The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1548 1 John kc 2-3

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise

Therefore, if you have come out of darkness and into His Word then this has special meaning for you.

Here it is:

1 John 2:9
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
Doesn't everyone know that you cannot be a Christian and hate your brother?

Now stop for a minute!

Remember that this is written to God's elect and so it has a much deeper meaning than what appears on the surface. First of all the word "hate" means to "love less by comparison" and the object of the "loving less" is a brother, not an enemy! Who would you love a brother less than? The answer is YOURSELF!
If you think for one moment that just because you claim to have the light in you, that you are in the know concerning God's truth, that you are a chosen "little one", that you are any better than our brothers and sisters who still walk in darkness, you are sadly mistaken and you yourself are "in darkness even until now"!

Christianity and the love of God does not work that way.

God's elect do not consider themselves above others, as elitists!

Matthew 23:11 "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."

But there is also another aspect to "hating" your brother and that is that you do not love him!

Sound strange?

It shouldn't!

Did we not just read that Christ was the propitiation for ALL, not just us?

You see, the love of God actually "constrains" us (2 Cor. 5:14), i.e. compels us to want to help our brothers and sisters, not to keep our light under a bushel or to remain unto ourselves.

Our brothers and sisters are all God's children and it is our Father's desire that NONE of them perish but that ALL come to repentance.

That should be our desire also.

That is why He is so patient and longsuffering!

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
How do you look upon people of other faiths and how do you look upon our brothers or sisters who are part of other churches or sects or religious groups?

They may still be blinded and still walk in darkness (but for the grace of God there go I), but we are not to look down on them because of their ignorance for then we walk in darkness along with them.

That is one reason why you have never heard this ministry discuss or even answer questions about other churches, religious groups, or ministries.

It is not God's way!

We need not even tell a brother that he shouldn't attend a church that teaches the any-moment rapture theory!

We should be mature enough in the Word to say to him "Hey, have you ever read 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 where Paul says that the false-christ, who is Satan disguised as Jesus, will come first before we gather back to the Lord"?

You see, IF a person begins to "fellowship with Christ" through His Word he or she will easily figure out where he or she belongs!

1 John 2:10
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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