Bible Study (1 John 2:18-19 ESV)

         






   (1 John 2:18-19 ESV) 

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Verse 18 first mention of the anti-Christ would be the one predicted in the scriptures who we see arise in the book of Revelation along with the false prophet and wreak havoc on earth

READ HERE FOR MORE  INFO -------->(http://www.raptureready.com/abc/antichrist.html)

We could of course spend days on eschatology and the differing views, however I will allow you to go to the article I posted and you can spend time studying the different views out. I do want to tackle the second half of this verse.


Remember that  John is writing to refute the Gnostics who believe matter is evil and only the spiritual is good. So they are denying that Jesus came in the flesh and also the Resurrection which was physical.  The last hour is referring to the time before Christ's first coming and the time between then and His second coming. It can be rightly said that we are living in the last days and have been since Jesus ascended.


As of late I have run into numerous Christians who think we should never call another supposed Christian out publicly. For example on this blog you will notice there are times when I will call a person out. For example I have used Joel Osteen more than once for claiming Mormons are  Christians. I call him out and bring attention to this because Joel has a massive following and will mislead millions into thinking Mormons are Christians when they are not.


Is it unloving to warn people against wolves in sheep's clothing?

It is our job as Christians to warn other believers and warn Mormons themselves that they are in a false system. To not warn them is to not really love these people but to stand back and watch them be led to Hell.


John is warning that there are those who are anti-Christ. We read in John 14:6 that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. Those who do not submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and do not repent of their sins and put their trust in Christ alone are ant-Christ.  Whether it is a Muslim, Mormon, JW, or Hindu and any other belief system that does not adhere to the teaching of sacred scripture.




Verse 19 says "Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us."




One question that is often asked is about eternal security. I was brought up in a Assemblies of God church which taught and still does that one can lose their salvation.  I had a good friend who struggled badly with this doctrine. The common question was how can one be a Christian, pray a prayer and go live any way they want to.  They can be alcoholics, drug addicts,  watch porn all day and still be a Christian?


The question of course is framed in such a way it is like asking if God is all powerful can He make a married bachelor?  The answer of course is not because married bachelors do not exist. They are logical impossibilities. In a sense the same thing is going on when people ask this question.


If you are a true Christian you may sin but you certainly wont make a practice of sinning. We have dealt with this in previous Bible studies in this book that we may sin but as  chapter one tells us if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us.


This gets to the heart of Justification and the doctrine of election. All denominations have to deal with the doctrine of election because the Bible teaches it. The Assemblies of God is a Arminian denomination and thus they see election as God choosing people based on His knowledge that they would choose Him and also believed that one could lose their salvation.


Times have changed and I am now a full fledged five point Calvinist and believe the Bible is clear that God elects us before the foundation of the world and it is NOT based on His foreseen knowledge but rather His good pleasure and Sovereign purposes





           (Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV) 
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."

With the reformed view of election one could not lose their salvation because the fact you are saved is not your doing. God drew you (John 6:44,65) He saved you (Ephesians 2:8-9) and God will keep you (John 6:37-40).

Lets look at a few verses that talk about our eternal security in Christ.

Eternal Life is eternal. John 10:28

Everlasing Life is everlasting. John 5:24

It is never the will of God for a saved person to be lost. John 6:39

You have reservations in heaven. I Peter 1:4, Matthew 19:29

This salvation that you have inherited is incorruptible. I Peter 1:4

This salvation that you have cannot be defiled. I Peter 1:4

At salvation you were sealed by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13

This seal is set in place for a specific period of time. Ephesians 4:30

The Holy Spirit is promised to abide with you forever. John 14:16,17

You are preserved forever. Psalm 37:28, Jude 1

You have been born of God and cannot be unborn. John 1:12-13

You have been created by God and cannot be uncreated. II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10

You are twice as safe as the government of the universe. Isaiah 9:6, Luke 15:5

You are preserved unto the heavenly kingdom. II Timothy 4:18

You are kept by the power of God. I Peter 1:5

You are secure because the Lord Jesus has prayed that you would be. John 17:11

Salvation is by grace and works cannot affect it. Romans 11:16, Romans 3:28

You have ceased from your own works. Hebrews 4:10

Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ. Romans 8:35-39

Salvation is of the Lord. Jonah 2:9, Ecclesiastes 3:14

(http://www.pioneerbaptistchurch.com/eternalsecurity.html) 

We should meditate on these precious truths on our glorious God and the fact that your salvation is not dependent on how"good" you are but rather the eternal, immutable promise of God! 

