There Is Only One True God

 The Power and Wisdom of God

 Book of Psalms Chapter 97

 Today, even in the Bible Belt, you can hardly meet someone on the streets who knows about the Lord Jesus Christ.

 People do not know who God is!

 They think He is just another god along with many other gods. They are so wrong!

 There is not one person except maybe infants and young children who God has not revealed Himself.

Before a person dies, God will have revealed Himself to them so that no one at the White Throne of judgment can use that as an excuse

 We know that God even speaks to babies while they are in the womb.

 Jer 1:4  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 

Jer 1:5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 

Jer 1:6  Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 

Jer 1:7  But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 

 Even John the Baptist knew the Lord Jesus Christ while He was in the womb of his mother.

 Luk 1:41  And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 

Luk 1:42  And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 

Luk 1:43  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

Luk 1:44  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

 This proves that some babies have more wisdom than fully grown men and women, even while they are still in the womb of their mother.

This is why I will never accept that there is a right to abortion.

 The One major truth in our world is, that there is a God and He is our Creator and our Heavenly Father!

 There are not many gods there is only One True God!

 Those who reject God also reject the Word of God.

 The Word of God is just that, the Holy Ghost-inspired Word of God!

 Most people make up their minds about what a God should be like.

 They choose to believe some secular theory or something fabricated in their mind as to the origin of our universe and the origin of life.

 Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

 As you can see God knew all these things would happen.

 Many people deny the Holiness of God while declaring good to be evil and evil to be good.

 God knew these people before they were born just, as He does everyone else.

 Some people believe in God but deny the "judgment" of God.

 Our world is so confused today that some men think God made a mistake and they were supposed to be women, and some women think they were supposed to be men, but they reject that God simply does not make mistakes.

 Across the globe, countless people are trapped in false religions and those who would change are filled with so much fear they live their lives as best they can all their days afraid to speak up.

 This Psalm is an encouragement to all who would truly follow God.

 I send a message today that no matter where you are, if you claim the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and even in secret, pray that sinner’s prayer, He will hear you and He will save you.

 He knows what conditions you are under, and He will not hold that against you.

 My God can save anybody anywhere at any time!

 This Psalm is a big help to you.

 *****Psa 97:1  The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. 

 If we take a logical view of our world, we will see the evidence of our earth and all we can see with our eyes or that new telescope that circles.

 We see that these things exist.

 Because something cannot come from nothing, there must be an original cause that is the reason for the world's existence.

 Because it is evident that these things exist then, there had to be a Creator of these things.

 If you have ever witnessed an accident, you will see that accidents are a cause of destruction and not creation.

 Every effect must have a cause!

 What is the truth? The Lord reigns over all His creations! Jehovah is King, He is the Almighty Ruler of His threefold kingdom.

 Psa 96:11  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 

 The earth is in perfect balance. It has just the right amount of water and the right amount of dirt.

 In fact, we can say that the entire universe is in perfect harmony so there must be a Creator.

 God's harmony is observed throughout this universe!

 The sun is ninety-three million miles from Earth which is exactly where it needs to be for our comfort.

 The temperatures vary from location to location so everyone can find a place where they are comfortable.

 The moon is two hundred and forty thousand miles from Earth to provide tides at the proper level.

 The more we change the moon the more our sea levels will change!

 The earth's tilt provides our four seasons.

 None of these things could have happened by accident!

 Yes, our Lord reigns as King of this earth!

 Psa 8:3  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 

Psa 8:4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

 The naysayers would have you believe that we live in a universe in chaos, but this is not true.

 Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 

Psa 19:2  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 

Psa 19:3  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 

Psa 19:4  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 

 The alternative is that all these things, plus all the other things we can see are no more possible than a monkey being able to create a work of Shakespeare on a typewriter by haphazard play on the keys.

 Yes, the Lord reigns upon this Earth!

 The Earth refers to the continents, all the large land masses. In contrast, with the multitude of isles are the small islands that dot the seas.

 *****Psa 97:2  Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. 

Psa 97:3  A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. 

