The
American
Wisdom Series
Presents
1st.
John chapter 3
Caution to students of God's Word - Please remember two things when using our American Wisdom Series studies:
#1.
Our
commentary is not God's Word. It is only our interpretation or understanding
of "His Word" and even though we try our best to be accurate we may
or may not be correct. #2.
The King James translation, or any other translation, of the original Hebrew
text has some words which were given different translations at different
places probably because of the interpreters preconceived ideas of what
they think God meant to say.
For example:
According to the notes in the "Dake's Annotated Reference Bible" the Hebrew
word hayah in the KJV is Trans. (became) 67 times, (becamest or came to
pass) 505 times, (become) 66 times, and (come to pass) 131 times, but for
some reason in Genesis 1:2 it is translated (was)! That
sure changes the way a person perceives the original creation of the earth,
doesn't it? Gen. 1:2 And the earth
was
(became) without form, ... Having said that,
let us continue with our "studies".
These studies contain knowledge, we believe, you must have to fully
and accurately unlock and understand the Word of God.
May the Holy Spirit be your only guiding light. Sincerely, John RhineRevelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
John 15:26
But when the Comforter is
come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which
proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John
16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever
he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He
shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto
you.
Now 1st.
John chapter 3
Do you have the desire to know and understand the Word
of God? Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? In other words, do
you abide in His Word, forsaking the traditional teachings of men and their
church systems? Then as one of the Children of Light and not of Darkness
"you have an unction (an anointing) from the Holy One" (Jn. 2:20) and you
are able through that spirit to understand the things "from the beginning",
a phrase which the apostle John has referred to 7 times already in this
great epistle that he has written to the "little ones", to God's elect
of these "last times" (Jn. 2:18).
You see, in order to understand how it is now and even
why it is that we are now here on this earth walking under the sun in these
flesh and blood, animal type, terrestrial bodies, one MUST understand how it was "In the beginning", in the age of the dinosaurs, when we were living here on earth in spiritual type, celestial bodies, including
the events that transpired between Genesis 1:1 when our Father created
this beautiful planet to be inhabited (Isa. 45:18) and Gen. 1:2 when He
reduced its surface to the state of utter waste and desolation, "tohu va
bohu" in Hebrew, at the rebellion of Satan.
Note: For a detailed study of the events that happened
in the beginning, in the "world that then was" spoken of by Peter in 2
Pet. 3:6, log unto and read the following:
Additionally, one must also have an understanding of the
beginning of this present earth age, which begins in Gen. 1:3, and how
it was that sin entered into this world, and what that sin was, and who those Children of Disobedience
are (Eph. 2:1) who carry forth the spirit of antichrist even in these last
days.
Live Link to->>> 666
Live Link to->>> "Two
Sowers of seed; both the good and the bad"
John has already warned us that THE antichrist shall come but even
now, in these last days, there are many antichrists. They are the children
of the wicked one and they are "not of us", i.e. they are not of the children
of God. They are children of another father, even the father of lies, Satan
himself.
In this 3rd chapter of 1st John, the beloved apostle is
going to describe the characteristics of BOTH the children of God
AND the
children of the devil and make it crystal clear to those who have eyes
to see and ears to hear that BOTH are present (manifested) at this time.
It is as it was in the beginning, even from the time of Cain and Abel to
whom John will make reference.
However, before we begin chapter 3, let's go to Matthew
chapter 13 and understand the Parable of the Tares which explains to us
the "secret" of how it was in the beginning. By the way, these parables
can only be understood by those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Matthew
13:9
Who hath ears
to hear, let him hear.
Can you believe how simple this statement is? If you really
want to know the truth, then all you have to do is open your ears and listen
to the Word of God. But if you are just a mainstream church-goer who thinks
you are in good standing, though you are Biblically illiterate, then don't
worry, you will not understand the parables of Jesus Christ. He spoke in
parables to protect those whose eyes are heavy with slumber (Rom. 11) because
He loves them very much and is patient until such time as they should wake
up and desire in their hearts to come to Him, to seek to know and understand
the Word of God.
[10]
And
the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
[11] He
answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them
it is not given.
Most people believe that Jesus Christ spoke in parables to
make things easier for all to understand. Go figure! Anyway, here is the
Parable of the Tares:
[By the way, a parable is an analogy, a story using symbolism
which will either 1.) cryptically hide something or 2.) make that something
perfectly clear by the graphic illustrations used to create pictures in
one's mind. That means if you understand the symbolism used you will better
understand the truth of the matter. However, if you do not understand the
symbolism then the truth shall remain a mystery to you, a secret which
you have not heard, until such time as your eyes and ears are opened to
understanding.]
Matthew
13:24
Another parable
put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
[25] But while
men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his
way.
Tares are "zizanion" in Greek, which means "false grain",
i.e. not real wheat. I like to call it "antiwheat" or "instead-of-wheat"
or the False Wheat. It looks just like real wheat, the grain of our people,
and as it grows most people cannot tell the difference until the time of
harvest when its fruit is exposed as dark and toxic.
The point is that the majority of Christians cannot only
NOT tell the difference between the two Jesus Christs, the real and the
fake, because they do not know there are two Messiahs nor which one comes
first, but neither can they tell the difference between the children of
God and the children of the devil who claim to be God's chosen people,
"but do lie and are of the synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9, 3:9). That's
right, they do not recognize the enemy. Thank God for His true "watchmen"
in these last days!
[26]
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared
the tares also.
[27] So the servants
of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good
seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
[28] He said
unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou
then that we go and gather them up?
[29] But he said,
Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with
them.
[30] Let both
grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say
to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles
to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Do you know what Jesus Christ said in this parable? He "uttered",
i.e. spoke about, something which has been "kept secret" from the foundation/destruction
of the first arth age!
The word "FOUNDATION" used here in Genesis 1:2 doesn't mean what I, at FIRST, thought it meant.
See below
This Is Appendix 146 From The Companion Bible.
To arrive at the true meaning of this expression, we must note that
there are two words translated "foundation" in the New Testament:
(1) themelios, and (2) katabole.