Bible Study (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

              (1 John 2:15-17 ESV) 
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

These are verses that should be memorized and repeated DAILY!   Man is depraved and wicked and do not have a problem at all making idols for ourselves:

"Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols."
John Calvin

Verse 15 says "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

The world hates truth, hates righteousness and hates God. When Adam sinned he ushered death and the fall into the world (Romans 5:12). We have talked before about the doctrine of total depravity and that all men by nature are children of wrath (Ephesians 2) and are hostile towards God (Romans 7).

Because of this the natural man does not receive the spiritual truths that Christians hold precious 

(1 Corinthians 2:14).  Because God has regenerated us we now have a love for the things of God.

(http://www.gotquestions.org/regeneration-Bible.html)

Sadly there are many wolves in sheep's clothing that actually encourage their members to desire the things of the world.  They believe Jesus died to make you financially wealthy and healthy. 
This is commonly known as "Word of Faith" theology and it is blasphemous and an enemy of the Gospel.
(Please follow this link for more info on this theology (http://www.equip.org/category/word-faith-movement/)

Verse 16 "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world"

Regenerate man has God the Holy Spirit in Him guiding him and directing him and the unregenerate man can not help but walk out the desires of the flesh

(Galatians 5:17-21 ESV)
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

We see the eyes and desires of the flesh love those things God hates. This is why one can not love the things of the world, because they are completly opposed to the things of God

James 4:4 says to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God.  Being a Christian means you are giving up all material gains and wants to follow the Master. It means that the most precious possession you have is Jesus Christ, NOT worldly possessions.

                (Matthew 10:34-39 ESV) 
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Verse 17 "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."




The world, the universe, everything is decaying. Everything you own now will one day be in the dump and junk. How foolish to love and make idols out of possessions and created things rather than the Creator who made you.


Possessions can not save you. One day we will all stand before Christ, and when asked why they should be allowed in Heaven their pocket book and possessions can not save them.  The call to follow Jesus is to lose your life for His sake and not be a slave to selfish sinful desires.  


This can be overcome through the power of God the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and when He does we see the fruits of the Spirit rather than those of the flesh.

        (Galatians 5:22-25 ESV) 
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."

To overcome the love of worldly things we must live a life that is dominated by the Holy Spirit. We must be saturated in His word and obedient to His word.  I know this is a struggle and I struggle everyday to not feed my sinful desires and I do fail. But when we do, we repent and yield to the Spirit of God.

Think on these truths friends. We all struggle with these issues friends and it is part of the sanctification process. God has not left us helpless but has left us the Holy Spirit whom in-dwells us.

Bible Study 1 John 2:12-14

(1 John 2:12-14 ESV) 

I am writing to you, little children,

because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.

I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one."

As we look at these scriptures we see some AMAZING truths that should blow our minds and stand in Awe of our Triune King!

Verse 12 "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake."

When we stand before our Lord on judgement day (And everybody will) we will be judged on whether we have repented of our sin and trusted in Christ alone. When we trust in Christ alone then when God looks at us He will see the work of Christ on the cross applied to our account.

This of course cost Jesus his life. Lets look at Philippians:


        (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

 "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

This should remind us that salvation is not about us! When giving the gospel we should not be telling people to come to Christ because it will give them a better life, or make them happy, etc. 
We come to Christ to flee God's wrath. The reason God saved an elect people was to give his Son a love gift (The Church is the bride of Christ) that will glorify and worship Him for eternity.

Lets look at verses 12-14


We are told that we have overcome the Evil one.  We are told that we have overcome the evil one because the word of God abides in us. What an awesome and amazing truth this is!  It is because of the shed blood of Christ on the cross which has broken the chains of sin and death. We talked earlier how Christ is our intercessor  and 1 Corinthians 6 talks about how we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.


