Luke 6:17 - Luke 7:1 This is Jesus' first major teaching after He called His disciples to follow Him into ministry. The Sermon on the Plain is very similar to the Sermon on the Mount that is recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7. Notice in Luke 6:17 that a great multitude has come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. Luke 6:20 says that Jesus lifted up His eyes and spoke toward His disciples. Luke 7:1 says that Jesus concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people. Picture this: Jesus has just taught a great multitude the gospel and healed them of their diseases. In the presence and hearing of the whole multitude, Jesus turns to His disciples and teaches them the reason for His success in ministry. He is addressing the issue of grace and our attitude toward others.
Luke 6:20-21 "Blessed are you poor (the multitude cannot keep the Law and feel poor in spirit, so they realize they need a Savior), for yours is the kingdom of God (your sins are forgiven by grace and God will come to live in you after Jesus is raised from the dead). Blessed are you who hunger now (from being unable to keep the Law), for you shall be filled (with righteousness, by the grace of God). Blessed are you who weep now (from the burden of the Law), for you shall laugh (you will be filled with joy when you receive grace)." These verses are fulfilled when we receive grace from God for ourselves.
Vs. 22-23 "Blessed are you when men hate you (as you go out and share grace to people who are stuck under the Law in a performance based society), and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets." These verses are fulfilled when we go out and share the gospel or grace with others.
Vs. 24-26 "But woe to you who are rich (in your own estimation, thinking you are keeping the Law perfectly but are not), for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full (full of self-righteousness), for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now (those sitting in judgment of others, thinking that their performance is better than others), for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets (the false prophets were those who taught they could receive salvation by keeping the Law)." These verses are talking about those people who were still trapped in their own self-righteousness, and sitting in judgment of others.
Vs. 27-36 In these verses, Jesus is telling the people to offer grace and mercy to people, because our Father in heaven is graceful and merciful to us. Verses 35-36 'But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil (God is love and has grace toward us even when we don't deserve it). Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." We give mercy to others in response to the mercy we have received from God.
Vs. 37 "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven." If we judge and condemn others, our own conscience and the Law will condemn us. That is the purpose of the Law. Romans 3:20 "for by the Law is the knowledge of sin." It is not God who will judge or condemn us.
Vs. 38 "Give (mercy or grace) and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over (grace and mercy) will be put into your bosom (heart). For with the same measure (of grace and mercy) that you use (toward others), it will be measured back to you." This verse has always been taught as being about giving money, but the context is giving mercy.
Vs. 39-40 "And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." The multitude of people had been following the Jewish leaders, who were teaching that salvation could be attained by keeping the Law. If they followed these teachings, they would end up in the same ditch as their leaders.
Vs. 41-42 "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye." The plank is judging others for their sins, instead of offering them grace and mercy. When we judge others, we have become self-righteous and lost sight of the fact that we sin too, and end up condemning ourselves as well as others.
Vs. 43-44 "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush." Has Jesus changed the subject? No. We read this through our sin consciousness and think He is condemning us for our sins. He is using another analogy which He explains in the following verses.
Vs. 45 "A good man (one who understands grace and mercy) out of the good treasure of his heart (the grace he has received) brings forth good (he offers grace to others); and an evil man (one who is stuck in self-righteousness by trying to keep the Law for salvation) out of the evil treasure of his heart (he feels condemned because he can't keep the Law) brings forth evil (he judges and condemns others). For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." If we understand God's love and grace for us, we will offer grace and mercy to others. If we approach God by our works, we feel judged and condemned, and we will judge and condemn others.
Vs. 46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord', and not do the things which I say?" Jesus has offered grace and mercy to the multitude and healed them of their diseases. He is saying, "Why do you call Me Lord and then judge and condemn others instead of offering them mercy and grace?" A disciple is supposed to follow the example of His Teacher. Our Teacher is the Giver of GRACE and MERCY! This verse has always been taught in a condemning manner, but it is the opposite.
Vs. 47-48 "Whoever comes to Me (receives grace from the Lord) and hears my sayings and does them (offers grace and mercy to others), I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock (the grace and mercy of God). And when the flood arose, the stream (of condemnation from the world and sometimes our own conscience when we fail) beat vehemently against the house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock."
Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace!
Keith Oliver
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
The Parable of the Sower and the Seed
We studied Matthew Chapters 5-12 and saw that Jesus was trying to turn the Jewish people from the Law to grace. The parable of the sower and the seed is about the same subject. Jesus is sowing the gospel or word of grace to the Jews, who were entrenched in trying to keep the Law for salvation. The whole overriding view of this parable is that the gospel, the word of grace, needs to be given to the unbelieving world. Then the kingdom of God is opened up to them when they believe. God comes to live in them.
Read Matthew 13:1-9 Verse 9 says, He who has ears to hear, let him hear (keep on hearing). He is specifically talking about hearing the word of grace, which is the gospel. Notice the time frames mentioned.
Matt. 13:10-13 The disciples ask Jesus why He spoke in parables. Jesus said, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given." Mark 4:11 substitutes the phrase kingdom of God for the kingdom of heaven referred to in Matthew, so they are the same thing. Paul would have heard and studied this teaching, and defines the kingdom of God in Romans 14:17 as righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When we understand righteousness by faith apart from our works, which is grace, we experience peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Also look at Romans 10:4-10. Paul declares that the word of faith is actually the teaching of righteousness by faith apart from our works, which is grace. So the parable is about sowing the gospel or word of grace to the Jewish people, who were stuck approaching God by the works of the Law, which brings us condemnation. When we approach God by His grace, the mysteries of the kingdom of God will be made known to us. The kingdom of God is within us. If we approach God by our own works and effort, we will not understand the kingdom of God within us.
Verse 12 "For whoever has (ears to hear, specifically to understand grace), more will be given (more understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of God), and he will have an abundance (of revelation); whoever does not have (ears to hear grace), even what (understanding) he has will be taken from him.
Vs. 13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing (the miracles) they do not see (perceive how the miracles are done), and hearing (the gospel), they do not hear, nor do they understand (the gospel or grace). This is what Mark 4:13 means when Jesus said, "Do you not understand this parable (teaching)? How then will you understand all the parables (teachings)? If we don't understand grace, we will misinterpret the rest of scripture.
Vs. 14-15 A quote from Isaiah 6. "Hearing (the gospel) you will hear and not understand (God's grace), and seeing (the miracles that Jesus did) you will see and not perceive (how the miracles were accomplished); for the hearts of this people have grown dull (over time). Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand (understand grace) with their hearts and turn (change their way of thinking) so that I should heal them." Notice the phrase "grown dull". Hebrews 5:11-13 uses this phrase. Hebrews was written to Jews who had turned to Christ, but were being tempted to return to the Law because of intense persecution from their Jewish brothers. They had grown dull of hearing grace, and were unskilled in the word of righteousness by faith apart from the works of the Law. So both Paul in the book of Romans, and the writer of Hebrews, which may have been Paul also, interprets this parable as being about righteousness or grace.
Jesus is describing how He accomplished His miracles. As He preached the gospel, it caused faith to rise in the hearts of people. As the people believe the gospel, His power is made available and heals them.
Vs. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom (of God, which is righteousness and grace), and does not understand it, then the wicked one (Satan) comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is a non-Christian. He heard the gospel, the word of grace, and doesn't understand it, so he is not born again by the Word of God.
Vs. 20-21 "But he who receives the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word (of the kingdom, the gospel) and immediately receives it with joy (understanding grace will bring joy), yet he has no root in himself (he does not become rooted and grounded in God's unconditional love for him, Ephesians 3:17), but endures (in the teaching of grace) only for a while. For when tribulation and persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles (he goes back to a work or performance mentality). The whole world operates on a performance based system or mentality. But notice that he has received the word. He is born again. Tribulation is what takes place on the inside of us. These are the trials that Paul, Peter, and James discuss in the epistles. As we hear the gospel and believe it, that word of righteousness is challenged by our conscience that condemns us when we fail and also by our flesh, which is not yet redeemed. Persecution occurs from others who oppose us as we walk out our faith.
Vs. 22 (same as Mark 4:18-19 "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things (these desires are the lusts of the flesh described in Galatians 5) entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." These are Christians who have received the gospel, the message of grace, but get caught up in the works of the flesh, and the message of grace becomes unfruitful in their lives. They are not experiencing the love, joy and peace they were meant to. The works of the flesh are sometimes appealing and enticing, but come with thorns, which cause us pain.
The epistles were written to give clarification to what is written in the gospels. For example, the book of Galatians is written to admonish believers in the two areas listed in Matthew 13:20-22. These verses represent the two ditches on the side of the road of the Christian walk. On the one side is legalism or a works mentality; on the other side is the works of the flesh, which cause us pain. Galatians chapters 1-4 and part of chapter 5 admonish the believers not to fall back into a works mentality. Galatians 5:13-26 admonish the believers not to fulfill the works of the flesh. Paul is saying in Galatians 5 that if we spend our time practicing the works of the flesh, we will not inherit or walk in the kingdom of God, which is within us. The kingdom of God within us is the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, etc. He is not saying that if Christians practice the works of the flesh that they will not go to heaven. We have all practiced the works of the flesh at some point in our lives.
Vs. 23 "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word (of the kingdom, which is grace) and understands it, who indeed bears fruit (they experience the love, joy and peace they are meant for, and share that with others) and produces, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Keith Oliver
Read Matthew 13:1-9 Verse 9 says, He who has ears to hear, let him hear (keep on hearing). He is specifically talking about hearing the word of grace, which is the gospel. Notice the time frames mentioned.
Matt. 13:10-13 The disciples ask Jesus why He spoke in parables. Jesus said, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given." Mark 4:11 substitutes the phrase kingdom of God for the kingdom of heaven referred to in Matthew, so they are the same thing. Paul would have heard and studied this teaching, and defines the kingdom of God in Romans 14:17 as righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When we understand righteousness by faith apart from our works, which is grace, we experience peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Also look at Romans 10:4-10. Paul declares that the word of faith is actually the teaching of righteousness by faith apart from our works, which is grace. So the parable is about sowing the gospel or word of grace to the Jewish people, who were stuck approaching God by the works of the Law, which brings us condemnation. When we approach God by His grace, the mysteries of the kingdom of God will be made known to us. The kingdom of God is within us. If we approach God by our own works and effort, we will not understand the kingdom of God within us.
Verse 12 "For whoever has (ears to hear, specifically to understand grace), more will be given (more understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of God), and he will have an abundance (of revelation); whoever does not have (ears to hear grace), even what (understanding) he has will be taken from him.
Vs. 13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing (the miracles) they do not see (perceive how the miracles are done), and hearing (the gospel), they do not hear, nor do they understand (the gospel or grace). This is what Mark 4:13 means when Jesus said, "Do you not understand this parable (teaching)? How then will you understand all the parables (teachings)? If we don't understand grace, we will misinterpret the rest of scripture.