The Noun, themelios, occurs in Luke 6:48-49, 14:29, Acts 16:26,
Romans 15:20, 1Corinthians 3:l0-12, Ephesians 2:20, 1Timothy 6:19,
2Timothy 2:19, Hebrews 6:1, 11:10, Revelation 21:14,19. It is never
used of the world (kosmos) or the earth (ge). The corresponding
Verb (themelioo) occurs in Matthew 7:25, Luke 6:48, Ephesians
3:17, Colossians 1:23, Hebrews 1:10 and 1Peter 5:10. The verb is
only once used of the earth (ge). Hebrews 1:10.
A comparison of all these passages will show that these are proper
and regular terms for the English words "to found", and
"foundation".
The Noun, katabole, occurs in Matthew 13:35, 25:34, Luke 11:50,
John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4, Hebrews 4:3, 9:26 , 11:11, 1Peter 1:20,
Revelation 13:8, 17:8 and the corresponding Verb (kataballo)
occurs in 2Corinthians 4:9, Hebrews 6:1 and Revelation 12:10.
A comparison of all these passages (especially 2Corinthians 4:9
and Revelation 12:10) will show that kataballo and katabole are not
the proper terms for founding and foundation, but the correct
meaning is casting down, or overthrow.
Consistency, therefore, calls for the same translation in Hebrews
6:1, where, instead of "not laying again", the rendering should be
"not casting down". That is to say, the foundation already laid, of
repentance, etc., was not to be cast down or overthrown, but was to
be left and progress made unto the perfection.
Accordingly, the Noun katabole, derived from, and cognate with
the Verb, ought to be translated "disruption", or "ruin".
The remarkable thing is that in all occurrences (except Hebrews
11:11) the word is connected with "the world" (Greek kosmos.
Appendix 129.1), and therefore the expression should be rendered
"the disruption (or ruin) of the world", clearly referring to the
condition indicated in Genesis 1:2, and described in 2Peter 3:5-6. For
the earth was not created tohu (Isaiah 45:18) but became so, as
stated in the Hebrew of Genesis 1:2 and confirmed by 2Peter 3:6,
where "the world that then was by the word of God" (Genesis 1:1),
perished and "the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same
word" were created (Genesis 2:4), and are "kept in store, reserved
unto fire against the day of judgment" (2Peter 3:7) which shall usher
in the "new heavens and the new earth" of 2Peter 3:13.
"The disruption of the world" is an event forming a great dividing
line in the dispensations of the ages. In Genesis 1:1 we have the
founding of the world (Hebrews 1:10 = themelioo), but in Genesis
1:2 we have its overthrow.
This is confirmed by a further remarkable fact, that the phrase,
which occurs ten times, is associated with the Preposition apo =
from (Appendix 104. iv) seven times, and with pro = before
(Appendix 104. xiv) three times. The former refers to the kingdom,
and is connected with the "counsels" of God; the latter refers to the
Mystery (or Secret; See Appendix 193) and is connected with the
"purpose" of God (see John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4, 1Peter 1:20).
Ample New Testament testimony is thus given to the profoundly
significant fact recorded in Genesis 1:2, that "the earth became tohu
and bohu (i.e. waste end desolate); and darkness was on the face of
the deep", before the creation of "the heavens and the earth which
are now" (2Peter 3:7).
Here is your documentation:
Matthew
13:34
All these things
spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake
he not unto them:
[35] That
it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will
open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept
secret from the foundation of the world.
Would you like to know the secret? Would you like to know
what it is that has been kept hidden from the foundation of the world,
even that which is still hidden to most in this parable? Then open your
eyes and ears 'cause here it comes.
Matthew
13:36
Then Jesus sent
the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto
Him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
Here is the scenario: The majority has been sent away and
the disciples are now alone with Jesus Christ inside the house (the abode).
In other words, they are abiding with the Word of God. They then come to
Him, desiring to know and understand, and ask Him to explain the Parable
of the Tares which we just read. You should be able to SEE in this why
the majority of Christianity does NOT understand the Parable of the Tares
because most Christians are Biblically illiterate in that they have never
been alone with the Written Word of God and listened to Him with open ears
explain the "things which have
been kept secret from the foundation of the world."
Many
have sure listened to a lot of preachers though!
Are you now ready for a true revelation uttered directly
from the lips of Jesus Christ Himself? Think about this! What an exciting
opportunity! He is about to explain this Parable of the Tares unto
His disciples (you and me) and explain the symbology He used to
allow this secret "from the beginning" to be understood by those who ask
Him and then listen to His answer.
[37]He
answered and said unto them, He that soweth
the good seed is the Son of man;
OK, that was not hard to understand at all. We now know who
the "sower" of the good seed is. It is the Son of man, the Lord God. However,
we do not yet know what or who the "good seed" is!
Let's continue:
[38]
The field is the world;
This is really tough stuff, isn't it? Well, apparently so
because the majority still do not "get it"! Of course the majority don't
even know why Christ spoke in parables, much less that He actually explained
one! But at least you now know! Do you also understand that the world
is not symbolic of anything. In other words "the world" means "the world".
The field was what was symbolic! Give us more...
...
the good seed are the children of the kingdom;
The good seed are the children of the kingdom, the
children of God, the children of Him who was the sower of the good seed!
They were sown, i.e. placed, in the field and the garden by God, their
Father. This is so simple. Who was Adam and Eve's Father? It was God. BUT,
here comes the secret! There are children of another father...
...
but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
The "tares" in the parable are also symbolic of children,
yes, actual children. Only these children are the offspring of someone
else and that someone else is the wicked one, Satan! How did children of
Satan come into being? You say you never heard of such a thing? Well, that's
what a secret is, isn't it? A secret is something that has been hidden
from you, something you never heard before! If everyone knew this it certainly
wouldn't be a secret.
The answer as to how the children of the wicked one came
into being is contained in the parable and here is the simple explanation
by Jesus Christ:
[39]
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world;
and the reapers are the angels.
The devil, the enemy of God and His children, sowed his own
seed (children) in the garden! Jesus Christ just said so. Do you believe
Him? Remember, this is NOT a parable or even a spiritual analogy! No! this is Jesus explaining the meaning of the parable! That
which has been hidden (kept secret) "from the beginning" has been "covered-up"
and concealed by the fig leaves which were placed over the nakedness of
Adam and Eve who hid themselves because they were ASHAMED, and rightfully
so! Do you remember what God said to "that old serpent*, which is the Devil,
and Satan" in the garden following the seduction?
