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Ecclesiastes Lesson Twenty-One

Ecclesiastes Lesson Twenty-One: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 – Aging, Death, and Conclusion

So remember your Creator in the days of your youth: 

Before the days of adversity come, 

and the years approach when you will say, 

“I have no delight in them”; 

2 before the sun and the light are darkened, 

and the moon and the stars, 

and the clouds return after the rain; 

3 on the day when the guardians of the house tremble, 

and the strong men stoop, 

the women who grind cease because they are few, 

and the ones who watch through the windows see dimly, 

4 the doors at the street are shut 

while the sound of the mill fades; 

when one rises at the sound of a bird, 

and all the daughters of song grow faint. 

5 Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road; 

the almond tree blossoms, 

the grasshopper loses its spring, 

and the caper berry has no effect; 

for man is headed to his eternal home, 

and mourners will walk around in the street; 

6 before the silver cord is snapped, 

and the gold bowl is broken, 

and the jar is shattered at the spring, 

and the wheel is broken into the well; 

7 and the dust returns to the earth as it once was, 

and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 

8 “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.” 

9 In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs. 10 The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and write words of truth accurately. 11 The sayings of the wise are like goads, and those from masters of collections are like firmly embedded nails. The sayings are given by one Shepherd. 

12 But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books,  and much study wearies the body. 13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil. (HCSB)

This will be the final lesson in our study of Ecclesiastes. I’ll be splitting this lesson into two parts.

  • Our final season of life – verses 1-8.
  • The conclusion: Fear God and obey Him – verses 9-14.

Our Final Season of Life

  • Chapter twelve begins with the phrase, “Remember your Creator.” There are several things to consider with this simple phrase.
    • It means much more than simply to “think about God.”
    • It means to “pay attention to, consider with the intention of obeying.”
    • It’s the author’s version of Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
    • It becomes easy to neglect God when we are involved in the enjoyment and opportunities of our youth.
    • Most of us understand that there will be dark and difficult days as we age. Therefore, we should make sure our spiritual foundation is strong as early in life as possible.
    • When we’re young, our days are bright, and we often feel invincible. But, the days will come when the darkness gathers, and one storm after another comes.
  • Verses two to seven should be viewed through metaphoric lenses.
    • Verse two.
      • This verse should be interpreted as talking about eyesight.
      • Both the sun and the moon dim as our eyesight fades.
      • It wouldn’t make sense to view this as literal rain, as the skies often clear after a rainstorm instead of things remaining dim.
      • As we age, our eyesight gets worse.
    • Verse three.
      • The guardians of your house refer to our arms and hands; as we age, they begin to shake or tremble.
      • The strong men are the major muscle groups, most likely referring to our legs, back, and shoulders.
      • The grinders are our teeth. As we age, we lose our teeth, or they weaken.
      • The windows once again refer to our vision.
    • Verse four.
      • The doors being shut refers to our hearing.
      • When we’re younger, we often shut doors to exclude outside noises.
      • As we age, we begin to lose our hearing.
      • However, this brings up a cruel paradox of old age.
        • We can’t hear as well as we used to.
        • At the same time, we sleep so lightly that the slightest disturbance is enough to wake us up.
      • The end of verse four could be referring to our hearing, or it could be a reference to our voice. As we age, our voice becomes shaky, and it weakens.
    • Verse five.
      • As we age and weaken, we become or intensify our fear of heights. Additionally, as our muscles weaken, we are more prone to falling as we walk down the street. Overall, it refers to a decline in our manliness.
      • The almond tree blossoms is a direct reference to our hair becoming gray or white as we age.
      • The reference to a grasshopper is a bit more obscure.
        • As we age, our overall strength diminishes. 
        • It could be a reference to our joints or a shuffling walk.
        • It could be a reference to impotence.
          • Caper berries were an aphrodisiac in biblical times.
          • As men age, these aphrodisiacs to enhance our desire no longer have any effect.
          • The Targum, the spoken version of the Hebrew Bible, paraphrases this section to read, “You will cease from sexual intercourse.”
      • The reference to man heading to his eternal home directly correlates to death. We’ll spend eternity either in God’s presence in heaven or eternally separated from God in hell.
      • People will mourn our deaths as they walk down the street.
    • Verse six.
      • The items listed in the first part of the verse would only be available to wealthy people. The author is indicating that death is no respecter of persons.
      • The second part of the verse is a reference to the water of life.
        • Psalm 36:8-9 They are filled from the abundance of Your house; You let them drink from Your refreshing stream, 9 for with You is life’s fountain. In Your light we will see light.
        • Revelation 21:6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water as a gift to the thirsty from the spring of life.
        • The jar is shattered.
        • The wheel, the part that raises the bucket as water is drawn, is broken. The water of life is no longer being supplied.
        • The machinery of life stops working.
        • Death is suddenly upon us.
    • Verse seven.
      • Our bodies will decay once we die and will turn to dust.
        • Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
        • Genesis 3:19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.
      • The spirit of life, given by God, leaves our body once we die.
        • James 2:26a 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead.
        • All life comes from God.
    • Verse eight.
      • The book ends with the same theme it began with: “Everything is futile.”
      • Life without God is an empty life.
      • When everything “under the sun” is considered, it does seem futile. However, when you surrender your life to Jesus, you realize life is fulfilling and has meaning.
      • 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 

The Conclusion: Fear God and Obey Him

As we conclude our journey through Ecclesiastes, it might be good to remember a quote from an unknown source, “Life is like a school, except that sometimes you don’t know what the lessons are until you’ve failed the examination!”

God teaches primarily from His Word, but He also teaches through creation, history, and life experiences. Let’s look at some characteristics of God’s teaching through the eyes of the writer.

  • His teaching is wise.
  • His teaching is orderly.
    • The author weighed his conclusions carefully and arranged them in an orderly fashion.
    • His approach was scientific.
  • His teaching is careful.
    • He used acceptable words.
    • This would draw the listener in instead of driving them away with coarse speech.
    • At the same time, he never wavered from speaking the truth or making the message “socially acceptable.”
      • Proverbs 8:6-11 Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right. 7 For my mouth tells the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse. 9 All of them are clear to the perceptive, and right to those who discover knowledge. 10 Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. 11 For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can compare with it.
      • John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 
  • His teachings are inspired by God, given by the one Shepherd.
    • Inspiration by the Holy Spirit is what enabled men to write the Word of God, complete and without error.
    • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 
    • 2 Peter 1:20-21 First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
    • They contained both goads and nails.
      • The goads prod people to pay attention and to pursue the truth.
      • The nails give them something on which to hang what they’ve learned.
      • Good teaching requires both motivated students and teachers who can “nail things down” so the lessons make sense.
  • If we aren’t careful, we could misinterpret verse twelve as a negative outlook on learning. However, that is not the case.
    • It’s a warning not to go beyond what God teaches.
    • There are thousands of “religious” books on various subjects. But, we must be careful that the ones we read are grounded on Scripture and not “feel good” books that contradict what Scripture teaches.
    • Life is a school, and we must learn all we can. Our textbook is the Bible, and the Holy Spirit is our teacher.
      • Psalm 119:97-104 How I love Your instruction! It is my meditation all day long. 98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers because Your decrees are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the elders because I obey Your precepts. 101 I have kept my feet from every evil path to follow Your word. 102 I have not turned from Your judgments, for You Yourself have instructed me. 103 How sweet Your word is to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth. 104 I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.
      • John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit —the Father will send  Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. 
      • 2 Peter 3:18a But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
  • We now reach the conclusion in verses thirteen and fourteen.
    • It’s interesting to note that Ecclesiastes ends with the same conclusion found towards the beginning of Proverbs (1:7), “Fear God.”
      • The fear of the Lord is an attitude of reverence and awe that His people show to Him because they love Him and respect His power and greatness.
      • Those who fear the Lord learn and obey His Word.
      • An unholy fear causes people to run from God, but a holy fear brings them into submission to God.
      • When you fear God, you don’t need to fear anything else. When you don’t fear God, you fear everything else.
      • Isaiah 8:13 You are to regard only the Lord of Hosts as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be held in awe. 
      • Those who fear the Lord will keep His commands.
    • All of us will face judgment in the future. This judgment results in two emotions.
      • Those who don’t know God will live in fear of death. It doesn’t matter what they believe; death is something that will trouble them.
      • Those who have surrendered to Jesus live in joy; even death can’t trouble them. They know their future is secure, and they will live in eternity with God.
    • Everything that we do will be laid bare when we are judged. Nothing will remain hidden. 
    • Six times in Ecclesiastes, the author told us to enjoy life. However, at no time did he advise us to enjoy sin.
    • The joys of the present depend on the security of the future.
    • When we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ, we’ll find that life is indeed worth living. 
    • We’ll be satisfied no matter what happens to us.
    • 1 John 5:12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 

Applications

  • Life is much shorter than we think, even for those of us who reach an old age. And the older you get, the faster time goes! Live your life for what’s important; don’t waste it chasing sin, whatever form it takes.
  • As we age, we must accept that our bodies won’t function as well as they used to. As I move into my mid-60s, I am reminded daily that my runs aren’t as fast as they used to be, and I can’t run as far as when I was younger. I forget things. My body is not as flexible, and the aches and pains don’t go away as quickly. I’ve learned to let go and not worry about these changes. There’s still too much to live for, and if I let these changes discourage me, I’ll miss out on what’s left to enjoy!
  • Look to Scripture first for the answers to life. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms are not good sources for answers to life’s challenges and riddles. God’s Word is the only source of absolute truth.
  • Each of us will face judgment one day. Are you ready? Place your faith in Jesus Christ, enjoy life, and have peace about eternity.
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Ecclesiastes Lesson Nineteen

Ecclesiastes Lesson Nineteen: Ecclesiastes 10:1-20 – Wisdom Preferable to Folly

 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink; 

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 

2 A wise man’s heart goes to the  right, 

but a fool’s heart to the left. 

3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart lacks sense, 

and he shows everyone he is a fool. 

4 If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your place, 

for calmness puts great offenses to rest. 

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:

6 The fool is appointed to great heights, 

but the rich remain in lowly positions. 

7 I have seen slaves on horses, 

but princes walking on the ground like slaves. 

8 The one who digs a pit may fall into it, 

and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 

9 The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them; 

the one who splits trees may be endangered by them. 

10 If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge, 

then one must exert more strength; 

however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success. 

11 If the snake bites before it is charmed, 

then there is no advantage for the charmer. 

12 The words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, 

but the lips of a fool consume him. 

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly, 

but the end of his speaking is evil madness. 

14 Yet the fool multiplies words. 

No one knows what will happen, 

and who can tell anyone what will happen after him? 

15 The struggles of fools weary them, 

for they don’t know how to go to the city. 

16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a youth 

and your princes feast in the morning. 

17 Blessed are you, land, when your king is a son of nobles 

and your princes feast at the proper time— 

for strength and not for drunkenness. 

18 Because of laziness the roof caves in, 

and because of negligent hands the house leaks. 

19 A feast is prepared for laughter, 

and wine makes life happy, 

and money is the answer for everything. 

20 Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, 

and do not curse a rich person even in your bedroom, 

for a bird of the sky may carry the message, 

and a winged creature may report the matter. (HCSB)

I’ll be dividing this lesson into five segments.

  • Introduction – verses 1-3.
  • The foolish ruler – verses 4-7.
  • Foolish workers – verses 8-11.
  • Foolish talkers – verses 12-15.
  • Foolish officers – verses 16-20.

Introduction

  • In Ecclesiastes 7:1, the writer says, “A good name is better than fine perfume.”
  • Now, he shows that a good name can be easily lost.
    • How often have we seen or read about someone well-respected who chooses the wrong words or comments that offend a group of people? Almost instantaneously, they have lost their good reputation. They have a “dead fly in their perfume.” 
    • Or one foolish act or decision causing the same result.
    • There’s a saying that “one aw shucks does away with a lot of atta boys.”
  • Why are some people wise and others foolish? It’s connected with their heart.
    • The wise person chooses the right direction.
    • The foolish person chooses the wrong direction.
    • Our heart will guide us for both right and wrong.
  • In the ancient world, the right hand was the place of power and honor, while the left represented weakness and rejection.
    • Matthew 25:33-34 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
    • Many people also considered the left side to be unlucky.
  • Since a foolish person doesn’t have wisdom, they are attracted to the wrong or left side.
  • Even if the foolish person walks along the road, they’ll gravitate to the wrong side, showing everyone along the path that they are foolish.

Foolish Ruler

  • In this section, the terms fools, slaves, rich, and princes don’t refer to social status. They refer to moral character.
    • The fools and slaves are not worthy of advancement.
    • The rich and princes are people who possess noble character.
  • If anyone needs wisdom, it’s the ruler of a nation.
    • When God asked Solomon what gift he wanted, the king asked for wisdom.
    • President Lyndon Johnson once said, “A president’s hardest task is not to do what’s right, but to know what’s right.”
  • The picture painted in this section is of a proud ruler who is easily angered and takes out his anger on the attendants around him.
    • If a person can’t control themselves, how can he hope to control his people?
    • Proverbs 25:28 A man who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.
    • At the same time, just because the ruler acts like a fool doesn’t mean the attendants must follow suit.
      • That’s the worst thing you can do. Ecclesiastes 8:3 Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants.
      • It’s better to exhibit wisdom and patience. Proverbs 25:15 A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
  • There is a thing called righteous anger that sometimes does need to be displayed.
    • Ephesians 4:26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.
    • However, we must be careful that righteous anger isn’t confused with jealousy and malice.
    • Not every religious crusader is motivated by love for God or obedience to Scripture.
  • At the same time, rulers need to execute sound decisions.
    • If the ruler lacks character and courage, he will put fools in high positions in the government while placing more qualified people in lower offices.
      • Proverbs 19:10 Luxury is not appropriate for a fool — how much less for a slave to rule over princes!
      • Proverbs 30:21-22a The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four: 22 a servant when he becomes king.
    • The story of Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12:1-24 is a great example.
      • He ignored the advice of the wise counselors.
      • Instead, he listened to the foolish advice of his young friends.
  • The best rulers and leaders are tough-minded but tenderhearted, who put the best people in the right positions and don’t apologize for it. 

Foolish Workers

  • Admittedly, this section has perplexed scholars regarding its meaning.
  • Was the writer saying that every job has dangers associated with it?
    • Why did he take so much space to illustrate the thought if this was the case?
    • The theme is folly, but he wasn’t teaching that hard work was folly because you might get injured.
    • Throughout Ecclesiastes, the author has emphasized the importance of honest work and the joy it brings.
  • There are two primary schools of thought.
    • The first describes people who attempted work and suffered because they were foolish in how they did their work.
      • A man digs a pit, maybe a well or a place to store grain, and doesn’t take proper precautions and ends up falling into it.
      • Another man breaks through a wall, only to be bitten by a snake.
        • Snakes often hide in crevices or cracks.
        • Not taking care to make sure there weren’t any snakes hiding where work was being done is being foolish.
      • Careless workers can be injured cutting stones or splitting tree logs.
    • Verse ten could be summarized by the thought, “Work smarter, not harder.”
      • A man attempts to cut down trees or cut the tree into logs.
      • However, his ax head is dull.
      • The wise worker would stop and sharpen the ax before proceeding, making his job easier.
      • The foolish worker would blindly trudge ahead, using a dull ax, expending more energy and taking more time.
  • The second line of thought is that the author is using two pairs of aphorisms to talk about political counselors.
    • The first pair, in verses 8-9, concerns the instabilities of political life.
      • Verse 8 is talking about those who plot evil against others. Often, their plans backfire.
      • Verse 9 talks about those who are engaged in legitimate activity and being hurt in the process. Even those who serve fairly and justly can see their efforts blow up in their face.
    • The wise counselor can avoid these negative outcomes.
      • By avoiding wasted effort – verse 10.
      • By avoiding personal danger – verse 11.

Foolish Talkers

  • The Book of Proverbs contains many references to the speech of fools. In this section, the author points out four characteristics of foolish speech.
  • There are destructive words – verse 12.
    • A wise person will speak gracious words suited to the listener or the occasion.
      • Proverbs 10:32a The lips of the righteous know what is appropriate.
      • Proverbs 25:11 A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray.
    • Destructive words are compared to weapons of war, fire, or a poisonous beast.
      • Proverbs 25:18 A man giving false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
      • James 3:5-6 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things.  Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.
      • James 3:7-8 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
    • We hurt ourselves the most when we use destructive words.
      • Proverbs 13:3 The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
      • Proverbs 21:23 The one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
  • There are unreasonable words – verse 13.
    • As soon as a person opens their mouth, you can tell they have no idea what they are talking about.
    • Often, the longer these individuals talk, the crazier they get.
    • Titus 1:10a For there are also many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception.
    • The Jewish writer Shalom Aleichem said, “You can tell when fool speaks: he grinds much and produces little.”
  • There are uncontrolled words – verse 14a.
    • A foolish person is full of words without realizing they are saying nothing of substance.
    • Proverbs 10:19a When there are many words, sin is unavoidable.
    • A person who can control their tongue can control their entire body. James 3:1-2 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment, 2 for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says,  he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body.
  • There are boastful words – verses 14b-15.
    • Foolish people talk about the future as if they know what will occur or if they can control the outcome.
    • Proverbs 27:1 Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.
    • There’s even a bit of humor here.
      • The fool boasts about their future plans.
      • They wear out others with their boastful talk.
      • But the fool can’t even find their way into the city.
      • Since roads were marked in Bible times with the names of cities, a traveler could easily find the right path. Yet, the fool is so busy talking about the future they can’t find their way in the present.

Foolish Officers

  • The author now talks about the folly of officers working under rulers. He lists four characteristics of these foolish men.
    • They engaged in indulgence – verses 16-17.
      • If the leader is immature, those they place around themself will reflect that immaturity.
      • The immature subordinates will take advantage of the situation for personal gain.
      • If the leader is of a noble character, they will surround themself with noble subordinates who place the good of the country first.
      • True leaders use their authority to build the nation.
      • Officeholders use the nation’s resources to build their authority and personal gain.
      • The appointment of an immature leader can be viewed as God’s judgment. Isaiah 3:1-5 Observe this: The Lord God of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah every kind of security: the entire supply of bread and water, 2 the hero and warrior, the judge and prophet, the fortune-teller and elder, 3 the commander of 50 and the dignitary, the counselor, cunning magician,  and necromancer. 4 “I will make youths their leaders, and the unstable will govern them.” 5 The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the youth will act arrogantly toward the elder, and the worthless toward the honorable.
    • They were incompetent – verse 18.
      • The foolish officers were so busy with enjoyment that they had no time to do their work.
      • Both the buildings and the organization began to crumble.
      • Proverbs 18:9 The one who is truly lazy in his work is brother to a vandal.
      • Immature people enjoy the privileges and ignore the responsibilities.
      • Mature people see responsibilities as privileges and use them to help others.
    • They were indifferent – verse 19.
      • The personal philosophy of the foolish officers is captured here.
        • Eat all you can.
        • Enjoy all you can.
        • Get all you can.
      • They are indifferent to the responsibilities of their office or the needs of the people.
      • 1 Timothy 6:10a For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
    • They practiced indiscretion – verse 20.
      • Even when we can’t respect the person in the office, we must respect the office. 
      • Romans 13:1-7 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities,  for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks.  7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect,  and honor to those you owe honor. 
      • Regardless of how careful a person thinks they are, when evil words are spoken, there is a great likelihood that the message will be passed. This is especially true when the one passing the message thinks they can profit from sharing it.

Applications

  • Walk in wisdom. While this may seem like common sense, in today’s world, it gets harder each day. What the world views as wisdom, Scripture would say, is foolishness. At the end of our days, we won’t answer to family, friends, or co-workers about our decisions. We’ll answer to the God of the universe. What will He say about our choices?
  • Give your work an honest effort. Do your best, plan carefully, and give God the glory.
  • Watch what you say. Once the words have left your mouth, putting them back is impossible. You can hurt others, yourself, or the situation you’re talking about. 
  • Always act with integrity. People may not be watching, but God observes everything you do. What would He say about your actions?
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Ecclesiastes Lesson Seventeen

Ecclesiastes Lesson Seventeen: Ecclesiastes 8:14-9:10 – Iniquity and Enjoyment

There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile. 15 So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun. 

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), 17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it. 

9 Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: the righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands. People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them. 2 Everything is the same for everyone: there is one fate for the righteous and the wicked,  for the good and the bad,  for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as for the one who takes an oath, so for the one who fears an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live —after that they go to the dead. 4 But there is hope for whoever is joined with all the living, since a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything. There is no longer a reward for them because the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already disappeared, and there is no longer a portion for them in all that is done under the sun. 

7 Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.  8 Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head. 9 Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun. 10 Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. (HCSB)

I’ll be splitting this lesson into three parts.

  • The futility of life – verses 8:14-17
  • The righteous and the wicked – verses 9:1-6
  • Enjoy life – verses 9:7-10

The Futility of Life

The author points out the futility of life and how often the righteous suffer the fate that the wicked deserve.

  • The author starts with a variation on a phrase used throughout Ecclesiastes, “done on the earth” is essentially the same as “under the sun.”
    • This phrase is an indication of activity in a sinful, fallen world.
    • In the realm of a sinful world, actions and results often don’t make sense.
      • Righteousness is often not rewarded.
      • Wickedness is often not punished.
    • When we view this through the lens of modern Christian Theology, we know and understand that the Bible never promises an easy life to believers.
      • We aren’t guaranteed good health.
      • We aren’t promised to be rich.
      • We won’t always be happy.
      • We won’t avoid persecution.
      • The life of Jesus and the history of the Christian church proves that those who spout such heretical teaching are wrong.
    • However, we know things will change once we leave this earth and dwell eternally in heaven.
      • There will be no more sin.
      • We won’t worry about our health, happiness, or prosperity.
      • We will be united with other believers in paradise, free of persecution.
      • Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away. 
  • The author now moves on to another phrase he previously used, “there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself.”
    • Enjoying life is not a call to a hedonistic lifestyle.
    • It is a call to accept that we won’t understand most of what happens in the world.
    • It’s a call to enjoy what God has provided to us, whatever our circumstances.
    • We are to enjoy God’s provision by living a life of obedience and reverence to God.
  • The author moves to a third idea he had previously mentioned.
    • No matter how hard a person tries, they will never attain perfect or complete wisdom.
    • There is one overarching reason for this: our inability to know the future, as stated in 8:7.
      • We could control our lives if we knew with certainty what actions would bring prosperity, happiness, and a long life.
      • However, we will never gain that level of knowledge.
    • In the end, God is in control.
    • Isaiah 55:8-9 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways. This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

The Righteous and the Wicked

  • As we look at this section of the passage, we need to put ourselves in the position of the original hearers of the message. This significantly changes how we view it.
    • The original hearers were under the Law.
    • We are under the New Covenant.
    • While the original hearers may have thought that there was no eternal difference between the wicked and the righteous, as followers of Christ, we know there is a difference.
      • The redeemed will have eternal fellowship with God.
      • The condemned will have eternal separation from God and torment.
  • Verse 1
    • Our lives are in God’s hands; He is sovereign.
    • Only He knows our future, whether it will bring love or hate.
    • This knowledge doesn’t mean we don’t have free will in our lives; it only means that God knows our choices before making them and the consequences they will have.
    • The author repeatedly emphasizes free will in human choice.
  • Verse 2
    • This verse is a clear example of the difference between those under the Law and those under the New Covenant.
    • Although Scripture passages in the Old Testament refer to eternal life, the idea needed to be developed more than what is presented in the New Testament.
    • Both the wicked and the righteous will experience the same end “under the sun,” the passing of the physical body.
    • The end of our physical bodies, death, is the “final enemy” we will face.
      • 1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be abolished is death.
    • However, the result of facing the final enemy will result in people spending eternity in one of two locations; heaven or hell.
      • Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
      • John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?”
      • 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
    • Our works have no bearing on our eternal destination; only faith in Jesus Christ will usher us into God’s presence for all eternity.
      • John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way,  the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
  • Verse 3
    • The inevitable fact of death, and sometimes the fear of death, results in two main types of behavior.
      • It either brings out the best.
      • Or it brings out the worst.
    • We often see this play out at funerals or in the aftermath of death when the settling of an estate occurs.
      • People fight over their share of the inheritance.
      • Sometimes, they sue when they feel they’ve been wronged.
    • We also see it in everyday behavior.
      • Getting drunk and getting in fights.
      • Driving in a reckless manner.
      • Spending large amounts of money on things of no eternal value.
      • The pursuit of pleasure, regardless of how it affects others.
      • Using medical treatments in the hope of turning back, or at least slowing, the biological clock.
    • For those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior, the “final enemy” will always be there.
    • We can’t run from the final enemy, but we can face and defeat it by placing our trust in Jesus.
  • Verses 4-6
    • When we look at these three verses, we can see two critical truths to hang on to.
      • The first is that our circumstances can improve while we are still alive.
        • Regardless of what transpires in our lives, the believer has a living hope.
          • Our Savior is alive and has conquered death.
          • Unbelievers have a hope that will be destroyed by death.
        • We must seize the opportunities presented to us to improve our circumstances.
        • But, we must seize those opportunities in a way that honors God.
      • The second is that while an unbeliever is still alive, there is always hope for their redemption.
        • While it’s true that an unbeliever’s hope is shattered by death until they physically die, there is always hope they will repent.
        • We’ve all probably known, or at least heard of, someone we thought was so far lost they would never repent. Yet, by the grace of God, they surrendered their lives to Christ.
          • Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
          • Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.
    • In addition to the two truths listed above, there are other ideas in these three verses.
      • For the dead, regardless of their background, wealth, position, or fame, their lives are over.
        • They can’t add anything reputation.
        • There are no longer any rewards waiting to be bestowed on them.
      • For the living, even if they are in the most meager of circumstances, they can always add to the quality of their lives.
      • The living know they will face death at some point.
      • When faced with the inevitability of death, the living can embrace the joys life offers.
      • Life may not be easy, but there’s more to life than simply enduring our existence on planet Earth.

Enjoy Life

  • We now move to a section where the author exhorts the readers to enjoy life. This enjoyment is broken down into four parts.
    • The first area of enjoyment is about our meals.
      • Since Ecclesiastes is written to a Jewish audience, we need to understand the meal schedule of a typical Jewish family during this time.
        • There was normally an early snack during what we would call breakfast.
        • Then, there was a light meal taken between 10 am and noon.
        • After this meal, the work day would begin, and the family wouldn’t gather together until work was finished, often after sunset.
        • The main meal would consist of bread, wine, milk, cheese, vegetables, fruit, and sometimes fish. Meat was expensive and was only served on special occasions.
        • The contents of the meal weren’t what was important; it was “breaking bread” together in fellowship and commitment.
          • Proverbs 15:17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.
          • Proverbs 17:1 Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife.
        • Family love is the most important item on any menu, which turns any ordinary meal into a banquet.
    • The second area of enjoyment is to make the most of any occasion.
      • Once again, understanding Jewish cultural context reveals the intent behind the words.
      • Wearing white garments and having oil on the head carried special meaning.
        • White clothes were worn on special occasions such as weddings or reunions.
        • White clothes symbolized joy.
        • Oil should be understood as a perfume in that day.
      • The author wasn’t literally telling people to wear white and apply oil every day.
      • What he was saying is that we should make every occasion a special one, even if it is ordinary or routine.
      • We shouldn’t express our thanksgiving and joy only on special days.
      • Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
      • We shouldn’t be searching for special things to find our joy.
      • We should find joy by making everyday things special.
    • The third area of enjoyment is our marriage for those who are married.
      • We should view our spouse as a gift from God.
        • Proverbs 18:22 A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
        • Proverbs 19:14 A house and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a sensible wife is from the Lord. 
      • Marriage should also be viewed as a lifelong commitment.
        • No matter how difficult life can be, there is great joy in the home of a husband and wife who are committed to each other.
        • Unfortunately, that concept is often ignored in modern society, where couples are often too quick to give up on each other.
        • From a biblical standpoint, the only reasons for divorce are infidelity and being married to an unbeliever who abandons the marriage.
          • Matthew 5:32 But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
          • 1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. 
    • The fourth area of enjoyment is our work.
      • Again, we need to look at work through the eyes of the Jews hearing this message.
      • Jews viewed work not as something to be avoided but as a form of stewardship from God.
      • Even rabbis learned a trade to support themselves. As an example, Paul was a tentmaker.
      • Scripture also says that those capable of work but choose not to work should go hungry.
        • 1 Thessalonians 3:10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”
      • Whatever our job is, we should do it in such a way that it glorifies God.
        • Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
        • Colossians 3:23-25 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism. 
  • If we fear God, we will walk by faith and not try to escape or endure life. We will enjoy life and receive it as a gift from God.

Applications

  • When we see injustice that causes us to shake our heads in disbelief, we shouldn’t lose sight that our existence here is a blip on the timeline of eternity. We need to trust that the sovereign God of the universe will reward the righteous and punish the wicked, even if it’s on His timeline and not ours.
  • No matter our circumstances, we should enjoy life. As long as we have breath, there is the hope that our circumstances can improve. Each life is precious, and we shouldn’t waste the opportunity to live our lives glorifying God.
  • Don’t lose sight of the fact that, as believers, we have nothing to fear. We have victory over death through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Our present lives may be difficult, but our eternity will be glorious beyond words.
  • Enjoy what God has given you, no matter how extravagant or meager. Always try to look for the blessing in any situation. If you are married, cherish your spouse as a special gift from God.
  • Do your work in a way that honors God. That means to do your best and not grumble or complain. For various reasons, many people can’t find or may not be able to work. Glorify God through and with your work.
truthproject777

3 John Lesson

3 John – Praise for Faithful Service and a Warning About Prideful Action

The Elder: 

To my dear friend Gaius: I love you in the truth. 

2 Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually. 3 For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified to your faithfulness to the truth—how you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 

5 Dear friend, you are showing faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers, especially when they are strangers. 6 They have testified to your love in front of the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God, 7 since they set out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from pagans. 8 Therefore, we ought to support such men so that we can be coworkers with the truth. 

9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, does not receive us. 10 This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church. 

11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. And we also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true. 

13 I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. 

Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name. (HCSB)

I’ll divide this lesson into four parts.

  • John’s greeting – verses 1-4.
  • John’s commendation of Gaius – verses 5-8.
  • John’s condemnation of Diotrephes and commendation of Demetrius – verses 9-12.
  • John’s farewell – verses 13-14.

John’s Greeting

The basic theme of this section is: When believers walk in the truth, they bring joy to Christian friends and mentors.

John begins this letter with the same title he used in 2 John, “elder.” We don’t know much about the recipient of this letter, Gaius, but we can infer several things from the context of the letter.

  • John clearly loved Gaius, as he used the phrase “dear friend” four times in the letter. The English rendering of the original Greek weakens the intent behind the phrase. It conveys a feeling of deep agape love that John has for Gaius.
  • From the context of the letter, it is likely that Gaius is wealthy as he is well-known for his hospitality to traveling believers.
  • Since John mentioned in verse four that he receives great joy when his children walk in the truth, it is likely that Gaius was one of John’s converts.
  • Gaius may have been ill since John was praying for his physical health to be as good as his spiritual health.

John now goes on to praise Gaius for his conduct in the church and toward other believers.

  • Gaius was recognized by others for his faithful conduct.
  • He obeyed God’s Word.
  • He walked in the truth.
  • What made Gaius’ life a good testimony?
    • He walked in truth, God’s Word.
    • He meditated on the Word.
    • He practiced it in his daily life.
  • Gaius’ life was wrapped in the truth.
    • True living comes from living truth.
    • Jesus is the truth. John 14:6 – Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
    • Jesus is revealed in God’s Word, which is God’s truth. John 17:17 – Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
    • The Holy Spirit is truth. 1 John 5:6 – Jesus Christ—He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the One who testifies,  because the Spirit is the truth.
    • Jesus teaches us the truth.
    • The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to reveal the Son of God. This, in turn, enables us to obey the will of God and walk in truth.
  • Gaius was faithful in what he believed, and he was faithful in how he lived.
  • Loyalty to Christ and the Gospel marked his life.
  • John then says he has no greater joy than hearing that one of his children is a faithful follower of Christ.
    • This was similar to how Paul talked about his converts. 
    • Anyone who has led a person to Christ is joyful when they hear the person is continuing to walk in faith and not drift away.

John’s Commendation of Gaius

The basic theme for this section is: Extending hospitality toward traveling missionaries brings God’s commendation. Believers should help missionaries work together for the truth.

John’s commendation of Gaius, which actually began in the introduction to this letter, now continues. Let’s take a closer look at why John was praising the actions of Gaius.

