Bible Study on James 1, verses 2 to 12, part 1, temptations

 

James 1:2 ¶  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9  Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10  But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Temptations are things, events, and even people that can cause one to question their faith and ultimately, God Himself. They can be temptations of the flesh like food, sex, and power, or temptations of suffering like disease and persecution.

Note part of my comments on Luke 4:1-13 to get a better handle on temptations.

Luke 4:1 ¶  And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2  Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3  And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt

worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9  And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10  For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11  And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12  And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13  And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

 

An important point must be made about verse 2 in Luke 4. To tempt is to test or try.

 

Revelation 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

 

When Satan tempts one, tests one, the ultimate goal is to make them fall. God never tempts anyone of His people for the purpose of making them stumble as it says 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: [with evil, of course, as the verse is to be understood]

 

God tempted Abraham but knew that Abraham’s faith would keep him from disobeying.

 

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.

 

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,

 

A temptation then is not merely a matter of whether you looked too long at the magazine rack at the airport but a test of your faith, a trial. Only who is it from; the Devil, Satan, to make you fall or God to prove your position in Him, if only to yourself? Job’s entire ordeal can be called a temptation. Early Christians were sometimes faced with a demand that they reject Christ or die. This is also a tremendous temptation, an assault on one’s faith, belief in God, and trust in God as can be an illness or pressure from the world. Noteworthy scripture on temptations include;

 

Luke 11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

 

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.

 

Here, in James 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

 

Satan wishes to have Jesus take the Crown before the Cross and subvert His mission as Saviour of the world. He uses His human hunger to begin demanding that He turn stones to bread but Jesus answers with Scripture.

 

Deuteronomy 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

 

Then, Satan tempts Him with power and the glory of the kingdoms of the world. God has given those over to Satan and the lowest of men rule over nations through him as the god of this world system (2Corinthians 4:4). He demands worship.

 

Daniel 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

 

One day Jesus will seize these kingdoms.

 

Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 

Christ replies with Biblical truth.

 

Deuteronomy 6:13  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

 

Deuteronomy 10:20  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.

 

Satan then tries to tempt Him with presuming on God, to his sense of self-preservation and tries to create a sense of needing to prove at this time His relationship with God the Father. He quotes:

 

Psalm 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 

Jesus replies by alluding to this Scripture.

 

Deuteronomy 6:16  Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

A Psalm for Sunday, Psalm 57, I will cry unto God most high

 

Psalm 57:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.» Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2  I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3  He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. 4  My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. 6  They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

 

For this we might look at 1Samuel 22:1 or 1Samuel 24:3 and contexts. Notice the metaphor of being protected in the shadow of God’s metaphorical wings, symbolic wings.

 

Exodus 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

 

Psalm 17:8  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

 

Psalm 36:7  How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

 

Psalm 63:7  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

 

Revelation 12:14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

 

David pleads for mercy much as we might but says that he trusts in God and will hide in the protection of God until the danger passes. It is to God that David cries out, who David acknowledges can do all things that are needed for his deliverance. He knows that God will reach from Heaven itself to deliver him from the unfair ordeal that threatens to swallow him up. He underscores the danger he is in with a rich statement of the tribulation he faces.

 

Proverbs 30:14  There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

 

The wicked man’s ways are his own undoing if you read Psalm 7.

 

Psalm 7:16  His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

 

We can pray this when we are unjustly accused or unjustly treated by someone, especially someone in authority who has power over us and can hurt us in some significant way. Let God take care of it, and it shall be taken care of, indeed.

 

Psalm 57:7 ¶  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8  Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9  I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10  For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

 

For verse seven I am reminded of this scene in heaven:

 

Revelation 5:11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

 

Fixed is firm and sure. David refers to his soul as my glory. Jacob called it his honour in Genesis 49:6;

 

Genesis 49:6  O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

 

This sentiment in verse seven and eight is repeated.

