I John 3
Understanding the LOVE of the Fatherverses 1-3
Behold – what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us
that we should be called the sons of God
THEREFORE the world knows us not
BECAUSE it knew HIM not
Beloved – now are we the sons of God
and it does 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
And every man that has this hope in HIM purifies himself
even as HE is pure
Practicing righteousness in our lifeverses 4-10
Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law
for sin is the transgression of the law
AND you know that HE was manifested to take away our sins
and in HIM is no sin
Whosoever abides in HIM sins not
whosoever sins has not seen HIM
neither known HIM
Little children – let no man deceive you
he that does righteousness is righteous
even as HE is righteous
He that commits sin is of the devil
for the devil sins from the beginning
for this purpose the Son of God was manifested
that HE might destroy the works of the devil
Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin
for HIS seed remains in him – and he cannot sin
BECAUSE he is born of God
In this the children of God are manifest
and the children of the devil
whosoever does not righteousness is not of God
neither he that loves not his brother
Practicing righteousness toward fellow believersverses 11-24
FOR this is the message that you heard from the beginning
that we should love one another
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
Marvel not – my brethren – if the world hate you
we know that we have passed from death to life
because we love the brethren
he that loves not his brother abides in death
Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer
and you know that no murderer has
eternal life abiding in him
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
BUT whoso has this world’s good – and see his brother have need
and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him
how dwells the love of God in him?
My little children – let us not love in word – neither in tongue
but in deed and in truth
and hereby we know that we are of the truth
and shall assure our hearts before HIM
FOR if our heart condemn us – God is greater than our heart
and knows all things
beloved – IF our heart condemn us not
then have we confidence toward God
AND whatsoever we ask – we receive of HIM
BECAUSE we keep HIS commandments
and do those things that are pleasing in HIS sight
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
AND he that keeps HIS commandments dwells in HIM
and HE in him and hereby we know that HE abides in us
by the Spirit which HE has given us
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not.(1325 “bestowed” [didomai] means to give, bring forth, to give as a gift, to furnish or supply)
DEVOTION: John writes this letter of encouragement to the church at Ephesus. He wants them to understand that those who are true followers of Christ are called the sons of God.
Those who are following the LORD will purify themselves. They will not be living in sin. They will be practicing righteousness on a regular basis. He writes about how Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. He writes that those who are genuine believers are born of God.
One of the ways that we can manifest the love of God in our lives is to love one another. If we can’t seem to love each other, how can we have the love of God in us? John wants us to realize that we have to show love for one another, in order to manifest the truth of our love for HIM.
The Father has given us the gift of love to the point of welcoming us into HIS family. We were added to HIS list before the foundation of the world. God doesn’t live in time and space like we do. HE knows the beginning and the end. HE is working HIS plan. We can never be taken off HIS list of family members.
Isn’t that a great promise? Today the world hates us like they hated Christ when HE was on the earth. The world does not understand what it means to be a follower of Christ. The world thinks we are foolish for following Jesus.
Many books are currently in print that say, that religion needs to be expunged from our world. Our schools are teaching that sin is OK it is just another lifestyle. Many churches are teaching that the Bible is outdated. One day our world is going to stand before God and be judged. We have to realize that God’s love can help us through each day we are here on this earth. Praise HIS name!!
CHALLENGE: Sing the song that goes with this verse. Our life should be one of songs of praise for all the LORD is doing for us each day. Are you praising the LORD that you are in HIS family?
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as HE is pure. (48 “purifies” [hagnizo] means cleanse, to have moral virtue, sanctify, dedicate, make clean, or reform)
DEVOTION: If we are living in the hope of heaven for eternity we have to depend on the blood of Christ to cleanse us from all sin.
At the point of salvation we are declared righteous or right with God. We have to continue to live a life that is pleasing to HIM through the help and strength given to us by God at this point in our life.
