Appeasing Sacrifice 1 John 2:2 - Equipped for Battle

In discovering that God desires fellowship with people, we have seen where sin separates a person from God. Jesus came to remove that separating factor so that everyone could have a relationship with their Creator. Yesterday John as a spiritual father let us know one of the reasons he was writing this book “that you sin not”, and he informed us that if we do sin, we have an advocate, an attorney – Jesus Christ the righteous – interceding for us before the Heavenly Father. Today we see even more clearly just how Jesus does this.

In John chapter two and verse two it says,

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.

Now before there is anxiety over what “propitiation” means, it is simply “appeasing” or in other words :”the one who satisfies the penalty of”. Jesus Christ is the only appeasing sacrifice for sin, and His sacrifice paid the price for the sins of the whole world. Now, every sin that anyone has ever done, is doing, or will be doing has been appeased by Jesus Christ's death. Jesus Himself gave only one exception to this as recorded by the apostle Matthew in chapter twelve verse thirty-one and thirty-two of his book:

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come.

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the only unforgivable sin, but all others are forgiven because of Jesus Christ's appeasing sacrifice. The witness that the Holy Spirit gives of Jesus Christ's payment for sin is where many have difficulty. Whenever the Holy Spirit points to Jesus Christ's death on the cross being the only sacrifice that will satisfy the penalty for sin, many reject His witness. They refuse to believe that Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by me” as said by Jesus Himself. However, He is the only way. He is the only truth, and He is the only life that will save a person from their sins. To reject the Holy Spirit's witness of Jesus is to commit the unpardonable and unforgivable sin, and there is no other remedy or propitiation available.

Peter had more to say about the exclusivity of Jesus' sacrifice, and we shall consider it tomorrow. Here's a hint: read in the book of Acts, chapter four verses eight through twelve.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Our Faithful Attorney 1 John 2:1 - Equipped for Battle

John the apostle has been sharing with us the idea that God wants to have fellowship with people, and that by confession of our sins that keep us separated from that fellowship, Jesus' blood brings forgiveness and cleansing to all who will do so. In chapter two of this awesome letter John writes in verse one:

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

We learned yesterday that one of the reasons John wrote this book is so that we would not sin. However, to be sinless completely is something that only Jesus did on Earth. John knows this, and for those who occasionally sin even when they desire not to, John has a solution - “we have an advocate with the Father”.

An “advocate” literally means “one who comes alongside; one who pleads another's cause before a judge; a pleader; a counsel for defense”. In other words, an advocate is an attorney. Whenever there is an occasional, and not habitual, sin within a person's life who follows Jesus Christ as their Savior, Jesus steps in as their attorney who represents them before God the righteous judge. Jesus makes a plea on the sinner's behalf, and the Father hears His Son's case.

Jesus is a faithful attorney like no other in that He paid the price in advance for the sins we have committed. Paul the apostle wrote it this way in Second Corinthians chapter five verse twenty-one:

For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Jesus as our great advocate, our faithful attorney, not only steps in for the one who sins, but has already paid the penalty for those sins. His plea before the Heavenly Father is that because of His sacrifice, we are now righteous in Him. When one thinks about this concept for very long, it is indeed humbling. John the apostle knows our nature is to sin, and when we do so, Jesus steps in with arguments that cleanse, forgive and makes us righteous before the judge. No wonder “Elvina Hall” wrote the words to this famous hymn:

Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

My Little Children Sin Not 1 John 2:1 - Equipped for Battle

John the apostle has been sharing with us how to have fellowship with God. He writes that we can have fellowship with God as long as our sin problem that separates us from God is removed. God has made provision for that removal by His Son Jesus Christ, and everyone who confesses his or her sins can now establish a relationship with the Heavenly Father. Beginning in chapter two verse one John now writes:

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

John assumes the role of a father in this wonderful verse, and in a way, he is a father in the faith to all who read and love his words. John, who was close to Jesus, walked with the disciples, saw the miracles, experienced the transfiguration, wanted to call down fire on Samaria, saw the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, witnessed Jesus' raising from the dead and ascension, raised a lame man to walk again, was boiled in oil and exiled to the island of Patmos for his faith, now calls those who read his words, “My little children.” And, he has a reason to write to his children:

that you sin not

Many who follow after Jesus Christ, especially in the beginning, find themselves engaging in sin even after they accept Christ as their savior. There is the human element still inside, and as long as we live in these bodies, there will be a tendency toward sin. John knows this, and therefore writes his words so that people will not sin. Whenever the idea of breaking fellowship with God is mentioned because of sin, a person who is attentive will have a desire to never break that fellowship. In fact, there will be such a desire to continue in relationship with God that whenever there is sin in a person's life, there will also be conviction. Those who have fellowship with God do not want to break that fellowship ever again.