 

Psalm 108:1 ¶  «A Song or Psalm of David.» O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. 2  Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

 

For verse nine I am reminded of a thought;

 

Psalm 18:49  Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

 

Psalm 96:3  Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

 

As Paul wrote;

 

Romans 15:9  And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

 

Verse 10 had a previous similar expression;

 

Psalm 36:5 ¶  Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

 

Verse 11 repeats verse 5.

 

This Psalm of pleading for mercy, acknowledging that God will deliver, and then glorifying His name should be on our lips in times of trouble. We can look forward, as well, to the suffering saints at the end of human history.

The Epistle of James 1, verse 1, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad

 

Introduction

The Letter of James is called a General Epistle (letter) as it was not written to a particular person like Timothy, Titus, and Philemon or to particular churches like Romans or Corinthians. Many people believe it was written by James the Lord’s brother.

Galatians 1:19  But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

It is believed by many to have been written between 40AD and 60AD. The oldest copy of any part of this letter is from the 3^rd century which is not unusual as these papyrus manuscripts were used and copied until they were lost to us. The oldest reference to this letter outside of the Bible that is widely accepted is from Origen of Alexandria in the 3^rd century. Other, older references are in dispute. That would be in the 200s. Its canonicity, that it should be in the Bible, was affirmed by several large church councils of which it is not important to go into here. It’s in our Bible and that is what is important. Martin Luther hated it, though, and we will see why later.

James, chapter 1

James 1:1 ¶  James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

James labels himself a servant of God the Father, who I have explained, is the soul of God, the seat of will and self-identity, and the Lord Jesus Christ, as has been shown by scripture previously, is the express image of God the Father’s person, by whom we are saved, the living embodiment of the Word of God by which all things were created. They are two parts of the same person; our Creator, Sustainer, Judge, and Deliverer from Judgement. You can read or watch my comments on Genesis and my sermon notes on my talks entitled, “Who is God?” and, “Who is Jesus Christ?” to get more detail and for review.

Scattered abroad, with possibly the exception of Genesis 11:4 referring to the Tower of Babel, typically refers to the Jewish people, Israelites, the Hebrews, and even early, mostly Jewish, Christians being dispersed.

Exodus 5:12  So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

Esther 3:8  And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.

Matthew 26:31  Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

John 11:52  And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Acts 8:1  And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles…4  Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

 There is a similar greeting in Peter’s first letter.

1Peter 1:1 ¶  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

It is clear that while James is speaking to Jews, he must be, as we will see, be speaking to the Christians of the predominantly Jewish church of the early first century after Christ’s resurrection.

Bible Study on Genesis 18, verses 1 to 15, three men stood by him

 

Genesis 18:1 ¶  And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3  And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4  Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5  And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6  And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7  And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. 8  And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Genesis 18:9 ¶  And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15  Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

These three men are appearances or angels of spiritual beings and one of them is God Himself, in the form of pre-incarnate Christ; the Word by which all things were and are created (see Psalm 104:30; Isaiah 48:7; and John 1:1-18).

Abraham tells Sarah to make three cakes from three measures of meal. It is interesting to note that three of the world’s great religions will come from Abraham and Sarah’s offspring; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Note the corrupting influence of leaven as it is kneaded into three measures of meal in the following verse. Perhaps God is not impressed with the practices of either of these “great” faith traditions in their hypocrisy.

Matthew 13:33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Luke 12:1  In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

As Abraham has a meal prepared for these men they ask where Sarah is, another question for which they obviously know the answer and one of them makes an important statement. He, clearly the Lord, promises to return unto thee according to the time of life which is a reference to the presence of God’s will in Sarah’s childbirth.

Now it is Sarah’s turn to laugh, as both her and Abraham are now very old and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women meaning she was no longer fertile and no longer menstruating.

The Lord’s response was to make the claim by way of a rhetorical question that nothing was impossible with God and to repeat the certainty of Sarah’s childbirth. Jesus made a similar statement when comparing the difficulty of becoming a believer if one is possessed of wealth.