Genesis
3:15
And I will put
enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
What "seeds" is God talking about? He is referring about
their offspring, to their CHILDREN to come. (Our Father already knew Eve
had conceived the wicked seed.) You see, it is quite clear and quite well
documented that Cain was not Adam's son and that is why he is not listed
in Adam's genealogy in Genesis chapter 5. Don't take my word for it, look
it up yourself! Cain has his own genealogy listed in chapter 4 of Genesis.
It would be these children of Kayin (Hebrew for Cain), who are referred
to in scripture as kayin-ites (kenites), who would carry forth that murderous
spirit of their father and bruise the heel of Messiah when they caused
those spikes to be driven into His feet.
* Do not let some fairy tale writer deceive you into believing
that the serpent in the garden was an upright snake and that Eve ate an
apple. The word apple is not in the Book of Genesis and the serpent in
the garden was none other than that very handsomely beautiful (Ezk. 28)
and charismatic leader, Satan himself. Have you ever read Rev. 20:2 to
know who that old serpent is? "And he laid hold on the dragon,
that
old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand
years."
Did you also know that Jesus Christ identified the kenites,
the sons of Cain, in John 8:44 when they tried to tell Him that they were
"of us", i.e. that they were of the children of Abraham.
Here is what Jesus
said to them:
John
8:44
Ye are of your
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Again, the problem is, and the reason this is so important,
is because if Christians do not know what happened "in the beginning" then
they do not KNOW who their real enemies are today. It is a fact that most
Christians are clueless as to who the sons of Cain are today. If they did
they could understand the Parable of the Fig Tree and document beyond a
shadow of doubt when the final generation began (It was May 15, 1948).
But it is really quite simple because as it was "in the beginning", as
we read in Gen. 3:15, there has always been ENMITY between Satan's children,
the children of the night, even of darkness, and God's children, the children
of Light (1 Thes. 5:5).
With that extensive but necessary background in mind,
we are now ready to begin the 3rd chapter of 1st John, which has proven
somewhat difficult for many to understand. That is mainly because they
rarely come to this informative chapter 3 by way of the beginning of the
epistle, i.e. after having read the first two chapters with understanding.
Let's begin as the apostle John is still addressing the Father's "little
children", the "dear ones", i.e. God's elect from chapter 2 vs. 28.
1 John
3:1
Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him
not.
Behold, which means consider and ponder the wondrous and
indescribable love the Father has bestowed on us by calling us His sons,
the sons and daughters of God! In other words, we are His children! There
is no warmer feeling than to know and understand what it means to actually
be a beloved "little child" of the most loving Father of all and the very
Creator of the universe.
Unfortunately this "kosmos", this current earth age, does
not know, follow, nor understand the children of God because it did not
know, follow, nor understand the very Son of God Himself. They even withdrew
in the world that was, even in the beginning in the first earth age, for
we know from Rev. 12:4 that Satan drew 1/3 of the children away from our
Father and away from His love.
Jesus also said that when the world hates and rejects
you, a dear little one, a child of His, just remember they hated and rejected
Him first! These words were spoken by the Lord himself in John 15:18
"If
the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."
Luke 21:17 "And ye shall be hated of all men for
my name's sake."
[2]
Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall
see Him as he is.
Like Father, like son. There is so much said in this verse
to those "little children" who look forward to the sound of 7th Trump and
understand the change from flesh to spirit and from mortality to immortality
as spoken of by Paul in 1 Cor. 15. Then too, on a deeper level, we know
that He is righteous and we desire to be like Him and see Him as He is,
i.e. righteous.
Next verse.
[3]
And
every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.
Every child of God who has this "hope" of being like Jesus
Christ and seeing Him as He is when He appears, cleanses himself or herself
from all unrighteousness. How does one do that? Through repentance,
through confessing his or her sins to the Lord Jesus Christ and receiving
His promised forgiveness which purifies us from sin. Remember John told
us that back in the first chapter?
1 John
1:9
If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
Don't go away! Stay with this epistle of John for we are going to learn exactly what sin is and understand why
Cain slew his brother Abel.
We've already learned in 1 Jn. 3:2-3 that the sons
of God, His precious "little children", who have the hope of seeing Jesus
Christ and have the hope of being like Him when He appears at the sound
of 7th Trump, do purify themselves by confessing their sins to Him, who
is faithful and just to forgive their sins which then "cleanses them from
all unrighteousness" (1 Jn. 1:9). You see, without the loving forgiveness
of Jesus Christ one can have no righteousness. Period!
The question is though, "How does a person really know
whether or not he or she has sinned?" What is sin anyway?
1 John
3:4
Whosoever committeth
sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Anyone who commits sin breaks God's law. That is what sin
is, the breaking of God's law! Yet many Christians will say, "But the law
was done away with! We are no longer under the law! Christ nailed it to
the cross!"
Do not be misled by uninformed teachers who do not know
the difference between divine law, civil statutes, and religious ordinances,
i.e. ceremonial laws. The only thing Jesus Christ "nailed to the cross"
were "dogmas", which were religious ceremonies and ritualisms, and the
blood sacrifices of animals, etc. as documented in Colossians chapter 2:
Col.
2:14
Blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary
to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
ordinances = dogma, dog'-mah, Greek 1378;
from the base of Greek 1380 (dokeo); a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical)
:- decree, ordinance.
Jesus did NOT do away with ANY of the Divine Laws of God,
whether of His nature, such as gravity, etc., or His health laws, or the
laws of our liberty such as "Thou shalt do no murder". On the contrary,
He came to bring them to their spiritual fullness. So do not even THINK
that He did away with the law or the Old Testament (the prophets).
Matthew
5:17
Think not
that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Truly, truly, they shall both remain!
[18]
For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Has heaven and earth passed yet? Then the Divine Laws of
God are still in effect. Jesus Christ said so. In fact, Jesus Christ states
that He doesn't think very much of anyone, such as a preacher or anyone
else, who tells you that you do not have to keep His commandments or that
the Old Testament was done away with. They actually break His commandments
in their teaching of such a thing, for it is a crock, a BIG LIE!
[19]
Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever
shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom
of heaven.
So get with the program and quit listening to ignorance.