In 1 john 4:4 we are told "Greater is He that is in you then he that is in the world"


We have God's Holy Spirit abiding in us and we should be saturated in the word of God which is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6).

Meditate on these precious truths friends and how awesome it is that we are saved for HIS name sake!

Bible Study 1 John 2:7-11

         

                                         (1 John 2:7-11 ESV)
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.


We now will look at verses 7-11

Verse 7-8  " Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining."

As I have read a few commentaries on this verse the passage is talking about love. No doubt the readers would remember Jesus words in Johns earlier writing:

                 (John 13:34)
‘A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another’ 

Now we are told in Leviticus 19:18 to "love our neighbor as ourselves".  So in what way is this a new commandment. In the sense that Jesus took this commandment to a whole other level.

Jesus had given us an example as to how we were to love our fellow man (John 15:13).

We have a perfect example in Christ demonstrated his love for us:

      (Romans 5:6)

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."

    (Romans 5:8 )

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

  (Romans 8:32 )

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? "

Verse 9-10 "Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling."

The word hate in the Greek carries the idea of  "practicing" or living a life characterized by hate. This of course is completely contrary to how a Christian should live and think. As a Christian we of ALL people should know God's grace and want to extend it to all. How can we who know the truth and know all of the sin we have done in our personal lives, refuse to forgive or choose to not love others? We have been forgiven so much and it was a free gift. We were not given what we are owed or we would all be damned in Hell. Christians should be dominated with the mind of Christ, and die to our selfish sinful evil desires.

Verse 11 "But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes."

One can not be a follower of Jesus Christ and hate his brother. If one is a Christian and hates his brother then he is failing to see the depth of his own depravity and he does not understand the depths of grace that God has bestowed to his own sinful life.  To be a Christian is to have a sense of our depravity and our need for a savior.

Think about God's love as you go through your day and the incredible mercy he has bestowed upon us. If you are a Christian and you have hate in your heart towards someone, then friends REPENT of your sin and ask God to help you love the person you are angry with. Meditate what He did for you on the cross and the sacrifice and lengths he went to so you could be justified.

Bible Study (1 John 2:3-6 ESV)

                  (1 John 2:3-6 ESV) 
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

Many Christians often wonder if they can know for certain if they are really saved. As said in a previous post 1 John gives a few tests one can look at to see if they are true Christians or not.

This verse is clear that one of the ways we can know we are a child of the King is whether we are obedient to our Master.

I have had countless Christians ask me if I believe that once a person is saved does that mean they can go and live any way you want and rebel against Christ.  I think the question has a "false assumption" packed into it. I think the scriptures teach that if one is truly been born again from above are going to be faithful to the Master.

That being said I am not saying Christians can not fall into sin because we see examples of this not only of Godly men in the scriptures, but also our own lives.

Lets look at these verses and break them down.

Verse 3 "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments."

How can we know that we are saved? One of the ways is to look at our lives and see if we are obedient to the word of God.  Do we live for ourselves or are we slaves of Jesus Christ?

                                            Great book on what it means to be a Christian!

                       (http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Hidden-Truth-Identity-Christ/dp/1400202078)

       (1 Corinthians 7:22)
For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.

      (Romans 6:22)

" But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

    (Ephesians 6:6 )

"Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart."

As a Christian you are free from being a slave to sin and unrighteousness and are now a slave to Jesus Christ. Our salvation is free in that there is nothing we can do to merit or earn our salvation, however when Christ regenerates us he has given us a new heart and a love for the Triune God and his word.

Verse 4 "Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him"

So does saying a simple prayer and "Asking Jesus in your heart" make a person a Christian? Sadly this is what is common in American Evangelicalism that one just needs to say a simple prayer and now they go live there merry way and do not give another thought about Christ because after all, they are covered now

We all break the commandments and sin everyday. We covered this in earlier chapters.

(1John 3:7-10)
"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."

Here we see that why we as believers will not be perfect and we still sin, we are not to make a PRACTICE of sin.

The verses are very clear that to walk blatantly in sin and to make a PRACTICE of sin, demonstrates that you are not a follower of Christ.


Verse 5-6 " but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." 