Mark 10:25  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26  And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? 27  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Sarah, afraid at being challenged for laughing, denied she laughed but the Lord contradicted her attempt to hide her doubt. Many conservative Christians will deny that they have any doubts about God’s promises, about the truth of the gospel, or even about God’s very existence but God knows what is in your heart. Don’t be angry at the atheist when you yourself have said in your heart at certain times, “how is this possible?”

Mark 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

We live in bodies of flesh, assailed by misfortune, disappointments, disease, fleeting joys and pleasures, and then death. Often, we are overcome by the apparent randomness and uncertainty of life. And yet, if we belong to God and are sensitive to His involvement in our moment to moment lives as clearly laid out in the Bible we are assured that His power is real and His promises are true.

Modern Christians have been led to believe by their preachers that if a thing happens like childbirth it is just by a natural process that God started but is not really involved in unless He is asked to intervene and wills to do so. Modern Christians believe that God cannot be involved in the evil that can befall them. They ignore the lessons of the Book of Job and wrench the promises made to Israel out of context and apply them to themselves to their eventual dismay. Or they embrace worldly values, lusts, and pride and insist they have not, harming their faith when things go wrong.

But, if you are honest, speaking to God in prayer and opening your Bible inviting the Lord to speak to you through His words, then you know that nothing is impossible with Him and He will do and has done what He has promised. Don’t pretend you’ve never doubted God as Sarah has here.

Bible Study on Revelation 22, verses 20 and 21, Amen

 

Revelation 22:20 ¶  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Again, Christ states that He is going to return quickly, suddenly, in a fast manner. Think of how quickly the Berlin Wall fell and how the events of the Soviet Union’s demise seem to come out of nowhere with the Chernobyl disaster, Gorbachev’s Glasnost, and other things that happened swiftly.  Look at the American War Between the States when Southern States containing many leaders in border states who were against secession suddenly changing their minds when Lincoln forced their hand.  Things in history can happen suddenly and turn on a dime, so to speak.

Here is a prayer we all should make, Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Titus 2:13   Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

The Bible closes with a blessing, a blessing we would do well to include in our prayers for others and in our declarations to our brothers and sisters in Christ. The grace, the unmerited, undeserved, mercy of God be with you all and be on your life every day and in every moment. Amen, meaning so be it, so it is, may it be fulfilled, as Strong’s dictionary says.

Christ have mercy.

 

Bible Study on Genesis 17, verses 15 to 27, thou shalt call his name Isaac

 

Genesis 17:15 ¶  And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. 16  And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. 17  Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 20  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21  But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. 22  And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Genesis 17:23 ¶  And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. 24  And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25  And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26  In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27  And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Sarai’s name is now changed to Sarah. She is part of the covenant, the promise. Not only will the son of promise come from Abraham but he will come through her, as well. She will be the mother of nations and kings of people will come from her.

The idea that a 90 year old woman, even in those ancient days when people lived much longer than they typically do now and were youthful much longer than they typically are now, would bear a child was preposterous. Abraham was so overtaken by the idea that he fell on his face and laughed in front of God! He said nothing about his astonishment out loud but then said aloud he hoped that Ishmael, who was already with him, would be the one promised to him.

The phrase said in his heart is used dozens of times to indicate private thoughts. We do not say, “thought in his brain,” when discussing things of a fundamentally private or emotional nature. We use phrases like, “my heart tells me,” or say that someone is kind-hearted.

God then insisted that Sarah would bear a son and that his name would be called Isaac, which means appropriately in the Hebrew, according to Strong’s dictionary, “He laughs.” God knows what you think as this is stated several times in the Bible from Genesis 6:5; 1Chronicles 28:9; Job 42:2; Psalm 94:11; Psalm 139:2; etc. Note that God stated he established His covenant with Isaac.

Ishmael will be taken care of and this is part of God’s grace and kindness in spite of the circumstances under which Ishmael was conceived. But, God reinforces that the covenant will be executed through Isaac. Abraham then takes Ishmael and all of the men of his household regardless of where they were from and circumcises them.

The word stranger is used to denote a foreigner, an alien to a people, who lives among that people.

Genesis 15:13  And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Genesis 17:12  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

Leviticus 24:22  Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.

1John, chapter 3, comments

 

1John 3:1 ¶  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth 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. 3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Christians must not be confused that they are rejected of men because Christ was rejected of men.

John 17:25  O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

John 15:20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21  But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

John 16:2  They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3  And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

The world can’t comprehend what we believe unless God the Father intercedes, in a manner of speaking, to enlighten them. The very mind of God, the Holy Ghost, is involved in this transaction.

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Our eventual destiny is to be like Christ. We will not only have a glorified body.

Romans 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Not only will we be changed but with our own eyes we will see Him.

Job 19:25  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins (that’s internal organs) be consumed within me.

The pure, the righteous, God’s people by virtue of what Christ did, not what they have done, have this blessed hope.

Titus 2:11 ¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Matthew 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

1John 3:4 ¶  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5  And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6  Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10  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.

Here, sin is defined as breaking God’s standard of righteousness, the Law given to Moses which is our Creator’s standard of righteousness, transgressing it. But Christ came to take away our sin and was sinless Himself. If you are in Christ you are not held accountable for your sin but those who abide in their sin, whose lives are defined by their sin have not known Christ and are not known by Him. It would be inconceivable for a murderer to get saved and then to continue murdering or someone who worshipped a heathen god to continue in that worship were they to be saved.

We are righteous when we do righteousness because our Savior is righteous. But the one who ignores Christ’s calling away from sin is of Satan himself. Christ came to destroy the works of Satan. Because the very mind of Christ indwells us we are not held accountable in eternity for our sin, which has been forgiven. But there are traits that show that a person is not truly saved and that includes not only refusing to do right but holding one’s brothers and sisters in Christ in contempt.

Paul made it clear that if you are saved you can’t lose your salvation because, if you did, you could never get saved again because that would involve recrucifying Christ, an absurdity.

Hebrews 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Notice also how Paul admonished the believers in Corinth.

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.

Let’s not take our salvation lightly.

1John 3:11 ¶  For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12  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. 13  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

John reinforces what he reported in his gospel about what Jesus said regarding this.

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.

John 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends… 17  These things I command you, that ye love one another.

This is in sharp contrast to Cain’s lack of love for his own flesh and blood brother. Cain was doing the work of Satan as the first-century Judean Jews who persecuted these early Jewish Christians did.

John 16:2  They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Why did they do that? Because their own works were evil and because...

John 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The disciples of Christ should not be amazed that the world hates them.

John 15:18 ¶  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21  But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22  If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23  He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

Think of this. The Jews had interpreted the Bible knowing that God was manifest in the Father, in the Word of God, and in the Skekinah, His glory, which some commentators interpret as the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament. So, there is the Trinity, a word coined by the early church father, Tertullian, who lived from 165AD to 220AD, to describe the threefold nature of the Godhead. The living Word of God had been right in front of them; teaching in depth and wisdom and authority, raising the dead, controlling natural events, casting out demons, and then defying all understood reality of life by rising from the dead Himself after letting them execute Him at the hands of the Romans. You might say, well why didn’t He do something like part the Red Sea? Remember, though, that didn’t make the Israelites obey God or even love Him. And these things Jesus did were personal, individual miracles that would impact their lives right then. And still the religious leadership valued their political positions more than the truth, more than salvation, so they killed Him.

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

1John 3:14 ¶  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16  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. 17  But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

John speaks of one evidence that we have passed from death to life, and I might add, everlasting life, our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is a fundamental doctrine of Christ-centered Christianity. Hatred is a type of murder, showing contempt for another’s very life. Christ showed us the importance of that love by dying for us and John says we should be willing to die for each other.

