September 29th 2024
Jesus Continues To Represent Us As His Brother Or Sister To God The Father In Heaven, Even When We Fail!
1 John 2:1 (NIV)
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Some people have confided in me that they are concerned about their salvation as they continue to do things they believe to be sinful. In the selected verse John gives us assurances that even though you (we) may continue to do things we believe to be sinful, that it is still probable that you are saved, as evidenced by your concern about your actions. It is very important that all believers in Jesus Christ are or become aware of their sinful actions, and thus, try to avoid repeating any action you believe to be sinful. Jesus taught John and hopefully us, that our sins are forgivable, if we ask Jesus to forgive us for sinning, and that we plan to avoid a place or situation that may cause us to stumble.
Did you get the most important part of the selected verse, where John tells us, but if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. Jesus continues to represent us as His brother or sister to God the Father in heaven, even when we fail! Now that is some good news for today. We do still have a sinful nature which wars with our desire to work on becoming more Christ-like every day! Paul wrote about what he termed working out our salvation. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed— not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence— continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, (Philippians 2:12). This means working out your salvation attempting to become more Christ-like, not working to gain salvation, but because you have already been born again into salvation!
Your Bible is the only book you can read in this cursed world that contains some absolute truths, as mere men wrote all other books. All men have sinful nature, and men did write our Bible, BUT I believe God directed what has been written, and Jesus left the Holy Spirit to guide us when we read God’s Word! There are many good books written by men, but none of them are entirely guided by God. We need to study our Bible to obtain lasting joy and freedom in this world. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32).
In this cursed world we often receive misleading information, so what we believe as the truth, may not actually be true. We read about what the churches highest officials of Jesus day believed was NOT based on God’s Word that they had available to them, and they studied. Matthew wrote about one such time when they did not identify Jesus as the Messiah! The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered. (Matthew 26:63b-66).
Paul was once one of the high church teachers and he did not believe Jesus was the promised Messiah. Paul did not believe it until Jesus knocked him down and blinded him for three days. After this encounter with Jesus Paul then knew that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah, and he started teaching that fact, and writing many letters affirming this belief. In one such letter Paul wrote about Jesus being the Son of God, and the creator of everything. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17).
Paul then continued to write about the fact that Jesus Christ is the leader of the only true church in this cursed world! And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:18-20). If everyone in this world believed in Jesus and followed Him then there could be peace in this world, which would be accomplished, “by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
What did Jesus say about His coming into this world, would it cause peace to come because of His presence? "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39). If you become a follower of Jesus in this cursed world there will be many people who will not identify with you as someone they wish to associate with. In some places in this world some people will want to kill you, because you have chosen to follow Jesus Christ!
Jesus told His followers to seek first the kingdom of God, and that your minimum needs will be supplied for you. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34). However, in this cursed world mankind will often withhold food and other necessities from people they have gained control over. There is plenty of food to feed everyone in this world that Jesus created, but mankind oversees distributing it and greed causes many people to not receive their fair share.
Next week I plane to write about some of the Biblical truths that many people have come to NOT believe or at least they may doubt, which God says in His Word have truly occurred! Some such people may share a pew with you in the church of your choice each Sabbath Day!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 John 2:1 (NIV)
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Some people have confided in me that they are concerned about their salvation as they continue to do things they believe to be sinful. In the selected verse John gives us assurances that even though you (we) may continue to do things we believe to be sinful, that it is still probable that you are saved, as evidenced by your concern about your actions. It is very important that all believers in Jesus Christ are or become aware of their sinful actions, and thus, try to avoid repeating any action you believe to be sinful. Jesus taught John and hopefully us, that our sins are forgivable, if we ask Jesus to forgive us for sinning, and that we plan to avoid a place or situation that may cause us to stumble.
Did you get the most important part of the selected verse, where John tells us, but if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. Jesus continues to represent us as His brother or sister to God the Father in heaven, even when we fail! Now that is some good news for today. We do still have a sinful nature which wars with our desire to work on becoming more Christ-like every day! Paul wrote about what he termed working out our salvation. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed— not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence— continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, (Philippians 2:12). This means working out your salvation attempting to become more Christ-like, not working to gain salvation, but because you have already been born again into salvation!
Your Bible is the only book you can read in this cursed world that contains some absolute truths, as mere men wrote all other books. All men have sinful nature, and men did write our Bible, BUT I believe God directed what has been written, and Jesus left the Holy Spirit to guide us when we read God’s Word! There are many good books written by men, but none of them are entirely guided by God. We need to study our Bible to obtain lasting joy and freedom in this world. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32).
In this cursed world we often receive misleading information, so what we believe as the truth, may not actually be true. We read about what the churches highest officials of Jesus day believed was NOT based on God’s Word that they had available to them, and they studied. Matthew wrote about one such time when they did not identify Jesus as the Messiah! The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered. (Matthew 26:63b-66).
Paul was once one of the high church teachers and he did not believe Jesus was the promised Messiah. Paul did not believe it until Jesus knocked him down and blinded him for three days. After this encounter with Jesus Paul then knew that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah, and he started teaching that fact, and writing many letters affirming this belief. In one such letter Paul wrote about Jesus being the Son of God, and the creator of everything. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17).
Paul then continued to write about the fact that Jesus Christ is the leader of the only true church in this cursed world! And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:18-20). If everyone in this world believed in Jesus and followed Him then there could be peace in this world, which would be accomplished, “by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
What did Jesus say about His coming into this world, would it cause peace to come because of His presence? "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39). If you become a follower of Jesus in this cursed world there will be many people who will not identify with you as someone they wish to associate with. In some places in this world some people will want to kill you, because you have chosen to follow Jesus Christ!
Jesus told His followers to seek first the kingdom of God, and that your minimum needs will be supplied for you. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34). However, in this cursed world mankind will often withhold food and other necessities from people they have gained control over. There is plenty of food to feed everyone in this world that Jesus created, but mankind oversees distributing it and greed causes many people to not receive their fair share.
Next week I plane to write about some of the Biblical truths that many people have come to NOT believe or at least they may doubt, which God says in His Word have truly occurred! Some such people may share a pew with you in the church of your choice each Sabbath Day!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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