Psa 97:4  His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. 

Psa 97:5  The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 

Psa 97:6  The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

 Heaven, where God's throne is located,  veiled in clouds and darkness says to us that God reigns above human sight and understanding.

 God must remain in these clouds of darkness because there is a need for God to conceal His radiant glory of His holiness that would destroy us instantly.

 God is the "Judge" of this Earth and He always, ALWAYS does what is right!

 Fire is a symbol of God's judgment!

 It is a fire that will consume all the enemies of God!

 Psa 21:8  Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 

Psa 21:9  Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. 

 God bears witness to His holiness and justice through the forces of nature!

 Lightning, strong storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions with the earth melting like wax, all remind us of God's tremendous power. 

Nature is also a creation of God.

 2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

 Everything in God's creation will bear witness to His holiness.

 We are to bear the truth that God reigns over all His creations, regardless of what the world says. 

The world is full of lies and liars.

 The Lord reigns over all the things that are going on around us.

 The Lord reigns over all the unbelief and lawlessness which is in our societies.

 The Lord reigns over all things that we are forced to endure.

 The Lord reigns and there is nothing this world can do about it, except to turn to Him in repentance!

 2Th 1:6  Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 

2Th 1:7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 

2Th 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

2Th 1:9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 

2Th 1:10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. 

 All those who worship false gods will become perplexed because they have been told a lie!

 The Heavens truly do declare the righteousness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah!

 *****Psa 97:7  Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. 

 When we mock and reject the Words of the One True God Jehovah then, we think we have become gods ourselves!

 We are not so dumb to not know that there are certain people who worship the idol of printed money and the idol of gold who are actually pulling the strings in America and most other countries in this world.

 They know which way to go to get more money printed which makes them richer and which way to go to get gold more valuable to make them richer and this little game they play is done over and over again.

 There is no regard for the people who work who actually pay the taxes.

 This little game will break out into war when those who are not so rich but are considered to be rich have to keep paying more and more of the taxes and they will rebel.

 It is the same for climate change. There are fifty-seven companies in this world that cause eighty percent of the pollution in this world and no one will talk to them about pollution and the carbon monoxide that is emitted by their companies.

 It is not even mentioned, or it would make them mad and governments just keep allowing it to take place.

 To these companies, money and gold are their gods!

 They may boast about their riches, but one day soon they will see their gods destroyed and they will be confounded.

 They are not the gods they think of themselves, but are only sinners in need of a Savior yet, they will never call on Him.

 They are like that Egyptian Pharaoh who thought he could defeat God but only perished in the Red Sea.

 Their idols are worthless!

 Isa 42:17  They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

 The Lord always knows what is going on!

 Isa 52:5  Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 

Isa 52:6  Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. 

Isa 52:7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

 It is not long before these who have made themselves gods will meet the only true God.

 Isa 52:10  The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 

 God will judge this world, and this judgment is not that far off!

 *****Psa 97:8  Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. 

Psa 97:9  For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. 

 When the Lord returns to this earth the Rapture of the Church will have already taken place and the Church will return with the Lord in glorified bodies following the King of Zion, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 It is at this time that the daughters of Judah will rejoice because the Antichrist will have been defeated and Israel will have turned to the Lord in shame because it has taken them so long to do so.

 There is so much difference between the Divine Power of God and the supposed power of the rich who have followed the Antichrist, that even they will fall in shame recognizing the power of Jehovah the triune God.

 All evildoers will be judged this day, but this is not the White Throne judgment, for the Lord Jesus will rule this earth from Zion for one thousand years.

 Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 

Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 Because the Lord humbled Himself in humiliation and obedience to Jehovah, He has been exalted by His Father and given a name which is above every name and made Him King of kings and Lord of lords, superior majesty above every creature.

 This wicked world or what is left of it, will bow at the feet of Jesus!

 Then the Lord will remake this earth.

 The Lord Jesus will continue keeping all His promises to those who love Him.

 These will be those who have survived the seven years of the Tribulation years, the last three and one-half years known as the Great Tribulation.

