Download Here:

For The Church At War – Part 2
1 John 2:12-14 (13-14)
February 20, 2022

We started looking at this passage last time, and when I started studying it
I had every intention of covering the whole thing in one sitting,
But I was enamored with that marvelous statement in verse 12.

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.”

It is a remarkable thing to contemplate forgiveness
And it is certainly a wonderful thing to know why it was offered.

We rest in our forgiveness and in the security of that forgiveness
Because it is done for the glory of God.

But I realize in stopping at verse 12
That it left the idea of the passage hanging just a little.

I titled this text “For The Church At War”

And I told you that THE PURPOSE of these 3 verses is
To bring some encouragement to the soldiers
Who are currently caught in the middle of the struggle.

They are facing LIARS & DECEIVERS.

John has already called out several liars.
• One who says he has fellowship with God and yet walks in darkness.
• One who says he knows Christ but doesn’t obey Him.

John has exposed several who are deceived.
• Like those who say they have no sin
• Or those who say they have not sinned
• Or those who say they know Christ and yet hate their brother

There is clearly an evil infiltration that is occurring.

And we talked about last time how THIS IS DETRIMENTAL.
Any time the truth is distorted the casualties are many.

CERTAINLY IT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE LOST
• Jesus came to forgive and save sinners.
• But if a man denies that he is a sinner in need of forgiveness then obviously he can’t be saved.

IT IS ALSO DETRIMENTAL TO THOSE WHO ARE IN THE CHURCH.
• When the gospel is distorted then assurance is the casualty.
• If you don’t know that you are saved or why you are saved it is very difficult to enjoy the benefits of salvation.
AND IT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE GLORY OF CHRIST.
• If you remove sin and forgiveness from the gospel you remove the glory of Christ.
• And salvation is for His name’s sake.

So John is on a mission to bring much needed clarity.

You are aware of the clarity that he has brought thus far.
It is so direct and black and white that it is impossible to miss.

John has drawn clear lines in the sand for evaluation.
• Do you deny your sin or do you confess it?
• Do you obey Christ or do you disobey Him?
• Do you love your brother or do you hate your brother?

These are really clear distinguishing marks
To determine if genuine salvation has occurred.

But as we said LAST TIME,
Such a direct letter seems to have motivated a question.

“Why are you writing like this to us John?”

• I mean, you really came out of the gate swinging.
• You’ve written some direct stuff regarding who is saved and who is not.
• You’ve written some direct stuff regarding what salvation is and what it is not.

WHY DID YOU WRITE THIS LETTER LIKE THIS JOHN?

That question is not mentioned, but it is answered.

In fact in verses 12-14 John uses the phrase 6 times.
“I am writing to you…because”

It’s as though John has said, “I hope you don’t think this is strange that I would write such a direct letter to you, there is a reason.”

Now last time we looked at the first two reasons.
#1 CORPORATE ASSURANCE
1 John 2:12a

John said one of the reasons that I am writing to you is because
I want all of you, who are in the Lord, to know that you are forgiven.

When these deceivers come in a blur up the lines
It runs the risk of robbing genuinely saved people of their assurance.

I wrote to clarify what salvation is and what it is not.
I wrote to clarify who is saved and who is not.
And I did that because I want those who are saved to know it.

Sometimes the temptation is to leave the lines of salvation a bit blurry.
• You take a man who lives in sin…
• You take a man who doesn’t obey Christ…
• You take a man who hates his brother…

But you say, “Well, I wouldn’t say that you’re lost…”

You may think you’re being compassionate when you do that.

But in reality what you are doing is fueling his false assurance.
AND you are confusing those who are saved.

John wanted to set the record straight.
• He wanted those who are saved to know they are saved.
• He wanted those who have been forgiven to know they have been forgiven.

You’ll also remember, I told you that verse 12 is for all the redeemed.

• I told you that “little children” in verse 12
• And “children” in verse 13 is two different groups.
• It is even two different Greek words.

We are all those “little children” who have been forgiven.

John is being direct to help us see that.

We also looked at the second reason that John has been so direct.
#2 CLARIFIED WORSHIP
1 John 2:12b

John wanted the redeemed to know they are forgiven
And he wanted them to know why.
It is “for His name’s sake.”

We have to be clear about the truth of the gospel and salvation
• Not only for the sake of the lost man who must be convicted,
• Not only for the redeemed man who should be comforted,
• But also for the sake of Christ who must be glorified.

And so John says the reason I’m writing to you is because
I want Christ to be glorified for forgiving you.

BUT THIS MORNING WE MOVE ON
To the third reason for John’s bold and direct writing.

Corporate Assurance, Clarified Worship
#3 CALM CHILDREN
1 John 2:13-14

This is really an interesting couple of verses.
• Granted, when you first read them you can come away wondering what in the world John is talking about.

But once we do understand it, his point is very reassuring.

John is seeking to encourage various people in the church
In regard to their relationship with God
And in regard to their role in this war which is being fought.

Every soldier in battle needs encouragement.
Every soldier in battle needs to know his role.
JOHN IS CLARIFYING THAT.

Now, what you clearly see as we read these two verses is that John identifies 3 types of people.

• We see “fathers”
• We see “young men”
• We see “children”

FIRST you should understand that we are NOT speaking here in a physical sense, but in a spiritual one.

As many have pointed out, these can be clearly categorized as levels of spiritual maturity.

• “fathers” would be the most mature.
• “young men” would be the next level down.
• “children” would be new converts or those whose faith has never grown.

And so you also then understand that

• “fathers” is NOT a term limited only to men, it can also be a reference spiritually to mature women of faith.
• Likewise “young men” is NOT limited just to young males, but can also be a reference to those women who are at this level, and really it is believers of any age.

This is a spiritual analogy, not a physical one.
He is using figurative language to make a point.

Now, in that let’s discuss for a moment these 3 levels that John brings up.
1) THE SUSCEPTIBLE

These would be the “children”
These would be those whom we would call “babes in Christ”

Now there is some Biblical precedent for this also being those who have been saved and never grown or matured.

FOR EXAMPLE we have the writer of Hebrews:
Hebrews 5:11-14 “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

We have Paul to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,”

So there is a precedent for saying that “children” here
Could be those who have for some reason refused to grow spiritually.

But I don’t think John is here seeking to rebuke lazy believers.

John’s point is to encourage and therefore it seems obvious
That he is merely referencing new believers.
AND THERE IS NO REBUKE FROM JOHN HERE TO THEM

John is referring to those who have recently been saved.

John references them at the end of verse 13
And says, “I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.”

This is a wonderful reality.

These are babes in Christ.
These are the newly converted.
• They don’t have a handle on deep theology.
• They can’t debate the truths of Christianity.
• They aren’t real sure about many things in the ministry.

But they are sure of one thing.
They “know the Father”

Think about an actual infant or child.
• A 2 year old child doesn’t know what his dad does for a living.
• That child doesn’t understand what his dad does all day.
• That child doesn’t really even know a lot about his dad.

• He doesn’t know about his passions or much about his abilities.
• He doesn’t know what makes his dad tick.
• He still has a lot to learn about his dad’s likes and dislikes.

Really and truly a 2 year old is pretty ignorant about who his dad truly is.

But one thing that baby knows – HE IS DAD
That he gets.

And this is rung 1 of Christian maturity.
EVERYONE STARTS HERE.

• These are the new converts in a church who have a whole lot to learn yet.
• These are the spiritual babes in our church who don’t know a whole lot about who their Father is.

They know God is their Father,
But they may not know a whole lot more than that.

And what is John’s point?
Well, as you will see, these are those who ARE SUSCEPTIBLE.

These are the ones who are in the greatest danger
Of being deceived and discouraged and led astray.

Like an actual baby, their discerners aren’t fully operational yet.
• They don’t yet know you can’t drink the Drano under the sink.
• They don’t yet realize that the oven door will burn you.

• They aren’t ready yet to handle the full blown heresies of Gnosticism.
• They are susceptible to those deceptions.

They are “children”

Now, one thing I find particularly interesting
• John mentions “fathers” and “young men” twice,
• He only mentions “children” once.

And, if you’ll notice, he sort of sandwiches them in between.
If there is a word picture going on here
Then it is certainly one of protection and spiritual care.

But just understand that in the church there are always “children”
Who are saved and who are forgiven
But who are more susceptible to the deceiving lies of the enemy.

Now there is a second group.
2) THE SOLDIERS

This is those “young men”.

They are the next level up on the spiritual maturity chart.

You see them twice.
(13) “I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the devil.”

And again:
(14) “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

These are the soldiers.
• They have moved beyond the milk that infants drink and they have begun to digest the meat of the word.
• They have developed their theology.
• They have solidified their doctrine.
• They have studied and grasped and understood the gospel.

And they are putting their knowledge to the test on the battlefield.
• They are challenging heresy.
• They are challenging false assumptions.
• They are warring for the truth.

We see such references in Scripture.

1 Timothy 1:3-4 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.”

1 Timothy 1:18-20 “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”

1 Timothy 4:11-16 “Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

2 Timothy 1:6-8 “The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,”

2 Timothy 2:1-7 “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

Timothy is a great example of what we’re talking about.

These “are strong, and the word of God abides” in them.

• They’ve read the Bible.
• They let the word of Christ dwell within them richly.
• They know the truth.
• They preach the truth.
• They defend the truth.
• They war for the truth.

This is that next step of spiritual maturity and growth.
You get saved and you immediately start your growth

• Those infants are born again into the kingdom and they immediately enter fellowship with the Father.
• But then they begin to eat the meat of the word to learn all about who their Father is.
• And as they grow in the grace and knowledge of the truth they grow in spiritual maturity.

You see them also in a congregation.
• These are those soldiers, those “young men”
• And certainly in a battle for truth disillusionment can set in.

It’s hard to fight battles over and over and over.
Soldiers become weary

And the 3rd group
3) THE STRONG

This would be those John calls “fathers”

Twice John mentions them and he says the same thing both times.

(13) “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.”

(14) “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.”

This is a different kind of knowledge than the child has.

They don’t just know God is their Father,
They know who their Father is.

• They have spent countless hours communing with God in the word.
• They have spent hours communing with God in prayer.
• They have spent days and nights walking with God.

We might say that the child knows who God is.
We might say that the young man knows about God.
We might say that the father knows God.

