- Jan 1, 2024
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It is a most fearful state the lost are in; such a dreadful and dire condition. Whether they are unbelievers like atheists, agnostics, or deists; or they are lost while maintaining a mental concept of God and Jesus, and outward religion, but their hearts are far, so very far from God; they are in grave danger.
It is a great folly for someone to say "I love God: I really believe - I love God with all my heart," and yet they turn around and curse, and foul joke, and commit adultery and fornication, and revel in it, boasting of their exploits and conquest, filled with pride over their sins; who drink and smoke and gamble; who also rail on others, belittling them, laughing at them; I will tell you, these are LIARS, and they cannot love God, for "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15), and "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4), and " For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3)
You know, some people "struggle" with the writings of John, especially 1 John? Be very careful here when you have a "problem" with any scripture! It's the Word of Almighty God, and while we can ask Him questions, we should never question His Word!
John wasn't just part of the inner circle with Peter, James, and Jesus: he was the "beloved disciple," the only one chosen of God not to die a martyrs death, but to live a long life, and to receive the Revelation of Jesus Christ: the Apocalypse, which is companion to the Book of Daniel, also a man greatly beloved of God (Daniel 10:11) It's not that John carries any more weight than the writings of the other disciples, but he may have some deeper insights into the intimate things of God: the love of the Father, the purity of Christ, the love of the brethren.
Indeed, John is called the "Apostle of love" for passages like John 14:9-13, 17:20-26, 1 John 4:7-12, but we see from John also a strictness of holiness with sayings like 1 John 1:6, 2:1-6, 3:2-3, 3:4-10, 5:2-4.
Let us look at these. First the passages about love: "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 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. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."
Now the passages where some people have an issue. Oh, people "love" the love passages, but some tend to avoid these, or try to explain them away, but I tell ya God is a holy God and He requires obedience to His Word, and the mark of a true believer is ye shall know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:16) Consider then Johns words here from 1 John:
" If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
(A word on that passage. Do you have the hope that you will be transformed and gain heaven when Jesus comes? If you truly do, then the Word says if you have this hope, you purify yourself, even as he is pure. If you are living an impure life, again you are a liar. The Word of God says it. Don't think you're going to skate into heaven on the thin ice you travel on the broad way that leadeth to destruction, because many shall come and cry to Him in that final day, "Lord, Lord" haven't we done this and that in your name?" And He will see you never did the will of the Father who is in heaven, and he will tell you to depart for He never knew you! Read Matthew 7:21-23. It comes right after the part about knowing a true believer by their fruits. Please don't play games with God. This is serious. Deadly serious. MORE than deadly serious: it's eternally serious!)
And back to 1 John, which only reinforces what was just written: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."
"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."
In other words, John tells us this - You think you know God? Prove it by your fruits. If you are not keeping His commandments, and not loving the brethren, you are of your father the devil: you are a liar; you are deceived, and an antichrist, for you are denying Christ by your thoughts, words, and actions. And people see it. The world sees it. It's downright hypocrisy to say you love God and live like the devil. The Holy Scripture which is God's Word that's settled in heaven says you're not righteous, you walk in darkness, and you do not know God.
The root better be deep or you'll wash out. God sees through it all, and He will sweep away all the rotten fruit, and though He bare long with those who produce no fruit, a time comes when He will cut you down if you are fruitless. Luke 13:6-9,
"He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
In other words, the Lord sees there's no fruit, and the warnings have been given. The plant is in danger of being destroyed. But not quite yet. One more season: dung it, or fertilize it: God sends His messengers to proclaim the truth to the lost. But then a time comes where, if no fruit is produced, the tree is cut down.
I'll end with this: John 15:1-6,
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."
Abide in Him. Get in Him. As George Whitefield used to say "close with Christ, " as in, close in, apprehend, embrace Him: close with Christ in saving faith. Amen.
