Bible Study on 1John 2, verses 3 to 6, we do know that we know him

 

1John 2:3 ¶  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

John now moves from the whole world to the body of Christ in particular as he teaches these possibly new converts.

Is this a call to turn back to the Law given to Moses for the Jews? But what about this from Paul?

Galatians 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

And what about this warning in the form of a question from Paul earlier in that chapter in Galatians?

Galatians 3:1 ¶  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Or is this a reminder of the specific instructions given by Jesus to His disciples?

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

And remember what of the Law given to Moses that Paul reinforces for the Christian?

Romans 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Keep in mind now what Jesus said about the Law before His crucifixion and resurrection.

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. 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.

And He indeed is the fulfillment of the Law and has fulfilled it.

Romans 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Philippians 3:9 ¶  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Keep in mind what Jesus said also here;

John 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

There are many admonitions that Christ gave us to follow. Included are;

Mark 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

John tells us to walk as Christ walked and that would be in complete and perfect/complete obedience to God the Father. And we are about to find out that John 13:34, 35 is the principle to which John is referring. John will insist that there is nothing new about this, that he is offering nothing in addition to what has already been said. He simply underscores and even explains Christ’s commandment.

Bible Study on Genesis 22, verses 15 to 19, in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed

 

Genesis 22:15 ¶  And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 19  So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

Christ, the visible image of the invisible God, the angel of the Lord, the one of the three parts of God by which all things were created, makes a promise to Abraham. (see comments on chapter 1, verse 3, for the Biblical explanation of who Christ is.) In the promise He makes a statement of equivalence between the amount of sand on the sea shore and the number of stars in the heavens. Although we can never know this number in this life scientists do approximate that there is a similar number of both although many insist that there are more stars in the heavens than sand. In any event, the point of this is not to engage in a scientific statement but to underscore the concept of a lot of or very many. This is done in other places to signify a large amount.

Deuteronomy 28:62  And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.

The following is more of a specific kind of number indicating the spiritual progeny of Abraham through Christ will be billions, as history has shown us. Some sources say there are over 2 and 1/3^rd billion people practicing some form of Christianity on earth today.

Genesis 24:60  And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

As explained before in 19:1-3 comments the gate is the place of judgment in a city. It is a place of authority and the triumphant in Christ are promised victory in the end.

Because Abraham obeyed God the entire earth is blessed and all men will have the opportunity to be reconciled to God. Our amnesty in the rebellion begun by Adam against the King of all existence is again ensured. This promise is referred to in several places which I recommend you read, paying attention to the context. See Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 26:4; Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:8,9.

Paul makes the argument that this promise, as with the land grant, comes directly through Christ and eventually to Christ in Galatians 3. This is how the Jews will fully inherit the land they were promised, through Christ, and this is how all believers will inherit eternal life, through Christ. Every Jew and Gentile must believe in Christ and trust in His righteousness and believe in His resurrection to become part of the called out assembly, the church, to have eternal life.

First, Paul compares Abraham believing God, the foundation of his salvation, with our believing Christ, who is God, the foundation of our salvation along with believing in His resurrection as stated in Romans 10, starting in verse 9.

We believe what Christ said about Himself. First, to define what believe on means as believing what Christ said;

John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Now, see how Paul uses Abraham’s belief, though like ours, imperfect, to begin his argument. Note in verse 9 that to be faithful is to be full of faith and constant to it and is not about how often you darken the church’s doors.

Galatians 3:6 ¶  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12  And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15  Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 

So, that Jew and Gentile can be reconciled to God by this promise through Christ. As the angel of the Lord, Christ, made the promises so do they find their fulfillment in Him.

Remember, the Bible is the record of God’s efforts at reconciling man to Himself. This is the alternative to just letting all mankind share a fate worse than simply ceasing to exist, an eternity of agony and judgment in a lake of unquenchable fire for our souls. We can honor Abraham, in his obedience, for being part of God’s plan for our reconciliation to Him. But, we give all the glory to God who made our reconciliation possible, sure, and complete; for without His grace, His unmerited favor, we would be lost.

Bible Study on 1John 2, verses 1 and 2, we have an advocate

 

1John 2:1 ¶  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

I read a commentator who made a note that when John refers to little children he is literally referring to new Christians, new believers in Christ, unskilled and a little naïve but this could just be a reflection of his pastoral care and authority over them addressing all believers. Remember that Jesus referred to His disciples as little children.

John 13:33  Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

Whatever the case may be, whether he is talking to new believers or actual saved children he warns them not to sin. But if they sin they have an advocate in Jesus Christ, who knew no sin and who pleads our case before God the Father.

Romans 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Christ satisfied the righteous wrath, propitiation, of a Holy God when He died on the Cross and we were justified legally when He rose from the dead. This was not exclusive to the Jews of His time but offered to all mankind, if they would receive it.

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.

Bible Study on Genesis 22, verses 3 to 14, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering

 

Genesis 22:3 ¶  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Genesis 22:11 ¶  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Without questioning Abraham proceeds toward his obedience to God’s seemingly horrific command. For we know that human sacrifice is forbidden by God as an act of worship from the previously quoted Deuteronomy 12:29-31; Jeremiah 19:5, and Jeremiah 32:35.

Mount Moriah is what we know today as the Temple Mount.

2Chronicles 3:1  Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The third day represents to us the resurrection of Christ after three days.

