No one who denies the Son has the Father

Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

I John 2:22-23

This really doesn't need much commentary. Everyone can understand the point John is making with this statement. There are individuals, denominations and sects who actually do deny the deity of Jesus Christ, yet call themselves Christian. This is not possible, brethren. Jesus is God and man in one person forever. It is the doctrine of the hypostatic union. 100% God and 100% man. Not either/or. Not half and half. While in his earthly incarnation, he mostly operated out of his humanity, for the purpose of being our propitiation. He proved that a man born with no sin can live a sinless life, which is what was required to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He set aside His deity to live and work among lowly, smelly, stupid humans. He was one of us. He is one of us, now the first human in resurrection body in heaven. The only visible form of God. He is our only hope. Not just a good man. Not just a kind and gracious teacher. God in human flesh. The creator. He purchased our salvation and made us His own. No mortal could have done that. Jesus plainly stated: " If you knew the Father, you'd know Me. But you don't and you don't. Since you reject Me, you cannot know the father." John 7:28-29, John 8:19. Therefore, anyone claiming to be Christian, yet denying the deity of Jesus is simply a liar and the antichrist. There isn't just one. There are many.

Object of Love

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. I John 2:15-17

"world"- kosmos. The satanic system under which the civilizations of the earth are organized. It means "order or arrangement." Like cosmetics. Its operating principles are force, greed, selfishness, ambition and pleasure. These characteristics are not compatible with the Christian Way of Life. Politics, religion, lasciviousness and phony intellectualism are the identifying manifestations of one who loves the kosmos. "Lust of the flesh:" obviously, sexual preoccupation, as well as all other physical pleasures that take priority in one's life. "Lust of the eyes:" constant need for entertainment and thrill-seeking. Consuming desire to own and control beautiful, fascinating objects and people. "Pride of Life:" Vainglory. Boasting of one's achievements or possessions. These affections and practices are not from God. They are from the world's influence on our human nature which is the Old Sin Nature. Sensuality, emotionalism and arrogance distract us from our true spiritual kinship with our Lord. Our aging and deteriorating physical bodies should teach us that whatever we are in the flesh is temporary. Even the natural desires of our flesh eventually decline and die. Our tour of duty here is very short, in the grand scheme of things. Those who live forever are the ones who do the will of God. "Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:29

Dear Children --

I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

I John 2:12-14

John states his reasons for writing this epistle to the Church. As the pastor-teacher of the local church, and knowing he was recording scripture for the Church Age, his objective is to keep us reminded of our priority: Bible Doctrine. Our attitude toward God's Word is evidence of our relationship with God. Every pastor has various levels of spritual l growth among his congregants. That will be true as long as the Church remains. 1. "dear children"-babies. Newborn believers. They have placed their trust in Jesus for salvation and need the milk of the Word to nourish them as they begin to grow. They do know the Father, through their faith in the Son. Their forgiveness is a permanent condition. 2. "fathers"-mature ones, who have learned, probably over many years of study and prayer, the character of God: Who He is and What he has provided through His Word to us who believe Him. They have achieved friendship with God. They have the peace of God, which passes all understanding. 3."young men"-adolescent believers. They have learned some basic doctrine. They have a concept of the Christian Way of Life. Their strength is in the confidence of Faith Rest (knowing, and claiming the promises of God). They have learned to wear the Armor of God in their daily confrontations with the world. The Word has taken root in them, and they know how to renew the filling of the Holy Spirit as they advance to the high ground. They have learned to recognize evil, no matter how good it looks, and when they do err, they confess it, shake it off and move on. Every believer you meet is in one of these categories. If he is mature, you have some things to learn from him. If he's a baby, you have some things to teach him. If he's an adolescent, he probably thinks he is more mature than he is. Be patient and honor the family relationship. He's on his way to full maturity and he needs your support and love, not your criticism. Walk with him. Help each other along. You'll both be the better for it.

