Is there hope for our world?
Do you have hope for a better future for our world? Or do you expect things to get worse? Do you think we can make a difference in this day and age? Or will the world just get darker and darker in your view? Our eschatology matters. What we believe about the future matters.
I want to encourage you to fight. We can still engage the culture and influence the world. We carry the presence and power of God. As we live out our Christian values, we can still be a voice in this world and turn the tide back toward God.
Don’t lose heart! Don’t give up! The soul of our nation and the nations of the world are worth fighting for. The good news is, we fight from victory. Jesus has already won. Jesus is the King of Kings, and there is none greater.
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Do you have hope for a better future for our world? Or do you expect things to get worse? Do you think we can make a difference in this day and age? Or will the world just get darker and darker in your view? Our eschatology matters. What we believe about the future matters.
I want to encourage you to fight. We can still engage the culture and influence the world. We carry the presence and power of God. As we live out our Christian values, we can still be a voice in this world and turn the tide back toward God.
Don’t lose heart! Don’t give up! The soul of our nation and the nations of the world are worth fighting for. The good news is, we fight from victory. Jesus has already won. Jesus is the King of Kings, and there is none greater.
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name (authority) that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As Christians, we are to proclaim His preeminence. We are to rally around our king and announce His supremacy and majesty to the world. We are to spread the good news of what life is like in His kingdom, under His rule. A kingdom ruled by a loving and merciful God who can heal our pain and strengthen us to bear good fruit.
But if you believe that the kingdoms of this world are too great to influence, you will not engage. You will sit on the sidelines and wait for destruction.
What do you expect to happen? Think about it. How much is that influencing your willingness to stand up for God’s truth and righteousness and engage a failing culture?
Fight from Victory
The fight is not actually with people, it’s with their beliefs and ideologies.
Ephesians 610 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
We are not fighting for victory. We are fighting from victory. Our king has already won. The dark forces and enemies of God in spiritual realms have not been fully destroyed yet, but it’s coming. Jesus has all authority and power but His kingdom is still increasing. It is the rock cast into the earth that will overcome all the kingdoms of this world, but it is not yet fully physically manifest. But it’s coming.
Consider this passage in light of Christ’s present kingdom. Paul is making a case for resurrection, but also gives us insight into the current reign of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Jesus Must Reign Until The End
You may be under the impression that Christ WILL reign when the end comes, but this passage says Christ must reign UNTIL the end. You have a role in Christ’s reign until the end.
1 Corinthians 15. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
The end comes after Jesus has destroyed all of His enemies. He has defeated all His enemies, but He has not yet destroyed them. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
Let me ask you a question; how is Jesus currently reigning? The answer is simple, through His church. THROUGH YOU!! He is the head, and we are His body. We are filled with His spirit, walking in freedom from sin and death, announcing to the world the victory of our king.
Christ must reign until the end. Many Christians believe that Christ will not reign until then end. The end is coming. One day God will sovereignly decide it’s time for the return of Christ and the resurrection. Until then, Christ must reign. I ask again, how does He reign until then? Through you!
The Body of Christ is the most influential and power demographic on the planet. We are ambassadors from Heaven in a foreign land, announcing the defeat of the enemies of God and His ever increasing kingdom.
Christ reigns today as you yield to Him and obey Him from the heart. He reigns by living through you as you trust and follow Him, displaying the fruit He bears through you. We must be willing to accept the difficult responsibilities that God calls us into. We must not shy away from our kingdom responsibilities and give up on this world.
God has not given up on this world. He is alive and active. He is saving people. He is healing people. He is inspiring people to step into their ministries and be voices of change for His kingdom. I pray you are not so pessimistic that you are just waiting for the destruction of all things.
“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”
Influencing Culture with Your Vote
We can still make a difference as God’s kingdom continues to increase. We can still exercise our God given rights on this planet and be agents of good. In the US we have the privilege of voting. Voting will not solve all our problems but it is one way for us to exercise our kingdom influence.
With your vote you can protect life. You can promote personal responsibility. You can vote out Luciferian ideologies that manifest in the form or socialism and communism. You can stand against the consolidation of power and the financial oppression of those who hate God.
There is no perfect party. I don’t believe God is for one party or another. But there are policies that are closer to God’s values than others. You have the right and responsibility to speak up. Voting will not save the world, it’s just one way to influence our world. We still have work to do until the end. We must step into every realm of the world’s kingdoms and influence them from our position in God’s kingdom.
30 million Christians didn’t vote in the last Presidential election. My guess is because they think it’s no use. Don’t sit on the sidelines and pass up an opportunity to use your kingdom influence. If Christians united and put God first, the governments of the world would be forced to listen. We can make a massive difference through our unity.
Yes, there are well meaning Christians in all parties. I’m not telling you who to vote for, I want to encourage you to remember what kingdom you represent. Remember the values of that kingdom as you vote. Don’t stay on the sidelines, engage the world around you and spread the news of the Kingdom of God as you go.
