We All Owe to Christ

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John 1-1:5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
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“He commanded and they were created.” (Psalm 148:5.) We learn, lastly, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the source of all spiritual life and light. John tells us, that “in Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” He is the eternal fountain, from which alone the sons of men have ever derived life. Whatever spiritual life and light Adam and Eve possessed before the fall, was from Christ. Whatever deliverance from sin and spiritual death any child of Adam has ever enjoyed since the fall, whatever light of conscience or understanding any one has obtained, all has flowed from Christ.

It is amazing to see when the Word became flesh, into this world which He created… the world recognized him not. “But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” – Luke 24:16

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” – John 5:39-40

According to John, Jesus (the Word) existed before everything began, because He made them all and He is the source of all spiritual life, and being obedient to the Father, the creator and source of everything laid down His life to save (His creation) that is you and me, whom He created.

All things were made through Him (the Word who became flesh, which is Jesus)… therefore we owe all to Christ.

Reality of God’s Faithfulness and Justice vs. Man’s Sin

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1 John 1:5-10

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us
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A true believer recognizes the reality of his SIN. What apostle John is pointing out in these verses is “Who is the true Christian/Believer?” It ‘s either we are with Him or against Him.

According to John, true believers are those who confess their sins and walk no more in the pattern of sin. God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all, so by saying that, we can only be in fellowship with God, be at peace with God and walk no more in darkness and commit the very sins that crucified Jesus Christ.

We cannot proclaim that we are Christians and at the same time comfortably committing sin. If one will profess “I am a Christian”, “I am a believer”, “I fear God” and yet walking in darkness and walking in rebellion… he is a liar.

Confession of sins is basic for salvation, because if we really genuinely do confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us. A verbal profession means nothing. “Faith without action is dead!” (James 2:20) We need to act and obey according to what we profess, if we profess we are Christians… we act like Christians or else we are liars, we are as good as talkers.

“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 1:6)

Are we honoring God by living in a pattern of sin every after confessions? It is true that there is now no condemnation. (Romans 8:1) but remember, it is applicable only to those who are in Christ Jesus who genuinely repent their sins.

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Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation FOR those who are in Christ Jesus
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Who are those in Christ Jesus? Those who confess their sins and turn away from it, those who put their faith in Christ and act according to their faith and believe that God is faithful and just.

Put your faith in Jesus Christ and act according to it, because the day of the Lord is fast approaching.

GRACE AND PEACE TO ALL!

The Armor of the Sword of the Spirit is our Offense

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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
– Ephesians 6:10-17
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The SWORD is offensive…

All the armors Paul lists in Ephesians 6 are defensive, with one exception: the sword of the Spirit. That’s our offensive weapon for defeating Satan.
Our enemy in the high places mentioned in Ephesians 6 is spiritual therefore our weapons also must be spiritual (2 Cor. 10:4). Our sword is spiritual because it is the Word given by the Holy Spirit. He inspired its writing and through it convicts and redeems sinners (John 16:8; Heb. 4:12-13).

The sword of the Spirit is is our offense and at the same time is offensive, and it offends our enemies because its work is to destroy the work of the devil. Not only it destroys the work of the devil in the same way it destroys the flesh within us, it convicts us, we can notice a sword is always double-edged, therefore it destroys both ways. It deals us and our enemies, and it is powerful. The sword is the word of God itself and as believers, the power of it will be manifested if we live by the word and we abide in it and if we are convicted.

In short it transforms us. It supplies everything we need for a godly, victorious life. It builds us up and produces holiness (Acts 20:32). And it equips us for good works by teaching, reproving, correcting, and training us in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

The Bible/the word/sword of the Spirit is a powerful and effective weapon. The question is, Do we know how to use it? Do we diligently study it and apply its principles to our lives? Do we have a storehouse of biblical truth to draw from in the heat of battle?

PEACE AND BLESSING!

No Greater Love for Jesus’ Friends

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Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. – John 15:13
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What it means to be a friend of Jesus Christ? IF we do what Jesus command us to do then we are friends of Jesus, not just a normal friendship but an intimate, personal and close relationship with Jesus Christ… if not so then it would be difficult to for us to follow His commandments.
Obedience is the proof that we are intimate in the relationship with Jesus then we are true branch of the one true vine.

What are characteristics of the friend of Jesus:

1. JESUS’ FRIENDS LOVE EACH OTHER
John 15:12 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”
A true believer doesn’t hate his brother. – 1 John 2:9-11

2. JESUS’ FRIENDS KNOW DIVINE TRUTH
John 15:15 – “No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant[b] does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
Because Jesus treat us not as slave (for slave do not know his master’s business) but friends, therefore He made known to us the divine truth He heard from the Father to us, because we are friends with Him. What is that truth? It’s the sacrificial love, that God gave up His Son, that Jesus laid down His life not only for His friends… while we were yet sinners. – Romans 5:8

3. JESUS’ FRIENDS ARE ESPECIALLY CHOSEN
John 15:16 – “You did not choose me, but I chose you”
John 15:19 – “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide”
We are all chosen to salvation and ordained to serve… we are chosen to GO and bear fruit… that is the great commission… so we are Jesus’ friend if we go and bear fruit and endure ’till the end.
Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

4. JESUS’ FRIENDS HAVE THEIR PRAYERS ANSWERED
John 15:19 – “so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
The friend of Jesus prays and God answers and the Bible yet says pray fervently, pray effectually, and pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

What about those who aren’t his friends?
Matthew 12:30 – “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
James 4:4 -“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?”

PEACE & BLESSING!

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Excerpt from John MacArthurs “The Friends of Jesus”

 

Die to Sin First In Order to be Born Again

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Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
– John 3:3
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For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
– Romans 8:13
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If the power of the Gospel is to be fully realized in the life of a believer, then that believer must first be emptied. The principle of the Gospel is always “first death, then life.”
One must die to himself then live in Christ, that means 100 percent denial of self, anything that points to oneself as long as it is SELF must die first in order for Christ to come in.  One can only serve one master… self or CHRIST?

It’s What We Do, Not What We Say

The single greatest tool for evangelism that we possess is doing what is right, how we live, that which is holy in this way it will silence our critics. In this way, if we live irreprovably our enemy has no way to fasten his teeth on us thus they will also may glorify God by seeing us living a holy life.

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Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.  Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
– 1 Peter 2:11-20

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Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you[a] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
– 1 Peter 3:1-7

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The Breastplate of Righeousness

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“Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14).
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We’ve seen the importance of putting on the breastplate of righteousness as protection against Satan’s attempts to pervert your thinking and emotions. But Scripture speaks of three kinds of righteousness: self-righteousness, imputed righteousness, and practical righteousness. Which did Paul have in mind in Ephesians 6:14?

Paul wasn’t speaking of self-righteousness because that is what the breastplate of righteousness is designed to protect us from.

Similarly, Paul wasn’t speaking of imputed righteousness–the righteousness of Christ granted to every believer at the moment of salvation.

Only practical righteousness remains–that which flows from obedience to God’s Word.  Although in God’s eyes we are righteous in Christ, we must also pursue righteous behavior. In other words, our practice should match our position. That’s what Paul meant when he said, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:13).  John added that “the one who says he abides in [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6).