The Word of Life

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:1-10 ESV)

Jesus Christ is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He was with God in the beginning, and he is our creator God, and he is the Word of Life (see John 1:1-36). And he left his throne in heaven, came to earth, and was born as a human baby to a human mother, but he was conceived of the Holy Spirit. So while he lived on the earth he was fully God but fully human (God incarnate). 

And during his time of ministry on the earth he healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, delivered people from demons, performed all sorts of miracles, fed the hungry, and comforted the sorrowful. But he also preached repentance for salvation from sin and self-denial, dying to sin daily, and walks of obedience to him as required for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. For he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

[Isaiah 53:1-12; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 26:26-29; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 17:25; Jn 1:1-36; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:24,58; Jn 10:27-33; Jn 20:28-29; Rom 5:8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 9:5; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 11:23-32; 1 Co 15:1-8; 2 Co 5:15,21; Eph 4:17-24; Php 2:5-11; Col 2:9; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 1:8-9; Heb 2:14-15; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 John 3:4-10]  

Now God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is light (truth, righteousness) and in him is no darkness (sin, wickedness) at all. So if we say that we are in fellowship with him, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in darkness (sin), we are liars who do not practice the truth. But sadly this is where many professing Christians are today, claiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and heaven as their eternal destiny, but while they continue in deliberate and habitual sin against God, for they are believing the lies.

But if we walk (in conduct, in practice) in the light (Jesus Christ, truth, righteousness, the gospel), as God is in the light, then we are in fellowship with God and with other believers in Christ who are also in genuine fellowship with the Lord via walks of obedience to his commands in holy living and in the forsaking of our sins, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ. And the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. We are not cleansed from all sin if we are still walking in the darkness (sin).

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess (own up to, agree with God, align with God about) our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But this must be read in the context of the previous verses which make it clear that if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to the Lord, then we don’t have salvation from sin, and we don’t have eternal life with God and cleansing from all sin.

For it is not enough to just give lip service to the Lord and to just make a verbal confession of sin, but we must align with and agree with God with regard to our sin which means that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, in practice, for us to be in fellowship with God and for us to be actively being cleansed from all sin. For this is not a one-time deal and we are good to go to heaven. We must die daily to sin and walk in obedience to our Lord to have eternal life in him.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31] 

Our Eyes on Jesus 

 

An Original Work / April 23, 2012

Based off Hebrews 12:2-13 

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

Our faith starts and grows in Him,

Who for the joy set before Him

Endured all our sin.

Scorning the shame of the cross,

He sat down beside God above.

He was willing to die for us,

To save us, in love.

Think about the opposition

He endured from sinful men,

So when you go through life’s trials, 

You stay strong within.

Knowing all He went through for us

Helps us not grow weak of heart;

Not grow weary; don’t give up;

And not from Him depart.

In your struggle against sin’s ways,

Resist not to shed your blood.

Have you forgotten the words 

God spoke to us in love?

“My child, don’t ignore it when

The Lord corrects you; do faint not,

Because the Lord disciplines those

That He loves, of God.”

God rebukes us all for our good;

Share with Him in holiness.

It produces a harvest of

God’s own righteousness.

Therefore, strengthen all within you

That is weak and might give way.

Stand firm in the faith God gives you;

Trust Him and obey. 

https://vimeo.com/125489683