How to Live a Life of Deep Meaning and Purpose
You can live a life of deep purpose and meaning when you are willing to take responsibility for your place in the Body of Christ in the earth.
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“I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.”
When we hear the words “meaning” and “purpose,” we usually equate it to doing something for God, as if the reason God created you was to do a job for him. I say this all the time, God gave you life because he wanted you as His child, plain and simple. He intentionally placed you in the earth so he could be your Father. That’s WHY you are here.
But now that you’re here, and the world is in the state it’s in, God has assignments for you. You complete those assignments from a place of acceptance in Him, not for acceptance. You fulfill those assignments and missions from a place of security in Christ, not to try and hold on to salvation. You walk out the things He is leading you to do from a place of righteousness and holiness in Him, not to better your status in His eyes. He loves you, and He accepts you, period. How you live from then on is your choice.
Living with Meaning
Christ has set us free, but too many people abuse their freedom in Christ. We live selfish and unproductive lives. We have all kinds of reasons and excuses to be selfish, but they’re still excuses.
It’s time to let go of the excuses. It’s time to move beyond the pain and offenses of the past. It’s time to quit blaming others for your life's condition and answer the call of God on your life.
I think one of the reasons we never take our place in the Body of Christ is because we spend too much time avoiding responsibility.
We pursue happiness, but we avoid responsibility. We work hard to make our lives easier but end up empty and unfulfilled. We worry about our future to the point that it paralyzes us, but we never truly embrace the call of God on our lives.
God’s calling on your life is not necessarily formal ministry, but it is some facet of service within his church. God is building his church, and it is very creative. Church is not just buildings, organized programs, and staff positions. That is one manifestation of his church, but his church is also invisible in many ways. You may be an invisible member in his body, but just as important as the pastor with 10,000 members in his congregation.
My point is this; God has assignments for you. Are you seeing them through? Are you actively planning and executing the missions and assignments he has given you? We all have them. One of mine is to facilitate regular worship gatherings in the form of Forward Church, where I teach the Bible nearly every Sunday. I love it!
That’s an obvious assignment. Yours may not be as obvious. Your assignment may be to be a light at your job. If so, do it intentionally. Yours might be to give generously to anti human-trafficking ministries. Yours may be to feed the homeless or be a blessing to widows. Whatever it may be, do it with all your heart.
I have been a lead pastor for 12 years now. I have talked to so many people who are waiting for life’s circumstances to change to follow God. They don’t say it that way, but that’s what’s happening. Most people aren’t fulfilling their role in the body of Christ because they don’t want the responsibility.
Are you fulfilling your kingdom responsibilities?
Embrace Responsibility
I’d like to give you three quotes from clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson. I don’t endorse Dr. Peterson’s spiritual beliefs, but I do value his insight into human behavior. He has seen thousands of patients over decades and identifies the main thing people need in order to live productive lives - meaning.
Meaning. A reason to get out of bed. A meaningful life focus helps people heal from the past. Living with meaning empowers people to overcome adversity and pain. Peterson says that the pursuit of happiness is nice, but it’s a luxury many can’t afford.
“It’s a luxury to pursue happiness, it’s a moral obligation to pursue meaning. And that’s not easy, it may require sacrifice.”
“Meaning is the instinct that guides you through challenges and tragedies.”
“Meaning is most found in the adoption of responsibility.”
Dr. Peterson explains that people who avoid responsibility often live as victims and never move beyond past emotional trauma. Those who aim at something and have meaning in their lives move forward into health and productivity in greater numbers.
If we have a sense of meaning, we will face anything that comes our way.
For a believer, what gives our life the most meaning is discovering and pursuing God’s purposes in our lives. We can’t wait for him to tell us what to do. He is not going to split the sky and give you a reason to live. That is your responsibility. You are free to live for your own selfishness or lay your life down and allow God to live through you.
The Apostle Paul had a reason to face persecution. His compassion for his Jewish kinsman drove him into a difficult life. Nearly every original follower of Jesus lost their lives for the sake of the Gospel. They lived with meaning.
I’m not suggesting you need to get over yourself and die for Jesus, I’m saying you must find something in life to live for. As believers, of course, it should include the spreading of the Gospel, but maybe not just that.
What are you living for? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Are you just paying bills and trying to create a life of comfort? Or are you compelled daily by a purpose?
Only you can allow that to develop in your heart. God isn’t going to make it happen for you. I pray you watch the full sermon above for more on this subject. I pray this sermon inspires you to step into a life of meaning and purpose.
Don't Conform to the World's Version of Faith, Life and Culture
When it comes to matters of life, faith, and culture, we must think as God thinks. We must persuade our hearts and minds of His ways and adjust accordingly, rather than bend His Word and ways to conform to modern thought and culture.
God’s ways of life are never out of date. God’s ways are righteous and He leads us along the path of righteousness, in all that we do. Our faith is not separate from culture. In fact, our faith should shape culture.
What is righteousness?