Vs. 14-15 A quote from Isaiah 6. "Hearing (the gospel) you will hear and not understand (God's grace), and seeing (the miracles that Jesus did) you will see and not perceive (how the miracles were accomplished); for the hearts of this people have grown dull (over time). Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand (understand grace) with their hearts and turn (change their way of thinking) so that I should heal them." Notice the phrase "grown dull". Hebrews 5:11-13 uses this phrase. Hebrews was written to Jews who had turned to Christ, but were being tempted to return to the Law because of intense persecution from their Jewish brothers. They had grown dull of hearing grace, and were unskilled in the word of righteousness by faith apart from the works of the Law. So both Paul in the book of Romans, and the writer of Hebrews, which may have been Paul also, interprets this parable as being about righteousness or grace.
Jesus is describing how He accomplished His miracles. As He preached the gospel, it caused faith to rise in the hearts of people. As the people believe the gospel, His power is made available and heals them.
Vs. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom (of God, which is righteousness and grace), and does not understand it, then the wicked one (Satan) comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is a non-Christian. He heard the gospel, the word of grace, and doesn't understand it, so he is not born again by the Word of God.
Vs. 20-21 "But he who receives the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word (of the kingdom, the gospel) and immediately receives it with joy (understanding grace will bring joy), yet he has no root in himself (he does not become rooted and grounded in God's unconditional love for him, Ephesians 3:17), but endures (in the teaching of grace) only for a while. For when tribulation and persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles (he goes back to a work or performance mentality). The whole world operates on a performance based system or mentality. But notice that he has received the word. He is born again. Tribulation is what takes place on the inside of us. These are the trials that Paul, Peter, and James discuss in the epistles. As we hear the gospel and believe it, that word of righteousness is challenged by our conscience that condemns us when we fail and also by our flesh, which is not yet redeemed. Persecution occurs from others who oppose us as we walk out our faith.
Vs. 22 (same as Mark 4:18-19 "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things (these desires are the lusts of the flesh described in Galatians 5) entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." These are Christians who have received the gospel, the message of grace, but get caught up in the works of the flesh, and the message of grace becomes unfruitful in their lives. They are not experiencing the love, joy and peace they were meant to. The works of the flesh are sometimes appealing and enticing, but come with thorns, which cause us pain.
The epistles were written to give clarification to what is written in the gospels. For example, the book of Galatians is written to admonish believers in the two areas listed in Matthew 13:20-22. These verses represent the two ditches on the side of the road of the Christian walk. On the one side is legalism or a works mentality; on the other side is the works of the flesh, which cause us pain. Galatians chapters 1-4 and part of chapter 5 admonish the believers not to fall back into a works mentality. Galatians 5:13-26 admonish the believers not to fulfill the works of the flesh. Paul is saying in Galatians 5 that if we spend our time practicing the works of the flesh, we will not inherit or walk in the kingdom of God, which is within us. The kingdom of God within us is the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, etc. He is not saying that if Christians practice the works of the flesh that they will not go to heaven. We have all practiced the works of the flesh at some point in our lives.
Vs. 23 "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word (of the kingdom, which is grace) and understands it, who indeed bears fruit (they experience the love, joy and peace they are meant for, and share that with others) and produces, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Keith Oliver
Sunday, March 25, 2012
A New Covenant and a New Commandment
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." These words were spoken by Jesus at the last supper, where He instituted the New Covenant or New Testament using the symbols of the Passover meal. Read Matthew 26:26-29. In the same way the Old Testament was known for the ten commandments, the New Testament should be known for this new commandment. We are to love others in the way that Jesus loved us. When we do, all people will know that we are His disciples or followers. This is the main or primary characteristic by which Christians should be known.
1 John 3:23 "And this is the commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment." John interprets this new commandment in a two-fold manner: we believe on the grace that Jesus has offered to us, and we love others with the same grace that He has shown us. Let us see how He loved us and showed us grace.
John 3:16-17 "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." Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. He did not condemn us. This is how we love others. We tell them that Jesus has paid the penalty for the sins of their entire lifetime, and is not counting their sins against them. When people believe this, they are born of God, or born again.
2 Corinthians 5:19 "that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing (counting) their trespasses (sins) to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
John 8:1-12 Read this passage. Jesus forgives the woman caught in the midst of adultery. This was a present sin that Jesus did not count against the woman. He did not condemn her for the sin she had just committed.
John 8:12 "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world (love demonstrated through grace). He who follows me (in not condemning people but offering them grace through what Jesus did on the cross) shall not walk in darkness (judging and condemning others), but have the light of life." This is what makes us a disciple.
John 8:31-32 "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in my Word (teaching of grace which He just demonstrated), you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth (which is grace) and the truth (grace) will set you free." A disciple is one who learns from another and follows his example.
If loving someone is not holding their sins against them, what is hate?
1 John 2:8-11 "Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness (judgment and condemnation) is passing away, and the true light (grace) is already shining. He who says he is in the light (grace) and hates his brother (counts his sins against him and condemns him) is in darkness (condemnation) until now. He who loves his brother (gives him grace because of what Jesus did) abides in the light (grace), and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother (condemns him for his sins) is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
1 John 1:5-6 "This then is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light (love demonstrated through grace) and in Him is no darkness (condemnation) at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him (share in who God is, or say that we represent Him; He is love), and walk in darkness (holding sins against people and condemning them) we lie and do not practice the truth (which is grace)."
John 13:36 - John 14:4 Starting with verse 37 "Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. Jesus answered him, Will you lay down your life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Jesus tells Peter about future sins that he is going to commit in the next twelve hours, when Peter denies Jesus three times, but Jesus does not condemn him or hold it against him. He tells him to not let his heart be troubled. Jesus reassures Peter of his eternal security, and that He is going to prepare a mansion for Peter in heaven. These words were Jesus' direct response to Peter's forthcoming sin or failure. This is a demonstration that God is not counting our present or future sins against us. Praise the Lord!
Luke 22:54-62 Jesus was able to watch as Peter denied Him three times. Jesus looked at Peter with compassion, even in the midst of His trial before the ones who would crucify Him. Peter did let his heart be troubled; he wept bitterly. Sin hurt Peter emotionally. Our sin has consequences in this earthly realm. But these last two passage present a beautiful picture. Even though our sin hurts us and others, and is to be avoided, God is not counting our sins against us.
Keith Oliver
1 John 3:23 "And this is the commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment." John interprets this new commandment in a two-fold manner: we believe on the grace that Jesus has offered to us, and we love others with the same grace that He has shown us. Let us see how He loved us and showed us grace.
John 3:16-17 "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." Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. He did not condemn us. This is how we love others. We tell them that Jesus has paid the penalty for the sins of their entire lifetime, and is not counting their sins against them. When people believe this, they are born of God, or born again.
2 Corinthians 5:19 "that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing (counting) their trespasses (sins) to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
John 8:1-12 Read this passage. Jesus forgives the woman caught in the midst of adultery. This was a present sin that Jesus did not count against the woman. He did not condemn her for the sin she had just committed.
John 8:12 "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world (love demonstrated through grace). He who follows me (in not condemning people but offering them grace through what Jesus did on the cross) shall not walk in darkness (judging and condemning others), but have the light of life." This is what makes us a disciple.
John 8:31-32 "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in my Word (teaching of grace which He just demonstrated), you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth (which is grace) and the truth (grace) will set you free." A disciple is one who learns from another and follows his example.
If loving someone is not holding their sins against them, what is hate?
1 John 2:8-11 "Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness (judgment and condemnation) is passing away, and the true light (grace) is already shining. He who says he is in the light (grace) and hates his brother (counts his sins against him and condemns him) is in darkness (condemnation) until now. He who loves his brother (gives him grace because of what Jesus did) abides in the light (grace), and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother (condemns him for his sins) is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
1 John 1:5-6 "This then is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light (love demonstrated through grace) and in Him is no darkness (condemnation) at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him (share in who God is, or say that we represent Him; He is love), and walk in darkness (holding sins against people and condemning them) we lie and do not practice the truth (which is grace)."
John 13:36 - John 14:4 Starting with verse 37 "Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. Jesus answered him, Will you lay down your life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Jesus tells Peter about future sins that he is going to commit in the next twelve hours, when Peter denies Jesus three times, but Jesus does not condemn him or hold it against him. He tells him to not let his heart be troubled. Jesus reassures Peter of his eternal security, and that He is going to prepare a mansion for Peter in heaven. These words were Jesus' direct response to Peter's forthcoming sin or failure. This is a demonstration that God is not counting our present or future sins against us. Praise the Lord!
Luke 22:54-62 Jesus was able to watch as Peter denied Him three times. Jesus looked at Peter with compassion, even in the midst of His trial before the ones who would crucify Him. Peter did let his heart be troubled; he wept bitterly. Sin hurt Peter emotionally. Our sin has consequences in this earthly realm. But these last two passage present a beautiful picture. Even though our sin hurts us and others, and is to be avoided, God is not counting our sins against us.
Keith Oliver
Sunday, March 11, 2012
1 John 5:14-21
God is love. Be born of God. See God for Who He is. Then we shall be like Him. We will love others.
Vs. 14-15 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." These verses are very similar to John 9:31 "Now we know that God does not hear sinners (those who are not saved); but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him." John has clearly communicated the will of God throughout this book of 1 John: be born of God, see that He is love, and share that love and grace that we have received with others. We have confidence before God when we are allowing His love to flow through us to others. The next verse shows one of the things we ask for when we are walking in love.
Vs. 16-17 "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death." These verses have been used to make Christians afraid that they might commit a sin, or an accumulation of sins, that would lead them to spiritual death and eternal separation from God. Another interpretation is that a Christian could commit a sin that would cause them to die physically, which can happen. If this is a sin unto phyiscal death, why could you not pray for this believer to turn from this sin? That answer is that you could. In the context of these verses, I do not believe that either interpretation is correct. The only sin that leads to spiritual death and eternal separation from God is the rejection of God's love and grace through Jesus and His substitutionary death on the cross. This sin is committed by an unbeliever, not a Christian. You can't pray this sin out of someone's life. They must receive the seed of the Word of God and be born of God. Remember 1 John 5:12 "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (he has death, or he is not born of God)." So let us read these verses in context. "If anyone sees his brother (a Christian) sinning a sin (not walking in love) which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life (teach them to walk in love) for those (believers) who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death (an unbeliever rejecting the grace of God). I do not say the he should pray about that (we must instead give them the seed of the Word of God for them to be born again). All unrighteousness (actions not emanating from love) is sin (not walking in love), and there is sin not leading to death." Every Christian sins periodically in thought, word, or action. But Jesus has paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. So these sins do not separate us from God's life.
Vs. 18 "We know that whoever is born of God (our spirit) does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him." Notice after verses 16-17, where John is talking about Christians who commit sin, or do not walk in love, John goes back to saying that our spirit, which is born of God, does not sin. The book of Hebrews says that our spirit has been perfected forever; our spirit does not sin. We must renew our minds and learn to walk in love in our thoughts and actions.
Vs. 19 "We know that we are of God (born of God and walking in love) and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." The world does not understand God and His love, and therefore they are not walking in love. All that is in the world is motivated by lust or selfishness. Many Christians have not understood God's love either, and we have not walked in love.
Vs. 20-21 "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding (of His love and grace for us), that we may know Him Who is true (walk in love); and we are in Him Who is true (we are born of God), in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourself from idols. Amen." These verses are similar to John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God (know that God is love, and walk in love toward others) and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
Let us finish this study with the two verses that open up the book of 1 John. 1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now we are the children of God (we are born of God); and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John chapter 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love). 1 John 4:7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." Again, it does not say that we are not born of God if we don't walk in love. It says that we do not know or understand God, that He is love.