We can have assurance of our salvation by looking at our walk with Christ. If you have a life of constant disobedience to the Master and refuse to submit to His Lordship then I would not say you can have assurance and would urge you to continue to repent of your sin and live a life pleasing to Christ.  I know these verses are not easy but they are there and we must heed them.

The good thing is that if you are God's elect you have the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you to help fight sin and die to yourself.

         (Romans 8:15) 

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

        (John 14:16) 

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-"


       (1 John 4:4)
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

So to sum it up, we can have assurance of our salvation and our obedience to Christ points to a life regenerated by God.  While works can not save us they are a testimony to a change transformed life marked with Holiness and obedience to the Master.

Here is a great sermon by John Macarthur on what it means to be a slave of Jesus Christ.


I pray that this Bible study is a blessing to you. I am trying to be faithful to the text and deal with the theological issues that come up and at the same time do not want to go to deep or to long because I want this to be a daily devotion for you where you are getting into God's word and thinking about some of these theological issues you may not have thought much about before.

I pray you are blessed and are growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Bible Study 1 John 2:2

                  (1 John 2:2 ESV)
"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We will pick back up in God's word. Today we will be looking at this verse and will no doubt make you think about this particular verse more than maybe you had before.

I do not hide the fact that I hold to the 5 points of Calvinism (http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Doctrines-of-Grace/The-Five-Points-of-Calvinism/ )

That being said this verse comes up a lot in the discussion. For those who are not familiar with the debate please look at the link I posted above so you can see what the Calvinist believes. The third point of Calvinism sometimes called "Limited Atonement" is among the most controversial of all the points. Before we move on I would like to make it clear that I do NOT divide with those who disagree with Calvinism. I may not agree with my Arminian brothers I do respect them greatly and realize there are many who come to my blog who reject Calvinism.  

However when going through books of the Bible we interpret scripture through our theological system. If you are an Arminian you are going to view scriptures in a certain theological system. Same goes for Calvinists. That being said I must be faithful to the text and will be giving what I feel is the most Biblically accurate view of this scripture.

Those wanting to learn more about Calvinism please watch this series as one of the best defenders of Reformed theology explains each of the points in detail (http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/chosen_by_god/)

Also

(http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what_is_reformed_theology/introduction-4/)

As a Calvinist I do not believe the Bible teaches that Jesus died for every single person rather I believe that Jesus died only for His elect. I think the scriptures clearly teach this.

Here is apiece from a great article written on some of the scriptures that teach Jesus died for the elect:

("He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people" - Isaiah 53:8; "He shall save His people from their sins" - Matt. 1:21);

for His sheep ("I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." - John 10:11 - note that Jesus categorically states that some are not His sheep - "but you do not believe because you are not My sheep." - John 10:26)

for His friends ("Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you." - John 15:13-14;

for the Church ("... the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood."- Acts 20:28; "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her..." - Eph. 5:25, 26).

Indeed, as God allows us to gain a glimpse into the future, Revelation 5:9 reveals the song of the throngs of heaven as they sing to the Lamb upon His throne, "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Notice that it does not say that He ransomed everybody in every tribe, etc., but that He ransomed people for God from every tribe, tongue, people and nation." (http://www.reformationtheology.com/2005/10/understanding_1_john_22_by_pas.php)

I would really suggest those wanting to dig deeper to look into this paper and will see this doctrine explained and in the comments section will see the many objections to it answered.

The purpose of this Bible study is  more for a daily devotion so I will put this issue on the table and point you to resources that will help you become better equipped.

Here is a lecture by Dr. Sproul on limited atonement.

(http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what_is_reformed_theology/limited-atonement/)

I pray that some of these resources will help explain the reformed view on limited atonement. 
I had grown up in a system believing that Jesus died for every person. However I think in light of scripture I have no problem believing the Bible clearly teaches limited atonement.

Here is a great 7 minute video that will summarize what the Calvinist view of limited Atonement is. 


Controversy aside, we see the sinless Son Of God making satisfaction for us on the Cross. Every other system believes they must do something to please the deity so they offer works to please their god. However the God of the Bible tells us our works will do nothing to save us because from Adam we have been separated from God (Romans 5:12).  We read:

                  Romans 4:25 

"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

               Romans 5:10 

"For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"

              Romans 8:32 

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

            Romans 8:34 

"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

          Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Because God has justified us when we trust on the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross the debt has been paid and we have been forgiven!


