Summary:
He describes the person of Christ, in whom we have eternal life, by a communion with God;
to which we must adjoin holiness of life, to testify the truth of that our communion and profession of faith, as also to assure us of the forgiveness of our sins by Christ’s death.
He comforts them against the sins of infirmity.
Rightly to know God is to keep his commandments;
to love our brethren;
and not to love the world.
We must beware of seducers;
from whose deceits the godly are safe, preserved by perseverance in faith, and holiness of life.

1:1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life
1:2. the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us
1:3. that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
1:4. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

1:5. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
1:6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1:7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1:8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1:9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

2:1. My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2:2. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

2:3. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
2:4. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
2:5. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
2:6. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
2:7. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
2:8. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

2:9. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
2:10. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
2:11. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
2:12. I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
2:13. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.
2:14. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

2:15. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
2:16. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.
2:17. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

2:18. Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
2:19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

2:20. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
2:21. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
2:22. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
2:23. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
2:24. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
2:25. And this is the promise that He has promised us eternal life.
2:26. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
2:27. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
2:28. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
2:29. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

Comments:

These opening words here “That which was from the beginning, …” relates to a couple key places in scripture. “In the beginning was the word…” John 1:1. “In the beginning God…” Gen 1:1. John is saying that the thing from the beginning is God. Particularly Jesus. He writes things because sometimes we humans need tangible, sensual proof. He, and the other disciples actually used all their senses and knew Jesus was for real. They saw and heard him. They touched and smelled him. They are recorded as being greeted with a kis, so if Jesus had a taste, they tasted him. The words that are shared now, are not to be mean, not to point fingers of blame, not to bring down duilt, not for any bad purposes at all. The only purposes is so we can also enjoy fellowship with them, with Jesus and with the Father. And be joyful about it.

At the risk of sounding “New Age”, God is light. Remember back in Genesis 1, the first thing God created was light. He spoke and it was. The light we experience every day is created. Not a true light. It leaves shadows, it can be bent, split, manipulated. God’s light is one that goes right through solid matter. There is no shadows as objects move about. His light pierces any darkness. He sees when we can’t.

Light and dark carry symbolic meanings. Sure, it does mean when something is bright or dim, but there are meanings of light being good, and moral. Dark means bad, and evil. So if we say that we follow God’s way, but secretly look into the evil side of life, we are lying. We might fool others who only see us in the created light and world that we live, but under God’s true light, we aren’t hiding anything. Ready for your wake up call? Just ask for forgiveness. God will do it. Now start walking right. What? Still clinging to your claims that you are living right when you aren’t? You are trying to make God out to be a liar? That is the key evidence that you are not truly of God. You can fool others. You can fool yourself, but God is real, his word can be known. When in doubt, his word is true and nothing else is.

More symbology: “…The blood of Christ… cleanses us…” I was at a meeting once where a missionary talked of their work. In the country they were in people thought Christians were barbaric and wanted nothing to do with them. Due to the hymns and other proud claims that we often make about the blood of Christ, being washed in the blood, and so on. Blood, in their culture, and even ours, is a dirty thing. It makes about the worst stain in clothes. It carries diseases, and probably much more than I have time to think about right now. Besides the dirty aspect of it, blood represents life. It is what carries in good air, and carries out bad air so the tissues of our body can live. So, if Jesus is God, then whose life can best sustain us? Only his. Even if blood is to be considered a dirty thing, the most dirtiest part of the body of Jesus, it’s still so powerful, it can make us clean. Just something to think about.

There is hope. We do sin. Jesus paid our price. He paid the price for each and every person, everywhere, and all who lived at all times. All anybody has to do is pick up their coupon voucher for one free trip to God’s kingdom. Don’t worry if you lost yours, there’s more. Here’s the proof that you are really and truly included. You will live a life that is in line with keeping his commandments. See the lesson earlier in the month on the Ten Commandments. See yesterday for spiritual living. Talk the talk, but also walk the walk.

The Old Testament is still relevant, in that it will show what bad or good behavior looks like. Spiritual living means your attitude is right. Learn to love when it is so easy to hate. This is a message for people of all ages, and of all relationships. In John’s words children, fathers, young men. We have the comfort of forgiveness, knowledge proves it, we can overcome evil. Fathers know from experience. Children know because they learned from their fathers. Young men are strong and they know because their childhood learning still remains, and will only become more ingrained as they experience life’s battles.

Direct your love away from worldly things. Away from lusts and pride. Those false satisfactions will only last as long as the world does. And it is in slow decline. Since our life spans are even more short than the planet, any satisfaction will only last until your own personal life here does. Without love for the durable things of God, once the physical life is gone and you have nothing else, all satisfaction will also be gone.

