Monthly Archives: February 2024

1 John 5- What is wrong with the world?

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We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 1 John 5:19

The question that most people are asking these days is “What is wrong with the world”? Doesn’t matter if you are a believer or an atheist, everyone can sense and see , that this world is in a great fallen state. Evil and wickedness has overcome this world, everywhere you look, there is one abomination after another. The total depravity of the human state, is at the point where we fight for the right to murder our children and we can’t decipher the biology of our own gender. The moral foundation at most homes is non-existant, therefor its not surprising to see the lawlessness at an epic scale

The Apostle John reveals to us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, what is wrong with the world. The world lies in the power and sway of the evil or wicked one. When you understand this, its not a surprise then why the world has such an “Anti-Christ agenda” Everything influenced by this world is to go against God. That’s why the Apostle James said “a friend of this world, is an enemy of God” (James 4:4) You can’t walk with God and hold hands with the devil, as the Apostle Paul said “Don’t conform to the ways of this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2)

Notice what else the Apostle Paul reveals here “The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers they cannot see the light of the gospel” (2 Corinthians 4:4) As RC Sproul always famously says “What is wrong with people”, what is wrong with people is they have been blinded by Satan, they have been deceived by the “god of this world” God has allowed Satan to “roam wild like a roaring lion looking to devour people “ (1 Peter 5:8) This life we are living is not a game, we are in a spiritual warfare for our souls (Ephesians 6) Satan is looking to rob, kill, and destroy (John 10:10)

The Apostle Paul also says this “You once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” Again Paul is revealing by the Holy Spirit that Satan is controlling and influencing this evil world. If you are not walking with Christ, you are walking with Satan, that’s the bottom line. Many people will say “No I don’t believe any of this stuff, I’m not religious” If you dig down to the roots of your belief system, if they are from this world , they are from Satan. You are either Born Again or dead in your sins. 

Now with all this doom and gloom, I would like to end with the words of our Lord Jesus Christ “In this world you will have tribulation or trouble, BUT be of good cheer or take heart, I (Christ) has overcome the world” (John 16:33) This is why the gospel is good news, because Christ has defeated Satan, sin and death forever! Amen!

1 John – Sin No More?

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We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 1 John 5:18

When we first look at this scripture , it may seem challenging or even to some it may seem like a contradiction. How can we still in the flesh never sin? Well I don’t believe this is the intent of this message. While studying this scripture, I encourage you to look at multiple translations and commentaries to get a full context of the scripture.

The first thing we see is the Apostle John makes the statement “Whosoever is Born of God” so what does that mean? Well if we go back and also reference the gospel of John, particularly John Chapter 3, we know the Apostle is referencing being Born Again in Christ. Those who have Born of God, those who are Born Again in Christ, those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, this is the group John is referring to. Remember Jesus said “Unless you are Born Again, you can’t see the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3:3)

Now the next phrase “sinneth not”, “does not keep on sinning”, “does not continue in sin” , this is where looking at the various english translations of the original Greek word “hamartanei” gives us a rounded meaning. So going back to being Born Again, if we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, we are not expected to continue in our same old sins, as we are a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) The world will say “I’m born this way” but Jesus is saying “You must be Born Again” becoming a Christian is not just a religion or profession, its a total transformation in Christ

The question I think most will ask then “Does that mean we never sin as a Born Again Christian”? And of course the answer is no, until we are resurrected into our glorified bodies, we will continue to battle with the flesh (Romans 7) As the Apostle John said earlier “If we say we have no sin, we deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8) However we don’t continue to live in habitual sin as the Apostle Paul taught “And such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Now another way to look at this also is, as we talked about the last post. The only unforgivable sin is “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” if you are Born Again, you will not blasphemy the Holy Spirit as God already lives inside of you. You are already a new creation in Christ, this may be what the Apostle is referencing. It’s also important to remember what the Apostle John taught earlier “I write this that you may not sin, if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ , the righteousness”

Getting the full context of the scriptures, the Apostle is not saying we will never sin again, however if we are Born Again, we won’t remain dead in our sins of before because we are now Alive in Christ (Ephesians 2),as the Lord Jesus Christ said “Go and Sin No More! (John 8:11) Amen!