How do we purify ourselves? That is a question is answered by John in other places. We have to totally depend on what Christ did for us on the cross. We are told that if we say we do not sin we make God a liar. So we are still sinners after our initial time of confession of sin and our turning to the LORD for salvation.
In the first chapter we are told to continue to confess our sin to God and HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It is God who really does the purifying in our life. HE gives us a fresh start every day. It is not a fresh salvation but a cleansing, so that, we can live the Christian life with HIS encouragement.
Our sin discourages us at times because we would like to stop sinning completely while we are here on this earth but that is not possible. So we have to encourage ourselves that we have an Advocate who stands before the Father defending us each day. HE is fighting for us against the accusations of the devil.
So because of all that HE is doing we are clean before the Father just as HE is clean. HE never sinned but HE took our sins on HIMSELF on the cross, so that, the Father never sees our sin because of HIS sacrifice. We need to praise the LORD each day for HIS cleansing power in our life. We have a fresh start each morning.
CHALLENGE: Thank the LORD for HIS cleansing in your life. Ask the LORD for strength to defeat the wiles of the devil each day of our life. Understand all the work Christ is doing for us even NOW!!!
: 9 Whosever is born of God does not commit sin, for HIS seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (3306 “remains” [meno] means stay, reside, to continue a certain state, condition, activity, dwell, endure, not to depart, or to remain as one, not to become another or different)
DEVOTION: There is a difference between living in sin and committing individual sins. This is a hard concept to understand but John is warning believers that they cannot live in sin.
To live in sin is incompatible with having the Holy Spirit live in the life of a believer. Once someone becomes a genuine believer he doesn’t want to sin anymore. He wants the LORD to cleanse him from every sin. He never stops committing individual sins each day which he has to confess to the LORD and ask HIS forgiveness so that he can have fellowship with Christ.
Remember that we take communion on a regular basis in church to take time to examine ourselves to see how are relationship with God is. Once we examine ourselves we confess what we know as sin in our life or we can expect the chastening of the LORD.
The chastening of the LORD comes on believers quickly or regularly if there is no confess on sin after salvation. The LORD uses weakness and sickness to get the attention of believers to get their act together. If they continue to resist HIS chastening the third action HE uses is premature death.
So a genuine believer will have warnings from the LORD that he is not in fellowship with the LORD. He will not be blessed of the LORD. He will be confronted by the LORD and maybe other believers.
If there is no chastening in a life of someone who claims to be a believer who is practicing sin than that individual is probably not saved. There needs to be confession of sin and a genuine commitment to Christ.
All genuine believers are chastened of the LORD if they are starting to practice living in sin. Those who are living in sin know it and need to get their act together and become a believer.
There is no comparing ourselves with other believers to think that we are better than them because that is a sin.
CHALLENGE: So a genuine believer CANNOT live in sin or be continually practicing sin without CHASTENING.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:15 Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (443 “murderer” [anthropoktonos] means a manslayer, murderer. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: I had not heard of something called “road rage” until about twenty years ago. It is the idea that you as a driver have certain rights, and that when someone cuts you off or takes your parking place, you not only have the ability to get angry, but also behave in a way that shows the other person how angry you are. That is why people think that the automakers have put horns in cars!
Have you ever been angry with anyone? After all, who hasn’t? It is possible to be so angry with someone that you even wish that person was dead, although this isn’t true most of the time. But even though the Ten Commandments prohibited murder, Jesus made it clear that it was not the act that was the only thing was prohibited. Jesus made it clear that hating or being angry with someone is the equivalent of murdering them in our minds (Matthew 5:21-22).
Too often we focus on how we have had one or more of our rights taken away from us by this other person, and we rationalize that this entitles us to hold a grudge against that person. This is often the entry point for bitterness into our lives. God warns us against a root of bitterness in our lives (Hebrews 12:15). This comes when we put our focus on the other person and their actions rather than the LORD. In addition, now we are recognizing that anger and bitterness can become the source of depression in our lives.