John declares that these are the end times. With the coming of Jesus, the fulfillment and completion of the things spoken of in the old estament promises, there is no further religious era to be set up here on earth. No new revelations, no new hopes. We have all we need to know God and his desires, and his plan for our future. Sure, it also means that one day the world as we know it will cease to exist. The earth goes poof and is no more. When? Nobody knows.

When the physical end of times come, a final anti christ will be in power. There are many anti christs who will reign between John’s time and the actual end time. History has demonstrated numerous rulers who practiced ways that are anti to those of Christ. More will come. They try to pass off lies as truth. There is an absolute truth and it can be known. Open the Bible, its all there. It does take faith, the kind of faith that is willing to believe that in all cases of doubt or conflict, the Bible’s words are true over world views. An antichrist is good at lying, he may sound so plausible, even claim to be a student of the scriptures. In being that way, he can distort and make the lie seem right.

Some people claim the Bible contradicts. I dare anyone to take a better look, and read things that are made to seem contradictary in the context of the passage that they are written. Rather than jumping from verse to vers, like stepping stones, through the Bible.

There should be no doubt. God intended mankind for eternal life. He promises eternal life, but it is dependant on our living the correct life. What is correct? The life of attitude , emotions, and behavior outlined in the Bibles commandments. Make the Bible your anchor, your touchstone, your calibration and measuring stick against any new, strange and counterfeit ideas. Live a life that proves God and his truth.

Romans 8:1–17; Galatians 5:16–26

Summary:
They that are in Christ, are free from condemnation.
What harm comes of the flesh;
and what good of the Spirit.
but rather love, which is the sum of the law.
He reckons up the works of the flesh,
and the fruits of the Spirit,
and exhorts to walk in the Spirit.

8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
8:2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
8:3. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
8:4. that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

8:5. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
8:6. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
8:7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8:8. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
8:9. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
8:10. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
8:11. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
8:12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

8:13. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
8:14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
8:15. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
8:16. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
8:17. and if children, then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

5:16. I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
5:17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
5:18. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

5:19. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness,
5:20. idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
5:21. envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
5:23. gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
5:24. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

5:25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
5:26. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Comments:

The opening verses today are some that we have seen before. In general, There is a new law, the law of the spirit. Under the old law, we can only hope for death as the burden of our sins ile up. In the new law, there is no judgement, no condemnation. The law of the flesh weighs us down. The law of the spirit sets us free.

People who live by the rules only see the “Thou Shalts” and the “Thou Shalt Nots” of life. They see life as a rule book and think, wrongly, that if you do enough good things, it will balance your score card for the better and you make it to heaven. The law can only define human actions. Doing this is a good act. Doing that is a bad act. The spirit cuts to the motivation behind the act. It gets to the emotion and mental activity that builds up and leads to the action that pours out of us. By the time we do the deed, the idea, and attitude has already existed in us. That is the law of the spirit. Controling those unseen factors before they lead to actions.

Having a mind set on pleasing the desires of the body, even a mind that is set on doing the old testament laws is one that is hostile to God. Often the attitude is, ‘OK, I’m doing what it says, but not because I want to. I’m doing the right thing, but I don’t like it.’ As soon as watchful eyes are gone, that forced behavior is tossed out. True behavior comes out behind our closed doors.

As believers we can strive to abide in Christ. We can learn the concepts and the things that motivated him, and make those thoughts our own as well. The best way to relearn a behavior is to make it our desire. A student who does poorly in school can improve, but onlyonce they suddenly come to realize the importance of learning and make the learning experience their own. People who are adicted to a substance often go right back to it, even after extensive rehab sessions. They can come to terms with breaking the habit, only once the motivation to leave it behind comes from the desire within. That is the spiritual law. What the body wants doesn’t matter anymore. It’s dead. The spirit is now alive.

Spiritual laws and living control our unseen attitudes. We can really have right living when we focus on the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. He is the power that we can rely on to practice these right ways now, and lead us into our place in his kingdom. His kingdom is real, and we can be in it.

The last passage goes further to define some fleshly behaviors, and contrasts those with fruits of the spirit. Such behaviors are contrary. Just notice that the evil behavior are a list of actions, verbs, things we do. The list of the fruits of the spirit are attitudes, emotions, unseen things, nouns. If the internal ways are set right, by self discipline in Jesus and his spiritual ways, then when we get squeezed by the stresses of life, good things come out in our behavior.