1 John 5- Pray for the Church

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If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. 1 John 5:16-17

One of the many reasons you should belong to a Church community is to be held accountable in your walk with Christ. Alot of people don’t want to “go to Church” simply because their conscience has the guilt of their sins upon them. Many people feel by neglecting the Church they can neglect their sins. We need to remember Jesus said this Christian walk would be a “Narrow path and very few will find it” (Matthew 7:14) 

We must remember God is full of grace and mercy, his forgiveness is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) Don’t allow your sin to keep you away from Jesus, as Christ paid the penalty for your sins on the cross, we need to repent and turn away from our sins and turn to Christ as our Lord (Mark 1:15), we have been reconciled back to God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:18)  Allow the Holy Spirit to continue to work in you and conform you into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29)

As the Apostle John says here “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin, he will ask, and he will give him life” When you see a brother or sister stuck in sin, what is your response? Do you gossip about them behind their back? How about praying for them? Have you prayed for your brothers and sisters to deliver them from the temptation of the evil one? A praying Church is a powerful Church as Charles Spurgeon said, as we read the words of The Lords Prayer , every day is going to be a spiritual battle!

Have you talked to your brother or sister in Christ? Being part of a Church is being part of a family of God. If you see someone struggling, why don’t you reach out to them and talk about it. What’s going on in their life? Are they going through a great battle they feel like they can’t overcome? Let them know we are united in Christ, there is power in the blood of Christ and the sanctification Holy Spirit. 

Now the Apostle John mentions there are some sins that we shouldn’t pray for? “There is sin leading to death, I do not say we should pray about that” What sin is the Apostle referring to? I think we can speculate he is referring to the “Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 12:31, Luke 12:10, Mark 3:29) If someone rejects Christ, there is no hope for them, “God has give them up over to their own depraved and reprobate mind” (Romans 1:28)

Our responsibility as the Church is with each other, we need to be there for one another, and they will be there for you also. To neglect the body of Christ, is to allow your brothers and sisters to fall away, sometimes into eternal damnation. Don’t forsake the Church (Hebrews 10:29) Amen!

1 John 5- Gods Will

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And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:14-15

Today’s Christianity has become a “consumer Christianity” it’s all about what can God do for me? What can the Church do for me? It’s all about keeping us entertained and feeling good. But people who fall for this false gospel will quickly be disappointed and realize, Gods not here for him to serve us, we are here to serve God. As Jesus said “If anyone wants to be my disciple (Christian) they must deny themselves, carry their cross, and follow me (Christ)” (Matthew 16:24)

Most Christians are familiar with The Lord’s prayer, and most of you recite it on Sunday or maybe everyday, but do you actually take the time to listen to these words of Christ? “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10) When you declare these words to God, do you really mean them? Are you really asking for God’s Kingdom to come now? Are you really asking to do God’s will? Because the reality is , most Christians want their own will be done and to build their own Kingdom where they are the King, this is not Biblical Christianity

As the Apostle John says “If we ask anything according to His will, he hears us” Many people will complain “God didn’t answer my prayer”, the question you should ask yourself, did you ask in the will of God? Everything we do should be in the will of God, remember when Jesus told his disciples he was going to the cross, Peter rebuked Jesus and said “may it never be” What was Christ’s response? Get behind me Satan, For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:32-33)

Gods will was Jesus was going to the cross to pay for the penalty of our sins and to rise again on the 3rd day defeating sin and death. Peter’s will was for Jesus to neglect the cross and establish the Messianic Kingdom now. Peter’s heart might have been in the right place, but he was wrong, Christ needed to die for the sins of the world to bring salvation to the world. God knows better than us, this is why we ask for Gods will to be done. 

If we ask anything according to Gods will , God will hear us! We must be obedient and stay in the will of God. This will sometimes disappoint us, as we often believe we know best, however we don’t. To be a disciple of Christ we must be in obedience and submission to Christ, as Christ is our Lord and King. Christianity isn’t just a checkbox you check off on a form, Christ is your life, and you live to fulfill the will of God

I’ll end with the Apostle John “We know that we have the petitions or requests that we desired of him” We are praying for Gods will to be done, not the requests we desire of ourselves, because we are not our own, we were bought with a price, by the Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 6:20)  Amen

1 John 5- Eternal Life

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And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:11-13

The question or challenge I would like to ask you today, is do you believe in eternal life? Often this question makes people stop and think, because this question isn’t about religion or beliefs, this is about the state of your soul. Many will try to run away from God by stating their distrust in religion, however nobody can run away from death. We are all under the death sentence because of the curse of sin. This is the reality of everyone’s world, however God has provided a solution for sinners just like you and me