He understands God in His eternal and sovereign reality.
He knows “Him who has been from the beginning.”

He is not the slightest bit derailed by the modern distortions.
He does not get confused by the latest fads and notions of God.

HE KNOWS GOD.
It is solidified and concrete.

I think of men like R.C. Sproul when I think of this or men like Oswald Chambers.

We are NOT talking here about the old folks in a congregation.
You can be a senior adult and still be a child in the faith.

These “fathers” started as children
• But they then devoured the word until they comprehended the mysteries of the faith.
• They fought many battles and they begot many spiritual children.
• But their knowledge went beyond mere knowledge and became the very essence of their walk.

They are not simply socially mature, they are spiritually mature.

1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.”

When you read of elders in the Bible, you see this theme emerge.
1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

Paul describes them in his letter to Timothy
1 Timothy 3:1-7 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

These are the men who know God
And who know therefore what the church is to be
And how she should conduct herself.

So John here clearly identifies these 3 levels of spiritual maturity.

He DOESN’T REBUKE them for the level they are in,
In fact, if anything he unifies them
By reminding them in verse 12 that they all are forgiven.

The purpose of John here is
• TO REVEAL that in the church some are weak and some are mature.
• And TO ENCOURAGE each person in their walk and purpose.

For example take the children, those who are babes in Christ.
John writes to: REASSURE THE SUSCEPTIBLE

“I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.”

Imagine being a 3 year old child
And one day a strange man walks in the door and looks at you and says, “I am your Father.”

Is that kid going to say, “Oh, ok, wow you look different, but if you say so.”?
No, that kid is going to say, “No you’re not, I know my dad, and you’re not him.”

In fact little kids love to say to other people who are giving them direction,
“You’re not my dad!”

How does that coincide here?

Well, you’ve had a church infiltrated
By people who are distorting who God is.

And John rights to reassure these spiritual babes,
“You know better than that. You know that is not your Father.”

That is one of the reasons John has been so simple and direct.
He is simply reminding these spiritual infants what they know to be true.
• It’s what we’ve called Christianity 101 several times.
• It’s basic stuff.

John is writing to remind even the spiritually immature of what they know.
• You know your Heavenly Father dwells in Light.
• You know your Heavenly Father is holy.
• You know your Heavenly Father is love.

YOU KNOW THIS.

So don’t let someone walking in darkness act like they know your Father.
Don’t let someone living in sin act like they are in fellowship with your Father.
Don’t let someone who doesn’t love tell you they are from your Father.

Does that make sense?
That is why John is writing.
He is writing to REASSURE THE SUSCEPTIBLE.

But John is also writing to that next group – THE STRONG; why?
John is writing to REAFFIRM THE STRONG

Look at what John told them.
(14) “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

What a great statement!
These are those warriors on the front lines fighting the battles.

And John reminds them:

“you are strong” – in other words, you can do this. This battle is not beyond you.

“the word of God abides in you” – in other words, you are right! In this debate, you have the truth, not them. Don’t let their arguments sidetrack you.

“you have overcome the evil one” – in others words, you are winning!

The Greek word there is NIKAO
It’s were the shoe company Nike gets its name.
It means “to conquer or to prevail”

John said that he was writing to these young men
Because he wanted them to know that they are doing well!

Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

When you are constantly fighting battles
And constantly being hit with debate and opposing arguments
IT CAN BE EASY TO BEGIN TO SECOND GUESS.

He wrote this letter to reaffirm to those spiritual soldiers
That they are right and should keep going!

Think about the things John has said just in a chapter and a half.

• John has emphatically stated that if you walk in darkness you don’t know God.
• John has emphatically stated that if you aren’t obedient you aren’t saved.
• John has emphatically stated that if you don’t love you don’t know God.

Why do you suppose John has been so forceful and dogmatic?

He was writing that way to encourage those young men
Who had been on the front lines preaching the gospel.

• If you are one of those people who has actually confronted a sinner…
• If you are one of those people who has actually exposed a lack of obedience…
• If you are one of those people who has actually exposed a lack of love…

You know that when you expose such things
It can often bring a whirlwind of opposition down on your head.

Not only will the sinner often attack,
But even many who claim Christianity
Will rebuke you for being wrong and unloving.

It is hard to stand for truth in a culture that loves sin.

But what does it do for your faith when you read something like this from John that is so clear and bold?

John wrote so direct and forceful and bold because
He was seeking to reaffirm that soldier
Who has been preaching the same thing.

How encouraging it must have been to read that letter from John
If you had just been preaching that in the world.

He wrote to reassure the susceptible – you know who God is, don’t be deceived.
He wrote to reaffirm the soldier – you are fighting correctly, and you are winning!

And John wrote to: REMIND THE STRONG

He said it twice “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who was from the beginning.”

What was John reminding them of?
Of their responsibility.

John is writing this letter to the church,
He is leaving a blueprint for the other “fathers” to follow.

Those “fathers”; those spiritually mature who know God
• They should be reassuring the children as John is.
• They should be reaffirming the soldiers as John is.

They knew Gnosticism was heresy.
They knew it was wrong.
And they could not just sit back silently.

The church needed these spiritually mature
To rise to the forefront and help the rest.

There were spiritual infants who were really confused,
• These spiritually mature needed to reassure them as to who God is.

There were soldiers on the front lines getting attacked for their gospel preaching,
• These spiritually mature needed to reaffirm them and stand beside them.

THAT IS WHY JOHN IS WRITING.

SEE, THIS IS A CHURCH AT WAR.
• The soldiers needed to be strengthened.
• The soldiers needed to be encouraged.
• The soldiers needed to be made clear as to their roles.

AND JOHN IS WRITING TO DO JUST THAT.

So do you see why he has been so direct?
Do you see why he has been so bold?

This letter is for the benefit of the church.

It is for the benefit of the whole church
The mature and the immature.

He wants them to know the truth.
• To know they are forgiven.
• To know who God is.
• To know the gospel they preach is right.
• To know they are victorious.

And that is a GREAT BLUEPRINT for us.

Let me ask you,
Where are you on that spiritual maturity chart?

But wherever you are in that chart, do you now see your role?

If you are child in the faith,
• Cling to your Father and don’t let someone tell you He is someone He is not.
• Get in the word and learn more about Him.
• Grow in the grace and knowledge of the truth.
• Prepare to become a soldier.

Are you one of those soldiers on the front lines?
• Then keep fighting, you are strong, you are right, and you are winning.
• Don’t let the enemy discourage you, keep up the good fight.
• Fight off the heresies and defend the purity of the gospel.

Are you a spiritual father?
• Then take what you know of God and start encouraging those soldiers.
• Take what you know and start comforting those children.
• Help make the gospel clear as John has.
• Quit blurring the lines, quit softening the truth.
• If it is sin, call it sin like John does.
• That brings clarity to the church.
• If it is a fruit of salvation then say so, and if it is not then say that too.
• The gospel demands such clarity.

This is why John wrote and it is so comforting to us.
We are in a war and we must serve the right way.

Download Here:

Thinking About Steadfastness
Psalms 119:129-136
February 13, 2022

Last time we met here in Psalms 119,
We talked about resisting compromise.

There is an enormous amount of pressure placed upon
The Christian to compromise his convictions.

• We live in a world that loves sin and hates righteousness.
• We live in a world that loves darkness and hates light.
• We live in a world that loves error and hates truth.

It is just as Jesus said:
John 3:19-20 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

This is also the reason for oppression upon God’s people.

The night before Jesus died He told His disciples:
John 15:18-25 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. “He who hates Me hates My Father also. “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. “But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’”

We see that the hatred and oppression that the world has for Christians
Is really simply a manifestation of the hatred the world has for Christ.

• The evil world is of their father the devil.
• They hate God, just as he hates God.
• They seek to rebel against God, just as he rebelled against God.

And they hate the fact that the righteous God
Will one day judge them for their wicked deeds.

And that would be no problem for us, except
That when we became followers of Christ,
We then also became enemies of the world.

THE WORLD HATES CHRIST
And all who take His name and preach His message.
And so oppression for the Christian is a reality.

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

If you follow Christ…
If you preach His truth…
If you proclaim His name…
Rest assured you will be hated for it.

We are all aware of the beatitudes,
And we remember that the last two beatitudes are sort of an indicator
As to whether or not you are living the first six.

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

And we could go on and on, but the point is made,
Oppression and persecution are reality for any who seek to follow Christ.

And as we said last week, this oppression is A CHOICE for us.

Affliction or hardship or misery is a guarantee in this life
And is virtually unavoidable.

We live in a fallen, sinful world and because of that affliction
Happens to everyone, and often cannot be escaped.

But Christian oppression is NOT like that.
It is actually a choice that a Christian must make.

We often have the ability to put an end to our oppression,
And that is simply done by compromise.

Just let go of Jesus’ name…
Just quit proclaiming His truth…
Just turn around and go the other direction…

If you do, the world will love you, but you will have failed Christ.

And that is why as Christians we are told
Not only to ENDURE suffering, but to EMBRACE it.

1 Peter 4:1-2 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

2 Timothy 1:8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,”

2 Timothy 2:3 “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

The writer of Hebrews said:
Hebrews 13:12-14 “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”

And this is really the very essence of what Jesus meant when He said:
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

It is obvious that as Christians
We are not called to continually take the easy way out.

We are not called to take the path of least resistance.
We are not called to be men pleasers.

I’m often mindful of the statement of Paul:
Colossians 1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”

As we have said that does not mean that Christ didn’t finish suffering.
It simply means that the world is not yet finished persecuting Christ.

And Paul says “I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church”

It sort of forces us to ask, “Do I do my share of the suffering, or do I leave that for others?”

As Christians we are called to embrace the suffering
That will inevitably come with being faithful to our Lord.

And so compromise really has no place in the Christian walk.

Listen to what God told a couple of His prophets of old:

When Jeremiah whined to God about the suffering being too severe:
Jeremiah 15:19 “Therefore, thus says the LORD, “If you return, then I will restore you — Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them.”

When God was preparing Ezekiel for the ministry before him:
Ezekiel 2:3-7 “Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. “I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ “As for them, whether they listen or not — for they are a rebellious house — they will know that a prophet has been among them. “And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. “But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.”

And this message is continued in the New Testament.
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

I think we get the picture.
We call this being steadfast.