Nobody can make a law that ensures the law of the spirit. There is no law that makes a list of good behaviors. When our thoughts are focused on God’s ways the possibilities of doing good are endless. Stay in Jesus, abide in his ways.

Key Scripture:
John 15:10. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Key Idea:
Perfect conformity to the Vine is one of the most precious of the lessons of the branch. It was by obedience Christ as Vine honored the Father as Husbandman; it is by obedience the believer as branch honors Christ as Vine. Obey and abide–That was the law of Christ’s life as much as it is to be that of ours. He was made like us in all things, that we might be like Him in all things. He opened up a path in which we may walk even as He walked. He took our human nature to teach us how to wear it, and show us how obedience, as it is the first duty of the creature, is the only way to abide in the favor of God and enter into His glory.
– Murray

Pray for revelation:
Saviour, help me, that obedience may indeed be the link between Thee and me.
– Murray

Key words:

Obey, Abide, Just As.

There are those words again, we are to obey his commandments. We are to abide. But if you really desire to know God and what he wants, you will find that those are the same things that you should want for yourself. His ways and his commands are burdens that are light and easy to carry out. Even so, don’t think that obeying God is too much to do. Don’t think that he is out of touch and doesn’t know what life as a human is like. That is part of the purpose why Jesus became human, grew up like each of us, lived like each of us, but died in such a way that we all can inherit a place in God’s kingdom.

His life, as recorded in the books of the Bible demonstrate how he lived. His life is the model that we can and should use for our lives. Jesus lived his life on earth in conditions that are generally less than comfortable. God doesn’t call us to a life in poverty, but that of prosperity. Our richest living conditions here on earth are poor when compared to what awaits in God’s kingdom. The model of Jesus life is the spiritual things he did, his attitude, his relationships to the people around him as wel as to God.

The call is to live just exactly as Jesus did. Exactly as Jesus talked to and did what he God do, he did. To him, God wasn’t some supernatural being, he was Father. God was relevant and there was a distinct relationship there. Jesus had problems with the engrained religious types. He still loved them, but just didn’t like the things of religion that should be meant to worship God, being used to build walls between men and God. Jesus loved those who were on the outside of proper culture. Basically he loved people who are unlovely.

That brings me to the real hard thing about love. It is so easy to receive and be smothered in it. Sharing love has it’s challenges. Loving those who are friends, family, or otherwise loveable is easy, but can still lead to a broken heart. Ask a parent. If you are a parent and wonder when the heartbreaks will stop, ask a grandparent, or one with adult children.

Love the unloveable. Forget walking up and giving a hug and wet sloppy kiss to that homeless guy. Well, unless that’s just your personality. Still don’t let appearances fool you. Under that surface appearance of ragged cothes, or tattoos and body piercings, there is a real person with real life issues. Get past the walls that people set up with attitude or rough behavior. Show kindness, even in small ways. People can see through surface smiles and mindless politeness. Make the effort to be sincere.

Loving the unlovely is a messy process, but a worthy one. Exactly as Jesus did it, we need to obey and follow the commands that direct us in that way.

Key Scripture:
John 15:12. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Key Idea:
This is the one thing He asks above all others. “Hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples…love one another.” As the special sort of vine is known by the fruit it bears, the nature of the heavenly Vine is to be judged of by the love His disciples have to one another.
– Murray

Pray for revelation:
Dear Lord Jesus, Thou art all love; the life Thou gavest us is love; Thy new commandment, and Thy badge of discipleship is, “Love one another.” I accept the charge: with the love with which Thou lovest me, and I love Thee, I will love my brethren.
– Murray

Key words:
Love

With all the complicated society of today, with all the rules to followhow can anybody manage to get it all straight? The Bible is filled with all kinds of commandments, especially the Old Testament. All those “Thou Shalt’s” and “Thou Shalt Not’s”. Even if you break a commandment and sin unknowingly, it is still a sin.

Adam sure had it easy. All he had was just one command. “Don’t eat from the tree.” Just one thing to do. Obey God.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have no worries and only one commandment to keep?

Guess what! that is what this verse is. Only one command. Even if you were to throw all the rest out, This one command covers it all. How easy is that?

Our one command is to love. If we really love our fellow Christians, because that’s the place to start, can you really covet what he has? If you really love your neighbor, can you really steal from him? If you really love your parents, can you really disobey them?

It doesn’t matter if your parents are right, or your neighbor is greedy and has too much any way, it doesn’t matter that your fellow Christian has been granted a thing that you haven’t. Love them. Try to see it from their side. What if the thing you feel justified in doing were being done to you.

Hey, this love stuff can be kind of hard. It is the one and only command here. Draw on your abiding relationship with the true vine. Love as Jesus loves.