Dear Brothers & Sisters

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

I John 2:9-11

Please keep in mind John is writing to the Church here. Born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is instructing us about fellow believers: "brother or sister." Members of the family of God. Not just people in general. We believers can sometimes be quite ornery about our lifestyle, manner of worship and doctrinal beliefs. Of course I know I'm right. If you actually believe anything you know you're right. Then there are those who don't seem to believe anything, much. We know they're wrong. The issue is: if a person professes a belief in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, that person is a Christian. That is common among all truly Christian churches. He is my brother, a person who is IN CHRIST, as I am. He will spend eternity with me and all the others who are Royal Family. If I am living in the light of God's Word, I will love those who are children of my Father. (Notice he doesn't say we have to LIKE them.) They have the most important thing in common with me: eternal life. They are pilgrims here just as I am. We are on the same journey. Hating each other is stupid and unproductive. It is NOT the behavior of spiritually enlightened believers. Animosity toward fellow believers gives the worldlings all the more reason to ridicule and despise all of us, because they don't know what the real issue is, anyway. They just see us insulting each other and bringing shame on the Body of Christ. Most of those doctrines we squabble over are not necessary to our salvation. The squabbles are distractions to our purpose, which is to proclaim the Person and Work of the only Savior, Jesus Christ.

How Do We Know?

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

I John 2:3-6

You can be a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, because you have totally believed in His atonement for your sins and have received His Righteousness, guaranteeing you eternal life, and not really KNOW Him, in the sense of intimate fellowship. You can be the child of your human father, carry his name, live under his roof, eat at his table, make purchases on his credit, and not be intimately familiar with the person he is. We know this, because most of us have been that inattentive child, taking our parents for granted while trading on their good name. When we KNOW our parents; when we KNOW our spouse, we will be keenly aware of their norms and standards, and understand that our best relationship with them is based on honoring those standards. A wife who says she knows her husband, but does not honor his preferences and attend to his daily expectations is lying. Likewise husband for wife. We accommodate those we love, and we cannot love whom we do not know. Obedience to His Word demonstrates our love for God. How can we obey what we are not familiar with? How can we be familiar with that which we ignore? Bible Doctrine is the curriculum, the basis of our knowledge of Jesus. We will never outgrow it. It is our continuing sustenance. Having a romantic idea of His person won't cut it. He is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. He is the LORD of the Armies. He is the ultimate authority. He has given us His plan and purpose in writing. He has shown us Who and What He is and what He deems important. If I live habitually IN HIM I must think and behave like He did. Then I will KNOW.

If We Confess

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself 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 that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:6-9


There are several "ifs" in these few verses, all regarding the thinking and behavior patterns of born-again believers. These particular "ifs" in the koine greek language mean "if and it may or may not be true of the individual believer's practice." That's the way we English speakers always interpret "if," but it has different connotations in the greek construct, depending on grammatical class and condition. I am stressing this point to be clear: a person can be a born-again Christian and yet walk in darkness (carnality, ignorance of the Word, dominated by one's old sin nature). Believers in this condition are experts at kidding themselves into believing they are rocking along OK ("me and Jesus, we got our own thing going", ad nauseum.) Such a one, claiming to be in fellowship (koinonia, sharing of common interests) with God the Father, is simply lying to himself and others. Your child doesn't cease to be your child because he is a rebellious brat, but the brat doesn't share your norms and standards. To have fellowship with the Father, we must walk in the light (spirituality, knowledge of the Word.) You cannot love and practice what you don't know. You cannot advocate what you don't honor. Walking in the light, we know we share the priorities of our Lord, and we know the blood of Jesus CONTINUES TO CLEANSE US from all sin. That's what it means. To deny the fact of the old sin nature in our bodies is self-deceit. That corruption is with us as long as we remain in these bodies. But here's the solution: when we see that we have sinned, we confess (admit) that sin (name it to God the Father, in private). He will always do the same thing, because of Jesus' atonement: He forgives that sin, and He cleanses us from all the other sins we didn't recognize as sin in ourselves. This renews our fellowship with Him, fills our being with the Holy Spirit, and enables us to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Next time, we'll have a better understanding of just what constitutes sin. We learn to see sin and spirituality as God sees them. We learn to love being in fellowship (agreement) with Him.

If We Sin...