Think on these wonderful truths today and take time  to thank Him For His grace and goodness to us who did not deserve it.  Take time to share the gospel with a co-worker or friend today and tell then the amazing things God has done.

Sola Deo Gloria!

Bible Study 1 John 2:1

        (1 John 2:1 ESV)
" My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

We will continue our study in 1 John 2 looking at the first verse.

Verse 1 says   "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

We talked about this in chapter one but we will point out a few things regarding this verse.

1-The admonition we see from the Holy Scriptures is that we are to be Holy as God is Holy (Mathew 5:48). This gets to the issue of what is called  "Total Depravity" which essentially states that every part of man is depraved (Mind/Will/Emotions).  Because of the fall man is dead in sin (Romans 5:12)  and can not obey God's commands perfectly and that is why we need a Savior.  Let's look at some of the verses that support the view of Total Depravity.

(Click here to read more about this doctrine http://www.gotquestions.org/total-depravity.html)

Psalm 143:2 - Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

Romans 11:32 - For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (c.f. Galatians 3:22)

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

2 Chronicles 6:36 - "there is no one who does not sin"

Isaiah 53:6 - All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way

Micah 7:2-4 - The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge.

Romans 3:9-12 - What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (c.f. Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3)

1 John 1:8,10 - If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us.

Mark 10:18/Luke 18:19 - And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."

(http://www.traviscarden.com/total-depravity-verse-list)

When God the Holy Spirit regenerates us and then indwells us we are no longer slaves of sin

                     (Romans 6:5-11 ESV)

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

However because we have inherited a sin nature from Adam, we still continue to sin. While it is true we do not make a "practice" of sinning (1 John 3:9) we still sin because we have not gone through the final stage in our salvation which is glorification (Please Click This link to learn what Glorification is http://www.gotquestions.org/glorification.html).

John is telling us that we are given the Holy Scriptures and in them the tools to fight temptation and to flee sin  (Please listen to this great series by John Macarthur on the Full Armor of God). (http://www.gty.org/resources/sermon-series/307/the-armor-of-god )

However when we do sin (And we will) we can come with confidence to Jesus because He is our advocate. This gets into Christ's role as our intercessor. Let's look at a few verses that expound on this:

       (Hebrews 1:3-4 ESV)

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."

When we read about the role of the priest in the OT we notice that they never sat down. In fact they did not have a chair in the temple because the work was never done. However when Christ finished His work on the cross he was able to sit down signifying the work was done. He now is interceding for God's elect:

               (Hebrews 7:23-25 ESV)

"The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."

Jesus as our intercessor is the one who reconciles sinful man and Holy God. 

                (Romans 5:10-11 ESV)
"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Before God regenerates us we are dead in sin and rebels against God. We are enslaved to sin and a child of wrath (Ephesians 2). After salvation though our position has changed in that Christ has imputed his Righteousness to us (Click Here to learn more about imputed righteousness http://www.gotquestions.org/imputed-righteousness.html). 


However our condition is still fallen and sinful and this is why John tells us that if we do sin we can come to Christ and He will make intercession for us.

(Click Here to read more on Christ's role http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-interceding.html)

Meditate on this truth today friends! As said before, if you have sins that you need to confess before God,then do NOT hesitate.  

      (1 John 1:8-10 ESV) 
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Today we will finish chapter 1 of this tremendously theologically rich book!

Verse 8- As we went over in my last post, the reason man can be reconciled to God is because of the atoning work Jesus did on the cross.

Some have wrongly assumed that when one becomes a Christian they can get to a point where they do not sin any longer. The book of 1 John is written to believers, not non-believers. 

That being said the apostle John is telling us that as believers we are not going to be perfected in this life to where we do not sin.
"If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves"

To deny that we are sinful is to be deceived. We need to distinguish between Justification which is the one time act of God declaring the sinner righteouss based on the work of Christ on the cross. When this happens we are brought from death to life (Romans 6:11).

