7/7/13

From Gary... Twin Shining Lights and The Ebenezer Memorial


July 4th has come and gone; soon the tents where fireworks were sold will be taken down and everyone will be thinking about labor day.  But, today, when I saw this picture of New York City at night, I couldn't help think of the greatness of America one more time. We have endured much in this great land, from natural disasters like the great dust bowl of years gone by, to the stock market collapse of 1929 and the infamy of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  More recently, there was the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 by Muslim terrorists. Despicable beyond words. However, there are two shining lights to help us remember; and these beacons are very appropriate. They are a memorial to the lives lost on that dreadful day and at the same time symbolize a spirit of hope, solidarity and resolute courage of the people of this great land to fight against whatever evil may rear its ugly head. These lights remind me of another memorial- one far away in both time and location.  This passage from the book of 1st Samuel tells the end of the story...

1 Samuel, Chapter 7

1 The men of Kiriath Jearim came, and took Yahweh’s ark, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep Yahweh’s ark.  2 From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh.  3 Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you do return to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”  4 Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served Yahweh only.  5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you to Yahweh.”  6 They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.  7 When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.  8 The children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t cease to cry to Yahweh our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”  9 Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh: and Samuel cried to Yahweh for Israel; and Yahweh answered him.  10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines, and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel.  11 The men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, until they came under Beth Kar. 



  12  Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Yahweh helped us until now.”  


The Philistines had defeated Israel at Ebenezer and killed Eli and his two sons and also taken the Ark of God as a prize of war.  But God humbled the Philistines with plagues and they returned it with a peace offering.  Later on, Samuel the prophet gathered Israel together at Mizpah and they listened to the word of God and put away their idols.  Soon, the Philistines heard of this and went out to war against Israel again and God's chosen people were very afraid (7:8).  God fought for Israel and in gratitude Samuel set up a stone memorial between Mizpah and Shen.  Ebenezer was its name, for "Yahweh helped us until now."  This stone reminded Israel of something; namely that God will help- if, we do what is right in HIS sight.  Like that stone, the memorial at NYC should remind us that we are still a Christian nation (no matter what our current president may say) and that we should look in the same direction as those lights shine for our help.  May God bless The United States Of America!!!  But the question remains-Will America bless God???

From Bill Dayton... Why So Many churches?




Why So Many churches?

There are literally thousands of different churches in the United States all claiming to teach the truth of God. We need to ask ourselves, “Why are there so many different churches with different names and beliefs?” God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33)

In looking for a church, which church will we look for?
 
 A church assembling by Christ’s authority and with a Bible name only? (Matthew 18:20Romans 16:16).

 A worldwide church that we can read about in the Bible? (Romans 16:16)
 
  A church with the gospel as its drawing card no amusements to draw crowds? (Romans 1:14-161 Corinthians 1:18-23).
  A church where nothing is taught but the Bible, and the New Testament is its guide? (Hebrews 12:241 Peter 4:11James 1:25).
  A church that teaches its members to live in keeping with the principles taught by Jesus Christ? (Romans 2:21-22Philippians 1:27).
  A church supported by the free-will offerings of its members, as Paul gave orders to the churches in Galatia and Corinth? (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
 
  A church guided by its head only, and that head having only “one body” — the church? (Colossians 1:18, 20-24Ephesians 1:22-23).
  A church that stands for the purity of the gospel both in doctrine and practice? Gal.1:6-9; Eph.1:22-23
Restore Once More”... the church in our community that imitates the pattern of the first century and honors the name of Christ. Acts 4:10-12; 20:28

Till He Comes….Bill

From Jim McGuiggan... Is this not astonishing?

Is this not astonishing?

