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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Apr 24, 2020 0:47:09 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:11, 23 April 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 Thursday, 23 April 2020 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 1 John 3:11 The previous verse relayed that the one who does not love his brother is not of God. To demonstrate that this is something expected of those who are in Christ, John now says, “For this is the message that you heard.” The word translated as “message” was first used in 1 John 1:5. This is now its second and last use. It signifies an announcement. By implication, it is then a precept. John says this message is one “that you heard from the beginning.” This thought goes back to Chapter 2. There he wrote – “Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.” 1 John 2:7 There, he used the word “commandment.” Here, John calls it a “message.” John is showing that this “commandment” is not one which falls under the category of the law. Rather, it is a precept which is expected of believers, but the failure of which (something that all must admit to from time to time) does not end in the imputation of sin. The words, “from the beginning,” speak of from the beginning of the New Covenant. Christ Jesus had set forth this commandment, and it then extended forth to all who heard the word. John then says the message is, “that we should love one another.” This is taken from John’s gospel, where he noted the words of Jesus – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34, 35 John is repeating that word from the Lord to ensure it would continue to be remembered by those who do believe, and to be passed on to those who will believe. So ingrained in John was this precept, that the Pulpit Commentary notes – “Jerome, in his ‘Commentary on Galatians’ (Galatians 6:10), tells us that when St. John became too infirm to preach, he used often to say no more than this, ‘Little children, love one another.’ His hearers at last wearied of it, and said, ‘Master, why dost thou always say this?’ ‘It is the Lord's command," he replied; "and if this alone is done, it is enough.’” Life application: Think about the times in which the recipients of this letter were given this word. Their lives were lived under the weight of the Roman Empire. The emperors were heralded as living gods. Vows of allegiance to them were often required, and the complete authority of the empire rested in their hands. At times, people living under these rulers were expected to verbally acknowledge the deity of the emperor or forfeit their own lives. This very well may have been what John was thinking about as he wrote this. The Christians were desperately in need of sticking together, despite petty differences. As it says in Ecclesiastes – “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 There is strength in numbers. More importantly, the bond of love is that which securely holds those numbers together; cementing them into one strong and impenetrable union. This is truly the message we have heard from the beginning, because love is the very state which would have kept us from all of the grief of ages past, which sustains us in the present, and is the perfect state we can anticipate for the eternal ages which are yet future. Listen well to the advice – We should love one another. Most glorious Heavenly Father, give us the ability to love others, even as You have loved us. We can look to the mystery of the Trinity and see infinite and perfect love. We can look to the cross and see unimaginable love. We can look to the eyes of our Savior and see eternal love. May we reflect these examples in our love for those around us, and especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Apr 26, 2020 0:13:46 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:12, 24 April 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020 Friday, 24 April 2020 ...not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. 1 John 3:12 Greek scholars and commentators almost universally note the strange grammatical construction of John’s words. There is no “who” in the original, and there is no pronoun before “the wicked one.” It is said to be irregular and almost ungrammatical. However, John is making the definite article into a demonstrative pronoun. Young’s Literal Translation says, “not as Cain – of the evil one he was.” Stating the position of Cain in this way has, unfortunately, led many Christians into very sloppy theology. They claim that Satan actually had sex with Eve and Cain is the offspring of this union. An entire theology is built up from this type of thinking which leads into a very poor hermeneutic in much of the rest of the Bible. The point John is making is that Cain, instead of following the truth of God, followed the way of the devil. Adam and his wife were deceived by the devil and fell. However, Adam later believed the truth of God’s word concerning the coming Messiah by faith, and the Lord clothed him and his wife – a picture of salvation. But as a lesson for all people who come from Adam, the story of Cain and Abel is immediately introduced. One son continued in faith and presented an acceptable offering to God. The other, despite offering to God, did not do so in faith. The Lord accepted Abel’s offering, but He rejected Cain’s. This lesson was given to show exactly what John had just referred to in verses 3:7-11. One is either in Christ and his works are acceptable, or he remains of the devil and his works are not acceptable. This has nothing to do with Cain being born of a union between the devil and Eve. Rather it is a truth that affects all people on earth who descend from Adam. Cain was “of the wicked one” and his heart and actions reflected his position in the devil. He failed to live in faith, “and murdered his brother.” The account is recorded in Genesis 4 – “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” Genesis 4:2-5 Many commentaries are put forth attempting to explain why the Lord accepted Abel’s offering and why He rejected Cain’s, but they are unnecessary. The Bible explains why – “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” Hebrews 4:4 Abel’s offering was one of faith. It is the consistent message of Scripture. One cannot work his way into pleasing God. Only by faith in God’s word and in His promises can one be pleasing to Him. John next demonstrates this by using the concept of works. He asks, “And why did he murder him?” The word translated as “murder” is only found in the writings of John. It is used twice in this verse, and eight times in Revelation. It signifies to butcher, particularly an animal for food or as a sacrifice. Cain treated his brother as an animal for sacrifice, maybe thinking that he could make up for his own failed offering by offering a man – his own brother – instead of the fruit of the ground. But he did so out of jealousy concerning his brother’s offering. In this, he only sinned more. As John says, “Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” What works? It was the offerings presented to the Lord. But the works themselves show why they were or were not accepted. It is because of the faith that either accompanied them, or that was lacking in them. Abel’s works were based on his faith and extended from that faith. Cain’s works were not works of faith, and thus they were works of pride, of self, and of earning God’s favor through personal merit. The Lord rejects such works because they are of the devil. This is the same lesson that James conveys in James 2. James is not speaking of works being a natural result of saving faith, and thus an evidence of it. Rather, he is speaking of works (if they exist) being works of faith. Only deeds of faith are acceptable to God. Life application: Cain is the first human ever recorded as being born, and he was a murderer. The Bible records that he “was of the wicked one,” meaning the devil. Jesus said elsewhere – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44 The devil “was a murderer from the beginning.” Jesus was indicating that it is through the work of the devil that death came into the human experience. This doesn’t mean only physical death – a result of the removal of the tree of life. It also, and more specifically, means spiritual death. This spiritual death occurred when Satan enticed Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Just as Satan is a murderer, so Cain, who followed the path of the devil, became one. John says Cain killed his brother “because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” We must remember that the offering of Abel was one of faith. The type of offering made no difference – both types of offerings are later required under the Levitical law. Instead, what matters to God is that the offering then, and our offerings now, must be of faith. Lord, we pray that you will accept our offerings based on the faith we place behind them. Though we may not be rich by the world’s standards, we know that You will accept whatever amount we give when it is done with the proper attitude and in recognition of who You are, what You have already done on our behalf, and of what You have promised for us into the future. May it be so, to Your glory alone. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Apr 26, 2020 0:17:11 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:13, 25 April 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020· Saturday, 25 April 2020 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 1 John 3:13 John just referred to Cain who murdered his brother. He then explained that he did so because “his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” John, understanding that those in Christ are now imputed His righteousness, shows that what Cain felt toward Abel – meaning the enmity and hatred – is something to be expected by believers. In this, he says, “Do not marvel.” The word signifies to be amazed or astonished. John is implying that those he is writing to may be incredulous at the enmity they were experiencing. He next says, “my brethren.” This is the only time he uses this particular word in the epistle. His usual address has been “little children,” or “beloved.” However, he certainly uses the term “brethren” here to contrast his brothers, whom he loves, to Cain who hated his brother. One may have a brother by blood and hate him, but within the context of those in Christ, they are brothers who are to be loved – unconditionally. One may not especially like another believer, but those differences should in no way negate his loving him in a volitional manner. John finishes the thought with, “if the world hates you.” Here, the word “hate” is in the present tense and in the indicative mood. There was hatred, and that hatred was a fact that was directed towards the believers. One might paraphrase his words, “if the world hates you as it does.” If Cain hated Abel for his right conduct in his offering to the Lord, how much more would one expect the world to hate believers who are “in Christ” and thus not of this world! As it is so, no believer should be surprised at the matter. Life application: The believers John addressed had obviously been caught unaware by persecution from the nonbelievers around them. Nothing has changed since that time. The sons of disobedience who are under the devil’s power have been, and will continue, persecuting the sons of God. When John says “if” the world hates you, he is using the word as a foregone conclusion. It is a fact and not a mere possibility. The reason faithful believers are hated is because their lives are a testimony to the fact that the unsaved are… well, unsaved. The problem with people is that they don’t want to admit that it’s possible that God has chosen one path, and one path alone, for men to be saved. Rather, man desires to follow the desires of his heart, knowing inside that this path condemns him. But the prospect of condemnation is something no one looks forward to. And so, a conflict rises which demands a choice – 1) Give up on self and trust in Jesus (with all that should entail, such as giving up on one’s favorite vice or perversion), or 2) Mentally blocking out the truth of the gospel and directing anger at the God who is intolerant of their behavior. In the case of the second option, the anger at God is directed at the people of God. If you don’t believe this, simply go to the internet and type “Christian Persecution” into your image search engine. The horrors perpetrated against faithful believers around the world are astonishing – all because of the name of the One who can bring about reconciliation with God. When a believer understands the depravity of the unregenerate human heart, he should in no way marvel when persecution comes. Be faithful to the Lord regardless of what you may face in the future. He has promised a far better eternal existence for those who love Him. Thank You, O God, for Jesus! May we be willing to endure whatever it takes to remain faithful and obedient sons – bringing glory to You through His name! Regardless of what the world can do to us, we cherish above all else the title of “Christian” because it reflects our personal relationship with Jesus. And that makes being a child of Yours possible. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Apr 27, 2020 0:47:18 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:14, 26 April 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 Sunday, 26 April 2020 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 1 John 3:14 In verse 10, John mentioned love for one’s brother. He then provided the example of Cain, and he gave an explanation between practicing righteousness or not doing so. He now returns to the love of the brethren here, beginning with, “We know.” The words are highly emphatic, and they are contrasted to those of the world mentioned in the previous verse. To know indicates all certainty; it is an assured fact. The believer knows he has done something and is positive in his mind about it. There is no doubt, and there is no reason to relay to others that the situation is otherwise. And that thing which a true and grounded believer knows is “that we have passed from death to life.” The word translated as “have passed” signifies “to pass over.” It is from one state to another. There is a departure from one’s position, and thus there is a movement to that of another position. Further, there is an article before both “death” and “life” – “we have passed out of the death to the life” (YLT). This truth is especially stated by Jesus in John 5:24, where He also used the article – “Verily, verily, I say to you -- He who is hearing my word, and is believing Him who sent me, hath life age-during, and to judgment he doth not come, but hath passed out of the death to the life.” YLT Jesus uses the same article in Revelation 1:8. John’s words, then, are a rather basic statement, and it can only mean one thing. There is nothing hidden in them, and there is nothing to indicate that the “knowing” of the person is somehow wrong. Believers can know that they have passed from the death to the life. Further, John’s words are in the perfect tense, indicative mood. In other words, it is a done deal; the action is complete, and we have become united with Christ in the move. Further, there is certainty in the matter; it is an objective fact. We have moved from darkness to light; from death to life; from the devil to God. These are not made up concepts, but each of them has been used by John to show us our new position because of our faith in Jesus. Taking these words, and uniting them with Jesus’ words in John 5, it is incredible to see believers state that a person can lose his salvation. What does Jesus say? “...and to judgment he doth not come.” Everlasting life is granted, sin is no longer imputed, and the fear of judgment (unto condemnation) is past. The only judgment believers will receive is for rewards and losses, but not in a positional move back to “the death.” Understanding this fundamental point of theology, John continues with, “because we love the brethren.” Jesus explained this in John 13 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34, 35 The point John is making is based on the words of the previous verse – “the world hates you.” The person who did not believe in Jesus a moment earlier, hated what Jesus stands for. In his hating of the faith, he then hated those of the faith. It is the faith that defines who a believer is, and what he is. When the person realizes his need for Christ, he can no longer hate those who represent what Jesus stands for. One has moved from hatred to love and from the death to the life. John then finishes the thought with, “He who does not love his brother abides in death.” Sin results in death (the wages of sin is death). A person who is in that state is of the world, and the world hates Jesus. In hating Jesus, hatred of the brotherhood who represent Jesus is an obvious consequence. John is not speaking of the individual love between two people. A non-believer can be married to, and love, a believer (1 Corinthians 7 shows that such unions exist). However, the nonbeliever has an internal hatred toward the message of Christ (he does not believe). In this state, he abides in death. In abiding in death, there is a hatred for what the believer (even a person he loves) stands for. The thought is of one where a person stands in relation to Christ. It is not speaking of the emotional love between two people, but of the love of God in Christ. Regardless as to the love between the two, the state of hatred toward the identity with Christ remains. Life application: In John’s words there is no other option than to state that this love equates to life, and hate then equates with death. The test for us then in considering the truth of our being born again is not that the world hates us. The test is whether we love the brethren. Anytime someone claims exclusivity on the road to salvation, the world will hate them. This is simply because no one wants to be left out of God’s paradise. Therefore, when anyone claims his way is the only way, he is – because of this precept – going to be hated. This is no guarantee of following the truth though. Cults do this all the time, and yet they are as far from God as any pagan. It is the born-again believer who trusts Christ with his salvation, and who has thereby come to love his fellow believers, that has moved to the sphere of light and life. Despite the failings of others, as well as their idiosyncrasies, make every effort to love the brethren and be at peace with those who may be annoying. It is what God calls us to do as His saved children. Lord, help us to feel the conviction of not loving other believers as we should. Soften our hearts and make them tender towards our fellow believers. Rather than demanding that they change, may it be each of us who are willing to do the changing. Give us the ability to be the ones to reconcile all the petty and insignificant differences we have. This we pray for Your glory. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Apr 28, 2020 1:02:56 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:15, 27 April 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2020 Monday, 27 April 2020 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15 John now sets forth another proposition to be considered, beginning with, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer.” This is similar in thought to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 – “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” Matthew 5:21, 22 Society evaluates man based on his actions. If he has an inclination in his heart to kill another person, he is not guilty of killing that person. However, God is evaluating the heart and intent of the person. The hatred of a brother is as if he has committed the act. In his words, John uses a term which signifies a manslayer. It covers both intentional and unintentional killing, and it is only elsewhere found in John 8:44 – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John is tying the person who hates his brother in with the devil, showing that they bear the same nature. Because they do – both are murderers – he then says, “and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” Of this, the Geneva Bible rightly says, “A confirmation: Whoever is a murderer, is in eternal death: he who hates his brother is a murderer, therefore he is in death. Thereupon follows the other side: He that loves his brother has passed to life, for indeed we are born dead.” Further, and again rightly stated, Cambridge says, “Here, as elsewhere, S. John speaks of eternal life as something which the Christian already has, not which he hopes to win: comp. ... Eternal life has nothing to do with time, and is neither lost nor gained by physical death.” An obvious reason for such conclusions is that a person is positionally “in Christ” the moment he receives Christ. Sin is no longer imputed to him for actions which violate law (2 Corinthians 5:19). However, it is certainly true that Christians have – throughout the church age and to this day – murdered (intentionally or unintentionally) others. And yet, they remain saved and they possess eternal life. Therefore, what John is speaking of is either one being like Cain and of the devil (see John 8:44 above), or they have moved to Christ and are of Christ. There is only one of two states for all humanity. We can either choose Christ, and therefore love the people who are in Christ (and what they are doing to bring people to Christ), or we will remain in the devil and hate those who are in Christ (and reject what they are doing to bring people to Christ). What is being done in Christ and for Christ cannot be separated from who He is. This is evident from the entire surrounding body of what is said in John 8 – Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:42-47 Life application: Jesus uses the same type of analogy concerning adultery – the intent of the heart is what is judged by God. Even the Ten Commandments search the hearts for intent – such as coveting. When we have such heart problems, they are evaluated as such. Thank God for His grace and mercy in Christ Jesus who no longer imputes to us sin for the thoughts which we continue to bear in our hearts. O God, You know that our hearts tread in unsafe waters from time to time. You know the deepest secrets they hold and the depths of wickedness that we are capable of. So, Lord, please keep us from allowing these thoughts and intents to grow. We know if they do, we could easily act upon them, bringing great shame to Your name in other’s eyes. Guide us from such paths of waywardness and lead us on paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Apr 28, 2020 23:39:43 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:16, 28 April 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020 Tuesday, 28 April 2020 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 John 3:16 John now brings in a thought that ties in nicely with verse 3:1. Putting them side by side, this can be seen – “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.” In his words of this verse, John includes an article before “love” to show us this. The Greek more precisely reads, “By this, we know the love.” In this, it is the state of love which is referred to. John says that we can know this perfect state of love “because He laid down His life for us.” As an important side note, the KJV erringly inserts the words “of God” after “the love” into this verse – “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” This insertion is inappropriate. God did not die. The human side of Jesus – the Man – died. This may be the same as “the love of God” found in the next verse, but only in the fact that God directed it, not because God “laid down His life.” The insertion produces a theological error and needs to be annotated as such in that version in order to avoid confusion. It is Christ Jesus’ humanity that died, thus demonstrating the perfect love that should direct our own lives. This is then explained by John when he says, “And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Jesus set the example, showing us that physical death is not the end of our existence, and thus it is not something that we should shy away from when it can mean the saving of others. Because Christ rose from the grave, and because He promises to those who believe in Him that they too will rise from the grave, there is – literally – nothing to be concerned about in giving up one’s life for another. And because this is a demonstration of “the love,” meaning the perfect love, then it is a demonstration of being a faithful follower of Christ who embodies the love of God in Himself. This is why John refers to “the love of God” in the coming verse. It is not because God gave up His life, but because Christ Jesus, in His humanity did so, thus revealing the very heart of what God intends for us to see concerning Him. Life application: John’s words, “we know,” are in the perfect tense. In other words, he is speaking of a completed action. It is obvious what he is referring to – the cross. By this example, above all other examples, we know love. Along with this comes the explicit comment – “He laid down His life for us.” John is confirming here what he recorded in his gospel, meaning the very words of Jesus – “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”John 10:17, 18 Later, in John 15, Jesus tells us this is the greatest of all love – that a man would lay down his life for his brother. Thinking on Jesus’ words and processing it in light of the crucifixion, which he personally witnessed many years earlier, John stood in complete awe of the God/Man who would demonstrate such amazing love. John’s words, in all of his writings, simply exude the love of God. For this reason, he is also particularly hard on false teachings. Such teachings attempt to undermine the heart of what his eyes had witnessed and what his mind had thought about – complete, pure, and perfect love. And now, in his old age, John repeats to us what the Lord did and asks us to act in the same manner. He tells us that we ought also “to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Our dying would not be isn’t an act of removing their sins as Jesus’ was. Instead, it reveals a demonstration that we know our sins were removed and that we wish to fellowship with Jesus in His death if it means life for another. Simply amazing! Simply astonishing! What a path to peace! Lord Jesus, if it will bring You glory and if we are in the right time and place to be given the honor of laying down our lives for another, may we do so without reticence or timidity. Instead, may we do so with the intent of saving that person so that he can live another day. If our lives end for such a reason, then we will consider it an honor and a reward in itself. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Apr 29, 2020 23:54:26 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:17, 29 April 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 Wednesday, 29 April 2020 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 1 John 3:17 In the previous verse, John spoke of us laying down our lives for one another as the greatest example of love and something we should be willing to do for one another. Today, John brings another type of person into stark contrast with a person who would lay down his life in this way – the person who won’t simply help a brother in need. In other words, dying for one another is the high and lofty goal we should set, but simply helping those around us who are truly in need is an outward demonstration of the basic sort of faith that anyone can and should possess. And so, John begins with, “But whoever has this world’s goods.” The Greek literally reads, “the goods of the world.” This term speaks of someone who has the personal necessities of life to sustain him. It is implied that what he has is enough to share with others, because John next says, “and sees his brother in need.” The person obviously is fine in and of himself to the point where he can extend his hand to the brother who is in need. The words, “sees his brother,” indicate an obvious observation of the person and the dire straits he is in. He sees him and continues to see him in this situation, and yet he “shuts up his heart from him.” The one who has the world’s goods allows his heart to harden to that person’s unhappy situation. This indicates an intentional and perverse attitude concerning his fellow man – his brother – who is in need. Such a person fails to meet the basic description of a person who is right with God. This is seen as John finishes with the question, “how does the love of God abide in him?” The stated question then is not only rhetorical, but it demands a harsh answer – Q: “How does the love of God abide in him?” A: “It doesn’t. This man fails the basic test of demonstrating he is a child of the living God.” John’s words here closely follow in thought to those of James – “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17 Life application: The idea presented here is one which was spoken of by Jesus. It continues through Paul’s writings, and it is carried on by these other apostles as well. If we ought to be willing to lay down our lives for others, how much more willing should we be to extend our help to those that we should even lay down our lives for! Search yourself carefully and see if you pass this basic and precisely worded test. If you do, then don’t forget that there truly are those in need who can use love, assistance, and prayer. Remember to tend to them and be the type of child that God has called you to be. Do this to His glory and honor and to the praise of Jesus – the ultimate example of the love of God. Yes, O God! We will do our best at helping those around us who are truly in need. Let our hearts not be callous and cold to such people as we live our lives in the abundance You have given to us. May we be willing to share what is rightfully Yours in the first place. And this we pray to Your glory and the glory of our Savior Jesus. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Apr 30, 2020 23:30:13 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:18, 30 April 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020 Thursday, 30 April 2020 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18 John has been speaking of accomplishing deeds for others – laying down one’s life, sharing the world’s goods, etc. He now shares a simple instruction which goes to the heart of this type of attitude. To do so, he begins with his familiar address, “My little children.” Again, John is speaking to those who believe, as a father would speak to his young ones. This is to impress upon his reader that this is an obvious thing, but it is one which still must be taught. It is so obvious that one might trip right over it by neglecting the more important part of the matter, which begins with, “let us not love in word or in tongue.” The Greek has no article before “word,” but there is one before “tongue.” A more precise reading would be, “let us not love in word, neither with the tongue.” He is not saying to not do these things, but not to only do these things. To love in word is acceptable, and we do it all the time. But it is no good to love in word, even if we mean it, and to not act upon that love when it is necessary to do so. This would demonstrate a love which is unwilling to move to action because it is weak: either in the source, or toward the object of the love. In other words, the act of laying one’s life down for another may be greater than the source can muster, or the act of giving of one’s worldly goods towards another may be evaluated as too great in relation to the object of the love. To love in tongue is to “say” there is a love, but which is hypocritical from the outset. The source of the statement bears no love for the object in the first place. Such a feckless love is wrong. John says we are not to merely have genuine love, but we are to act upon what issues forth from the mouth by loving “in deed and in truth.” The “deed” is the laying down of one’s life. The “deed” is giving, even when what is possessed appears to be of a greater value to the person than the object of the action. It is a sacrificial giving which may actually hurt, but which is right to do. The “truth” is that if the word of love is spoken, it is to be an honest word; one without hypocrisy. If it is not an honest word, it is not to be conveyed in the first place. Life application: In the previous verse, the words of James were cited. Again here, they are appropriate to be cited again – “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does itprofit?” James 2:15, 16 In both instances, the tongue is used to “love” the brother, but nothing is done to demonstrate the love indicated. In John’s verse, he says we should not merely “love in word or tongue.” James indicates that such an attitude is completely unprofitable. It is as if these two men were singing the same song, and echoing one another, as their voices rise above the false living around them. Further, deeds need to be backed up by real love or they are without any true value – “You look hungry, can I get you anything to eat? And is there anything else I can do to help? I’m sorry for your troubles and I’d like to pray with you if you’d like.” As Solomon noted long ago – “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard.” Proverbs 21:13 Let us then love in deed and also in truth. May our tongues not just wag at the plight of those around us. This can be applied to both the physically and the spiritually needy. Have you taken the time to tell the poor in spirit about Jesus? Eternity is waiting for them too. Where they will spend it may be up to you opening your mouth and speaking. Lord Jesus, in relation to the time we have been given, what little time we have actually devoted to the needy around us – both those who are physically needy and those who are spiritually needy as they live without a saving knowledge of You. Turn our hearts to be those whose hearts break for the poor in body and in spirit. And, Lord, direct our steps to tend to their needs. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 2, 2020 0:33:34 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:19, 1 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 Friday, 1 May 2020 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 1 John 3:19 John just wrote of loving not merely “in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth.” Now, speaking of such true love, he says, “And by this we know that we are of the truth.” He is referring to that which he just wrote, not something he will next write about. We know that we are of the truth if we love as we ought to love. In the end, the state of our hearts is really only known by us and by God, and we even have the ability to deceive ourselves. Therefore, John is essentially asking us to do a full self-evaluation of our words and actions, searching to see if “we are of the truth.” In this, we “shall assure our hearts before Him.” Here, the words “before him” are emphatic. The order of the Greek is, “and before Him we will assure the heart of us.” In evaluating our actions, and especially the intent behind them, we will be able to assure our own hearts that we are truly conducting ourselves in the manner which reveals the truth of our state. In doing this, we then make it possible to then have an appropriate response to our self-evaluation – either a condemning heart, or a heart which has confidence toward God. That is what John will continue to speak of in the verses ahead. But such is not possible without truly searching ourselves out – in both deed, and in the motive behind our deeds. Life application: John has been talking about love for our brethren for quite a few verses. He indicates that this is the test of being a true believer. When we have the ability to love our brethren as we are supposed to, then we have the full assurance that “we are of the truth.” It is possessing a knowledge which assures our hearts before God. The word “assure,” which John uses here, carries the thought of persuading or even tranquilizing our hearts. We can have completely pacified hearts when we come into God’s presence. Obviously, the opposite should be true if our motives are not genuine. We should feel convicted and uneasy about our prayers and our expectation of meeting God when we fail to love our brothers in Christ as we should. It really is a double-edged sword. We can overcome the guilt though, by simply acting in a manner which unities us in Christ. In the book of Hebrews, we read these words – “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus endured the same emotions and feelings that we did. Because of this, He can sympathize with us in our own weakness. If you are struggling with the love-of-the-brother issue, then go boldly to the throne of grace and ask God to help you with it. Tell Him you need a spiritual tune up and a change in heart about the brother you are at odds with. When you do this, your heart will be assured before Him – tranquilized and at complete rest in His peaceful presence. Thank You Lord, that we can come boldly into your presence to find help in our times of need. At times, we struggle with loving some fellow Christians, and we know the wall it sets between us and You, but when we come to You for the purpose of settling these differences, the door is open, and You are there to help us. Thank You for this, Lord God. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 3, 2020 0:56:17 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:20, 2 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2020 Saturday, 2 May 2020 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 1 John 3:20 This is admitted to be a difficult verse by Greek scholars. Vincent’s Word Studies argues that the opening conjunction should be translated as a relative – “In whatever.” If so, it would say as the NASB – “In whatever our hearts condemn us.” No matter what the translation, the verse does not stand alone. It must be taken with the surrounding context. John had just noted (verse 18) that we are not to love in word or tongue, but in deed and truth. That was based on how we treat others (verses 16 & 17). He then said (verse 19) that we know we are of the truth, “and shall assure our hearts before Him.” He is tying in our treatment of others to the state of our hearts. There may be things which condemn our hearts, such as our treatment of others, a hidden sin we cannot shake off, a sudden burst of anger at someone or because of something, and so on. In such a display, our hearts may say, “How can you be saved?”, or “How can God love you?”, or maybe, “You are a miserable excuse for a Christian.” This is natural thinking, and it is correct. If it were up to our actions, we would lose our salvation. If God was any other than God, He would truly not like us. And if being a Christian meant that we must be perfect in and of ourselves, we certainly would not be Christians. But each of these is an evaluation of the situation based on our own limited perceptions and abilities. God is infinite and has control of the entire universe. He is not stuck on our teeny little part of either time or space. As John says, “God is greater than our heart.” Our hearts are, as Jeremiah says, “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” He then asks, “Who can know it.” The answer is, “No human can know even his own heart.” But God can, because He “knows all things.” He is not limited to time. Therefore, when a person comes to Christ, that person is given a new direction, a spiritual rebirth, and he is no longer imputed sin for the things he does (such as those mentioned above). God does not forget the sealing of His Spirit upon the person. He does not forget the guarantee which that signifies, and He understands the limitations and failings that accompany our fallen bodies in a fallen world. If it were up to any person to remain saved, no person would remain saved. But God is greater than that. He has saved, He continues to apply that salvation, and His unconditional decree will continue to do so for all eternity. Life application: Maybe we are being too harsh on our fellow brothers. Or maybe we are being too soft on them. Either way, our heart – our conscience – is condemning us because of it. Have you ever overly accused a fellow Christian of something and later felt remorse at it? Or on the other hand, have you seen a fellow Christian doing something and not been harsh enough on him? If so, maybe later you felt your conscience attacking you over it. But maybe you handled the matter exactly as you should have, and yet you still are not even sure about that. In all three of these cases, God is greater than our heart (and our actions which condemn our heart.) He knows all things and looks inside of us, knowing what our true intent was and the love that our action was intended to be carried out with. Because He knows us, even better than we know ourselves, He is there approving of the correct attitude of the heart, even if the appropriateness of the action we took is uncertain to us. Have confidence that He knows your heart, and your intent, and that He is there to soothe you when you talk to Him about such things. Just like the closest of friends (and even more) He has an ear for our thoughts. Don’t be afraid to talk to Him about them. Thank You Lord, for knowing us even better than we know ourselves! Thank You for listening to the trials of our hearts as we walk uncertainly in some of the actions we take. You peer deep inside and know the very motives for the things we do, and so we know that we can trust that You are dealing in the fairest way towards us. We love You Lord. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 4, 2020 0:38:20 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:21, 3 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2020 Sunday, 3 May 2020 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 1 John 3:21 John now states a truth based on what he just said in the previous verse. There, he said, “if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart.” Now, he begins his obviously truthful statement by saying, “Beloved.” If the believer had a condemning heart, it does not exclude the fact that he is a believer. Thus, John reminds us of this fact. “Your heart may condemn you, but you are beloved still because of Christ.” It is a touching note for one who is facing his own internal accusations. Next, he says, “if our heart does not condemn us.” The exact opposite proposition is now stated. A person in Christ may have a condemning heart. If so, God is greater than that troubled state. However, a believer may not have a heart which condemns. The conscience is clear, there is no secret sin or hidden failing known to the individual. Such a person lives out his life with the Lord on his mind and at his side at all times. In such a sweet spot, John says, “we have confidence toward God.” The word translated as “confidence” signifies “boldness of speech.” When one speaks openly, he has confidence in his words. This is the attitude which is possessed by the one who is confident, or bold, toward God. His heart is right with Him, and so when he speaks (out loud, or simply in his heart) to God, there is nothing which hinders his words that is secretly hidden away and that he would be ashamed of. John is not speaking of deserving such a state, as if “I have earned the right to speak boldly before God because of what I have done.” The humblest person on the planet, who feels he is completely unworthy of God’s grace, may still have this confidence. It is one which speaks not of deserving, but of understanding what God expects and having done those things according to His will. A person who has been given a car may feel he is undeserving of having been given it. But when he goes to register it, he has complete confidence that he has a right to do so, and that there is nothing wrong in his ownership that should hinder the process of registration. On the other hand, someone may have stolen a car and is worried that registering it might be problematic. Or, he may have legally bought the car, but fudged on the amount paid, thus the taxes were cheated to some extent. Or, the car may have passed through several hands before it was registered, and in the process, something was introduced into the transfer which was not wholly legal. Or, etc. In such a case, he may actually own the car, but there is no confidence toward the state that the registration process will go unhindered. This is what John is referring to. Deserving or not deserving the car (or the salvation) is not what is being considered here. It is the state of the believer in his continued walk before the Lord. Life application: John is making an a fortiori argument, meaning “with even stronger reason.” Such is a situation in which if one thing is true then how much more will a second thing be true? 1) If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart. 2) If our heart doesn’t condemn us, how much more then will we have confidence before God! We have complete intimacy towards God in our prayers, in our relationship, in our position in Christ. In this verse are the words pros ton theon which are translated as “toward God.” These are the same words used in John 1:1 where it states, “with God.’” It reflects an intimacy as if you were standing face to face with the Lord. Taking all this in, we can infer that when we act, live, pray, etc., we should do it with a pure conscience and in a manner that keeps our heart from condemning us in the things we do. When we live this way, we have a special confidence that allows us complete comfort and even a sense of restful peace as we live in His presence. As it says in Acts 17:28 – “…for in Him we live and move and have our being…” Because we live in the presence of God, because our actions are in the presence of God, and because our very existence is in the presence of God, when we have pure hearts and an undefiled conscience, we have a confidence and an assurance which is unshakeable. However, let us think back to what it is like when we don’t possess these qualities. When they are lacking, we have the ever-present reminder that we are still in His presence and He is aware of the things we are doing, even apart from His will. Let us endeavor to be in His will and have confidence towards Him. Lord, what peaceful assurance we have when we are living in Your will and conducting our lives in a manner pleasing to You. Remind us by convicting our consciences of our need to live in a way which is pure and undefiled all times. We pray this knowing that You will do more than we ask or imagine. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 4, 2020 23:48:23 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:22, 4 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·MONDAY, MAY 4, 2020 Monday, 4 May 2020 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 1 John 3:22 John just spoke of confidence before God when our hearts do not condemn us. In this state, John writes, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him.” Immediately, this seems like an unconditional grant, and that if we want a new Mercedes, it will show up in our driveway in the morning. In fact, this is how certain groups take this verse. To them, God is a cosmic ATM, and wealth comes about by simply claiming it. James dispels that type of nonsense – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:3 One cannot “ask amiss” and expect to get what he wants. Further, it is not only the appropriate asking which brings about what we desire. John next states, “because we keep His commandments.” The verb is in the present tense, indicative mood – “We are surely keeping His commandments.” The word “keep” signifies “to observe.” One may “keep” his word, for example. John will explain what this means in the verses to come, but it has nothing to do with observing the Law of Moses. In fact, observing the law as a means of obtaining God’s approval is a mark of pride, and thus it excludes exactly what John will say in the next verse. This is because the law is not based on faith, but on works. But works are excluded from the equation as begins to be seen by the final clause, “and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” Again, the verb is in the present tense, indicative mood – “We are surely doing those things which are pleasing in God’s sight.” The word signifies doing (such as the will of God), producing (such as bearing fruit), and so on. Again, the keeping and doing are based on what God has set forth – keeping His commandments and doing what is pleasing in His sight. Unless those things are being actively tended to, one cannot expect to “receive from Him” whatever he asks. And, as noted by James, what is asked must be in accord with His will. Life application: This verse is one of great expectation for the believer. John’s words contain a wonderful promise that God hears every prayer and that none are left unattended. However, and as was noted, it is not without conditions attached to it. The believer who receives must first give. He must give of himself by actively keeping God’s – 1) Commandments – those things which are explicitly named in the Bible as expected of believers. These are not options. 2) Those things pleasing in His sight – these are the general things that are implicitly taught in the Bible and that lead to a whole, rounded, and faithful walk in Christ. If we don’t act faithfully on His commandments and if we don’t do what is pleasing in the sight of the Lord, then how can we expect to receive whatever we ask from Him? Can we expect this from our parents? Can we expect it from a business when we go shopping? Can we expect it from our government agencies? Of course not! Unless we do as we’re asked or told, no one will fulfill our wishes. And finally (and just as important) – we cannot expect whatever we ask if it is not in accord with His will. It is faithless at best to demand anything of God. He is in heaven and we are on earth. When God doesn’t directly give us what we ask for, it is because He has given us what is best for us indirectly. He has responded according to His glory and according to our needs, both realized and unrealized by us. He knows what they are even if we don’t. Lord God, may we never claim anything in Jesus’ name, but rather may we humbly ask for those things we desire, and which are in accord with Your will, knowing that You will respond according to our obedience and according to Your glory. Forgive us if we are faithless, and help us to make the corrections in our lives so that we may be pleasing vessels, ready for Your use. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 6, 2020 0:45:45 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:23, 5 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2020 Tuesday, 5 May 2020 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. 1 John 3:23 In the previous verse, John said, “because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” He now says, “And this is His commandment.” John goes from the plural to the singular. The singular, then, is the commandment of God, and it is in relation to “His Son Jesus Christ.” God’s commandment is “that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” To do the commandment of God, one must do this thing. This is how John closed out his gospel – “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:30, 31 What is presented then builds upon what is said in John 6:29 – “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” Believing in Jesus being sent from God is the work that is necessary. In believing in this, one will believe that He is the Son of God (meaning deity) and believing on His name as well (meaning that He is the incarnation of the Divine Name – YHVH). All of this is tied up in the thought. John next says, “and love one another. As He gave us commandment.” This is the command of God the Son. Jesus stated this commandment in the Gospel of John – in verse 13:34 (and which is substantially repeated in 15:12) – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Together, these form the “commandments” noted in the previous verse. However, one cannot escape the truth that when John says “His commandments” in the previous verse, and then “His commandment” and “as He gave us commandment” in this verse, that the two are united in one thought. The commandment of God and the commandment of Jesus are considered as one – meaning that Jesus must be God. Understanding this, there is a commandment which cannot be overlooked in the process of keeping His commandments. In other words, we can “do” all day, and still not be “doing” what is necessary. For example, the word says to refrain from sexual immorality. One can do that and still not meet the main requirement which will make a person pleasing in the sight of God. In fact, a person can “do” everything that is asked of him in the entire New Covenant except the one thing that John mentions, meaning believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and he can be as far from God as Satan himself. And in believing in Jesus, one is naturally expected to be obedient to the command He gave to love. Though they are two things – believing and love – they are united as one. They cannot be separated. This will be further explained in the next chapter, especially in 1 John 4:9. John is showing that faith and love are a unit. This then provides the clarification needed to understand the previous verses. Someone might argue that “doing” is sufficient to meet God’s commandments, even if we don’t believe. This is incorrect. If one is to do what is right, he must rightly believe as well. The doing part is loving one another, but a person can love every believer on the planet and not be a believer in the name of Jesus, the Son of God. If this is the case, then his love of those people does not make him right with God. The two commandments unite as one whole. Life application: This verse may very well may sum up the expectation of the Christian as well as any other verse in the New Testament. When John says we are to believe on the name of Jesus Christ, he uses an aorist verb. This indicates the initial conversion of a believer. This requirement is stated by Paul in Romans 10:9, 10 – “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Believing on the name of Jesus means believing on everything His name represents in the context of “Lord.” Jesus is our God united with human flesh. He is able to save us, freeing us from our sin debt. He is able to continue to save us despite ourselves, etc. Secondly, after believing, John brings in loving one another. Love for other Christians is to be the defining characteristic of the faithful (those who have believed). Let us live as if we believe it truly is the case! Paul shows us the importance of love in this manner in 1 Corinthians 13. Take time today to read that short passage and think on it as you go about your day. Lord God, for those who have believed in Jesus Christ, it was with the heart, trusting in Him for our salvation. Since that time, we have not always been faithful, and we have failed to love our fellow Christians as we ought to have. Forgive us of this and lead us to the point of loving them, even as You love each of us. To Your glory we pray, Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 8, 2020 0:36:27 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 3:24, 6 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020 Wednesday, 6 May 2020 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 1 John 3:24 John spoke of keeping “His commandments” in verse 3:22. In the previous verse, he then spoke of “His commandment,” meaning God’s commandment, that we believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ. He also mentioned that we are “to love one another as He’, meaning Jesus, “gave us commandment.” John now again speaking in the plural writes, “Now he who keeps His commandments.” It is obvious from the way John structured verse 3:23 that he is saying that Jesus is God. The Father gave commandment concerning the Son, and the Son gave commandment concerning love. Both together (being God) gave “His commandments.” John notes that he who keeps God’s commandments “abides in Him.” One only has to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God once. That is keeping God’s commandment. As noted, John used an aorist verb. Believe at a certain point and the commandment is fulfilled. At the same time, the other commandment – which is to love one another – is fulfilled. This was seen while considering verse 3:14. John was not speaking of the individual love between two people. As we noted then, a non-believer can be married to, and love, a believer (1 Corinthians 7 shows that such unions exist, even from a biblical perspective). However, the nonbeliever has an internal hatred toward the message of Christ (he does not believe). In this state, he abides in death. In abiding in death, there is a hatred for what the believer (even a person he loves) stands for. The thought of loving one another is revealed in how a person stands in relation to Christ. It is not speaking of the emotional love between people, but of the love of God in Christ. Until one comes to Christ, regardless of the love between any particular people, the state of hatred toward the identity with Christ remains. However, in believing in the Son, the love towards other believers takes its proper place, and it provides a demonstration of the state of the believer abiding in God. But more than abiding in God, John also says, “and He in him.” This is the sealing of the Spirit