And this is a good word to describe our Psalmist.
Tonight, let’s think a little about what it means to be steadfast.

And I’ll just tell you here.
• Being steadfast is not rooted in some sort of inner strength or stubbornness.
• Being steadfast is not a genetic trait
• Being steadfast doesn’t come from being some sort of courageous hero type.

TONIGHT WE’LL SEE WHERE STEADFASTNESS COMES FROM
AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

4 characteristics
#1 IT LOVE’S GOD’S WORD
Psalms 119:129-130

We actually talked about this concept last week.

In verses 121-128 we saw our Psalmist continually resist compromise.
They had oppressed him because of his righteousness
And he was more than ready for God to come and vindicate him.

But despite his oppression the Psalmist would not compromise,
And the reason was because he loved God’s Word.

Psalms 119:127-128 “Therefore I love Your commandments Above gold, yes, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.”

And this is reiterated here in the beginning of the next stanza.
“Your testimonies are wonderful;”

“wonderful” translates PE-LE
It means “astounding” or “unfathomable”

Samson’s parents
Judges 13:17-18 “Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?” But the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

Isaiah’s Christmas prophecy
Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

And that is the same description the Psalmist uses for God’s word.
It is “wonderful”

And he is not just saying that they are good,
He is saying that they are TRANSCENDENT.

They are lofty and exalted.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Remember what David said about God’s omniscience in Psalms 139?
Psalms 139:1-6 “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.”

Paul said the same in the New Testament:
Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

That is the message of the Psalmist about God’s Word
It is “wonderful”

“Therefore my soul observes them.”

“observes” is NASAR
It means “to guard, keep, watch over”

And interesting use of the word comes in Ezekiel when God talks about people who are under attack.
Ezekiel 6:12 “He who is far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I spend My wrath on them.”

There the word is translated “besieged”
• It is referring to those who survived the battle and now are kept under guard
and constant watch.

And the Psalmist says that is what he does for God’s word.
• He is constantly watching it…
• He is constantly focusing on it…
• He is devoted to it…
• He even guards it…

WHY?
Because it is “wonderful”

And so I just want you to see a very important point.
STEADFASTNESS BEGINS WITH
AN ASTONISHMENT OF GOD’S WORD.

The Psalmist is totally captivated by God’s Word.
He loves it.

THIS IS WHY HE WILL NOT COMPROMISE.
Some would say: “Come on man, let it go, is it really worthy all the oppression?”

The Psalmist would say, “yes”, it is “wonderful”,
That’s why I can’t let it go.

Furthermore, that is why he KEEPS STUDYING it and even PREACHING it.

(130) “The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”

It is obvious from this verse that our Psalmist is not only obedient,
But is also a committed student of God’s word as well as a teacher of it.
He loves to see God’s word unfolded.

And the Psalmist says that doing that “gives light”

Light always has three meanings.
1) Understanding
“Shine some light on the subject” or “His light came on”

2) Hope
“Light at the end of the tunnel” or “Light in the darkness”

3) Righteousness
“Deeds of darkness or deeds of light”

And all of those three are certainly benefits which are achieved
From carefully “unfolding” the word of God.

Specifically here the Psalmist mentions the “understanding” part.

“It gives understanding to the simple.”
I think the Psalmist here would include himself and those he teaches.

Psalms 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”

We are not those that the world would ever call wise.
And yet, wisdom is what we have, because of God’s Word.
And so you see this picture here of our Psalmist
Who just can’t stop gazing into the word of God.
He is captivated by it.

He is most blown away how it can take a simple man like himself
And give him such wisdom.

Remember?
Psalms 119:98-100 “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts.”

And this is where his steadfastness begins.
It begins with a love for God’s word.
• You’ll never be committed to God’s word if you don’t love it.
• But you’ll never love it if you aren’t captivated by it.
• And you’ll never be captivated if you don’t read it.

But if you’ll study this book, it is only a matter of time
Before its value will increase in your life as well.
IN FACT LOOK AT WHAT WE SEE NEXT

The Steadfast heart loves God’s Word
#2 IT LONGS FOR GOD’S WORD
Psalms 119:131-132

And of course this is only logical and obvious.
If a person love’s God’s Word then they begin to long for God’s Word.

“I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.”

It reminds of David’s statement:
Psalms 63:1 “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

It reminds of Jesus:
John 4:31-34 “Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”

Or again:
Matthew 4:3-4 “And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'”

Certainly that is the imagery given to us by the Psalmist.
He is panting, he is begging for God’s Word.

In fact look at the next verse.
(132) “Turn to me and be gracious to me, After Your manner with those who love Your name.”

He actually tells God to “be gracious”
Be gracious like You always are to those who love Your name.

Gracious about what?
Gracious in regard to his request for God’s Word.

Any preacher charged with preaching a text understands this prayer!

He doesn’t see having God’s Word as a right,
He sees it as a privilege.

This is often lost on us today in America.
• We have Bibles stacked on bibles.
• We have constant and instant access to the Word of God.

BUT THIS IS NOT SO FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.
(The China formula: Your population x .0045)
(Spur would have 6 Bibles)

There are people in the world who count access to God’s Word
As the finest of privileges,
And yet in America Bible reading seems burdensome.

David Platt writes in his book “Radical” about a house church meeting in an Asian country were church meetings are illegal.

“On my first day with these believers, they simply asked me to lead a Bible study. “Please meet us tomorrow at two o’clock in the afternoon.”
So I put some thoughts together for a short Bible study and went to the designated location, where about twenty house-church leaders were waiting. I don’t remember when we started, but I do remember that eight hours later we were still going strong. We would study one passage, and then they would ask about another. This would lead to another topic, then to another, and by the end of the day, our conversations had ranged from dreams and visions to tongues and the Trinity.
It was late in the evening, and they wanted to continue studying, but they needed to get back to their homes. So they asked the two main church leaders and me, “Can we meet again tomorrow?” I said, “I would be glad to. Shall we meet at the same time?” They responded, “No, we want to start early in the morning.” I said, “Okay. How long would you like to study?” They replied, “All day.” Thus began a process in which, over the next ten days, for eight to twelve hours a day, we would gather to study God’s Word. They were hungry.”

Later he speaks of the conditions of the meeting place.
He called it a “small room”

And then wrote:
“Despite its size, sixty believers have crammed into it. They are all ages, from precious little girls to seventy-year-old men. They are sitting either on the floor or on small stools, lined shoulder to shoulder, huddled together with their Bibles in their laps. The roof is low, and one light bulb dangles from the middle of the ceiling as the sole source of illumination.
No sound system. No band. No guitar. No entertainment. No cushioned chairs. No heated or air-conditioned building. Nothing but the people of God and the Word of God. And strangely, that’s enough.”
(Platt, David “Radical” pg. 22-26)

These people saw God’s Word as a privilege,
And so did our Psalmist, he longs for it.

And this is a KEY to having a steadfast heart.
• It starts with admiration of God’s word.
• It forms into love for God’s word.
• That turns into a longing for God’s word.

And then look what happens.

#3 IT LEANS ON GOD’S WORD
Psalms 119:133-135

And of course now it makes sense why our Psalmist longs for it so much.
He longs for it because he leans on it.
He needs the word of God.

God’s Word is in fact a privilege,
But don’t let that cause you to assume that is not a necessity.

In fact, notice the Psalmist is leaning on God’s Word for three things.
(It is these three things that allow him to be steadfast)

1) STRENGTH (133)

“Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.”

The Psalmist wants to stand.
And he wants to stand in purity.
And the place he goes for strength is God’s Word.

I have this conversation fairly often.
A person is seemingly trapped in a sin and they want out.

How do they get out?
How are sinful habits broken?

Start here:
Galatians 5:16-17 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

Paul speaks of the flesh that desires sin.

But the Spirit is the One who wars against the flesh
And keeps us from committing that sin.

And the admonition of Paul then is to “walk by the Spirit”
If you “walk by the Spirit, you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”

But what does it mean to walk by the Spirit?
Very simply it is to obey the words that the Spirit inspired – God’s word.

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Do you want to overcome sin?
Do you want sin to no longer have dominion over you?

Well certainly you must be saved, otherwise you are still in bondage.
But even as a saved person you must fill your mind with the word of God.

It begins to work a supernatural transformation in you.
It cleanses you.

The Psalmist knew he would get strength from God’s word.
He leaned upon it in his quest for purity.

2) INCENTIVE (134)

“Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts.”

Now the oppressor shows up again.
This is that man who is inflicting pain on him.

• He wants God to deliver him from the oppressor.
• He wants God to help him stand strong.
• He wants God to pull him out of their snare.

Why does he want God to redeem him?

“That I may keep Your precepts.”

Remember, the double-minded can be a barrier to obedience.
He wants deliverance, so that he can freely obey.

So God’s Word not only provides strength against sin, but also incentive.

HE DOESN’T WANT TO BE DISOBEDIENT.
He wants to obey God’s Word.
That is what keeps him going.
Remember from a couple of weeks ago, one of the reasons men don’t have conviction is because the have no fear of God.

Psalms 119:120 “My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.”

This Psalmist does.
He doesn’t want to disobey.

And so he wants deliverance from oppression,
Not because it is hard, but because it is a threat to his obedience.

Obedience to God’s word is his incentive.

He leans on God’s Word for strength.
He leans on God’s Word for incentive.
3) BLESSING (135)

“Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.”

Here the Psalmist equates learning God’s Word
To having God shine upon Him.

This is of course a reference to God’s glory.
And the Psalmist is saying, that in God’s Word he sees God.

We understand this.
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 “Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

When the Jews read the Law a veil is there.
When we read the Law the veil is lifted through God’s Spirit.

And now we “with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory”

As we study God’s Word we receive the glory of God.
We behold Him, and we are blessed.

There is an unspeakable blessing in reading God’s word
And having the Author illumine it to you.

We ended the sermon with it last week, but read it again:
Psalms 19:7-14 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”

• It is God’s word that warns him of sin.
• It is God’s word that helps him discern his errors.
• It is God’s word that exposes his hidden faults.
• It is God’s word then that leads him to repentance and mercy and to be found acceptable in the sight of God.

He leans on God’s word in order that
His fellowship with God might be sustained.