Yes, we ARE freed from the penalty of death, i.e. the wages of sin, by
the blood of Christ. That doesn't mean it is OK for us to now steal or
murder, does it?
[20]
For
I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness
of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom
of heaven.
How does one become righteous? By doing the will of God and
by getting rid of unrighteousness (sin) through repentance as we read in
1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
You see, that is why Jesus Christ came in the flesh, to
pay the price to take away our sins! Thank you Father! And that Lamb of
God was perfect, an unblemished sacrifice according to the law, and there
was no sin in Him!
1 John
3:5
And ye know
that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.
Why is it that some people think that the law of God is a
bad thing? It is our wonderful school master that teaches us how to conduct
ourselves and model our nation. Adherence to His laws provide us with security
and freedom, as in the "Law of Liberty". Have you ever read the inscription
on our Liberty Bell? It is taken directly from God's Word in Leviticus
25:10 "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants
thereof". When His laws are followed and enforced we can safely walk the
streets of our cities and He has promised to protect our nation from our
enemies.
Of course with any law there is a penalty, a price to
pay for breaking it, whether it is a traffic law of man or a Divine Law
of Almighty God. So if you transgress God's law you will have to pay the
price.
Here is the compensation:
Romans
6:23
For the wages
of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Once again, we know that God in His love for His children
has given His only begotten Son to pay the price in our stead in order
that we may pass from death unto life. And ONLY through the Son, our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, is that possible. There is no other WAY! John
will discuss this more later on in this epistle when he says, "He that
hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life"
(1 John 5:12).
And be sure of this one thing! Anyone born of woman, no
matter who he is, even if he is a child of the devil himself, has a choice
in this flesh age to turn to God and accept that eternal life through Jesus
Christ. It is even written in the law which as you now know has NOT passed
away:
Deut.
30:19
I call heaven
and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life
and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that
both thou and thy seed may live:
Jesus Christ is life, Satan is death. The Tree of Life is
Jesus Christ, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is Satan, Death.
Which tree do you partake of? Following Jesus Christ brings blessings
to you and your family, following Satan brings cursing. You have a choice!
Therefore choose life (Christ)...
[20]
That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice,
and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for He is thy life, and the
length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware
unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
It is very important to know that law of God is not our enemy.
It is truly our friend! It gives us freedom and shows us how to stay out
of trouble. Of course we also know that we fall short of perfectly keeping
that law, but thank God we have an advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, who
takes away our transgressions when we repent and ask His forgiveness at
which time He gives us a clean slate to start afresh. He is our Comforter
indeed!
So much then for the children of God who abide in Christ
and who know Him. John is now going to go to the other end of the spectrum,
to the dark side, and remind us of that which we have known "from the beginning",
that there are those who "habitually sin" and work against the will of
God, for they know Him not.
1 John
3:6
Whosoever abideth
in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither
known Him.
Don't let anyone twist this scripture to mean that a person
who becomes a Christian no longer sins. Anyone who believes that Christians
do not sin after they are converted lives in a fantasy world built by the
traditions of men. Besides, if that were true then why would we even have
need of repentance following conversion? The REALITY IS that we all fall
short and we all transgress the law, which we now know is to sin. Mature
Christians are able face that reality while self-righteous hypocrites pretend
it doesn't apply to them. But there are also those "habitual sinners" who
could care less for they know not Jesus Christ which means they also have
not the Father (Remember Jn. 2:23?)!
Yes, there are those other children who "abide" not in
Jesus Christ, but rather abide "unrepentantly" in sin, or as Dr. Bullinger
states in the Companion Bible, pg. 1871, commit sin "habitually"! Again,
if one falls into this category that means as John points out, he has not
repented (not seen Him) for he has not come
know the Lord Jesus Christ (neither known Him).
John is now going to separate the Good Children from the
Evil Children, the Righteous Children from the Unrighteous Children, even
the Children of God from the Children of the Devil, who are "habitual sinners"
because they abide not in Christ but rather abide in their own father.
That we shall see is because they are "of" (children of) the devil himself
and his seed abides in them. Let's read the next two verses together before
analyzing them.
1 John
3:7
Little children,
let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even
as He is righteous.
1 John 3:8
He that committeth
sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil.
Do not let anyone ever tell you that once you have confessed
your sins to Jesus Christ and asked His forgiveness that you are still
unrighteous and unholy! They are in trouble for judging you in that manner.
In fact, do not even tell yourself that!
Know and understand from the Word
of God, even from 1 John 1:9, that the MOMENT you repent and confess your
sins to Jesus Christ He PROMISES and has the POWER, i.e. He is Faithful
and Just, to FORGIVE YOUR sins... not later on... but INSTANTLY! At that
very moment you are CLEANSED, you are PURIFIED from unrighteousness! (As paul says,"Your inner man has been cleansed") It
may seem hard to believe sometimes, especially at those times when we really
"screw up", but it is so true and it is so precious a gift from our Father
who loved us so much as to give His only begotten Son to be crucified and
pay the price for sinners like us! It makes us pour out our hearts to Him
in thankfulness and gratitude.
This brings up two points though. The first is that since
He instantly forgives us upon repentance there is no need to "wallow" in
self pity and continually submit that sin to Him. He doesn't like it. In
fact, the greater sin may be the pride of your ego that prevents you from
forgiving yourself. The other point is that if a brother falls in sin,
perhaps slipping pretty low, but then repents, the Christian thing not
to do is to pass religious *judgment upon him, i.e. to condemn him as
a sinner. You see, the question would be, "Who are you to now judge
him as "unrighteous" whom Jesus Christ has cleansed from unrighteousness?"
Think about it! It can be a dangerous thing to judge your brother, or even
yourself, that way!
*Note: That is what "Thou fool" means in Matthew 5:22.
So let's now come to a full understanding concerning the
"habitual sinner", even those who are the children of that first habitual
sinner "from the beginning".
1 John
3:8
He that committeth
sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil.
He that habitually sins, who works against righteousness,
is a child of the devil. We have already discussed Satan's sin ("chata"
in Hebrew) from the beginning, which was the drawing away of 1/3 of God's
children in the first earth age (Rev. 12:4). To this day he AND his children
habitually sin against God, meaning they constantly and fervidly WORK against
God and the Children of God! Got it? That is why Christ came in the flesh,
to destroy (cause to PERISH) the devil and his works!