Imagine this: For reasons we're not permitted to wonder at God decides to glorify himself by creating billions of humans and predestinating them to sin and to become so morally corrupt that as The Westminster Confession puts it, they become entirely inclined to all that is evil and completely adverse to all that is good—they're incapable of desiring God's will much less doing it. That is what God wants and what Godirresistibly brings about.
Then in light of what he has purposed and accomplished God regards every human being of all the ages as rebels, as spiritually dead and alienated from him as the result of Adam's sin (they use Romans 5:17, 19 to "prove" this). 
Out of those teeming millions he chose a certain number and consciously—because he wanted to—bypassed the vast majority of those he fathered by creation; leaving them as he foreordained them to be, unchangeably corrupted by sin.
He chooses to work a moral miracle on his chosen group so that they are morally transformed. That group is no longer incapable of desiring and obeying God—in fact they are given a new heart so that they would be incapable of rejecting the will of God until they die. This chosen group cannot permanently walk away from God; they cannot be lost even if for many years they actively rebel against God. God cannot be thwarted, you see.
This chosen group must be reconciled to God, of course, so God provides the means and grounds for their reconciliation—Jesus Christ. He deliberately refuses to reconcile the vast majority of the human family and he does it because it pleases him to refuse to do it. This is called "glorifying himself".
So when Jesus came he did not come to bring salvation through reconciliation with God to the entire human family. He came to provide all that for this chosen group. For this, the chosen ones sing his praise and tell him how generous he is for saving them. After all, this chosen group tells us, he could have damned us the way he has damned the majority of the human family.
There we have it: God creates billions, arranges it so that they are born morally paralysed, damns the bulk of them to eternal fire, rescues a minority and calls himself generous and gracious.
That's Calvinism as offered by people like Gill, Clark, Steele, Piper, Sproul, Pink, Geivett, W.G Phillips, Calvin and others.
Is it not as astonishing as it is ugly?

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Jim McGuiggan... Horrendous doctrine (2)

Horrendous doctrine (2)