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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
When it comes to matters of life, faith, and culture, we must think as God thinks. We must persuade our hearts and minds of His ways and adjust accordingly, rather than bend His Word and ways to conform to modern thought and culture.
God’s ways of life are never out of date. God’s ways are righteous and He leads us along the path of righteousness, in all that we do. Our faith is not separate from culture. In fact, our faith should shape culture.
What is righteousness?
Righteous means "as it should be." Evil means "as it ought not to be." When something or someone is righteous, they are as they should be in God's eyes. When a cultural system is righteous, it is operating as it should in God's eyes.
How does this apply to our lives?
There is a righteousness regarding our identity as children of God. Once we place our trust in the finished work of Christ, God cleanses us and places His Spirit in us, making us righteous before Him. Righteousness is a state of existence God gives us through Christ. It’s not a standard we live up to.
There is also a righteousness (as it should be) to life and culture. In other words, there is a proper way and order to everything, according to God's perspective. There is also a righteousness (as it should be) in sexuality, gender, relationships, justice, government, and every other aspect of life and culture.
When we go against God's natural order, the result is death. The death is not directly from God, it's produced on its own merit.
Righteousness is not achieved through rule-keeping and self-effort, it can only be recognized as God's truth and respected. We can yield to God's grace which empowers us to live well within the salvation He has provided in Jesus, but we can never attain righteousness on our own. Through behavior or laws.
As culture continues to reject God's righteousness, the more death, and destruction we will have in society and culture.
In our current political climate, there is no one party that is righteous, but there are policies proposed that are closer to God's natural order than others. No elected official can legislate righteousness, but we can vote for people who honor and respect God's natural order of creation. We can vote for people who value God’s righteousness or the way He created the world to function.
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”
Some consider it judgmental or dogmatic to advocate for God's ways, but it is proven, the closer we govern society to God's ways, the better the state of humanity.
Every political party claims to speak for God. The Democrats say we need to take care of people’s basic needs. The Republicans say we need to first and foremost protect life. Libertarians say we need to take personal responsibility for our lives. All of which are godly values and principles. But all of those systems are flawed because they are man-made.
The government can not make a better society for us, but it can protect our right to do so. Vote in such a way that gives you the most freedom to follow God and makes room for His righteousness and values.
Stand Up for Righteousness
I’ll ask a question to personalize these ideas. Where can you speak up for righteousness? How can you speak up for God’s natural order? Where can you speak up for how God says it ought to be?
Maybe it’s at work when people are telling inappropriate jokes. Maybe it’s at the skate park with your kids. Maybe it’s at a restaurant when someone is forcing another person to say the name of a person who has been killed. Maybe it’s online when people are discussing transgender issues.
We can’t go around picking fights, but we can make God’s truth known when opportunities arise.
How else will our children know of God’s truth if they don’t hear it in church and hear it from us?
The culture is trying to tell people that all love is ok, referring to homosexual relationships. Grown adults are subjecting their children to hormone therapy because they believe gender is fluid. The education system willingly subjects our children to debt and calls it normal. Violence in the streets is encouraged by political parties because it fits their agenda. Even some Christians are saying the sacrifice of Jesus wasn’t necessary.
I’m not trying to be negative and say the world is going to hell, I’m saying that believers need to speak up for God’s righteousness and truth when we have the opportunities. People will not know if we don’t. Once we do, the Holy Spirit then has an opportunity to work on those people.
That’s the pesky thing about truth, once you hear it, you have to confront it. You will either let it change you, or you will harden your heart and fight against it.
But there are people out there who have not heard about God’s ways. They’ve heard from Netflix, they’ve heard from their progressive teachers. They’re heard from political candidates but have they heard of God’s righteousness from you?
God Is Building His Body
I am not proposing that we stand on the corner, threatening people with hell. I am suggesting that we lay down our fear of man, our hesitation in offending people, and speaking up for God’s ways when we have the chance. How will people know if we don’t tell them?
You have a unique position in God’s body. God has specific assignments for you. I want to help you find and fulfill those assignments in the weeks ahead. But we all have the responsibility to be God’s ambassadors in the world. Pray for boldness. Pray for opportunities. Speak up for God’s righteousness when you can.
God Became Human Just Like You
Is Jesus God? YES!!
Was Jesus God before he came to earth? YES!!
Was Jesus God while he was a man? Let’s explore that idea. I don’t want to make you nervous, so the short answer is YES, but there are some things to understand about his form while in a human body.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
It’s safe to say that if you don’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh you are deceived by the spirit of anti-christ. So what does “in the flesh mean?” It doesn’t just mean that he was real, it’s referring to the kind of being he was. Let’s look at several passages that address this topic.
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Is Jesus God? YES!!
Was Jesus God before he came to earth? YES!!
Was Jesus God while he was a man? Let’s explore that idea. I don’t want to make you nervous, so the short answer is YES, but there are some things to understand about his form while in a human body.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
It’s safe to say that if you don’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh, you are deceived by the spirit of antichrist. So what does “in the flesh mean?” It doesn’t just mean that he existed, it’s referring to the kind of being he was. Let’s look at several passages that address this topic.