However, John, who speaks as a spiritual father, says, that he writes his word that we not sin, but adds, “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Perhaps we shall leave this part for tomorrow's sharing. For now, just realize that John wrote the words in this wonderful little book of his that we not sin, and that shall be enough to meditate upon today.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Warning to a Nation 1 John 1 and Jeremiah - Equipped for Battle

In the last several days we have been looking at the book of First John chapter one. We have realized that God desires fellowship with people, and that sin separates a person from God. This is a problem, however, God has given the provision of the blood of His Son Jesus to forgive and to cleanse all unrighteousness that anyone has committed if they will simply confess and turn from those sins. We discovered that there is a sin nature within every person, and without the redemption of that sin nature, no one will have a relationship with God. Anyone who denies that there is a sin nature makes God a liar, and the word of God is not in them. Today, parenthetically, I'd like to look at a passage of warning to a nation given by the Prophet Jeremiah in chapter eighteen verses seven through thirteen in the book in the Bible named after him:

[At what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy [it]; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And [at what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant [it];

If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

Before we delve into this passage any further, let me remind the reader that the writer of the book of Hebrews in chapter thirteen verse eight says:

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

The scripture in Jeremiah refers to “a nation” and not just the nation of Israel. Specifically it mentions Judah and Jerusalem, but the warning is to “a nation.” Consider the overall desire of God who is speaking through Jeremiah in these verses: God desires not to destroy “a nation”. He desires to do good to “a nation”, however, the determining factor is whether or not that nation will “turn from their evil”, “return from their evil way” and “make your ways and your doings good”. Lest I be less than clear, what if we were to insert the United States of America and Washington into this passage? Have we as a nation “turned from our evil”, “return from our evil way” and “made our ways and our doings good”?

Oh hear the cry of a Great and Awesome God, Creator, and Lover of people who desires fellowship and relationship with every person and nation. Will we as a nation “make him a liar” as John the Apostle wrote, or will we hear God's call to forsake evil ways, do good, and return to Him again? May God's grace be shed upon us.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Making God a Liar? 1 John 1:10 - Equipped for Battle

We have been enjoying the Apostle John's words in First John chapter one where he has been sharing with us how to have fellowship with God. God desires to have a relationship with people, and He has made provision for that to be so. Sin, missing the mark, is the deterrent to this relationship because it separates a person from God. However, God has provided the solution to the separation problem by having His Son Jesus pay the price for sin. Jesus paid the penalty for every sin a person commits by shedding His blood on the cross, and now all a person has to do is confess those sins which means: admit, turn from and repent of them. Many people have done just this, however, there are people who do not believe they have sinned. In the final verse to this great chapter John says these people make God a liar. John wrote in chapter one verse ten:

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Can you even imagine making God a liar? It is impossible for God to lie, and yet there are people who when God says, “there is sin in your life”, they say “no, there isn't” and in effect make God a liar. Paul the Apostle said in the book of Romans chapter three verse ten:

There is none righteous, no not one

And again in Romans chapter three verse twenty-three:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Remember, the idea is that there is a sin nature in every person. The manifestation of that sin nature demonstrates itself in many ways: lying, cheating, gossip, envy, jealousy, adultery, murder, and the list goes on and on. Each of these manifestations only prove that there is a sin nature within everyone, and when God says, “you have sin in your life”, you have sin in your life. Those who claim to be without sin do not change the fact that there is a sin nature within them by simply declaring that they do not. No, rather, they simply ignore the truth, and the word of God is not in them.

