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Sunday, October 13, 2019

Victory Over This World of Sin

Victory over the World

Book of 1 John 5:1-12


We now know that there are only two groups of people in the world.

1) There are the children of God by salvation.
2) There are the children of the Devil by open rebellion to God.

We know that all mankind are created by a Holy God and mankind was created in righteousness, in the image of God.

When sin entered the world by Lucifer, the Devil, mankind became unrighteous because of sin!

In chapter 3 of the Book of Genesis we can see the entrance of sin into the world and into the realm of humanity. These are the historical facts of two righteous people who fell into sin.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Rom 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Sin reigned until the Messiah came:

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Just what is the meaning the title Christ?

Christ is the English translation of the Greek word Messiah.

Christ, the Messiah, means the union of the Divine nature of God and the righteous nature of the first Adam before sin entered into Adam.

These two natures, the Divine and Human, came together in the person Jesus the Messiah the Christ of God!

It was the Apostle John who by the Holy Spirit gave us these words:

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

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

In our lesson today we will talk about victory; "the victory of overcoming the world".

The "world" is described as that sinful nature that entered into the world by the sin of Adam which was disobedience which brings an eternal separation from God and death by eternal torment.

The "world" then represents sinful mankind, those who do not know God.

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,

It is only by faith on Jesus the Messiah, that we have the power to overcome this sinful, rebellious world of fools!

That word “fool” may seem harsh, but the Bible says those who love the Lord are "wise". The opposite of being wise is to be foolish!

We must be "Born Again" into the righteous nature of God!

*****1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

We could ask the world, "why is it so hard to believe that Jesus is the Messiah"? Every prophesy of the Messiah was fulfilled by that Jesus who was born of the virgin Mary which took place in Bethlehem just as prophesied!

Most everyone will claim that they believe there is a God, who is also our Creator.

Those who believe we are all accidents are not as many as the news would have you believe.

Those same people who believe in evolution, that things just happen over millions and billions of years by accident, now claim that mankind can do things that can change that process. It really takes foolish people to believe such things as these.

It is not so hard to believe we have a Creator and that this same Creator loves and cares for His creations.

This same Creator has provided all the information we need to know everything about Him, and that He has given us certain rules to make our lives easier and make our lives better.

The more we know about Him we will find that He is easy to love because He returns that love hundred fold. In fact we do not have a clue to just how much God does love us because His love cannot be measured.

When God says He sent us a Messiah to take away our penalty for sin, then we had better pay attention to what He says!

Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

There are just a few things that we must do to agree with Him.

1) We must believe that Jesus is that true Messiah.
2) We must know and keep His commandments. God's Word is not a book of suggestions!
3) We must overcome this world but joining the Army of God.

*****1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

Again we see that if we know the truth of God, then why would we not obey Him.

Wake up people, when you know in your heart that there is a true God and refuse to listen to what He says, then what does that say about our faith?

If you are not convinced by what you see of God's creation in the daytime, then why not stay up at night and see God's creation in the dark of night.

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:

If everyone took the time to read what God has to say, many more would agree that God is real, and the real God is the same God written about in what we call the Bible.

We will also come to realize that the Lord Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible, with God being in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

These are the three persons that are Jehovah!

These things are not that hard to understand once you know the truth.

It is the truth that makes us free from the lies of this world!

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

It is a great feeling to know the truth of God and rejecting the lies of this world!

It is easy to love all those who are your true brothers and sisters, once you know the truth.

1Co_2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Yes, we had a physical birth to enter into this world! How can we deny a Spiritual birth to enter into the realm of our Creator God?

We could say that no one knows what happens at death, but that is not true because we can have that Spiritual birth before we die and know much, much more about what happens after our death!

We will live to die and then die to live forever. This is God's promise if we will only believe Him!

This is the work of God's Messiah!

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

When we believe these things it is not so very hard to believe that God will have some rules after He has given us such a wonderful gift.

His first and greatest rule is, to love others and show that love that He has shown to us!

All other rules will come easy when we follow this one rule!

*****1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Maybe the only sure proof of our love for God is the fact that we do our very best to keep His commandments!

