I John 1
Joy in knowing the truth about Jesusverses 1-4
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 – of the Word of life
(for the life was manifested – and we have seen it
and bear witness – and show unto you that eternal life
which was with the Father – and was manifested unto us)
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you
that ye also may have FELLOWSHIP with us
and truly our FELLOWSHIP is with the Father
and with HIS Son Jesus Christ
And these things write we unto you – that your JOY may be FULL
Walking in the light equals fellowshipverses 5-7
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
IF we say that we have FELLOWSHIP with HIM
and walk in darkness – we lie – and do not the truth
but IF we walk in the LIGHT – as HE is in the LIGHT
we have FELLOWSHIP one with another
and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ HIS Son
cleanses us from all sin
Confession of sin necessaryverses 8-10
IF we say that we have no sin – we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us
IF we confess our sins – HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
IF we say that we have not sinned – we make HIM a liar
and HIS word is not in us
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 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, of the Word of life. (746 “beginning” [arche] means elementary aspect, initiate an action, first preaching, origin, or primary)
DEVOTION: Once we understand that Jesus Christ was in existence before time began we understand what it means by this statement made by John.
Jesus Christ is without beginning or end. HE is eternal. HE walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. HE walked with Abraham. HE walked with HIS disciples for three and a half years before HIS death on the cross.
John is stating some facts that we have to have in our theology. Jesus Christ created the world in the beginning. John was the beloved disciple of Jesus. He was by HIS side throughout HIS ministry. HE had a close relationship with Jesus. He was probably the youngest disciple.
He heard Jesus teach the truth about God and what HE expects of HIS followers. He saw Jesus day in and day out serving the Father faithfully. He was close enough to Jesus to touch HIM on a daily basis.
John realized that what Jesus was teaching and offering to all those who would listen was LIFE!!! This was eternal life. It was not just an abundant life here on the earth but a place in heaven for eternity.
Is this our testimony regarding our relationship with Jesus Christ? Have we heard HIM through the ministry of the Word of God? Have we seen HIM with our spiritual eyes? Have we seen HIM handle our life in such a way that it could only be HIM that is working in our life? Our testimony should be just like John.
CHALLENGE: Our question in our inner person should be answered with a defendant YES to these questions. Our relationship with Christ can be a very close relationship.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 And these things write we to you, that your joy may be full. (5479 “joy” [chara] means gladness, the emotion of great happiness and pleasure, reason for gladness, enjoyment, bliss, or delight)
DEVOTION: John states the reason for his writing of these letters to believers that have been under his ministry. He wants them to realize that in spite of a life that is still not humanly perfect we have a new standing with Jesus Christ because of HIS death on the cross. Our standing is one of favor. We are in a good relationship with HIM on the basis of HIS shed blood for our sins.
The disciple wants to help us realize that we should be walking in the life of God’s promise of eternal life. He wants us to be full of joy each day of our life. We have something that no one else can offer. We have a life full of joy because our eternal state is settled in heaven. We are to manifest this joy to the world.
If we manifest joy in our life on a regular basis those around us will ask us what is so different in our life. They will want our joy. They will want to have peace with God.
Christians should be the ones who have the joy of the LORD in their heart that should cause them to want to sing on a regular basis. We should have a joyous expression on our face.
Too often we see those who claim Christ walking around with a sad look on their face. I tell people that sometimes when I am preaching the people in the pew look like they are sucking sour lemons.
Christians gathered together should be a joyous occasion. This can even be true at a funeral of another believer. We know where they are going and what is going to happen to them for eternity.
CHALLENGE: We are the ones who can look forward to death because we have HOPE!!!
:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (4105 “deceive” [planao] means to roam, go astray, stray from the truth, mislead, to make to wander, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way, or lead aside from the rigid)
DEVOTION: John is a witness to the ministry of Jesus Christ. He is writing to the church in Ephesus. He wants the members of the church to have fellowship with God and each other.