In order for a person to have a personal relationship with God, he or she must begin the process by responding to the revelation from God that there is a sin nature within them. This sin nature separates and divides them from having fellowship with God. Unless this separating factor is removed, there will be no true relationship with God, and this is why God has made provision in advance for the declaration of individual sin, and He paid the price for the sin that is within.

Tomorrow I'd like to parenthetically turn my attention toward our nation as I believe it relates to this very problem of not admitting and confessing sin. So read ahead in the book of Jeremiah chapter eighteen especially concentrating on verses seven through thirteen.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Cleanses ALL Unrighteousness 1 John 1:9 - Equipped for Battle

Yesterday we learned that God is willing and able to forgive and to cleanse a person from all unrighteousness. He so desires fellowship with people that He will remove the very barrier that keeps them from having a relationship with Him – sin. Before we leave this wonderful verse, there is one more emphasis that John the Apostle makes for us here. He wrote:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Did you note the word “all” at the end of this verse? All, in the Greek, means “All”. Every sin, every wrong, every missed opportunity, every trespass, transgression, mistake or failure, God forgives and cleans from a person's life when they confess them before Him. Remember, confessing sins is more than just mouthing them. There is a vast difference between worldly sorrow and Godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow occurs when a person gets caught at his or her bad deed and is sorry about it. Godly sorrow recognizes that the infraction is against God Himself, and deep repentance happens within.

John said God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from “all” unrighteousness. Gossip, backbiting, lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, child abuse, battery, drug addictions, sexual sins, robbery, murder, etc. can and will be forgiven and cleansed by the one who sincerely comes to God with repentance in his or her heart.

I will admit that this is difficult to understand, but it is God's word, and He so desires fellowship with people, His creation, that He will forgive and cleanse them from “All” unrighteousness to do so. This is the power of the blood of Jesus that was spilled on the cross when He died for the sins of the whole world. Every sin, let me write it again, every sin, - one more time, every sin that anyone has ever committed against you or me Jesus paid for on the cross. And every sin that you or I have committed Jesus paid for on that cross too.

This is what makes God's grace, His “unmerited favor”, so amazing. This wonderful God stands ready and waiting to forgive and to cleanse anyone who has done anything wrong if they will only confess their sins to Him. However, if they should choose not to confess them...oh well, that is a lesson for tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

The Divine Eraser 1 John 1:9 - Equipped for Battle

The Apostle John has been sharing about the love of God that is so strong that He desires to have fellowship with every person. However, since man has a sinful nature and God is a holy and righteous God, there is separation from from God until something is done about the sinful nature. God has a plan to remove that sinful nature, as John declares in First John one verse nine:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

By confessing, turning away from, repenting of one's sins, the Heavenly Father immediately responds with what I call the divine eraser. First, God forgives sin. Every sin, missing of the mark, is against God. He gave the law, shared with Moses what the law was to be, and Jesus magnified the spirit of the law in His sermon on the mount. The law is God's law, and those who violate it in any point have broken all of it. Read what James the Apostle wrote in chapter two verse sixteen of his book:

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all.

So it may be that a person does really well in keeping one part of the law but violates it in another place, according to James, that person is guilty of breaking the whole law of God. This shows the importance of forgiveness, and when a person confesses his or her sins, God the Heavenly Father stands ready to forgive every sin.

Secondly, God stands ready to cleanse a person from their sins. It is one thing to forgive a person for their sins, it is quite another to cleanse them from them. Yet like a chalk board or white board that has been written all over with various mistakes, errors, wrongdoings and sins, the moment a person truly repents and turns from their sins, God takes His Divine eraser out and begins to wipe the board clean. Every sin, every mistake, every error and every wrongdoing is wiped away and fellowship is established with God. It's God's desire, and it's God's plan to forgive and remove violations against Him and His law that every person has committed to establish fellowship with Him.