Look we all know God can't do wrong and that in light of Jesus Christ he is worthy of nothing but our ceaseless devotion and praise as we delight in him! In pieces like this, it isn't God we're opposing but what we construe to be man-made images of him.
In the book of Job it wasn't God Job was screaming at—he raged against the God the wise teachers were preaching and in the end God vindicated him and rebuked the wise men. If it were humorous we could smile at the teachers who dish out outrageous doctrine about God and when you protest they say something like, "It isn't me you're arguing with—it's God!" They use words about God like "sovereignty" and "fathomless wisdom" and "matchless glory" and "love inexpressible" and "pure grace" as if they alone saw God in this light. They insist that God alone should have all the praise as if they were ignorant of the fact that millions who reject their outrageous doctrines insist on that as well. Build up the adjectives to the third heaven about the wonder of God, his holy love and boundless generosity and the rank and file among us will say a heartfelt and soul-deep Amen to every bit of it and then they'll add their own.
The hot protest against the worst face of Calvinism is not a protest against the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; it's against what people are saying about him. There were those in Jeremiah's day who said God had cast off his people and God said the rising sun and the stars in heaven branded that claim a lie (Jeremiah 33:19-26). There are those in these and past days who say that God has no love for the vast majority of the human family and Jesus said the rising sun and the falling rain branded that teaching as a sectarian, nationalist and religious lie (Matthew 5:43-48).
Hard-line Calvinist, John Piper, thinks because he makes God the centre of everything that the rest is self-explanatory. But the God he puts at the centre of everything is the God he defines as the God whose essence is his absolute freedom to do whatever he chooses (he gets this, he says, from Exodus 33:19). This certainly makes philosophical sense and is supported by the biblical witness but Piper takes that truth and carries it to conclusions that are plainly at odds with the biblical witness. (Job's three friends did the same thing with truths they called on.) Manifestly a God that is limited by absolutely nothing outside himself is capable of doing exactly what he wants and that means he can show mercy on whoever he shows mercy on but that truth doesn't explain what he meant in Exodus 33 or Romans 9:15 with their specific contexts.
A God whose essence is as Piper defines him could create humans, ordain their Fall (as Piper insists he did) and damn everyone one of them—those that die in infancy included—without batting an eyelid. That is what Piper insists he did with the bulk of humanity (though he does some special pleading concerning dying infants because they don't get to hear the will of God). You would think that Piper would be delighted at that, for after all, what God does is to glorify himself by making himself the treasure of a minority of sinners and all his works—without exception, reprobation included—are geared for that purpose. So God's aim in his eternal ordination to reprobation of the vast majority of humans since the creation is to give Piper and other chosen ones grounds to rejoice in Him as their only treasure.
In light of how Piper defines the essence of God, when God chooses to do whatever he chooses to do that's the end of the matter—it's the complete explanation of the matter. After that, talk about God being inscrutable makes no sense and talk about the "decisive" or "ultimate" cause of reprobation being in God's inscrutable will is something of a cop-out. Piper will say the "decisive" or "ultimate" cause of reprobation is in God; but that hints at the suggestion or possibilityof the existence of a "relative" or "intermediate" cause outside God—whereas in Piper's theology there is only one cause, not more than one, a single, solitary, lone, uncontested cause—God wanted to do it and he did it.That, says Piper, is the essence of Godship; that's what being "God" means and for God to act as God he must (says Piper) do all he does unconditionally, unmoved by anyone or any consideration outside himself. As surely as God cannot lie he cannot act having been moved by anything outside himself (which is one of the bases on which Piper justifies unconditional election and reprobation).
If God eternally purposed ceaseless conscious torture for billions of humans it had to be unconditional, it had to be independent of any evil they might end up doing. To put the matter plainly, hard line Calvinists like John Piper tell us that God didn't purpose everlasting conscious torture for the bulk of humanity because he foresaw the evil that we would do.
"Ah, but we ended up doing evil so we deserve punishment; so how dare we complain about God's eternal decision that wasn't based on what we deserve." So speak the Calvinistic hardliners from Calvin to the present.
Look, you must grasp what happens here. The doctrine (as consistently expressed—well, almost consistently—by people of Piper's persuasion) says our eternal reprobation is not based on what we deserve—that is, the decision was not made on the basis of the evil God foresaw in us. It had nothing to do with what we "deserve"—God consigns billions to everlasting and ceaseless torture not because they "deserved" it but for no other reason than that he wanted to do it!
But that doctrine is so morally revolting that even hard-line Calvinists scramble around for some way to make it look right. Calvin confessed that such a decree by God was "horrible" and he asked the question, "Why did God from the first predestine some to death, when as yet they were not in existence, they could not have merited sentence of death?" (Institutes of the Christian Religion: 3.23.3) And how does he answer the question? In essence he says, "Who's asking?" Then he reminds us how sinful we all are and what nerve we have to question God, he talks a bit about human sin, realizes he's moving away from his decrees doctrine and goes back to saying, "We must always return to the mere pleasure of the divine will, the cause of which is hidden in himself." (3.23.4) In short, Calvin had no idea why God would be pleased to consign billions of as-yet non-existent humans to eternal conscious torture (not mere death) but he insisted that something in God pleased him to do it. I could easily theorize why a Zeus or one of those other mythical thugs would do it but that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus would do it? Perish the very thought!
Piper by speaking of the "decisive" and "ultimate" cause of reprobation as being in God leaves the door open as if there might be other contributing causes in Man, though he cannot and doesn't believe that. Still the seed is planted by "decisive" and "ultimate". In 1903 American Presbyterians added a DECLARATORY STATEMENT to The Westminster Confession, relating particularly to this entire reprobation decree issue: "The Presbyterian church…does authoritatively declare as follows: that men are fully responsible for their treatment of God's gracious offer; that his decree hinders no man from accepting that offer; and that no man is condemned except on the ground of his sin." ([As quoted in P.K Jewett's Election and Predestination, page 75.] 
Aside from the fact that they insist that God foreordained humanity's Fall so that no one (at least since Adam) chooses to do evil because humans are born "totally opposed to all good and entirely inclined to all evil" and they're born that way because God decided before the world began that they should be born that way. God eternally purposed it and in time he arranged all that happens so that it happens the way he wants  it to happen and people are born incapable of choosing good. That is consistent Calvinism and then they tell us, "We deserve to be punished for our evil." We are as we are because God arranged it that way and when we act as God ordained that we should act he punishes us for doing what he predestined us to do. This, the hardliners tell us, even though they also tell us it cannot be something in us that makes God act in judgment. When you press them on this they say things like, "You can't make me choose between those two on the basis of 'alien logic'." Or they say, "It's inscrutable." Or they say, "Sinful humans have their nerve to question God."
 It isn't God we question; it's the doctrines of sinful fellow-humans that we question!
Why argue about this since we all end up sinning and deserve condemnation? Infants that die don't sin and yet Augustine and Calvin had them writhing in hell.
Many creeds waltz around the fact that in Calvinism babies are said to be born hating God and morally polluted but not all evade that conclusion—some offer no hope for infants who die. Calvin didn't and wouldn't.
Why argue about all this? Let me ask this: Which comes first, God's predestinating decree that we would sin or our being sinful? We're told that when God predestinates sinners to be saved there's nothing they can do to thwart his decree—it's his will and he'll get it, however complex the procedure. When he predestinates an as-yet uncreated human family to be sinners there's nothing they can do to thwart his decree—it's his will and he'll get what he wants.
So, do we have a sin-stricken, sin-loving human family? We do! It's what God wanted. Which came first—our love of sin or God's irresistible decree that we would be born loving sin?
We didn't become sinners and sin-lovers in our teens or older—this doctrine teaches us that we were born to sin and love sin in accordance with God's irresistible will. He irresistibly foreordains it before we existed and when it turns out as he has irresistibly willed it he condemns us for being like that. Even in infancy we're condemned for it and need to be forgiven of it! [Some hardliners say that infants are saved but it's without faith, without a new birth by the Spirit. What else are you going to tell broken-hearted parents?]
Does it make any difference which comes first—God's decree or our human nature/behaviour? How could it not make a difference?
Consistent Calvinists will have nothing to do with what is called the infralapsarian view. That view says that when God was formulating his decrees of election (assigning these to life) and reprobation (assigning these to eternal conscious torture) he was thinking of the human family as it became after the Fall and in light of their sinfulness.Piper and Calvin before him will have nothing to do with that. No, consistent Calvinists hold the supralapsarian view which says that God made his decrees conceptually before his decree that the human family would fall in sin. His decrees were a done deal regardless of the human family!
God irresistibly ordained that the human family sin.
God irresistibly ordained that the majority of the human family should not want nor should it be offered life with him.
God punishes those whose evil life he irresistibly ordained.
And yet the evil of the humans is not what moved God to decree their reprobation or judgment.