DO YOU SEE THAT?
You see why he loves God’s word.
You see why he longs for God’s word.
You see why he leans on God’s word.

• Are you beginning to understand why he is steadfast?
• Are you beginning to see why he won’t compromise?
• Are you beginning to see why he is so opposed to the oppressor?

The Steadfast Heart Loves the Word of God
The Steadfast Heart Longs for the Word of God
The Steadfast Heart Leans on the Word of God.
#4 IT LAMENTS OVER GOD’S WORD
Psalms 119:136

Certainly we saw this attitude with JESUS weeping over Jerusalem.
We know JEREMIAH to have been the weeping prophet.

And it is true of the steadfast heart as well.

They are steadfast because they love God and His Word,
And so nothing grieves them more than disobedience to it.

Remember what John said?
3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

And so certainly the flip-side is true as well.

The Psalmist not only hates the double-minded, but he grieves over them.
WHY? – Because they treat him harshly?
No

“Because they do not keep Your law.”

It is probably also true that the Psalmist grieves when he breaks God’s Law, but he doesn’t say “I” here, he says, “they”.

“My eyes shed streams of water because they do not keep Your law.”

He grieves because they grieve God.
He is heartbroken because they break God’s heart.

There is no part of him that rejoices in disobedience.
THIS MAN CANNOT COMPROMISE
IT IS AGAINST THE VERY FABRIC OF HIS BEING.

He saw people like the children of Israel:
Psalms 78:34-37 “When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God; And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue. For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.”

And that is why our Psalmist wept.
He wept because they disregarded the God he loved.

That is a picture of a steadfast heart.
They love obedience in themselves, they love obedience in others.

They love God’s Word
They long for God’s Word
They lean on God’s Word
They lament when God’s Word is broken
BECAUSE THEIR HEART IS STEADFAST.

You and I need a steadfast heart, so that we may choose to stand
Even in the midst of hardship and oppression.

And you see that this steadfastness IS NOT about
how stubborn or strong-willed you are.
Steadfastness is directly linked to your love for God’s word.

BUT WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE IT?

First, repent like David did.
Psalms 51:10-13 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.”

Then, do as the Psalmist did.
LOVE God’s Word (make a sacrifice of self to read it)
LONG for God’s Word (a natural reaction to loving it)
LEAN on God’s Word (obey what you read and see it proven true)
LAMENT over God’s Word (another natural response to loving it)

And as God’s unchanging word begins to take root in your heart,
You will find your heart becoming more steadfast as well.

Download Here:

For The Church At War – Part 1
1 John 2:12-14 (12)
February 13, 2022

This morning we come to a very unique and wonderful text.
It is a text in which John explains his bold and direct writing.

I’ve entitled it “For The Church At War”

First of all because that is TRUE IN JOHN’S DAY
Just as it is TRUE IN EVERY DAY.

Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

The church is always in a spiritual struggle against Satan
And his deceptive lies.

And every soldier in the middle of a battle
Needs encouragement to keep fighting.

And every soldier needs a clear understanding of their role in the battle.

Perhaps you have wondered why John has been SO DIRECT.
Perhaps you have wondered why John has been so black and white.

We’re only about 20 verses into this epistle
And already John has made several eyebrow raising statements.

FOR EXAMPLE:

John very early reminded us that: GOD IS LIGHT

By reminding us that God is Light John was also able to remind us that
• No one who walks in darkness is in fellowship with God.
• No one who denies his sin nature is in fellowship with God.
• No one who says they don’t sin is in fellowship with God.

• Only those who confess their sins are in fellowship with God
• Because Jesus is the propitiation
• For all those who confess their sins
• And seek forgiveness through Him.

John was also very clear as he reminded us that: OBEDIENCE MATTERS

John was clear that anyone who claims to know Christ but doesn’t obey Him is a liar.
• Believers are marked by obedience
• Because obedience proves love for God and genuine transformation.

It is a bold and direct statement to say the least.

And finally, last week, John reminded us that: LOVE IS PROOF

Specifically John spoke of love for your neighbor.
• And John made the very direct point that it is impossible for someone to claim Christianity if they hate their brother in Christ.
• Love is so central to the expectation of Christ that you can actually evaluate salvation by the presence or absence of love.

BUT IT HAS BEEN CLEARN THAT JOHN HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT.

• John has talked about people lying or being a liar.
• John has talked about people deceiving themselves.
• John has talked about people making God a liar.
• John has talked about people saying things that simply isn’t true.

He has been on a mission to separate truth from error.
He has been on a mission to help us see who is with us and who is not.

And I think you will agree that John has been about as direct
As any New Testament writer that we have read.

And that alone prompts the question:
WHY ARE YOU WRITING THIS LETTER JOHN?
• Why so direct?
• Why so black and white?

WHY ARE YOU TELLING US THIS?

And though that question is not specifically stated in the text,
The text itself proves that this is the question John is answering.

We are studying 3 verses
And yet, 6 TIMES in these verses John makes the statement,
“I am writing to you…because” or “I have written to you…because”

John here will help us understand why
He has written such a direct and really polarizing letter.

There are three reasons given here by John as to why he is writing.
(Honestly, I got hung up on the first two so it’ll take us two weeks to get through this text)

#1 CORPORATE ASSURANCE
1 John 2:12a

One of the reasons that John has been so clear and so direct
Is because he wants the us to understand without any confusion Whether or not we are forgiven.

He wants those who walk in darkness,
• Or who do not obey Christ,
• Or who hate their brother
• To know they HAVE NOT BEEN FORGIVEN.

And he wants those who walk in light,
• And who confess their sin,
• And who obey Christ,
• And who love their brother
• To know that THEY HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN.

We already discussed this a couple of weeks ago,
But you should understand that it is definitely GOD’S WILL
That His children have ASSURANCE.

• It is not the objective of God to keep you in the dark regarding your salvation.
• He does not wish to use uncertainty to try and keep you in line.
• God has determined that the saved, then you should know they are saved.

It is definitely God’s will that you would enjoy your salvation.
It is definitely God’s will that you would have assurance.

And that is what you see here in the first part of verse 12.

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you…”

NOW FIRST let me make you aware of one thing that you need to see.

When John speaks of “little children” here, he is not addressing the same group that he refers to as “children” in verse 13.

They are two different groups.
They are even two different Greek words.

“little children” is TEKNION
And it does mean a little child, but it is specifically a word used to speak of those who are disciples of their teacher.

Jesus used it:
John 13:33 “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’”

“children” down in verse 13 is the word PAIDION (pie-dee-on)
And it is a word that speaks of infants or little children.
It is the word used to speak of the baby Jesus.

And the reason it is important that you make that distinction
Is because you need to understand that
While John will distinguish among different believers in verses 13 and 14,
In verse 12 John is referring TO ALL BELIEVERS.

• Some may in fact, in their spiritual walk be “fathers”,
• Some may be “young men”,
• Some may be “children” as we think of different levels of spiritual maturity.
• But there is also a sense in which every one of us is also “little children”

Verse 12 is speaking to all of us.

And the corporate message to every believer is this:
“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you…”

John’s people faced Gnosticism.

And you’ll remember from chapter 1 that part of the problem was
• There was this underlying heresy that people didn’t have a sin nature
• And that they were not sinners.

Remember they said the spirit was good but the flesh was corrupted
And everything in the flesh didn’t matter.

Their quest wasn’t for righteousness it was for enlightenment;
Namely because they didn’t believe themselves to be sinful.

THAT IS NOT THE GOSPEL.

The gospel doesn’t teach men that their sin doesn’t exist.
The gospel teaches men that their sin is horrific,
And the gospel teaches that through Christ it can be forgiven.

John reminds the church of that here.
• You may not have the “enlightenment” they claim…
• You may not have the “knowledge” they say they have…
• SO WHAT!

Here’s WHAT YOU HAVE that they do not have.
“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you…”

There was a war and the soldiers needed to be clear on the truth.

Any time the gospel is distorted (as it was in John’s day)
There are always casualties.

Certainly one casualty would be THE LOST.
If the lost never hear the true gospel then salvation will not occur.

• They cannot call on Him of whom they have not believed
• And they cannot believe in Him of whom they have not heard,
• And they cannot hear without someone preaching the true gospel to them.

The lost certainly suffer when the gospel is distorted.

But they are not the only ones who suffer when the gospel is distorted,
Another casualty is THE CHURCH.
(they don’t lose salvation, but they do lose assurance)

THE YOUTH have been learning about those Judaizers
Who were preaching a false gospel of legalism to the GALATIANS.

• The result was a lack of assurance – since it now depends on continued faithfulness
• The result was a lack of freedom – since legalism is bondage
• The result was a lack of worship – since Christ no longer did it all

And the church in John’s day was facing similar distortion.

THE TRUE GOSPEL PURSUES righteousness through Christ.
THE GNOSTICS PURSUED enlightenment through knowledge.

How puzzling that must have been to the believers in John’s church.
Any distortion of the gospel harms the church.

There must have been some who were thrown into utter confusion
Regarding Jesus, forgiveness, and salvation itself.

The church needs the true gospel at all times.
• That’s why I showed you that video, it’s a great reminder.
• We need the true gospel daily.
• We need the Lord’s Supper often.

There is assurance in continually focusing on what Christ did for us.

And that is why John writes so dogmatically.
YOU NEED TO KNOW IT.

“your sins have been forgiven you”

STOP AND PONDER THAT!

Psalms 32:1-2 “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!”

• Is there anything greater than to know that every wicked thing I have done has been forgiven in Christ?

• Is there anything greater than to know that every wicked thing I will still do has also been forgiven in Christ?

And church you need to know that.
• If you are born again.
• If you are one of those who obeys Christ.
• If you are one of those who loves his brother.

YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN

There is no more any condemnation on you.
• Jesus paid it all.
• Wrath is removed.
• God is propitiated.

Let’s read it again:
1 John 2:1-2 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

Jesus has appeased the Father’s wrath.
You are now forgiven of your sin because
Jesus has taken your punishment and carried your sin away.

“forgiven” translates APHIEMI
It is that word which means “to send away”

It brings back that mental image in our mind of the Day of Atonement and that scapegoat where Aaron confessed the sins of God’s people and then sent it away.

It is beautifully illustrated in the Old Testament:
Psalms 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Isaiah 38:17 “Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”

Micah 7:19 “He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.”