This is in contrast to the children of God, whose Father
is God. Remember from the Parable of the Tares in our last study that He
created them, planted those Good Seeds in the field, which is symbolic
of the world including the garden, and therefore they are His children
and are not "habitual sinners". They do have compassion for their brothers
and they do have a conscience. The kenites on the other hand, the sons
of Cain, the sons of the devil, who constantly, habitually, work against
God's children have grossly exploited their (God's children's) good nature
and guilt of conscience to achieve their own evil ends. Those who are familiar
with the kenite control of the Four Hidden Dynasties can identify many
examples of their exploitations against Christianity which they actively
seek to destroy.
Here at the American
Wisdom Series our goal is to make you think about and
question the wisdom of the current:
doctrine of many of our Christian
churches, (The Man on a White
Horse)
political
direction of our country, (The
Man on a Red Horse)
economic
direction our country has taken, (The
Man on a Black Horse)
and
teaching of our schools and media, (The Man on a Pale Horse)
The
Four Hidden Dynasties of the New World Order Revelation
6:1-8
"The
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
Did
you know all four are
being ridden by Satan?
1 John
3:9
Whosoever is
born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he
cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Again, the children of God do not "habitually" sin for His
seed (which is sperma in Greek) remains in them. So what have we
then? What does all this mean? Here it is:
[10]
In
this the children of God are manifest, and the children of
the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither
he that loveth not his brother.
"In this", i.e. for this reason, because of this, the Children
of God are manifest, they are here now, AND the Children of the Devil are
manifest, they are here too. The children of the devil are those who habitually
sin and who do NOT love their brothers (as in Christians)! And so it IS
in THESE LAST TIMES as it was in the beginning.
[11]
For
this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should
love one another.
Who was the first person who did not love his brother?
[12] Not
as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother.
And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and
his brother's righteous.
You see, Cain was not of us. He was not of God's children.
He was not Adam's son for he was of the seed of that wicked one, the devil,
who sowed his seed, by conception, in the fig grove when he seduced mother
Eve. If you do not understand that you will not understand any of Christ's
parables.
And as it is written in Gen. 3:15, there has existed right
"from the beginning" an enmity between the seed of Satan, his children
through Cain, and the seed of the woman, God's children. We see that enmity
in action in Genesis chapter 4:5 where "Cain became very wroth, and his
countenance fell".
wroth = charah, khaw-raw', Hebrew 2734;
a primitive root [compare Hebrew 2787 (charar)]; to glow or grow warm;
figurative (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy
:- be angry, burn, be displeased, × earnestly, fret self, grieve,
be (wax) hot, be incensed, kindle, × very, be wroth.
See Hebrew 8474 (tacharah).
Cain was angry but he was also jealous of his brother Abel,
who had good works and gave of the firstlings of his best stock while Cain's
works were evil. He eventually rose up and slew his brother Abel. That's
how it was in the beginning. That is how it is today!
It is the "last time" as John has told us. These are the
"last days". We are living in the final generation of the Fig Tree and
the children of the wicked one are beginning to rise up, so God's children
better wise up!
Then they will not have to marvel that the world is rapidly
being turned against them by those habitual sinners, those children
of the devil, the bad figs, the sons of Cain (kenites) who are using the
Four Hidden Dynasties of Politics, Education, Economics, and Religion to
bring about the New World Order, which is that Political Beast System of
Rev. 13:1!
God does not deal in fiction, however, He does speak
in parables. This is done by Him to hide the truth from the eyes and ears of
those people He does not want to see, and hear His message with understanding.
This is pointed out in Matthew 13:11-14. He does this for their own protection, so they cannot commit the unforgivable sin.Within Revelation chapter thirteen there is a great
deal of symbolism used.
It reveals the coming into existence of a one world
system, and at the completion of its growth, that world wide system is ruled by
Satan as the false-christ.
In fact, most of the proclaiming Christian
world will actually think that Satan is Jesus Christ.
God uses this symbolism so that those who really don't care to study
Scripture, not knowing how to tell the difference between what is holy
and what is profane; will thereby, not be able to commit the unforgivable sin.
This chapter speaks of two beasts, but when we
separate the two beasts, we see one is a political beast, while the
second and last beast is a religious beast.
The political beast is a
whole political system, and is being formed today and active and ruling under the name of
"One-worldism".
It
operates under the banner of the "United Nations", and it's governing
agencies are made up of nearly the entire world, in theory,
working together for world "peace".
Through this
Kenite controled organization peace talks are carried on in China,
North Korea, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Haiti, and on and
on. There is peace, peace, talked about everywhere, and it is all
brought about to draw all nations of the world into, and under the
United Nations control, and that of it's agencies.
Revelation 13:1 "And I [John] stood
upon the sand of the sea, and [I] saw a beast rise out of the sea, having
seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the
name of blasphemy."
This is John's vision, and the sea that John is
standing on and the beast is rising out of represents the masses of peoples of
the world.
This symbol of the "sea" being people is documented in
Revelation 17:15.
This "sea", or masses of people are looking to
this "beast" [political beast] as their peace system.
The "seven
heads" are seven dominions of the people, or seven continents of this world
body; as even the activities and divisions at the North and South Poles are
governed through the United Nations Charter. It covers the entire world land
masses.
"Horns" are always symbolic of "power".
These
"ten horns" are ten agencies, or units of power flowing from this beast,
or political system.
These horns are the Military force, the world health
organization, UNICEF for children, the world bank, the world court, and so on.
This is very similar to the system of government given in Genesis 11,
under Nimrod.
The "Kenites" pulling strings within the United
Nations are trying to bypass God, and create their own salvation.
The "Ten crowns" are ten men, or heads of large governments, such as
the President of the United States, and the heads of other major world
powers such as England, and men of Russia, China, Japan, and so on.
Each of these
men, at least on the surface, appear to be giving their authority over to the United Nations willfully.
This is
what some of the recent wars in the middle east have been about, the yielding of sovereignty to the United
Nations, which some middle east countries refuse to do
Those wars were a test trying to get all nations to join in, and
give their power over to the UN, for the cause of filling the United Nations
agenda.
The forces that joined against middle east countries, are also causing the trading
boundries to disappear world wide, and they make up this political beast.
