1 John
King James Version (KJV)
1 John Chapter 1 Discussion Page 3
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Through his Son Jesus . Verse 3, and 7 .
Keep it all in context . God gave us his Son to lead us to Himself .
Jesus is not the word , but the sent word , yes by God .
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
But one cannot hold to such thinking of God, compelling Him to replicate or be confined to the limitations & humanness of our minds & ways. He is the One from Whom it was written that He could create out of stones, children unto Abraham ( Luke 3:8). If we think in human terms, then yes, Jesus is only a (created) Son of God. If we abide by the Scriptures, then Jesus Who is the Image of the Invisible God, is more than a 'spittin image' of the Father - He has the very Image, Character, Essence of God's Holiness & Being, of the Father, having proceeded from Him. And that is why John 1:1-14 becomes a very difficult passage for non-trinitarians, because they can never give another explanation to it, as its declaration is abundantly clear: the Word that came from God became flesh. And apart from Jesus, I don't think that those verses could apply to any other.
If you trained him up well , he would be just as you are , yet not you . You are head over your son and always will be .
God could have done the same with His Spirit within Him, but the requirement for His Word that went out to His people (the Jews) by the prophets ( Hebrews 1:1,2), would now not only have God speaking directly to them rather than the prophets which they generally rejected, but that Word would even lay down His Life for them. And for this, Israel remains condemned by God for rejecting Him (i.e. the Father & Son).
never see nor hear things that damage our fellowship with Christ.
see( the life of jesus) and hear things that enhance our fellowship with Christ.
I have a glass that is all full of water , get the point ?
If Jesus was All God then God left the throne and walked among us ?
Jesus is Gods son born of God and Mary , the correct explanation of who Jesus is .
With out God there is not a man that has not sinned . Said Solomon in the Old Testament.
Practicing sinners don't go to heaven .
There is forgiveness, and you must be born again of the Holy Spirit . This can be found at the cross , can you die to everything and follow Jesus ? This is the meaning of baptism. There is a cost . It's not easy believing only . But it's through faith not works . You must know who Jesus is , He is the son of God sent into this world to save sinners by the Father that loved the whole world that they may be saved by total obedience to turn from sinning and to God by faith in Jesus for what he did on the cross on your behalf .
Except his death and leave your sins there with him on the cross and except new life in Him by his resurrection life that is now yours freely to live with out sin . But you still have a sinful flesh nature , but you are not under it's domain by faith . Weak faith struggles with the flesh .
Apostle Paul said the cross is the power of God to those that believe.
More could be said I hope this helps . But God must lead you in repentance first and draw you to Christ or it will never work . Earnest prayer is a good place to begin seeking Gods mercy . He desires that all would be saved so He is on your side ! I'm very thankful for His love . And patience with me ! Amen I hope this helps someone !
Jesus was born the sinless Lamb of God. All God, and all man; yet without sin. Not once did He sin, on his way to the Cross. That's why the shedding of his sinless blood was an acceptable Atonement for sinful mankind. God is a consuming fire and He cannot even look upon sin. He poured out His wrath on Jesus, on the Cross. Jesus took that for every person.
God gave his Son, because He longed to show his love to all the world. What Jesus did, gave us all the ability to receive the Free Gift of salvation from our sins.
The Holy Spirit tells us everything we need to know about being saved. He teaches and reveals Jesus to us.
Jesus existed before Genesis, and all time since then: His Name was The Word of God, and still is one of His many names. When He was born in Bethlehem, his name was Immanuel: " God With Us."
Blessed Christmas, Mishael
But there are also false spirits counterfeit Christians . Real power but they can not give the victory in the above mentioned , because they are not of God .
I have met people with spiritual power and presence, but not of God . So we need to know sound doctrine found only in the Bible , the very word of God
4. We are called to a perseverance that faces a future promise. ( 2 Timothy 2:11-13).
This future promise was what motivated Paul. This is one of the last letters he ever writes before his martyrdom. He's trying to convey this passion to his young son in the Faith, Timothy, who he knows will one day hear about his martyrdom. He is trying to instil in him, and us, the seriousness of the Christian life. He makes it clear that if we die with Christ, we will also live with Him. If we endure the difficulties here on earth, we ultimately will reign with Him. Paul is even aware of our weakness and the frailty of the flesh, for he says if we are faithless, God remains faithful because He has given His Promises to us. This might sound contradictory. What he is saying is that he knows soldiers get physically & emotionally weary in battle, that athletes get tired, that even the best of farmers sometimes get discouraged because of their circumstances. Paul is acknowledging that "God knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust." When our determination is to persevere and to keep on keeping on, yet if we falter in our efforts, He is there to carry us onto the finish line. If our faith is not always at its best, He still remains faithful because He cannot deny His promises to us.