This passage is dealing with sanctification. Here is a quote from an article on the gotquestions webpage and I would ask the readers look at this paper and study it so they are equipped to answer this question which comes up a lot:

"Sanctification is a three-stage process – past, present, and future. The first stage occurs at the beginning of our Christian lives. It is an initial moral change, a break from the power and love of sin. It is the point at which believers can count themselves “dead to sin but alive to God” (Romans 6:11). Once sanctification has begun, we are no longer under sin’s dominion (Romans 6:14). There is a reorientation of desires, and we develop a love of righteousness. Paul calls it “slavery to righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18).

The second stage of sanctification requires a lifetime to complete. As we grow in grace, we are gradually – but steadily – changing to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). This occurs in a process of daily spiritual renewal (Colossians 3:10). The apostle Paul himself was being sanctified even as he ministered to others. Paul claimed that he had not reached perfection, but that he “pressed on” to attain everything Christ desired for him (Philippians 3:12).

The third and final stage of sanctification occurs in the future. When believers die, their spirits go to be with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Since nothing unclean can enter heaven (Revelation 21:27), we must be made perfect at that point. The sanctification of the whole person—body, soul, and spirit—will finally be complete when the Lord Jesus returns and we receive glorified bodies (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:35-49)."

(http://www.gotquestions.org/progressive-sanctification.html)

Verse 9- "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

By being on our knees broken before the Lord we are confessing our need and dependence upon him. Sanctification is an ongoing process and will be until the day we die.  When we do not confess our sins we can drift from our Lord and end up very miserable and under the discipline of God.  We are told:

    (Hebrews 12:6) 

"For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for our own good that God drives us to our knees and recognizing our need in him so we do not get confident in our own abilities.

As the "Prince of Preachers" Charles Spurgeon said:

"The “superior” person will always be lost, take my word for it. The more superior he
is, the more sure he is to be lost; I mean not that he is superior, but that he thinks
himself so, superior to all teaching. He is not prepared to be a learner, he is ready to
set up as a teacher, and a master of anything you like. He is not the kind of man to
enter the gates of heaven; he carries his head too high for that. He is a man of broad
thought; and, of course, he goes the broad way. Narrow-minded people go in the
narrow way; but then it leadeth to life eternal, and therefore I commend it to you."  

Verse 10- "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

We know that God is a God who can NOT lie

         (1 Samuel 15:29) 

"He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."

    (Numbers 23:19)

"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

   (Titus 1:2)

"A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time"

Take these truths friends and meditate on them. If you have sin that is separating you and your Savior then fall on your knees right away and ask for forgiveness.  Our Lord promises that He will forgive you and the discipline which we all endure is for our own good.

Bible Study 1 John 1:6-7

                    (1 John 1:6-7)
"If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

While it is true that in this life we will never get to a point of perfection and be sinless, we are to repent from sinful behavior and be grieved and broken over our sin. 

Lets jump into our Bible study  as we tackle verses 6-7


One question that I am often asked by fellow Christians is how we can know if we are truly saved and children of God?  1 John gives three basic tests:

1)-Doctrinal- That is there are certain truths we must confess to even be a Christian (Verses 2-5)


2)-Obedience- As we will see their are numerous verses that tell us that one of the way's we can know if we have been "Born Again" is by our obedience to our Master.  Lets look at a few of these verses:   (The third test is the subjective test of the Holy Spirit and we will tackle that one in the future) 


(1 JOHN 2:2-3)
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

We see that to profess Christ does not mean one actually possesses Christ. We do not do good works to be saved but rather because we are saved good works will flow (Ephesians 2:10).

Every other false system claims we must do something to "please" the deity. The Bible is clear that there is NOTHING we can offer in addition to the work of Christ done on the Cross

(Romans 3:28 ESV)
"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."

(Romans 4:1-5 ESV)

"What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness"

The OT saints were saved the same as we are today. By grace ALONE, through faith ALONE, by Christ ALONE. Our obedience to Christ demonstrates we are children of God.

(1John 3:7-10)
"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."

Here we see that why we as believers will not be perfect and we still sin, we are not to make a PRACTICE of sin.

The verses are very clear that to walk blatantly in sin and to make a PRACTICE of sin, demonstrates that you are not a follower of Christ.