We
have the one world political system now in position, and in control.
The world
is now in the process of being divided into its new horns of power, and the
divisions will change present boundaries into new dominions of power.
This system, and governmental order is the same as
Satan used in the first earth age, as we saw and read in Revelation 12:3
however there are some major differences.
Notice that in Revelation
12:3 from the first earth age that the seven heads [individuals] wore the
seven crowns. where by in this earth age, under the political beast of the
United Nations it is not individual rulers that have the crown but the horns of
power, the agencies.
They exercise their authority by what the agenda of their
agencies are.
Revelation 13:2 "And the beast which I saw
was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth
as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and
great authority."
Though the one world political system is in place and
functioning as a governing body, after it is considered reliable, something will
come about to bring down at least one of these agencies of that governing body.
Editor's Note: We know from what John told us in Revelation 13:3 that this will happen. John says, one
of its heads will be wounded to death. We also know, from Biblical
prophecy, that that is when Satan will appear on the scene and save
this governing body. But we are getting ahead of ourselves here.
In the Song of Moses" in Deuteronomy 32:5, the
"leopard's spots" are shown to be different than that of God's children's
spots. The elect of God know their Messiah, where as those who are not sealed in
their minds can not tell the difference between the two, Jesus and Satan. This
system is controlled in all ways by the leaders, Kenites. Their control is
through the four hidden dynasties or hidden governments, which are focused on
Economics [banking, trade and industry], Education [schools and the media], Politics [governments], and Religion [churches].
This political beast has the "feet of a bear",
and we know that has to be Russia [Esau]. The mouth of the beast is the
"mouth of a lion", which will tare it's prey with his lies and
deceitfulness. "And the Dragon gave him his power," and we know the
Dragon from Revelation 12:9 is Satan. The driving force within
"one worldism" is Satan, with the Kenites, Satan's kids, doing the work. As our
young men fight for the United Nation's Forces, we know now what the fight is
all about.
We also know the Dragon, Satan, is the spiritual force behind every agency
of the United Nations, and this is allowing us a better understanding why they do
what they do. This is why we see them picking, and selecting what they hold
dear, while allowing millions of other people in the world to be slaughtered. The Kenites
with their satanic controled agenda sets the course.
Remember also that this one world system is compared
to the Babylonian kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar's day. And just as that kingdom was
set up by God to discipline the house of Judah, so also this Kenite kingdom of
the end times is to test and discipline the people of our time.
Revelation 13:3 "And I saw one of
his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound
was healed: and all the world wondered after the
beast.
The editor again: There's
the wound to it's head and it is to death, but not to worry, Satan, the
anti-christ, the secons beast of Revelation, will save the day!
1 John
3:13
Marvel not,
my brethren, if the world hate you.
No, it is no surprise at all to those "little ones" who know
how it was in the beginning, who know the "of" and the "why" of the hatred
and jealousy that Cain harbored against his brother, that the political
correctness of the emerging New World Order has already produced a hatred
towards those Children of God who would be so bold as to even think to try to uphold that which
is taught in the Word of God.
Because the hour is late, we need more than ever to love
our brothers and sisters! That love entails our duties to God and country
(our brothers) and the apostle John will have some very valuable words
of wisdom for us to consume and digest in our studies of 1, 2 and 3 John.
Have you considered how truly blessed we are to have in
our possession these epistles of John and to be able to study them line
by line? Our Father's Word contains all there is of true wisdom and His
Word allows us to understand the Truth of how things really are in these
last days, because His Word is Truth (Jn. 17:17). And Truth is Reality
which is something many people try to avoid because it can be very uncomfortable
at times. Truth, like the light it is, exposes darkness and reveals those
evil works that take place in darkness. If you have that truth, then you
are like a walking light bulb brightly shining and if you walk into a darkened
room where sin is working under cover of that darkness, your light will
expose and reveal the wickedness! It should come as no surprise to you
that those whose evil deeds are exposed may not appreciate your shining
light because they need that darkness to cover their evil deeds. Worse
yet, if they are a child of the devil you can be sure they will hate you.
Here is some wisdom from the Gospel of John:
John
3:19
And this is
the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Remember we read that Cain's works were evil? Well so were
and are his children's. In fact they hated the Light so much that they
crucified Him.
[20]
For
every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.
[21] But
he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest,
that they are wrought in God.
Of course if you do truth, the good deeds of His Word, you
will enjoy the spotlight.
The Reality is that there is much trouble in the world
today and we have learned even from this epistle of John that that trouble
is ultimately caused by Satan and his children who carry forth their father's
spirit of hate and jealousy, just "like Cain, who was of that wicked one,
and slew his brother" (1 John 3:12). If you understand
simple endtime prophecy then you know (just like John told us in 2:28)
that the antichrist is coming, the father of Cain and his children the,
kenites, those "children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2), those who "habitually
sin" and transgress the laws of God, those who have no love for their brothers,
those who are here and present (manifested) and are busy bringing about
the New World Order. It is happening and it will continue to happen exactly
as it is written in His Word until all is fulfilled.
That is why in verse 3:13 John said do not be surprised
that the world hates you. You see, the world is following after, i.e. marching
right in step to the pied piping of the Beast System of Rev. 13:1.
The
kenites, the sons of Cain, now have complete world control of the 4 Hidden
Dynasties of Politics (governments and leaders, even to the level of local
municipalities), Economics (the central banks and markets of the world),
Education (schools, news media, TV, Hollywood movies, etc.), and yes, Religion
(including churchianity).
Those with eyes to see in this final generation are able
to witness, to actually see manifested, the "fruition" of following after
that wicked spirit which PRODUCES works that are wicked (evil), even after
the manner of Cain's evil works, that caused him to "rise up" and slay
his brother Abel (1 Jn. 3:12). Yes, the kenites are for real! Make no mistake
about it! However, we are going to learn in today's study that anyone who
follows after the "spirit of the evil one", the course of this world controlled
by Satan, who is the prince and power of that evil spirit (air), is in
big trouble just like the children of the devil.
The apostle Paul put it
in real simple terms.
Ephes.
2:2
Wherein in time
past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience:
The children of disobedience are the kenites who are "of"
their father the devil (Jn. 8:44).