John does not merely instruct people not to hate others, but rather to love them in place. That would have been very difficult for believers in Jesus Christ who were suffering and dying for that faith in the first century. Probably nobody thought that a tough cookie like Saul would be miraculously converted to the apostle Paul. In this way, both Paul and John are saying that our action should be the exact opposite of our first natural response when we feel as though our rights have been violated.
CHALLENGE: Have you been guilty of the sin of anger against anyone today? You should confess this before the Lord, and then go about making things right with that person.
: 17 But whoso has this world’s good, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him? (5532 “need” [chreia] means necessity, lack, anything that is necessary but lacking, what should be, destitution, or necessity.)
DEVOTION: We had our two grandchildren from Alaska with us for a month one summer. It was great. Each night we would do devotions together. Each night we would pray. Our granddaughter, Kaia, would pray for the homeless and the orphans. It was great to hear her pray for them.
We are to know our fellow believers well enough to know when they are hurting financially. If we see this happening, we need to give them a gift either anonymously or just hand it to them. Some don’t like to ask for money or things that they might NEED.
That is the key. It has to be a genuine NEED. There are many people who want more than they have because it is just to keep up with their neighbors or friends. This is not a genuine need.
One time when I was preaching in a small church I was preaching on needs and wants. It was an evening service with about twelve people in attendance. I said that because we had one car and there were three drivers in the house that I didn’t know if it was a need or a want to have another car. My wife in the service stated during the sermon that it was a “need” not a want. After the service a deacon in the church who brought cars that were in accidents and fixed them up came up to us and said that he had a car that he would sell for what he had in it and we could have it for that price. It was a good car at a low price. We praised the LORD because it was a genuine help.
I have had money in the bank at times and someone offers some money but I don’t think I NEED it. Some have given to the ministry to help support our NEEDS. I have a problem asking for money at any time. The board of Small Church Ministries would like me to ask more often but if we have any money in the bank I don’t see the NEED.
Some have given above and beyond their ability to the ministry when there is a genuine need. We praise the LORD for these individuals. Each month there is a NEED. If we had more funds available, we could do more at times.
Please pray for us that we only ask for what we need to continue the ministry. We receive many requests for funds from others. Again, we sometimes don’t know if the NEED is genuine. Pray for wisdom that we can know who has genuine NEEDS and who just wants extra.
Always be available to meet NEEDS when they are presented. God will bless you even if you give to those who are not honestly in NEED, but tell you they are. They will answer to the LORD if they ask and really don’t NEED.
CHALLENGE: We are to be givers and not takers in our world. There are many false takers around.
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)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
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)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Confidence in prayerverses 21-22
Askverse 22
Receiveverse 22
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandmentsverses 22-24
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Manner of love verse 1
Fatherverse 1
Godverses 1, 2, 8-10, 16, 17, 20, 21
sons of God [believers]verses 1, 2
Son of Godverse 8
Destroy the works of the devilverse 8
Born of Godverse 9
Children of Godverse 10
Love of Godverses 16, 17
Greater than our heartsverse 20
Knows all thingsverse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Pureverse 3