Keith Oliver
Vs. 14-15 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." These verses are very similar to John 9:31 "Now we know that God does not hear sinners (those who are not saved); but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him." John has clearly communicated the will of God throughout this book of 1 John: be born of God, see that He is love, and share that love and grace that we have received with others. We have confidence before God when we are allowing His love to flow through us to others. The next verse shows one of the things we ask for when we are walking in love.
Vs. 16-17 "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death." These verses have been used to make Christians afraid that they might commit a sin, or an accumulation of sins, that would lead them to spiritual death and eternal separation from God. Another interpretation is that a Christian could commit a sin that would cause them to die physically, which can happen. If this is a sin unto phyiscal death, why could you not pray for this believer to turn from this sin? That answer is that you could. In the context of these verses, I do not believe that either interpretation is correct. The only sin that leads to spiritual death and eternal separation from God is the rejection of God's love and grace through Jesus and His substitutionary death on the cross. This sin is committed by an unbeliever, not a Christian. You can't pray this sin out of someone's life. They must receive the seed of the Word of God and be born of God. Remember 1 John 5:12 "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (he has death, or he is not born of God)." So let us read these verses in context. "If anyone sees his brother (a Christian) sinning a sin (not walking in love) which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life (teach them to walk in love) for those (believers) who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death (an unbeliever rejecting the grace of God). I do not say the he should pray about that (we must instead give them the seed of the Word of God for them to be born again). All unrighteousness (actions not emanating from love) is sin (not walking in love), and there is sin not leading to death." Every Christian sins periodically in thought, word, or action. But Jesus has paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. So these sins do not separate us from God's life.
Vs. 18 "We know that whoever is born of God (our spirit) does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him." Notice after verses 16-17, where John is talking about Christians who commit sin, or do not walk in love, John goes back to saying that our spirit, which is born of God, does not sin. The book of Hebrews says that our spirit has been perfected forever; our spirit does not sin. We must renew our minds and learn to walk in love in our thoughts and actions.
Vs. 19 "We know that we are of God (born of God and walking in love) and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." The world does not understand God and His love, and therefore they are not walking in love. All that is in the world is motivated by lust or selfishness. Many Christians have not understood God's love either, and we have not walked in love.
Vs. 20-21 "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding (of His love and grace for us), that we may know Him Who is true (walk in love); and we are in Him Who is true (we are born of God), in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourself from idols. Amen." These verses are similar to John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God (know that God is love, and walk in love toward others) and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
Let us finish this study with the two verses that open up the book of 1 John. 1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now we are the children of God (we are born of God); and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John chapter 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love). 1 John 4:7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." Again, it does not say that we are not born of God if we don't walk in love. It says that we do not know or understand God, that He is love.
Keith Oliver
Sunday, March 4, 2012
1 John 5:1-15
God is love. Be born of God. See God for Who He is. Then we shall be like Him. We will love others.
Vs. 1 "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him Who begot (which is God) also loves him who is begotten of Him (we love others).'
Vs. 2 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments." Again, what are His commandments? 1 John 3:23, that we believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Our love for others is a response to His love and grace for us. When we see that God is not counting our sins against us, we can do that for others.
Vs. 3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments (believe on the name of His Son, or be born of God, and love one another). And His commandments are not burdensome." No, they are not burdensome. They are a natural response to His grace for us.
Vs. 4 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith." What is in the world that we have overcome? 1 John 2:16...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When we are born of God, the Word say that we have already overcome these things. We must learn to walk in love and make this a reality in our lives. The Word says that it is already done when we are born of Him.
Vs. 5 "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" God has come to live within us when we believe in His Son. We walk in His love, and we will not walk in lust or selfishness.
Vs. 6-8 Read these verses. These verses are referring to the idea discussed in earlier lessons that Jesus had a physical body. John is refuting the Gnostic idea that Jesus appeared only in spirit form, and did not have a physical body. Look at John 3:4-6 Being born of water is referring to the water of the womb. Look at John 19:34 The water and the blood that poured out of His body when the soldier pierced Him with a spear showed that He had a physical body. John 1:32 John the Baptist saw the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus like a dove. I believe this also refers to the miracles that were performed by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, proving that He was here in the flesh.
Vs. 9-11 "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. 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. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in the Son." As we have seen, eternal life begins with believing that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins. This is what brings us peace with God. When we receive this life and love from God and share it with others, we are walking in eternal life here on the earth.
Vs. 12 "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." When we are born of God through what the Son did for us, we have the life of God within us.
Vs. 13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God (those who are born of God), that you may know that you have eternal life (we are born of God and walking in love), and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
Vs. 14-15 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." His will is that all people be born of Him through trusting that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. This brings peace. Then we learn to walk in love and offer this grace to others. When we ask for things in line with this, we know that He hears us and gives us the petitions we ask of Him. We may have to stand in faith against our enemy, Satan. But God is not holding anything back from us that is in line with His will.
Keith Oliver
Vs. 1 "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him Who begot (which is God) also loves him who is begotten of Him (we love others).'
Vs. 2 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments." Again, what are His commandments? 1 John 3:23, that we believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Our love for others is a response to His love and grace for us. When we see that God is not counting our sins against us, we can do that for others.
Vs. 3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments (believe on the name of His Son, or be born of God, and love one another). And His commandments are not burdensome." No, they are not burdensome. They are a natural response to His grace for us.
Vs. 4 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith." What is in the world that we have overcome? 1 John 2:16...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When we are born of God, the Word say that we have already overcome these things. We must learn to walk in love and make this a reality in our lives. The Word says that it is already done when we are born of Him.
Vs. 5 "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" God has come to live within us when we believe in His Son. We walk in His love, and we will not walk in lust or selfishness.
Vs. 6-8 Read these verses. These verses are referring to the idea discussed in earlier lessons that Jesus had a physical body. John is refuting the Gnostic idea that Jesus appeared only in spirit form, and did not have a physical body. Look at John 3:4-6 Being born of water is referring to the water of the womb. Look at John 19:34 The water and the blood that poured out of His body when the soldier pierced Him with a spear showed that He had a physical body. John 1:32 John the Baptist saw the Spirit of God descend upon Jesus like a dove. I believe this also refers to the miracles that were performed by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, proving that He was here in the flesh.
Vs. 9-11 "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. 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. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in the Son." As we have seen, eternal life begins with believing that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins. This is what brings us peace with God. When we receive this life and love from God and share it with others, we are walking in eternal life here on the earth.
Vs. 12 "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." When we are born of God through what the Son did for us, we have the life of God within us.
Vs. 13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God (those who are born of God), that you may know that you have eternal life (we are born of God and walking in love), and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
Vs. 14-15 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." His will is that all people be born of Him through trusting that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. This brings peace. Then we learn to walk in love and offer this grace to others. When we ask for things in line with this, we know that He hears us and gives us the petitions we ask of Him. We may have to stand in faith against our enemy, Satan. But God is not holding anything back from us that is in line with His will.
Keith Oliver
Sunday, February 19, 2012
1 John 4:16-21
God is love. Be born of God. See God for Who He is. We shall then be like Him. We will love others.
1 John 4:16 "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." Notice that we can both know and believe the love that God has for us. I believe that this is in inverse order. What happens when we believe the love that God has for us? We are born of God, or born again. What happens when we know the love that God has for us? We love those around us. God is love. When we understand His love for us, we walk in love toward others, and are abiding in Him. He abides in us when we are born of God, or born again.
Vs. 17 "Love has been perfected (brought to completion) among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is (He is love), so are we in this world (we walk in love toward others)." This verse has always been taught that we take on the characteristics or position of God in heaven while we are here on the earth: He is righteous, so we are righteous. He is healed and well, so we are healed. He is prosperous, so we are prosperous. This is all true. But the context of this verse is that God is love, so when we understand His love for us, we will walk in love toward others. Notice the phrase "in this". It refers back to 1 John 4:9-10. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Because of what Jesus did, we have boldness in the day of judgment. When this day arrives, we have nothing to fear. God is satisfied with what Jesus did. That is what propitiation means. The sins of our entire lifetime have been paid for. This is what we are supposed to communicate to others. This circle of love should be perfected or brought to completion in us. God loves us. We receive Him and learn to relax in His love for us. We start communicating that love and grace to others. If we are not walking in love, we either don't understand His love for us, or we have temporarily forgotten who we are.
Vs. 18 "There is no fear (of punishment or judgment) in love; but perfect love (love brought to completion) casts out fear (of punishment or judgment), because fear involves torment (punishment). But he who fears (punishment or judgment) has not been made perfect in love (he or she does not understand the full extent of God's love)." 1 John 4:10 says that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Again, propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. The penalty is paid for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and future. If we believe this, it will cast out all fear of possible judgment or punishment from God. If we still have some fear of punishment, it shows we are not fully trusting in His grace. If we fear, we are still trying to be justified by some mixture of our performance and His grace. How can we communicate the love of God to others if we still fear punishment ourselves? The obvious answer is that we cannot. We can only communicate what we are or what we understand. This explains why we have been predisposed to interpret scripture in a harsh or condemning way. We have been afraid of punishment.
Vs. 19 "We love Him because He first loved us." Our love for Him is a response to the love and grace He has first shown to us. Our faith is a response to His grace.
Vs. 20 "If someone says, "I love God", and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" John is saying the same here as he did in 1 John 1:6 "If we say that we have fellowship with Him (share in who God is, or say that we represent Him) and walk in darkness (hate or condemn others), we lie and do not practice the truth (which is grace)." If we judge or condemn others for their actions, we don't understand the grace and love that God has shown us. Our love for God is a response to His love and grace for us. If we don't offer this love and grace to others, it reflects the fact that we don't understand His grace for us.
Do you remember John 8, where Jesus does not condemn the woman caught in adultery, but offers her grace and forgiveness? John 8:12 "I am the light of the world (grace). He who follows me (in offering grace, not judging others) shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." So we know that hating our brother, or walking in darkness, is sitting in judgment or condemning others.
Vs. 21 "And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." This is presented as a commandment, but it is a natural response to understanding His love for us. Notice the word 'must' is in italics; it was added by the translators. It should really read like this: "he who loves God loves his brother also." When we see God's love for us, we will love our brother also. If we don't love our brother, we are not clearly seeing His love for us.
1 John 4:16 "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." Notice that we can both know and believe the love that God has for us. I believe that this is in inverse order. What happens when we believe the love that God has for us? We are born of God, or born again. What happens when we know the love that God has for us? We love those around us. God is love. When we understand His love for us, we walk in love toward others, and are abiding in Him. He abides in us when we are born of God, or born again.
Vs. 17 "Love has been perfected (brought to completion) among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is (He is love), so are we in this world (we walk in love toward others)." This verse has always been taught that we take on the characteristics or position of God in heaven while we are here on the earth: He is righteous, so we are righteous. He is healed and well, so we are healed. He is prosperous, so we are prosperous. This is all true. But the context of this verse is that God is love, so when we understand His love for us, we will walk in love toward others. Notice the phrase "in this". It refers back to 1 John 4:9-10. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Because of what Jesus did, we have boldness in the day of judgment. When this day arrives, we have nothing to fear. God is satisfied with what Jesus did. That is what propitiation means. The sins of our entire lifetime have been paid for. This is what we are supposed to communicate to others. This circle of love should be perfected or brought to completion in us. God loves us. We receive Him and learn to relax in His love for us. We start communicating that love and grace to others. If we are not walking in love, we either don't understand His love for us, or we have temporarily forgotten who we are.
