I Love You For The Truth’s sake.

“For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.” 2 John 1:2

What a small but powerful little book God has given us through John. I believe there are two great truths being spoken of, however they are one in the same. I believe John is talking about Scriptural truth, but also he is talking about Jesus Christ. It is a wonderful thing to dwell with another believer in Jesus Christ. However, it is a greater blessing to find another believer in scriptural truth. It is a hard thing in this world to find Sovereign Grace believers that are standing on the truth anymore. Christians act as though the teaching about a Sovereign God has disappeared from the bible. However, let me assure you that it has not, God is as sovereign as He was 6,000 years ago when He created the world and all that is in it. The bible is “A TRUTH” it is not many truths, or mixed truths, it is simply one single truth. God is one, one mind, one act, one Saviour, and one truth. Since the bible is “The Word of God” then it is truth just as God is truth. “… let God be true, but every man a liar…” Romans 3:4 there are no truth outside of God. The other truth is Jesus Christ “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 This is the Truth that dwells in us and shall be with us forever, Jesus Christ. It is not assured that everything we believe scripturally is absolute truth and we are not assured that we will never change from it. However, the one single assurance we do have is Jesus Christ Who has promised never to leave us nor to forsake us. “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” Psalms 37:28. The Lord will not forsake us, even if (God forbid) we should ever forsake Him.

John went on to talk about another glorious truth in 2 John 1:4 “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.” This verse is talking about us walking in the truths of God Holy Scripture, walking in the commandments of God’s word. Jesus taught us many commandments, but He said one is greater than all, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12 – 13 There is not greater love than a Christian willing to lay down their life for other believers. This is the greatest love and the greatest example of God’s love in us. God went on to say, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16 the word “perceive” means – absolute proof – meaning the proof is in the very act of loving the brethren so much that we are will without doubt to do anything for other Christians. Folks, this is acting for truth’s sake, (1.) because Jesus loved us so much that He did, and (2.) we ought to be walking like Him.

Folks don’t get tied up with yourself so much that you forget, you are what you are by God’s grace. I think sometimes Christians are looking for ways of separation more than they are looking for ways of union. I will promise you not two people believes every single thing alike, and it you are only looking for carbon copies of yourself, you will eventually find yourself very alone. If Christians are not looking for ways of fellowship they are walking outside of Gods will in that. The real truth dwells in us all, all who are saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Therefore, to reject fellowship with another believer is to be outside of God’s will. God cannot reject Himself and if He is in us then we ought not reject each other. God never said we can only love the believers who is in our “circle” or who agrees with our doctrine. God told us, Jesus told us, we ought to be willing to laydown our life for our fellow Christian. He never told us to ask “what do you believe” before you do. The “Truth” that is Jesus Christ Himself is in us all that are believers in Jesus Christ, and to reject another believer is to reject Jesus Christ Himself. “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.” 1 John 3:23 But the love is greater, and the fellowship is sweeter when we both believe in the truth of the scriptures.  

In Christ We Are More Than Conquerors!

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Romans 8:37 

This passage of scripture is very exciting for every believer in Jesus Christ. What a blessed Saviour we indeed have, and in our Father, it makes us speechless. The question asked is found in verse 35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” if you study the verses from 35 thru 39 you will learn nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What a true blessing, nothing in existence can separate us from the love of Christ, not even ourselves. See this is not our love for God, it is not our love for Christ Jesus, oh no, this is God’s love for us which is Christ Jesus. The truth is, we have no love for God the Father or Jesus Christ if they do not have it for us. We are not the ones who has the faith or the love, oh no, it is God who loved us first and that love was extended to us through the love of Jesus Christ. “We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 God’s love is eternal, yes, it is eternal, and God cannot change therefore there will never be a time that God will not love us, nor a time when we will not love God and His Son Jesus Christ. God loved us and chose us before the foundation of the world and therefore He can never not love us. It is because of this love from Him that we are “…more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Folks, we are not conquerors but more than conquerors. This word “conquerors” means - to vanquish beyond, that is, to gain a decisive victory – now let’s have some thought on these other words. The word “vanquish” means – to defeat thoroughly – the word “decisive” means - producing a definite result – wow, what a blessed conquering we indeed have as believers in Jesus Christ and in Gods love. It doesn’t seem like the Christian has anything to concern themselves with. Because if being conquerors means we are guaranteed victory then defeat is impossible. But let’s remember God said we are MORE than conquerors meaning we extend beyond the guaranteed victory. Not in everything in life but in Christ we will never lose His eternal love extended to us. We have victory over life, pain, tribulations, sadness, sin, Satan, etc. etc. etc. we cannot lose! Even if we lose our life here on this earth we have victory, we cannot be defeated. When Jesus Christ rose from the grave we rose with Him, we were with Him through the entire crucifixion, death, burial, and soon the resurrection. God has already spoken of our salvation as complete, “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Romans 8:30. Now our glorification will not happen until Jesus returns. This word “glorified” means - full of glory – which will not happen until we are resurrected and have our new GLORIFIED bodies, which will not happen until Jesus returns for the rapture. Folks, we are more that conquerors because God has chosen us to be His before the foundation of the world, He chose us, called us, saved us, and will glorify us in time. This is why conquering means a guaranteed defeating and more, we are more than that, we are guaranteed victory because God cannot be defeated, therefore we can’t either. Praise God!!! This is why we sing the glorious hymn “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wrench like me” Victory is ours through Jesus Christ our Saviour. 1 Chronicles 29:11 - 13 “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all…Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all…Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”     

Be Careful to Maintain Good Works.