Friendship and love in Imperial Rome were all about the usefulness of a person to you. Friendships could enhance your social standing, provide support in times of need, and reveal the complex interdependence between public and private life. As they are today, friendship and love are complicated social arrangements. However, the love that Christ calls for is not like human love, predicated on tolerance and conditional on the actions of the beloved. Christ died for all of humanity, even for those who did not know Him as well as for those who hated Him. His love is inclusionary not exclusionary. It doesn’t require an object who is our same skin color, social rank, gender, or ethnicity.

Galatians 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

It doesn’t even require an object who is kind to us. It is a standard we Christians rarely grasp.

Matthew 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 

If there is anything that should cause you to abandon your faith and walk away from Christ this would be it. To love the unloveable, even the malicious, is unimaginable to us. Again…

 

Matthew 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 

John reinforces a statement made by James in his letter.

 

James 2:14 ¶  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

 

John, like James, demands that we prove who we belong to by our selfless love for our brothers and sisters in Christ rather than the mercenary exploitation and power dynamics that characterize so much of what passes for love in the world. It’s not just talk and it is a height I have never attained in my own life. There are people and types of people who set my teeth on edge and whom I detest for their behavior and words, some even in churches I’ve attended who are deserving of my prayers much moreso than my contempt and that because of what Christ, the Word of God, the Son of God, did for me.

 

This isn’t about tolerating or approving of someone’s sin. This is about, in spite of their sin, not denying the things which they need to live and it is about praying for them to be convicted and changed. It is possible for our protection and for the protection of innocent others that they be removed from our midst but never mistreated and always prayed for sincerely. Our love for our brothers and sisters is not suicidal empathy and we must be clear on that. It is not about inviting someone into our home who has sworn to kill us. But it is about a genuine love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, in all of our imperfections.

 

But would you give your life for a brother or sister in Christ who can do nothing for you in return, who is weaker than you, perhaps powerless to reward your sacrifice? There are many questions we have to contemplate in our walk with Christ.

 

1John 3:20 ¶  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

We may not be able to accept ourselves, and dwell heavily on our unworthiness before God but God is greater than our self-loathing, our fears, and our self-anger. What He knows is greater than all we could have done in the past. On the other hand, if we are willing to accept His forgiveness then our trust in Him is real and evident in a way that the Christian who is filled with self-contempt cannot understand. Either of those people just mentioned wants to do right by God, by His standards and stated expectations, and our prayers are answered because we are His, if what we ask is according to His will.

Matthew 7:7 ¶  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If what we ask is according to His will. Understand that God sees all events from the perspective of them having already happened. If it is His will that some believer die to go on to be with Him for eternity or that some unbeliever has had all the time they will have and God knows their heart will never let them come to Him then that’s what is going to happen. We cannot change God’s eternal decrees. What the fervent prayer of a righteous person who seeks to please God does is to change them, making them more accepting of God’s will in every circumstance, even as they themselves do what is right and work toward a good outcome. We should pray in all things that God’s will be done. This is a hard thing to accept and another reason for faith to sometimes fail. No one is willing to bury their child or face a shortened life due to a dread disease. No one wants failure and loss, pain and suffering. But if we are His there is something from Him in our most dire or tragic circumstances and in our pain and through our tears we can and should see it. The world cannot understand this. Most of us can’t either. But He knows all things.

1John 3:23 ¶  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. 24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Here are fundamentals of the Christian faith, what it means to be a Christian. We believe on the name of Christ and we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Keeping the commandments of Christ, the Word of God, show that we have His Spirit, His very mind, inside of us.

We believe Jesus was who He said He was.

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.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

When we believe in Him the Spirit, the very mind of God, indwells us.

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Romans 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And there are outward proofs, evidence that we have that very mind of God indwelling us.

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

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.

Matthew 22:35  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38  This is the first and great commandment. 39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.