Vs. 18 "There is no fear (of punishment or judgment) in love; but perfect love (love brought to completion) casts out fear (of punishment or judgment), because fear involves torment (punishment). But he who fears (punishment or judgment) has not been made perfect in love (he or she does not understand the full extent of God's love)." 1 John 4:10 says that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Again, propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. The penalty is paid for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and future. If we believe this, it will cast out all fear of possible judgment or punishment from God. If we still have some fear of punishment, it shows we are not fully trusting in His grace. If we fear, we are still trying to be justified by some mixture of our performance and His grace. How can we communicate the love of God to others if we still fear punishment ourselves? The obvious answer is that we cannot. We can only communicate what we are or what we understand. This explains why we have been predisposed to interpret scripture in a harsh or condemning way. We have been afraid of punishment.
Vs. 19 "We love Him because He first loved us." Our love for Him is a response to the love and grace He has first shown to us. Our faith is a response to His grace.
Vs. 20 "If someone says, "I love God", and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" John is saying the same here as he did in 1 John 1:6 "If we say that we have fellowship with Him (share in who God is, or say that we represent Him) and walk in darkness (hate or condemn others), we lie and do not practice the truth (which is grace)." If we judge or condemn others for their actions, we don't understand the grace and love that God has shown us. Our love for God is a response to His love and grace for us. If we don't offer this love and grace to others, it reflects the fact that we don't understand His grace for us.
Do you remember John 8, where Jesus does not condemn the woman caught in adultery, but offers her grace and forgiveness? John 8:12 "I am the light of the world (grace). He who follows me (in offering grace, not judging others) shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." So we know that hating our brother, or walking in darkness, is sitting in judgment or condemning others.
Vs. 21 "And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." This is presented as a commandment, but it is a natural response to understanding His love for us. Notice the word 'must' is in italics; it was added by the translators. It should really read like this: "he who loves God loves his brother also." When we see God's love for us, we will love our brother also. If we don't love our brother, we are not clearly seeing His love for us.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
1 John 4:1-15
God is love. Be born of God. See God for Who He is. Then we shall be like Him. We will love others.
Vs. 1-3 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." John is refuting the Gnostic idea that Jesus did not have a fleshly body, but that He only appeared as a spirit, or in spiritual form. If He did not have a fleshly body, He could not bear the punishment for our sins in His body, and we cannot be born of God. John keeps going back to his major theme: be born of God, learn that He is love and that He lives in you, and then love others. All false teaching leads us away from this sure foundation of being born of God by trusting in Jesus, and walking in love toward others. All false teaching comes through people who are being motivated by the spirit of the Antichrist.
Vs. 4 "You are of God (born of God), little children, and have overcome them (antichrist or evil spirits), because He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." God has come to live within us when we are born again. He is love. We should be overcoming the lust or selfishness that is in the world through the One Who is love within us.
Vs. 5 "They (false teachers who are motivated by spirit of the antichrist) are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them." What is he referring to as being of the world? 1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world." We are either motivated by love, or by lust and pride, which is basically selfishness.
Vs. 6 "We are of God (born of God). He who knows God (knows that God is love and has learned to walk in love) hears us; he who is not of God (not born of God) does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Again, the spirit of error leads people away from being born again and walking in love toward others.
Vs. 7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." He who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God. He who does not love (2) does not know God. It does not say that he is not born of God. He just does not know God, that He is love.
Vs. 9-10 "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live (be born again and learn to love) through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Notice that God initiated this great plan of love. It is not that we loved God, or draw close to Him through our own efforts. He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. Propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. We merely respond to His love for us.
Vs. 11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." When we receive His love for us, we can then love others properly. We offer them grace and forgiveness, because we have received grace and forgiveness from God. We tell them that the sins of their entire lifetime have already been paid for. We can also act in love and not act selfishly in our actions toward others.
Vs. 12 "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." If we love one another, we are born of God, and have received His love for us, and His love is flowing through us to others. The circle of love has been brought to completion in us.
Vs. 13 "By this we know that we abide in Him, and He is us, because He has given us of His Spirit." He abides in us when we are born again. We are abiding in Him when we are being led by the Spirit Who teaches us to love.
Vs. 14 "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world." God is the One who initiated this. He showed His love for us through Jesus paying for our sins. He then shows us how to love.
Vs. 15 "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in Him, and he in God." This is our response of faith to His grace and love for us.
Keith Oliver
Vs. 1-3 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." John is refuting the Gnostic idea that Jesus did not have a fleshly body, but that He only appeared as a spirit, or in spiritual form. If He did not have a fleshly body, He could not bear the punishment for our sins in His body, and we cannot be born of God. John keeps going back to his major theme: be born of God, learn that He is love and that He lives in you, and then love others. All false teaching leads us away from this sure foundation of being born of God by trusting in Jesus, and walking in love toward others. All false teaching comes through people who are being motivated by the spirit of the Antichrist.
Vs. 4 "You are of God (born of God), little children, and have overcome them (antichrist or evil spirits), because He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." God has come to live within us when we are born again. He is love. We should be overcoming the lust or selfishness that is in the world through the One Who is love within us.
Vs. 5 "They (false teachers who are motivated by spirit of the antichrist) are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them." What is he referring to as being of the world? 1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world." We are either motivated by love, or by lust and pride, which is basically selfishness.
Vs. 6 "We are of God (born of God). He who knows God (knows that God is love and has learned to walk in love) hears us; he who is not of God (not born of God) does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Again, the spirit of error leads people away from being born again and walking in love toward others.
Vs. 7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." He who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God. He who does not love (2) does not know God. It does not say that he is not born of God. He just does not know God, that He is love.
Vs. 9-10 "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live (be born again and learn to love) through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Notice that God initiated this great plan of love. It is not that we loved God, or draw close to Him through our own efforts. He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. Propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. We merely respond to His love for us.
Vs. 11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." When we receive His love for us, we can then love others properly. We offer them grace and forgiveness, because we have received grace and forgiveness from God. We tell them that the sins of their entire lifetime have already been paid for. We can also act in love and not act selfishly in our actions toward others.
Vs. 12 "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." If we love one another, we are born of God, and have received His love for us, and His love is flowing through us to others. The circle of love has been brought to completion in us.
Vs. 13 "By this we know that we abide in Him, and He is us, because He has given us of His Spirit." He abides in us when we are born again. We are abiding in Him when we are being led by the Spirit Who teaches us to love.
Vs. 14 "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world." God is the One who initiated this. He showed His love for us through Jesus paying for our sins. He then shows us how to love.
Vs. 15 "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in Him, and he in God." This is our response of faith to His grace and love for us.
Keith Oliver
Sunday, February 5, 2012
In the sight of God and men
Two passages of scripture that might seem to contradict one another are Colossians 1:21-23 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Let us look at these passages.
Colossians 1:21-23 "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and UNREPROVABLE (above reproach) in His sight---if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for REPROOF, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Colossians says that we are holy, unblameable and unreprovable IN HIS SIGHT. So before God, we are unreprovable. Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime. It is interesting to note that Colossians says that we are unreprovable in His sight if we continue in the faith, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel. We must continue to trust that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. Moving away from the hope of the gospel means to move back under the Law, or to approach God by our own performance instead of His grace. If we move back under the Law, we will feel condemned. That is the purpose of the Law, to show us that we have a sin problem and need a Savior.
2 Timothy says that the Word is profitable for our reproof or correction. Our good works are done before men. Even though we are declared holy and righteous before God, we must learn to walk in love and good deeds before men. This is where our lives are open for reproof and correction.
Keith Oliver
Colossians 1:21-23 "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and UNREPROVABLE (above reproach) in His sight---if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for REPROOF, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Colossians says that we are holy, unblameable and unreprovable IN HIS SIGHT. So before God, we are unreprovable. Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime. It is interesting to note that Colossians says that we are unreprovable in His sight if we continue in the faith, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel. We must continue to trust that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. Moving away from the hope of the gospel means to move back under the Law, or to approach God by our own performance instead of His grace. If we move back under the Law, we will feel condemned. That is the purpose of the Law, to show us that we have a sin problem and need a Savior.
2 Timothy says that the Word is profitable for our reproof or correction. Our good works are done before men. Even though we are declared holy and righteous before God, we must learn to walk in love and good deeds before men. This is where our lives are open for reproof and correction.
Keith Oliver
1 John 3:14-24
God is love. Be born of God. Receive His love for us. Our love for others is a response to His love for us.
Vs. 14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." No one can see our born again spirit. If we are walking in love, it gives outward proof of the life and love of God within us. If we are not walking in love, we are abiding in death and darkness, even though we are born again. His life and grace is not flowing through us to others. 1 John 2:11.
Vs. 15 "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." Is this saying that if we hate our brother, we are not born again? No. It is saying that God's life, which is love, is not abiding or flowing through us to others. Remember 1 John 2:23-25. We are born of God in verse 23. Then we walk in love toward others in verse 24. When we do these two things, God has promised that His eternal life will be ours, or will be flowing through us to others.
Vs. 16 "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." Jesus acted unselfishly for us. He demonstrated His love for us with action. We should set aside our selfish desires and demonstrate our love for others also. He laid down His life to give us grace and forgiveness. We offer grace and forgiveness to others.
Vs. 17 "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" The obvious answer is that it doesn't. Our love must be demonstrated in action, or it is not really love. When he asks, "does the love of God abide in him?" he is not asking if he is born of God. But he is questioning whether this Christian is motivated by God's love or his own selfish interests.
Vs. 18 "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth." Love must be demonstrated through action, not just words alone.
Vs. 19 "And by this (loving in deed and truth, not just words) we know that we are of the truth (we have received the Word: we are born of God) and shall assure our hearts before Him." If we walk in love, we are giving an outward demonstration of the love of God which came to us when we were born again. Our heart (the spirit and soul together) is in unison. Our conscience is clear when we walk in love.
Vs. 20 "If our heart condemns us (our conscience will condemn us when we do not walk in love), God is greater than our hearts and knows all things." Even when we fail to walk in love and our conscience condemns us, God has already forgiven us for the sins of our entire lifetime.
Vs. 21 "Beloved, if our heart (or conscience in this instance) does not condemn us, we have confidence before God." As we learn to walk in love, our conscience will not condemn us, and we will have confidence before the Lord because His love will be flowing through us to others. This is similar to 1 John 2:28 and 1 John 4:17.
Vs. 22 "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." On the surface, this verse can appear to say that God is responding to us based on our performance. But the only reason God answers prayer is because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. This verse is talking about our response of faith to His gift of grace. The key word is RECEIVE from Him. When we keep His commandments (Vs. 23 believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another), we are responding in faith to the gift of God's grace through Jesus. We are also allowing that grace to flow to others.
An answer to prayer is receiving part of the grace that He has provided for us.
Vs. 23 "And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment."
Vs. 24 "Now he who keeps His commandments (both believing on Jesus, or being born again, and loving one another) abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." When we are born again, God comes to live in us, or abide in us, through His Spirit. When we walk in love, we are abiding in Him, or living in love.