which is found in Ephesians 1 – “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14 Paul calls this sealing of the Holy Spirit a “promise” and a “guarantee.” The state of God abiding in the person is realized when the person believes in the name of God’s Son and in the loving of one another through that act. This is exactly what John next confirms, which is in complete accord with what Paul says. He finishes the verse with, “And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” This is John’s first mention of the Spirit in his epistle, but naming Him here is a confirmation of what he has been writing about. If we have done the one thing that God expects of us by believing in Jesus (and which then fulfills the second commandment of loving one another), we are sealed with His Spirit. In this, we know that God abides in us. The word states it is true, and we are to accept that by faith. There is no need for an outward demonstration by God of the sealing of the Spirit, such as speaking in tongues or so on. Rather, our love of one another is sufficient evidence for us to be assured it is true. Life application: It is important to keep this verse in the context given, which is speaking of belief and love as the overarching commandments. In believing and loving, we abide in Him and He abides in us. John is not speaking about the Law of Moses in any way, shape, or form. The Law of Moses and in fact the entire Old Covenant law, is set aside in Christ. This is mentioned explicitly several times in the book of Hebrews and elsewhere. It is obsolete, it is set aside, it is annulled, and it is nailed to the cross. If you are in a church that mandates any Old Covenant precept– Sabbath Day observance, tithing, etc., then you should discuss this matter with the church and determine why they are clinging to that which is unprofitable. If they continue with their improper doctrine, it’s time to leave that church. If we are in Christ, let us not grieve the Holy Spirit by trying to reintroduce that which has been set aside by the glorious work of Jesus our Lord. Yes, Lord God – we will endeavor to live faithfully and love wholeheartedly. We will do this because it is what You desire of us. May our lives be testaments to You and Your work at all times. May we not attempt to purchase that which You have already paid for through our own futile efforts. Rather, may we trust in the grace You offer through the giving of Your Son. To Your honor and glory we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 8, 2020 0:38:59 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:1, 7 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 Thursday, 7 May 2020 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 John again uses the word “Beloved” to introduce an exhortation that he earnestly wants his reader to pay heed to. There is a danger which will arise if his words are not heeded, and so to avoid that, he draws us close to himself with this word. His next words begin to convey this thought, but they are words which have seemed to fall on deaf ears throughout the church age, “do not believe every spirit.” When he says, “do not believe every spirit,” the ISV gives the proper sense of the words by translating it as “stop believing every spirit.” The verb is a present participle. In other words, he was countering a person or persons who were at that time presenting false messages to his audience. But this still applies to us today – “Stop believing every spirit…” However, to do so requires discernment. After one has discernment, he must then apply that discernment. This is seen in the words, “but test the spirits.” One can have no discernment and be unable to test the spirits. One can have discernment, but then fail to test the spirits. John calls for both. But discernment cannot come without knowledge, and knowledge in this matter cannot come without reading and remembering what is contained within the Bible. This is because the Bible is from God. Therefore, it will reveal what is not of God. As John then says, “whether they are of God.” If “the spirits” call for some type of action or belief which is contrary to what is outlined in Scripture, they are false. The list of such things is almost endless because people have failed to simply “test the spirits” by making a rational and reasonable comparison to what the word of God states. That which is of God will be in accord with His word. That which is not of God will be at variance with it. The standard is the word of God. That which is opposed to the standard comes from that which is false. This is why John then says, “because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Here we see the antithesis of verse 3:24, which spoke of the Holy Spirit. John brings in false prophets who then convey a false spirit. As he often does, he uses the antithetical method to strike real contrasts to help us understand the truth. Just as light and darkness are opposing forces, so the Holy Spirit is opposed to the spirit of falsehood. In the Old Testament, false prophets presented a message which was in opposition to that of the true prophets. With the introduction of the New Covenant, these false prophets present a message which is in opposition to that of the true apostles. John’s referring to such false teachers is not unique. Both Paul and Peter speak of them as well – “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” 2 Peter 2:1-3 The apostles are in agreement on this, there is the spirit of truth, and there is the spirit of error. There are true teachers, and there are false teachers. There is revealed light, and there is the darkness of deception. And, as noted above, there is only one way to be able to truly discern between the two. That is by knowing Scripture, and then making a reasonable comparison between what is presented there, and what is then presented by a teacher (or false teacher) of the word. Finally, and as is obvious, Vincent’s Word Studies notes that the words “have gone out” are in the perfect tense, indicating “that the influence of their going out on their false mission is in operation at the present.” Life application: Unfortunately, it is in our nature to want to believe the sensational or exciting. Because of this, it is incredibly easy to get drawn into deceit and lies. This is especially true when we don’t know our doctrine well. Christians give a great deal of their money and effort to people who don’t say anything of value from the Bible. Instead, they manipulate choice verses and give promises of blessing while filling their own coffers. If you are ever tempted to send someone money because you can “reap a harvest,” then you have been deceived. If you believe you can be healed by someone over the telephone after “sowing a seed,” then you have been deceived. If you believe someone has accurately picked the date of the second coming of Christ, then you’ve been deceived. These things should be obvious, but it is much nicer to believe a lie, filled with hope, than it is to believe the truth which delays that hope – even if it is in God’s good timing to do so. Remember that “false prophets” are simply “false teachers.” They are instructing in that which is a lie, manipulating the truth for their own benefit. You are responsible for your own doctrine, so never take anyone’s interpretation of the Bible at face value. Rather, go and research it for yourself. This is noteworthy and yet is what is expected in the believer. Heavenly Father, give us wise and discerning hearts concerning the things relating to You and Your word. Help us not to be drawn in by teachers who have hidden motives that are not in line with the gospel of Jesus. Instead, help us to discern that which is right and that which is wrong, so that our time and resources will be properly dedicated to You. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 9, 2020 0:04:42 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:2, 8 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 Friday, 8 May 2020 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 1 John 4:2 John just noted that we are to “test the spirits” in order to determine if they are of God. One concrete test is now provided concerning this. That is evidenced by the words, “By this.” John will make a declaration that will confirm a truth. That truth is, “you know the Spirit of God.” If we are to test the spirits, we can be certain that in our testing of various precepts, one that meets the following criteria is from the Spirit of God. And that is, “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” The first thing to understand, then, is that any spirit which does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh cannot be of God. It is obvious on the surface. The Greek of the statement more literally reads, “Jesus Christ, having come in the flesh.” This is what the word “confesses” is referring to. One of the significant points of this statement is that Jesus didn’t come “into the flesh,” as if there was a human who became the Christ at some point during his life. Rather, Jesus Christ came as a human, as is stated in John 1:14 – “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” It speaks of the incarnation where God united with humanity. Next are the words “has come,” or more literally, “having come.” The verb is a perfect participle. We are not confessing a Christ who came, but is no longer the Christ. Rather, He came and abides in the flesh still. He is forever united to humanity – the God/Man. What occurred in His coming is a one-time and for-all-time event. And this coming is defined as “in the flesh.” The thought takes us in two directions. He came, and He came “in the flesh.” It signifies that there was a point in the existence of Christ that He did not have flesh. Thus, it speaks of the deity of Christ as much as the humanity. He is fully God, but He also came (and abides) in the flesh. The second direction is that He truly bears flesh. It is not that He merely appeared to be human as Docetism claims. Rather, he is literally clothed in humanity. Because of this state, he could – and did – fulfill all things according to the laws given to man, meaning the Law of Moses. He literally suffered as a human. He also literally died in fulfillment of the law and on behalf of others. This then is a confirmation of verse 3:16 which said that “He laid down His life for us.” This literally happened, in a real body, and it was a body that God had united with. This state in which Christ came was, therefore, fully sufficient to accomplish all things according to the order of men. This is what the author of Hebrews states – “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:14-18 It is the confession that this is actually what occurred – God united with flesh and came and dwelt among us – that is the “of God.” This means the source of such a confession finds its source in God and it proceeds from Him. “To confess that Jesus the anointed is come in the flesh, is to confess that there is a medium of spiritual communications between the visible and the invisible world, between earth and heaven. It is to confess that there is one Mediator for all men” (Maurice). Life application: One thing that we can be completely sure of is that if the Bible says something, then nothing will contradict what it says and still be of the Spirit of God. This is an important axiom to remember because churches and Christians ascribe a ton of things to the workings of the Holy Spirit which clearly can’t be such. Instead, they are the fanciful dreams of people – meant for good or for harm. A very good case in point is the speaking of tongues. Paul gives very specific guidelines for the speaking of tongues in his letter to the Corinthians. This was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and therefore, any “speaking of tongues” in a church that doesn’t adhere to those guidelines is only made up drama and not a working of the Spirit. Are the tongues translated? Are the tongues spoken one at a time? Do no more than three people speak in tongues during the service? If these three (and other) requirements – as a minimum – are not met, then it is not of the Holy Spirit – it was an invention of the person in an attempt to gain attention. Likewise, when a pastor, teacher, etc. confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, then he has passed one of the basic tests necessary to be considered sound in his message. It isn’t the only test, but it is a necessary one. “Confess” means to openly acknowledge this truth. Unless this is done, no confession has been made. The mode of the confession – when speaking of Christ’s manifestation – is “in flesh” with no article. Thus, it demonstrates the completeness of what occurred. And, as noted above, what John says is in the perfect tense (having come) and therefore indicates Jesus’ incarnation is permanent. No one can speak truth about Jesus unless he confesses that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, that He is fully God and fully man, and that this incarnation is permanent. The permanence means He wasn’t resurrected in spirit only, but bodily. Likewise, this resurrected body is eternal in nature. Listen carefully and make sure these points are acknowledged as truth. Heavenly Father, may we never stray from the words of the Bible into things which are either sensational or detracting from its truth. Instead, give us wisdom in understanding Your word so that we will not be foolish in our worship or duped in our beliefs about the Person and work of Jesus the Lord. To Your glory we pray this! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 9, 2020 23:25:16 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:3, 9 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020·READING TIME Saturday, 9 May 2020 ...and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 1 John 4:3 John now returns to the concept of the Antichrist that he discussed in verses 2:18-22. In verse 2:22, he said, He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. As explained, that was referring to the Father/Son relationship, meaning that Jesus Christ is born of God and thus He is fully God. To deny the deity of Christ is Antichrist. John now confirms that, while continuing his thoughts concerning testing the spirits. He had just said that “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” That speaks of the incarnation. To confess the incarnation of Jesus Christ is a spirit that is of God. Now he says, “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” A more literal translation of the first part of this verse would read, “And any spirit that not confesses Jesus Christ in the flesh has come, from God not is.” It is stated in a negative form, rather than a positive. John is drawing lines in the sand with his theology. His use of “confess” is in the present tense and, as has been the case many times in this letter, is speaking of a person who does not actively and consistently follow through with an action. In this case, it is to confess that Jesus has come in the flesh. Sure, anyone can say Jesus is God incarnate to impress an audience, but he can also be speaking a complete lie. If he truly believes this is so, he will continue to confess it and live in such a manner that he believes it is really the case. Another interesting point is that there is a definite article before “Jesus.” In essence, it says, “…does not confess that the Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” Why would John do this? It is because there were, there are now, and there will continue to be, people who claim faith in Jesus, but it is not the same Jesus described in the Bible. They are proclaiming a “false Jesus.” The words of John’s statement are obvious on the surface, but they needed to be said. A denial of the deity of Jesus, who is also fully human, is not of God. One must accept the incarnation, as it is presented in Scripture, or that person is not of God. A list of some of the heretical teachings found during the church age are Adoptionism, Docetism, Apollinarianism, Arianism, Nestorianism, Eutychianism (also known as Monophysitism), Monothelitism, Patripassianism, Psilanthropism, Sabellianism, and Tritheism. Each introduces a subtle change in what is considered orthodoxy, and eventually it will lead to a total breakdown in sound theology. This list is not an all-inclusive list of heresies. Some of them affirm Jesus is human while not God. Some affirm He is God, but not human. Some divide His life up into being only human at times, and then endowed with deity at others. And so on. The main point of John’s words is that Jesus is God and He is human – fully and forever from the moment of His incarnation. But even this can be misunderstood. Some say that Jesus was created in the womb of Mary, and then God united with this physical body. This is a heresy because it denies the actual human lineage of Jesus. It means God could have created a body for Jesus in any woman. The fact that He is born into a Jewish family is incidental to the story. Rather, Jesus is of the lineage of Abraham, Israel, Judah, David, and so on because he was conceived – not created – in the womb of Mary. Rather than God creating a body, He prepared a body – meaning that He tended to the genealogy of Christ from the beginning of man’s time on earth. The genealogy was carefully and precisely aligned for Christ to be born at a specific moment, to a particular person, in the nation of Israel. One can debate if some of the heresies mentioned above qualify for John’s definition concerning Antichrist or not, but they are heresies nonetheless. As he says, “And this is the spirit of the Antichrist.” The word “this” is pointing back to his already-penned words – “every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” Such a spirit is that of the Antichrist “which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” The spirit had been warned about. John confirms that even at the earliest times within the church, there were already heretics who denied this fundamental truth. Instead of simply accepting the incarnation of Christ, as described by the Old Testament writings, and as confirmed by the apostles, the spirit of Antichrist blossomed, and it has continued to be expanded on by heretics who are of the Antichrist. What John is saying here is not that any particular person is the Antichrist, but that this is the main point that characterizes the spirit of Antichrist. Someday, the Antichrist will come, and he will be one who espouses this doctrine, and who also fits the other prophecies which refer to him. Life application: If you have studied Mormon theology, you will see that they believe something entirely different about Jesus than that of biblical Christianity. They profess a false Jesus – a Jesus which is of the spirit of the Antichrist. Islam denies that Jesus is God incarnate and is therefore of the spirit of the Antichrist. This is the test John lays out so clearly. Either one teaches that Jesus Christ is fully God, clothed in human flesh, or he is under the control of the spirit of the Antichrist. Be attentive to this – John could not have been any clearer in his presentation. We are expected to believe this as a fundamental truth of our faith. To deny Jesus as coming in the flesh means one has never called on the Jesus of the Bible and therefore his condemnation remains. Heavenly Father, though we may struggle with the concept of the incarnation, we accept it as truth because this is what Your word proclaims. Jesus is fully God and yet fully Man – Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Thank You for sending Jesus to reveal You to us in a way in which we can comprehend. What a wonderfully magnificent Creator You are to do what You have done! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 10, 2020 19:05:29 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:4, 10 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 Sunday, 10 May 2020 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 John now contrasts the faith of the believers he is addressing to the spirit of the Antichrist which he has been speaking of. In verse 2, he said, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” He now says, “You are of God.” The implication is that they have confessed that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. The word “you” is plural and refers to all of the recipients who have rejected the false prophets and influence of the devil, the spirit of the Antichrist. It is also in the emphatic position, “You are of God, in contrast to those I have just referred to.” As this is an epistle now in the Bible, the word “you” also includes us if we have confessed that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. John then again, as he has so tenderly done in the past, calls his audience “little children,” using the Greek word teknia. He says that his little children have “overcome them” meaning the false prophets and the spirit of the Antichrist. He states this in the perfect tense, indicative mood, meaning that they overcame them in the past, continue to do so, and it is a certain fact. The false prophets put forth lies, and in following those lies, a person can be swept away into falsity before ever believing the truth. However, by believing that Jesus came in the flesh, one overcomes them. This is important to understand, because a person may later be told something contrary and accept it. This will then count for loss of rewards, but not a loss of salvation. The person who has overcome has done so once and for all. It is a surety for them. And the reason that it is so is “because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Christ is greater than the false apostles, the false teachers, the false prophets, and even the Antichrist. When a person comes to a saving knowledge of Christ, the One who is greater than all of these created beings resides in him and, therefore, that person is secure – forever - in Christ. Jesus told His apostles of this – “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 Christ has overcome the world. Therefore, those who are in Christ have also overcome the world and those of it. Life application: The action is complete to this point, but his letter is one of warning for believers. We need to continue into the future with our eyes on Jesus and our hearts and minds on the things of God, lest we get swept up into false doctrine and false belief. Standing fast in sound doctrine was, is, and will be possible because believers now have the Holy Spirit. Although the “He” isn’t specified in these verses, it is referring to the Holy Spirit. This is certainly the case for several reasons – Verse 3:24 speaks of the Spirit given to us by God. After this was mentioned, John speaks of testing the spirits and continues with the contrast between the Spirit of God and the spirit of the Antichrist. It is the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, fills us, and leads us into all righteousness. Because we are indwelt with the Spirit of God, we have the power to resist and overcome the devil, but we can’t be filled with the Spirit if we are disobedient to the Word of God. Further, we can’t be filled with the Holy Spirit if we don’t comply with the acknowledgment of Jesus having come in the flesh. Nor can we be filled with the Spirit if we fail to accept Jesus’ authority. Being filled with the Spirit, then, is not an emotional state in any way, shape, or form. Instead, it is a state brought on by obedience and then opening up to the Sovereignty of God in our lives. When we do those things which please the Spirit, we will be filled by the Spirit (it is passive in the Greek – we open ourselves up to the filling). This is what we are to pursue at all times. Thank You, Lord, for the Gift of Your Holy Spirit – that He indwells us is the greatest comfort to our hearts and souls. And knowing that when we are obedient He will lead us to all righteousness, it spurs us on to wanting to be obedient. Because of His power in us, we are able to overcome the false prophets, the spirit of the Antichrist, and even the work of the Devil himself! What an honor to have such a close and powerful Helper in our times of need! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 11, 2020 23:41:27 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:5, 11 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020 Monday, 11 May 2020 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 1 John 4:5 John returns to his mode of making contrasts. In the previous verse he said, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” In this verse, he makes a bold contrast from those words – You/they Of God/of the world True believers in Jesus Christ are of God. In contrast are the false prophets and those who listen to them. They are of the spirit of the Antichrist and are of the world. They are sons of the Devil and the system he employs. The world in which they live and fellowship in is the source of their speech, even if it isn’t necessarily the subject matter they teach. Understanding this, John says, “Therefore they speak as of the world.” In John 3:31, Jesus said, “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” The source of what Christ Jesus spoke was not of this world, because He was not of this world. Those in Christ have their source in Christ, and thus they are “of God.” Those who are not in Christ, speak as the world. Because this is their manner of speaking, John says, “the world hears them.” When someone is in Christ, he should naturally want to speak about Christ. He will speak about the temporary and futile state of this world, and also of the anticipation of what is ahead for believers. Those who are not in Christ have no such hope, nor do they have a heavenly source for their thoughts. They are of this world because they are grounded in this world. Because of this, the world (meaning the people of the world) will naturally listen to them. Until a person is willing to accept the premise that this world is not as it should be, and that God has a redemptive plan which is in motion which is intended to bring us back to the state we were originally intended to be in, they cannot accept those things. Further, because Jesus is the central point of that entire plan, they cannot accept Him or what He has done in any meaningful way. It requires a complete change in one’s worldview to say, “I accept the premise that this world is not truly what I was intended for, and that God has remedied that by sending Jesus.” This is why Jesus said this to his apostles – “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:18, 19 There is actually a state of enmity between those who are in Christ and those who are not. This may not be an overt state. In other words, a husband and wife may love one another, but when only one is saved, there is the knowledge that “She thinks she is going to heaven and that I am going to hell.” This is the hatred that John is referring to. The husband hates that message, and therefore, he hates the Source of that message. His heart must first turn to Christ to receive the truth of what Christ speaks concerning such things. Life application: In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul equates all people as sons of Adam and “of the dust.” But he says that the believers who bear the likeness of Adam will also bear the likeness of the “heavenly Man,” that is Jesus Christ. The people John speaks of today were and remain sons of Adam. Just as Adam believed the lies of the devil, so these people continue to follow in the same lies. Any teaching contrary to the Bible is a part of this system, but specifically denying the manifestation of Jesus as coming in the flesh is what John is speaking of. Their denial, whether explicit or implicit, is of the world and the world rejoices in hearing them. Accountability to the true God is thrown out the window so that the deeds of darkness and wickedness can abound. Take time today to evaluate your stand on the Person of Jesus – it is through Him that we are granted eternal life and fellowship with the Creator; nothing else will do. Stand firm on the faith which leads to eternal life! Lord God, keep us from the influence of those who speak from the system of the world, but whose hearts are cold to You and the wonderful message of reconciliation You have given. It is through the shed blood of Jesus that we overcome this world and are brought back to You. No other path is acceptable. But we thank You that this one path is available. May You be praised for bringing about this glorious restoration! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 12, 2020 23:43:06 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:6, 12 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020 Tuesday, 12 May 2020 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:6 John now uses the same formula as the previous verse, but provides it in a contrasting form to indicate believers who listen to the true apostles, rather than unbelievers who listen to false prophets – “They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. (4:5) We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.” (4:6) The contrast is made, and the divide is absolute. This division comes down to one thought alone – “Has Jesus Christ come in the flesh or not?” Explained, this means, “Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, meaning fully human and fully God, or is He not?” The Greek of “He who knows” is literally, “The one knowing.” It is an ongoing and increasing knowledge of who Christ is. Paul, for example, was knowing, but he was also growing in his knowledge and pursuit of the Lord. He strove daily to attain to the full knowledge of God in Christ. For those who teach this as a truth, and for those who receive it as such, John says, “We are of God.” Just as the false teachers and those who accept their message are of the world, those who accept the message of the true apostles are of God. As this is so, John continues by affirming that “He who knows God hears us.” If someone accepts that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, he will hear the apostles’ message. This is inclusive of, and probably especially speaking of, John’s gospel and his epistle which he is presenting. He, and any with him, had come to present this truth many years after the writings of the other gospels and other epistles. Confusion had crept into the church over these issues. False teachers had come in with false messages, and John had written his gospel and epistles to speak out against these things. Those who are of God will receive his words as intended. Those who are not will not. For example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have John’s words, but they do not “hear” them. Their teaching denies the incarnation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. And so, even though they have the word, it is meaningless to them. They remain of the world. As John says, “he who is not of God does not hear us.” Such people, and so many others, simply do not hear the truth of Scripture concerning Christ. They reject its obvious truths, and they are not “of God.” They remain in Adam, under the devil’s authority, and their condemnation remains. Finally, John says, “By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” Here, John uses a term that is different from verse 4:2. There it said, en toutou. Here it says ek toutou. Of this, Vincent’s Word Studies says, “It occurs only here in the Epistle. Ἑν τούτῳ is in this: ἐκ τούτου from this. The former marks the residing or consisting of the essence or truth of a thing in something the apprehension of which conveys to us the essential nature of the thing itself. The latter marks the inference or deduction of the truth from something, as contrasted with its immediate perception in that something.” In other words, John is saying that we can make a logical deduction concerning what we believe. We are of God when we believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. In this acceptance, we have tested the spirits (verse 4:1) and we know that we have followed the spirit of truth. Likewise, we can test the spirits of those who do not believe this truth, and we can know that they are not of God, and that they have followed the spirit of error. In this, John is using “theological math” where 1 plus 1 will equal 2. We can logically and accurately determine such things by simply adding the points presented and coming to a right answer to the equation. Life application: When John says, “we are of God,” he is referring to himself and the other apostles who are speaking the truth of God’s message. It is actually kind of nuts to think otherwise when John was one of the apostles who lived with, saw, felt, heard, and learned from Jesus. If someone proclaimed a false message, all his audience would need to do would be to talk to John about what was and what wasn’t true. He is a messenger of Jesus and therefore whoever “knows God” would listen to him and his message (including his letter which is now included in the pages of the Bible.) Likewise, to know who is not of God, just look at who rejected John and the other apostles’ messages (and those who teach false messages today.) This isn’t difficult and it doesn’t take a degree in theology to figure out. When someone teaches or preaches what is right from the Bible, he is teaching based on the spirit of the truth. When he isn’t, he is teaching from the spirit of error. If there is disagreement, then all we need to do is go to the Bible and read to find out what is right and what is wrong. It should never cease to amaze us that those televangelists who promise blessings, healings, and miracles get any support at all. People should be checking out their teachings against the Bible. There we can see that they take Scripture entirely out of context and misapply it for financial gain. And yet, they keep getting richer. And those who listen to them keep finding themselves in the same unhappy circumstances. This is also the case with other false teachings. Things that are unprofitable, and yet which flourish, are because of the desires of tingling ears. These things spring up from deep wells of unsound doctrine. The best part of waking up shouldn’t be what’s in your cup. Rather, it should be the time you spend in your Bible. Make every effort to know and cherish this incredible gift of God. Give us wisdom, O God, into the vast riches of Your word. Keep us from error and being deceived by people with unsound agendas. Instead, give us right reasoning concerning those things which are profitable in Your eyes and which will bring You glory! This is our hearts’ prayer today. In Jesus’ name... Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 14, 2020 0:47:10 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:7, 13 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020 Wednesday, 13 May 2020 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 This verse marks a slight change in the overall topic being discussed, and yet it will be found to fit harmoniously into the overall flow of thought. John starts with “Beloved” indicating those who have experienced the great love he is about to discuss, and which comes through faith in the work of Jesus Christ. Such faith results in adoption as sons of the Living God. John previously mentioned love as a test of faith, such as in 3:10-24, but now he will explain the logic behind this claim. He begins this by saying, “let us love one another.” In 1 John 3:23, he said that “we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another.” This is speaking of the fraternal love which is to be exhibited among believers, and it was called a “commandment” in verse 3:23. He again states that we are to love one another and then explains that saying, “for love is of God.” The meaning of this is that God is the source of properly directed and true love. In verse 4:4, speaking to believers, he said, “You are of God.” In verse 4:6, including himself in his words, he says, “We are of God.” As this is so, and as “love is of God,” it is only reasonable that believers are to love one another. How could love be of God, and believers be of God, and yet believers do not love one another? It is illogical thinking. With this understood, John says, “and everyone who loves is born of God.” This is obviously speaking of love in the way that God loves. On the earth, there are all kinds of love which are a part of the human emotions that we possess. But there is the godly love which can only come through union with God, because apart from God, such love cannot be understood. If it cannot be understood, then it also cannot be rightly expressed. But when one is born of God, he loves in the way which is expected of God because he “knows God.” The love of God is found in what God has done in and through Christ. Man was in sin, but God remedied that situation by sending His Son. It is from the greater to the lesser. God, the greatest of all beings, was willing to express his love towards His creatures through Christ. He had nothing to gain from it, and it was the highest price that could have been paid, but He did this as an expression of His perfect love. In coming to God through Christ, we know God – meaning we understand His heart – in a way that could never be understood apart from Christ. This is the love that John speaks of, and it is the same love that John asks us to express towards fellow believers. Life application: Why should believers love one another? It is because everyone born of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ knows God. To know God is to understand the complete expression of love because God loves infinitely. To know this calls for us to strive to emulate what we know. When John says, “let us love,” he is speaking of continual practice, not just a one time or fleeting occurrence. Rather, it should reflect everything we do and think about, and it should be expressed to all with whom we fellowship in the Body of Christ. Just as this love is from God, and thus it gives evidence of a sound relationship with Him, in the same way our love should give evidence of a sound relationship with those around us. The way John terms “born of God” indicates a completed action. Through God we have been begotten and we remain his child eternally. As is taught clearly and without exception, the doctrine of eternal salvation is referred to here. One is born of God and is forever a child of God. The only thing we can expect from backsliding and waywardness is a loss of joy in this life and a loss of eternal rewards in the next. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, let us be found acceptable as sons and daughters of the One who adopted us into His eternal kingdom. Let us love, even as we are loved. Lord God, because love stems from You, and because You are the Source and full expression of true love, fill us with the desire to emulate You in loving those around us. May our lives be examples of the love that we received when we came to Jesus. You sent Him despite our failings, and so help us to love others – even in their own failings. May it be so, and may it be to Your glory, O God. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 14, 2020 23:49:16 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:1, 14 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 Thursday, 14 May 2020 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 In the previous verse, John said that “everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” Now, he goes beyond a simple one to one comparison. Instead of saying, “He who does not love is not born of God,” he goes even further in his words by saying, “He who does not love does not know God.” Further, the verb “know” is in the aorist tense. He has never known him. The separation between the two is absolute. This isn’t just a mild disconnect that can be overcome by the person. Rather, this person has no ability to understand God, and his feelings toward God are missing entirely, or they are completely skewed. The reason for this is then stated by John with the words, “for God is love.” The Greek here must be properly translated to fully understand John’s intent. It literally reads, “because the God love is.” An article precedes “God,” but not “love.” What this means is that the statement is not reversible. We cannot say, “Love is God.” God’s nature is love, but we cannot limit Him to only love. God is the embodiment of love, but love is not the embodiment of God. Such a statement would allow the worship of love, as a “god.” Rather, God is to be worshipped because He is love, among other things. In his writings, John says that God is Spirit, God is light, and God is truth. The Bible also says that God is jealous, God is righteous, God is holy, and so on. None of these things are God, but they reflect His nature. Such statements tell us that they are not qualities of God which he merely possesses, but they are statements about His very being. And further, John doesn’t state it in the form of an adjective – “God is loving.” As Jamieson-Faucett-Brown notes – “...for then John's argument would not stand; for the conclusion from the premises then would be this, This man is not loving: God is loving; therefore he knoweth not God IN SO FAR AS God is loving; still he might know Him in His other attributes. But when we take love as God's essence, the argument is sound: This man doth not love, and therefore knows not love: God is essentially love, therefore he knows not God.” Life application: John makes specific points about the nature of God in his writings. What he says in his points cannot be mistaken (although they can be twisted by perverse thinking), and his clarity in them gives us real and valid insights into our Creator. Taking John’s words in their proper context, we can now see why he says, “He who does not love does not know God.” How can one be acquainted with God – who is by His nature love – and yet not possess the very quality defined by that acquaintance? It is not possible. However, it must be remembered that we do are not the very definition of such attributes. Nobody apart from God can claim, “I am truth,” or “I am love.” We can only emulate God. As believers, there are times when we aren’t loving. And yet, we can still be included in “everyone who loves.” Our shortcomings do not negate the state that we have been brought into. And even more than focusing on ourselves, if we look to God and focus on Him, we can find absolute assurance. Because God is love, we can know that He isn’t just loving at times, but that everything He does is based on love. We may see things happen that appear to show an uncaring God, but that is because we cannot see the purpose for what occurs. But everything that God does is done with the loving intent which stems from His very nature. If someone says, “A person being cast into hell by God is unloving, and therefore God is not love,” he has misunderstood God’s other attributes. God is just. One attribute (such as love) cannot override another attribute (such as justice). The way that the tension between God’s many attributes is relieved is through the cross of Jesus Christ. For example, God’s infinite love can be poured out on man because God’s justice is served in Christ’s substitutionary and atoning death. All things are brought into harmony once again through what God has done in Christ. As Paul says – “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19 For those who have come to God through Christ, God – who is love – has accomplished complete, absolute, and eternal reconciliation. For us, God can now and forevermore express His infinite love towards us. Of one thing we can be sure, O God – You are love. When we look to the cross of Jesus and reflect on the marvelous majesty of His great work, we can see love in a way which transcends all other things. Knowing this about You allows us to revel even more in Your glory. May we never forget that You are love, and because of Jesus we are the objects of Your love! Thank You for this wonderful assurance. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 15, 2020 23:18:10 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:2, 15 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 Friday, 15 May 2020 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9 John now continues the same thought that he has been giving for the past two verses. In verse 7, he said, “and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” In verse 8, he said, “He who does not love does not know God.” He is speaking about the state of love either existing in a person or lacking in a person. That continues with this verse with the Greek words en hēmin. Rather than, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us,” the Greek reads, “In this the love of God was manifest in us.” John has shown that belief and love are actually one inseparable idea – “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.” 1 John 3:23 To love without belief does not satisfy the expectation of God. To believe without love is to fail to obey the commandment given by Christ Jesus. But we are not given a commandment we cannot obey. Therefore, the “love of God is manifested in us” when we believe. John uses an aorist verb, indicative mood, and passive voice. It happened at a set time, it is a certain fact, and the believer is the recipient of the action. Belief brings us into the state of love. At this point, our love can be acceptable to God. Before this point, we could love all day long and it would be of no true value to Him. God cannot credit love as righteousness unless the person is already deemed righteous through faith in Christ. If He could, then faith in Christ would be unnecessary to be pleasing to God. This is why “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world.” In this, the Greek more accurately reads, “His Son, the only begotten.” He enlarges and highlights the Son by stating it this way. God has “sons” as is recorded in Scripture. Israel is called His son in Exodus 4:22. Believers are sons of God, as is noted in both testaments as well. But only Christ Jesus is set apart as “His Son, the only begotten.” It is He who was “sent.” The verb, being in the perfect tense, reveals the completed and continuing results which stem from sending Him. And those results are “that we might live through Him.” This is the purpose of the sending of Christ. Sending Him is how the love of God is manifested in us, but our living through the Son defines why God did this. In belief, we are saved, and in being saved, the love of God now defines our love, meaning it is now a love that is acceptable to God. To more fully appreciate this, one must consider the words, “live through Him.” If we were not “alive,” meaning possessing eternal life, before coming to Christ, it means that we were still dead in our trespasses and sins. In this state, it doesn’t matter how much we loved others. We were dead in sin and God could not accept our love. But in living through Christ, our sins are atoned for, our state before God is changed, and our love – whatever level of love it may be – is now acceptable, because the love of God is manifested in us. Life application: This verse, like others from John, is reminiscent of John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” It is important to remember that the term, “begotten,” and not, “one and only,” as many modern translations state, is the correct term to use. The reason for this is more than translational from the Greek, but it is scriptural based on Exodus 4:22 (mentioned above) – “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.” God has more than one son – in several contexts. Israel is called God’s “firstborn son.” We are also sons of God through adoption. Therefore, the term “one and only” is entirely incorrect. Additionally, the Greek supports “begotten.” Jesus was generated of the Most High and the power of the Holy Spirit through Mary. He is unlike any other. Because of these points, it is far preferable and proper to use the term “begotten.” Also, John mentions “the love” of God. The article which precedes “love” isn’t referring to a general love, but the specific love, one which is particular to that demonstrated in the work of Jesus. Because of the great love God has for the people of the world, He sent Jesus Christ to restore us to true and spiritual life, and to grant us eternal life – someday to be free from the trials, troubles, and temptations of this world. Let us never forget this great and awesome love, demonstrated at the cross of Calvary! How tender and precious it is to be called a son of God because of the work of Jesus! We can now call you Father in a way which was never possible before. Thank You, thank You, O God, for the wondrous and extravagant love You have for us! Glory, honor, and majesty – they belong to You alone! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 17, 2020 19:04:01 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:10, 16 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020 Saturday, 16 May 2020 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10 In verse 4:7, John implored his reader to love one another. In 4:8, he noted that God is love. In 4:9, he then said that the love of God was manifested toward us in the sending of His Son. With that train of thought in mind, John now says, “In this is love.” In the Greek, the word love is preceded by an article, “the love.” This indicates the very nature of God. His love simply is – it doesn’t increase or decrease, but it is constant, complete, and perfect. John will now define what this love of God is. Yes, it was manifest toward us in the sending of Jesus, but what does that really signify? Understanding this, he says, “not that we loved God.” It may be true that we love God, but that is not the highest and most perfect manifestation of love. Even if we love God, it is not an all-encompassing love. We get busy with life and forget the other things going on around us. We forget the time. And, we forget that God is even there. Our love toward God, if it even exists, is a directed thought which is not always being displayed or even considered. However, such is not the case with God. John has already noted that God is love. There is no increase or decrease in His love. It is – always. Further, it is unconditional. That is seen first in the words, “but that He loved us.” Think of the vilest person you know of that is alive today – maybe a politician. What if that person becomes a Christian tomorrow? What would that mean to you? Probably relief that he finally came to his senses. Now, you can finally start to like him. But God already loved that person. There is no time He didn’t love him, and His love for him did not increase after he received Jesus. As John says, “and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Nothing changed from yesterday to today from God’s perspective – only from ours. God sent Christ Jesus before anyone received Christ Jesus. Therefore, He loved you before you came to Him. He loved Paul of Tarsus before he came to the Lord. And, he loved Vile Vince the politician before he changed his ways. Our love is an after-the-fact love. God’s love is a before, during, and after the fact love. God is love. And so God sent Christ Jesus to be for us what we could not be for ourselves. He became our “propitiation.” God cannot look upon man with favor. Not because He doesn’t love him, but because He is Holy, Just, and Righteous. Because of sin, man is none of those things. Therefore, God must judge man’s sin, or He is none of those things. But because God is Mercy, Grace, Truth, and Love, God was willing to judge the sin – not in the man, but in His Son – in order to bring about a propitious relationship between the two. This is what the word “propitiation” signifies. The word in Greek is hilasmos. It is found only here and in 1 John 2:2. It is an offering intended to appease an angry and offended party. Christ died on the cross, shedding His blood. Through His sacrifice, He provided the necessary propitiation which was foreshadowed in the Day of Atonement offering found in Leviticus 16 and 23. Jesus Christ is the actual point of propitiation, but more, it is because of His death that this is so. To get a better understanding of the meaning of this word, and another word used by Paul, hilastérion, please refer to the commentary on 1 John 2:2. In short, and understanding these two words, the implication is that without Christ Jesus, there would be no atonement for sin. But in Him, there is full atonement for all sin. And this offering was made before any person was saved. Thus, this is the highest expression of love. Its Source is God, its message is one of restoration, and it was sent out before any love toward God existed from those who would receive it. In this is love. Life application: While we are looking out for ourselves and never considering God in our little world, God never forgets His creatures. He loves us regardless of how we have considered Him. Our lack of love, resulting in sin, has caused a rift between us, and that rift needs to be mended. And so, God sent Jesus. It is He who restores felicity between God and man when we accept His work. Think on this today. Consider the perfection of what God has done for us through Jesus! He loved us, and He loves us. O God, that You would send Jesus for us! It is more than we could ever imagine. What a great and splendid love You possess to restore us to You through the blood of Christ! May we never forget the majesty of this act, and may we never fail to proclaim it to others! Restoration and life are available because of Jesus. Hallelujah and Amen!
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on May 17, 2020 19:13:28 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 John 4:11, 17 May 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020 Sunday, 17 May 2020 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11 John began verse 4:7 with the words, “Beloved, let us love one another.” Since then, he has been building his case as to why this should be. Now, he completes that thought with the same words, plus a few concluding explanatory words. He, again, says, “Beloved.” The apostle demonstrates the very thing he appeals to by stating this. From there, he next says, “if God so loved us.” This is the conclusion to be drawn from verses 4:7-10, but in particular the words, “that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” God was willing to do this, even when we did not love Him. How much more then should we be willing to love those who are in our own family of the faith! In this, the word “so” here is in the emphatic position. A direct translation would say, “Beloved, if SO God loved us...” This can be referring to either the manner of God’s love, meaning the type of love He displayed, or it could be referring to the extent of God’s love, meaning the lengths He was willing to go to. Both, however, merge into one thought when the cross is considered. It was a sacrificial type of love, and it was the ultimate extent that could have been demonstrated. As this is so, John concludes with that same basic thought as is found in the words of verse 4:7, saying, “we also out to love one another.” God in His glory was willing to step down to our lowly level. God in His holiness was willing to interact with those who are unholy. God in His infinite being was willing to unite with His finite creation in order to redeem us. God who feels no pain was willing to allow the earthly body He united with to feel pain, suffering, and death. Such things, and all other such things, are given to us to learn from. They are examples for us to emulate, and they are the basis for the commandment to love one another. As the Creator, Jesus Christ had the right to speak the words of commandment. As the Redeemer, He then has demonstrated exactly why it is so and the lengths to which we are to go in order to fulfill that commandment – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34, 35 Life application: Earlier in this chapter John was speaking of false teachers and the spirit of the Antichrist. In verse 7 though, he changed his direction to speaking of love. But the two ideas he’s built upon are not disconnected. If we go back and look at the entire chapter thus far and then evaluate this verse also in context, we can see where John has made love out to be a moral obligation. He says “if,” but the term here is assuming the truth of the coming statement – “If God so loved us.” Right in the middle of this assumption of truth is the word “so.” This two-letter word is calling to remembrance the great and exalted actions of verses 9 and 10. If this is so (and John confirms it is), “then we also ought to love one another.” So, think it through clearly. When John uses the term “ought,” he is placing on each of us a moral obligation – because God/so ought we. Now that we can see that, we can complete the picture by comparing the false teachers of verses 1-6. John’s contrast is against them and whatever perverse teaching they employed that held to no moral absolute. They had teaching without heart; doctrine with no purity; and instruction without morality. Be attentive to such teachers, reject them, and instead hold to the strict and pure gospel of Jesus - the gospel which builds love upon love and which exalts the work of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father, just as You sent Jesus to reconcile us to You, so also give us a change of heart so that we may be reconciled to those with whom we are at enmity. May You be glorified as we act in a manner that brings about complete harmony between each of us and those around us. May it be so, as we pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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