As the Apostle John says “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” The next question is “Do you want eternal life”? Alot of people have endured great pain and suffering in this world, to the point of eternal life doesn’t sound very good. But realize this eternal life is an eternity of no more pain, no more death, no more sorrow (Revelation 21) This is an eternal paradise where we can return to our glorified state, in which God intended for us in the beginning

As the Apostle John says “He that has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son has not life” There is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) If you are not Born Again in Christ, you don’t have salvation. The world will promise you many different paths to eternal life, however there is only one way to eternal life, Jesus Christ. You might ask why? Because Christ is God who became flesh, and paid the penalty for your sins, there is no other who can do this for you! God has provided the way, and that way is Jesus Christ!

“Believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know you have eternal life” Put your full faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and you will be saved! It sounds so simple, yet many don’t fully trust in The Lord for salvation. They rather trust religious works or worldly schemes, but do you fully trust in Jesus Christ for the salvation of your soul? Did you completely surrender your life to Christ? Is Christ truly your Lord or Master?

“Believe on the name of the Son of God” If you want eternal life, repent of your sins and put your full faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. There is no other way for salvation, live for Jesus because Christ has already died for you! Amen!

1 John 5- The Voice of Truth

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If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 1 John 5:9-10

The Word of God is greater than the word of man. Ever since the beginning, man has been trying to make themselves “like God”, man has followed the errors of Satan to believe they can exalt themselves, man believes he doesn’t need God, that he can rule over himself. And what happens is what we are seeing today in society, total depravity overruns the human race as God has given them up to a debased or reprobate  mind (Romans 1)

As the Apostle John says under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit “The witness of God is greater than the witness of men ” Today we see liberal , progressive “Christians’ ‘ who want to rewrite and reinterpret the Bible to fit their agenda. They will say “The BIble is not the Word of God” they will say “These are not literal stories in the BIble” and so this gives them their justification to rewrite the Bible in their mind and make up a false god of their liking. 

This is the same thing Satan has been doing since the garden of Eden, “You surely won’t die” (Genesis 3:4)  Satan tried to rewrite the Word of God to Adam and Eve, however Satan is a liar and Adam and Eve spiritually and physically died in paradise. The Word of God stating “In the day you will eat of it, you will surely die” (Genesis 2:7) The Word of God will always be true and the words of man are false. Don’t put your faith and trust in a fallen world with fallen people, salvation is in Christ alone

So how do we overcome this curse of death from the wages of our sins? (Romans 3:23) As the Apostle John states “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself, He who does not believe has made him a liar” There is the dividing line once again, are you Born Again in Christ or are you still dead in your trespasses? (John 3, Ephesians 2)

Who is the witness that lives inside of you? It’s the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, that shall regenerate you and indwell inside of you, teaching you the things of God. Without the Holy Spirit you are walking in darkness, being deceived by the lies of this world and Satan. The Word of God is our standard of truth, without the Word of God how do we evaluate truth in a deceived world?

As Jesus said “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32) Jesus Christ will set you free from sin and death, and will give you the Holy Spirit to guide you through this life, Amen!

1 John 5- The Triune God

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This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 1 John 5:6-8

There are many who will claim “The Bible doesn’t speak of the Trinity” Well this makes me wonder if these people actually ever read the entire Bible or are they just this spiritually blind that they can’t decipher the Word of God? Even if we take the very first verse in the Bible Genesis 1:1 we see the Triune God “In the beginning God (Elohim) created the Heavens and Earth” Now to the uneducated they will say, “It just says God” yes that’s what the English has translated, but the original Hebrew used the word “Elohim” God in plural form. And as you read through Genesis 1 , you see the Father, Son , and Holy Spirit all active in Creation, “Let Us Make Man in Our Image”

The Apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has revealed the Triune God throughout his writings. As the Apostle John makes it clear “For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, The Word (Christ), and the Holy Spirit” Now alot of you who use a “modern” English translation will notice , this verse has been removed from your Bible. Or if you look down at the notes in your Bible, it will reference it in small writing. If you want to know why the Church is so confused about the Trinity, its because the majority of our Bible translations have been compromised these days. Be careful what translation of the Bible you are reading, it does make a difference!