Keith Oliver
Vs. 14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." No one can see our born again spirit. If we are walking in love, it gives outward proof of the life and love of God within us. If we are not walking in love, we are abiding in death and darkness, even though we are born again. His life and grace is not flowing through us to others. 1 John 2:11.
Vs. 15 "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." Is this saying that if we hate our brother, we are not born again? No. It is saying that God's life, which is love, is not abiding or flowing through us to others. Remember 1 John 2:23-25. We are born of God in verse 23. Then we walk in love toward others in verse 24. When we do these two things, God has promised that His eternal life will be ours, or will be flowing through us to others.
Vs. 16 "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." Jesus acted unselfishly for us. He demonstrated His love for us with action. We should set aside our selfish desires and demonstrate our love for others also. He laid down His life to give us grace and forgiveness. We offer grace and forgiveness to others.
Vs. 17 "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" The obvious answer is that it doesn't. Our love must be demonstrated in action, or it is not really love. When he asks, "does the love of God abide in him?" he is not asking if he is born of God. But he is questioning whether this Christian is motivated by God's love or his own selfish interests.
Vs. 18 "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth." Love must be demonstrated through action, not just words alone.
Vs. 19 "And by this (loving in deed and truth, not just words) we know that we are of the truth (we have received the Word: we are born of God) and shall assure our hearts before Him." If we walk in love, we are giving an outward demonstration of the love of God which came to us when we were born again. Our heart (the spirit and soul together) is in unison. Our conscience is clear when we walk in love.
Vs. 20 "If our heart condemns us (our conscience will condemn us when we do not walk in love), God is greater than our hearts and knows all things." Even when we fail to walk in love and our conscience condemns us, God has already forgiven us for the sins of our entire lifetime.
Vs. 21 "Beloved, if our heart (or conscience in this instance) does not condemn us, we have confidence before God." As we learn to walk in love, our conscience will not condemn us, and we will have confidence before the Lord because His love will be flowing through us to others. This is similar to 1 John 2:28 and 1 John 4:17.
Vs. 22 "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." On the surface, this verse can appear to say that God is responding to us based on our performance. But the only reason God answers prayer is because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. This verse is talking about our response of faith to His gift of grace. The key word is RECEIVE from Him. When we keep His commandments (Vs. 23 believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another), we are responding in faith to the gift of God's grace through Jesus. We are also allowing that grace to flow to others.
An answer to prayer is receiving part of the grace that He has provided for us.
Vs. 23 "And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment."
Vs. 24 "Now he who keeps His commandments (both believing on Jesus, or being born again, and loving one another) abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." When we are born again, God comes to live in us, or abide in us, through His Spirit. When we walk in love, we are abiding in Him, or living in love.
Keith Oliver
Sunday, January 29, 2012
1 John 3:11-13
God is love. Be born of God. See Who God is; then we shall be like Him. We shall love others.
1 John 3:11 "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." This is a reference to John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you should love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." We are only able to love others properly when we have received His love for us. Our love for others is a response to His love for us.
The first and primary way that we love others is to offer grace and forgiveness to them. The second way is to walk unselfishly, not hurting others or ourselves.
1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now we are the children of God (born of God); and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John chapter 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love)." John will now give us a negative example or the antithesis of this principle in the next verse.
1 John 3:12 "not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous." In other words, we should not react the way Cain reacted. Why did he commit the sin of murder? It was because his view of God, or his response to God's love and grace, was wrong and distorted.
Genesis 4:1-8 The story of Cain and Abel. Read.
Vs. 2-5 Cain was a tiller of the ground, and brought an offering of the fruit of the ground. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and brought the firstborn of his flock and offered it to the Lord. It would appear at first glance that they both brought an offering from their own particular area of work or effort. But God told the what kind of offering to bring. Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks." Faith comes from hearing and understanding the Word of God. Romans 10:17
So we can see that God, in His grace and love, told them which offering to bring to cover sin: a first born lamb whose blood would be spilled. Cain heard this as well as Abel. Abel responded in faith to God's offer of grace. Cain ignored God's offering of grace, and instead presented an offering to God from his own work or efforts. This came from a motive of pride and independence from God. God spilled the blood of an animal in the garden of Eden and covered Adam and Eve. This pattern was institutionalized in the Law and sacrifices of the Old Testament. The sacrifices represent the work of Jesus on our behalf.
Vs. 5-6 When God did not accept his offering, Cain became angry, and his countenance fell. When we reject God's offer of grace and approach Him by our own works through pride and independence, our view of God or response to God is distorted. We will not be at peace, which only comes from His grace. We then become angry and frustrated. Our view of ourselves then becomes distorted.
Vs. 7 "If you then do well (offer the right offering), will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." This explains 1 John 3:12. Why did Cain commit murder, the outward sin toward another human? It began with his view of God or response to God's grace. When 1 John 3:12 says that his works were evil, it means from a wrong motive, from pride and arrogance or independence from God.
When our view of God is distorted, it distorts our view of ourselves and others. Our actions then become either self-destructive or hurtful to others. When we see how great God's love is for us, and that He has forgiven the sins of our entire lifetime, we are at peace. Then we can properly love ourselves and those around us.
1 John 3:13 "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you." Cain hated Abel because Abel received God's grace, and was dependent upon Him. Abel was at peace. Cain approached God in pride, through his own works. Because of this, he was not at peace. He blamed Abel and lashed out at Abel in anger and jealousy.
John 8:12 "Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, "I am the light of the world (love, grace). He who follows me (in love, offering grace) shall not walk in darkness (judging and condemning others), but have the light of life."
Read John 3:16-18
John 3:19-21 "And this is the condemnation, that the light (grace, love) has come into the world, and men loved darkness (judging and condemning others) rather than light (grace) because their deeds were evil (motivated from pride or independence from God). For everyone practicing evil (independence from God and His grace) hates the light (His grace and love) and does not come to the light (grace), lest his deeds should be exposed (his pride and independence from God). But he who does the truth (believes the Word) comes to the light (His grace and love), that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God (in union or dependence upon God and His grace)."
Keith Oliver
1 John 3:11 "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." This is a reference to John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you should love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." We are only able to love others properly when we have received His love for us. Our love for others is a response to His love for us.
The first and primary way that we love others is to offer grace and forgiveness to them. The second way is to walk unselfishly, not hurting others or ourselves.
1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now we are the children of God (born of God); and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John chapter 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love)." John will now give us a negative example or the antithesis of this principle in the next verse.
1 John 3:12 "not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous." In other words, we should not react the way Cain reacted. Why did he commit the sin of murder? It was because his view of God, or his response to God's love and grace, was wrong and distorted.
Genesis 4:1-8 The story of Cain and Abel. Read.
Vs. 2-5 Cain was a tiller of the ground, and brought an offering of the fruit of the ground. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and brought the firstborn of his flock and offered it to the Lord. It would appear at first glance that they both brought an offering from their own particular area of work or effort. But God told the what kind of offering to bring. Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks." Faith comes from hearing and understanding the Word of God. Romans 10:17
So we can see that God, in His grace and love, told them which offering to bring to cover sin: a first born lamb whose blood would be spilled. Cain heard this as well as Abel. Abel responded in faith to God's offer of grace. Cain ignored God's offering of grace, and instead presented an offering to God from his own work or efforts. This came from a motive of pride and independence from God. God spilled the blood of an animal in the garden of Eden and covered Adam and Eve. This pattern was institutionalized in the Law and sacrifices of the Old Testament. The sacrifices represent the work of Jesus on our behalf.
Vs. 5-6 When God did not accept his offering, Cain became angry, and his countenance fell. When we reject God's offer of grace and approach Him by our own works through pride and independence, our view of God or response to God is distorted. We will not be at peace, which only comes from His grace. We then become angry and frustrated. Our view of ourselves then becomes distorted.
Vs. 7 "If you then do well (offer the right offering), will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." This explains 1 John 3:12. Why did Cain commit murder, the outward sin toward another human? It began with his view of God or response to God's grace. When 1 John 3:12 says that his works were evil, it means from a wrong motive, from pride and arrogance or independence from God.
When our view of God is distorted, it distorts our view of ourselves and others. Our actions then become either self-destructive or hurtful to others. When we see how great God's love is for us, and that He has forgiven the sins of our entire lifetime, we are at peace. Then we can properly love ourselves and those around us.
1 John 3:13 "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you." Cain hated Abel because Abel received God's grace, and was dependent upon Him. Abel was at peace. Cain approached God in pride, through his own works. Because of this, he was not at peace. He blamed Abel and lashed out at Abel in anger and jealousy.
John 8:12 "Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, "I am the light of the world (love, grace). He who follows me (in love, offering grace) shall not walk in darkness (judging and condemning others), but have the light of life."
Read John 3:16-18
John 3:19-21 "And this is the condemnation, that the light (grace, love) has come into the world, and men loved darkness (judging and condemning others) rather than light (grace) because their deeds were evil (motivated from pride or independence from God). For everyone practicing evil (independence from God and His grace) hates the light (His grace and love) and does not come to the light (grace), lest his deeds should be exposed (his pride and independence from God). But he who does the truth (believes the Word) comes to the light (His grace and love), that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God (in union or dependence upon God and His grace)."
Keith Oliver
Sunday, January 22, 2012
1 John 3:1-10
God is love. Be born of God. See God for Who He is; then we shall be like Him. We will love others.
Vs. 1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God (by other people). Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." This is a reference to John 13:34-35. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." We become His disciples when we continue in His Word of grace. That is what John 8:31-32 says. As we learn to walk in love toward others, that is when people will know we are His disciples and start calling us His disciples or the children of God. The world does not know that God is love.
Vs. 2 "Beloved, now we are the children of God (born of God); and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love)." This is the verse that opened up the idea to me that John is writing a progressive revelation, and somewhat poking fun at the Gnostics, who were looking for secret knowledge to be revealed to them.
Vs. 3 "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." This has always been taught as a rapture verse, along with the previous verse. But what hope is John talking about? John is talking about knowing that God is love, and that love being expressed through us to others. What does he mean by purify? He is talking about walking in love. That is what being pure means. The opposite of love is selfishness, or walking in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. God is love. His motives are pure. Ours should be too.
Vs. 4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." Sin is not walking in love. Romans 13:8,10 "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." This is why John says that sin, or not walking in love, is lawlessness.
Vs. 5 "And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin." Jesus was manifested to pay the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins. He not only paid the penalty for our sins; He wants to cleanse us from the actions and deeds of sin. He never sinned, or walked out of love.
Vs. 6 "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him." We abide in Him in two ways: (1) 1 John 4:15 by being born of God and (2) 1 John 4:12 by loving one another. So if we confess that Jesus is the Son of God and love one another, we will not sin, or walk out of love. The second part of the verse says that whoever sins (doesn't walk in love) has neither seen Him nor known Him (has not seen that God is love). Look at 1 John 3:2 "has not seen" and 1 John 4:7-8 "does not know Him". It is interesting to note that we can abide in God by being born again, but not abide in God by walking out of love, or following our own selfish motives. This will open up some verses to follow. We must abide in Him in both ways to reach full maturity in the Christian walk.