 The Church will be with Him, but the Church was not the object of God's wrath but already glorified!

 *****Psa 97:10  Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 

 How do we know real love?

 If I love Jesus Christ, I will love all His people!

If I love Jesus Christ, I will love everything that He loves!

If I love Jesus Christ, I will hate what He hates which is sin!

 There is no small sin or large sin, there is only sin!

 If we love the Lord, we will hate evil!

 Psa 45:7  Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

 It is evil that separates us from our Loving God.

 It is because of evil that the wicked will be destroyed.

 It is because we do not love the Lord Jesus Christ that we are subject to the assaults of Satan!

 God watches tenderly over the souls of His saints at all times and preserves us by keeping us from destruction.

 The Lord Jesus Christ will certainly deliver us out of the hands of the wicked!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is that Light that outshines the darkness of this wicked world we live in.

 *****Psa 97:11  Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 

 Light is sown for the righteous!

 Psa 112:4  Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 

 That Light is the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Jhn_8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 Jhn_9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

 People just love darkness far too much!

 Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

 Because the Lord loves us, He will deliver us from evil!

Because the Lord loves us, He will preserve our souls on this earth till He finally takes us home where we are preserved forever and ever.

Because the Lord loves us, He will deliver us out of the hands of the wicked!

*****Psa 97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 

Psa 97:12  Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 

We know that the Light of Jesus is the Word of God!

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

It is the Word of God that lights our path to righteousness!

Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

The Lord Jesus is that true Light who leads us to that path of salvation.

Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

There is no other pathway to Heaven!

Amen

Restoring Fellowship With God

Cleansing From Sin

Book of 1 John Chapter 1

Today as we begin a short study of three of the Books written by the Apostle John, we will see another eyewitness to many of the things of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We need also to mention that the Apostle John was writing to the church. In fact the entire Bible is written to the believer because without the Holy Spirit living inside you, you will never have a proper understanding of the Scriptures!

The Apostle John wants us to know the truth, and this was his greatest reason for writing and above all, these are the words of the Holy Spirit given to John.

John had a brother named James and with Peter it these three that witnessed the transfiguration of our Lord and the voice of God!

John was the only Apostle that lived to die of old age!

John wrote 5 books of the New Testament being, the Gospel of John, 1,2,and 3 John and the Book of the Revelation.

John addresses the spiritual beliefs of the believer.

John addresses all the Body of Christ.

John addresses sin in the church and false teachers.

John addresses our sinful world!

John addresses the Second Coming of Christ Jesus.

Let's listen to the words of the Apostle John, given to him by the Holy Spirit.

*****1Jn 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, of the Word of life;

1Jn 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life,

John simply says that which is from the beginning which is the Holy Ghost inspired Old Testament Scriptures, are the actual words from a Sovereign and Holy God.

Most all the Jews knew of the Old Testament Scriptures and the Apostles and yes even the early church was familiar with those Scriptures!

The difference being that to John, the Lord Jesus Christ was the complete fulfillment of those Scriptures,

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John heard the actual words of Christ which never went against the Old Testament.

John saw the things that Jesus did with his own eyes.

John also witnessed things that he could not put into words.

John handled the nail scarred hands of Christ.

John handled the nail scarred feet of Jesus.

John may have even put his hand in the scarred side where that spear pierced the side of Jesus.

Notice John does not have a great introduction, John jumps right into the subject matter of this great book of the Bible.

God is not living off somewhere in outer space having forgotten His creation.

God is greatly concerned in the things of this earth.

God loves and cares for all His creation.

Remember God has not moved away from His creation, His creation has chosen to follow a false god!

The subject of this Book of 1 John is that the Son of God came to this earth to save all humanity!

We must clearly understand that the Messiah, the Son of God has always existed. He created all things. He walked in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve. He has always been living and He made Himself known by Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, or we simply say Jesus Christ!

Jesus is the exact express image of God the Father in all His ways!

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Jesus Christ did not have a beginning because He is the beginning. He has always been!