Those are all pictures of our sin and the condemnation that comes with it
Being separated from us.

This is what Jesus accomplished on our behalf.
On the cross our sin was removed from us and imputed to Christ.
• He bore the wrath.
• He suffered the judgment.
• It was separated from us and attributed to Him.

HE received condemnation WE received forgiveness.
And that forgiveness is total forgiveness.

It was only a couple of months ago that we studied Psalms 32
And we talked about this marvelous reality.

But many people have trouble understanding forgiveness.

They can see how Christ forgave us the moment we are saved.
That seems easy.

But it’s the forgiveness of sins after salvation that seems difficult.

Does Jesus go and suffer again?

That’s what Catholicism teaches.
• You go and confess your sins to the priest and at the Mass he calls Jesus down to suffer again for your sins.

Is that what happens? No

Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

What that means is that in the omniscience of God,
God imputed all the sin of all the elect for all time to Christ.

ON THE CROSS, BY THE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF GOD,
Jesus paid for sin that I haven’t even committed yet.

Certainly at the time of His death He paid for sin that I hadn’t committed yet,
For I wasn’t even born.

That is really mind blowing to ponder.
But the beauty is this: I AM FORGIVEN OF ALL MY SIN (past, present, future)

The forgiveness of Jesus never expires.
Everyone who believes in Him is forgiven of all their sin.

DON’T LET THAT BECOME ROUTINE TO YOU.
Don’t let that become some secondary thing.

The things you’ve done which have so offended God
That He would cast you into hell for all eternity,
Christ has removed from you.

That is absolutely remarkable!

“Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus thank You. The Father’s wrath completely satisfied, Jesus thank You. Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table, Jesus thank You!”

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you”

And look, it doesn’t matter if
• You are one of those spiritually mature fathers,
• One of those young men who is overcoming Satan
• Or just one of those children who is a babe in Christ.

ONE THING EVERY BELIEVER HAS IN COMMON,
Regardless of their level of maturity,
Is that they are all forgiven of all their sin.

It is done – It is finished – It is paid in full.

Don’t let some Gnostic (like in John’s day) or any other deceiver come in and rob you of the glory of the gospel and the message of forgiveness.

Forgiveness belongs fully to everyone who has been redeemed.

There is a 2nd reason why John is do direct
#2 CLARIFIED WORSHIP
1 John 2:12b

“because your sins have been forgiven you FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.”

The lost and the church are not the only casualties of a distorted gospel,
SO IS CHRIST.

When the true gospel is distorted then Christ loses glory.
The glory shifts from Christ to man and that is also a horrific thing.

So you see again why John writes his straightforward letter.

It is “for His name’s sake.”

By exposing what is false and reinforcing what is true,
• John is rescuing the true gospel,
• He is making sure the lost hear it,
• He is making sure the genuinely saved know the benefit of it,
• And he is assigning the glory of it where it rightly belongs.

For John is very clear to say that “your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.”

Isn’t that interesting.

He DOESN’T SAY that forgiveness is for your sake,
Though we certainly enjoy the benefit of it.

John says it is “for His name’s sake”

Christ forgave sinners for His glory.
God forgives sinners for His glory.

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.”

God wasn’t doing it for the sake of Israel, He was doing it for His own sake.

Isaiah 48:9-11 “For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.”

And I really want to make sure you see this this morning.

There are so many aspects of this that we can’t cover them all to their fullest extent,
But I want you to see some of them.

You are likely familiar with Romans 3:
Romans 3:21-26 “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Paul reminded us there that GOD SEEMED OVER A BARREL.
Paul says that God had “passed over the sins previously committed”.

• This was actually every Old Testament saint before the time of Christ.
• Abraham had sinned but God didn’t send him to hell.
• Moses had sinned but God didn’t send him to hell.
• David had sinned…
• Daniel had sinned…

You get the idea.
God had just “passed over” those sins.

Well while I’m sure they were grateful, there is A PROBLEM.
• Such a decision by God forsakes holiness.
• A holy God must judge sinners…all sinners.

But God had “passed over” their sins.

And while God might be worshiped for His mercy,
You cannot worship a God who ignores sin as being holy.

So what was God’s decision?
To pay the price Himself.
• He sent His Son to be the propitiation.
• He sent Christ to pay the penalty.
• God offered forgiveness through the atonement of Christ.

And Paul says it was “so that He would be just and the justifier”
It’s so that God could maintain His holiness and His mercy.

And what is the result of all of this?
Paul says it in the very next verse.

Romans 3:27a “Where then is boasting? It is excluded.”

The forgiveness of God was offered “for His name’s sake.”
The forgiveness of God was done so that He would be glorified.

And as you saw in those passages from Isaiah,
THIS IS A CONSTANT BIBLICAL THEME.

TURN TO: DEUTERONOMY 9

(READ 1-6)
Now that is a good reminder.
Don’t get the big head because of your deliverance.
• Don’t assume that salvation and deliverance was all about you.
• You know that God just couldn’t bear it without you.

What God is doing is about His glory, not your worth.

Now if you keep reading, which we won’t, you’ll find a long reminder from Moses all about the unworthiness of Israel, just to make sure they get the point.

• Moses will talk about all the times Israel provoked God in the wilderness.
• Moses will talk about the golden calf incident.
• Moses will talk about how they wouldn’t enter the Promised Land.
• And Moses will talk about the numerous times he had to intercede on their behalf just to keep God from killing them.

Ultimately Moses reminds the people why God continually spared them.

(READ 10:15-22)

And the answer is that God’s choosing you and sparing you and delivering you was not a testimony to your goodness.
It was a testimony to His goodness.

God didn’t spare Israel for their sake, He spared them for His sake.

Let me show you another one.
TURN TO: EZEKIEL 36

Ezekiel 36 is all about God’s jealousy.

Perhaps you’ve heard the verse which says “For the LORD your God is a jealous God.”

I don’t know if that has ever confused you.
But we read in the New Testament how jealousy is a sin
And yet we read that God is jealous.

• The reason God is holy in His jealousy is because God is jealous for what is rightly His.
• The jealousy we are condemned for is when we covet or desire what is not rightly ours. That is sinful jealousy.

God is right to be jealous when He does not receive what is rightly His.

Well Ezekiel 36 is all about God’s jealousy.
• He is angry at the nations which entered His land
• And ultimately removed Israel
• And now have camped on His land as though it was their own.

God’s people certainly deserved their punishment.
It was by God’s design that Israel be removed from her land.

But God never said that those foreign nations
Could just move in and take the land for themselves.

You see this incidentally in verse 5
“therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.”

And so in God’s jealousy God decreed that
He would bring Israel back to this land.

He wasn’t about to let the Edomites have it.
So God determined to forgive Israel and bring them back.

But notice what God says:
(READ 22-32)

DID YOU CATCH THAT?
• It is not for your sake, it is for My sake.
• I’m doing this for My glory.

And this wasn’t just after the exile,
This was the reason why God brought them out of Egypt in the first place.

Ezekiel 20:9 “But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.”

Ezekiel 20:14 “But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose sight I had brought them out.”

Ezekiel 20:22 “But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.”

So you understand that this has always been the motive.
Salvation and forgiveness are “for His name’s sake.”

Salvation and forgiveness are for His glory.

THE CULMINATION of this is seen in the book of the Revelation.

TURN TO: REVELATION 5
• Remember the story of John weeping because no one can take the scroll or open it?
• And then one of the elders tells John to cheer up because the Lamb has overcome and can open the scroll.

And when the Lamb takes the scroll notice what happens:
(READ 7-14)

It is total worship in heaven because of the Lamb who was slain.

People aren’t running around in heaven
Patting each other on the back
Bragging about how they were all worthy to be there.

There is only One who receives any glory in heaven and it is Christ.

We are not the primary object here, Christ is!
All of this is done for “His name’s sake”
• It’s all about His glory.
• It’s all about His satisfaction.
• It’s all about His worship.

And that is another reason John is writing so dogmatically.

HE IS NOT ABOUT TO STAND BY
WHILE CHRIST IS ROBBED OF THE GLORY OF SALVATION.

• The Lost need to hear about it.
• The Saved need to enjoy it.
• And Christ must be worshiped for it!

And that makes this a very fitting time to partake in the Lord’s Supper.

We celebrate our forgiveness and we do so for Christ’s glory.
• We gather around this table to rest in the fact that we are forgiven.
• We gather around this table to glorify Jesus who purchased it.
• We gather around this table to glorify God who orchestrated it.

This table is not a testimony of our great value,
It is a testimony of His great glory; that He has forgiven even me.

I want to close with one more passage.
1 Timothy 1:12-17 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

As always we will now have a Time of Preparation
And then we will partake of the table of the Lord.

Download Here:

Thinking About Compromise
Psalms 119:121-128
February 6, 2022

Last Sunday night we talked about having an unyielding conviction.

Psalms 119:113 “I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Your law.”

Tonight we’re going to CONTINUE in that thought a little bit,
But perhaps from a little bit of a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

For tonight we see the very last line of our stanza which says:
“I hate every false way.”

We still get the notion of strong conviction,
Only this time instead of looking outwardly at others
Our Psalmist seems to be LOOKING INWARDLY.

Here he’s not lamenting other people’s lack of conviction
He is instead reiterating his own.

He is telling you where he stands and even why he stands there.

LAST WEEK we learned why men don’t have conviction.
IT IS BECAUSE THEY DON’T FEAR GOD.
• If you fear men more than you fear God then your conviction will fade as well.

BUT TONIGHT we learn
Where the Psalmist’s strength and conviction come from.

Now in order to understand our Psalmist
I first want you to recognize that our Psalmist is being oppressed.

• (121b) “Do not leave me to my oppressors.”
• (122b) “Do not let the arrogant oppress me.”

He is being oppressed.
Earlier in Psalms 119 it was all about “affliction” but now it is all about “oppression”

What’s the difference?

Very simply put,
Affliction speaks of the hardship and suffering you face in life,
Oppression focuses more on the one who causes it.

The words are different in the Hebrew.

“affliction” translates ONI

And it relates to physical pain or mental distress, or illness.
It can even be translated “misery”

Psalms 107:10 “There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, Prisoners in misery and chains”

Job 10:15 “If I am wicked, woe to me! And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.”