There is one more lesson within this great verse, but we shall share about it tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Faithful and Just 1 John 1:9 - Equipped for Battle

Yesterday we learned the importance of confessing our sins, and without the admission of sins a person cannot have fellowship with God. To deny that there is a sin nature within, and somehow believe that a person has never done anything wrong is to deny a relationship with God. However, if a person confesses, turns from and repents of the sins he or she has done, there is a promise that John makes that accompanies that decision. John writes:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When a person chooses to confess his or her sins, John says that God is “faithful and just” to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God awaits the admission and repentance of our sins. He desires to have fellowship with us, but being a Holy and Righteous God, He cannot have fellowship with man until there is repentance from sins. It's the reason that He sent His son Jesus in the first place. Consider another place where John wrote in his gospel of John chapter three verse sixteen:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God loves every person, and God knows the perishing condition of man. He doesn't want anyone to perish, and He desires to have a relationship with all who are willing. He will not force anyone to have a relationship with Him, but He has made the provision to forgive and to cleanse a person from the very point of separation – sins. John knew that everyone sins and violates the law of God, and therefore they are separated from God.

The Apostle Paul also knew about sin. He wrote it this way in the book of Romans chapter three verse twenty-three:

“For all have sinned; and come short of the glory of God.”

Paul also wrote in Romans chapter three and verse ten through twelve:

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one.

When a person confesses his or her sins, the doorway to God's faithfulness and justness is released, and their sins are forgiven and cleansed no matter how bad those sins may be. Of course, that is a topic for tomorrow's lesson.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

If We Confess 1 John 1:9 - Equipped for Battle

We have been learning that God desires relationship and fellowship with people. However, there is a natural tendency toward sin (walking in darkness) in every person. Without the removal of that sin nature, man cannot walk with God. Isaiah the prophet said it this way in chapter fifty nine verses one and two in his book,:

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.

That was the purpose of Jesus coming. He came to remove the sin nature from people. They would no longer be separated from God but would rather have fellowship with Him. We learned yesterday “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” The sin nature no longer separates, and fellowship with God is enjoyed.

Three is, however, a role we must play in this sin removal process. John the apostle continues his exposition in first John chapter one verse nine:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In order to have a relationship with the Heavenly Father, a person must confess his or her sins. The idea behind this word “confess” is not just to admit them and declare that sins are present, but to declare them with the full intent to turn from them, repent of them, and desire to never do them again. This is where the problem lies with many people. They like their sins, enjoy their sins, and to turn from them in their eyes would not be living at all.

Nonetheless, according to John, for a person to have full fellowship with God, that person must admit, turn from, and be removed from all sins. If, and notice the word “if” (there is a choice) a person confesses their sins, there are great promises for them of which I shall write about at a later time.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

What? No Sin? 1 John 1:8 - Equipped for Battle

The little boy looked over at his sister and said, “I have never done anything wrong ever in my life.” The sister asked, “what about that time when you took the cookie out of the cookie jar when mom wasn't looking?” “Oh,” the boy answered, “that wasn't me, that was the product of me.” “What?” asked the sister incredulously. The boy determined boy said, “In my head, if everyone else before me did wrong, and did a sin like the preacher said, then it is their fault that I took that cookie, so that makes me innocent.” “Well that thinking may be in your head,” said the sister, “but when mom gets a hold of you, your bottom is going to think something else.”

The idea of sin is literally “to miss the mark”. The word “sin” comes from an archery term where people would put a target on a tree or a hoop on top of a tree, draw back their arrow in a bow, and shoot. If they miss the target, they “sinned” or “missed the mark.” The question becomes, “Well then, what is the target in a person's life, and how do I know if I have missed it?” Jesus gave us the target as recorded by the apostle Matthew in chapter five verse forty eight:

“Be therefore perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

If anyone is “perfect”, then he or she has never sinned. However, through the law of God, sin is exposed, and everyone is guilty even if their head says something else.

John the apostle wrote in first John one verse eight:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Sin, as spoken of by John in this verse, refers to a “sin nature” everyone receives when he or she is born. Have you ever noticed how you have to teach a child not to lie, to share his or her toys, or to be kind? The reason is because the tendency toward “sin” is natural. This sin nature, born within every person, is the reason that Jesus came in the first place. Sin cannot dwell with a holy and perfect God, so something had to be done about that sin. When a people say “we have no sin”, they are deceived, and the very beginning of the process for removing the “sin nature” within them is obstructed. There must be an admission that sin is there before it will be removed.