Verse 7 makes it clear that it is the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from our sin. Not our good works but by the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

(2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

The love God has poured out on his elect should fill our hearts with a desire to be obedient to the Master who bought us and redeemed us from sin and death.

Bible Study 1 John 1:5

We will continue with our Bible study as we have been going through the book of 1 John.
Today we will be exegeting verse five.


              (1 John 1:5 ESV)
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

When we say that God is light it is not just a metaphor but rather an attribute of God. Saying God is light is to say that God is the great illuminator.

            God is spiritual light.

  (Psalm 31:16 ESV)

"Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!"

(2 Samuel 22:29 ESV)

"For you are my lamp, O LORD,
and my God lightens my darkness."

God's word is our guide through a world that is dark and bound in blindness. We are told that man by nature  LOVES darkness rather than light because there deeds are evil (John 3:18-20)

(Psalm 27:1 ESV) 
"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?"

          (John 8:12 ESV)

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Every other way than Christ will lead to a dead end. If one wants out of the darkness then the only alternative is to flee to the cross and to Christ who shines brighter than the sun!

God's glory is the outward radiance of his nature and in this light is displayed is the outward expression of the inward nature of God.

We see in the OT God's outward Glory displayed for all to see:

                     (Exodus 13:21-22 ESV) 
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

The Israelite's kept their eyes on the light and followed the light. They were surrounded by evil and by pagan cultures yet kept their eyes on the Lord. I think that applies to us today in that we have God's word and instead of trying to compete with the culture and  the latest fads we just need to point people to the light which is the word of God:

(Psalm 119:105 ESV)

"Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path."

We see another astounding display of God's glory in Mathew 17 with the mount of transfiguration: 

                     

             (Matthew 17:1-8 ESV)

"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

In closing our gracious Master has displayed his kindness and his mercy to us so we do not have to run from the light nor do we need to be scared of the light.  We can have full confidence in the work of our sovereign

King on the cross and that when we are examined under the bright light of God's perfection we can stand confident, not in anything that we have done but knowing that Jesus paid it all and all to Him I owe! 

PLEASE take time today to meditate on these precious truth's from the word of Sacred Scripture and reflect on God's kindness to us:

        (John 3:19-21 ESV)

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Bible Study 1 John 1:3-4

Hello friends. Today we will continue our study in 1 John.



(1 John 1:3-4 ESV)

'that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete."

Verse 3-  We are being told these truths so that we can not only have fellowship with our brothers and sisters but ultimately fellowship with the Triune God of the universe!

The apostle John goes to great lengths to tell us he SAW   the events surrounding Jesus and that this is not some fabricated story that has no basis.

The things John is telling us are spiritual truths that MUST be believed in order to have fellowship with the God of the universe. Sadly many people want to throw out doctrine and just focus on "love".  To be a Christian is to believe certain doctrinal truths. If we do not have these distinctions then how can we say Mormonism is false when they say they love Jesus and believe in him. Of course the problem is that they have the wrong Jesus and we know that based on the doctrinal truths that John has written to us in his letters.

Joel Osteen who has a massive following was interviewed a while back on Fox News and was asked his view on Mormonism. Remember Joel has one of the largest church's in America and has made millions in his book sales. Sadly this is what happens when theology dose not matter

We live in an age where doctrine is a dirty word. I recently saw a picture with the slogan "It is better to be kind then to be right". Sadly I can not even count how many Christians that I know that hold this un-Biblical un-Godly worldly philosophy. Truth matters friends and truth divides from error.

To be a Christian is to be a slave of Jesus Christ. There are doctrinal truths that we must believe to separate the kingdom of Christ from the kingdom of the cults. Many times I hear that Christians have to much head knowledge and not enough "love".   I have yet to meet these people. Where I live in the Carolina's theology and head knowledge is very hard to find. We can not apply the truth's of the Gospel if we do not know them. How can we follow the teachings of Christ if we are ignorant of what he says.

The apostle John is clear that to have fellowship with the Triune God of the universe then we MUST  believe certain doctrinal truths.


Verse 4- John talks about the joy that the gospel brings. The main point of life is not health, wealth and happiness. The purpose of life is to know the Creator of the universe and be reconciled through Jesus Christ.