Moses knew this truth:

Psa 90:1 A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Psa 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Jesus Christ proved He was God in many ways, yet so many reject His truth.

John, James, Peter, Paul, Mathew, Luke, Stephan, Barnabas, and so many others in the New Testament did not have a problem believing the Jesus is the Almighty God!

We are foolish not to believe the Apostles, and the other Gospel writers, who wrote by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Jesus is the "Word" because He is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies!

Jesus is the "Word of Life", because He has the message of eternal life!

Jesus revealed Himself to a lost and dying world, so His life could be shared with all who believed Him!

Jesus revealed Himself to us when He did not have to!

Jesus has given us all an opportunity to share in His life!

Jesus came to us in the only fashion that would be accepted in His goal for us.

Jesus, who is God, came to us in the form of man, His creation!

Jesus Christ came to His creation with a great purpose!

*****1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1Jn 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Jesus Christ came to this earth to restore our fellowship with our Creator!

This is the goal of our Father in Heaven that we have an up close and personal relationship with Him.

John is saying let me tell you about my Savior.

We must understand God is concerned about His creation. God cares for each of us!

God has not left us to fend for ourselves against the wiles of the devil and the dark powers of this world!

God promises that there is much more than death and the grave in our future!

God wants to adopt us into His family and with all adoptions there must be some qualifications met!

The Lord Jesus Christ opened the door into the throne room of God, and He is waiting to welcome us with open arms!

Jesus has made us acceptable to our Heavenly Father!

We can talk to Him at any time of the day and His ears are open to hear from us.

He walks with us everywhere we go to caution us and to make us aware of our surroundings.

We can cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us.

We can ask Him for strength to conquer our trials and tribulations, and He will supply that strength.

We can live with peace in our heart because of Him.

We can depend upon Him for His righteousness because we just do not have any ourselves.

And we can know we have been delivered from sin and death, because He gives us eternal life!

We can know our Father, by His Son, through the Holy Spirit!

Jesus Christ came that our joy would also be full!

Not worldly joy but heavenly joy.

It is the joy of the Holy Spirit.

It is joy based upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is joy, that springs from faith in the work of Christ Jesus.

It is the joy in the knowledge of future rewards.

Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

We know that the world is full of darkness:

Joh_8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh_12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Jesus Christ who is the light of the world has come to take us out of this dark world!

Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

You see there is no darkness in our Savior!

*****1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

We know that all those called of God are to be His messengers so, what is the message they are to carry?

The Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God who died to pay for our sin!

We must not ignore the message of God's salvation plan!

Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

It as Jesus Christ Himself who first preached the message of salvation and it was carried on by the 12 chosen Apostles, when we include the Apostle Paul!

Jesus said if you have seen Me you have seen God!

God is Light!

Light is a sign of purity.

Light is a sign of truth.

The Light reveals the nature, the meaning, and the destiny of our world, and those who live on it!

The light of Jesus Christ allows all those in darkness to walk out of the darkness into the Light of the Lord!

In fact Jesus the Light, will one day eliminate all darkness on this earth and in heaven!

Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

We just finished with the Book of 2 Peter where we learned how to identify that false teacher and we can see this again here in 1 John.

*****1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

We are all just sinners saved by the "Grace" of God.

As long as we are in the flesh we will stumble occasionally and fall.

If we ask the Lord to forgive us, He will forgive us.

But If we refuse to repent of our sin and continue to walk in that sin, then we are liars if we say we belong to the Lord!

Waking in darkness is walking without the Light of God!

The Lord Jesus is light. His light shines in us by the Holy Spirit who lives within us. The Holy Spirit will not allow us to walk in darkness if we belong to our Heavenly Father.

Joh 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Joh 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

If we continue to walk in darkness after we have claimed Jesus, then our heart was not true. It's just that simple.

Walking in darkness is the symbol of ignorance of the truth of God, walking in error of the truth of God, and remaining in our sinful ways!

Our outward profession of faith is contrary to our inward reality!

It takes faith and that faith from a true heart!

Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

If we have truly repented of our old ways, it will show in our new walk in life!