God wants to have fellowship with everyone in the world, and the first step toward that relationship is to admit that there is a sin nature within. Those who do so will find themselves closer and closer to their Creator who knows every thought and action that anyone has ever had or formed in their head.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Cleansed from All Sin 1 John 1:7 - Equipped for Battle

When a person takes the time to think about the different sins that Paul the Apostle lists in the book of Galatians chapter five and verses nineteen through twenty-one, one wonders if anyone should enter the kingdom of God. Every person is guilty of these infractions in one way or another. They are as follows:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The amazing thing about these listed areas, and there are more in other places, is that Jesus referred to these sins as being “spiritual” and not only “physical”- if a person breaks one of these laws within themselves rather just outwardly, they are guilty. For example, Jesus said,

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

It is the “spirit” of murder that makes a person guilty and not just murder itself. That was the purpose of the law – to show how every person is guilty before God. That's where John comes in. In 1 John 1:7 John declares,

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

No matter how guilty, no matter how evil, no matter how many times, and no matter how far a person has strayed away from the law of God, he or she can be cleansed from “all” sin. The key is to walk in the light as He is in the light. In other words, submit to Him. Walk with Him, and no longer walk after the deeds of the flesh that dwell within every man and woman who lives within the world.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Oh the Blood of Jesus 1 John 1:7 - Equipped for Battle

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.“

We have been learning that God desires fellowship with mankind, and by walking in the light, a person may have fellowship with Him. Since God is perfect and holy, without flaw or blemish, and people have error and sin in their lives, this presents a problem. But, by the blood of Jesus Christ, those errors and sins can be wiped away like a cleaned white board, and fellowship with God is maintained.

John says by walking in the light a person enjoys the fellowship with God, and this relationship is one in which there is a continuous cleansing by His blood. The Bible is very clear when it declares,

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22

There was a requirement that had to be met to have men;s sins forgiven and cleansed. That requirement was that there had to be a shedding of blood. This is the reason that sacrifices were instituted in the Old Testament, and when man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God was the first one to sacrifice an animal and used it to clothe Adam and Eve. Today, we enjoy a last and final sacrifice for our sins, and that sacrifice was made by Jesus when he died on the cross. His shed blood provided access for everyone who is willing to have fellowship with God.

The word “cleanses” means a continual cleaning, and anyone who is honest with themselves and others realize the constant need for the cleansing process. The question becomes, “Will God forgive any sin a person commits?” We'll address that question tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Walking in the Light 1 John 1:7 part 2 - Equipped for Battle

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

God desires to have fellowship with people, and yesterday we looked at the way to enjoy His fellowship: “walk in the light.” However, we asked, “What does it mean to “walk in the light”?” Does it mean that I have to turn a light on, or walk outside where the sunlight shines? What exactly does that mean?”

Previously we were told that “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” The idea is that He is perfect, without flaw, holy, and without sin or error. If someone desires to “walk in the light”, he or she must stay very close to Jesus. Because there is a natural tendency toward sin and error with people, most of them do not want to stay close to Jesus. They avoid His fellowship, and because they enjoy their “dark” deeds they do not desire His company. Therein lies a divide, a separation, and a chasm that does not allow or desire fellowship with God. This was the reason that Jesus came.

Mankind was created for fellowship with God. The very first book of the Bible, Genesis, teaches that fellowship with God was broken because man fell into sin. Instead of “walking in the light” Adam and Eve began their walk in darkness. This walk was passed from person to person from that time forward, and now the fruit of that walk in darkness is in full bloom. Man now naturally tends to walk in darkness, and thereby is separated from God.

John the apostle seeks to encourage his readers that there is a way to reestablish fellowship with God. Mankind no longer has to be separated. There really is a way to walk in the light, and when a person chooses to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, fellowship with God is reestablished, and the natural way of sin and darkness is removed. A cleansing process begins.

There is one thing that must be admitted before that cleansing begins, but we shall take that up tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Walking in the Light 1 John 1:7 - Equipped for Battle

Have you ever stubbed your toe on an item that you did not know was there in the middle of the night? One minute you're feeling your way around and though it is dark, you are going just fine, but then, ouch! You hit something unexpected. I haven't met a single person yet who enjoys that experience. In today's verse the apostle John shares the benefit to walking in the light of God. He writes in 1:John 1:7 -



If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.