In The Flesh
John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The word “word” is the Greek word logos. Logos is where we get the word logic. To the Greeks, the logos is the creative intelligence behind the universe. The Chinese call it the Tao. They might not know the one true God, but cultures throughout time have recognized that there is a creative intelligence behind everything.
The logos (word) of God is his wisdom, character, integrity, and more. It’s the way he does things. It’s the way he thinks. And all of that somehow was transmuted into human form and manifested as Jesus of Nazareth.
The eternal, unlimited, formless God of light and love moved on Mary and conceived a human child, into which his DNA miraculously merged with humankind and produced a single son, a unique child of the Most High God. That son is Jesus Christ.
What form was he in once he became flesh?
Romans 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, 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.
God not only became human in a body of flesh, but it was also sinful flesh, like all mankind. Jesus was the son of God, but he was also the son of man.
Was Jesus sinful? NO! But his body was flesh, like ours. It was capable of sin, yet he never allowed sin to conceive in him. For this reason, he was qualified to be the sacrificial, spotless lamb of God, offered for the sin of all humanity. That’s one primary reason God sent his son so that a human could atone for all humankind.
God’s Law says that sin must be paid for in the body of the sinner, but no human could bear the full penalty of sin, so God gave us a worthy sacrifice. Jesus was made like us to fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law on behalf of humankind, as a human.
Hebrews 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Jesus entered the human condition to destroy the power of sin and death as a human. In doing so, he gave his victory to all humans who would receive his atoning work. He is the substitute. He became like us so we could become like him. In becoming like us, he understood what it was like to be us and now serves as a merciful high priest for us in Heaven.
The beauty in this act is that God knows what you’re going through because he went through it too. He knows what you’re facing because he faced it. He understands your pain, loss, and suffering because he experienced all of those things as well. And he knows how to help you. God became like you to set you free.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Again the writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted. He was tempted in every way we are, yet he never allowed it to conceive unto sin. So Jesus was a being that could be tempted.
This next passage may cause some discomfort for you, but if you grasp the concept, you will gain a deeper appreciation for what Jesus experienced on your behalf.
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
First of all, temptation is not from God, it’s from our own lust. This means that lust must not be a sin. Lust, in this context, means desire. The English language has a different connotation for the word lust, but in this passage, it just means desire. Jesus had desires.
When we are tempted to fulfill those desires in an evil way, it becomes sin, which becomes death. Jesus never allowed his desires to be fulfilled in an evil way. He was able to either subdue his desires or fulfill them in a loving and Godly way.
Jesus has every lust and desire you do. He knows what you’re struggling with. And because he overcame every lust and desire in a godly way, he can help you do the same.
Now, look at the phrase in James 1:13 that says God cannot be tempted. And then go back to the idea of Jesus coming “in the flesh.”
Was Jesus tempted? YES
Did Jesus sin? NO
Could Jesus have sinned? YES
Can God sin? NO
Can God be tempted? NO
Was Jesus tempted? YES
Is Jesus God? YES
This is a mystery. No true believer would deny that Jesus is God, but there is something special that happened when he became flesh. We see from the above passages that he had to become like us to set us free. Even the miracles Jesus performed, he did as a man, full of the grace and favor of God.
Remember John’s test, to say that Jesus didn’t come in the flesh is from the spirit of anti-Christ. This is a deeply sacred issue. This is not one to relegate to doctrine and dogma.
The miracle of God becoming human is the very crux of the Gospel and the very power of God’s offer to humankind of righteousness and eternal life. We must let the Word of God speak for itself, and not water our understanding down to cute phrases like Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. That’s not a scripture in the Bible, yet people defend that statement as if it is.
Let’s look at more passages that discuss the form of Jesus.
Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Jesus was in the form of God, but he emptied himself. What does it mean that he emptied himself? Did he cease to be God? No. But he did become fully human, in the likeness of sinful flesh.
It’s clear that God can’t be tempted, but Jesus was tempted so he could deliver us from that which destroys our soul. If you can get past the theological argument you might be having with me in your mind and see the beauty of the work of God in Christ, we might grow up together in the unity of our faith and show the world the deep and profound love of God displayed in Jesus.
What did Jesus empty himself of?
John 17:1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
From this prayer of Jesus, we see that he has authority over all flesh. He can help those of flesh because, in his sinlessness, he overcame and was given this authority. We also see that he is ready to take back the glory he had before he became flesh.
So what did he empty himself of? The glory he had with the Father before he became flesh. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t God, it just means he laid something down to enter the human experience in the flesh fully. To deny this is to be deceived by the spirit of antichrist.
Greater Is He In You
1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
This passage takes on new meaning when you understand what it means that Jesus came in the flesh. While this passage can refer to the enemy in the world, it also refers to you. You are in the world, but Jesus in you is greater than the part of you that is still in the world.