Vs. 7 "Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous." We saw in 1 John 2:29 that he who practices righteousness is born of God. 1 John 5:1 says, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God....." So practicing righteousness is being born of God, accepting the gift of righteousness that Jesus offers us. We could state this verse like this: He who is born again is righteous, just as He is righteous. When we are born again, we are made the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 We are made as righteous as He is. Why would John say not to be deceived? Because the Gnostics were teaching that Jesus was not the Christ and did not come in the flesh, so He could not be our Savior.
Vs. 8 "He who sins (does not walk in love) is of the devil (being motivated by Satan's intents:selfishness), for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." Jesus destroys the works of the devil on two levels in our lives. When we are born again, God's life comes to live within us. As we begin to walk in love, God's life flows through us to others. Read Matthew 16:21-23 This is where Jesus told Peter, "Get behind me, Satan." Jesus meant that Peter was thinking selfishly, being motivated by Satan's intentions, even though he was a follower of God.
Vs. 9 "Whoever has been born of God (our spirit is born of God) does not sin, for His seed (God's Word) remains in him; and he cannot sin (our spirit cannot sin), because he has been born of God." John is essentially saying what the apostle Paul says. When we accept the Lord, our spirits are created new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 We must then renew our minds to the Word, and begin walking in love toward others. Our salvation must be worked from the inside of us, where God has come to live, to the outside, where people can see our love and good deeds towards them. Philippians 2
Vs. 10 "In this the children of God (those motivated by love) and the children of the devil (motivated by selfishness) are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." Notice that (1) whoever does not practice righteousness, or whoever is not born again, is not of God. He also says that (2) he who does not love his brother is not of God. If we don't walk in love, then we don't see who God is, even though we are born again. The apostle Paul would have said that we are carnal. We don't see that Christ is living in us, even though we are born again.
These verses have been taught in a condemning way because we have not seen this passage clearly. This should not be condemning; this is the pathway to maturity. If we see it as condemning, we may not be completely settled with the idea that the sins of our entire lifetime have been forgiven. As little children spiritually, we see that our sins are forgiven. We are loved and forgiven by God.
Young men or women spiritually are beginning to recognize that God lives within them. Who is God? He is love. As we walk in love, we are letting God live through us and overcoming the wicked one. Who or what is wicked? The selfishness or lust that is in the world, which is motivated by Satan. Walking in love is the pathway to maturity.
This passage opens up part of John chapter 8. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you continue in My Word (the word of grace), you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The Jews who believed in Him said they have never been in bondage to anyone. Jesus told them that whoever commits sin is the slave of sin. He goes on to tell these Jews who had believed Him that they were of their father the devil. These Jews were not yet born again, so the devil was still their father, even though they believed Jesus. But it also shows us that when we are sinning, we are being motivated by the devil, even if we are born again and God lives in us.
Keith Oliver
Vs. 1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God (by other people). Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." This is a reference to John 13:34-35. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." We become His disciples when we continue in His Word of grace. That is what John 8:31-32 says. As we learn to walk in love toward others, that is when people will know we are His disciples and start calling us His disciples or the children of God. The world does not know that God is love.
Vs. 2 "Beloved, now we are the children of God (born of God); and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love)." This is the verse that opened up the idea to me that John is writing a progressive revelation, and somewhat poking fun at the Gnostics, who were looking for secret knowledge to be revealed to them.
Vs. 3 "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." This has always been taught as a rapture verse, along with the previous verse. But what hope is John talking about? John is talking about knowing that God is love, and that love being expressed through us to others. What does he mean by purify? He is talking about walking in love. That is what being pure means. The opposite of love is selfishness, or walking in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. God is love. His motives are pure. Ours should be too.
Vs. 4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." Sin is not walking in love. Romans 13:8,10 "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." This is why John says that sin, or not walking in love, is lawlessness.
Vs. 5 "And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin." Jesus was manifested to pay the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins. He not only paid the penalty for our sins; He wants to cleanse us from the actions and deeds of sin. He never sinned, or walked out of love.
Vs. 6 "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him." We abide in Him in two ways: (1) 1 John 4:15 by being born of God and (2) 1 John 4:12 by loving one another. So if we confess that Jesus is the Son of God and love one another, we will not sin, or walk out of love. The second part of the verse says that whoever sins (doesn't walk in love) has neither seen Him nor known Him (has not seen that God is love). Look at 1 John 3:2 "has not seen" and 1 John 4:7-8 "does not know Him". It is interesting to note that we can abide in God by being born again, but not abide in God by walking out of love, or following our own selfish motives. This will open up some verses to follow. We must abide in Him in both ways to reach full maturity in the Christian walk.
Vs. 7 "Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous." We saw in 1 John 2:29 that he who practices righteousness is born of God. 1 John 5:1 says, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God....." So practicing righteousness is being born of God, accepting the gift of righteousness that Jesus offers us. We could state this verse like this: He who is born again is righteous, just as He is righteous. When we are born again, we are made the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 We are made as righteous as He is. Why would John say not to be deceived? Because the Gnostics were teaching that Jesus was not the Christ and did not come in the flesh, so He could not be our Savior.
Vs. 8 "He who sins (does not walk in love) is of the devil (being motivated by Satan's intents:selfishness), for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." Jesus destroys the works of the devil on two levels in our lives. When we are born again, God's life comes to live within us. As we begin to walk in love, God's life flows through us to others. Read Matthew 16:21-23 This is where Jesus told Peter, "Get behind me, Satan." Jesus meant that Peter was thinking selfishly, being motivated by Satan's intentions, even though he was a follower of God.
Vs. 9 "Whoever has been born of God (our spirit is born of God) does not sin, for His seed (God's Word) remains in him; and he cannot sin (our spirit cannot sin), because he has been born of God." John is essentially saying what the apostle Paul says. When we accept the Lord, our spirits are created new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 We must then renew our minds to the Word, and begin walking in love toward others. Our salvation must be worked from the inside of us, where God has come to live, to the outside, where people can see our love and good deeds towards them. Philippians 2
Vs. 10 "In this the children of God (those motivated by love) and the children of the devil (motivated by selfishness) are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." Notice that (1) whoever does not practice righteousness, or whoever is not born again, is not of God. He also says that (2) he who does not love his brother is not of God. If we don't walk in love, then we don't see who God is, even though we are born again. The apostle Paul would have said that we are carnal. We don't see that Christ is living in us, even though we are born again.
These verses have been taught in a condemning way because we have not seen this passage clearly. This should not be condemning; this is the pathway to maturity. If we see it as condemning, we may not be completely settled with the idea that the sins of our entire lifetime have been forgiven. As little children spiritually, we see that our sins are forgiven. We are loved and forgiven by God.
Young men or women spiritually are beginning to recognize that God lives within them. Who is God? He is love. As we walk in love, we are letting God live through us and overcoming the wicked one. Who or what is wicked? The selfishness or lust that is in the world, which is motivated by Satan. Walking in love is the pathway to maturity.
This passage opens up part of John chapter 8. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you continue in My Word (the word of grace), you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The Jews who believed in Him said they have never been in bondage to anyone. Jesus told them that whoever commits sin is the slave of sin. He goes on to tell these Jews who had believed Him that they were of their father the devil. These Jews were not yet born again, so the devil was still their father, even though they believed Jesus. But it also shows us that when we are sinning, we are being motivated by the devil, even if we are born again and God lives in us.
Keith Oliver
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
1 John 2:15-29
God is love. We are born of God. When we see God for Who He is, that He is love, we will love others. He who does not love does not know God, or does not understand the nature of God, even though he is born again. 1 John 4:7-8
1 John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." Notice that John does not say that this person is not born again. He does say that the love of the Father is not in him or flowing through him. If we are focused on the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, we are not focused on the love of God. This is very similar to Galatians 5:19-22 "....envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." The kingdom of God is within us when we are born again. Paul is not saying that you will not go to heaven if you commit works of the flesh. He is saying that we will not inherit or walk in the kingdom of God already within us when we are born again. We will not walk in the fruits of the Spirit if we spend our time practicing the works of the flesh. We must make a choice to walk in love.
Vs. 18-19 "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know we are in the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us." These verses are similar to 1 John 4:1-3. The Gnostics taught that physical matter is evil; therefore Jesus would not have come in the flesh, but appeared only in spirit form. If He only appeared in spirit form, He could not bear our punishment in His body.
Vs. 20 "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things." The anointing is the Holy Spirit which we received when we believed on Jesus.
Vs. 21-23 "I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti-Christ who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also." In summary, he who denies that Jesus is the Christ is not born of God. He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also, or is born of God.
Vs. 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 and in the Father." He is referring to 1 John 3:11, "This is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."
Vs. 25 "And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life." In verse 23, John tells us to be born of God. In verse 24, he tells us to walk in love toward others. If we do these two things, we are promised that eternal life will be manifested through us. This is the same eternal life referred to in 1 John 1:1-2 which was manifested in the life of Jesus.
Vs. 26 "These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you." The Gnostics were trying to deceive believers. They denied that Jesus is the Son of God or that He came in the flesh. They also said that sin does not matter. John said that we should walk in love and not hurt others. Sin does matter because it hurts us and those around us. How can eternal life (the love of God) be manifested through us when we spend our time hurting ourselves or others?
Vs. 27 "But the anointing (Holy Spirit) which you have received from Him abides in you (when we are born again), and you do not need that anyone teach you (to walk in love); but as the same anointing (Holy Spirit) teaches you concerning all things (love), and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you (to walk in love), you will abide in Him." Abiding in Him is walking in love according to verse 24. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love. Look at Romans 5:5.
Vs. 28 "And now, little children, abide in Him (walk in love), that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." This is saying the same thing as 1 John 4:17, "Love has been perfected (brought to completion) among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement (we won't be afraid of God or punishment); because as He is (He is love), so are we in this world (we walk in love)." We have come to understand the love of God for us, and we can show that love to others.
Vs. 29 "If you know that He is righteousness, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him." Practicing righteousness is trusting Jesus for our righteousness, not trusting in our own works. 1 John 5:1 says "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God...." We see the word "practice" and we misinterpret this verse because of our works oriented mindset. Believing that Jesus is the Christ is practicing righteousness. We are then born of God.
Keith Oliver
1 John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." Notice that John does not say that this person is not born again. He does say that the love of the Father is not in him or flowing through him. If we are focused on the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, we are not focused on the love of God. This is very similar to Galatians 5:19-22 "....envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." The kingdom of God is within us when we are born again. Paul is not saying that you will not go to heaven if you commit works of the flesh. He is saying that we will not inherit or walk in the kingdom of God already within us when we are born again. We will not walk in the fruits of the Spirit if we spend our time practicing the works of the flesh. We must make a choice to walk in love.
Vs. 18-19 "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know we are in the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us." These verses are similar to 1 John 4:1-3. The Gnostics taught that physical matter is evil; therefore Jesus would not have come in the flesh, but appeared only in spirit form. If He only appeared in spirit form, He could not bear our punishment in His body.
Vs. 20 "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things." The anointing is the Holy Spirit which we received when we believed on Jesus.
Vs. 21-23 "I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti-Christ who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also." In summary, he who denies that Jesus is the Christ is not born of God. He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also, or is born of God.
Vs. 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 and in the Father." He is referring to 1 John 3:11, "This is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."
