—An announcement (for information, assent or pledge; especially--A divine assurance of good).
“Eternal”(See 5:11)—aiwniov—Adj.—1) Without beginning & end, that which always has been & always will be; 2) Without beginning; 3) Without end, never to cease, everlasting. Gives prominence to the immeasurableness of eternity. Strong—Perpetual(also used of past time, or past & future as well).
“Life”(See 5:11)—zwh—Strong—Life (literally or figuratively).
Argumentation:
Jn. 15:4-11—““Abide in Me, & I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, & I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch & is withered; & they gather them & throw them into the fire, & they are burned. If you abide in Me, & My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, & it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments & abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, & that your joy may be full.”
Your Position consists of abiding in Jesus, by which we are Possessors of grace, ability, desire, joy & eternal life, etc..
Rom. 5:1-2—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Our Position is set because we are owned or Possessed by the Holy Spirit.
1Jn. 4:13—“By this we know that we abide in Him, & He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
Jn. 14:23-24—“Jesus answered & said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; & My Father will love him, & We will come to him & make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; & the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”
Illustration:
Has: the Father, Son & Eternal life & Abides: Eternally in God
Biltmore House—largest privately owned home in the US—George Washington Vanderbilt was the son of William & Maria Vanderbilt—amassed upwards of $200 million by 1885!/By 23yrs. George had inherited a measly $10 million/Biltmore House built between 1889-1895/Ownership of 8000 acres(formerly 125,000) beautifully landscaped & maintained/The house itself contains 178,926 square feet/The family members have the POSSESSIONs afforded by that POSITION/You must be born again...into the family of God!/POSSESSIONs & POSITION
Application:
?Your POSSESSIONs & POSITION Tested thru Jesus’ Birth?
?You truly Celebrate Jesus’ Birth?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Celebrating Jesus’ Birth Tests Our...
2. VICTORY(1Jn. 5:5-13)
3. SALVATION(1Jn. 4:14-16)
4. POSSESSIONs & POSITION(1Jn. 2:22-25)
1. REWARD SYSTEM or ENTITLEMENT SCHEME(2Jn. :7-11)
Presented 12/16/2012pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