Without our own love for God, we will never be obedient to His words!

Our God is the Creator of Life, and anything he teaches us concerns our own longevity in real life which is the life that comes after our physical death!

You would think that once we meet the Expert of all life, that we would just trust what He has to say about our life.

Those who are without God live by the ignorance of foolish men, who are thought to know the truth which for them is impossible.

There cannot be any true believers who have hate within their hearts!

We live in a world where hatred dominates the actions of governments, and dominates those who walk up and down in our streets!

Anyone who has the nature of God will have the love of God!

There are many absolutely nice people in this world yet, if they cannot proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ and be obedient to all the Word of God, they cannot know the love of God!

It is only by Jesus Christ that we can have victory over sin!

Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

When we have victory over sin, then and then only can we have victory over death!

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

We will also have victory over God's judgment!

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

One of the greatest victories we will have is victory over fear and despair!

Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

And without a doubt, we will have a sure victory over Satan!

Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

In fact there is nothing in this world that can overcome the Saint of God!

And just so we are clear, you can only become a Saint of God by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ while you are still living!

*****1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Faith, the one word in the Bible that is the difference between being a child of God and a child of the Devil.

Biblical faith is that sincere belief of the heart and the mind in the promises of God!

All our salvation and all our eternal being, rest in the promises of God!

All the truth to the Church, rest in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ!

All our reality, rest in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jehovah, in His threefold character of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, has provided all the actions to give us a place to rest our faith!

The hearty, cordial, sincere, personal belief, in the blessed truth of God is called "faith"!

Heb_11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Rom_1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Rom_5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom_10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

What is the reality of our faith?

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Without faith we can have no relationship with Jehovah!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Without "faith" in the works of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will remain slaves to this world we live in.

*****1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Our faith must say that this Jesus, written about in all the Scriptures, is indeed, the Son of God!

It is our faith that will conquer all the lies of this world.

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Jesus is the Messiah, already came once, but will soon return to be the Jewish Messiah!

*****1Jn 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
1Jn 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

Since we are now assured of our faith.
Since we are now assured of our salvation.

Let us now be assured about the true Messiah.

Let's us now see the test of our Savior.

What is the witness of the true Son of God?

There are those who accept that Jesus was just a man full of the Word of God and full of wisdom and goodness and that maybe even the Spirit of God fell heavily upon Him, but this is far from the real truth.

Jesus Christ is all these things, but He was also supernaturally born by the power of God!

Was this Jesus the promised Messiah from the Old Testament?
Was this Jesus the true Savior of mankind?
Was this Jesus the One sent from God?
Is this Jesus without a doubt the true Son of God?

This Jesus was born of the virgin Mary empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Luk 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Luk 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Luk 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luk 1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
Luk 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luk 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Luk 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

It is this same Jesus born of the virgin Mary, who God Himself declared to be His Son!

John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah and He had to know who the Messiah was:

Joh 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Joh 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

This is He that came by water:

Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Water is the emblem of spiritual purification, the outward washing of the Lord.

The Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus was the hand of God descending upon His Son!

It is only after this incident in the life of the Messiah, that Jesus began His ministry upon this earth, according to the Laws of Moses, that He would be 30 years of age.

Num_4:47 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation,

The Messiah came not only by the water but also by the blood.

It is also the death of this Jesus that declared Him to be the Son of God!

It is by the death of our Savior that our sins have been forgiven!

It was only by the blood that the prophecies could be fulfilled!

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

It is only the Son of God, the Messiah, who had to die to pay for the sin of this world!

The sin that began with Adam and the sin that still goes on today!

1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And it is the Holy Spirit who bore witness of the death of the Messiah, the Son of God:

It is the Holy Spirit who gave us the words of prophecy:

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

It is the Holy Spirit that qualified the Son of God for His office:

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

It is the Holy Spirit who bore witness to the Messiah by signs and wonders:

Act_2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

It is the Holy Spirit who brings Holy Ghost conviction to those who hear the truth of the Messiah, the Son of God, because it is the Holy Spirit who bears witness of the truth of God!

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

The Holy Spirit testifies of eternal life:

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit:

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The Holy Spirit will never lead us astray because He will only lead us, to the Son of God!

Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

There is only One Jehovah God, but we can only be the children of God if our faith rest in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, brought to us by all the character of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!

Why can a child of God not ever fail?

Because there are three that bear record in Heaven, God the Father, God the Word(Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit, all the persons of Jehovah God!

You see our Heavenly Father is behind everything.

It is His plan of redemption and His work!

It is His Son who came to this earth to fulfill all the Word of God!

It is His Holy Spirit who is the power behind the plan of God and God's plan cannot ever fail!

There are also three witnesses upon this earth that declare the Lord Jesus Christ!

They to agree as One!

There is the witness of the Holy Spirit.
There is the witness of the water baptism when the Holy Spirit came down as a dove and God the Father said "this is my Son" in an audible voice.
There is the witness of the "blood", the cross, the death of God's only begotten Son.

If we cannot receive the witness of God then how can we say we believe, how can we say we have that perfect victory that God so graciously provides to all who have "faith" in His Son?

*****1Jn 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
1Jn 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

The truth of God is a far greater witness than anything of this world!

You see if we really believe God, then we can simply test ourselves to know that this is true!

There is only one question to answer!

Do we believe in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ has already done for our salvation?

You see our justification is based entirely upon our "faith"!

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 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

There is no business with God until we have done this one thing!

The truth is, we cannot have this faith and our faith not seen in our actions in this life! Why?

Because God's perfect witnesses will come to live inside of us!

Many spouses believe the words of each other.
Many children believe the words of their parents.
Many workers believe their employers.
Many juries believe the accounts of the witnesses.

Look at today as so many fall into the trap of believing false news.

So just how much greater is the truth of God that is so easily rejected by so many who will believe anything but God!

What does the belief in God bring?

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

How can there be anything of this world greater than this truth that so many say is foolishness?

How could we ever say to God that He is a liar, just like all those of this world?

It is the witness of logic that should overwhelm all those who would just take the time to listen to what God says and take the time to read the truth of this world and the truth of our Creator!

Remember it is our Creator who is the giver of all life!

It is the Word of God that has given us this account of the truth of God!

*****1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

You see God has given to us His record of life. There is no record more important that the record of life from our Creator!

Life is the energy behind our being!

Jesus Christ said:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The Bible says that all those that believe upon His Son would have eternal life (John 3:16)

Jesus said: All those who hear the Word of God and believe will have everlasting life. (John 5:24-29)

Jesus said: "I give unto them eternal life" (John 10:28)

Real life is eternal!
Real life is forever!
Real life is satisfaction!

Jesus said all those who come to Him would be satisfied! (John 6:35)

Life can only be found in Jehovah, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!

Jesus Christ shows us all what life is all about!

All of us here today with our faith in the truth of God and His Son, have the life that comes from the Son of God!

All those who deny Him do not have God anywhere near them, and all they have to look forward to is death, because they live in death and not in life!

Amen

Let's Pray!

Sunday, October 6, 2019

True Love is a Love That Can Be Seen

Love in Word and Deed

Book of 1 John Chapter 4 verse 7-21


Our lesson says the most effective way to deal with evil is to know the truth and then live as close to the truth as we possibly can.

The only way to deal with in world in a positive way, is through the Lord Jesus Christ.

To love in word is, not to just declare our love, but to let our actions prove our love!
To love in deed is that our love is a fact that cannot be denied!

This is God's philosophy of the "Born Again" child of God!

*****1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

We already know the number one commandment in all the Bible so, what is the number two commandment in all the Bible?

"Let us love one another for love is of God"!

The greatest of all test of the Christian is, "Do we love like God loves"? Do we really love our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we really love our neighbors? Do we love our fellow man, no matter who they are?

Loving one another is proof that we love the Lord Jesus Christ!

The nature of God "is love"!

What is atonement? Being "at one" in the Love we have for God and His creation!

All things were made because God made the things that He loved!

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

We might say that perfection cannot be created because perfection comes from being a part of God!

We can only be perfect when we do the things that God does and therefore conformed to His image.

This is the way Adam and Eve were created in the likeness of God.

