Blog Archives

"LOVING IS BELIEVING"

1/31/2021

I John 4:7-5:2

1. Love starts with God. (4:7a)
Four words for “love”
1. eros- most shallow, superficial and temporary kind of love
2. storge- having to do with family
3. phileo- brotherly, friendship kind of love
4. agape- no other context except having a relationship with God

2. Love is the evidence of our salvation. (4:7b-8)
“The love we show as non-Christians is really a love for ourselves.” (Ray Stedman)
the law of love = the love of Christ in us compels us to carry out the demands of the law.

3. The right love depends on the right belief. (4:9-5:2)
There is no such thing as a Christian theology without a Christian ethic, and vice versa.

"THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD"

1/24/2021

John 8:12, I John 1:5-10

1. Light reveals truth and therefore, darkness conceals truth.
a. God's light reveals truth about Himself. (John 1:1-5, 8-9; II Corinthians 4:3-6)
b. God's light reveals truth about ourselves. (John 3:17-21)
The very light that exposes us and condemns us is the same light that saves us. (Psalms 27:1)

2. God's light brightens the path that has been set before us to walk. (Psalms 119:105)
a. You can tell who is in the light by the manner in which he lives. ( I John 1:5-7; 2:8-11)
b. Being a Christian means we can see where we are going.

3. We are to become the Light. (John 12:35-36; Ephesians 5:8)
a. by sharing the gospel
b. by our lifestyles
Synopsis
1. Step into the light of the Living Word.
2. Stay in the light of the Written Word.
3. Become the light by preaching the Word.

"IN THE KNOW"

1/17/2021

I John 5:13-20

Gnosticism- false religion based on knowledge
Gnosticism puts people in three categories
1. pneumatics- had knowledge by nature
2. psychics- latent capacity for knowledge
3. worldly- earthly, so could never be saved

similarities between Gnosticism and Christianity
1. knowledge of God based on a supernatural experience
2. God has revealed Himself through visions received by men
Gnosticism, like modern-day cults, attempted to combine their beliefs with those of Christianity.

John's use of the word, “know,” - true knowledge of God in Jesus Christ.
“oida” - objective knowledge
“ginosko” - to be familiar with
oida- 2:20-1, 29; 3:2,5,14; 5:13, 15, 18-20
ginosko- 2:3-5,18; 3;1,6,18-19,24; 4:2,6-8, 13-14 5: 2,20
The more we know about God, the better we can know Him personally.
Having caught a glimpse of the things of God, how can we help but long for the fulness of seeing His face?

"AS THE WORLD TURNS"

1/10/2021

I John 4:1-6

“the World”
1. anything that is in opposition to God
2. anything that is under the control of Satan. (I John 5:19-20)

What is not meant by “the world”
1. material universe
2. people
3. pleasure
However, any of these could represent “the world” to us as individuals.

What we know about “the world”
1. The world is under divine judgment.
a. The world cannot co-exist with God for eternity.
b. When Jesus came to earth, the world was already condemned.

2. The world is the object of God's love. (John 3:16, Romans 5:8)

3. God separated us from the world.
a. It's God's job to judge the world. It's also God's job to love the world, not ours. (I John 2:15-17)
b. The only way to be separate from the world is to trust in Christ, who overcame the world. (I John 5:4)

"ABIDE IN ME"

1/3/2021

John 15:1-10

“meno” (abide, remain) the place where your soul lives
The Christian life is not a one-time decision.
Do you live with God, or are you just a guest in His presence?

Sanctification- that purification process that takes place in the life of the believer once he has been saved

Marvin Vincent- spiritual maturity begins with knowledge, then moves on to fellowship.
Any time a Christian sins, it is because he is not abiding in Christ. (I John 3:9)

“Shekinah”- presence or dwelling of God
It doesn't have to be called down by various rituals, but it exists inside the believer.

When we abide in Christ, and He in us, then the love with which we love God, and our neighbor, is actually
the love of God.