(This verse has so much in it that we will take two days to go through it.) John has been talking about



God wants to have fellowship (koinonia) with men and women, and yet as we learned in previous verses, God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Man generally walks in darkness (sin), and since he does, he cannot have fellowship with God. This presents a problem that John addresses in this verse. Man must walk in the light to have fellowship with God, and the moment he or she walks in the light fellowship is established. The question is: How does a person turn from walking in darkness (sin) to walking in the light? The answer: by turning the light on.



Have you ever noticed that as soon as a light is turned on in a dark room the darkness goes away? Have you ever wondered where it went? You know that it is around because the moment you turn the light off again, the darkness reappears. But, where did it go? Much is the same when a person decides to receive Jesus into their lives. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world". Those who are wise learn quickly that in order to have fellowship with God, a person simply receives Jesus as their savior, and the light is turned on. Darkness goes away, and fellowship with God is known.



Walk in the light, as He is in the light, and enjoy fellowship with God today.



Until tomorrow... there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

God is Light without Darkness 1 John 1 - Equipped for Battle

Have you ever been in a place that is so dark that you cannot see your hand before your face? Whether it is deep within a cavern, or in a pitch black room, the experience is very unsettling in the least and scary if endured for too long. Today the apostle John contrasts the idea of walking in darkness with walking in the light.

One of the first understandings that a person must have to experience full joy by being in fellowship with God is that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. John writes in chapter one verses five and six:

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

John's message is very clear, and it was given by Jesus Himself: God is light, not God is a light, but God is light. It is the very essence of God. He has no darkness at all within Him. There is no blemish, no sin, nor fault or error within God. How then can darkness have fellowship with God? It cannot, and therein lies the great difficulty.

Paul the apostle adds these thoughts to this matter. He said in Galatians five verses nineteen through twenty-one:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

If a person is practicing these works of the flesh and walking in darkness, he or she cannot have fellowship with God. As John said, “If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”. In other words, saying we have fellowship with God and practicing works of darkness goes against the very nature of who God is, and those practicing these things with a belief that everything is okay with their relationship with God are deceived.

God desires everyone to have “fellowship” (the Greek word is “koinonia”) with Him. By this “fellowship” a person obtains full joy, and becomes like the light that God is. Darkness must be put away, and there is only one way for that to happen in a person's life. The answer to that dilemma will have to wait until tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Finding Joy in 1 John - Equipped for Battle

A young lady said to her fiance, “I just want to be happy,” and he responded, “I just want to be happy too, and as long as everything goes my way, I will be happy.” Isn't that the way happiness usually works? As long as everything is going exactly the way a person wants it, they are happy, but the minute things go against them, happiness subsides. “The light turned red when I wanted it green; She was great when we were first married, but the moment she got the ring, she changed; As long as the coach is winning we will be happy with him, but the moment a loss or two occur, watch out;” These are just a few examples of how quickly “happiness” is substituted for another emotion. Happiness is fleeting, but joy endures for a lifetime, and “joy” is one of the reasons that the Apostle John writes the book of First John.

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

John wrote these words in verse four of chapter one in the book of First John immediately after sharing his personal connection with Jesus. John saw, heard, looked upon and experienced Jesus personally. He was an eyewitness to Jesus' transfiguration, going to heaven, and walking among men. If anyone knew what it meant to have joy, John did. John's desire was that every person would have a relationship with Jesus, and the derivative of that relationship would be “joy” that is full. It would be joy that is not dependent upon circumstances or situations but would be a joy deep within that continues no matter what its surroundings might be.

Other disciples of Jesus wrote about this joy. Peter who was also an eyewitness to Jesus wrote of “joy unspeakable” to those who have not seen Jesus yet:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Peter proclaimed that the joy that comes from believing in Jesus is so wonderful that words cannot describe it.

Paul the Apostle wrote:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Paul declares that joy is a direct offspring of the fruit of the Spirit which is love. Those who know and believe in Jesus receive the Holy Spirit, and the result is a joy that is deep within which cannot be moved by win or loss, your way or not your way, or any other factor that may try to remove it.

