“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (I John 4:11)
Many years ago I had the privilege of frequently hearing Brother Herbert Ashby, a pastor and revival preacher. He preached the Bible as it was to men as they were. He had a unique phrase that he used often after explaining a doctrine such as the second coming of Jesus. He would finish his point and then say, “How plain the Word of God is.”
I want to borrow that phrase from Brother Ashby and use it with our text for today: “How plain the Word of God is.” This verse is so clear, simple and plain even small children can understand it. Read our text again and see if you agree with Brother Ashby.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Sunday, October 8, 2017
God Loved Us and Sent His Son
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (I John 4:10)
As John is inspired of the Holy Spirit to write on the subjects of God’s love, man’s love for God and his fellow man, it has been a near exhaustive treatise. I think of an old preacher who was asked about his sermon delivery. He said, “First, I tell them what I am about to tell them. Then I tell them. Then, I tell them what I’ve done told them. That way they won’t forget.”
Jesus is the propitiation, or covering, like the Mercy Seat over the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. His blood covers our sins. He is the place of mercy. Someone said, “Give me justice! I want justice.” Someone standing near said, “If God gave you justice you would be eternally doomed in hell. What you need is Mercy, not Justice.” Jesus is our propitiation, our Mercy Seat.
A Personal Note from Brother Jim
I am making an appeal to all my readers for you to be in prayer for Auburn Baptist Church (Auburn, Kentucky), where I am pastor. There are many readers whom I will never see and never meet, but I know there are prayer warriors among you.
Our church enters a series of services this Sunday morning, October 8 and continues through Wednesday evening, October 11. If you live close enough to allow you to attend please do so. If you cannot attend please lift us up to God in your prayers.
Our service times are today at 11:00 a.m. and tonight through Wednesday we will be meeting at 7:00 p.m. All times for services are Central Daylight Time.
Thank You.
Brother Jim
As John is inspired of the Holy Spirit to write on the subjects of God’s love, man’s love for God and his fellow man, it has been a near exhaustive treatise. I think of an old preacher who was asked about his sermon delivery. He said, “First, I tell them what I am about to tell them. Then I tell them. Then, I tell them what I’ve done told them. That way they won’t forget.”
Jesus is the propitiation, or covering, like the Mercy Seat over the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. His blood covers our sins. He is the place of mercy. Someone said, “Give me justice! I want justice.” Someone standing near said, “If God gave you justice you would be eternally doomed in hell. What you need is Mercy, not Justice.” Jesus is our propitiation, our Mercy Seat.
A Personal Note from Brother Jim
I am making an appeal to all my readers for you to be in prayer for Auburn Baptist Church (Auburn, Kentucky), where I am pastor. There are many readers whom I will never see and never meet, but I know there are prayer warriors among you.
Our church enters a series of services this Sunday morning, October 8 and continues through Wednesday evening, October 11. If you live close enough to allow you to attend please do so. If you cannot attend please lift us up to God in your prayers.
Our service times are today at 11:00 a.m. and tonight through Wednesday we will be meeting at 7:00 p.m. All times for services are Central Daylight Time.
Thank You.
Brother Jim
Saturday, October 7, 2017
How Much God Loves Us
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (I John 4:9)
God could have just written in the sky, “I love you,” He could have said, “Giving my Son to die on a cross is too much. It’s way beyond expectation.” But, God showed us His love, not with letters in the sky, but with His Son nailed to a cross.
We can say, “I love God,” but never honor His commandments. Or, we might say to a fellow believer, “I love you,” but never help him when he needs it.
The words to the hymn, "I Love Thee," which was written in 1805, are still true today. They read:
“I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee, my Lord;
I love Thee my Savior, I love Thee, my God:
I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know;
But how much I love Thee my actions will show.”
God could have just written in the sky, “I love you,” He could have said, “Giving my Son to die on a cross is too much. It’s way beyond expectation.” But, God showed us His love, not with letters in the sky, but with His Son nailed to a cross.
We can say, “I love God,” but never honor His commandments. Or, we might say to a fellow believer, “I love you,” but never help him when he needs it.
The words to the hymn, "I Love Thee," which was written in 1805, are still true today. They read:
“I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee, my Lord;
I love Thee my Savior, I love Thee, my God:
I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know;
But how much I love Thee my actions will show.”