Manifestedverses 5, 8
Take away our sinsverse 5
No sin in HIMverse 5
HE is righteousverse 7
Purpose of comingverse 8
Sonverses 8, 23
Son of Godverse 8
Destroy works of devilverse 8
HE laid down HIS lifeverse 16
Jesus verse 23
Christverse 23
Son Jesus Christverse 23
Gave Holy Spirit to believersverse 24
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spiritverse 24
Spirit given to believersverse 24
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Devilverses 8, 10
Devil sins from beginningverse 8
Works of the devilverse 8
Children of devilverse 10
Wicked oneverse 12
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Worldverses 1, 13, 17
Cainverse 12
Of the wicked one
Slew his brother
Works were evil
Abel’s works were righteousverse 12
World hates believersverse 13
World’s goodsverse 17
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Not know Godverse 1
Sin verses 4-6, 8, 9
Transgresses the lawverse 4
Not seen Christverse 6
Not known Christverse 6
Deceiveverse 7
Children of the devilverse 10
Does not righteousnessverse 10
Love not his brotherverses 10, 14
Killed brotherverse 12
Evil worksverse 12
World hates Christianverse 13
Loves not his brotherverse 14
Abides in deathverse 14
Hates his brotherverse 15
Murdererverse 15
Not share world’s goods with needy brotherverse 17
Shut bowels of compassionverse 17
Hearts condemnverse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Loveverses 1, 14, 23
Called sons of Godverses 1, 2
Like HIMverse 2
Hopeverse 3
Purifyverse 3
Abide in HIMverses 6, 24
Doesn’t practice sinverse 6
Righteousverses 7, 12
Righteousnessverses 7, 10
Born of God (2x)verse 9
Does not commit sinverse 9
God’s seed remainsverse 9
Children of Godverse 10
Love one anotherverses 10, 11, 14, 23
World hatesverse 13
Passed from death to lifeverse 14
Love the brethrenverse 14
Eternal lifeverse 15
Lay down life for brethrenverse 16
Bowels of compassionverse 17
World’s goodverse 17
Love in word and deedverse 18
Truthverse 19
Assuranceverse 19
Confidence in prayer verses 21-22
Keep HIS commandmentsverses 22-24
Do what is pleasing in God’s sightverse 22
Believe on the nameverse 23
Love one anotherverse 23
Dwells in HIMverse 24
Holy Spirit givenverse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Belovedverses 2, 21
Little childrenverses 7, 18
No man deceive
Love in word, deed and truth
Children of Godverse 10
Brotherverses 10, 14
Brethrenverses 13, 14, 16
Love the brethrenverse 14
Lay down life for brethrenverse 16
Share world’s goods with brethrenverse 17
Express love in deed and truthverse 18
Last Things (Future Events)
When HE shall appearverse 2
We shall be like HIMverse 2
Eternal lifeverse 15
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
QUOTES regarding passage
10 This verse reveals the heart of the entire section and furnishes a transition to the next one. It is not a theoretical consideration of the nature of sinfulness or the possibility of sinlessness that occupies the author but the issue of the community. How are the children (community) of God to be recognized and how are the children (community) of the devil to be discerned?
“Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God.” And what is the “right” he does not do’? He “does not love his brother.” “Love for one’s brother” is the true test of righteous behavior. This requirement of love helps explain the absolute requirement that those who are born of God “cannot go on sinning” (vv. 6, 9). For if God is love, and if God lives in us and we in him, then love for the brethren will occur as an expression of righteousness without exception. Bruce (p. 93) comments on this connecting of love with righteousness: “For him, righteousness and love are inseparable; since they are inseparable in the character of God and in His revelation in Christ, so they must be inseparable in the lives of His people.”
“Righteousness involves the fulfillment of all law, of relation to God and to man, both personally and socially. The love of Christian for Christian, resting on the sense of a divine fellowship (cf. 1:3) carries forward to its loftiest embodiment the righteousness which man can reach” (Westcott, p. 106).