This is what's being taught about God and I think somebody should protest against it (and thankfully vast numbers do!).
This hardline Calvinism generates all kind of bad fruit. In light of hardline Calvinism silly things like "open theism" begin to look good to sensitive people.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Jim McGuiggan... Horrendous doctrine (1)

Horrendous doctrine (1)

One of the worst faces of Reformed doctrine is its insistence that God has set his love on a small fraction of the human family. The story is that before he created the human family God chose some to enjoy eternal life with him and the rest he consigned to eternal torture. Some of these teachers are bolder than others and without apology they insist that not only did God foreordain the saved to be saved (independent of anything God foresaw in them) he also foreordained the lost to eternal torture (independent of anything he foresaw in them). Others who sense the horror of such a view try to ease the situation by saying that God chose some and "simply passed by" the rest. Hard-line Calvinist, John Piper (rightly in my view), thinks that lacks consistency and follows John Calvin who made no bones about it: he said God created some (including those that die in infancy) for no other reason than to consign them to eternal torture. (He admitted it was a horrible decree but thought if the Bible taught it he should go along with it.)
Many of us take 1 John 2:2 at face value and think that Christ died to deal with the sins of the entire human family (even John Calvin believed that) but people like Piper and Sproul, Packer and Feinberg tell us that "the world" really means the elect that are scattered throughout the nations of the world. They limit the love of God to the relatively few he chose.
Piper in a book of over 300 pages tells us how thrilled and pleased God is with all his works—including sea monsters, wild donkeys and flowers of the field but he has no section dealing with God's delight over the human family. That's hardly surprising since he thinks God has planned to torture billions of conscious beings, ceaselessly and for ever. I came across only three passing remarks about God's love of the entire human family; one implies it and another is qualified with a "but". The best he could do was to say, "I do not deny that God loves the world of lost men" and then he tells us that God is compassionate to the non-elect. I find it astonishing that people can tell you with a straight face that God loves and is compassionate to those he has created for no other reason than to torture them eternally. Piper thinks when we press him with something like that we're using "alien logic" and he will not allow us, he says, to force him to make a choice but to make clear what it is that Piper says he won't be forced to choose between let me spell it out.  Piper says: God "loves" those he has created for no other purpose than to torture them eternally. Piper teaches that God (in essence) says to billions: "I love you." Piper also teaches that God (in essence) says to the same billions: "I created you for no other purpose than to torture you everlastingly." Piper says, "You can't make me choose between those two 'truths'."
In point of fact I have misrepresented Piper somewhat for he follows hard-liner Jonathan Edwards who insisted that God foreordained these people to eternal and ceaseless torture to show his glory. Piper quotes Edwards to say that without the foreordained billions (writhing eternally) God's glory wouldn't be fully seen.
Thankfully the Bible doesn't teach anything like that. Most of us are happy to take John 3:16 as it sits and believe that God loves the entire human family and that life is possible for all. The "world" in that text according to Calvinists who are Calvinists means only the elect who are scattered through the world. There's no doubt that in some contexts the word "world" doesn't mean every single individual but the context should be allowed to determine that and not an already adopted theological stance.
John 3:16-17 has this: "For God so love the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." So what are we to make of that? "For God so loved the elect…God did not send his Son to the elect to condemn the elect but to save the elect through him"?
I suppose that'll satisfy someone.
In the meantime: If you want nothing to do with Jesus and his Holy Father that is tragic beyond expression but don't let Piper or anyone else tell you that you were ordained not to want Jesus and then eternally tortured for not wanting Jesus.
Better still, why don't you focus on the obvious meaning of John 3:16 and believe that you are one of the "whosoevers" and give your life to him in faith.
Write me if you think I can help in some way.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Way, The Truth, And The Life (Jn.14:6)



                          "THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"

                The Way, The Truth, And The Life (14:6)

INTRODUCTION

1. Two of the most remarkable statements by Jesus are found in one
   verse...
   a. "I am the way, the truth, and the life." - Jn 14:6
   b. "No one comes to the Father except through Me." - ibid.

2. These statements were made in a discussion with His disciples...
   a. As He prepared them for His impending death - Jn 14:1-4
   b. Which prompted questions by Thomas and Philip - Jn 14:5,7-9

[In making such statements, Jesus claims to be three things:  "The Way,
The Truth, And The Life."  Let's take a closer look, where we first
observe that Jesus is...]

I. THE WAY

   A. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD...
      1. Jesus clearly claims to the be only way to God - Jn 14:6
      2. As Peter would later proclaim, there is no salvation but
         through Him - cf. Ac 4:12
      -- This may sound politically incorrect, but Jesus states it
         nonetheless

   B. HOW JESUS IS THE WAY TO THE FATHER...
      1. By revealing Him, stressed in the gospel of John - Jn 14:7-9;
         cf. Jn 1:18; 12:44-45
      2. By opening the way to Him, emphasized in the book of Hebrews
         - He 10:19-20
      3. By serving as our high priest, another theme in Hebrews - He 2:
         17-18; 4:14-16; 10:21-22
      4. He now intercedes for us
         a. As our Advocate - 1Jn 2:1
         b. At the right hand of God - Ro 8:34
         c. The one (and only) Mediator between God and man - 1Ti 2:5
         d. Who ever lives to intercede for us! - He 7:24-25
      -- By virtue of His life on earth, His death on the cross, and now
         His service in heaven, Jesus is truly the only way to God!

[Jesus not only is the way to God, He is also...]

II. THE TRUTH

   A. WHAT IS TRUTH...?
      1. The very question posed by Pontius Pilate - Jn 18:38
      2. Consider the meaning of the Greek words translated as "true"
         and "truth":
         a. True (alethes) - "unconcealed, manifest...actual, true to
            fact" - Vine
         b. True (alethinos) - "denotes 'true' in the sense of 'real,
            ideal, genuine;'" - ibid.
         c. Truth (aletheia)
            1) "objectively, signifying 'the reality lying at the basis
               of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a
               matter' (Cremer)" - ibid.
            2) "subjectively, 'truthfulness,' 'truth,' not merely
               verbal, but sincerity and integrity of character" - ibid.
      -- When Jesus speaks of truth, it describes that which corresponds
         to reality, what is factual and absolute, not relative

   B. HOW JESUS IS THE TRUTH...
      1. He proclaims that truth is real and knowable - Jn 8:32
      2. He proclaims that truth can set one free from the bondage of
         sin - Jn 8:32-34
      3. His doctrine is the way to truth that frees one from sin - 
         Jn 8:31-32,34-36
      4. He faithfully proclaimed His Father's Word, which is truth
         - cf. Jn 17:14,17
      -- By abiding in Jesus' teachings, we can know the truth and the
         freedom it offers!