He is writing this letter to confirm that they can have a joy that is full when they are in fellowship with the Father. Why would we want fellowship with the Father? The reason is because God is light.
The problem can be that we say one thing and do another. The problem is that we think that we are sinless compared to others. That is the problem. We like to compare ourselves with others. The Bible teaches that we are to compare ourselves with God. In comparison to God we are grave sinners. We might sin less than some around us but we will never be sinless as Christ was and is. God never sins. The only way HE can look at us is through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
If we say that we have fellowship with the Father and walk in our own way, there is a contradiction. If we say we are not too bad a sinner, we lie to ourselves. We mislead ourselves. We think that we don’t have to report to God on a daily basis to confess our sins to him. We lose fellowship with HIM. We don’t lose our salvation but our daily power is not available until we confess our sin.
Once we confess our sins HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.
Once we have fellowship, we have blessings. Why? The reason is because we are walking in the light of the Word of God.
Each day we need to confess our sins to the LORD and HE will be faithful and just to forgive us our sins. If we think that we can skip a day, we go astray from the teachings of Scripture. This verse tells us that the TRUTH is not in us. Once we have the truth of the Word of God in us, we realize we are sinners. Only by the grace of God do we have HIS blessings on our daily life.
God gives us HIS mercies new every morning. We need to thank HIM for them. We need to not be seduced by wrong thinking. We are sinners and need to confess them to keep proper fellowship with the LORD. Let’s examine our daily lives through the ministry of the Word of God. Let’s mature in the faith. Let’s not wander from the truth.
CHALLENGE: Don’t listen to the Devil whispering in our ears that we are not as bad as some others. Listen to the Word of God daily.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (863 “forgive” [aphiemi] means 1 to send away. 1a to bid going away or depart. 1a1 of a husband divorcing his wife. 1b to send forth, yield up, to expire. 1c to let go, let alone, let be. 1c1 to disregard. 1c2 to leave, not to discuss now, (a topic). 1c21 of teachers, writers and speakers. 1c3 to omit, neglect. 1d to let go, give up a debt, forgive, to remit. 1e to give up, keep no longer. 2 to permit, allow, not to hinder, to give up a thing to a person. 3 to leave, go way from one. 3a in order to go to another place. 3b to depart from any one. 3c to depart from one and leave him to himself so that all mutual claims are abandoned. 3d to desert wrongfully. 3e to go away leaving something behind. 3f to leave one by not taking him as a companion. 3g to leave on dying, leave behind one. 3h to leave so that what is left may remain, leave remaining. 3i abandon, leave destitute. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: Jesus had much to teach on the subject of forgiveness. Not only did He teach that God sent Him to make it possible for people’s sins to be forgiven, but also that man should be forgiving his fellow man for their sins. This was to be a subject of Jesus’ teaching prayer in Matthew 6:12, for example. Here John points out that God’s forgiveness is conditional on only one thing, and that is to confess (agree with God) about our sins and sinfulness. In fact, the adjective “forgiving” is one of the ways that God describes Himself (Psalm 86:5) and is synonymous with His mercy (Exodus 34:6).
Some say that this is too easy. While it is true that God does require that we repent of our sins when we come to Him, some teach that some act or acts of contrition or penance are necessary in order to have God’s full forgiveness. They confuse the action that should characterize our lives after the fact of being forgiven with that before we are forgiven. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that it is by grace that we are saved.
In the same way, when someone comes to us asking us for our forgiveness, we are taught to free give it. It is as if we have the ability to restore someone else to a right standing before God. Perhaps that is one of the reasons we find it so difficult to fully forgive others. Yet Jesus taught us that this is His way to rebuild broken lives and that we should continue forgiving even when we do not think that it makes sense (Matthew 18:15-35).
CHALLENGE: Is there someone that you need to forgive today? Just remember how much Jesus forgave you! (MW)
: 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make HIM a liar, and HIS word is not in us. (5583 “liar” [pseustes] means a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly, one who break faith, a false and faithless man, cheat, falsifier, deceiver or one who utters falsehoods and lies. Note: This word happens five times in this chapter)
DEVOTION: When someone brings us to Christ they tell us that our sins are forgiven and that God the Father now looks at us through Christ and sees HIS sacrifice for our sins and therefore declares us holy.
This is the basic understanding of what it means to become a follower of Jesus Christ. We repent of our sins and ask Jesus to come into our life. We have a new standing with God. We are declared righteous.
John is trying to get across to believers that they are still sinners that need to confess their sin to God but not for salvation but for good fellowship with HIM. The reason this needs to happen is because even after we become believers we still have our old nature or sin nature that is battling against our new nature that has us declared righteous.
The battle is a daily battle. We have to confess our sin each day because we continue to sin each day. Our standing before the Father is that we are righteous regarding eternal life but our daily life is one of fellowship with HIM through confession.
We have to realize that we are totally dependent on HIM to help us have victory over the control of sin in our life. God want control through our realization that we need HIS help to conquer sin.
If we start thinking that we are not sinning on a daily basis we are calling God a liar. That thought should never enter our head. We are declared sinless in HIS eyes by the blood of Jesus Christ but we still live a life that sins each day. We never arrive at sinless perfection while we are living in our human body.
CHALLENGE: That only happens when we stand before HIM after death with Christ by our side to declare us one of HIS children.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
If we confessverse 9
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Fellowshipverses 3, 6, 7
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Writeverse 4
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Confessverse 9
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Walk in the lightverse 7
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Writeverse 4
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Fatherverses 2, 3
Godverse 5
God is lightverse 5
No darkness in HIMverse 5
God’s (HIS) sonverse 7
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Word of lifeverse 1
Life was manifestedverse 1
Sonverses 3, 7
Jesus verses 3, 7
Christverses 3, 7
Son Jesus Christverse 3
Jesus gave a messageverse 5
HE is in the lightverse 7
Bloodverse 7
Jesus Christ HIS Sonverse 7
Faithfulverse 9
Justverse 9
Forgive our sinsverse 9
Cleanse usverse 9
Make Jesus a liarverse 10
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Walk in darknessverse 6
Lieverse 6
Do not the truthverse 6
Sinverses 7-10
Deceiveverse 8
Truth is not in usverse 8
Unrighteousnessverse 9
Say we have no sinverse 10
Make Jesus a liarverse 10
HIS word is not in usverse 10
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Eternal lifeverse 2
Fellowshipverses 3, 6, 7
Joy made be fullverse 4
Fellowship with Jesusverse 6
Truthverses 6, 8
Walk in the lightverse 7
Fellowship one with anotherverse 7
Cleansed believers from sinverses 7, 9
Confess our sinsverse 9
Forgivenverse 9
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Jesusverses 1, 3, 5
Beginning
Heard
Seen
Looked upon
Handled
Bear witnessverse 2
Manifestedverse 2
Declare message of Jesusverses 3, 5
Fellowshipverses 3, 6
Messageverse 5
Fellowship one with anotherverse 7
Last Things (Future Events)
Eternal lifeverse 2
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QUOTES regarding passage
3 This verse introduces the purpose of the Epistle: “that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” The Greek word rendered “fellowship” (koinōnia) occurs here and in v. 6. It is not easily put into English. It has been translated “fellowship,” “communion,” “participation,” “share a common life,” and “partnership”; its root meaning is “common” or “shared” as opposed to “one’s own.” Hellenistic literature uses it to describe partners in business, joint owners of a piece of property, or shareholders in a common enterprise. In the NT it refers to Christians who share a common faith (Philem 6), who share possessions (Acts 2:44; 4:30), or who are partners in the gospel (Philippians 1:5). koinōnia, with its derivatives, occurs over sixty times in the NT in reference to the supernatural life that Christians share. This supernatural life is disclosed in the incarnate Christ. It is the eternal life that comes from the Father and becomes the life shared individually and corporately by the company of believers. It is what causes the oneness of faith.
“The Koinonia (‘fellowship’) is the union in common faith brought about by the proclamation” (Bultmann, p. 12). Brunner (p. 12) says of this “fellowship” that it is its combining of the vertical with the horizontal, “the divine with the human,” that constitutes its “utterly unparalleled life.”
That the words “fellowship with us” precede in the text the words “fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” may be significant. Westcott (in loc.) sees here a reminder that there can be no fellowship with the Father or with the Son that is not based on apostolic witness. So John stresses “fellowship with us” as having priority in time. Brunner (p. 11) states it this way: “Therefore the community as bearer of the Word and Spirit of Christ precedes the individual believer. One does not first believe and then join the fellowship: but one becomes a believer just because one shares in the gift [the Holy Spirit] vouchsafed to the fellowship.” (Barker, G. W. (1981). 1 John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 307). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
That which we have seen (ὁ ἑωρακαμεν [ho heōrakamen]). Third use of this form (verses 1, 2, 3), this time resumption after the parenthesis in verse 2. And heard (και ἀκηκοαμεν [kai akēkoamen]). Second (verse 1 for first) use of this form, a third in verse 5. Emphasis by repetition is a thoroughly Johannine trait. Declare we (ἀπαγγελλομεν [apaggellomen]). Second use of this word (verse 2 for first), but ἀγγελια [aggelia] (message) and ἀναγγελλομεν [anaggellomen] (announce) in verse 5. That ye also may have (ἱνα και ὑμεις ἐχητε [hina kai humeis echēte]). Purpose clause with ἱνα [hina] and present active subjunctive of ἐχω [echō] (may keep on having). “Ye also” who have not seen Jesus in the flesh as well as those like John who have seen him. Like και ὑμιν [kai humin] (to you also) just before. Fellowship with us (κοινωνιαν μεθʼ ἡμων [koinōnian meth’ hēmōn]). Common word in this Epistle, from κοινωνος [koinōnos], partner (Luke 5:10), and κοινωνεω [koinōneō], to share, in (1 Pet. 4:13), with μετα [meta] emphasising mutual relationship (Acts 2:42). This Epistle often uses ἐχω [echō] with a substantive rather than a verb. Yea, and our fellowship (και ἡ κοινωνια δε ἡ ἡμετερα [kai hē koinōnia de hē hēmetera]). Careful explanation of his meaning in the word “fellowship” (partnership), involving fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ and only possible in Christ. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (1 Jn 1:3). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
1:3. The objective John had in mind in writing about these significant realities was that you, the readers, may have fellowship with us, the apostles. Since he later, in 2:12–14, made it perfectly clear that he regarded the readers as genuine Christians, his goal was obviously not their conversions. It is an interpretive mistake of considerable moment to treat the term “fellowship” as though it meant little more than “to be a Christian.” The readers were already saved, but they needed this letter if they were to enjoy real fellowship with the apostolic circle to which the author belonged. In the final analysis that apostolic fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
Probably the false teachers denied that the readers possessed eternal life (see comments on 2:25; 5:13). If so, and if the readers would begin to doubt God’s guarantees on that point, their fellowship with the Father and the Son would be in jeopardy. This, of course, is not the same as saying that their salvation would be in jeopardy. As believers they could never lose the gift of life which God had given them (cf. John 4:14; 6:32, 37–40), but their fellowship depended on walking in the light (1 John 1:7). The danger to the readers was that they might be allured into darkness by the siren song of the antichrists. How seductive their godless appeal was emerges in this letter. John’s aim, therefore, was to furnish his readership with a necessary reaffirmation of the basic truths of their faith so that their fellowship with God would be sustained. (Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B., Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 883–884). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
That we may have fellowship (v. 3). This word fellowship is an important one in the vocabulary of a Christian. It simply means “to have in common.” As sinners, men have nothing in common with the holy God. But God in His grace sent Christ to have something in common with men. Christ took on Himself a human body and became a man. Then He went to the cross and took on that body the sins of the world (1 Peter 2:24). Because He paid the price for our sins, the way is open for God to forgive us and take us into His family. When we trust Christ, we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). The term translated “partakers” in Peter’s epistle is from the same Greek root that is translated “fellowship” in 1 John 1:3.
