“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:1-4 NASB1995)
We have to be so careful in reading the Scriptures that we
do not read them out of context and then draw conclusions which are contrary to
the context, as a whole, and then form a false concept of what it means to
believe in Jesus Christ, to be saved from our sins, and to have the hope of
eternal life with God. So I would recommend to all who read this that, if you
can, you read the entire book of 1 John from start to finish before you begin
drawing any conclusions about what it is teaching us.
And why do I say that? Because I see so much abuse of the
Scriptures on a regular basis, because so many people are being taught the
Scriptures out of context, and thus many people are accepting a false gospel
message and not the truth, not in whole. And this grieves me, because I know
that there are many people out there, convinced that they are saved from their
sins and on their way to heaven, who have not bowed the knee to God in
surrender of their lives to him in submission to his will and purpose for their
lives.
So, if our faith in Jesus Christ is genuine biblical faith,
which comes from God, which is gifted to us by God, and which is not of our own
doing, but is persuaded of God, then it will result in us walking in obedience
to his commands. For Jesus Christ, in his love for us, gave himself up for us
on that cross that we might die with him to sin and now live for him and for
his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands. So, to love him is to
obey him, and to obey him is to love him, and to love him is to serve him.
For our faith in Jesus Christ is not of our own doing, but
it is God persuading us as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our
sinfulness, and of our need to deny self, die to sin, and to walk in obedience to
his commands, by his grace, in his power. For his grace is training us to
renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled,
upright, and godly lives while we await his return. For we are not saved just
so we can go to heaven. We are saved from our sins so we will live for God
while on this earth.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John
6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1
Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32;
Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2;
1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
But this isn’t just about following a set of commands,
though it is that, too, but this is about following the leading of the Lord, of
his Spirit, in our every day lives, called of God to his service. We are to be
dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus in all that we are and think and
do. And we are to find out from God what his plan is for our lives, and we must
go with God in whatever he has planned for us to do for his glory and for his
purposes, and for the salvation of human lives out of bondage to sin to walking
with Jesus.
And this engages us in loving all people, really, but
especially we are to love and minister to one another within the family of God.
We are to be those who are encouraging and exhorting one another to obey our
Lord’s commandments, and to live holy lives, pleasing to him, and to no longer
make sin our practice, but to make righteousness our practice, by the grace of
God, in the power of God. And we are to warn one another against going astray
and against being led back into captivity to sin, because we love.
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
By Louisa M.R. Stead / William J.
Kirkpatrick
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just
to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise, just to
know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
O how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to
trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me ’neath
the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just
from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking life,
and rest, and joy, and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee, precious
Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me, will
be with me to the end.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Thee! How
I’ve proved Thee o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for
grace to trust Thee more!
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When
We Love God
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