Now even if we want to say this verse was a later addition, as liberal scholars will like to argue, they still left in the text “For there are three that testify” Even when Satan tries to sabotage something, the truth of God is still always revealed. So in the context of this chapter, where the Apostle John was teaching about the Father , Son, and Holy Spirit, the only logical conclusion is John is referring to the Triune God. Any other explanation simply doesn’t make sense. The question you have to ask yourself is “Why are people so resistant to the Triune God? Well its simple, if you reject the Trinity, you reject the Deity of Christ, meaning now Christ has become some creature that can’t save, and you degrade the Holy Spirit to just an “active force” instead of God living inside if You

Then you go to the next verse, you still see the Triune God, “The Spirit, the water, and the blood, these three agree as One” How does the anti Trinitarian reconcile these scriptures? Again taking the context of the entire chapter, what was the Apostle John speaking of before he made this statement? I would like to just close with the words of Jesus Christ himself “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19)

Why would The Lord Jesus Christ reference the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit if God was not Triune in nature? I pray that you would heed to the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal and teach you the true nature of God Almighty, Amen!

1 John 5- Overcomers

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

Life is not easy, this is a simple truth that everyone can agree upon. And when you become a Born Again Christian, life can become even harder, as Jesus said “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” (John 15:18) But we need to remember ultimately no matter how hard life gets, we have the final victory in Jesus Christ. Whatever schemes or plans Satan has to come against us, remember “It Is Finished”, Christ has already defeated Satan at the cross! You are victorious through Jesus Christ

The Apostle John says this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit “Whoever is Born of God (Born Again) overcomes the world” Wow think about that, whoever calls upon the name of The Lord , whoever is washed in the blood of Christ, whoever is baptized with the Holy Spirit, has already overcome the world! You don’t need to be afraid of Satan and the demons, they need to be afraid of You! 

As the Bible says “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17) The question is, do you really believe that you are victorious in Jesus Christ? Do you really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who defeated sin and death forever? If you say you believe this, is your life reflecting this? Faith is an action, an allegiance to God, if we claim to have faith in Christ, then let our lives demonstrate this! 

So how do you overcome the world? The Apostle John says “He that believes Jesus Christ is the Son of God” The original Greek word here translated as “believe” is Pistis, the same word that faith is often translated as. When you see Believe and Faith in the English Bible, they are typically used interchangeably. Believing in Jesus Christ, means having true faith in Christ as Lord, that you submit to his authority as your Master!

We overcome the world because Christ has already overcome the world (John 16:33) Our identity , our hope, and our victory is in and through Jesus Christ our Lord! You are victorious in Christ because you have been Born Again as a Child of God and a Temple of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

1 John 5- Born of God

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Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:1-3

What is the difference between the true believer and the false believer? As Jesus said “Unless you are Born Again, you can’t see the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3:3) The dividing line between the wheat and the tare, the sheep and the goat, is the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. While we look at the state of Christianity today, it’s a mess, how do we decipher the true remnant from the false convert? There has to be a regeneration of the Holy Spirit, as the Apostle Paul said “You are either Alive in Christ or dead in your sins” (Ephesians 2)

Notice what the Apostle John says here “Everyone who believes Jesus is The Christ is Born of God” What does “Born of God” mean? Well as I quoted earlier the teaching by Jesus is the gospel of John, its about being Born Again, the regeneration of the soul in Christ. A Christian has become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) Not only do you put your faith in Christ for your salvation, but you have received a new heart, a new mind, your life has been totally transformed by Jesus.

As the Apostle Paul says “Nobody can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3) The confession that Christ is Lord, is the first step to your salvation. It’s evidence of the Holy Spirit working inside of you, however does your relationship end there? Do you quench the Holy Spirit after this? Are you being led and driven by the Holy Spirit, just as Christ was in the wilderness? (Matthew 4, Luke 4)

The Apostle John goes on to say “By This We Know We love the Children of God, WHEN we love God and Keep His Commandments” How are we known as true Christians? We are known by our love and actions, this is evidence of the Holy Spirit. If we truly confess to be Christians then we keep Gods commandments. But you say, didn’t Christ fulfill The Law? (Matthew 5:17) Yes Christ has fulfilled The Law, but The Law of God is written in our hearts by The Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:3, Romans 2, Ezekiel 36:26)

As Jesus said “You will be known by your fruits” (Matthew 7:16) If you are wondering if someone is a “true Christian” check their fruit. Does their lifestyle align with the Word of God? Are they walking in the Spirit or walking in the flesh? Have you received the Holy Spirit? Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit? (John 3:5) To be a Child of God you must be Born of God in Jesus name, Amen!