This is what it is all about. It is not about us. It is about God and how God works through us, helping us in our determination to persevere: in transmitting our faith, persevering in difficult times, persevering in remembering what Jesus Christ has done for us and persevering in the face of God's future promise.
I hope you will find something useful here to share with others, to build them up in their faith & direction in life. Every blessing.
Image 3 is that of the farmer.
Most of us are hardly aware of what it takes to be a farmer. Their only routine is to be out early & get home late, planting & harvesting, failed crops or poor irrigation, bad markets, pestilence & many more can easily dampen his enthusiasm. But the farmer who succeeds is the one who, in spite of the odds against him, perseveres in his work, without holiday, poor returns or arduous work, just so that he can overcome those odds, provide for his family & his country. A lazy farmer will soon starve or need to find another job. As the soldier before him has the thought of victory & getting home safely with his platoon; as the athlete is upheld by the vision of the winner's trophy; the farmer looks forward to the hope for a good harvest.
3. We are called to perseverance in memory of what Jesus Christ has done. ( 2 Timothy 2:8-10).
Our lives as followers of Jesus did not emerge out of a vacuum. They are based on what happened in history. We are urged to remember Jesus Christ, God in human form. He is the heart of the Gospel. He is the very essence of the Good News we have to share.
So when Paul sits in prison in Rome, thinking about his own personal sufferings, examining the chains which bind him and his martyrdom that is just around the corner, he declares that he can "endure everything." And he can endure everything, & does so, so that others may obtain the salvation which is in Jesus Christ. Paul too was qualified for a peaceful retirement. But he voluntarily "pressed on" (persevered & persisted) in Christ's service, determined to lead more people to that salvation which comes only from Jesus.
Examples can be given: back in the late 1940s when China fell to the communists (Marxists), there were many Christians in China. Communism sought to destroy Christianity, killing many. Then from the end of the 70s, reports came that the Church in China had actually grown through the blood of the martyrs & perseverance of those who failed not to testify of Christ. Today, there are over 80 million Christians both in overground & underground Churches.
And then the life & ministry of Billy Graham should inspire us, as we see one who was faithful to the Lord, never shirking his calling, & persevering in his desire to see lost souls be won for Christ.
2. We are called to perseverance in difficult times. ( 2 Timothy 2:3-7).
Paul illustrates the nature of Christian discipleship during difficult times with three practical images.
Image 1 is the soldier.
A soldier is called to focused service. He lives a life set apart from normal civilian pursuits. He wears a uniform, lives in a barracks or a tent, deployed to whatever part of the world the govt. sends him. And it is a life that requires obedience. He must take orders regardless of whether those orders prove to be wise or unwise. If he loses his focus or fails to persevere, he puts his own life & those of his platoon at great risk. The Christian is also called to focused service and obedience to Jesus Christ. All of this involves the potential of sacrifice & certainly involves loyalty.
Image 2 is that of the athlete.
There is an athletic nature to the Christian life. This involves discipline in training, as with the soldier.
This also involves self-denial. We are called to stay in spiritual shape, shedding attitudes and actions that would get in the way of successfully completing life's difficult race. An athlete who doesn't persevere to attain the ultimate prize, will fail to do so & very miserably.
This is what makes all the difference. You and I are called to perseverance, but not that lonely perseverance of one trying to "keep on keeping on" when 'keeping on' no longer makes any sense from a human perspective. This is a call to a life bathed in Christ's Grace, in which we are motivated by that which goes beyond ourselves to be all God would have us be as we persist, as we persevere as followers of Jesus, empowered by His Holy Spirit.
A life lived without perseverance is a life that tries to exist by mobilizing what natural talents one happens to have, forgetting that some of the most gifted people in the world are failures because they give up when the going gets tough. In fact, some of them have so much talent, genius and education that they never find their focus. Remember "the humble postage stamp and its ability to stick to one job until it's done!" We call that "stickability".
What our text is saying is that you and I are privileged to take all the gifts of God's grace, freely given to us, and, with faithfulness, persistence and perseverance, move forward, empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, to accomplish all that He desires for us.
We are called to persevere in four specific ways.
1. We are called to persevere in the transmission of the faith. ( 2 Timothy 2:1-2).
The reality is that the Christian church is always just one generation from extinction. We are called to be links in the chain that winds its way through human history from the first century Church until the return of Jesus Christ to take away His Church. Somebody was faithful to the Gospel by sharing it with us. We have to be faithful to pass it on to others & this faithfulness has in its meaning: that we must persevere in sharing this Good News as God gives us opportunity.
I'm unsure how much by way of comments you seek, but I'll try to give you a brief outline to your subject, with an Intro. If you are the study leader, then you will have to add your own thoughts/questions to this outline. There are many Scriptures you can use as your focus to develop the study, but I've chosen 2 Timothy 2:4-5 as the main one, with other verses in the chapter contributing to the study.