Gen 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Gen 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

They remained in the likeness of God until sin entered into their lives and the Lord Jesus Christ had to come to remove the darkness of sin, so we can be restored to the likeness of God and then striving for perfection and the image of God!

This is what being born of God is all about! Reaching for true perfection and that perfection rest upon the perfect love of God!

When people look upon the Christian, they look to see if we have the nature of God. If they do not see what they believe to be the qualities of God, they see hypocrites, and everyone hates the hypocrite!

When they do see what they believe to be the qualities of God, then they think of Jesus Christ and again they hate us because they see what they are not, someone striving to be like Jesus, and it reminds them of their sin.

If they cannot see the love of God, and the joy of salvation, and the peace that comes from knowing our home is in Heaven, they will never know Holy Ghost conviction!

1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

If we are not seen as someone working fervently to show the love of God, then how can we say we love God!

It is only because of the "Love of God" that we can know the "Mercy" of God from which comes the "Grace of God"!

*****1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The word "manifested" means, "to be made clear", "to be made apparent", "to be made obvious", "to be made evident".

God has proven His love toward us by sending His Son to His death just so we may live.

To live is to live forever in the presence of God.
To die is to live forever in the pits of the Burning Lake of fire along with the devil.

The life we live now, is only the time we are given to make that choice to decide which way we will go.

We might say, "well if God has all this great love then why can I not live as I please and still live forever in the presence of God in Heaven"?

The answer to this question lies in the promises of God.

God made certain promises to those who choose His only begotten Son, and the statement that we might live through Him.

If God is not a God of His Word then, "there is no God at all"!

Those who go to the Burning Lake of Fire go there not because God has forgotten His love but only because they did not choose the only path to Heaven, which is by Jesus Christ.

If you do not understand this, think take it up with God and see if you can talk Him into going against His Word which He will not do, because God is the same today as He was, back in the day of Adam!

Our world is full of evil and because of Jesus the world hates God, they curse God, they ignore God, reject God, they rebel against God, they deny God, and they oppose God, with none of these things making God love them less, but they must choose the right path and that path is by Jesus Christ!

The entire world has been full of sin! It was sin, that Satan used to seduced Eve into sin and Adam into disobedience.

Jesus the Messiah was sent to be the propitiation for that sin and Jesus paid the price so we do not have to pay that price and if we choose Jesus then this payment is accounted as our payment and we will receive a full pardon for our own life of sin.

It's really pretty simple! You may not get a pardon from your Governor, you may not receive a pardon from your President, but by Jesus Christ you can receive a pardon from your Creator and your God!

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

These things are a sign of God's love!

This is the same sign that all others should be able to see in us and in our lives!

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

We will not be able to see God with our eyes until we get to Heaven, but we can see God in our heart if we show that same love, He has for us to all others!

*****1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

How do we begin to show the signs of perfection while on this earth? We show the love of God in our heart!

We read all these things about the love of God and we know they are true. Many of us have actually seen the love of God work in our lives.

We have seen how love can change our world, because we have seen what hatred does and hatred is in full view in our nation today and so many of those who talk about hatred are the same ones who instill hatred and cause hatred.

They operate fly by night, because they have no real answers, but the one thing they have in common, is that they oppose the truth of God!

No man has ever seen God! God is not known by sight! No human will ever come face to face with God!

God is Spirit and the only way to know God is by having the Holy Spirit come to live within your heart and regenerate a new soul!

Even the Holy Spirit teaches us said the same thing while Jesus was upon this earth:

Listen to John the Baptist:

Joh 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Joh 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

if you see God as some man then you will never feel near to Him, but God is Spirit and He can come right into your heart and live!

God came to this earth and was born of the Virgin Mary, as a babe, 100% God and yet 100% human, these things by the Holy Spirit, just so we can know our God and by the Scriptures God teaches us everything that we need to know to go home one day to the glory world!

God can only be known by love. God cannot be known by hatred because, hatred comes by humans and love comes by God!

Jesus the Messiah is the image of perfect love, yet those who would reject Him will slander His name because of hatred!

