My
highlghted verses:1 John 5:1 ¶Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat
loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2 By this
we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his
commandments.
3 For this
is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments
are not grievous.
4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith.
We exercise and show our faith by doing His will, by keeping His commandments and seeking that precious life sustaining manna from His Word. That is how we overcome. Faith is not something we just say we have, it is something that is SHOWN by that which we DO BECAUSE we BELIEVE in Him! Again, we do not overcome the world by osmosis or by just claiming we believe. A person either believes in Christ or he does not because there is no middle ground.1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Have you ever read Hebrews chapter 11 which is called the "faith chapter"? These "believers" were all "doers", i.e. they all did something to show their faith. Abel did something which pleased God, he offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. Enoch did something, he gave excellent testimony in pleasing God. Noah did something, you know about the ark thing! Abraham did something! Sarah did something! You show your faith by what you do, otherwise you just say you have faith and you just say you believe but your faith and your belief is dead! Here is what the brother of Jesus Christ has to say on the matter of faith:
James 2:17
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
The proof is in the pudding, they say! Or better yet, actions speak louder than words![18] Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
In other words, even the devils believe that there is a God, but they do not the works that demonstrate they believe Him, and His Word, His Truth![19] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Put up or shut up! Do you think God counts empty, fruitless words as righteousness?[20] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
How is it we know that Abraham believed God and had faith? Answer: By what he DID! There is no doubt whatsoever that he believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.[21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?[22] Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
What was it that was imputed unto him for righteousness, his works? No, His FAITH, his BELIEF, which he showed BY his works! Unless you have faith, which is made known in your works, the fruit you bear, you cannot please God. You cannot be a "pew potato" and please your Father! You must have faith![23] And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
He rewards those who truly believe and have faith with eternal life!Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
So that we do not lose the context of what we have learned so far, go back and re-read these two verses and skip all the underlined words between the brackets. Again, it reads that the three witnesses we have talked about all AGREE in perfect harmony and document Jesus is the Son of God.1 John 5:7
For there are three that bear record [in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.[8] And there are three that bear witness in earth,] the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
There are actually only a few modern manuscripts that
have added the words from "In heaven" through "in earth", like the Montfortianus
of Dublin and Ravianus, which was copied from the Complutensian
Polygot, a manuscript at Naples. However, as they say, a picture is
worth a thousand words, so here is a graphic from the Nestle's Greek New
Testament in an Interlinear coupled with an NIV translation. Notice the
absence of the words we underlined in vs. 7 & 8 in the KJV.
And know this: ALL sins with the exception of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit are forgivable, so there is really no need to list them. However, it might be needful to mention for the sake of those Biblically illiterate preachers and ministers who would hold our brothers and sisters in bondage, that "divorce" is certainly among those sins which are forgivable. If anyone ever tells you that Jesus Christ does not forgive divorce, he or she is a liar.
Well then, since all but one sin is forgivable, just what is the "unforgivable" sin? First of all, the unforgivable sin is a spiritual sin unto death, perdition, that can only be committed by one of God's elect, i.e. one of His servants who has come to a full knowledge of the Truth, His Word. Therefore since most Christians are Biblically illiterate and do not have eyes to see and ears to hear, they cannot even commit the unforgivable sin!
Do you remember back in vs. 2:18 that John told us "the antichrist" is coming? Well, when Satan gets here some of God's elect are going to be delivered up, and when they are that true multilingual tongue which was spoken on Pentecost day in Acts chapter 2 will once again be spoken through them as God's witness to the unrighteousness of that abomination which will be taking place. In fact, they are not to even premeditate about what they will say because the Holy Spirit will speak directly through them.
The "hour" spoken of here is that "hour of temptation", that five month period of Rev. 9 when antichrist reigns on this earth as Jesus Christ, though he will be the false Christ. If when one of God's elect is delivered up to that false messiah and he (or she) willingly denies the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak through him and give witness, i.e. he willingly allows the spirit of antichrist to enter in, that sin shall not be forgiven him. However, until such time as the antichrist is here, anyone who speaks a word against the Son of man can repent and be forgiven.Luke 12:11
And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:[12] For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
Again, all sin at this point is forgivable upon repentance and so it cannot cause one to perish, i.e. to die the second death (again, if there is repentance).Luke 12:10
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
We know that God's elect, though they fall short and sin in the flesh, are not "habitual sinners" who blatantly and willfully sin against God. They abide in Christ and He abides in them and He keeps them from the wicked one (verse 18). "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one), for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen"John 5:17
All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
He that is born of God does not habitually sin but instead keeps Jesus Christ in his heart and so with Christ being there, Satan, that wicked one, the antichrist, cannot touch him. The apostle Paul uses the analogy of a protective suit of armor and paints a picture in our minds whereby we visualize those who truly believe in God as putting on the different spiritual pieces of the Gospel Armor (Eph. 6). Then when the big bad flaming "fiery darts" of the wicked one are hurled at us, they bounce off like Cheeze Balls.[18] We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
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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