1 John 3:1-3 Have you ever pondered how different, how unusual, how strange, how…exotic it is that we would be loved by God? It is natural for human parents to love their own human children. And animals take care of their own offspring. But God is spirit, invisible, immaterial, eternal, and we are made of […]
John now presses his readers to identify what the false teachers really are, and from whom their errant doctrine of Christ comes: the lying Serpent of old, the enemy of God and so of them! John drives a wedge between his dear readers and the false teachers and doctrines, to split them so there is […]
1 John 2:15-17 John pivots now from encouragement of their assurance and spiritual standing, to stern warnings about an array of different enemies of their souls. Think of this as a guided tour through a museum of devices used to attack and disable Christians and whole churches. A Little Shop of Horrors. This is a […]
1 John 2:12-14 John launches into this vital section of the letter by surrounding and buoying his readers in the facts of their essential spiritual competence. He recalls their spiritual standing and further blessings in order to motivate them to cultivate ever more intimacy in fellowship with God. John has several purposes in writing but […]
Welcome and Introduction 1 John 1:1-10 A Christian’s assurance is, in essence their faith, their convinced confidence, that they are in right standing with God now, are beloved in The Beloved, and will continue secure until they reach glorification forever. It is a confidence in Jesus, that he is God’s Son, the long-promised Savior and […]
Living the assured life 2 Corinthians 1:15-22 Apprehending and experiencing the assurance, the confidence, of our salvation is intended by our savior God to be our normal spiritual experience and reality. Assurance is an engine for good works in Christ, encouraging us to do and grow well. It is also our rescue and safety net […]
Hebrews 10:19-25, 1 John 5:11-13 Assurance of salvation is simply this: Knowing for sure, being convinced, that you are saved, that you stand forever graciously and undeservedly justified before God by the work of Christ on your behalf, that by faith alone you are now perfectly loved in the Beloved, standing immovable within the sphere […]
Crucified with Christ – Living life in Christ Living the rewardable life Colossians 3:1-4, Galatians 2:20 John 3:16 concisely sums up the gospel and our saving justification before God the judge, so our verse today, Galatians 2:20, concisely sums up the Christian life and how sanctification and spiritual growth and success after justification works out. […]
Why does God leave us on earth after we are saved? Aside from the obvious: to witness to unbelievers the salvation of the Lord. The doctrine of rewards for works after justification, in fact, does not stand alone. It is tightly bound to a well defined and grounded theodicy (the vindication of divine goodness and […]
Revelation 22:12 Introduction: If someone were to ask you what the primary motivation should be to seek spiritual growth, to increase in the walk of holiness, and to pour oneself into doing good works, one might get a range of different answers: To glorify God. Gratitude for eternal salvation. To gain or maintain assurance of […]