[3]
Among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by
nature the children of wrath, even as others.
What do we then learn from all of this and what effect does
all this have on us today?
Well, John is now going to show us the difference between
the spirit of two sons, the son of the devil, Cain who murdered his brother,
and the Son of God, Jesus Christ who laid down His life for His brothers.
The spirit of the former is the spirit of "hate and jealously" towards
your brother, which ultimately leads to murder, death. The spirit of the
latter is "love towards your brother" which leads to life! The obvious
point is, do not be like Cain, be like Jesus Christ, or you might find
yourself standing with the tares at harvest time! However, John is going
to take us to the deeper level of wisdom and show us not only the differences
but in the next chapter, even how to test the spirits. What follows in
the remainder of this 3rd chapter is very precious "manna" from our Father
and if you absorb this bread, it can continue to nourish you for the rest
of your life. Let's pick it up in the 14th verse of chapter 3:
1 John
3:14
We know that
we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that
loveth not his brother abideth in death.
That sounds simple enough as long as you know what it means
to "love the brethren" and to "love not your brother". The former will
give you eternal life while the latter will cause you to ultimately perish.
You see, this may sound overly simplistic, but the love of the brethren
(which comes from the spirit of Christ) is not compatible with "loving
not" your brother (which comes from the spirit of Satan). Those two spirits
cannot co-exist within the same person.
Let's first see what to "hate your brother" means.
[15]Whosoever
hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal
life abiding in him.
If you are jealous and angry with your brother, as was Cain
with his brother, then you really wish he were dead, which is to have murder
in your heart, which means you now have the spirit of Cain, the first murderer.
And don't you know that a murderer cannot have eternal life,
Jesus Christ,
the Light, abiding in him?
According to the law, an actual murderer, one
who commits criminal homicide ("phoneus" in Greek) is to be executed
and sent to the Father where he will confront his victim before the Judge.
So Cain killed his brother and we should always to remember
why. It was because his works were evil. You see, a person's works
will always show where his heart lies.
Consider now the love of God and how it is that we KNOW
He loves us!
1 John
3:16
Hereby perceive
we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought
to lay down our lives for the brethren.
We KNOW the love of God because of WHAT HE DID for us, i.e.
by His Works! So too are we to love our brethren! Do you understand the
"action" involved here?
Being sugar-sweet to everyone and pretending to
be a goody two-shoes is not even close to "laying down your life for the
brethren".
The apostle John walked and talked with the Lord Jesus
Christ and was present when He gave the commandment to "love one another"
as He loved us. And what was it He did for us? You know! He performed the
greatest act of love ever there was or ever shall be!
Here is Christ's
commandment:
John
15:12
This is my commandment,
That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
[13]Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Love then does not mean to just "like people" such as the
"Why-can't-we-all-just-get-along?" preachers espouse. Those are just empty
words! You see, we perceive, which means we KNOW that our Father loves
us by His awesome deed of giving His only begotten Son to die for us on
the cross.
WHAT YOU DO does matter. It shows what is in your heart.
It shows who it is you follow, Satan or Christ, Life or Death, which determines
whether you are Blessed or Cursed, at Peace or Unsettled. To illustrate
the point, John now gives us about as basic a first level example as there
can be (the first level is to see the example as it applies to the flesh,
the physical):
1 John
3:17
But whoso hath
this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his
bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
It goes without saying that if a person does not even have
the compassion evidenced by the Good Samaritan then how could he or she
possibly have the love of God in his or her heart? I mean, anyone who is
willing to lay down his life for another would certainly be willing to
help someone who is destitute of victuals, right? Christ and His disciples
even fed the multitudes who were hungry, did they not?
But there is a deeper meaning contained in this verse
which is seen by those who "see" in the spirit and not just with flesh
eyes, i.e. those with "eyes to see". They know that our brothers are right
now in "dire straights", in that they are starving to "death" because of
the great famine which has fallen upon our land.
Live Link to->>> The Famine Has Started
That famine is not for
physical bread but rather for spiritual bread, the Word of God which is
the Bread of Life!
Amos
8:11
Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not
a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words
of the LORD:
[12] And
they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east,
they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find
it.
Yes, our people wander from "sea to shining sea" in this
great nation hungrily looking for "bread" that satisfies, but all they
get are crumbs, i.e. religion, ceremonies, man's traditions, churchianity,
sweet-baby-Jesus-why-can't-we-just-get-along liberal theology from unskilled,
unlearned false teachers who are everywhere in these last days just exactly
as Jesus Christ said they would be in Mat. 24, Mk. 13, and Luke 21!
Do
not be deceived by them!
If you "See" that your brother is in need (viz. starving
for truth) and you are able to but you do not help him, then how can the
love of God be in your heart? (Actually, if you are one of God's elect,
a watchman of these end times, then you have a responsibility to your brother
to which your Father will hold you accountable. You can read what responsibility
is in Ezek. 3:17-21.)
And what if a brother falls down, commits a fleshly sin
for example, and then repents and is in need of Christian compassion.
Will you show that compassion to him or her or judge that person as forever
unrighteous because he or she did such an immoral thing? Always remember,
as in never forget, that Christianity is a way of life and that way requires
action, but not just any action, RIGHTEOUS ACTION! And you better know
the Truth concerning judgment and forgiveness. That means you better know
His Word because His Word is Truth (John 17:17).
1 John
3:18
My little children,
let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Don't just talk the talk of Christianity, walk the walk!
Again, to have the love of God, to have faith in God, requires action!
James explained this very clearly to us in James 2:20, "But wilt thou know,
O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" Do not be a hypocrite and
claim to be Christian without doing the things that please our Father.
As the saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." James said "show
me your faith without your works, and I will show my faith by my works".
This is really not complicated at all. For example, a
man can continually tell his wife he loves her but if he never does anything
that pleases her, his words will soon become meaningless. How will she
then know he didn't really love her? Because he never manifested (showed)
his love for her. His works were dead and you can be sure his marriage
was too! You see, if he truly loved her he would do the things that
pleased her and she would know of his love for her without him ever having
to say it. But when he did say it, she would know he truly meant it and
those words would be sweet in her ears!
By this, do you see how it is we know the love of God?