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. I John 2:1-2

Here's an "if" that is 1st class condition in the original greek. "If and it's true." It would be better if God's people didn't sin, but as long as we're in the flesh, it will happen. An important part of growing in grace is learning to recognize the personal sins we commit, sometimes deliberately but often in ignorance. Proverbs 6:16-19: "There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers." Some Christians may not realize the sinfulness of a couple of these, such as the last one: agitating conflict in the community. Well, we have an advocate! Isn't that a beautiful word? He is on our side. He paid our price. He stands at the right hand of the Father to plead our righteousness, which is His Righteousness, because we belong to Him. I'm deeply grateful for His atonement, and I'm eager to learn more about how to honor Him in my daily life. The more we obey what we know of the Word, the more we will come to know of the Word. It's a rule. Self-examination and confession of the personal sins we recognize will keep us on the upward track toward maturity. It's an exhilarating journey, meant to be enjoyed and shared.

From The Beginning

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. I John 1:1-2

Written by the apostle John, who also wrote John's Gospel and 2nd and 3rd John, epistles to the Church. First, his qualifications: eyewitness to the living Lord Jesus Christ in his earthly incarnation. One of the closest of Jesus' friends. A faithful and loving disciple who, like Peter and James, had even witnessed the transfiguration described in Matthew 17. They were with Him throughout His earthly ministry. They witnessed His baptism. They saw Him teach, feed masses, heal the sick and raise the dead. They had even participated in some of these ministries, empowered by Jesus' authority. They were with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. They failed Him there. They were with Him at His arrest. They failed Him there. They were sitting together, stunned, frightened and discouraged, when He was resurrected. He had forewarned them of all this. They didn't get it. Ah, but after He was risen and ascended, they knew, not only Who He was, but also Whose they were, and were energized by the knowledge that the world and they would never be the same. This was something entirely new. The Church was born from the Word of life, and the apostles' job was to proclaim the eternal life that was purchased by the blood of Him which was from the beginning. "We write this to make our joy complete" (v 4). There is great joy in knowing and in communicating God's Word. Unspeakable Joy.

Like a Thief

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:10,17-18

"The day of the Lord " in Bible terminology is an extended period of time, beginning with the rapture of the Church, including the 2nd Advent of Christ and the millennial Kingdom. The early Church knew what Peter meant by this. All the apostles were teaching it. In those days, thieves would burst unexpectedly into the home of a sleeping family and snatch away their belongings, suddenly and without any warning. This will be the manner of our Lord's return to claim His own out of the earth. The warning is: don't be complacent. Be ready. Spiritual laziness and worldliness will lull you into a stupor. The wolves are waiting to take advantage of your weakness and apathy. Biblical stupidity is unbecoming of a believer in Jesus Christ, and it leaves us confused and vulnerable to false doctrine. We have been equipped to face the future and today with confidence, because we have God's Word in writing. We grow in grace by learning it. God the Holy Spirit indwells us to enable our understanding and application of His perfect Word of Truth. We need to know what to believe, about whom, why, and by what methods we can communicate with Him. We need to know what is acceptable conduct for His people. We need to have accurate information to share with others in our earthly surroundings. Grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ are the nourishment of the Church. Take it in and grow.

Seducers

With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. 2 Peter 2:14-15

The truth is, friends and fellow pilgrims, I would rather not post these particular scriptures and comments, but here they are. It would be cowardly of me to skip over them in the daily commentary. In this whole chapter dealing with false teachers, Peter just opens up about how God deals with those who are not afraid to distort His Word and His perfect plan of grace. Angels sinned and were incarcerated. The great flood destroyed all but faithful Noah and his family and the animals God wanted to preserve. The fire from heaven destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, sparing only Lot and his family, because they were believers. This kind of judgment is brought on those who arrogantly reject the provision of God and despise His authority. Balaam is a special case (Numbers 22), recorded for us because he is an example of one who believes in God, but loves money so much that he is willing to curse God's people for gain. He didn't get away with it, of course, but what gall! What blind arrogance, to be that kind of a traitor, for money! Believers who are enticed by their lust patterns often do think they are so special God will allow an exception in their case. No exceptions, brethren. Disobedience brings divine discipline, sometimes even unto death, on the believer who rebels against the direct will of God. We are without excuse. I Samuel 15:23 "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." This was Samuel's pronouncement of discipline on King Saul, another disobedient believer. Yes, God is Love. He is also Sovereignty, Righteousness and Justice. You don't take liberties with His perfect plan of grace. Big mistake.