Vs. 25 "And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life." In verse 23, John tells us to be born of God. In verse 24, he tells us to walk in love toward others. If we do these two things, we are promised that eternal life will be manifested through us. This is the same eternal life referred to in 1 John 1:1-2 which was manifested in the life of Jesus.
Vs. 26 "These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you." The Gnostics were trying to deceive believers. They denied that Jesus is the Son of God or that He came in the flesh. They also said that sin does not matter. John said that we should walk in love and not hurt others. Sin does matter because it hurts us and those around us. How can eternal life (the love of God) be manifested through us when we spend our time hurting ourselves or others?
Vs. 27 "But the anointing (Holy Spirit) which you have received from Him abides in you (when we are born again), and you do not need that anyone teach you (to walk in love); but as the same anointing (Holy Spirit) teaches you concerning all things (love), and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you (to walk in love), you will abide in Him." Abiding in Him is walking in love according to verse 24. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love. Look at Romans 5:5.
Vs. 28 "And now, little children, abide in Him (walk in love), that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." This is saying the same thing as 1 John 4:17, "Love has been perfected (brought to completion) among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement (we won't be afraid of God or punishment); because as He is (He is love), so are we in this world (we walk in love)." We have come to understand the love of God for us, and we can show that love to others.
Vs. 29 "If you know that He is righteousness, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him." Practicing righteousness is trusting Jesus for our righteousness, not trusting in our own works. 1 John 5:1 says "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God...." We see the word "practice" and we misinterpret this verse because of our works oriented mindset. Believing that Jesus is the Christ is practicing righteousness. We are then born of God.
Keith Oliver
1 John 2:1-14
Remember that John's primary revelation is this: God is love. We are born of God, or born of Love. As we see God for Who He is, we shall be like Him. We shall love others. We can be born of God, but not realize that He is love, and so not walk in love toward others. 1 John 3:2, 1 John 4:7-8
1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." God does not want us to sin. Even though we are forgiven of all sin, past, present and future, sin still has hurtful consequences in our human relationships. We hurt ourselves and others. But God has declared us righteous and holy in His sight.
Vs. 2 "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins as Christians, and for the sins of the whole world. Propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. The idea that God was an angry, vengeful God who needed to be appeased, and that He did not have any goodwill toward us, is not a Biblical concept. The Bible says God chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4. God is love. Justice had to be satisfied and we had to be redeemed from sin. God Himself provided the redemption for us. That is love.
Vs. 3 "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." Notice the phrase 'know Him'. It does not say born of Him, but to know Him, that He is love. What are the commandments we are to keep? 1 John 3:23, believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ (be born of God) and love one another. So when we are born again and love one another, we are keeping His commandments. When we know He is love, we love others.
Vs. 4 "He who says, "I know Him", and does not keep His commandments (be born of God and love one another) is a liar, and the truth is not in him." If a person is not born of God or walking in love, he does not know God. Notice how the phrase "the truth is not in him' is similar to 1 John 1:8,10. This is another reason that we know that 1 John 1:8,10 are talking about being born again. Also notice 1 John 2:22, "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?"
Vs. 5 "But whoever keeps His Word (commandments: believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another), truly the love of God is perfected (brought to completion) in him. By This we know that we are in Him." So if we are born again and walking in love toward others, God's life is flowing through us.
Vs. 6 "He who says He abides in Him (God is love) ought himself also to walk (walk in love) just as He walked."
Vs. 7 "Brethren, I write no 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 from the beginning." The commandment that John spoke of is John 13:34-35, "that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." God is love. If we walk in love, people will see God in us.
Vs. 8-11 Read. To summarize these verses, if we hate or condemn others, we are walking in darkness. If we love others by offering grace to them and not condemning them, we are walking in the light.
Vs. 12-14 "I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you , young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one." These verses describe a spiritual progression within our lives, or levels of spiritual maturity. Notice the characteristics of little children: they know that their sins are forgiven them for His name's sake and they know that God is their Father. It is interesting to note that we can know God is our Father, but not realize that He is love.
Young men (or women) spiritually are those who are strong, and the word of God abides in them, and they have overcome the wicked one. Notice 1 John 4:4 We overcome the wicked one by knowing that God lives within us, and greater is He Who is in us than he (Satan and evil spirits) that is in the world. We must learn that Christ lives in us. If we don't understand that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven, it will be impossible to see that God lives in us. We will always be focused on our outward actions, instead of being focused on God living within us.
Fathers, or spiritually mature men and women, know Him Who is from the beginning. The Greeks referred to the gods as fathers, but they were often cruel and vindictive. The Jews saw God as a God of justice and punishment because of the Law of the Old Testament. By now we should see that John is referring to the fact that God is love. This unknown, unseen God Who is from the beginning is love. When we walk in love toward others, the love of God is perfected, or brought to completion, in us.
Keith Oliver
1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." God does not want us to sin. Even though we are forgiven of all sin, past, present and future, sin still has hurtful consequences in our human relationships. We hurt ourselves and others. But God has declared us righteous and holy in His sight.
Vs. 2 "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins as Christians, and for the sins of the whole world. Propitiation means that God is satisfied with what Jesus did. The idea that God was an angry, vengeful God who needed to be appeased, and that He did not have any goodwill toward us, is not a Biblical concept. The Bible says God chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4. God is love. Justice had to be satisfied and we had to be redeemed from sin. God Himself provided the redemption for us. That is love.
Vs. 3 "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." Notice the phrase 'know Him'. It does not say born of Him, but to know Him, that He is love. What are the commandments we are to keep? 1 John 3:23, believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ (be born of God) and love one another. So when we are born again and love one another, we are keeping His commandments. When we know He is love, we love others.
Vs. 4 "He who says, "I know Him", and does not keep His commandments (be born of God and love one another) is a liar, and the truth is not in him." If a person is not born of God or walking in love, he does not know God. Notice how the phrase "the truth is not in him' is similar to 1 John 1:8,10. This is another reason that we know that 1 John 1:8,10 are talking about being born again. Also notice 1 John 2:22, "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?"
Vs. 5 "But whoever keeps His Word (commandments: believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another), truly the love of God is perfected (brought to completion) in him. By This we know that we are in Him." So if we are born again and walking in love toward others, God's life is flowing through us.
Vs. 6 "He who says He abides in Him (God is love) ought himself also to walk (walk in love) just as He walked."
Vs. 7 "Brethren, I write no 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 from the beginning." The commandment that John spoke of is John 13:34-35, "that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." God is love. If we walk in love, people will see God in us.
Vs. 8-11 Read. To summarize these verses, if we hate or condemn others, we are walking in darkness. If we love others by offering grace to them and not condemning them, we are walking in the light.
Vs. 12-14 "I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you , young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one." These verses describe a spiritual progression within our lives, or levels of spiritual maturity. Notice the characteristics of little children: they know that their sins are forgiven them for His name's sake and they know that God is their Father. It is interesting to note that we can know God is our Father, but not realize that He is love.
Young men (or women) spiritually are those who are strong, and the word of God abides in them, and they have overcome the wicked one. Notice 1 John 4:4 We overcome the wicked one by knowing that God lives within us, and greater is He Who is in us than he (Satan and evil spirits) that is in the world. We must learn that Christ lives in us. If we don't understand that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven, it will be impossible to see that God lives in us. We will always be focused on our outward actions, instead of being focused on God living within us.
Fathers, or spiritually mature men and women, know Him Who is from the beginning. The Greeks referred to the gods as fathers, but they were often cruel and vindictive. The Jews saw God as a God of justice and punishment because of the Law of the Old Testament. By now we should see that John is referring to the fact that God is love. This unknown, unseen God Who is from the beginning is love. When we walk in love toward others, the love of God is perfected, or brought to completion, in us.
Keith Oliver
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
1 John Chapter 1
Remember John's primary revelation: God is love. When we are born again, we are born of God or born of Love. When we recognize Who God is and receive His love, we shall be like Him. We shall love others. 1 John 3:2, 1 John 4:7-8
Vs. 1-2 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--" That which was from the beginning is a reference to the book of Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. This unknown, unseen God Who created the heavens and the earth, Who is eternal Life and Love, manifested Himself in the body of Jesus. Jesus personified the life and love of God in a human body. These verses also dispute the Gnostic idea, referred to in the previous lesson, that Jesus did not have a human body because they taught that matter is evil. The Gnostics said that Jesus only appeared in spirit form.
Vs. 3 "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." Our part or fellowship or sharing in this: now God manifests Himself in us just like He manifested Himself in the person of Jesus. We have His life. We understand and demonstrate His love to others. People should now see God in us. How can people see God (Who is love) in us if we feel condemned or if we condemn others?
Vs. 4 "And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." When we truly understand what John meant in this epistle, we will be full of joy. Joy comes from fellowship with God. We have fellowship with God because we are made righteous in His sight by grace.
Vs. 5 "This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Notice that this verse is similar to 1 John 3:11, "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.' So John is talking here about walking in love. John declares in 1 John 2:8-11 that walking in love is walking in the light; walking in hate is walking in darkness. So John could have said this: We declare to you that God is love (light) and in Him is no hate or condemnation (darkness) at all. Why does John not reveal that God is love at this point? This is one example why I believe this book is a progressive revelation.
John 8:1-19 Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery and does not condemn her according to the Law. John 8:12 "I am the light of the world (grace and love): he who follows me (in not condemning others but offering grace to them) shall not walk in darkness (judging and condemning others for their sins), but shall have the light of life." The Jews accused and condemned this woman caught in adultery and wanted to have her stoned. They did not see God's grace and love. Every teaching I have ever heard on 1 John defines the light as walking in holiness and darkness as walking in sin. But we must let the gospel of John interpret the epistle of John. John defines light as grace and darkness as condemning or judging others for their sins in John chapter 8. This brings a whole new view of 1 John chapter 1.
Vs. 6 "If we say that we have fellowship with Him (share in who God is, or say that we represent Him: He is full of grace and love) and walk in darkness (hate or condemn others for their sins), we lie and do not practice the truth (which is grace)."
Vs. 7 "But if we walk in the light (walk in His grace and love), as He is in the light (He is love), we have fellowship with one another (we are manifesting His life and love through us) and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (we learn to walk in love and stop sinning). This follows John's revelation in chapter 4 that God is love, we are born of Him, and when we KNOW that He is love, we will then love others.
Vs. 8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Notice that sin is singular, which refers to the nature of sin. Gnostics said this; no Christian would say this. For us to be born again, we must admit that we have sinned or have a nature of sin and need a Savior. Also notice that it says the truth (His Word of grace) is not in us.
Vs. 9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This happened when we were born again. This can only be a one time confession of sin for us to be born again. When we are born again, we are made righteous before God. If we are to continually confess our sins as Christians, then we would have to conclude that we lose our righteousness before God each time we sin and must be cleansed of unrighteousness over and over again. This is error. We are made righteous once and for all through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Notice that there are two types of cleansing mentioned in verse 7 and verse 9. We are cleansed of unrighteousness before God when we confess our sin and need for a Savior in our Lord Jesus Christ in verse 9. In verse 7 we are cleansed from all sin, the actions of sin. We are cleansed of unrighteousness only one time; it is permanent. We are cleansed from the actions of sin on an ongoing basis.