He Did It For You
God did all of this for you. God did not leave us to our own strength. He became just like us, so he could overcome everything that kept us from receiving eternal life. He dealt with the sin issue. He dealt with the sanctification issue. He placed his spirit in us to seal us for the day of promise. Because he faced everything a human will face and overcame it, he is able to help us overcome.
No matter what you are facing, Jesus faced it and overcame it. Turn to Him in your weakness. Turn to him in your lack. Turn to him in your fear. He has good plans for you, and he knows how to help you have faith and hope. His love for you will make you whole and help you believe. You can trust him. He sees you, and he understands you. Turn to him today and allow Him to strengthen you.
How To Please God And Receive Everything You Ask For
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
— 1 John 3:21-22
The key to pleasing God is, keeping His commandments. If you keep His commandments, your heart will be confident before Him, and you will receive whatever you ask. What a powerful promise! It’s almost unbelievable, but that’s exactly what John said.
It begs the question, what are the commandments you’re supposed keep? He gives us the answer in the next verse.
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“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
The key to pleasing God is, keeping His commandments. If you keep His commandments, your heart will be confident before Him, and you will receive whatever you ask. What a powerful promise! It’s almost unbelievable, but that’s exactly what John said.
It begs the question, what are the commandments you’re supposed to keep? He gives us the answer in the next verse.
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
Believe In The Power, Character, and Authority of Jesus Christ
It’s not the letters J E S U S that you are to believe in, it’s His power, character, and authority you are to believe in. Specifically, believe in those things in light of His sinless life, sacrificial death, and resurrection, which implies His power over death and the grave. As well as the fact that He inherited the keys to God’s kingdom. And received all authority, over all things.
I’d say that’s a pretty powerful “name.” Take a moment and remind yourself exactly who Jesus is. He deserves all glory and honor, He is worthy to be praised!!!
Believing in the name of Jesus and loving people helps your heart stay confident toward God. When you’re confident toward God, your heart is in a position to receive from Him. It’s also true that your heart is not in a condition to receive from Him if you are not confident toward Him.
The issue is not God’s willingness to give you what you ask/pray for, it’s the confidence of your heart that makes the difference. To put it simply, living God’s way brings confidence.
It’s important not to be over-confident and slip into self-righteousness. It’s also important to notice that keeping His commandments isn’t what causes Him to give you what you ask for. Receiving from God is a matter of the heart. Jesus teaches this same idea in Mark 4 and Matthew 13, the condition of your heart determines the degree to which you will receive from Him.
A Kingdom Key
This nuanced understanding of a confident heart and receiving from God is enlightening. If you approach this concept from a different angle, you can apply it this way. If you are having trouble connecting with God and feel like He doesn’t hear your prayers, you can take a step toward confidence and “open your heart” a bit more by intentionally keeping His commandments.
Meaning this. If you are struggling and are having a hard time allowing God to lead you, or you are falling back into a sin habit, you can intentionally keep His commandments and realign your heart with God.
The issue is on your side of the equation, not God’s. You can not earn or qualify for God’s blessings through believing in the authority of Jesus and loving people, but you can adjust your heart back to a posture of trust and faith toward Him. You can repent (change your mind) and remind yourself of who Jesus is.
Repentance is remembering that Jesus is your advocate and your propitiation, as John wrote earlier in his letter. It’s about acknowledging that Jesus is your sin offering, as well as the whole world’s sin offering. It’s easier to love people when you see them through the lens of Jesus’ actions toward them. He died for them too, no matter who they are, what they’re doing or who they vote for.
Keeping the commandment of believing in the power, character, and authority (name) of the Lord Jesus Christ should always result in confidence in who He is in your life and your circumstances. It should be a daily exercise to believe in the fulness of who Jesus is. This not only pleases God, but it teaches your heart to be confident toward God.
If you’re honest with yourself, you lose confidence in God from time to time. You lose that confidence because you believe in the name (power and authority) of the problems in your life. A simple adjustment of focus, back on the power, authority, and character of Jesus, helps you regain confidence in Him.
“Oh yeah, that’s who Jesus is in this situation. That’s His promise. That what He paid for. That’s what He promised me. That’s who He will be in me.”
A Second Kingdom Key
The other “secret” revealed in this passage is that loving people also helps your heart remain confident toward God. For me, when I seek to help/love people, I’m often reminded that I can do very little for people. They must engage God for themselves and allow Him to bring them to a place of wholeness. Loving people somewhat forces me to recapture confidence in Jesus because He’s the only answer I have for people.
Loving people aligns your heart with God’s heart.
When you know His love for you, and you allow that love to spill out onto others, your inner man reaps the benefit of conformity into the image of Christ. You don’t earn this image, you don’t gain more of that image, you merely align your heart with God, and the byproduct is transformation.
God isn’t angry with you or even unhappy with you if you lose confidence in Jesus from time to time. He’s not holding it against you if you are not a kind and loving person, He just can’t do much for you when your heart is not confident toward Him.