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” Titus 3:8 

Paul here is telling young preacher Titus to be careful and to maintain good works. I know there are multitudes of people who believe that good works is a part of our salvation, but the scripture debunks that thinking. Good works has nothing to with the accomplishment of our salvation but has multitudes to do with our Christian living after we are saved. It never fails to cause me to pause when I see how some Christians are acting, talking, or conducting their life as a believer in Jesus Christ. It is like they forgot how they were saved, so let remind them. “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus…For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:7 – 9 If you go to chapter one you will also be reminded that God chose you to be His child before the foundation of the world. Eph. 1:4 You also need to be reminded that salvation is a gift and not earned. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 Now I said all that to say this, God has given to all of us who are saved the greatest gift known to mankind, “…wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Eph. 1:6 That acceptance is Him accepting us (sinners) as His own beloved children, what a privilege! So, if you are saved, really saved by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, then you know what an honor it is to be saved. With all this being said, we need to understand our part, it is our part to “be careful to maintain good works”. This is a downfall of a lot of Christians, they either have not been taught how to maintain good works or don’t care. How sad if it is the latter, how sad that God did so much to make you “accepted in the beloved” that in return you cannot return to God a hint of the grace He has given to you. Some people say that this passage is to preachers and pastors, folks, that is a very lame excuse in laziness. We all as Christians owe God, we owe God everything, even our life if it is required. Millions of believers have died very awful deaths for the God they love. We are without excuse if we fail to maintain good works for God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Any true believer in Jesus Christ ought to ashamed by not attending church, the church is the pillar and ground of truth. 1 Tim. 3:15 Albert Barnes wrote “This shows that Paul supposed that the doctrines of the gospel were fitted to lead people to holy living;” and he is exactly correct, the doctrines of the scripture ought to lead us to holy living. But, if it does not then something must be wrong. Either God has not truly saved you or you are not being “careful to maintain good works” Christians that do not attend church is not walking in the light as He is in the light, they are failing God and not maintaining good works. Paul also used the word “careful” that word means - to exercise thought that is, be anxious – to maintain good works. But there are so many who can’t even gather enough spiritual strength to pick-up the word of God and read it. They can’t drag themselves out of bed early enough to attend and be a part of the church. There is a reason this is so important, Paul goes on to say, “These things are good and profitable unto men.” That is to you, the church, and others around you. You are not a good example of God’s saving grace if you are not a member and active in a local church. If you are not “maintaining good works” you are failing God and being an unfit witness of the salvation, that He has blessed you with. By “maintaining good works” means you are working everyday to bring glory to God, God has a reason in saving you from eternal hell and you need to figure it out and bless the Lord in your life. Folks, none of us are perfect, and maintaining good works is a daily struggle, but the fight is worth it. Read the word, learn the doctrines, and live like you owe God something, because you do!  

Who Are “His People”?

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

We want to look today at this verse under the idea of figuring out who are the people of Jesus Christ. Could it be possible that Jesus Christ has a people of His own and that there are a people that is not His. Is it possible that before the foundation of the world that God truly did elect a remnant of people to be His, and before the foundation of the world that God gave this remnant to Jesus Christ? I know that the clear majority of “Christians” reject this thought, but who are “His people”? The scripture absolutely proclaimers that Jesus Christ has a people. Secondly, could these people be the Jews, and thirdly, could all people be His people?  Jesus said in John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Please notice three, overlooked, and ignored facts in this scripture one, God has a people, two, God gave these people to Jesus Christ, and three, all of them shall be saved. So, there is no doubt that God has a people and all of these people shall come to Jesus Christ and be saved. We also see Paul speaking of a certain remnant of people in Titus 2:14 “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Paul was not speaking to Jews only here, he was speaking to a young preacher names Titus who was doing a work in churches. Paul says, “he might redeem us from all iniquity” who are the “us all”. All people, well all people are not going to be saved, therefore Paul must be speaking about the remnant chosen by God and redeemed by Jesus Christ. Secondly, who are these “peculiar people” that Paul is talking about? The word “peculiar” means - being beyond usual – that would mean other than all. Thayer defines it - that which is one’s own, belonging to one’s possessions – Paul is not speaking of the whole world but rather a remnant of people who belong to God as though God elected them for the rest. Thayer went on to define this word “peculiar” as - a people selected by God from the other nations for his own possession – this makes a lot of sense because if the who Jewish nation was God’s elected people, then Christ Jesus died for all of them, and wouldn’t all the Jews be saved? There is no argument that God elected the Nation Israel as His elect nation, but God absolutely could not have elected all Jews as His elected people. If God did elect all Jews as His own people, then he failed because God hated Esau among so many others, and God cannot change his love. It is a fact that God’s chosen Nation and God’s chosen people are not the same. God will not save all Jews nor is only Jews going to be saved. God wrote in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Does God love the entire population of the world, well no, He could not nor does He. God hated Esau, God also hates the WORKERS of iniquity, “…thou hatest all workers of iniquity”.  Psalms 5:5 And, aren’t we all workers of Iniquity, yes we are, however God has “a peculiar people” a remnant that was elected and given to Jesus Christ before the world began. And think about this, the word “world” in John 3:16 could not mean the entire would because God cannot love the entire population of the world if He hated Esau, or if He “…hatest all workers of iniquity…”. God cannot love and hate because God does not change. The word “world” must mean the different nationalities of the world and not just Israel as a nation. Therefore, when Paul said “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Ephesians 1:4 he was speaking to the remnant that God elected and gave to Jesus Christ BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN. Therefore, when you study the scriptures never understand God’s love, or whom Jesus died for, nor whom will be God’s children as the population of the world, nor is God’s love to the entire population of the world, but to those whom Jesus Christ died for which is only a remnant or God’s “peculiar people”. Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Without fail. And, John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” So, who are the true people of God, His chosen. John 15:19 “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” Thank you, Lord Jesus!