2 Timothy 2:4-5: On Perseverance & Persistence.
"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully."
Webster's Dictionary defines perseverance as: "To persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counter-influences, opposition, or discouragement."
A synonym for the word perseverance is persistence.
It also defines persistence: "To take a stand, stand firm, to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, importunity, or warning.
Persistence is a close relative to Perseverance.
President Calvin Coolidge once said:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
Our text calls us to persistence, to perseverance, but it adds a dimension that protects you and me from falling into great discouragement when our own best efforts fall short. Paul writes to Timothy, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." ( 2 Timothy 2:1).
Christ's disciples, in their 'raw' state had not the Spirit of God, except when they were specially endued for service ( Luke 9:1). They had both the pure Word of God & His Spirit amongst them that radically altered their conceptions & misconceptions of God's requirements for them & the people. They then had the knowledge but minus the Power. What a time that would have been for them on the day of Pentecost. Both the hearer (when they heard messages in their languages as witness of the outpouring of the Spirit), & the apostles themselves (as they suddenly sensed the entrance of the Spirit to bring them brilliant Light & understanding into their hearts), would have had an experience 'of a lifetime' in that room. And the witness they had of the Lord & His Spirit not only empowered them, but emboldened them, to be His witnesses unto the laying down of their lives. Do we see, or can we see, such a display of Holy Ghost Power & conviction? It might not always be seen overtly but certainly seen in the believers' confidence & resolve to live for & serve the Living God.
Are there any comments that address this subject?
I read this morning and it said
We received the word in power and the Holy Spirit , not in word alone .
Not in those exact words .
But the thought is the Holy Spirit is all the difference .
Other wise it's just a mans religion as there are many .
We should have the power to do what Jesus commands and apostles teach .
Or is not genuine .
Make sure we are doers and not hearers only deceiving our selves.
Peter was under Jesus teachings as well as we know As the NT says .
Peter denied the Lord 3 times etc .
But under the power of the Holy Spirit Peter preached to the same ones he feared .
And Peter seemed to do much better under the Holy spirits influence, Than under Jesus influence.
According to what is written .
So it shows that the scriptures and Holy Spirits influences are excellent! More complete?
My friend Chris can tell you lots more about that. Keep an eye out for him later.
We're his disciples too. I think it's a good thing to keep a notebook and write down things that the Holy Spirit shows us through our bible studies with Him. He is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. He tells us many things about Jesus. Fresh and new each day.
Jesus is at the right hand Of Father, God. He ever lives to make Intercession for All Saints. That's us! If there's a question you must have an answer to; ask it. Turn off the media, get quiet and listen with your heart. You will hear Him there.
When the Holy Spirit speaks, there is joy, life and incredible feeling in your heart area. Powerful and tender. His voice is soft.
Warning! Sometimes satan might try to speak. His advise causes fear, not because of what he says, but because his voice is evil. Jesus's sheep do not respond to it.
Rebuke his lies in the name of Jesus.
Come along with Jesus.
Mishael
John opens his first letter with a presentation of Christ as both the life and light of believers.
I. JESUS CHRIST, THE LIFE OF BELIEVERS (1:1-4)
A. John's proclamation (1:1-2): The apostle offers a twofold description of this divine giver of life.
1. The eternal Christ (1:1a): He existed before the world began.
2. The earthly Christ (1:1b-2): John saw, heard, and touched the physical body of the Savior.
B. John's purpose (1:3-4): He writes this that we might know the two reasons for Jesus'
incarnation.
1. The vertical reason (1:3): That we might experience fellowship with both the Father and Son.
2. The horizontal reason (1:4): That we might share our joy with one another.
II. JESUS CHRIST, THE LIGHT OF BELIEVERS (1:5-10)
A. The fact (1:5): "God is light and there is no darkness in him at all."
B. The fruits (1:6-10)
1. Negative (1:6, 8, 10): If we walk in darkness with unconfessed sin, we will remain barren.
2. Positive (1:7-9): If we walk in the light and confess our sin, we will be cleansed and fruitful.
--Harold Wilmington
Suicide is just not scriptural. Hospice can help immensely with the end of life. Call on them. They have encountered everything possible at the end of a persons life.
Call your Pastor to counsel the person you speak of. Don't carry all this upon yourself. God has His people to help.
I fought for my Dads life as he was drowning on aspirated food. My Dad suffered because of me! Death came into the room (invisible) and said: "Leave! I'm taking your father now". I was gone 3 mins. When I returned, my Dads face was peaceful, no lines of terror and pain. Just peace, and lit with light. So much Peace.
Don't listen to your terror. Listen to Gods voice. It'll be okay.