A confident heart toward God isn’t afraid of Him. It’s more receptive to His leading and instruction. It’s more willing to turn away from sin and embrace His transformative grace. You need grace, you need God’s favor and divine influence in your heart to continue to walk in love. God doesn’t expect you to be able to keep His commandments on your own. He gives you the very faith to believe. But you MUST respond and allow that grace and love to manifest through your heart into your mind and actions.
Do you want to receive everything you ask for from God? Believe in the power, character, and authority of Jesus and love people. In doing so, your heart will be in such a place of confidence to not limit what God can and will do through you.
Love On Purpose
What is love? As a reminder, here are the attributes of love. Commit them to memory. See yourself as this kind of person. Ask God to empower these character traits in the appropriate situations. Commit to walking in love, and watch your heart grow more confident toward God. From 1 Corinthians 13:3-8.
Love Is
Patient
Kind
Does not envy
Does not boast
Is not proud
Does not dishonor others
Is not self-seeking
Is not easily angered
Keeps no record of wrongs
Does not delight in evil
Rejoices with the truth
Always protects
Always trusts
Always hopes
Always perseveres
REPLY
Does It Mean You Have Never Met God If You Sin?
Can you lose your salvation if you sin? It's an age-old question that has sparked debate, split churches, and sent people into mental health facilities. We know that we're saved by grace through faith and not by works, but some seem to think you might lose your salvation by works. Or they at least want you to believe you are not truly saved if you sin.
For the record, sin is bad. Sin sows death into your life, it hardens your heart to God, it destroys marriages, erodes culture, and the list goes on. Don't sin! But if you do sin as a Christian, don’t forget you’re forgiven.
What does it mean if you sin as a Christian? Does it mean you have never met God? Or does it mean you are not presently experiencing Him?
Let's remind ourselves of a few key points already addressed in 1 John to make sure we understand John's thoughts on salvation and forgiveness.
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“Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.”
Can you lose your salvation if you sin? It's an age-old question that has sparked debate, split churches, and sent people into mental health facilities. We know that we're saved by grace through faith and not by works, but some seem to think you might lose your salvation by works. Or they at least want you to believe you are not truly saved if you sin.
For the record, sin is bad. Sin sows death into your life, it hardens your heart to God, it destroys marriages, erodes culture, and the list goes on. Don't sin! But if you do sin as a Christian, don’t forget you’re forgiven.
What does it mean if you sin as a Christian? Does it mean you have never met God? Or does it mean you are not presently experiencing Him?
Let's remind ourselves of a few key points already addressed in 1 John to make sure we understand John's thoughts on salvation and forgiveness.
He's writing so you'll know your sins are forgiven because of Jesus. 1 John 2:12
He instructs us to not sin, but if we do, to remember that Jesus is our advocate. 1 John 2:1 (more on that point here)
He's writing so that we would know we're saved and have eternal life, not to make us question our salvation. 1 John 5:13
He instructs us to confess our sin, admitting that Christians may commit sins. 1 John 1:9
These are just a few points to keep in mind when seeking to understand 1 John 3:6. Let's dig into this passage a bit further to make sure we understand 1 John 3:6.
Verb Tenses Matter
If we think through this passage at face value, there are two possibilities.
If you sin, maybe you're not truly saved.
If you sin, you're not presently experiencing God.
Point #2 takes a bit more investigation.
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 1 John 3:6
Seen means “to perceive” as with the eyes of your heart. And known means “to understand” or “have knowledge of.”
"Has neither" and "known" are both perfect tense.
The basic thought of the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its culmination and the finished results are now in existence. Unlike the English perfect, which indicates a completed past action, the Greek perfect tense indicates the continuation and present state of a completed past action. (From http://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm)
Based on the verb tenses of seen and known, we can say this; if one sins as a Christian, it doesn't mean they have never known him, it means they are not presently knowing him.
From Enduring Word Commentary
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-john-3It is very important to understand what the Bible means – and what it does not mean – when it says does not sin. According to the verb tense John uses, does not sin means “does not live a life style of habitual sin.” John has already told us in 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar indicates John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of 1 John 3:6 indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin. John is not teaching here the possibility of sinless perfection.
This is where English fails us. The Greek language has seven verb tenses, whereas English only has three. It's difficult for the Western mind to grasp the concept of a past action being effectual or ineffectual in the present. It can actually go back and forth. Meaning something that happened in the past can either be continuing to have an impact on your now or not, and it can change.
In this verse, the present effectuation of a past action (knowing God) is dependent on whether or not you are walking in the light, otherwise known as walking in love.
John wants to drive the point home of the importance of walking in love toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, he ties it to whether or not you are presently experiencing God (abiding in Him).
His point is this; if you are allowing God to abide in you or influence you at the moment, the evidence will be the keeping of Christ's commandments, which are loving God and loving people. It’s kind of a big deal to John.
What Are You Abiding In?
If you sin as a Christian, the completed results of seeing and knowing him are not presently continuing in you, because you are not currently abiding in him. You must be abiding in something else, ie, the flesh (all that's in the world is…).