We know His love because of all that He has done for us and all that He
continues to do. He is so good to us! Our Father did not just say He loves
us in word, but has shown us in deed. And the greatest act of love of all
time was when He came to this earth and willingly laid down His life us
so that we might be free from the bondage of sin and the wages of sin,
which is death, and receive the gift of eternal life!
So how do we likewise show our love for Him and His children,
our brothers? John just told us, in DEED and TRUTH, i.e. according to His
Word which contains His will and the instructions for doing the things
that please Him! Doing His commandments PLEASE HIM! Doesn't it please you
when your children listen to you? His commandment is for us to love our
brothers and many times that requires Christian compassion, i.e. forgiveness
and understanding, else another spirit enter in. Guess whose?
1 John
3:19
And hereby we
know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
[20]
For
if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all
things.
Does your heart condemn you? Now think about this carefully!
Is not God's heart, His love, His forgiveness, greater than yours? Does
He not know all things? In other words, does He not already know of your
sins before you even confess them to Him? If He, therefore, being greater
than you, forgives you of your sins when you repent, who are you then,
the lesser one, to go against Him and not forgive yourself?
Again, does your heart condemn you, especially after you
have repented? If so, then you do NOT wholeheartedly believe God. You SHOW
that you do not have the confidence in Him that He is "faithful and just
to forgive us our sins" (1 Jn. 1:9)! Right?
[21]
Beloved,
if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Ask yourself these questions. Do you truly believe that Jesus
Christ paid the price for your sins? His death, by laying down His life,
showed how deep His love for you really is! Do you therefore believe that
He has the power to forgive your sins and to "to
cleanse you from all unrighteousness"? Then why in the world
would you continue to condemn yourself? You are FREE of them! You must
understand that if you have confessed your sins to Him you are immediately
CLEANSED! You have showered in the pure water of Life made clean by the
shed blood of the Lamb! So why don't you FEEL CLEAN? Why would you continue
to walk around feeling dirty! Oh that you could fully understand the depth
of His forgiveness, for when you do, your heart will not contain itself
for the love you have for Him.
Perhaps the words of a great and humble servant of God,
a
man whose life-long labor of love for the Lord and his brothers has enabled
many of God's "little ones" in these "last times" to more fully "enjoy"
and understand God's Word, can help us to understand our completeness in
Christ (Col. 2:10). Here is a profound quote by E.W. Bullinger from
his book titled, "How to Enjoy the Bible", Kregel Publishers, pgs.
416-417:
"We
have written only for those who have "peace with God" (Rom. 5:1), and enjoy
"the peace of God" (Phil. 4:7), and know the God of Peace (Rom. 15:33).
Only such have leisure to be occupied with God.
Only such can "sit at the Lord's feet and hear His Word" (Luke 10:39 R.V.).
All others must be "cumbered about much serving." They must need be occupied
with themselves: either as sinners taken up with their sins, or as penitents
with their repentance, or as believers with their faith, or as saints with
their holiness.
Are "you" your favorite subject? Do thoughts about "you"
consume your thoughts to the point you have no "leisure", i.e. free time,
to be occupied with God and "hear" His Word? Are you busy "condemning yourself",
i.e. thinking about what a sinner you are or what a low-life you have been
in the past or what you should be doing or haven't done that you should
have? Or are you busy trying to "be good" to atone for your sins, i.e.
make up for what you have done or didn't do, to make yourself "feel" better
and more worthy? Or are you busy trying to "convince yourself" that you
have faith or that you are a good person when you feel like you are not?
If any of these are true then you are not at "peace with God" and you do
not have peace of mind, and do you know why you don't? You do not really
believe the words of Him who is far greater than you and who "Promised"
He has forgiven and cleansed you when you confessed to Him. The Truth will
set you free and it will free-up a great deal of wasted processing time
in your head! May God give you wisdom to understand the rest of this profound
quote:
Unless and until we know our completeness in Christ (Col 2:10), and "believe
God" when He declares that "He has made us to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12), we shall be in such a
condition of conscience, and heart, and life as will not leave us any time
of occupation with God.
Instead of going on our way "giving thanks to God" for what He has done,
we shall be giving way to mourning for what we have not done. We shall
be like David when he "sat in his house" and was occupied with what he
would do for the Lord. For, not until we learn what the Lord has done and
purposed to do for us, shall we be ready, with David, to go in and sit
before the Lord (2 Sam. 7:1:18).
In the former case David's thought was, "Who I am"; in the latter
he was exclaiming, "Who am I, O Lord God?"
The love of God is made manifest, has been show to us, by
what He did for us! John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life." Do you believe that? The love of God has also
been made known to us by the following, if you believe it:
1 John
1:9
If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
You can be totally confident that He has forgiven you when
you confess your sins to Him! So let your own heart forgive you and not
condemn you. THEN, let that apply to your brothers!
[22]
And
whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,
Why do we receive that which we ask? Because what we ask
for is His will, BECAUSE we keep His commandments AND do the things that
are pleasing in His sight.
... because
we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing
in his sight.
If you do these things His blessings will flow and you will
be one happy child. But know this: If you remain ignorant of His Word once
you have been saved, you cannot please Him. One of the things that pleases
our Father is for us to become knowledgeable of His precious Word, as it
is written, and then to carry forth that spirit which dwells in us in DEED
and in TRUTH! This is a whole lot different than the "let's-just-love-one-another-and-get-along"
theology. You may have to exercise severe discipline and chastisement and
"kick some butt" at times to show love, especially to an enemy.
So love you brothers, and your enemies, God's way, in
Deed and in Truth, and let your light shine and they may see your hope
and perhaps desire that the light that dwells in you may come replace the
darkness and despair that occupies their hearts. Again, these things do
please our Father when we keep His commandment to love our brothers. Therefore
whatsoever you ask in His name to help you do His will and those things
which please Him, He will see to it that you have them. Not only that,
He will pour out His blessings upon you and see that you lack for nothing
else.
I Jn.
1:23
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.
[24]And
he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby
we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
What is our life worth compared to His? Is He not the greater?
If He, therefore, was willing to lay down His life for us, should we not
be willing to do the same for our brothers? When we do His will and keep
His commandments, then the Spirit of Truth which He has given us will continue
to dwell in us and the spirit of Cain can never enter in!
In our next study we learn that there are many "false"
spirits and how it is that we can "test" them to know who they are.
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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