King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Chapters: THE BOOKS OF 1, 2, & 3 JOHN
Message: For The Love of Christ
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
Well another Christmas has come and gone, and this has by far been the most humbling, and taught my family that Christmas is much more than giving gifts and having a good meal, apart from Christ’s birth of course, it is about the love that we share with family. The love that Christ has shown us when He gave His life for us is the greatest gift that anyone could give. Since His sacrifice is all that is required for us to be saved from the flaming furnace of hell the greatest gift that we can give Jesus and anyone else for that matter is to become a living sacrifice, [Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.]
The Book of 1 John is the twenty-third book of the New Testament, sixty-second book of the Bible, and contains five chapters. The author of this epistle is John (the same John who wrote the Gospel of John as well as Revelation), and it was written to Christians who were falling into satanic deception which was breaking their fellowship with God and other believers. The purpose of this letter was to remind believers how they have eternal life, and our works of Christ are evidence that His lives inside of us, [1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God- hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.]
Being a living sacrifice means more than just accepting Christ, it is also living through Christ and while we are under no obligation to follow the six hundred and thirteen commandments that God had given the Israelites, we ought to be living our lives in a way that shows that Christ is in us. John’s Gospel of Christ was written to all believers of God, but out of the four Gospels, God’s presence is seen through it more than all of them. These letters that John wrote are no different as you read them it is apparent who is actually speaking. John, begins his first letter with a reminder that all who accept Christ is of the Father, and what the evidence of that is.
[1 John 1:1-6 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:]
[and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:] One cannot get saved through their faith in Christ and walk with the devil, and anyone who deliberately chooses to live in sin without repentance is walking with the devil. We can sin a thousand times a day, but as long as we are repentant, God, is faithful and just to cleanse us from our unrighteousness, but if we are not repentant, we are liars, [1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.]
Fellowship with God our Father, is only made possible through the incarnation of Christ, and is clearly made as we shine the Light of Christ through our obedience to Him. If you think that the world does not see Him in us, think again, they do, and so does Satan, which is why he tries to stop us every which way we can. Now, we all backslide a little bit from time to time, and I am not going to lie, I did a few years back, and it truly was torture on not only my body, but spirit as well. Fellowship with our Father can be maintained only by walking in the Light, which signifies the recognizing of our sins with frank confession of them and forsaking of them as they are revealed to us. Our salvation is not the green light to live in sin.
[1 John 2:1-6 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.]
[And he is the propitiation for our sins:] [Propitiation; The act of appeasing wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person; the atonement or atoning sacrifice offered to God to assuage his wrath.] The second that sin was committed by man on the earth that was when it separated God from man, it appalled Him so much that He could no longer look at man. Since He created man and they are actually His most precious creation, He made a way to appease man and for a while He used the sacrifice of unblemished animals as a means to for a sinner to be atoned for their sins. Jesus, changed that with His one sinless sacrifice, [Ephesians 2:15-16 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:]
It is wise to remember that even though we are no longer under the Law, God, has not changed His stance on sin. His commands to avoid sin are not null and void because we get saved, if anything, they ought to be the drive that keeps us from sin. John, goes on to remind us that we are forgiven and therefore, a new commandment is given.
[1 John 2:8-9,12,14-16 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.]
[the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,] Our faith alone in Christ cleanses our soul of the sin that covered us in filth that we had gotten from the world. This does not mean that He wants us to continue living in sin, in fact, it is worse on us because we have the Holy Spirit living inside us. Jesus, really does more than just cleanse our soul as we walk in His light, He cleanses our conscience, our mind, our spirit, and our body. Confession of sin is the key to the cleansing, even after we are saved, and we must confess our sins sincerely, and daily in order to keep His light shinning. Besides, following His commands does reveal those who truly do abide in Christ or are impostors, which John warns us of.
[1 John 2:18-21,28-29 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.]
[and not be ashamed before him at his coming.] We should never be ashamed of what we are doing when the lights are off, and it appears that no one is looking. If we are, then repentance is the best option because there is always someone watching, and our sin will be found out publicly if we are doing something that we are ashamed of, [Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.]
This is actually what God had told Cain when He rejected the offering that he had brought to Him. This is the thinking of the majority of people who know of Christ, but do not receive Him, they want the blessing of God with their halfhearted offerings. Do you want to know what is worse than a halfhearted unsaved person? A halfhearted saved Christian, who willfully commits sin. The truth is, there is no joy in worldly living. What they end up with is a sad, wasted life, with nothing to show for it. While we are all sinners saved by the grace of God through Christ, we are a work in progress until the day God takes us home or Christ returns. When we walk with Him daily, He literally transforms us into His likeness, and reveals to the world that we are the children of God.
[1 John 3:1-6,8 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.]
[whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.] Now, this is actually referring to sin that is knowingly committed, and not repented of, using ones salvation as a cloak for their sin. While we all still sin, Jesus, will help us overcome it through obedience, If there is no shame, if there is no admission of sin, then perhaps they are not saved to begin with and need to reassess their salvation.
[1 John 3:11,18-23 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.]
[let us not love…in deed and in truth.] Those whom have sincerely and honestly accepted Christ as their Saviour are automatically wired to start living their lives in a way that pleases God, and that includes removing sin from their lives. It is the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us that tells us that we need to stop doing something that we learn is sin. We also need to be careful as there are many wolves in sheep’s clothing, just trying to get us out of God’s will.
[1 John 4:1-4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.]
[have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you,] Do you understand that, if you are saved, Christ lives in you? The fact that He lives in you means that you have overcome the greatest battle you will ever face in your lifetime, death. That alone should be the drive that leads us to live a life that is pleasing to God. People should be able to tell if Christ is in us because we truly are different. If they do not see Christ in us, than we are obviously not walking with Him. We can live in this world and not be of it, we can enjoy this life with some integrity, and we can enjoy a life of fellowship with God. We are going to mess up, sometimes several times a day, but living our lives with Christ makes us more like Him as we learn His ways and mimic them.
[1 John 4:7-11,15,18-19 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.]
[There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:] There is nothing to fear when we fear God because He will lead and protect us one way or another. God, is with all who have receive His Son, He always will be, and all one needs to do order to feel His presence is to simply remind themselves just how much He loves them, and that He will take care of everything. We must never waiver in our faith, and never forget that we have the witness of Christ within ourselves through the Holy Spirit that lives within us.
[1 John 5:1-6 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.]
[and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.] I will tell you this, while I do not wish any of the judgment that I faced for my sin on anyone, it was what brought me closer to God and His presence seen more that I had ever seen since I dedicated my life to Him. I have overcome the world with Christ! What gives me such confidence? He answers my prayers every day. Okay, so, I am not going to say that God answers every one of my prayers everyday, but He does answer them. Sometimes, it is a flat out, “No!”, “Just wait your turn!”, or “I am not going to give you that answer right now.”, but there is not a day since my little episode that He does not speak to me.
[1 John 5:11-15,20 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.]
[This is the true God, and eternal life.] We have the proof right inside of us, the Holy Spirit, which is why the second you doubt yourself, He is right there to remind you of your joy. Again, the devil robs us of our joy of our salvation, and anything else from Jesus that brings us joy. The Book of 2 John, is the twenty-fourth book of the New Testament and sixty-third book of the Bible. 2 John was an epistle (letter) written by the Apostle John to the elect lady and her children. The purpose of this letter was to caution believers to be faithful to sound doctrine and to warn them against false teachers. What we are to learn from the letter is that we must remove ourselves from false teachers who cause us to follow and live by the wrong doctrine, [2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.]
We are saved by grace through our faith the second we believe in the immaculate birth, sinless death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and receive Him as our Saviour. Do not let go of what you have been taught. John, begins this letter by addressing it to the elder unto the elect lady. The lady elect is not a woman, but a body of people, the body or the Church of Christ to be exact.
[2 John 1:1-2,5-8,10-11 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.]
[Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things…but that we receive a full reward.] Do not let go of what you have been taught. We are saved by grace through our faith the second we believe in the immaculate birth, sinless death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and receive Him as our Saviour. That should bring great joy to us, and if we are doing something or listening to someone who is making us doubt that then, we need to repent of that. The Book of 3 John is the twenty-fifth book of the New Testament and sixty-fourth book of the Bible. It was written by the Apostle John to a man named Gaius. The purpose of this letter was to commend Gaius for his faith and hard work, but also rebuke some of the people causing trouble in the church. What we are to learn from the book is that our lives are examples of what others follow, whether it be good or evil, [3 John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.]
John’s third letter is addressed to someone named, [Gaius; a Christian], so, this is written to all faithful Christians and explains exactly why we are not to receive those into our lives do cause us to question or against our faith. Because greater is He that is in you, our soul is saved, meaning it is sinless and righteous before God, and if we want God’s blessings to continue it is important that we continue walking in the truth.
[3 John 1:1-5,8,11 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth. 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.]
[whom I love in the truth] Do you see who is actually talking through these chapters? It is not John, it is God, and He finds no greater joy than to see His children walking in His Word. And because greater is He that is in you, He has the power to lead us away from any sin, [James 1:12-14 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, The sacrifice You made for us is still something true believers cannot comprehend, to give Your life for us and even want to fellowship with us after all we have done is truly amazing. Lord, I want to walk in Your Light, lead me and guide me, give me Your power and the strength that only You can give me to be able to shine Your Light through me. Fill me with Your grace and knowledge to discern the liars from the true, and keep me in Your Light, that I may not walk in darkness. I ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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