The author, then, is not stressing absolute moral conformity or “sinless perfection” but the one requirement by which all other requirements are measured—love for one’s brother. For this there is no substitute, its violation allows for no excuse, its application permits no compromise. Here there are no gray areas, no third possibilities. One either loves his brother and proves he is God’s child or does not love his brother and proves he belongs to the devil. (Barker, G. W. (1981). 1 John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, pp. 332–333). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
In this (ἐν τουτῳ [en toutōi]). As already shown. A life of sin is proof that one is a child of the devil and not of God. This is the line of cleavage that is obvious to all. See John 8:33–39 for the claim of the Pharisees to be the children of Abraham, whereas their conduct showed them to be children of the devil. This is not a popular note with an age that wishes to remove all distinctions between Christians and the world. Doeth not righteousness (ὁ μη ποιων δικαιοσυνην [ho mē poiōn dikaiosunēn]). Habit (linear present participle) again of not doing righteousness, as in verse 7 of doing it. Cf. ποιει [poiei] and μη ποιων [mē poiōn] (doing and not doing) in Matt. 7:24, 26. Neither (και [kai]). Literally, “and,” but with the ellipsis of οὐκ ἐστιν ἐκ του θεου [ouk estin ek tou theou] (is not of God). The addition here of this one item about not loving (μη ἀγαπων [mē agapōn]) one’s brother is like Paul’s summary in Rom. 13:9, a striking illustration of the general principle just laid down and in accord with 2:9–11. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (1 Jn 3:10). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
3:10a. Literally, the first phrase of this verse is, “By this are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil.” The words “by this” probably refer back to the whole previous discussion. By sharply differentiating between sin and righteousness, John made plain the fundamental way in which God’s children are manifest over against the children of the devil. The key to his idea is the word “manifest” in which the ideas presented in 2:29 and 3:1 are touched again. Because a child of God is sinless at the core of his being, he can never be “manifest” through sin as can a child of the devil. While an unsaved person can display his true nature through sin, a child of God cannot. When a Christian sins, he conceals who he really is rather than making it manifest. If the readers perceive someone doing real righteousness, then—but only then—can they perceive this action as a true product of new birth (2:29) and can thus behold God’s love (3:1). This consideration is crucial to John’s advancing argument. (Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B., Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 895). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
3:10 This summary verse is the key to vv. 4–10. Only two kinds of children exist in the world: children of God and children of Satan. No one can belong to both families simultaneously. Either one belongs to God’s family and exhibits His righteous character or one belongs to Satan’s family and exhibits his sinful nature.
3:10b the one who does not love his brother. This phrase introduces the readers to the second aspect of the moral test, i.e., the test of love (as in 2:7–11). John develops this thought through vv. 11–24. The false teachers not only had an erroneous view of Christ’s nature and displayed disobedience to God’s commands, but they also displayed a distinct lack of love for true believers, who rejected their heretical teaching. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Jn 3:10). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
The tenth verse epitomizes it all: “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.” My dear friend, face the question, face the fact of those two families. Men talk about the universal Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, and would have us believe that all men are looked upon by God as His children. Remember that the tenderest, the holiest Man that ever walked this earth, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, was the One who taught the very opposite. I cannot understand these men who tell us that Jesus came to teach this very doctrine of the universal Fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man. What did He mean, then, when He said to the Pharisees, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the works of your father ye will do?” What did He mean when He said to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God?” (John 3:3). John walked with the blessed Lord for those three-and-one-half wonderful years, drank in His testimony as perhaps no other did, and was so intimate with Him that he lay on His bosom at that last supper. He wrote his epistle when he was an old man, and gathered up what he had been taught by the Lord and what he had experienced through the years, and said, as it were, “Here are the two families—the family that loves God and delights in righteousness is the family of God. But the family that hates, that harms, that loves sin and iniquity, is the family of the devil.” “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.”
Let us challenge our own hearts. Let us face the question fairly in God’s presence. Have I been regenerated by grace divine? If really saved, we shall find the answer in verse fourteen: “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” (Ironside, H. A. (1931). Addresses on the Epistles of John (pp. 110–111). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Ver. 10. In this the children of God are manifest, &c.] By regenerating grace, and not sinning, in the sense before explained, in consequence of it: adoption is an act of God’s grace and sovereign will; it is secret in his own heart, and is secured in divine predestination, and in the covenant of grace, and is antecedent to regeneration: regeneration and faith do not make men the children of God, but manifest them to be so; adoption makes them the children of God, and entitles them to the inheritance; regeneration gives them the nature of the children of God, and makes them meet for it, and manifests their right unto it; not to the men of the world, but to themselves and other saints: and the children of the devil; such as imitate him, do his will and his lusts, and are openly under his power and influence; these are distinguishable from regenerate persons, and the children of God, by their lives and conversations; so the people of the nations of the world are called, בנוי, the children of Samael, and the serpent, by the Jews, which are with them the names of the devil. Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God; that is, he does not appear to be born of God who does not by faith lay hold on the righteousness of Christ for his justification before God, and acceptance with him; and who does not do works of righteousness in faith from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God; for where regenerating grace is, there will be such graces and such practices: neither he that loveth not his brother; for as he that loveth God, and Christ, and the brethren, appears manifestly to be born again, and to have passed from death to life, so he that does not is in darkness, in a state of unregeneracy, and walks and continues therein; for was he born again, he would be taught of God to love the saints; see 1 John 4:7 and 3:14 and 2:11. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 638–639). 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!!)