Scoffers

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come....They will say, "Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?....everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."....But do not forget this one thing.....With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:3-4,8-9

Ah, yes. The scoffers. Those who do not want to believe, are not willing to believe, therefore refuse to believe, the Word of God. Uh-huh, but they will believe ANYTHING else. Occultism, Eastern Mysticism, pseudo-science, Al Gore, Stephen Hawking, Voo-doo! God keeps His promises, people. We know that, because He always has done what He said He would do. God is not controlled by time. We are, therefore we are impatient. In eternity, all that has been promised has already been accomplished. It is we who haven't arrived there yet. We live in time for a reason. It is training, for one thing, to teach us to manage our priorities. Each of us has 24 hours in each earth rotation, do do with as we will. We can't have everything, so decisions must be made. We didn't choose our time to be born, and we will not choose our time of departure, but God has all that under control. The point is: be ready. We really only have today, believer or unbeliever, to take care of today's business. If we are still here tomorrow, there will be another day's business to attend to, but God has set a day when I will depart this earth into the eternity He lives in. He has also set a day when Jesus Christ will return for His own. It is not our clock. If you are still breathing, scoffer, that means God has given you one more day to hear and believe the gospel message. He's waiting for you. That's why it's taking so long.

Destructive Heresies

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 2 Peter 2:1-3

Well, well. Here is a touchy subject, and a quite timely one. The false teachers, the heretics, the cults are flourishing, worldwide. It is the pastor's job to teach accurate doctrine and warn his flock about these greedy wolves, and Peter did his job. These phonies posing as Christians distort the grace of God, passing off their lies as the gospel of Jesus Christ. They play on the emotions of unbelievers and new believers, creating confusion about just what is the Christian Way of Life. They present a counterfeit christ, a "feel-good" experience, which ignores the character of God and the basic doctrines of total depravity, unlimited atonement, redemption and eternal sanctification by faith alone in Christ alone. You can get entertainment anywhere, folks, and you can find support groups everywhere, to stroke you and tell you you are special, and it's all about you. That is NOT the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Giving some slick showman "seed money" is NOT going to bring you blessing. We are blessed moment-by- moment, day-by-day, through our submission to the Word of God and obedience to what we understand Jesus expects of His Royal Family. We learn. We grow. We pray constantly. We worship privately and publicly. We love God and the brethren, and we treat every human as a soul for whom Christ died. It is His work, not our works, that purchased our salvation. The false teachers embarrass us, to be sure, but that seems to be part of our grace package, living as God's people in the devil's world. It didn't take our Lord by surprise and He has given us fair warning. Learn the Truth of Bible doctrine and you won't be taken in by

We Were Eyewitnesses

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories...but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty...We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain...Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:16,18,20-21

For those who choose to question the authority of the Holy Scriptures, Peter presents his credentials. His reference is to the transfiguration described in Matthew 17:1-5. Jesus, accompanied by Moses and Elijah, revealed His glory to Peter, James and John on the mountain. God's thunderous voice validated His Son. These guys didn't just pass on stories, folks. They were with Jesus all the days of His earthly ministry. These three were even privileged to see His glorious majesty before the resurrection. They watched, listened, learned, witnessed His miracles, ministered with Him, loved Him; and when His darkest hour arrived, they failed Him. When they were accused of devising a hoax, they defended through persecution and death the resurrection of their Lord. Hoaxers don't do that. Charles Colson points out in his writings that it took less than two weeks for the Watergate conspirators to fall apart, though their whole life's work, as well as the president's, hung in the balance. Conspiracies don't stand the test of time. Truth does. And Truth frees from legalism and superstition and pseudo-scientific nonsense.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

After My Departure

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 2 Peter 1:12-15

"It takes a man who has discovered something of the measures of his own weakness to be patient with the foibles of others. ... he does not easily despair of others, but looks beyond sinfulness, willfulness, and stupidity, to the might of unchanging love. The Lord Jesus does not give the charge, 'Be a shepherd to My lambs ... to My sheep,' on hearing Peter's self-confident affirmation of undying loyalty, but He gives it after he has utterly failed to keep his vows and has wept bitterly in the streets of Jerusalem." (from The Green Letters by Miles Stanford)