When you put together the definition's specific application with the tense, as well as the context "whoever abides in Him does not sin," you get a more full picture that shows that we're talking about an ongoing experience rather than a single action in the past.
If you're presently experiencing God or knowing God, or abiding in Him, you will not have hate in your heart for your brothers, and you will not go back to your former way of life, as he describes in the rest of chapter 3. But if you do commit a sin, we still have 1 John 2:1-1.
Can We Trust the Bible?
So is the Bible flawed? No, it just wasn’t written in English, and we don't have seven different verb tenses in English. It can be challenging to grasp the proper understanding. We have to dig a bit more.
A legalistic mindset will always gravitate toward works-righteousness. A finished work mindset will always gravitate to matters of the heart.
We are complete in our spirit, but we still must subdue the desires of the flesh and not yield our members (bodies) to sin. Our eternal self is in Him, safe and secure, but we can still commit acts of sin when we're drawn away by the lust of the flesh, but that doesn't mean we're not saved.
Rest in your salvation that's secure in Jesus, and be intentional to keep your heart open to God so you will not be lured by temptation into sin. And for John, the best way to abide in God, and make sure you're continuing to allow God to abide in you, is to love your brothers in Christ.
How Do I Love?
Here's a list of the attributes of love. Read through this list and see if the Holy Spirit gives you any instructions. Now is the time to commit to walking in love. Jesus commands it. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need to feel it from us. And the world needs to see it from Christ’s body.
From 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Patient
Kind
Does not envy
Does not boast
Is not proud
Does not dishonor others
Is not self-seeking
Is not easily angered
Keeps no record of wrongs
Does not delight in evil
Rejoices with the truth
Always protects
Always trusts
Always hopes
Always perseveres
REPLY
Jesus Testifies of Your Righteousness in the Courtroom of Heaven
Can you be confident that you are saved?
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2 NKJV
John gets to the point, don’t sin, but if you do, remember that Jesus was judged and punished for your sin. He implies that God will never judge you or punish you for sin, because Jesus was your sufficient sin offering. It’s a binding, legal transaction that God honors.
Does that make you want to sin? I hope not. That would be unwise and dishonoring of the salvation Jesus died for you to receive.
There’s more going on here than just a reminder that you’re forgiven in Jesus. Looking at these passages in legal terms, and in the setting of a courtroom bring out the deeper meaning.
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
John gets to the point, don't sin, but if you do, remember that Jesus was judged and punished for your sin. He implies that God will never judge you or punish you for sin because Jesus was your sufficient sin offering. It's a binding, legal transaction that God honors eternally.
Does that make you want to sin? I hope not. That would be unwise and dishonoring of the salvation Jesus died for you to receive.
There's more going on here than just a reminder that you're forgiven in Jesus. Looking at these passages in legal terms, in the setting of a courtroom, exposes a deeper meaning.
Heaven's Court Room
In the courtroom of Heaven, you stood guilty for your sin. The penalty of death was your sentence. You could not bear that penalty, so Jesus stepped into your place. He became your sin and bore the punishment you deserved so that you could have eternal life through Him. He didn’t just die for you, He died as you. In His selfless act of sacrifice, you were forgiven and offered the gift of righteousness.
Jesus served your sentence, which included overcoming sin, becoming a curse, passing through hades, and conquering death. He did this for all of us. He became and overcame everything that keeps humankind from uniting with God in spirit for eternity.
In Him, we are qualified to inherit God. Jesus satisfied all of God's wrath and judgment toward sin, once and for all.
Jesus satisfied the court of Heaven for you and now testifies in Heaven of your righteousness in Him.
The righteous judge has become your loving Father in Christ. John is writing to assure the one who commits a sin that Jesus has served out the penalty on their behalf (propitiation) and now declares you as righteous.
The Sin Issue
In addition to encouraging Christians to walk in love/light toward one another, John also addresses the sin issue. But he addresses sin from the perspective of a forgiven, righteous child of God.
He wants you to know that your salvation is sure in Jesus, but he does admonish against continuing in sin. The message is this, if you are not living "worthy of that salvation," it's not because you have lost your salvation. And it's most likely not because you were never born again in the first place. If you're not living worthy of that salvation, it's because you have forgotten you're already forgiven.
I shared this passage in my previous article, but it applies here as well.
2 Peter 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither [e]barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. (forgiven) NKJV
It’s clear that John wants you to know you’re saved because of what Christ did.
1 John 2:12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. NKJV
John is preaching the Gospel. He's reminding the reader of their salvation in Christ, despite their sinful actions. He warns against sin, but not at the risk of loss of salvation. And he is not trying to cause the reader to question their salvation.
“If you were truly saved…”
This letter is often used by legalistic Christians to question the authenticity or people’s salvation.
It goes like this; “if Christ truly saved you, you would not desire to continue in sin. Therefore, if you continue in sin, maybe you're not saved.”
