Theology That Bites Back
Introduction:We have considered the enticements of worldliness—the snare that tripped up our first parents. Those enticements are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When we are drawn to such things, and they make us unrighteous, and we also want to cling to our deep need to still be in the right, this results ...
Introduction:We should all know that it is a sin to lie. Perjury is, after all, prohibited by the ninth commandment (Ex. 20:16). The Colossians were told not to lie to one another, now that they had put off the old man with his deeds (Col. 3:9). And we are told that the lake of fire is reserved for liars, among a number of others (Rev. 21:8). ...
Introduction:We are beginning a short series of sermons in 1 John, but the messages are of a topical nature. Although these messages will revolve around particular topics, I believe that when we are done, we will have apprehended the larger message of the book via a somewhat different route—different, that is, from a verse-by-verse ...
John comes to the conclusion of his short letter in a resounding crescendo of assurance. He does this in the only possible context of biblical assurance, the context of the absolute difference between right and wrong. “This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. …
We have been considering and distinguishing the various tests for genuine Christianity. We now come to the portion of the epistle of John where it becomes evident that while these things may be distinguished, they cannot be separated. We have come to the intersection of the tests. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love …
Every careful Christian has considered the vexing question of assurance. What is the ground of my salvation? What is the ground of my confidence in salvation? How can I know that I am right before God? “And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him . …
Recall that John gives a cycle of tests for genuine Christianity. That three-fold cycle includes righteousness, love, and doctrinal integrity, and in this place he begins working his way through this cycle for a second time. A true Christian may be described as one who does what is right, loves his brothers, and believes certain …
Few teachings in the Bible have been as wildly misunderstood as the teaching of the apostle John on the Antichrist. Opinions and speculation about him are commonplace. Unfortunately, the assumptions made about Antichrist are usually far away from the actual teaching of the Bible on the subject. “Little children, it is the last hour; and …
The world, taken in one sense, is one of the three great adversaries of the Christian. The three adversaries are, respectively, the world, the flesh, and the devil. All three are found in this passage. “. . . And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will …
Throughout the book of 1 John, we see detailed treatments of three basic tests of genuine Christianity. They are the moral and ethical (keeping God’s commands), the familial (loving one another), and doctrinal (believing the truth). In this passage of his letter, we find John addressing the first two of these. Now by this we …