Friday, October 6, 2017
God is Love
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God; for God is love.” (I John 4:7-8)
Throughout this epistle John is addressing the saved, not the lost. He is giving instruction to believers. He calls them, “beloved,” a word never used in the New Testament for non-believers. With the exception of the Gospels, most of the New Testament is written to believers, giving us instruction on how we are to live and act in the family of God. If we claim to be a Christian we must look in the pages of God’s Word for instruction on how to live.
In this passage we are told to love one another for love is of God. In addition we are told that, “God is love.” He is the source of love.
Throughout this epistle John is addressing the saved, not the lost. He is giving instruction to believers. He calls them, “beloved,” a word never used in the New Testament for non-believers. With the exception of the Gospels, most of the New Testament is written to believers, giving us instruction on how we are to live and act in the family of God. If we claim to be a Christian we must look in the pages of God’s Word for instruction on how to live.
In this passage we are told to love one another for love is of God. In addition we are told that, “God is love.” He is the source of love.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
The True Standard
“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of Truth, and the spirit of error.” (I John 4:6)
The spirit of error is all around. It is difficult to know the difference in the real and the false. I have been told that in Washington, D.C. there is the Bureau of Standards. There is an exact inch, an exact foot, an exact pound, an exact pint, gallon or almost anything that has to do with measurements. The trained teller down at the bank does not need to know what every counterfeit one-hundred dollar bill looks like. She only needs to know what a genuine bill looks like.
The Bible student does not need to know what every cult looks like or what they believe. He only needs to measure all beliefs against the true standard in the Bible.
The spirit of error is all around. It is difficult to know the difference in the real and the false. I have been told that in Washington, D.C. there is the Bureau of Standards. There is an exact inch, an exact foot, an exact pound, an exact pint, gallon or almost anything that has to do with measurements. The trained teller down at the bank does not need to know what every counterfeit one-hundred dollar bill looks like. She only needs to know what a genuine bill looks like.
The Bible student does not need to know what every cult looks like or what they believe. He only needs to measure all beliefs against the true standard in the Bible.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
The Voice of the World
“They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” (I John 4:5)
Someone has said, “The world likes the sound of its own voice.” The false prophets and the world are in perfect unison. They are in harmony with anyone who is not in harmony with the Lord. “Can two walk together, except they are agreed?” asked the prophet, Amos. (Amos 3:3) The world is in lock-step with itself.
It behooves the followers of Christ to be in harmony with one another. I have discovered that those who are in harmony with the Lord find it much easier to be in harmony with fellow believers than if they are not in harmony with God. To have harmony with the Lord we must first walk with the Lord, as “Enoch walked with God.” (Genesis 5:24)
Someone has said, “The world likes the sound of its own voice.” The false prophets and the world are in perfect unison. They are in harmony with anyone who is not in harmony with the Lord. “Can two walk together, except they are agreed?” asked the prophet, Amos. (Amos 3:3) The world is in lock-step with itself.
It behooves the followers of Christ to be in harmony with one another. I have discovered that those who are in harmony with the Lord find it much easier to be in harmony with fellow believers than if they are not in harmony with God. To have harmony with the Lord we must first walk with the Lord, as “Enoch walked with God.” (Genesis 5:24)
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Victorious Living
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (I John 4:4)
The Bible makes it clear that we Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside from the moment we invite Jesus in and trust Him. Jesus said, “…He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. (John 14:17) The Bible says, “…if so be that the spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His.” (Romans 8:9)
We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. To be filled means to be under the control of the Holy Spirit. Just think: Satan is a defeated foe when he comes against us. He will fight against us and give us all kinds of temptations and problems. But remember, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” This is called, “Victorious Living.”
The Bible makes it clear that we Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside from the moment we invite Jesus in and trust Him. Jesus said, “…He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. (John 14:17) The Bible says, “…if so be that the spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His.” (Romans 8:9)
We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. To be filled means to be under the control of the Holy Spirit. Just think: Satan is a defeated foe when he comes against us. He will fight against us and give us all kinds of temptations and problems. But remember, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” This is called, “Victorious Living.”
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