If for no other reason, the book of First John should be read so that a person's joy may be full. John is faithful to declare the way to have full joy in this tiny five chapter book, and those who are wise will dive into the truth that is laid out before them to receive joy that goes beyond words.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

John Experiencing Jesus in 1 John - Equipped for Battle

What was it like to have walked with Jesus when He was on the earth? To know what He looked like, to hear His audible voice, to see His face in person, and to have watched Him as He walked among men? What was it like to watch Him heal blind eyes, open deaf ears, make lame men walk again, and raise people from the dead? How marvelous it must have been to hear Him teach and to know that everything He said was true and came from the Heavenly Father above. What a wonder it must have been to watch Him calm a stormy sea, create a massive catch of fish, and break five loaves and two fishes or seven loaves and two fishes so they fed five thousand and four thousand men respectively. This experience was enjoyed by John the Apostle, and it is from his perspective that he writes this small letter of First John that comes from his marvelous perspective.

John wrote in Chapter One verses one through three:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

John begins his book by declaring just who it was to whom he is referring: the one “from the beginning”. The Creator of man dwelt among men, and John was one of the fortunate ones to have experienced being directly connected to Him in person. John heard Him, saw Him with his eyes, looked upon Him, and handled Him with his hands. John saw Him when He was baptized by John the Baptist and heard John the Baptist declare, “Behold the lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.” It was very quickly after this event that John and his brother James began to follow Jesus, and their lives would be forever changed.

John declares that he experienced the “Word of life”, and he was a witness and proclaimed “that eternal life” that was with the Heavenly Father and was manifested or revealed to him and the other disciples. He had a reason to proclaim it:“that you also may have fellowship with us”. This fellowship with John and the other apostles is granted to all who will believe in the Father and His son Jesus Christ. From the very onset of the book John makes his purpose for writing this book very clear. He desired that all people would have a relationship with the Heavenly Father and His son Jesus, and by John's experience with Jesus in person, there could be no greater witness to whom Jesus really was.

The believer in Jesus is one who comes to trust in, rely upon and cling to Him in relationship rather than just religion. Today there is a way to truly have a relationship with God through belief in His son Jesus, and John the apostle want to assure his readers that Jesus indeed wants to have fellowship with all who will simply come to Him.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

How to Know God in 1 John part 2 - Equipped for Battle

Yesterday, we looked at two ways that John the apostle meant to help people know God rather than just know “about” God. Today we will look at two other ways to truly know God.

The next question John answers is, “how can a person know that God abides or lives within them”? John shares in Chapter three verse twenty-four:

“And he that keeps his commandments dwells in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

When a person keeps the commandments of God, not by legalistic rule, but because it is their desire to please God, it is evidence that the Spirit of God is within them. No one can “earn” God's salvation through Jesus by keeping the law. The law was given to show man guilty before God. However, when a person has God living within them, there is a desire to keep the commandments of God and thereby please the Lord.

Finally, John answers this question, “With so many different religions in the world, how does a person really know which one is the one is correct? In First John four verse two and three he writes:

“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

John also writes in verse six of chapter four:

“We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error”

John also says in chapter four verse fourteen:

“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

And in chapter five verse two John writes:

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”

Four ways are given to know which religion is correct: (1) Jesus came in the flesh; (2) We hear what the apostles declared about Jesus; (3) He has given us His Spirit; and (4) We love the children of God. If a person follows these four ways, he or she will know the relationship that God desires with every person. More will be said about these four ways as we study through the book of First John.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

How to Know God in 1 John - Equipped for Battle

There is a vast difference in knowing someone by head knowledge and actually knowing them with one's heart. For example, it may be that a person knows “about” someone famous, but they do not actually “know” them on a personal level. For many, this is their relationship with God. They know “about” Him, they have heard “about” Him, and they may have even read or experienced something “about” Him, but they do not actually “know” Him. John the Apostle seeks to remedy this “knowing” of God through His five chapter letter that we call First John, and by reading his words, a person can come to really “know” God and have a relationship with Him.

First, how does a person “know” that God loves them? In Chapter three and verse sixteen John says:

“Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us:”

When Jesus came to the Earth, He came for one reason, “to seek and to save that which was lost”, and the way that He did this was to die on the cross for everyone's sin. He “laid down his life for us”. There are no other examples, no other references, and no other ways that He needs to show that He loves us. He gave His sinless life as a substitute for our sinful life, and as the scripture says, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Next, how does a person “know” that he or she is of the truth? John says in Chapter three verse nineteen:

“And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.”