Luke 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

This resurrection is a theme mentioned in several places in prophetic verses in the Old Testament.

Hosea 6:2  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Isaac as a type of Christ and I would say possibly the same age as Christ when Christ was crucified. No, Isaac was not a child. Verse 8 shows Abraham speaking a prophecy of Christ, the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36), as it is a ram that is provided for this sacrifice as a ram is the sacrifice of Aaron and his son’s consecration as God’s priests in Exodus 29. Isaac is being set apart for God’s purpose and we are being given a glimpse of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.

…God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering…

Notice here that to stop him, God, as the angel of the Lord, the appearance of God, which appearance is Christ as we have seen, calls Abraham out of heaven. Notice the similar scene with Hagar in preceding passages.

Bible Study on 1John 1, verses 8 to 10, we all sin against God

 

1John 1:8 ¶  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2Chronicles 6:36  If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;

Ecclesiastes 7:20  For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

It is important to understand the difference between sinning, which mankind is incapable of not doing, as in having a sinful nature and in the act of committing a sin and being someone who rejects repentance and defines themselves by their sin, reveling in it.

John will say;

1John 3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Paul presents this statement of fact.

1Corinthians 6:9 ¶  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

We cannot help but sin and Christ has provided the remedy for sin’s just and deserving punishment.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For we are all sinners saved by God’s grace. We are now saved from the power of sin and God does provide us with a way out if we choose it.

1Corinthianss 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

If we confess our sins with a pure heart of repentance He will forgive us and cleanse us.

But don’t say you aren’t a sinner. Don’t dumb down sin and say, well I don’t lie, cheat, steal, murder, or commit adultery. Just because you have never robbed a bank or killed someone doesn’t mean you haven’t lied or taken something that was not rightfully yours. John has made a very explicit point here that we should keep in mind. Sinlessness is not achievable in this life but salvation through Christ is. You who say you don’t sin are calling God a liar.

Bible Study on Genesis 22, verses 1 and 2, God did tempt Abraham

 

Genesis 22:1 ¶  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

The word tempt is carefully defined in the Bible based on the context. It means to provoke when used of man tempting God. This is clear in the word’s usage in many verses talking about how mankind angers God thereby incurring His wrath.

Psalm 78:56  Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

It also means to prove or to test to see if a promise or the power of God is real, to put God to the test.

Psalm 95:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

With regard to God tempting man it is about a test, proving man’s faith or faithlessness, with God already knowing the answer but the person learning the lesson, the reality of his own faith. It is a test or proving something as in proving a sword to make sure it is properly sharpened or strong.

Here, Abraham’s faith was tried, proved, or tested.

Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Now, God never tempts, tests, tries, or proves His people with the express purpose of making them fall. That is what Satan does. Notice the phrasing of the following verse in James.

James 1:13 ¶  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

The key phrase here, which defines the verse, is tempted with evil. As God is the standard of all good and evil it is an impossibility for you to provoke Him to go against His own will. And, God, never tempts you, if you are His, to do evil. He proves your faith. If a temptation specifically regarding your faith confronts you by His permissive will He will provide an escape.

1Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The context of that verse in 1Corinthians is idolatry, not refraining from drinking a beer or smoking a cigarette although you might make it so.

The key question for a Christian has to do with whether or not you are willing to die for Christ. This is the main question for believers all through the final book of Revelation. You say you believe and you say you trust in Christ but when persecution comes, are you assured enough in your trust to die for Christ?

Revelation 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

The one that overcomes is the one that holds that Christ is and was God in the flesh to the very end.

1John 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

And there are great things awaiting that one that overcomes the world. Read Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21 & 21:7.

This is very relevant here, because as we believe in Christ’s resurrection and in our resurrection because of His, so Abraham, too, believed in a resurrection and was able to overcome at the order to offer up his son of promise because of that faith.

Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

He believed God’s promise that in Isaac his seed should be called and believed that God would raise him from the dead. So, the willingness to offer Isaac up and God’s order not to go through with it, which we will see, is a type, a figure, of death and resurrection. Abraham will receive his son back in a type and literally. God, of course, has told us that He never approved human sacrifice, however, Abraham would not have known this.

Deuteronomy 12:29  When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; 30  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

 

Jeremiah 19:5  They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

 

Jeremiah 32:35  And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Bible Study on 1John 1, verses 5 to 7, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all

 

1John 1:5 ¶  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. 6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7  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 cleanseth us from all sin.

John states that he is repeating the message that the Lord Jesus Christ presented to HIM. God is light, pure light, in which there is no darkness. Here are some examples of that thought in John’s gospel and in one of Paul’s letters.

John 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.,,9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

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. 17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 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. 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.

1Thessalonians 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

John is addressing issues of sin within the church and seems intent on correcting errors in thinking and doctrine that have come about. To say that one is in fellowship with Christ when one walks in darkness is to make that person’s declaration a lie. As a preacher once put it, it is impossible to pursue righteousness when one is zealously clinging to error.

But those who walk in Christ’s light have fellowship not only with Him but all other believers and it is Christ’s blood that cleanses us from the taint of sin. Again, an apostle has to weed out the tares, as Paul did in Hebrews, warning those who are only fooling themselves that to walk in sin is to betray one’s confession of faith in Christ. We are saved by the blood of Christ in that Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification. Why then, would we walk in sin, in darkness, and not in the light given by Christ?