BUT, when we honor God's first begotten Son by believing on Him, then the ever-loving God will come and dwell in us to begin our "sanctification process" that will end one day in perfection, at bodily death or when the Lord returns in the clouds.

Even at this time we will never in our human flesh be able to stand before Christ Jesus because the flesh can never be made perfect!

If you love Jesus Christ, God will cause His "Divine Nature" to be a part of our lives while we live upon this earth.

This must be our testimony that we are "Born of God"!

The love of God cannot be perfected in us until the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) abides within us!

*****1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

Notice the Holy Spirit is a gift and He is a willing gift. This is something the Holy Spirit wants to do. God loves His little children!

You see when the Holy Spirit lives within our heart and our heart influences our mind to be like Christ, to draw closer to Christ, then our own spirit will resemble Christ Jesus.

Rom_8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Php_1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Heb_9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

We know God by His love. There is no other way to know God because God is perfect love!

Our own testimony will show that God sent His love into this world by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to remove all hatred!

As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will remove our own hatred if we listen to Him, and this will leave only the love of Christ within us!

We already know when Lucifer was tossed out of Heaven, and He now walks to and fro throughout this earth, all he does is instill hatred and from this hatred come death, and immorality, and corruption, and all evil things.

The Holy Spirit will instill in us the image of Christ Jesus, to put a wall of love up that hatred is drawn to and hatred will never overcome love!

If we cannot know the love of God within us, then we need to reevaluate our salvation!

Jesus Christ came to be our Savior from hatred and instill in us the love of God!

The world was desperate until the Lord came and now those of the world have a choice to choose love or remain in hatred in this world that still shows the signs of desperation.

Satan is desperate because he is in his own last days and he will do anything to cause harm to God's testimony of love that comes by Jesus Christ!

Mankind through hatred will destroy itself and our Savior is more important than He has ever been, but time is running out for this world.

The signs of this world dying is showing every day. Some call it climate change, some are desperate to try to find some other world that does not exist, to try to escape what they know is in the future, but the fact remains, God already has a home prepared for His own children and He welcomes all who want to come, if they come according to the Word of God which will not accommodate hatred in any form or fashion but only by the love of Jesus Christ.

Thoughts and words by great men, great philosophers, great scientist, the great promises of politicians, are meaningless because this world needed a Savior!

Evil is destructive, but God's love is the builder of perfect things!

Christianity is God's power of love upon this earth and hatred's worse enemy! This is why Christians are so hated!

What did Jesus say?

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

This world tries it's best to hinder the Holy Spirit, but the world cannot stand against God's Holy Spirit!

Just ask all those from the past who have already tried!

God's answer is always the same! God says, "come to Me by My Son, or don't come at all"!

*****1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

Those in the world have no problem with talking about gods. Everyone has their own personal gods.

BUT there is only One true God! There is only One God who is also our Creator who loved this world enough to save those who He created.

God made a promise:

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

God fulfilled this promise just as He has and will fulfill every promise He has ever made!

We just need to wrap our hearts and our minds around the truth.

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
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.

We live in a world where promises are made every day and promises do not mean much anymore as they are so easily broken.

BUT our heavenly Father will not ever break a promise and He will never go against His Words.

It was and is the Jesus of the Bible. The same Jesus that the Apostles witnessed His death, His burial, and His resurrection that is the God of the Bible.

The same God who left the throne room of Heaven and came to this earth and put upon Himself the same sack of flesh that we wear and born as a babe grew up to be a man, who was the chosen Lamb of God to take away the sin of our world.

These are the most true words that some will ever hear, but if they refuse to confess that this Jesus is in fact the Son of God, then they will never know the true God and they will never meet the Savior that this world had to have!

It just takes a little faith and then allow God to show you things that will increase that faith just because of His great and marvelous love!

*****1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

We live in a world where men say they love other men in a lustful fashion:

Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Where women do the same:

Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Where they worship each other as gods:

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.

Why?

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,

Now if God would see that these things were written down for us some 1800 years ago, and we witness them with our own eyes, and these who do such things have come out of the closet and broadcast their unrighteousness and immorality around the world, then how can we not believe what God has said.

Thinking they are wise they have become fools!