*****1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

What is the greatest misconception among all those that claim the Lord Jesus as their Savior? They believe they can have fellowship with God and still walk in sin and remain in darkness.

Walk the streets of America and most of them will claim fellowship with God but their ways say different.

Walk the halls of congress and many of them will claim fellowship with God but their votes say different.

Better still walk inside the congregation at church and you will see many who claim to know the truth but their actions outside the church say something different.

Jesus preached His message to the Jews who already worshiped God in their own way, yet they did not have the fellowship they thought they had, because they rejected the truth of the Scriptures. They rejected the Light sent down from Heaven to remove the darkness of Judaism. Not only Judaism but all known religions who remain in darkness.

Why is Jesus rejected? Because the world believes they can remain in darkness and have fellowship with God the Father, and it is impossible to do that!

That word walk means we must put forth some effort and it must be a continuous effort.

Luk_9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

We cannot confess the Lord Jesus Christ unless we walk with Him every day of the remainder of our lives!

The world remains in the dark about God because they reject the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no fellowship with God without His Son!

There is no church fellowship without the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do I walk in the Light of Jesus Christ?

*I must walk in love!

Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

*I must walk in the Holy Spirit!

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

*I must walk by faith!

2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

*I must walk in newness of life!

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

*My walk must match my talk!

Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

*I must walk worthy of the Lord!

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

*I must certainly walk in truth!

3Jn 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Until we walk according to the truth of Jesus Christ how can we say we have a personal relationship with Him?

We are walking in our old sinful ways!

*****1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Even after we have given our hearts to the Lord, we are still only sinners saved by the "Grace" of God.

We will still make mistakes, we will still sin. So if we think we have already reached perfection in this life we are sadly mistaken, we are still sinners, but those sins should be out of ignorance and not intentional, as best we can to live according to the Word of God!

There is only one who lived His life pleasing to the Heavenly Father. We know sin is never pleasing to God the Father, so it was only His Son who has pleased Him!

Joh 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

We are not only mistaken about our salvation we are misleading ourselves about the truth of our salvation.

In other words we do Satan's job for Him. Satan is the great "deceiver" and we will have deceived ourselves if we believe we will sin no more.

The Lord has already given us the answer to this problem!

*****1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

To be a Christian is a growing process and the Lord understands this. When we sin, and we will sin, then the sooner we get on our knees and ask for forgiveness the better off we will be.

We actually need to describe our sin to our Father in Heaven, so He will know that we know what we are asking Him to forgive us of!

This is how we grow we learn from our mistakes. Now we will still pay for those mistakes, but we will not lose our salvation as some teach.

Once the Lord is firmly in our hearts our salvation is eternal, but we still need a daily cleansing that comes from forgiveness!

Our God is righteous!

Our God is also faithful to keep the promises He makes and here it says He is faithful to forgive us.

Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Once we have been "justified" we cannot ever again be unjustified!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

We must clearly understand God does not make mistakes, but we still cannot say our walk with the Lord will be perfect!

*****1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. If we say we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar!

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Ecc 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

The truth is, how could anyone say such a thing, yet there are those that do.

The word sinner is such a terrible word that most people object to being called sinners, but it is no less true!

We are all sinners and we will be as long as we are in these bodies of flesh!

There are just too many people who believe that they have been so religious all their lives, that God could not refuse to allow them in Heaven, and they are truly deceived about the truth of God.

Many are just religious perfectionists who believe they can achieve a perfect state without the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is impossible!

There are also those that believe they are just too good for God to reject them, but no one is good enough simply because we have no goodness because we have no righteousness.

Isa_64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The only thing we have to offer God is a dirty rotten sinner in need of salvation and this is what God says so it must be true.

The sooner we agree with God and accept His plan of salvation the better off we will be.

When our name is written down in the Lamb's Book of Life, it can never be erased!

We cannot help but sin, but praise the Lord we have a Savior!

The Lord is soon coming, and we will be going home so let's make Him proud of His children!

Amen

Let's Pray!