A place to start is to love those who are close to you. How can you show love to each other? How can you show love to others outside those close friends and family. Be aware, and be sensitive to the needs of others.

Key Scripture:
John 15:9. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

Key Idea:
… some have told of a wonderful change, by which their life of continual failure and stumbling had been changed into a very blessed experience of being kept and strengthened and made exceeding glad. If you asked them how it was this great blessing came to them, many would tell you it was simply this, that they were led to believe that this abiding in Christ’s love was meant to be a reality, and that they were made willing to give up everything for it, and then enabled to trust Christ to make it true to them.
– Murray

Pray for revelation:
Obey and abide. Gracious Lord, teach me this lesson, that it is only through knowing Thy will one can know Thy heart, and only through doing that will one can abide in Thy love. Lord, teach me that as worthless as is the doing in my own strength, so essential and absolutely indispensable is the doing of faith in Thy strength, if I would abide in Thy love.
– Murray

Key words:
Love, Abide

Love is an amazing thing. When you are the recipient of love, there is nothing better that can compare. True, unconditional, wide open love that comes to us for no reason at all. It comes just for being yourself. Nothing is asked in return. Just sit there and enjoy its benefits.

What about this command to abide? Isn’t that the catch? Yes and no. God’s love reaches to the far corners of his creation. He loves us no matter where we are. We feel the full affects of his love as we turn to face him. We feel those affects increasingly as we move toward him. To keep feeling those affects, it is only natural to want to abide, to set up our house and live near to him. Being told to obey God’s commands, or to abide in the true vine only seems like a demand when we abide far from him.

Love is our greatest gift we can recieve, and our greatest spiritual gift that we can share with others. For now, just draw near to God, learn about his true love and obey by staying near to him.

Key Scripture:
John 15:9. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

Key Idea:
The answer is simple. Even as the love of the Father to Christ, so His love to us is a divine mystery, too high for us to comprehend or attain to by any effort of our own. It is only the Holy Spirit who can shed abroad and reveal in its all-conquering power without intermission this wonderful love of God in Christ. It is the vine itself that must give the branch its growth and fruit by sending up its sap. It is Christ Himself must by His Holy Spirit dwell in the heart; then shall we know and have in us the love that passeth knowledge. As the Father loved Me, so have I loved you–Shall we not draw near to the personal living Christ, and trust Him, and yield all to Him, that He may love this love into us?
– Murray

Pray for revelation:
Dear Lord, I am only beginning to apprehend how exactly the life of the Vine is to be that of the branch too. Thou art the Vine, because the Father loved Thee, and poured His love through Thee. And so Thou lovest me, and my life as branch is to be like Thine, a receiving and a giving out of heavenly love.
– Murray

Key words:
Love.

Here’s a step back into the real world. The thing that flows through Jesus, and to us is love. Any fruits we may produce, whether physical or spiritual, spring forth only because of love.

The sap, the Holy Spirit, that we get from the vine is all about love. It flows from God to Jesus, then to us, then out to the world as fruits. Consider 1 Corinthians 12 – 14. These chapters deal with the many and diverse spiritual fruits, the diversity of the body of Christ. Right in the middle, the 13th chapter seems to take a side step and devote itself to love. But it isn’t a side step. Love is the main fruit. It is the most important fruit. Without love, all the other gifts and fruits are not worth much.

Make an attempt to love others as Christ does, but watch out. He even loves the unlovable ones. He loved us before we loved him. Back when we were also unlovable. What can you do? How can you show love to that person who is unlovable? That person who just gets under your skin and is just so easy to hate?

Its God’s love, it flows through Jesus to you. It is so awsome to recieve that love. Draw on it and let it flow. Let people know you are a Christian by your love.

Bible Passage
Psalm 42:1–43:5

What This Lesson Is About
This lesson is about finding God’s presence, love, and direction for fresh hope and joyful living. In Psalms 42 and 43, the psalmist related his quest for fresh hope amid dire circumstances.

Why This Lesson Is Important
Sometimes adults feel overwhelmed by their circumstances. They’re overextended financially and the bills have come due—or they’re getting trampled in the rat race of life. Maybe health problems have piled up, or family relationships have broken down. Some adults never become satisfied; with all the stuff they own they still feel utterly empty inside. And even in a crowd they feel alone, afraid, and sad. Joy has eluded them, and they wonder if they’ll ever be happy again.

How This Lesson Can Impact Your Life
By studying these two psalms, you will be better able to identify with those who feel overwhelmed by their circumstances. You’ll discover that in God’s presence, love, and direction lies fresh hope for joyful living.