And we understand affliction.
Both times there translated “misery”

“oppression” is different. It translates ASAQ (aw-shak)

And it relates more to being robbed or defrauded by another.

1 Samuel 12:3-4 “Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you.” They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.”

Malachi 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me,” says the LORD of hosts.”

The Psalmist is no longer talking about his affliction
Now he is talking about THOSE WHO ARE wronging him in some way.

And one important distinction to for us to understand as we study Is while affliction generally cannot be avoided, oppression can.

Affliction is general suffering, and we all know that it is coming in this life.
• Affliction is promised.
• Life is going to be hard.

BUT OPPRESSION IS DIFFERENT.
It occurs at the hands of men who don’t like the direction we are traveling,
And who seek to wrong us because of it.

Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

There you see not only affliction, but oppression.
• And the oppression is for one reason.
• It is all because of the name of Jesus.

They will persecute you “because of My name”

And so the solution to stopping oppression is easy: TURN AROUND.
If it offends men to go left, then start going right.
If it angers men that you go north, then start going south.
If it irritates men that you obey God, then stop obeying Him.

That’s really all you have to do.
THE WAY TO END OPPRESSION IS SIMPLY TO COMPROMISE.

You can’t really escape affliction in this life,
But you can escape oppression.

THEREFORE
The battle of affliction is not to lose your faith.
The battle of oppression is not to compromise your convictions.

THAT IS THE ISSUE OUR PSALMIST IS FACING.
• He isn’t facing a debilitating illness.
• He isn’t facing a general hardship.
• He isn’t facing a mental struggle.

Here he is facing oppressive pressures from others,
And he must choose to either give in to them or stand against them.

Well certainly you are already aware that the CALLING IS TO STAND.

I mentioned it last week, but take a glance at the 7 churches in Revelation Notice what they are commended or rebuked for.

Ephesus was commended:
Revelation 2:2 “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;”

Revelation 2:6 “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

Pergamum was commended:
Revelation 2:13 “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”

And also rebuked:
Revelation 2:14-15 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”

Thyatira was rebuked:
Revelation 2:20 “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”

Philadelphia was commended:
Revelation 3:9-10 “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

It is obvious that the Lord never intended for His church
To conform to the pressures of the world.

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

So we know that men will oppress us and seek to turn us from the truth,
It has happened to Christ’s church since it began.

But we cannot succumb to it.
We cannot be conformed to this world.

We tonight we find or Psalmist in the midst of oppression,
Let’s see his, and how he handles it.

Four things:
#1 HIS DILEMMA
Psalms 119:121-122

It is quite easy to see that our Psalmist is dealing with oppressors.
He mentions them twice in these two verses.

• (121b) “Do not leave me to my oppressors.”
• (122b) “Do not let the arrogant oppress me.”

We even know who is oppressing him.
Here he calls them “the arrogant”

Is there anything more arrogant than to suppose that we know better than God, and that obedience isn’t important?

That is what these men are.
And they oppress those who do seek righteousness.

And so not only do we see that our Psalmist is oppressed,
But we also SEE WHY HE IS OPPRESSED.

“I have done justice and righteousness;”

He is NOT oppressed because of something wicked he has done.
He is oppressed because of something righteous he has done.

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

BUT BEYOND THAT he has also come to the realization
That there is nothing he can do about it.

His only option to stop the oppression is to stop living righteous,
TO ESCAPE HE WOULD HAVE TO COMPROMISE
But that really isn’t an option at all,
For then you quit offending man and start offending God.

That is why he is asking God to intervene.
• “Do not leave me to my oppressors.”
• “Be surety for Your servant for good.”
• “Do not let the arrogant oppress me.”

And so you can see our Psalmists dilemma.
He is oppressed and has done all he can, short of give in to them.

His Dilemma
#2 HIS DESPERATION
Psalms 119:123-125

We’ve seen that first statement before.

“My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation And for Your righteous word.”

Earlier, when he spoke of HIS AFFLICTION, he said:
Psalms 119:81-82 “My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word. My eyes fail with longing for Your word, While I say, “When will You comfort me?”

Now he says the same thing in regard to HIS OPPRESSION.
God, I am waiting for you to come.

That’s a good decision:
James 5:7-11 “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”

Well, that is precisely what the Psalmist is doing.
• He knows he has done right.
• He knows he has lived righteous.
• It is that righteousness that causes him to be oppressed.

So naturally he started waiting for the Lord to come and vindicate him.
The only problem is HE IS GROWING TIRED OF WAITING.

SEE, THE ATTACKS OF THE WICKED ARE UNCEASING.

• How long he has gone to his workplace and been the scorn of the wicked…
• How long he has endured their mocking…
• How long he has been maligned for his convictions…

He knows some day GOD WILL come and vindicate him,
He just WONDERS WHEN it will be.

And that is why his statement turns into A REQUEST.
(124) “Deal with Your servant according to Your lovingkindness and teach me Your statues.”

In short, be merciful to me.
Step in! Deliver! Help me!

Quit letting them walk all over me and oppress me.

(124) “I am Your servant; give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies.”

That is the third time he referred to himself as God’s servant.
And here he does so to remind God that he is committed to Him.

That is to say:
“God, I’m on Your side, please be on mine”

I watching for Your appearing…
I’m listening for Your word…
I’m desperate for You.

His Dilemma, His Desperation
#3 HIS DEPENDANCE
Psalms 119:126

I love this prayer, because it is so real.
“It is time for the Lord to act, For, they have broken Your law.”

That is pretty adamant.
• He has had enough of waiting…
• He has had enough of enduring…
• He has had enough patience…

“Enough is enough, it is time for You to deal with those wicked pagans.”

The Psalmist has reached this point.
• These men are disobedient.
• These men “have broken Your law.”
• These men are “double-minded”
• These men are “wicked”
• These men “wander from Your statutes”

OUR PSALMIST HAS HAD ENOUGH.

NOW HERE IS THE POINT.

The Psalmist is crying out to God as if to say: I CAN’T BEAT THEM!
I’ve been righteous.
I’ve walked in justice.
But they still oppress me.

I’ve waited and waited, but they still oppress me.
I’ve been obedient, but they still oppress me.

I can’t beat them.
I can’t make them stop.
I can’t defend myself.

AND IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT THE WORLD WOULD CHIME IN:

“If you can’t beat ‘em; join ‘em”

And that is the dilemma we talked about at the beginning.
It is the temptation to compromise.

• Do I let up on my convictions?
• Do I soften my stance?
• Do I learn to act a little less righteous?
• Do I cover my light and hide it under a bushel?
• Do I try to conform a little so as not to stand out so much?

Many a Christian has done just that.
And it has caused the Lord to grieve.

It is called becoming politically correct.
• The world loves homosexuality, maybe we shouldn’t oppose it.
• The world loves feminism, maybe we should ignore God’s roles.
• The world loves pluralism, maybe we should embrace false religion.
• The world loves universalism, maybe we should forget about hell.
• The world loves mysticism, maybe we should just go on our feelings.
• The world loves sin, maybe we should ignore repentance.
• The world loves self, maybe we should cater to them.

And really the list could go on and on and on.

And more than one Christian
Has collapsed under such societal pressure
And become conformed to the standards of the world
Just to get a little relief from the oppression.

They let go of their convictions
Simply because that is the only way to get relief.
THEY COMPROMISE.

And if we are honest, we can all find times when we did as well.

But the encouragement we get from the text tonight
Is that we find THE SECRET TO NOT DOING IT next time.

Our Psalmist has clearly said that he can’t beat his oppressors.
He knows that he is at the mercy of God.

He has done all he can, but he can’t stop them.
But he refuses to join them.

#4 HIS DEVOTION
Psalms 119:127-128

FIRST THE “WHY” HE HATES.

I really like how the NIV translates this verse.
“BECAUSE I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and BECAUSE I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.”

The NIV translators went with the word “because”
Instead of the word “therefore”

And when you read the text it really makes more sense.

To read it as “therefore” makes it sound like he loves God’s commands
Because the wicked have broken them.

But that is not the point.

His point is that he hates what they do
Because he loves God’s commands.

He is telling you why he will not compromise.
He is telling you why he will never join them.
He is telling you why he hates their false way.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE HE LOVES GOD’S WORD!

“Therefore [Because] I love Your commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold.”

I told you earlier, that the word “oppression”
Often carries a financial connotation with it.

The word for “oppress” is even translated “rob”

Micah 2:2 “They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.”

And so it is quite possible that the oppression this man has received
Has even brought with it a financial hardship.

• Maybe they don’t shop in his store…
• Maybe they don’t give him good deals at the market…
• Maybe they have dragged him to court…
• Maybe they have given him fines…

But it is very possible that the oppression has caused a financial strain,
And that would cause many to cave.

But not our Psalmist.
Regardless of the oppression, regardless of the financial difficulty,
He is not going to compromise.

WHY?
“I love your commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold.”

We sing:
“I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I’d rather be His than have riches untold; I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin’s dread sway. I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.
I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause; I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause; I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame. I’d rather be true to His holy name, than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin’s dread sway. I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.
He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom; He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb; He’s all that my hungering spirit needs. I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin’s dread sway. I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”

So did the Psalmist.
So financial hardship couldn’t cause him to cave,
He loved God’s word more than money.

But that is not the only reason he wouldn’t cave.
The other is because “I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything.”

The other reason he wouldn’t compromise is because
He has come to a place where He believes God is right.

Sometimes we compromise because of the pressure,
Other times we compromise because of a lack of conviction.
(We aren’t sure if we really believe what Scripture says.)

If we aren’t sure God is right when it is easy,
We most certainly won’t hold our convictions when it is difficult.

But the Psalmist was convinced.
He knew God is right.

He said, “God is right about everything, all the time.”

“I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything.”

And because of this conviction he said,
“I HATE every false way.”

And let’s discuss that for a minute.
This statement and the one last week are the kind that tend to make us cringe a little.

We’ve been so conditioned against the word “hate”
That it is hard for us even when the Bible speaks of hating something.

Let me give you a quick rundown.

Psalms 26:5 “I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked.”

Psalms 31:6 “I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the LORD.”

Psalms 97:10 “Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”

Psalms 101:3 “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.”

Psalms 119:104 “From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”

Psalms 119:163 “I hate and despise falsehood, But I love Your law.”