This goes along with verse eighteen of the same chapter that says:

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

What a person “does” reveals a lot about what they actually believe. For example, if a person says, “I hate hot fudge Sundays” and yet eats five of them, that person's statement might be greatly doubted. Or if a person says, “I love everyone” and steals from, curses, and fights with everyone they know, their proclamation would be false. Their actions speak louder than their words. John's little book is meant to help a person to not only “say” they know God, but live in a manner that demonstrates that they do.

John reveals more ways for a person to know God, but we shall take them up tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Self-Deception Revealed in 1 John - Equipped for Battle

Self-Deception is a very common trait among people. It is very easy to be convinced within one's own soul that he or she is okay, complete, and good enough. First John helps a person realize that what he or she thinks he or she knows about themselves may not be as sure as they believe.

For example, a person can be deceived about their fellowship with God. Chapter one verse six says:

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”

Some people believe that they can live their lives in any fashion they desire and still have fellowship with God. According to John the Apostle, this is not so. If a person has a proclivity to walk in dark ways, he or she has deceived him or herself if they believe they have fellowship with God.

Next John says a person can be deceived if they believe they have no sin. Chapter one verse eight says:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Sin is an archery term that literally means, “to miss the mark”. Archers would put a hoop on top or attach a target to a tree and pull back an arrow and shoot. If they missed the hoop or target it was a “sin”, “to miss the mark”. The question becomes, “Well, what is the mark in a person's life?” Jesus said, “Be therefore perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” If any reader, or writer for that matter, is perfect, then they “have no sin”, otherwise to believe that they have “no sin” shows only that the truth is not in them.

John then addresses those who believe they abide in God. In Chapter two verse six it says:

“He that saith he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

For a person to truly walk as Jesus walked, he or she must become familiar with the way Jesus behaved when He was on the Earth. Jesus said if a person really wanted to know what God was like, they should look at His example: “He that has seen me has seen the Father.” For a person to simply say they abide in God but do not walk the same as He did, they are deceived.

John next says a person can be deceived if they believe they know God, and do not keep His commandments. In Chapter two verse four it says:

“He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

People often claim to know God, however it is imperative for a person to keep the commandments of God if they truly know Him. Although people fail and make mistakes at times, the idea in this verse is that if a person perpetually breaks the commandments of God without any regard or hesitation whatsoever, that person is deceived and as John says, “is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

Finally John says a person can be deceived by saying they love God but at the same time hate their brother. In Chapter four verse twenty it says:

“If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

To make the declaration “I love God” is a wonderful claim, however, according to John, if a person says “I love God” and yet hates another person, that claim is invalid. There is a direct relationship between the love of God and the love of others. They cannot be separated. John emphasizes that the truth is that the person who hates another person and claims he or she loves God “is a liar”. That is a pretty strong case for loving others isn't it?

So there are many claims that John reveals that are nothing less than self-deception. It is definitely time for this writer to review John's words and examine his heart. May those who read these words do the same, and let deception be put away.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore

Jesus Our Example in 1 John - Equipped for Battle

In our ongoing study through the book of First John, we learned that John wrote these words that we might have full joy, not sin, and know we have eternal life. Now we turn to John's words for an example for living this life God has given us. Jesus is our example.

First, Jesus is our example in our walk with God. In 1 John the first chapter and verse seven it says,

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

and in chapter 2 verse six it says,

“He that saith he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

Second, Jesus is our example in our spiritual life. In Chapter 3 verse two it says,

"Beloved now are we the sons of God, but it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

Third, Jesus is our example in purity. In Chapter 3 verse three and then seven it says,

"Every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure." (v3)

"I am righteous as He is righteous." (v7)

Fourth, Jesus is our example in relationships with others. In Chapter 3 verse twenty-three it says,

"This is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave us commandment."

Finally, Jesus is our example in our relationship with God. Chapter 4 verse seventeen says,

"Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world."

Remember as we journey through the treasures of this small book, Jesus is our example of how we are to relate to God and others. He is our example for purity, in our spiritual life and in our walk with God. There are so many more precious thoughts and ideas in the book of First John, and we will discover them together as we share in God's word.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore