 Jesus Forgives.
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. The Apostle John is about 80 years old when he writes as a father to his children. John knows the greatest danger that Christians face is sin and that Jesus is the One who can save them from sin. Believers have the power not to sin (2 Peter 1:3-4), but John knows that every believer does sin by disobeying the Lord’s commands. Sin brings destruction, death and judgment by mankind’s loving and just Creator God. Sin destroys fellowship (mutually sharing relationships) with God and people. Jesus came to save us from sin by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for sin (Romans 5:10), to free us from slavery to sin (Romans 6:6-7) and to one day free us from the presence of sin (Revelation 21:1-4). When we sin as believers we cut-off our fellowship with the Lord and those around us. We need an Advocate with the Father to avoid the death of sin and to gain restored fellowship with God and man. An Advocate is one who supports us. Jesus is our Advocate. He keeps us from judgment by interceding for us with the Judge and gaining us pardon from our sin and restoration to fellowship with God. When we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us of our sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness by telling the Father that He has already paid the penalty for that sin by His death on the cross. Hebrews 7:25 tells us He ever lives to make such intercession for us. Jesus is the propitiation for not only our sin, but the sins of the whole world. Propitiation means Jesus paid the penalty for our sin and satisfied the justice of God. We receive the benefits of Jesus’ payment for our sin when we repent of our sin and believe the gospel. When we sin and confess it to God, we are forgiven and cleansed because Jesus’ blood shed on the cross washes away the just penalty our sin deserves. Nothing is better than to be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness. We sin daily and need cleansing daily. What starts to happen if we do not wash up and shower on a regular basis? We begin to stink! People do not appreciate it if we stink around them. When we fail to deal daily with our sin our lives begin to stink and ruin fellowship with God and people. Jesus has provided the way for us to be cleansed from the stink of sin and enjoy right relations with God and man. We are to go to Jesus as soon as we repent of our sin and confess it to Him. He immediately forgives us and cleanses us from our sin. May you receive forgiveness and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Remember, no matter who you are, what you have done, or what has been done to you, Jesus loves you! Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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 Walk in the Light.
1 John 1:5-10 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say 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 we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. The Apostle John is proclaiming the message he learned from Jesus. He has given us an example to follow. We are to proclaim the same message from Jesus to all around us, to family, friends, neighbors, and people we associate with who claim to be Christians, but live according to the ways of the world. If we followed the example of the Apostle John then we would be doing the very best we could do to help people know what a genuine Christian is. Many claim to be Christians, but are not and live according to the ways of the world in deep darkness causing pain and suffering in all their relationships. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. To understand the message Jesus is teaching us, we need to know what is meant by light and darkness. Light is truth. Darkness is sin. If we claim to have fellowship with God and walk or live sinfully with no repentance, we lie. If we are experiencing relationship with God, then we are not in darkness, we are not practicing sin, but are living according to the truth. Practicing the truth does not mean we are perfect, it means we desire to obey the Lord and not live according to sin. We live knowing we have a propensity to sin because we have been infected by sin from birth. We live attempting to practice the truth expecting the Lord to fulfill our attempt with His power (2 Thessalonians 1:11). People deceive themselves and call God a liar if they say they do not sin. Jesus told us in John 3:19-20 that people hate the light (truth) because it exposes their lifestyle as sinful. People who hate the light think they do not sin. People who hate the light think what they do is okay and necessary to enjoy life or support themselves materially. They are deceived and by living in darkness rob themselves and all around them of the abundant life (Galatians 5:22-23) they could have. The deceived people also hide the way to eternal life from those in their families and in their friendship and acquaintance circle. People who acknowledge they sin will seek the solution to sin’s destruction and death. The solution is Jesus. Jesus commands us to repent of our sins and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 10:9). People who repent and believe the gospel are forgiven of the penalty of sin (Romans 5:10) and freed from slavery to sin (Romans 6:6-7). The people who repent and believe receive the Holy Spirit, Who gives them the power to obey and desire to obey (Ephesians 1:13-14; 3:20; Ezekiel 36:27). When true Christians sin, they repent of their sin, confess it to God and are cleansed from all unrighteousness. True believers have a mutual sharing relationship with other believers and live in the presence of God. They love the light. May you walk in the Light. Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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1 John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life- 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that your joy may be complete. The beginning is referring to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The “we” are the Apostles who were chosen to be with Jesus for the three years of His public ministry to the sinful people of Israel. Jesus was sent to earth to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The Apostles give eyewitness testimony that Jesus was the word of life. Notice that they heard Jesus talk, they saw Him and touched Him. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Jesus is God in the flesh, the second person of the Creator triune God, one God in three persons. The Apostles purpose was to make known to the people of the world what they saw and heard so many people would be saved from their sins and have right relationships with other believers and with the Lord (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Apostle wrote to the Church so the people’s joy would be complete. Believers in Christ have joy that is dependent on Jesus alone, not dependent upon other people. As believers learn the truth, they begin to know and experience this marvelous truth of joy that the world cannot take away. Paul experienced this joy even when experiencing sorrow (2 Corinthians 6:10). May the Lord use the truth John proclaims to us to help us know and experience this joy the world cannot give and cannot take away. Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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Romans 16:25-27 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith- 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. What is the message Paul gives to all believers as he closes his letter to the Roman local church? Paul gives three power packed truths to that will strengthen our faith and others. Truth number one: God is able to strengthen believers through the gospel. He has forgiven the penalty of sin by Jesus’ death on the cross. He has removed the power of sin to enslave us by His death on the cross. He has confirmed Jesus’ power over sin and death by raising Him from the dead. He has established Jesus as Lord for every person who has repented of his sin and believed the gospel. He has empowered every believer to do His will by giving all who believe the gospel the Holy Spirit. Truth number two: God is able to strengthen believers through the preaching of Jesus. Jesus commanded us how to live victoriously and fruitfully in a sinful world. As each person learns the Word of God (preaching of Jesus), he will live obedient to the commands of Christ. Paul taught the Romans that by renewing their minds according to the scriptures and obeying the scriptures, they will live transformed lives (Romans 12:2b). Truth number three: When the believers go into the world to make disciples of all nations the nations, then the nations have the best opportunity to be brought to the obedience of faith, that is, to have a faith that saves them from sin and for abundant and eternal life (Matthew 28:20; John 10:10). Are you being strengthen by God according to the gospel and the preaching of Jesus? Are you taking the gospel and the preaching of Jesus to those in your sphere of influence? God first equips us and then He sends us out to do His will so that many people might be saved. May you be strengthened in your faith. Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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Romans 16:21-23 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. What can be learned from the people Paul mentions in this part of his letter to the Roman local church? Timothy was a young man Paul saw promise in and took with him on his mission journey. At the time of this letter, Timothy had been with Paul for about eight years. Paul was always training disciples to carry on the work of Christ. Lucious, Jason and Sosipater were Paul’s blood relatives he had reached with the gospel. Tertius was a trusted believer who was Paul’s secretary and wrote his letters for him since his eyes were not very good. Erastus was the Corinth city treasurer and Quartus was a fellow believer working with Paul. What can we learn from this passage of Scripture? We need to be training young believers to take the work forward when we are done. Paul trained Timothy. Are you preparing a younger believer? Ask the Lord to show you who you are to pour your life into today. Paul reached out to his relatives with the gospel. Are you reaching out to your extended family with the gospel? Paul had a person who helped him overcome his physical limitations. Are you willing to let others help you in your areas of weakness? Paul reached out to important people in the city government. Are you willing to take the gospel to your city officials? Paul received the help of Quartus, a fellow believer. Are you willing to come alongside of a Paul type person to help with the work? These are questions that require a “Yes” answer if the work of Christ is going to be done in the most effective manner. If you have answered “No” to some of the questions then you know where you need to grow as a Christian. Ask the Lord Jesus to help you grow in those areas. He will help you! May you give and serve like Jesus. Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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Romans 16:19-20 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. A hallmark is a mark stamped on articles of gold, silver, or platinum in Britain, certifying their standard of purity or geniuses. The hallmark of a true Christian is obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Please note from Paul’s letter that the Roman local church is considered obedient, not perfect. Paul wrote to bring correction to the obedient local church of Rome. Jesus states quite clearly in Matthew 7:21-23 that people who know Him and are known by Him seek to do His will.