Psalms 139:21-22 “Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.”

Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.”

Amos 5:15 “Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

And then we get to the New Testament and we read:
Romans 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”

And we realize that there is a very real calling in our lives
To have a holy hatred for what is evil.

After all we read:
Proverbs 6:16-19 “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.”

And we realize that we are to hate what God hates.
And we hate it BECAUSE we love God’s truth.
That’s the WHY
BUT THEN we read passages like the one this morning in 1 John.

1 John 2:9 “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.”

Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

And we see sort of a contradiction there.
Which is it?

And you know the answer that has become the appropriate response.
Someone will say, “Well God hates the sin, but loves the sinner.”

And so we say that’s what we are supposed to do.

But even that statement is filled with problems for as R.C. Sproul would continually point out. “God doesn’t send the sin to hell, He sends the sinner there.”

We have a God who hates sin and who judges sinners.

Now CLEARLY YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT GOD
And judgment is beyond our responsibility.

We’ve seen the WHY
WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW IS THE HOW?

SO MY QUESTION IS THIS:
• How does our hatred of evil manifest itself in the world?
• What does it look like when we hate what God hates?
• What does it look like when we “hate every false way”?

• Clearly we don’t kill sinners – we pray for them.
• Clearly we don’t curse sinners –we bless those who persecute us.
• We are told to “turn the other cheek”
• We are told to “go the extra mile”

But how does that coincide with our Psalmist here?
• How does a Christian biblically “abhor what is evil”?
• How does a Christian biblically “hate every false way”?

And the answer is through our refusal to participate in evil.
And through our commitment to warning those who do.

The Psalmist said “I hate every false way”

But you can’t say that if you PARTICIPATE in it.
And you can’t say that if you REJOICE in it.
And you can’t say that if you CONDONE it.

I MEAN LET’S BE PRACTICAL.
LET’S SAY YOU HATE CAULIFLOWER (like a Christian should)

• Do you rejoice when someone cooks cauliflower for you?
• Do you eat cauliflower when you see it available?
• If someone says cauliflower is good, do you change your mind about it?

BECAUSE YOU HATE IT.
And you hate it because you have chosen to trust the authority of your taste buds
“Because you believe your tongue, you hate cauliflower.”

Our Psalmist showed us what it looks like when we Biblically hate every false way.

• We still do “justice and righteousness” in spite of our oppressors.
• We still long for God’s salvation
• We still serve God and seek to learn His statutes
• We still pray for the intervention of God
• And we do not compromise those conviction just because the world hates us for it.

WE SHOW OUR HATRED FOR WHAT IS FALSE
BY REFUSING TO COMPROMISE.

How about a great example here?

Matthew 4:1-11 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ ” Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’ ” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’ ” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”

There is not only affliction, but also oppression.
BUT THERE WAS NO COMPROMISE

Because He loved God’s word

Fast forward to the garden in the middle of His arrest.
Matthew 26:51-54 “And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

There it is again.
There was no compromise or giving in to influence
Because He loved God’s word.

So you see it:
The secret to having conviction: LOVE GOD’S WORD
What does conviction look like: REFUSAL TO COMPROMISE (participate)

• “Because I love your commandments…”
• “Because I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything.”

Because of that “I hate every false way.”

SO TONIGHT THE SELF-EXAMINATION IS EASY.

Do I participate in what is evil?
Do I compromise on what is evil?

If I do it is because I do not love God’s commandments.
It is because I do not esteem right all His precepts.

And the solution is repentance.
We must change our mind regarding whether or not
We believe God’s word to be true and right.

And with that we’ll close with one passage
That I think generates love for God’s word as good as any other.

Psalms 19:7-13 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”

• What else can restore your soul?
• What else can make you wise?
• What else can rejoice your heart?
• What else can enlighten your eyes?
• What else is righteous altogether?
• What else can reveal your hidden faults?
• What else can hold you back from presumptuous sins?

There is nothing like God’s word
And the secret to being a man or woman of conviction
Starts with believing that.

Download Here:

The New Old Commandment
1 John 2:7-11
February 6, 2022

As you know we are working our way through the book of 1 John and we are falling in love with the clarity that John brings to the table.

• In a world that constantly seeks to blur the lines…
• In a world that hates absolutes…
• In a world where Christianity gets redefined by the latest fads…

It is so refreshing to read an epistle like 1 John
And be brought back to the roots of what is obvious Christianity.

It is so clarifying
It is so reassuring
It is so comforting

We love it when Scripture is able to solidify for us
Exactly what is true and what is not.
The book of 1 John does that as well as any book in the Bible.

As you know by now John has been drawing lines in the sand.
• John has been dividing truth from error.
• And John has been dividing the true church from the false.

As we talked about from the beginning of our study,
John battled a culture that was turning gnostic.
And the scary part was that this deception had even crept into the church.

And it had become very difficult to know
Who in the church was real and who was not.
John’s letter sought to settle the issue.

Steve Lawson spoke of it like this:
“There is always in the church, there is the visible church and there is the invisible church. The visible church is everyone who is in the building. The invisible church is everyone who is in Christ. And there needs to always be this differentiation between the visible church and the invisible church. That’s the value of 1 John. 1 John gives us the distinguishing marks of the true church. And when we say, the true church, we’re talking about the invisible church; we’re talking about those who are true believers in Jesus Christ. Whenever you walk into a church building there is always both tares and wheat and so John helps us discern, beginning with ourselves, who is truly born again; who truly knows the Lord, because Jesus Himself said, ‘Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven.’ It’s not the one who professes Christ that is in the kingdom, it’s the one who possesses Christ who is in the kingdom. It’s very possible, if not easy, to profess Christ but not possess Christ.”
https://onepassionministries.org/the-bible-study-podcast-steven-lawson/ (sermon: “The Test of Love” 1 John 2:7-11; beginning at 3:24)

I think that is a great way of describing the purpose and point of 1 John.

Last week I told you there were 2 reasons for John’s writing.

1) To EXPOSE those with FALSE ASSURANCE.
• It is a truly awful reality that there are people in our world who are lost but think they are saved.
• It is nothing short of love and the grace of God for such people to be exposed in their lostness
• That they might repent, believe, and find forgiveness and salvation in Christ.

I was one of those, and I’m so thankful Christ exposed and called me.

2) To GRANT TRUE ASSURANCE to those who are saved.
• It is also and awful thing to be truly saved and truly secure and yet not be able to enjoy your salvation because of a lack of assurance.

Deceivers can come in with their false doctrines.
• In particular people like the Gnostics who boast of their deeper and extra knowledge
• And it can happen that a genuinely saved person can say, “We’ll I don’t have that extra knowledge, what if I’m not really saved?”

John wants to squash such foolishness by letting you know
How to know if you are saved.

Last week we saw that the test of obedience fulfills both of those desires.
Obedience is the proof that you are saved or not
So it is a great credential for exposing the lost and granting assurance to the saved.

NOW THIS MORNING,
I’d like to give you a 3rd reason for why John is writing this letter
To help you see the difference between a false brother and a true one.

I realize that just making such a statement feels a little judgmental and something a believer shouldn’t do, but it is very essential that this occur in the church.

WHY?

Well, let me read you some of the warnings of Jesus.

Listen to Jesus’ explanation of the wheat and the tares.
Matthew 13:41 “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,”

Or later when Jesus addressed the issue of church discipline:
Matthew 18:7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”

When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he wrote:
Romans 16:17 “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”

Or even Jesus’ warning to the church at Pergamum
Revelation 2:14 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.”

In each of those passages the same Greek word emerges.
SKANDALON

It actually refers to a “trap stick” or “a snare”
It is the lever or mechanism in a trap to catch animals.
It is rendered “stumbling block” or “hindrance”

AND THE FACT IS THAT Satan has always sought to infiltrate the church with those who will be a stumbling block or a hindrance.

Jesus warned about them extensively.

And that is the SAME WORD JOHN USES here in verse 10.
“The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

“cause for stumbling” translates SKANDALON

What John is doing for us is helping us identify
Those in the church who may cause us to stumble.

Remember when Jesus spotted a potential stumbling block in His own life?
Matthew 16:23 “But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

That was the day when Peter was seeking to
Get Jesus to abandon the mission of the cross.

And this is what we are talking about.

Sometimes there can be those, even in the church,
Who can influence us contrary to the will of God.

And it is imperative for the health of the church,
And for your own personal spiritual walk,
That these people can be identified.

Again that may sound harsh,
But when you are in a spiritual war with a spiritual enemy,
It is foolish to assume that he will not try to infiltrate the camp.

Peter wrote:
2 Peter 2:1-2 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;”

Jude wrote:
Jude 4 “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Jude 12-13 “These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.”

And one of the reasons John is writing is to help the church spot them.
It is an invaluable resource.

SO THIS MORNING we move forward in our study of 1 John.

LAST TIME we saw that the key criteria by which we evaluate both ourselves and others is OBEDIENCE.

1 John 2:4-5 “The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:”

Obedience to Christ is the key evidence that a person truly loves God
And that a person has been transformed by the Holy Spirit.

But even that is still a little generic.

THIS MORNING John sharpens his focus to a specific command.
AND THAT COMMAND IS LOVE.

We say that obedience proves salvation,
And if you want to start with a specific command to examine
Then start with the command to love.

This is the command by which we EVALUATE OURSELVES
And this is the command by which we EVALUATE OTHERS.

• No other command better indicates whether you are in Christ’s kingdom of light or if you are still in Satan’s kingdom of darkness.

• No other command better indicates if you are in the family of God or if you remain in Satan’s family.

There are so many religious commands and practices
That can be externally counterfeited but LOVE CANNOT BE FAKED.

LOVE IS FROM GOD and it is the chief command which distinguishes
Those who are in fellowship with Him versus those who are not.

And so John this morning would have us examine our love.
And to do that we will be studying verses 7-11.

There’s two main points to make this morning.
#1 LOVE IS THE POINT
1 John 2:7-8

It is an interesting play on words that John uses here
And one that can seem a little confusing.

• For in verse 7 John says, “I am not writing a new commandment to you”
• And then in verse 8 he says, “On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you,”

And we sort of want to say, “Which is it John?”
Is it an old command or a new command?
And John says, “Yes”

So let’s examine what he means.