What a thrilling miracle! Jesus Christ took on Himself the nature of man that by faith we may receive the very nature of God!
A famous British writer was leaving Liverpool by ship. He noticed that the other passengers were waving to friends on the dock. He rushed down to the dock and stopped a little boy. “Would you wave to me if I paid you?” he asked the lad, and of course the boy agreed. The writer rushed back on board and leaned over the rail, glad for someone to wave to. And sure enough, there was the boy waving back to him!
A foolish story? Perhaps—but it reminds us that man hates loneliness. All of us want to be wanted. The life that is real helps to solve the basic problem of loneliness, for Christians have genuine fellowship with God and with one another. Jesus promised, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20). In his letter, John explains the secret of fellowship with God and with other Christians. This is the first purpose John mentions for the writing of his letter—the sharing of his experience of eternal life. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 476–477). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
1:3 fellowship with us. Fellowship does not mean social relations, but that his readers were to be partakers (or, partners) with John in possessing eternal life (cf. Php 1:5; 1Pe 5:1; 2Pe 1:4). John writes not only to affirm the physical reality of Jesus (vv. 1, 2) but also to produce salvation in the readers. That genuine Christians are never “out of fellowship” is clear, since this verse equates fellowship with salvation. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Jn 1:3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 3. That which we have seen and heard, &c.] This is repeated, both to confirm and illustrate what had been before said, and to carry on the discourse to what follows: declare we unto you; in the ministry of the word; the person and offices of Christ being the sum and substance of the Gospel ministration, that declares hint to be the true God and eternal life, God over all, blessed for ever; and truly man, made of a woman, and made under the law; and to be the only Mediator between God and man, to be prophet, priest, and King, and to be the alone Saviour and Redeemer: this declares the greatness and excellency of his salvation, what an able, proper, and suitable Saviour he is; and what precious promises and spiritual blessings are in him, even all grace and eternal glory. And this declaration of him is made in the Gospel, for the following ends and purposes, that ye also may have fellowship with us; in hearing, seeing, and handling of Christ in a spiritual sense; and by enjoying the same privileges in God’s house and family, the same ordinances and spiritual provisions; joining and partaking with them in all the immunities and advantages of a Gospel church-state here; and by being with them to all eternity hereafter. And truly our fellowship is with the father; the father of Christ, the covenant-God and father of his people; and which they have with him, when under the influence and witnessings of the spirit of adoption, and can in the strength of faith call him their father, draw nigh to him through Christ as such, and are indulged with his presence, and the discoveries of his love: and with his son Jesus Christ; being in union to him, they become partakers of him, and or his blessings; they receive out of his fulness, and grace for grace; they are admitted to an intimacy and familiarity with him; they are had into his chambers of secret retirement; they are brought into his banqueting-house, where his banner over them is love, and where he sups with them, and they with him; and into this fellowship are they called by the grace of God, through the Gospel; as also they have fellowship with the blessed Spirit, though not here mentioned; see 2 Cor. 13:14. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 617). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
1 John has the phrases “that which was from the beginning” (1:1) and “he who was from the beginning” (2:13–14) for the Logos who has become perceptible to the disciples but is eternally preexistent, since it is God himself who here gives himself to us. b. “In the beginning” in Jn. 1:1 says this specifically of the Logos; the Logos is before all time, so that no temporal statements can be made about him. Eternal preexistence is plainly implied. (Kittel)
The truth about our sin is a difficult thing to keep balanced in our minds. On the one hand, we know we should not sin; it is wrong. We should never take sinning lightly. On the other hand, we all sin; it is unavoidable. John writes: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (v. 8). Therefore, God had to make provision for us to be in fellowship with Him. If we confess our sins, He will forgive us. When we sin, we can accept God’s forgiveness and restoration to fellowship. We need not berate ourselves endlessly or do a form of penance. Only the blood of Christ can pay for our sins. And only confession can bring restoration to fellowship with God.