Peter, a disciple of Jesus Christ, had learned a bitter lesson about failure. Having denied the Lord three times, and agonizing in shame, he was called out by Jesus and commissioned to "feed my sheep." Three times. (John 21:15-17). Three stages of growth. Lambs who need milk and careful nurturing. Juveniles who need more solid food and perhaps more discipline. Mature sheep, who are firmly established in the truth, but need their memories refreshed from time to time, about the importance of being diligent in the Word, lest we become complacent and forget God's purpose for the Church. We all must be fed. Peter understood his responsibility to his flock and was determined to keep them reminded of the qualities that win souls and produce honorable fruit for God's Kingdom. Peter's job was to teach his congregation doctrine that would carry them forward after he was gone. Their job, our job is to maintain momentum as we move through our allotment of time, teaching those who will come behind us the solid truths of the Bible. "One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts." Psalm 145:4. If we don't teach it; if they don't learn it, nothing else matters.

Qualities

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble 2 Peter 1:8-10

"These qualities" : faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and (agape) love. The qualities we are admonished to cultivate in vss 5-7. These qualities result in rewardable production for the Kingdom of God. Sometimes those who have been cleansed forget Whose they are and what they've been saved from. That is a tragedy, for it neutralizes their testimony. The more we know about our Lord, the more we love Him. The more we know and love Him, the more we will demonstrate Him to the world. Systematic Theology, aka categorical Bible doctrine, stored in the soul, gives us ongoing, intimate knowledge of Who and What our Savior is, and what He expects of us. Like you know your husband. Like you know your lover. Like you know your best friend. It is a daily relationship, an ever-deepening friendship, with the One Who has given everything He is for you. Our daily relationship with the Lover of our souls gives us certainty, assurance, STABILITY in every aspect of life. Learning Him, loving Him, knowing Him, keeping steady company with Him, we will never stumble, because He holds us up in the face of all attackers (Jude 24). There's your confidence. IN HIM.

Add To Your Faith

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 2 Peter 1:5-7

So now you have believed in Jesus Christ and are IN HIM forever. You are learning about this Sovereign Ruler of the Universe Who is your eternal Father. You are studying the scriptures with a good pastor-teacher and memorizing all those promises, and eliminating the legalism and superstition from your thinking. Where you go from here is a matter of your volition. There are behaviors we Christians need to cultivate, not in order to BE saved (that's already done), but because we ARE saved. Remember Whose you are, and learn to appreciate and practice: divine goodness (God's kind, not human good), knowledge of the Biblical, doctrinal variety (not worldly intellectualism), self-control (we don't have to allow our sin nature's emotional pattern to control our behaviors anymore. Remember: emotions cannot think! We have the mind of Christ. You are in charge of your behaviors). Persevere in your growth to spiritual maturity. You'll fail along the way. Get up, confess that stupidity to God, and move on to the high ground. He can't use you while you're wallowing in self-loathing. Now you're ready to embrace for yourself godliness (likemindedness with God, identification with God in all areas of your life. Thinking like God). Only now can you really comprehend the brotherhood of fellow believers. We are family. Royal Family of God. We are capable of comprehending His unconditional love for us and we are capable of experiencing that love for one another. Not in order to BE saved. That is not possible. This happens to us believers because we ARE saved. Whom you love, you grow to resemble.

Everything We Need

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

God is omnipotent. All power. He is the source of all the power in the universe. He is our spiritual power for knowing Him and learning to live as His Royal Family in the devil's world. His glory is the Light of the world. His goodness is Perfect Righteousness. We teach that as +R. Absolute Goodness. More good than any human can comprehend, but it is imputed to us at the cross. All those precious promises we find in the Holy Scripture, OT and NT, are given to us to learn, memorize, store and apply on a daily basis or even hourly or moment-by-moment. We call it Faith Rest. Faith=what we know about God. Rest=complete confidence in His provision for us. That is the mind of Christ. We have it in writing for our edification, for our protection, for our discernment, comfort, guidance. The Word of God is a barricade for our souls. It becomes who we are and how we think, and that is the objective of the Christian Way of Life. "For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ." I Corinthians 2:16

Grace and Peace

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2

Grace: divine favor you cannot earn. Peace: contentment, assurance, reconciliation to God, freedom from fear and anxiety regarding our relationship to the Father. Grace always precedes Peace. When you receive grace, you can enjoy peace. If you want peace, you must receive grace, which is freely given to us through the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no way to earn or deserve grace. God loves us and He knows how utterly helpless we are in our corrupted bodies. We didn't do anything to be sinners. Sin is in the dna of every human born since the disobedience of Adam, except the One born with no human father: Mary's firstborn, Jesus. Matthew 1:21, "she shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." God is perfect in His essence. He is One God in three persons: Father, Son, Spirit. All God. All same essence. Different functions toward the creation. All love us, and by abundant Grace provide abundant Peace to those who come to know Who and What He is and what he has freely provided for us. Begging, grovelling, bargaining, trying to earn points will not bring peace! Bring your bucket to the well. RECEIVE Grace..Enjoy Peace. Forever.

Fiery Trials

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. I Peter 4:12-14

Fiery trials you're having to deal with? Were we not promised fiery trials? Unpleasant to be sure. Painful. Humiliating, sometimes. Well, our Lord had to learn humility. We are not better than our Lord. We who express confidence in our faith are called arrogant, among other things, and despised for our "narrow mindedness." For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Philippians 1:29. We share in His sufferings and will share in His glory. We WILL be insulted because of the name of Christ. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:18-19. These are the words of Jesus Christ Himself, to His disciples. "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." I John 3:13. The thing is, our blessings in time and eternity are well worth whatever trials and hatred we endure from the world. What goes on in this dimension are but momentary discomforts, compared to the glorious life we will enjoy with our Lord and our loved ones in the heavenlies. One more thing: look around. The unbelievers don't have it so great, either, in the devil's world. Notice that? Too bad they don't have the assurances of comfort and eternal reward that Jesus has promised to us who place our trust in Him.

Speaking For God

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. I Peter 4:10-11


Yes, we believers do "speak for God," in the sense of proclaiming the Gospel message and exegeting His Word in a depraved world, which is mostly hostile toward all manifestations of Him. Each Christian is gifted by the Holy Spirit with an ability to function in a certain assigned manner to accurately represent God's plan and purpose for us in this place and this time. All of us must learn and apply the Word of God in our own daily lives. We take it in, categorize and store it for our own personal orientation to life. Then it works its way out through our service in whatever gift we are employing for the Kingdom. Then we begin to recognize Him in ways we had not before. God prepares the called, places us in a locale with a job to do, and supplies all our needs to do that job; all for His glory and for the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has a specific plan, a specific will and has specifically given us in writing all we need to know about His plan and will. Don't spend your life guessing what God wants from you. Read the instructions! Submit to a pastor-teacher who is gifted and trained to exegete the scriptures. Then when you speak, it will be God's Own Words you share, and souls will be edified. And doors will be opened.

Victorious Proclamation

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built... I Peter 3:18-20

To what spirits? Peter explains, a bit, that they were the spirits who almost destroyed the human race before the great flood. Jude gives us more in vs 6, about these angels who are incarcerated in a deep, dark place (chains of darkness, absence of light). Maximum security.
What proclamation? The same as to us: "IT IS FINISHED." His work of atonement was done. The victory has been won, and God has reclaimed His Own from the realm of Satan. This is the doctrine of Victorious Proclamation. There are so many technicalities involved in the Angelic Conflict that we (even saved) humans cannot completely grasp all that has been done for us, and in us, and through us. That is why we must walk by faith. In our eternal state we will understand this warfare, and our Lord's complete victory. Now, we must simply trust Him for His perfect provision and protection from the evil that seeks to destroy us. We are saved through the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who now represents us at the right hand of the Father. He is the Victor!

The Righteous

FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL." I Peter 3:12


Who are the righteous? They are those who have believed in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ, have been given HIS righteousness and are forever IN HIM, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Romans 3:25-26. " God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
Those who habitually practice evil are depraved, and in the koine greek language the word translates "worthless." Sorry. I know it sounds mean and bigoted, but the fact is, God honors His Own, and those who have rejected Jesus Christ are not part of the family. That is a personal decision, based on individual volition (free will), provided every human by God the Creator, Himself. The atonement has been made. The Word has been disseminated. If you're breathing, it is not too late. The door is open. Come on in.

His Own Body

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. I Peter 2:24-25

This is the Gospel. Gospel=Good News. The good news is that our Lord Jesus Christ has paid the full penalty for your sins and mine, and Adam's and Eve's and Hitler's and Osama Bin Laden's and Barrabas' and Saul of Tarsus'. You get the picture. All human sins have been atoned. Sin need not rule our lives any more. We who have received Jesus are IN HIM and dead to sin. He took all our sin on Himself and gave us His Perfect Righteousness. We are now healed of our festering wounds and weaknesses of the flesh. That's what happened on His cross. Total separation from the Father and the Holy Spirit, as His perfect, sinless body was tormented under the judgment of all the sins of the whole human race. God provided for Himself a Lamb. He had to, because there was no descendant of Adam who could qualify as the sacrifice, having all been corrupted by original sin. This is the work of God. It is supernatural. It is eternal. It was an accomplished fact from eternity past. We are the benefactors of His grace, by faith in His finished work on His cross. Through this once and for all atonement, Satan was defeated and God has reclaimed His own. For our salvation, only one thing counts: belief in the perfect atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you reject Him, nothing else in your life matters. When you receive Him, everything in your life can be production for the Kingdom of God.

Undeserved Suffering

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. I Peter 2:21-23

The "this" to which we were called is undeserved suffering. Christians are often objects of hate, ridicule, anger, slander, misunderstanding of our purpose. Especially these days, among the politically crazed strife mongers. Even well-meaning Christians occasionally err in judgment and behavior, and are justly disciplined by the Father. Sometimes, tho, the suffering is completely undeserved, because we are accurately representing our Lord in everything we say and do, and are vilified for it. Jesus didn't debate. He stated. He didn't argue, he informed. When they insulted Him, he gave them the truth and moved on. He had a mission and a message for those who would accept it. Those who reject Him were and are free to do so. The ultimate judge is the One Who anointed Him to do this work. That's our judge, too. We do not have do defend ourselves against the world's hatred. It is God who has called us to this mission. If God be for us, who can be against us?

Chosen

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. I Peter 2:9-10


We are chosen IN CHRIST, those of us who have believed in Him. You see, He, The Beloved, is chosen from eternity past. We, who are IN HIM by faith in His finished work, are part of Him. His Body. Royal Family of God. Royal Priests. KJV: a peculiar people (!) meaning God's Own personal possession. That is our eternal position. Nothing can ever change that, because it is the work of God. We were called out of darkness. Once having seen the light, we can never go back. We are changed forever. We may not always behave honorably. Our flesh may even sometimes lust after the darkness; but the fact is, we now belong to the Sovereign God of the universe, the creator and redeemer of our souls. There is no going back! We, who were once nothing are now children of the King, because of His mercy. We are here to proclaim His excellencies, and even if we do not always do that, our Father remains faithful. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We are special, not because we are good, but because our Father is Almighty God. We are strangers and pilgrims in the devil's world. God provides for His Own, no matter where, no matter what. Our dark days are over. We are here to share the light.

Stumbling Block

For in Scripture it says"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,"and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. I Peter 2:6-8

What causes unbelievers to stumble, brethren, regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ? What is it that turns them off? Especially the religious ones. You've probably been told it is your personal sins, or your lack of friendliness, or your seeming lack of concern for the unsaved. Not so. The stumbling block you've been nagged about for so long is Jesus Christ Himself. They simply refuse to believe in His perfect atonement. It is too simple. He was too common. Besides, it is rather gruesome, the Blood and all that. This is not the way it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be a great political and military hero, who would overthrow Rome and restore the Jews to their glory. He offered them eternal life and spiritual freedom instead, and He paid the full penalty for all their sins. That was not the package they were hoping for. Therefore, He cannot be the Promised One. Can He? All unbelievers stumble at unlimited atonement. People think they must earn salvation, prove their worthiness in some way. Knowing they cannot, or don't even really want to, they reject the free gift of eternal life provided by our sinless Lord. That cross we're supposed to carry? It is HIS cross. It is OFFENSIVE to the legalistic, religious unbeliever. There is ONE WAY of salvation, and the world hates and rejects that doctrine. That is the rock that makes them fall.

Spiritual Milk

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. I Peter 2:1-3

Peter is addressing gentile believers here, who have been saved but are still living among hostile pagans, who despise everything they believe in. His previous assurances of their newness and incorruptibility IN CHRIST should be comforting, but he further admonishes them not to succumb to their "old man" nature. We have a higher purpose, brethren, and must not allow ourselves to be distracted and neutralized by our own perversions, trickery, false pretenses or harmful gossip against our fellow man. There is a much more productive and fulfilling way of life for believers as we await our redemption. Feed on the milk of God's Word. That is our spiritual food, and the only means of growth in grace. Fellowship is good, but it is not food. Music is nice, but will not grow us up. Prayer is necessary for comfort, clarity and guidance, but that comfort and guidance is going to come through His Written Word! Our Lord, in his unfathomable grace, has seen fit to provide us with the timeless revelation of Himself, the history of His people, the means of our own eternal salvation, and the prophecy of our future with Him. Oh, how He loves you and me! We know, because the Bible tells us so. Take it in!

Imperishable

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever." And this is the word that was preached to you. I Peter 1:23-25 with Isaiah 40:8


Our physical birth is of the earth, and Adam. That life is doomed. Adam sinned and all die. Our spiritual birth is of God, therefore eternal. That life is born and sustained by the Word of God. The Word of God is supernatural in origin and in endurance. I can be absolutely sure of this, because it is the basis of my own salvation and my own daily sustenance. It was not by man's testimony that I came to know Christ, but by His Own testimony in the New Testament accounts of His ministry: John 12:24. Also Simon Peter's testimony: Matthew 16:16, as well as others who walked with Him and knew Him in the flesh. Isaiah 40:8 is one of my favorite scriptures to teach very young children, because it is easily visualized and they can quickly learn and quote it, and they NEVER FORGET THOSE WORDS. All the beauty of our surroundings, as well as our own flesh has an expiration date. The Word of God abides ( love that word) forever. Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.Where shall we place our trust?

Redeemed

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. I Peter 1:18-20

Redeemed: purchased from the slave market and set free. Slave market: the worldly way of life which is all we know until we receive the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. The slave market holds no future and no hope. Our ancestors may have been religious or pagan; both legacies are meaningless and empty. Faith is what we know, and what we know is that our redemption was purchased with the blood of Christ. Blood of Christ: His spiritual death on the cross as He bore the penalty for all our sins. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46). His physical death came after the price was paid. His work was done. "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.He is the perfect Lamb of God, ordained in eternity past for this mission. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was an accomplished fact in the Father's sight from before the creation. Everything else in the history of the world led up to that event, and all that has happened since is affected by it.

Know the Son, Know the Father

No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. I John 2:23

Very simple. Jesus is the revelation of the Father. Those who say they believe in God, but do not believe Jesus is the Christ, are deluding themselves. "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." John 8:19. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. "God the Father made the plan. God the Son did all the work. God the Spirit teaches us about the plan and the work." This little ditty is how I taught children about the Trinity. The members of the Holy Trinity are a package. You cannot have one without the others. Each has His own ministry and manifestation, but all are one. It isn't that complicated, really. We humans are trinity: body, soul and spirit. An egg is a trinity: Shell, yolk and white, all egg. Light is a trinity: Actinic (neither seen nor felt, like God the Father), calorific (felt, as heat, like God the Holy Spirit), and Luminiferous (both seen and felt, like God the Son). Jesus Christ is God! He is the only physical manifestation of God, and it is He who came as a helpless infant, grew and lived among depraved, stinking humanity, sinlessly, to die on a cross, bearing the penalty for your sins and mine. You don't believe He is almighty God? You just don't know God.