If you can answer yes to all the questions then your obedience will be known to all, not your perfection. As believers live in obedience to Jesus, those in authority over them will have joy (Hebrews 13:17). As believers live in obedience to Jesus they will be wise to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. Obedience to Jesus benefits all people, because doing what is good benefits all people. God has defeated Satan on the cross (Hebrews 2:14-15) and will cause him to flee as believers submit to Jesus and resist the devil (James 4:7). As Paul stated earlier in the letter, every believer is more than a conqueror in Christ (Romans 8:37). "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you." Grace is unmerited favor and the total of God’s resources needed to live a godly life. It is grace that makes it possible for every believer to obey Jesus. May you receive the grace to obey Jesus with His power. Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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Romans 16:17-18 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Christians who do not know the Bible can be deceived by people who misuse the Bible to gain a following. The cults, like the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons do this. In the time of Paul, the people who were Gnostics and Judaizers were people who misused the Bible to gain their own following. What will keep you from being deceived and divided as a local church? You need to learn the Bible. You need to be in a Bible based local church that has elders to guard the flock (Read Acts 20:17-35 where is Paul instructing the elders of the local church of Ephesus how to guard the believers from false teachers). Are you diligently learning the Word of God? Take some time each day to systematically study the Bible. A good way to begin a systematic study of the Bible is to begin by reading Genesis chapters one through eleven. Then, continue by reading the gospel of Matthew through the book of Revelation (the New Testament). Are you in a local church that has elders to guard the flock from false teachers who bring division? How do you find a local church that has elders who guard the flock from false teachers? Call up local churches and ask to speak with one of the elders. Ask the elders how a person is saved and see if it fits with Ephesians 2:8-9. Ask the elder how a person lives according to the Bible and see if the answer fits Galatians 2:20 and 2 Corinthians 12:9. Ask the elder to direct you to a passage of scripture that describes the qualifications of an elder and see if he leads you to 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9 and Acts 20:17-35. Do begin to diligently study the Bible systematically and be involved in a local church that is guarded by elders who fit the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; and Acts 20:17-35. May you continue to learn the Word of God. Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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Romans 16:1-16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. As you read through the saints that Paul was noting what did you think? Did you see any examples to follow? Note them on a piece of paper and keep the paper before you until the example they set for you is the example you are setting for others. Did you see how all the parts of the body are necessary to accomplish the work of God in the world? Paul was helped by each of the saints named according to their assignments from God. He did not accomplish his God-given assignments on his own. He always worked with others along the way. What list would you make from your local church of people who worked with you to accomplish God’s work in the world? Write out a list like Paul did mentioning the contribution of each person. God’s work is accomplished by the Body of Christ. We each have a significant part to do. What would Paul have written about you if you were in the local church of Rome? May you know the importance of team and keep jumping in to give and serve with your local church. Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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Romans 15:30-33 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Paul depended on the prayers of the Body of Christ. He urged people to pray for him so he could accomplish his God-given assignment. He asked that they pray for him to be delivered from unbelievers who tried to stop him from making known the good news of Jesus Christ. He asked for prayer that he would carry out his assignment to deliver the financial help to the Jewish believers in a way that was acceptable to them so he could then return to Rome with joy and be refreshed by the Roman saints. Are you asking the saints to pray for you be delivered from people seeking to stop you from sharing the good news of Jesus Christ? Are you asking your local church to pray for you to complete your assigned work with believers in an acceptable way? If you are and they pray, it can make a great difference in many lives. Don’t be independent. Do depend on the prayers of fellow believers. Notice Paul asked the God of peace to be with each believer in the local Roman church. Are you asking the God of peace to be with each believer in your local church? If not, begin doing so right now and never stop. If you are asking, then do so more and more. May the Lord give you peace as you carry out your God-given assignment. Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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Romans 15:25-29 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. A lesson we can learn from Paul is gleaned from Romans 15:25, 28. Paul completed one assignment before beginning another. He had collected an offering from the Gentile believers to help the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. Paul purposed to complete the “offering” assignment before beginning the “Spain” assignment which would allow him to distribute his grace gifts to the Roman local church on the way to Spain. So often believers fail to complete the assignments they have received from God before they move on to something else. The Sardis local church was guilty of this and told by Jesus to complete the works they had been assigned to do (Revelation 3:1-3). Look at the example of Jesus in a conversation between Jesus and His Father recorded in John 17:4, “I glorified you on earth, having completed the work you gave Me to do.” Do you have the tendency to not finish one assignment from God before beginning another? Completing an assignment is hard work. Not completing an assignment is easy. We tend toward the easy. If you tend to not complete your God-given assignments, you need to repent and begin to complete the work He has given you to do and so glorify His name. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to do what is hard. We access that power by faith in Jesus. We exercise faith in Jesus when we attempt to do His will fully expecting Him to help us complete it. We all need to complete one God-given assignment before going on to another so we can go on in the full blessing of the Lord. What is your God-given assignment(s)? May you have the endurance to complete your assignment(s). Three key questions to ask as we prayerfully read the scriptures:
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