Why have these things become public?

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

This is not love, this is the workings of lust!

God is love! All men living in sin will draw back from the love of God, and that sin will not allow the love of God to come upon them!

We live in a world that makes up their own meaning of love, and God does not fit into their picture of love!

God makes it very simple. If we do not have God's picture of love, then we do not know love for love is God!

If God had a middle name that name would be "Love"!

Loving one another in God's love, is the only way we can tell we are Christians opposed to the world's description of love, which has become a foolish love, which is not love at all, but is built upon hatred to those who disagree with them.

If we have the love of God and love one another as God loves us, then we can say we are Christians.

1) God is love: God sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.
2) All believers must love: We must live in the love for one another with the image of God's love.
3) Loving one another with the love of God is our means of knowing our salvation is pure and is real.

So how is this love mad perfect?

*****1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

It must be our goal to live as our Savior lived, and Jesus lived a perfect sin-free life. Even Jesus could not have done so if not for the love of God.

Love is a caring attitude for all people, especially those in our Christian family.

When we have this love, we do not have to fear the day of judgment!

When we have the love of God, because of the love of His Son, we have been delivered from God's judgment!

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.

Judgment has been removed by faith, but we cannot see that in perfection until we understand the love of God and show that love ourselves.

I am sure that even at the "Judgment Seat of Christ" which is not about our salvation, we will not be so bold to stand before God as we will be judged for the things since our salvation for rewards or the loss of rewards, but the subject of our salvation will never come up.

We are justified! We are pardoned to never face that sin ever again!

Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

We have been restored to the family of God, because God is love and we have acknowledged that love!

When we have grown in Christ, it is because we have grown in the love of Christ.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

When our faith works according to the love of God which becomes our message of love, it is then that we can know, that we know, that we know, we are God's own children just as His own Son!

There is no fear in judgment for those who have the love of God and show this love to all those we meet!

*****1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

There is only one thing that we must fear, and He is also the one true Judge!

Pro_19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

This fear is a reverent fear of the Lord our God, but we must never forget His Awesome power.

There is no fear in the love of God, so there is no fear in love!

When we love someone with the love of God, we have no reason to fear them!

Even when those who come against us do so out of foolishness, we have no need to fear them because the peace and assurance that comes from the love of God erases all fear.

Perfect love cast our all fear. We cannot love one and hate the other, because this fear has torment, it will wear on your heart and the Holy Spirit will wear on your soul.

To fear is to have torment because this fear expects punishment and forever wonders when it will come!

To fear means we are not perfect in our love!

Even the fear of my death is gone, for those who would take my life can only send me home to the place where I belong!

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

All these come not because we knew love for no one understood love until we have known the love of God!

*****1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

The truth is we would have never known love, if not for our Creator!

Loving one another proves that love originated from the Lord and it was this same love that sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for our sin!

We may say we love God.
We may think we love God.
We may say it and think it and yet not show the love of God to all others.

Our love is shown in our actions. If our actions say otherwise, we are just hypocrites!

If God is truly our Father in Heaven, and He is, how can we say we love our Father and then show hatred toward any of His children?

If God had not shown His love for us, we would never have known love.

With love comes responsibilities!

If we are truly the Temple of God the Holy Spirit, and show no love to all others then we are not filled with God's Holy Spirit. It's just that simple!

If we cling to that personal sin that we refuse to give up, we are in open rebellion to God, and we cannot know the love of God!

The proof that God exist is that we keep His commandments and love as God does!

We think of murderers as the lowlifes of this earth, but when we reject the love of God and the "Grace" of God's Son, we have become murderers!

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Our love must be real. Our love cannot just be in feelings!

Our feelings alone are never a faithful guide to our Spiritual life!

It is easy to feel that some things considered to be wrong, may in fact be right.

It is easy to feel that some things considered to be right, may in fact be wrong.

God takes the guess work out of our feelings, and just says "obey my commandments" and put your feelings back in your pocket and forget about your feelings!

The truth is not determined by how we feel, the truth comes by what God has said is true!

One of the greatest commandments says: "he that loveth God love his brother also".

Amen

Let's Pray!