Have you ever been subjected to that kind of reasoning? It's external and legalistic, yet people fall for it because they feel bad for their sinful actions. You may have even condemned yourself with the same logic. You shouldn’t feel good when you sin, you just shouldn’t question your salvation over it. Sinlessness doesn’t equate to salvation, it’s by the blood of Jesus alone.
John wrote his letter so that you would know that you're saved.
1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. NKJV
John clearly states his letter's intention, yet performance-centered religionists use this letter to scare the daylights out of people and make them question their salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus alone!! It's not by works. You don't earn it by works, and you can't lose it by works.
Yes, a Christian should yield to the transformative grace of God in their hearts and live worthy of Christ's salvation, but you're going to stumble, and that doesn't mean that you are not saved. Remember, the prevalent sin issue John is addressing is loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not very loving to use the Bible to cause people to question the saving power of Christ's blood - just a thought.
Please watch the whole sermon for more on 1 John 2:1-10.
In next week's article, I discuss the concept of practicing sin or practicing righteousness.
How Do You Walk In The Light?
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 John 1:7
God calls us to walk in the light. Do you know how to do that? What if you don't walk in the light, do you lose your salvation? The answer is straightforward when you let the Bible speak for itself. John clarifies "walking in the light" a little later in his letter.
1 John 2:9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 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.
WALKING IN THE LIGHT IS WALKING IN LOVE.
A casual reading of 1 John may leave thinking that walking in the light is staying out of sin, and walking in darkness is sinning. But when you read the whole letter, you see that the author defines his own terms. 1 John does directly address sin, but that's a different issue than walking in the light/love.
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“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.”
If you don’t read the whole letter of 1 John, you might think this passage ties your behavior to your salvation. You’d be wrong. While a Christian should display a godly lifestyle, this passage is actually talking about something else when it uses the phrase “walking in the light.” The answer is straightforward when you let the Bible speak for itself.
1 John 2:9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 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.
Walking in light = walking in love
John certainly addresses the sin issue, but walking in love and staying out of sin are actually two different topics in this letter. They affect each other, but are two separate issues nonetheless.
Why is that an important distinction? Because it’s important that you know that your salvation is not based on your sinlessness. Your salvation is secure in Jesus. However, a Christian should display godly behavior and character. If he doesn’t. he should remember he’s already forgiven.
Confession of Sin
1 John 1:9 is a hot button issue in the Finished Work message.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We have to keep in mind we’re already forgiven and Jesus is our continual advocate with the Father.
1 John 2:12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
Forgiveness is not the result of the confession of sins, confession is when you assure your heart that you are forgiven and you admit the truth about your destructive behavior so you can release it and turn away from it.
Confess means to “say the same thing.” Confession is not asking for forgiveness again and again, confession is to say the same thing about your sinful actions that God says. God says you’re forgiven, so when you say the same thing about your sins that God says, you're actually reminding yourself that you are already forgiven because of the finished work of the cross. He's faithful and just in his forgiveness toward you that he's already extended to you in Jesus.
So when you confess and say the same thing God says about sin, your conscience becomes cleansed of unrighteousness. Why is this important? So you can live in the freedom of grace rather than the bondage of condemnation.
The prescription for sin in a believers life is to remember that you’re already forgiven. If you find yourself continuing in sin, according to John you should remember that Jesus is your propitiation, remember that he advocates for you, walk in love toward your brothers and remember that you’re already forgiven.
You don’t earn forgiveness through confession and you don’t earn righteousness through sinlessness. Consider this passage.
2 Peter 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. (forgiven)
A believer should absolutely display Godly character, and live worthy of the salvation we’ve been given, but if we don’t, we shouldn’t question our salvation, we should remember we’re already forgiven. In freedom we live well, in condemnation we are doomed to repeat our sinful patterns. The strength of sin is the law, the strength of freedom is grace.
Today's Church
In John’s letter he addressed false prophets and deceptive teachers who walked away from their faith in Jesus. They were seeking to harm house churches in that region and cause them to walk away as well. John wrote to warn them of deception and call them into unity through brotherly love. He said the fruit of their salvation should be fellowship with one another.
This letter is especially relevant for today's church. We are playing into the enemy's tactic of division. The body of Christ is being played by politicians and mainstream media to pick sides against each other. We must rise above the issues that divide us in the temporary world and unite in our spiritual identities, as children of God. Race, political party, and economic status are weaponized against us, and we’re falling for it.
The world is starving for answers and solutions. People in the world are craving a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, people are picking their groups based on their perceptions of who the bad guys are. We're picking sides based on temporary injustices and fallen human issues.
We can do better, we must do better. If you are a Christian, you owe it to your fellow brother in Christ to lay aside anything that may divide you in this world and unite in your love for one another. In this, we show the world that we follow Jesus. Then out of that unity, we turn our gaze toward the world and collectively show them the unifying and saving love of God. Love is our goal, and unity is our strategy.
Rise up church! Rise above church! Don't fall for the divisive tactics perpetrated against us. Unite in our heavenly father and WALK IN THE LIGHT by WALKING IN LOVE toward one another!!