“Beloved” – and that is a great title for those John is writing to.

Never forget, that despite the direct nature of this letter,
Every single word is written out of love for the church.

His objective is not to harm the church, but to help the church.

John loves the church.
History even actually calls him “The apostle of love”

“Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.”

Now because we can read ahead we know that the specific command John is referring to is the command to love your brother.

And John starts out by saying this is NOT a new commandment.

In fact “you have heard” this commandment “from the beginning;”

And the point John is making is that
The command to love your brother is not some new development.

• From the first day you heard the gospel.
• From the first day you heard the word of God.
• This command has been at the center.

Who can forget Jesus instruction?
Matthew 22:34-40 “But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

The command to love your brother is NOT a new thought.

It is actually rooted in the Mosaic Law.

Deuteronomy 6:5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Leviticus 19:18 “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.”

Jesus then took those commandments
And they became the chief commandments of His teaching.
He said they were the greatest two.

Jesus said “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Paul would certainly reiterate that:
Romans 13:8-10 “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

You see how love is the fulfillment of the Law.
All of the things God commands you not to do to your brother are things you wouldn’t do to him if you loved him.
• You don’t have an affair with a man’s wife if you love him.
• You don’t murder a man you love.
• You don’t steal from a man you love.
• You don’t covet the stuff of a man you love.

It’s pretty clear.
It is a command you have HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING.

However, John goes on.
(8) “On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you,”

And of course this follows exactly the teaching of Jesus as well.

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus gave that same old commandment,
But actually called it “A new commandment”

HOW?

It’s NOT that the command to “love one another” is a new command that you have never heard.

However, when Jesus showed up
That command was understood in such a new way
That it’s like something you’ve never heard before.

In other words, you knew about the command to love your brother,
But until Jesus you never really knew
What that love was supposed to look like.

JESUS CLARIFIED that command to such an extent
That it began to feel like something totally new.

Remember Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan?
• That parable took “love your neighbor as yourself” to a level that no Jew had ever even considered.
• That parable is actually the most condemning parable in Scripture because no one can read it and say, “I do that”.

The love with which Christ loved
Is bigger than anything the world ever comprehended.

Remember the passage Stephen Butts preached a couple of weeks ago.
John 15:12-17 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. “You are My friends if you do what I command you. “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. “This I command you, that you love one another.

That is really where the commandment took on a whole new life.

• The old commandment was “love your neighbor as yourself.”
• But the new commandment is “love one another, just as I have loved you.”

That’s a whole new understanding of love.

In the Old Testament that passage came with basic stipulations.
Leviticus 19:9-18 “Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. ‘Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God. ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. ‘You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD. ‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning. ‘You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly. ‘You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the LORD. ‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.”

• Leave some of the grain in your fields and vineyards for the poor.
• Don’t deal falsely or lie to each other.
• Don’t exploit each other in transactions.
• Don’t cause people to stumble.
• Walk in justice, don’t slander.

That’s all really good and basic advice for what it means to
“love your neighbor as yourself”.

But Jesus took that to a whole new level when He said that
The greatest love is to “lay down your life” for your friends.

AND HERE IS THE POINT TO THAT.
SUCH LOVE CANNOT BE DONE IN HUMAN STRENGTH.

Love is definitely an action and love is definitely a choice,
But it is a choice that an unregenerate man cannot make.

You can’t love like Christ
Apart from the transforming work of Christ in your life.

It is at salvation when that supernatural love is given to you.
Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

• It is the Holy Spirit who enables that kind of love as love is actually listed as the
first “fruit of the Spirit”.
• When a person is saved they are then given the capacity to love like Christ
loved.

That’s why John says: “I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you”
It’s true in you if you’ve been redeemed.

And then John goes on to say this:
“because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.”

• “the darkness” is a reference to Satan’s kingdom.
• “the true Light” is a reference to Christ’s kingdom.

And though there is still plenty of darkness in this world
We know that Satan’s kingdom is operating on borrowed time.

Christ’s kingdom is currently A SPIRITUAL REALITY,
Evidenced by love, and it dispels the darkness.

And one day Christ’s kingdom will become a physical reality,
Categorized by love, and the darkness will be gone completely.

SO WHAT IS JOHN’S POINT?

THE CHIEF AND OBVIOUS DISTINCTION
Between the kingdom of light and the dominion of darkness is LOVE.

• Those who are in Christ’s kingdom and in Christ’s family love as Christ loved.
• Those who remain in the kingdom of darkness do not.

Love is the most obvious characteristic of genuine Christianity.
• Love has always been COMMANDED BY GOD.
• Love was certainly CLARIFIED BY CHRIST.
• Love most definitely CHARACTERIZES CHRIST’S KINGDOM.

LOVE IS THE POINT.

And again, that is OBVIOUS CHRISTIANITY.
That is Christianity 101

God intends for those who are His
To love one another as Christ loved them.

Philippians 2:1-5 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,”

1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,”

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,”

You get the idea: LOVE IS THE POINT

And that point allows John to make the second point.
#2 LOVE IS THE PROOF
1 John 2:9-11

Because love is the undeniable chief fruit of Christianity
John can then make this obvious statement.

(9) “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.”

We’ve met that guy before haven’t we?
He’s the imposter.

• In (1:6) he said he had fellowship but walks in darkness.
• In (1:8) he said he had no sin
• In (1:10) he said he had not sinned
• In (2:4) he said he knew Jesus but didn’t obey

And here he shows up again.
• He “says he is in the Light” (that is in Christ’s kingdom/family)
• But he obviously doesn’t because he “hates his brother”

Hatred for a brother is not something those in Christ’s family do.
That is something that those in Satan’s family do.

Which is why John says that guy “is in the darkness until now.”

He’s not saved, or in fellowship with God, or in Christ’s kingdom.
THIS IS OBVIOUS

Not everyone seems to be clear on this.
I read one commentary this week that said that it is a mistake to think John is making a distinction between those who are lost and those who are saved.

The held merely that, “a Christian who can hate his fellow Christian has not genuinely escaped from the darkness of this present passing Age. To put it another way, he has much to learn about God and cannot legitimately claim an intimate knowledge of Christ.”
(Walvoord, John F. & Zuck, Roy B. [The Bible Knowledge Commentary; New Testament; Chariot Victor Publishing; Colorado Springs, CO; 1983] pg. 889)

But listen John ISN’T making a distinction
Between those who love well and those who love a little.

John is talking about polar opposites.
He is talking about love and hate.

And while it is true that every believer could love better and love more
(none of us perfectly love like Christ)

The simple fact is that if someone claims to be a Christian
But they can hate another Christian, they are not a real Christian.

And John will circle back to this later:
1 John 3:14-15 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

1 John 4:20 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

IT IS CLEAR.
• If there is no love for the brethren then there is no salvation.
• If there is hatred for a brother then there is no salvation.

But THERE IS A REASON why John is telling you this.
• Certainly we can examine ourselves here…
• Certainly we can use this to find assurance…

But the reason John tells you here is because
You need to know that some people, even in the church,
Should not be allowed to influence you.

(10-11) “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

The contrasts are obvious.

You have a man who loves his brother and he is in the light
• “there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

You have a man who hates his brother and he is in the darkness and he is totally misguided and lost.
• “in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

And the warning from John is simply this.
BE CAREFUL WHO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND LET INFLUENCE YOU
• Satan has seen fit to sew tares among the wheat.
• Satan has seen fit to infiltrate the church with false brethren.
• Satan has seen fit to put stumbling blocks in your midst.

Jesus talked about them:
Matthew 15:12-14 “Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

If you follow those guys, whom My Father did not plant,
Then they will lead you right into a pit.

They don’t know God.
They are not in God’s kingdom.
They will lead you straight to destruction.

Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

And that coupled with all those warnings
We read at the beginning of the sermon about stumbling blocks.

You’ve got to realize, as difficult as it sounds,
That not everyone who claims Christianity
Can be trusted or should be followed.

WELL HOW DO I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?

You look for the one who loves.
“The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

The one who loves like Christ loved will not cause you to stumble.

And let me clarify that even a little further.

Today LOVE HAS BEEN REDEFINED and used as a deceptive tool.
• Today, love has become synonymous with tolerance.
• Today, if you confront someone in sin you’ll be accused of not being loving.
• Today, if you don’t follow the cultural whims you’ll be called a person of hate.

It is important that the definition for love remain accurate.
We are looking for the person who loves like Christ loved.

There is actually a definition.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

That is a definition of Christ-like love.
• The brother who loves will be long-suffering or patient.
• The brother who loves will be kind.
• The brother who loves is not jealous of what another brother has.
• The brother who loves is humble, not bragging or arrogant.
• The brother who loves doesn’t act unbecomingly
• The brother who loves is not selfish
• The brother who loves doesn’t fly off the handle
• The brother who loves doesn’t hold a grudge
• The brother who loves does not lead you into sin or let you remain in sin
• The brother who loves rejoices when you walk in truth

That is Christ-like love.

Did Christ confront sinners? Of course
Did Christ call for repentance? Absolutely
Did Christ ever lead anyone into sin or condone their sin? Never

So don’t let the world redefine love, look at Christ’s love.

And remember that Christ then gave Himself up
For the salvation even of His enemies.

And people who do that are clearly those who are in His kingdom.

Now, certainly we offer grace here as well,
For none of us can say that we always love like Christ.
That is a criteria none of us lives up to.

We certainly strive for it, but we also fall short of it.
So we’re NOT SAYING if you don’t love like Jesus all the time
Then you aren’t saved.

John doesn’t say that.
John says you aren’t saved if you hate, which is the extreme other end.

No, we’re a work in progress
And clearly some people are doing better than others.
There must be some love even if it is not yet perfect love,

John will be clear later that if you don’t love at all, you aren’t saved.

But what is clear is that though none of us loves as much as we should,
Hatred has certainly been removed through Christ.

And if there is a so-called brother in the assembly who hates another brother,
• That is a man you should avoid, not follow.
• That man is in the darkness and he’ll lead you where you do not want to God.

Romans 16:17-18 “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.”

• The goal for us is to love like Christ loved.
• The goal for us is to encourage one another to love like Christ loved.
• The goal is to follow those who love like Christ loved.

This is the distinguishing mark
Of those who have been rescued from the domain of darkness
And transferred into Christ’s kingdom of Light.