It is now Christians’ habit of life to pursue purity and holiness as we await the blessed hope of the return of Jesus (Titus 2:13). Furthermore, “himself” marks the conscious need for the believer to purify himself individually before a holy God. Although John makes clear in 1:7 that it is the blood of Christ that cleanses the believer from sin, he speaks here of self-purification. Both are true and essential to progressive sanctification, our growth in Christlikeness. (Akin, D. L. (2001)
As to the expression, “purifieth himself,” Alford comments: “These words are not to be taken in any Pelagian sense, as if a man could of himself purify himself: ‘apart from Me,’ says our Lord, ‘ye can do nothing’ (John 15:5). The man who purifies himself has this hope resting upon God. This mere fact implies a will to purify himself, not out of, nor independent of, this hope, but ever stirred up by and accompanying it. So that the will is not his own, sprung out of his own nature, but the result of his Christian state, in which God also ministers to him the power to carry out that will in self-purification.… The idea of hagnizein (ἁγνιζειν) (to purify) is much the same as that of katharizein (καθαριζειν) (to cleanse) (1:9): it is entire purification, not merely from unchastity, but from all defilement of flesh and spirit.” Thus, the hope of being like the Lord Jesus arouses the determination to be pure like Him, and this brings into play the will of the Christian to carry that resolve out into action. Thus, in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, the saint puts sin out of his life and keeps it out. (Wuest, K. S. (1997)
Living in the reality of Christ’s return makes a difference in a Christian’s behavior. Since Christians someday will be like Him, a desire should grow within the Christian to become like Him now. That was Paul’s passion, expressed in Php 3:12–14 (see notes there). That calls for a purifying of sin, in which we play a part (see notes on 2Co 7:1; 1Ti 5:22; 1Pe 1:22). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006)
LYING ABOUT FIDEL (Friday Church News Notes, December 2, 2016, www.wayoflife.orgfbns@wayoflife.org,) – The death of Cuba’s dictator Fidel Castro last week brought an outpouring of sympathetic lies from the leftist propagandizing “mainstream media.” A report in Reuters was typical, and these are the type of reports that appear on popular Internet news sites and in newspapers throughout the world to brainwash the average ill-informed person. I read it in The Himalayan Times in a coffee shop in Kathmandu, Nepal. The spirit of the piece is that Fidel was a hero who thumbed his nose at the oppressive United States and created a congenial communist state that allegedly improved the lives of the people. “He swept away capitalism and won support for bringing schools and hospitals to the poor” (“Former Cuban Leader Dies at 90,” Reuters, Nov. 26, 2016). The truth is that he didn’t win support; he forcedsupport through terrorism and brutal oppression. While the report admits that Fidel had “legions of enemies and critics” who “saw him as a ruthless tyrant,” these critics were not given a voice to express their concerns. An ill-informed reader is left to think that perhaps their criticism of good-ole Fidel was unjust. This Reuters report does not inform its readers of Fidel’s brutality, the destruction of free speech, free religion, free press, and democratic elections, the destruction of the economy through Marxist principles, the tiny, dark, nightmarish prison cells filled with 500,000 “critics,” the “highest political incarceration rate per capita on earth,” the unspeakable torture and beatings, the 15,000 executions by firing squad, the forced labor. Reuters does not explain why hundreds of thousands of Cubans risked their lives to escape Fidel’s communist paradise to flee to oppressive America (tens of thousands drowning or being eaten by sharks in the attempt), while practically no one tried to immigrate to Cuba. Those people can tell you the truth about Cuba, but they were not given a voice by Reuters, et al. (They are given a voice in volumes such as The Black Book of Communismby Pascal Fontaine, Fidel: Hollywood’s Favorite Tyrantby Humberto Fontova, and Against All Hope by Armando Valladares, who describes the frightful 22 years of torture and imprisonment he personally endured for “merely raising the issue of freedom.”) Though Cuba’s socialistic health care system has been touted as one of the best in the world, the reality is there are two health care systems in Cuba, a very poor quality one for ordinary Cubans and a superior one for the Communist Party elite and medical tourists. “Testimony and documentation on the subject are vast. Hospitals and clinics are crumbling. Conditions are so unsanitary, patients may be better off at home, whatever home is. If they do have to go to the hospital, they must bring their own bedsheets, soap, towels, food, light bulbs–even toilet paper. And basic medications are scarce … finding an aspirin can be a chore. And an antibiotic will fetch a fortune on the black market. The equipment that doctors have to work with is either antiquated or nonexistent. Doctors have been known to reuse latex gloves–there is no choice. When they travel to the island, on errands of mercy, American doctors make sure to take as much equipment and as many supplies as they can carry. One told the Associated Press, ‘The [Cuban] doctors are pretty well trained, but they have nothing to work with. It’s like operating with knives and spoons'” (“Does Cuba Have the Best Healthcare System?” May 22, 2016, quora.com). This Reuters report also failed to tell its readers that Cubans continue to stream out of Fidel’s communist paradise for America’s oppressive shores (“Surge in Cuban Immigration to U.S. continues,” Aug. 5, 2016, Pewresearch.org). We wonder why the leftist reporters don’t immigrate to one of the communist paradises instead of staying in oppressive America
Friday Church News Notes, December 2, 2016, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org) – A study by Standard History Education Group has found that young people are unable to judge the credibility of online information. After testing 7,800 teenagers on “civil ability reasoning,” lead author Sam Wineburg said, “‘Overall, young people’s ability to reason about the information on the Internet can be summed up in one word: bleak” (“Stanford Study,” NewsMax.com, Nov. 22, 2016). “When it comes to evaluating information that flows through social media channels, they are easily duped.” A major reason for this is that few young people are being properly educated. They are not being taught to think critically. That is a failure of parents, churches, and schools. Another reason is that the average young person is too busy playing to be concerned with learning to think properly. The youth discipleship course The Mobile Phone and the Christian Home and Church offers practical help for parents and churches that want to disciple their young people instead of entertain them to death.
Waxing Old
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.” (Isaiah 51:6)
This verse is typical of many Scriptures that contrast this present decaying, dying order of things (characterizing a world under God’s curse) with the things that are not dying and that will survive into the new order when the curse is removed (Revelation 22:3). Even the present “heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away,” Jesus said (Matthew 24:35). God, the Creator, who imposed the curse because of man’s sin, is not Himself subject to it. “They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:…as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Psalm 102:26-27).
As the text for the day assures us, God’s salvation and righteousness shall never be changed, even when Earth and heaven flee away. The same contrasts exist in the biological realm. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8).
Human nature exhibits a similar phenomenon. “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;…they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:30-31).
This principle, in fact, applies to the entire creation. “Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption [literally ‘decay’] into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Joshua reviews Israel’s history, charges them to serve the Lord, then dies at the age of 110.
INSIGHT
Joshua again gathers Israel to hear a review of their history and the good things God has done for them. He states the benefits and consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. “If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (v. 15). Fortunately, the Israelites accept the challenge and agree to serve the Lord.
From time to time, the Lord may challenge us through various and unpredictable ways. When we drift from Him, when we get stale, or cease growing, the Lord will often bring a circumstance into our lives which forces us to choose whom we will serve. At those times, we must learn from the nation of Israel and choose to serve the Lord.
(Quiet Walk)
THE SOUL
For what shall it pro?t a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36
Our Lord always talked about one thing only. He had only one theme, and that was the soul of man. He kept on saying that there was something about the individual that was of priceless value. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” It was as if He looked at His congregation and said to them, “You are always interested in things, in the world itself; but I am interested in that which is within you, which is called the soul. It will avail you nothing, though your whole world is put in order, if your soul is wrong with God.” The soul—that was His constant theme. He persisted in dealing with it, and thereby He offended large numbers of people who listened to Him, people who were at first interested but who ended, like the people in John 6, by going home and walking no more with Him.
Think of many of the illustrations our Lord uses. Cannot you see that all of them are just illustrations about the soul? Look at Him in the country standing there with His followers beside the orchard. He seems to be very interested in fruit trees. He talks about them quite often and seems to know a lot about them. Yet He never lectured on horticulture and the mystery of life in the trees. He says in effect, “Do you see the trees of the orchard? They can be either good or bad, and you judge the tree eventually by the fruit that it bears. If it bears evil fruit, it is an evil tree. If it bears good fruit, it is a good tree. For ‘by their fruits ye shall know them.’ You have a soul within you, and it is like that tree in the orchard.”
A Thought to Ponder The soul—that was His constant theme
(From The Heart of the Gospel, p. 58, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
I think we need to rethink Nicodemus.
We think we know the story of Nicodemus, the ruler of Israel who came to Jesus at night in John 3. We argue about the exegesis of Jesus’ statement that Nicodemus needed to be born again of water and the Spirit, but we miss Nicodemus’ role in John as a sign-believer who needed to decide whether he really got Moses after all.
To get Nicodemus we need to look into his appearances in John 7 to ask a probing question of the Sanhedrin and in John 19 to assist Joseph of Arimathea with Jesus’ burial. When we consider these additional chapters in his story, we find that Nicodemus is not just another one of the leaders who ganged up on Jesus. He’s a complicated guy who isn’t all that different from people in churches today who keep pastors up late at night pondering difficult soul-care questions.
The ambiguity of Nicodemus faith tends to clear up in John 19. How ironic that the twelve men publicly associated with Jesus throughout his ministry are in hiding when he is crucified, and that Jesus is buried by two men whose faith had been a secret until that moment! When Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Jesus’ body down from the cross, they were apparently taking up their own crosses and following him.
Check out this latest post and leave a comment, especially if Nicodemus’ story is like yours, or like that of people to whom you minister. All the best, David
drdavidlturner.com (My favorite teacher at GRBC &S)
Liberators found the following prayer crumpled among the remains of the Ravensbruck concentration camp where Nazis exterminated nearly 50,000 women: O Lord, remember not only the men and women of goodwill, but also those of ill will. But do not remember the suffering they have inflicted upon us. Remember the fruits we brought thanks to this suffering—our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, the courage, the generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of this. And when they come to judgment, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.
I can’t imagine the fear and pain inflicted on the terrorized woman who wrote this prayer. I can’t imagine what kind of inexplicable grace these words required of her. She did the unthinkable: she sought God’s forgiveness for her oppressors.
This prayer echoes Christ’s prayer. After being wrongly accused, mocked, beaten, and humiliated before the people, Jesus was “crucified . . . along with [two] criminals” (Luke 23:33). Hanging, with mutilated body and gasping for breath, from a rough-hewn cross, I would expect Jesus to pronounce judgment on His tormentors, to seek retribution or divine justice. However, Jesus uttered a prayer contradicting every human impulse: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (v. 34).
The forgiveness Jesus offers seems impossible, but He offers it to us. In His divine grace, impossible forgiveness spills free. By Winn Collier (Our Daily Bread)
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.