Vs. 10 "If we say that we have not sinned (actions of sin), we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us." Notice the phrase "His Word is not in us." It is speaking of His Word of grace to us. This could not refer to Christians. 1 Peter 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible; by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever." When we are born again by the Word of God, it lives forever in us. 2 John 2 "For the truth's (Word's) sake, which dwells in us, and shall be with us forever."
Keith Oliver
Vs. 1-2 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--" That which was from the beginning is a reference to the book of Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. This unknown, unseen God Who created the heavens and the earth, Who is eternal Life and Love, manifested Himself in the body of Jesus. Jesus personified the life and love of God in a human body. These verses also dispute the Gnostic idea, referred to in the previous lesson, that Jesus did not have a human body because they taught that matter is evil. The Gnostics said that Jesus only appeared in spirit form.
Vs. 3 "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." Our part or fellowship or sharing in this: now God manifests Himself in us just like He manifested Himself in the person of Jesus. We have His life. We understand and demonstrate His love to others. People should now see God in us. How can people see God (Who is love) in us if we feel condemned or if we condemn others?
Vs. 4 "And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." When we truly understand what John meant in this epistle, we will be full of joy. Joy comes from fellowship with God. We have fellowship with God because we are made righteous in His sight by grace.
Vs. 5 "This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Notice that this verse is similar to 1 John 3:11, "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.' So John is talking here about walking in love. John declares in 1 John 2:8-11 that walking in love is walking in the light; walking in hate is walking in darkness. So John could have said this: We declare to you that God is love (light) and in Him is no hate or condemnation (darkness) at all. Why does John not reveal that God is love at this point? This is one example why I believe this book is a progressive revelation.
John 8:1-19 Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery and does not condemn her according to the Law. John 8:12 "I am the light of the world (grace and love): he who follows me (in not condemning others but offering grace to them) shall not walk in darkness (judging and condemning others for their sins), but shall have the light of life." The Jews accused and condemned this woman caught in adultery and wanted to have her stoned. They did not see God's grace and love. Every teaching I have ever heard on 1 John defines the light as walking in holiness and darkness as walking in sin. But we must let the gospel of John interpret the epistle of John. John defines light as grace and darkness as condemning or judging others for their sins in John chapter 8. This brings a whole new view of 1 John chapter 1.
Vs. 6 "If we say that we have fellowship with Him (share in who God is, or say that we represent Him: He is full of grace and love) and walk in darkness (hate or condemn others for their sins), we lie and do not practice the truth (which is grace)."
Vs. 7 "But if we walk in the light (walk in His grace and love), as He is in the light (He is love), we have fellowship with one another (we are manifesting His life and love through us) and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (we learn to walk in love and stop sinning). This follows John's revelation in chapter 4 that God is love, we are born of Him, and when we KNOW that He is love, we will then love others.
Vs. 8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Notice that sin is singular, which refers to the nature of sin. Gnostics said this; no Christian would say this. For us to be born again, we must admit that we have sinned or have a nature of sin and need a Savior. Also notice that it says the truth (His Word of grace) is not in us.
Vs. 9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This happened when we were born again. This can only be a one time confession of sin for us to be born again. When we are born again, we are made righteous before God. If we are to continually confess our sins as Christians, then we would have to conclude that we lose our righteousness before God each time we sin and must be cleansed of unrighteousness over and over again. This is error. We are made righteous once and for all through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Notice that there are two types of cleansing mentioned in verse 7 and verse 9. We are cleansed of unrighteousness before God when we confess our sin and need for a Savior in our Lord Jesus Christ in verse 9. In verse 7 we are cleansed from all sin, the actions of sin. We are cleansed of unrighteousness only one time; it is permanent. We are cleansed from the actions of sin on an ongoing basis.
Vs. 10 "If we say that we have not sinned (actions of sin), we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us." Notice the phrase "His Word is not in us." It is speaking of His Word of grace to us. This could not refer to Christians. 1 Peter 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible; by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever." When we are born again by the Word of God, it lives forever in us. 2 John 2 "For the truth's (Word's) sake, which dwells in us, and shall be with us forever."
Keith Oliver
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Book of 1 John
1 John is a progressive revelation. The great revelation is that God is love. He doesn't have love. He is love. We are born of God or born of Love. When we recognize that God is love and that He lives in us, we will be like God. We will love others.
The idea of God as a Father in not new to the New Testament. Greek mythology speaks of the gods as fathers, but they were not benevolent and loving. In many ways they were cruel and often mean and vindictive. The Old Testament also reveals God as a Father in several verses, but it was not commonly recognized by the Jews during Jesus' day because of the Law. Some Old Testament verses that reveal God as Father are Exodus 4:22, Isaiah 63:16, Isaiah 64:8, Hosea 11:1, Deut. 1:30-31, Deut. 8:5, Deut. 32:6, Psalms 89:26, Isaiah 9:6. Jesus recognized this from His study of the Old Testament. That is where He recognized God as His Father.
Gnosticism or Neoplatonism was the main philosophical school of thought during the time that the New Testament was written. Gnosticism was born out of the writings of Plato, who lived around 400 B.C. Many of the abstract themes that we see in 1 John are themes that were dealt with in the writings of Plato: light and darkness, love and hate, life and death. Gnosis is a Greek term for knowledge. Gnosticism evolved from the Way of Truth that was outlined by Plato in his dialogues and letters. The Gnostics were concerned with spiritual enlightenment, and ascent into the divine or godlike realm by this secret knowledge. Therefore, Gnosticism espoused two premises that the Bible would consider false teachings. First, the Gnostics believed in a dualism regarding spirit and physical matter. They asserted that physical matter is inherently evil and spirit is good. As a result, they said that anything done in the body, even the grossest sin, has no meaning because real life exists in the spirit realm only. Second, the Gnostics believed they possessed an 'elevated knowledge', a 'higher truth' known only to a few, which was revealed from a higher plain of existence. They believed that salvation was gained through the acquisition of this 'divine knowledge' which freed them from the illusions of darkness here on the earth. The Gnostics did not believe that Jesus came to earth in a physical body because they believed that physical matter was inherently evil.
John refutes these Gnostic ideas and he also reveals that God is love, which was a great revelation to the Greeks and Jews of his day. I believe that John does this in a humorous, tongue-in-cheek manner.
1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now we are children of God (born of God), and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John chapter 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love)." In chapter 4, God is revealed as love. This pattern is used throughout the book. John speaks in one chapter of a subject, often using the abstract themes discussed earlier, and it is revealed a chapter or so later more clearly.
1 John 4:7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God: and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." Notice that he who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God. He who does not love does not know God. It doesn't say that he isn't born of God. We can be born of God but not know God, that He is love. Therefore we will not walk in love, even though we are born again.
1 John 4:17 "Love has been perfected (brought to completion) among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is (God is love), so are we in this world (we walk in love toward others).
1 John 4:18 "There is no fear (of God and punishment) in love; but perfect love (love brought to completion in us) casts out fear (of God and punishment), because fear involves torment (punishment). But he who fears (punishment) has not been made perfect in love (he does not understand the full extent of God's love)."
Let us explore this idea that God is love a little further. This is the basis of the gospel of John also.
Genesis 1:1 "IN THE BEGINNING, God created the heavens and the earth." Who is this God Who created everything? Is He sometimes mean and cruel like the gods of Greek mythology? Is He the God of justice and punishment based on the Law of the Old Testament?
John 1:1-18 "IN THE BEGINNING was the Word....." Notice the themes of light and darkness included in the first several verses. Then verse 10 "The world was made through Him, but the world did not know Him (God is love)." Verses 12-13 We become children of God. We are born of God. Verse 17 "For the law (and judgement) was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." Verse 18 No one has seen this unknown God at any time. Jesus has declared Him (or revealed Him) as love.
1 John 1:1 "That which was from THE BEGINNING....." John reveals God as love in His epistle..
Keith Oliver
The idea of God as a Father in not new to the New Testament. Greek mythology speaks of the gods as fathers, but they were not benevolent and loving. In many ways they were cruel and often mean and vindictive. The Old Testament also reveals God as a Father in several verses, but it was not commonly recognized by the Jews during Jesus' day because of the Law. Some Old Testament verses that reveal God as Father are Exodus 4:22, Isaiah 63:16, Isaiah 64:8, Hosea 11:1, Deut. 1:30-31, Deut. 8:5, Deut. 32:6, Psalms 89:26, Isaiah 9:6. Jesus recognized this from His study of the Old Testament. That is where He recognized God as His Father.
Gnosticism or Neoplatonism was the main philosophical school of thought during the time that the New Testament was written. Gnosticism was born out of the writings of Plato, who lived around 400 B.C. Many of the abstract themes that we see in 1 John are themes that were dealt with in the writings of Plato: light and darkness, love and hate, life and death. Gnosis is a Greek term for knowledge. Gnosticism evolved from the Way of Truth that was outlined by Plato in his dialogues and letters. The Gnostics were concerned with spiritual enlightenment, and ascent into the divine or godlike realm by this secret knowledge. Therefore, Gnosticism espoused two premises that the Bible would consider false teachings. First, the Gnostics believed in a dualism regarding spirit and physical matter. They asserted that physical matter is inherently evil and spirit is good. As a result, they said that anything done in the body, even the grossest sin, has no meaning because real life exists in the spirit realm only. Second, the Gnostics believed they possessed an 'elevated knowledge', a 'higher truth' known only to a few, which was revealed from a higher plain of existence. They believed that salvation was gained through the acquisition of this 'divine knowledge' which freed them from the illusions of darkness here on the earth. The Gnostics did not believe that Jesus came to earth in a physical body because they believed that physical matter was inherently evil.
John refutes these Gnostic ideas and he also reveals that God is love, which was a great revelation to the Greeks and Jews of his day. I believe that John does this in a humorous, tongue-in-cheek manner.
1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now we are children of God (born of God), and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John chapter 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love)." In chapter 4, God is revealed as love. This pattern is used throughout the book. John speaks in one chapter of a subject, often using the abstract themes discussed earlier, and it is revealed a chapter or so later more clearly.
1 John 4:7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God: and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." Notice that he who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God. He who does not love does not know God. It doesn't say that he isn't born of God. We can be born of God but not know God, that He is love. Therefore we will not walk in love, even though we are born again.
1 John 4:17 "Love has been perfected (brought to completion) among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is (God is love), so are we in this world (we walk in love toward others).
1 John 4:18 "There is no fear (of God and punishment) in love; but perfect love (love brought to completion in us) casts out fear (of God and punishment), because fear involves torment (punishment). But he who fears (punishment) has not been made perfect in love (he does not understand the full extent of God's love)."
Let us explore this idea that God is love a little further. This is the basis of the gospel of John also.
Genesis 1:1 "IN THE BEGINNING, God created the heavens and the earth." Who is this God Who created everything? Is He sometimes mean and cruel like the gods of Greek mythology? Is He the God of justice and punishment based on the Law of the Old Testament?
John 1:1-18 "IN THE BEGINNING was the Word....." Notice the themes of light and darkness included in the first several verses. Then verse 10 "The world was made through Him, but the world did not know Him (God is love)." Verses 12-13 We become children of God. We are born of God. Verse 17 "For the law (and judgement) was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." Verse 18 No one has seen this unknown God at any time. Jesus has declared Him (or revealed Him) as love.
1 John 1:1 "That which was from THE BEGINNING....." John reveals God as love in His epistle..
Keith Oliver
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