(December 14, 2016 Quiet Walk Daily Devotional)
The Lord fells the walls of Jericho.
INSIGHT
The Word of God often goes against all reason. Consider Joshua, a military strategist so brilliant that his campaigns are still studied today. He is standing afar, looking at the city of Jericho, pondering how to conquer it. The angel of the Lord appears to him saying, “Walk around the city several times and shout. That ought to do it!”
Can you imagine the response from the standpoint of military strategy? It is sheer nonsense. Yet it is a test of faith and obedience. Joshua believes and obeys, and the fallen walls are history. (Quiet Walk)
UNDERSTANDING CHRIST
For the works which the Father gave me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. John 5:36
When you are faced with something that perplexes you about our Lord, the first thing to do is always to start with the Lord Himself and not with what He is doing. I am not surprised that people ask the questions they do about Christ, because if they are not right about His person, they will never understand His activities, and it is really for this reason that they cannot understand His death. The disciples only understood the meaning of His death after the resurrection; it was in the light of the resurrection that they knew He was the Son of God, that they began to understand the meaning of His death upon the cross. No one will ever understand the doctrine of the cross unless he has grasped the doctrine of the person.
This, in effect, is what our Lord was telling John the Baptist in Matthew 11:2-6: “John, you cannot understand what I am doing. But are you trusting Me, do you really know who I am, are you right about Me? You see, your question has led you to doubt Me in other things. You have allowed the things I am not doing to raise a query in your mind about My person. John, come back to the beginning—be right about Me. These are the things that I am doing. Only the Messiah could do these things; here are the works that authenticate Him. As I said to the people the other day, ‘For the works which the Father gave me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me’” (John 5:36).
A Point to Ponder When you are faced with something that perplexes you about our Lord, the first thing to do is always to start with the Lord Himself and not with what He is doing. (From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 48-49, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Alive into Heaven
“And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (2 Kings 2:11)
This remarkable event—the translation of Elijah alive into heaven, without dying—was altogether miraculous, but it really happened! Among other things, it assures us that heaven is a real place in this created universe, for Elijah is still there in his physical body, still alive, to this very day.
The prophet Enoch, who had also served God in a time of deep apostasy, had likewise been taken into heaven without dying (that is, into the “third heaven,” beyond the starry heaven, where God’s throne is), as recorded in Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5. Enoch’s prophecies, addressed to the entire world of mankind, were given at approximately the midpoint of the period from Adam to Abraham, whereas those of Elijah, addressed only to Israel, were given at essentially the midpoint of the time from Abraham to Christ. Both were caught up alive into heaven before their ministries were finished. It is possible that they will return again to Earth as God’s “two witnesses” who will prophesy to both Jews and Gentiles in the last days (note Malachi 4:5-6; Revelation 11:3-12), then finally to be slain and resurrected.
In any case, there will also be one entire generation of believers who will—like Enoch and Elijah—be caught up alive into heaven. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven…and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
This could very well be our generation! And “when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
So vital was their responsibility to the well being of the community that a watchman who failed in his responsibility face the death penalty (p. 97)
We should be constantly bringing the church back to the question of “What does Scripture say?” rather than “What works best?” or even “What do we want? Or How does it make us feel?”
(p. 100) (Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
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