[Freedom from the bondage of sin becomes even more meaningful when we
consider how Jesus is...]

III. THE LIFE

   A. HE OFFERS ABUNDANT LIFE...
      1. As He promised in His discourse as the Good Shepherd - Jn 10:
         10-11
      2. Jesus offers a peace the world cannot give - Jn 14:27; 16:33;
         cf. Php 4:6-7
      3. He gives us His love, which passes knowledge - Jn 15:10; cf. Ep 3:19
      4. He provides His joy, that is inexpressible - Jn 15:11; cf. 1 Pe 1:8
      -- With such peace, love, and joy, what an abundant life Jesus
         offers!

   B. HOW JESUS PROVIDES ABUNDANT LIFE...
      1. By His doctrine regarding the new birth
         a. We must be born again - Jn 3:3
         b. We must be born again of water and the Spirit - Jn 3:4-5
      2. By sending the Spirit who gives the new birth and new life
         a. The Spirit who regenerates us in baptism - Tit 3:5-6
         b. The Spirit who becomes for us "rivers of living water" - 
            Jn 7:37-39; cf. Ga 5:22-23
      -- Jesus provides abundant life His through gospel, by which we
         are born again to a new life which the Spirit makes possible
         - cf. 1Pe 2:22-25

CONCLUSION

1. Jesus is truly the way, the truth, and the life...
   a. The way to knowing and experience God as our Heavenly Father
   b. The embodiment of truth that provides freedom from the guilt and
      bondage of sin
   c. The source of life that is blessed now and lasts forever!

2. Has Jesus become your way to God, your truth, and your life...?
   a. To a close and personal relationship with God?
   b. To deliverance from the guilt of sin through the blood of Christ?
   c. To an abundant life by virtue of a spiritual rebirth and the
      blessings that follow?

Jesus may be "the" way, truth, and life, but He is of no value unless He
becomes "your" way to the true salvation that leads to eternal life with
God.  Have you responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ...? - cf. Mk 16:
15-16; Ac 2:38; 22:16


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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From Mark Copeland.... By This All Will Know (Jn.13:34-35)



                          "THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"

                    By This All Will Know (13:34-35)

INTRODUCTION

1. How is the world to know that we are truly disciples of Christ,
   members of His body?
   a. Is it by the name we wear?
   b. Is it by having the right doctrine, organization, worship, etc.?

2. It is certainly important to have all these things; but if we
   think...
   a. That by these things alone we are truly the disciples of Jesus
   b. That by these things alone the world will know we are Christ's
      disciples
   ...then we are sadly mistaken!

3. Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus identified a key mark of
   discipleship...
   a. He gave what He called "a new commandment" - Jn 13:34
   b. It was a command to "love one another" - Jn 13:34
   c. He said "by this all will know" who were His disciples - Jn 13:35

4. Love for one another is how people will know that we are truly the
   disciples of Jesus...
   a. Do we know what kind of love that is?
   b. How do we develop that kind of love?
   c. How do we demonstrate this love?

[In this study I wish to encourage the kind of love Jesus commands of
us, so that "By This All Will Know" that we are truly His disciples!
Let's begin with...]

I. THIS LOVE DEFINED

   A. IT IS A NEW KIND OF LOVE...
      1. There had always been the love of family, friends, etc.
      2. The OT taught to "love your neighbor as yourself" - Lev 19:18
      3. But Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you
         love one another" - Jn 13:34
         a. This is not simply a command to love one another
         b. But a command to love one another in a special way
      -- Jesus is calling us to new and higher standard of love!

   B. IT IS A SACRIFICIAL LOVE...
      1. What kind of love does Jesus command?
         a. "as I have love you, that you also love another"
         b. It is a love patterned after Jesus' love for us
         -- This is what makes it a new and higher standard of love!
      2. The love Jesus had for us can be summarized in one word:
         sacrificial
         a. As Jesus explained in Jn 15:13
         b. As John wrote in 1Jn 3:16-18
         c. As Paul commanded in Ep 5:1-2
      3. It was this kind of love manifested by the first disciples of
         Jesus
         a. The church in Jerusalem - Ac 2:44-45
         b. The churches in Macedonia - 2Co 8:1-5

   C. IT IS A VISIBLE LOVE...
      1. By such love Jesus declared "all will know that you are My
         disciples" - Jn 13:35
         a. The implication is that such love will be visible and
            observable
         b. And visible by ALL, not just by brethren!
      2. To be a visible love, requires a love...
         a. That goes beyond the four walls of the church building
         b. That extends beyond the few hours we are assembled together
         c. That can be observed by those of the world and in the world
      -- In some way, the world needs to have the opportunity to
         observe the disciples in action, in which their love that is
         patterned after Jesus' love can be seen

[Being a "warm and friendly church" while assembled is commendable, but
it alone does not fulfill the command to have a new, sacrificial, and
visible love patterned after the love of Jesus!

If we wish to manifest this kind of love in our lives, where do we
begin?  Consider...]

II. THIS LOVE DEVELOPED

   A. WE ARE TAUGHT BY GOD...
      1. The Thessalonians excelled in this love - 1Th 4:9-10
      2. For they had been "taught by God to love one another"
      3. Certainly God's own love for us teaches us how to love
         - cf. 1Jn 4:9-11
      -- Think of the Father's own sacrificial love for us, in sending
         His Son to be the propitiation for our sins!

   B. WE LEARN FROM JESUS...
      1. Jesus' own example of sacrifice teaches the true meaning of
         love - 1Jn 3:16
      2. The more we contemplate upon the example of Jesus' life and
         death, the more likely we will love like He did!

   C. WE ARE TO BE STIRRED UP BY BRETHREN...
      1. We are to stir one another to love and good works - He 10:24
      2. An important means of doing this is by frequent assembling
         - He 10:25
      -- Perhaps one reason why some don't love as they should, is
         because they don't assemble like they should!

[Through careful study of the Father's love for us, the Savior's love
for us, and through frequent assembling where we stir up another to
love and good works, we can develop the kind of love "By Which All Will
Know" we are Jesus' disciples.  Finally, a thought or two about...]

III. THIS LOVE DEMONSTRATED

   A. IN OUR ASSEMBLY...
      1. When we are assembled and have guests, we have an opportunity
         to demonstrate our love for another
      2. What do our guests see?  Do they see Christians who...
         a. Are glad to see one another?
         b. Are willing to take the time to visit with each other?
         c. Even know each other's name?
      -- Our assemblies may be the only time some guests have the
         opportunity to see Christians interact; do they see an evident
         love and concern for one another?

   B. IN OUR COMMUNITY...
      1. We often have the opportunity to be together in ways that
         others can see...
         a. Perhaps we work with other Christians
         b. Or we have neighbors that are Christians
         c. Or we gather to visit, or do things together
      2. What do those in the world see?  Do they see an interaction
         that...
         a. Reveals a strong love and appreciation for one another?
         b. Shows a sincere interest in each other's well-being?
      3. Where there are differences, is the way we handle them
         different?
         a. Christians will often sin against one another, offend one
            another
         b. But will they see long-suffering and a quickness to
            forgive, even as Christ forgave us? - cf. Ep 4:32; Col 3:13

CONCLUSION

1. Jesus has revealed a powerful tool to persuade the world that we are
   His disciples...
   a. Certainly we show our discipleship by faithfulness to His
      doctrine - cf. Jn 8:32
   b. But in a world that cares little for doctrinal distinctiveness,
      a Christ-like love for one another is how Jesus would have us
      convince the world! - cf. Jn 13:34-35

2. How is your love for your brother in Christ?
   a. Is it Christ-like, i.e., a sacrificial love?
   b. Is it observable, i.e., do people see your brotherly love in our
      assemblies and community?

3. If you admit your love for your brethren needs work (and we all can
   improve)...
   a. Look to God and Jesus as the ultimate teachers of what it means
      to love one another
   b. Utilize opportunities to be with brethren
      1) Which provides occasion to grow and display your love
      2) Which can serve to stir you to love and good works - cf.
         He 10:24-25

So remember...

   "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as
   I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all
   will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
   another." (Jn 13:35)

   "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
                                                  (1Jn 4:11)



Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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