What Joy we have that should amaze us everyday. Sinful man who is by nature:

1)-Dead in sin  (Romans 5:12- 1 Corinthians 15:21)

2)-A child of God's wrath (Ephesians 2)

3)-Hostile towards God (Romans 8:7)

4)-Loves sin and darkness (John 3:18-20)

5)-Is a friend of the world and an enemy of God (James 4:4)


We could go on but we see that in our selves and by ourselves we are doomed. Yet our Glorious Savior lays his life down for the sheep:


               (John 10:11 ESV) 
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

That while we were helpless and could do nothing to save ourselves Christ  steps in:

            (Romans 5:6-9 ESV)

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God."

This is the best news we could possibly have. I will leave you with one of the most amazing passages in scripture for you to meditate on today. Think of these incredible truths today and take time to marvel at our Glorious Master who loved us and rescued us  from death.

Summary:

1)- Verse 3

A)- The apostle John saw Jesus do many might works. His information is not from hear say but was an actual witness of the event

  B)-Man has sinned and is cut off from God from birth (Romans 5:12) and there are certain doctrinal truths  that must be believed to be a Christian which will allow us to have fellowship with our Creator.

2)- Verse 4

A)-The amazing grace that God has poured out on sinners which is the good news!

B)-We are completed in the sense that we are fulfilling our purpose for which we were ultimately created for which is union with God. Or as The Westminster Shorter Catechism says:

What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever

I will leave you with this passage from Ephesians to meditate on:

                      (Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Bible Study 1 John 1:1-2

I thought it would be good if we took sometime to go through a book of the Bible daily and meditate on some of these marvelous truths! I will try and cover at least a few scriptures everyday. I thought 1 John would be a great place to start.

As way of Book introductions I will be using www.gotquestions.org

This is not going to be extremely deep and scholarly but more like daily devotions.

" Author: 1, 2, and 3 John have from earliest times been attributed to the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John. The content, style, and vocabulary seem to warrant the conclusion that these three epistles were addressed to the same readers as the Gospel of John.

Date of Writing: The Book of 1 John was likely written between A.D. 85-95.

Purpose of Writing: The Book of 1 John seems to be a summary that assumes the readers' knowledge of the gospel as written by John and offers certainty for their faith in Christ. The first epistle indicates that the readers were confronted with the error of gnosticism, which became a more serious problem in the second century. As a philosophy of religion it held that matter is evil and spirit is good. The solution to the tension between these two was knowledge, or gnosis, through which man rose from the mundane to the spiritual. In the gospel message, this led to two false theories concerning the person of Christ, Docetism—regarding the human Jesus as a ghost—and Cerinthianism—making Jesus a dual personality, at times human and at times divine. The key purpose of 1 John is to set boundaries on the content of faith and to give believers assurance of their salvation."

  http://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-1-John.html 




(1 John 1:1-4 ESV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Verse 1 The apostle John is making it clear that he was an eyewitness to many of these events concerning Jesus and that he had heard many of Jesus own teachings and had seen and touched him. He is driving home the point that Christ was a real physical being, and that he was not just some spirit floating around.

The Gnostic view is complicated but one of the beliefs was that matter was bad and spirit was good. John in his other writings made it clear that Jesus would be ressurected in a fully human body.

               (John 2:18-22 ESV)
So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

We have numerous other places where we see that Jesus was ressurected in a fully human body and even challenges Thomas to "touch him" (John 20:28)

Verse 2 Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. We read:


             (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV) 

 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus did not come into existence at the virgin birth but rather has always existed from eternity (John 1:1, Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1). We see in verse 2 that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father in his nature:

         (Hebrews 1:3 ESV)

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high"

We are told that it is Jesus Christ who is the Creator of the universe. This brings up numerous issues about the Trinity. Please take time to read this article which gives a basic understanding of the Christian position on the Trinity (http://carm.org/what-trinity)

The text tells us He was with the Father. We see a breathtaking passage in Hebrew 1 with the Father talking to the Son:

(Hebrews 1:5-9 ESV)

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”
Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

How awesome is it to be able to read these texts and have our minds blown!  We are just beginning friends and I look forward to going through this book. Please feel free to post comments or questions and I will try and get to them.