  • First, there is nothing to indicate that Gaius was a preacher.
  • It appears that Gaius was an enabler to those who were traveling evangelists.
    • We need to remember that during the first century, lodging was not plentiful, and what did exist was often associated with the darker habits of society.
    • John praises Gaius for his support to brothers who were “strangers.” The Greek term for a stranger would mean someone unknown or from another area; they weren’t native to the place they were visiting.
    • In 2 John, we learned of the importance of Christian hospitality.
      • In that letter, John warned against helping false teachers.
      • In this letter, John commends Gaius for showing hospitality to faithful ministers.
      • Gaius’ actions were an encouragement to both believers in general, as well as to the traveling evangelists.
    • The idea of hospitality is a challenge in today’s world because of violence and false teachers.
      • In the early church, traveling evangelists often carried letters of recommendation from their home church. An example is in Romans 16:1 – I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae.
      • It is important that we know the background of those to which we may extend hospitality.
    • Not only did Gaius open his home to the evangelists, but he also provided financial assistance to them.
      • The term “send” doesn’t just mean wishing them well as they continue their journey.
      • The Greek term implies aid of some sort, most likely financial aid or food.
      • Gaius proved his faith through his works. James 2:14-16 – What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 
    • Gaius’ actions also served as a witness to others.
      • Jesus taught that God’s servants deserve support. Luke 10:7 – Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t be moving from house to house.
      • However, John points out in verse seven that believers are to provide support, not pagans.
      • Consider Abraham’s response when the king of Sodom made an offering to him. Genesis 14:21-24 – Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—they can take their share.”
      • Many churches make it clear at offering time that gifts from unbelievers are not expected. 
    • Gaius’ actions displayed obedience to God.
      • Those who receive spiritual blessings from those who preach should share their material blessings with the preacher. 1 Corinthians 9:11 – If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?
      • Believers can support ministry endeavors outside their local church, but they should contribute a portion of their offerings to their local congregation.
    • Gaius was a coworker with the traveling evangelists.
      • Gaius received the truth.
      • Gaius walked in the truth.
      • Giaus was a coworker and helper to those spreading the truth.
      • Walking in the truth is the same as walking in love.
  • Unfortunately, not everyone in the church is a Gaius.

John’s Condemnation of Diotrephes and Commendation of Demetrius

There are two themes for this section is: 

  • Prideful people who slander and spread gossip oppose Christian hospitality.
  • We can recommend a person to other churches for hospitality and ministry when that person’s life supports God’s truth.

John now turns his attention to another church member, Diotrephes, who is the opposite of Gaius.As we take a deeper look at Diotrephes, I want us to think about how that looks in the church we attend, or maybe you’ve seen this same behavior in a previous church. Regardless of when or where you saw it, the behavior is an example of someone who operates on pride and wants to be the “boss,” often leaving a wake of bodies behind them as they go. Sometimes it can be the pastor, but often it is someone in a lower level of leadership within the church or a lay member who is trying to “empire build.”

  • It’s apparent from the context of John’s letter that Diotrephes was prideful.
  • We don’t know the position Diotrephes held, but it’s likely he was an elder because of the level of influence and control he had over the congregation.
  • What is clear is that Diotrephes shunned fellowship with one of the apostles, John.
  • Why would Diotrephes do this?
    • As previously mentioned, Diotrephes was a prideful and selfish individual.
      • These are two of Satan’s favorite tools to disrupt the church.
      • If John challenged or removed Diotrephes, then Satan would be the loser.
    • He placed himself before the preeminence of Christ.
    • John challenged his dictator-like actions.
    • John was a threat to the “authority” of Diotrephes in that local congregation.
    • John knew the truth about Diotrephes and was willing to expose his ungodly actions.
  • Diotrephes also lied about John.
    • He slandered John to the other church members.
    • It’s obvious from the context of the letter that Diotrephes had a circle of followers; otherwise, the congregation would have removed him from his position.
    • There are some people who will believe anything they hear about others without verifying whether it’s true or not.
    • This example reminds us of why we need to carefully weigh what others say and act on truth and not lies.
  • Not only did Diotrephes shun John, but he also rejected those associated with John.
    • Diotrephes treated John’s associates as “guilty by association.” 
    • It’s true that, as believers, we shouldn’t associate with certain groups of individuals.
      • Apostates – found in 2 Peter.
      • Alliances with unbelievers – 2 Corinthians 6:14-15.
      • Those who hold doctrinal positions that don’t agree with Scripture – Romans 16:17-19.
    • At the same time, there are doctrinal matters which don’t undermine the Gospel. We shouldn’t let those differences create discord in the body of Christ. Two examples:
      • The method of baptism.
      • Church government. 
    • We need to agree on the “majors,” the basic tenets of Christianity, and extend grace on the “minors.”
  • Diotrephes even went a step further than just rejecting John and his associates.
    • He disciplined those who disagreed with him.
    • Even though Diotrephes didn’t have the authority or the biblical basis for expelling those who disagreed with him, he still did it.
    • Scripture does contain instructions and examples of church discipline, which should be followed.
    • But church discipline is not a tool for a dictator to use to protect themself.
    • Church discipline is a tool for a congregation to use to promote purity and glorify God.
  • Diotrephes wanted to be served and not serve others.
  • It’s not difficult to identify church dictators.
    • They like to talk about themselves and what they’ve done for the Lord.
    • They have a habit of judging and condemning those who disagree with them.
    • They put labels on others and put them in categories.

John then switches the focus of his attention from Diotrephes to Demetrius. What a contrast between these two church members. Let’s take a closer look at Demetrius.

  • John warns his readers to imitate what is good, not to imitate what is evil.
    • Diotrephes represented evil. Those who practice evil don’t know God.
    • Demetrius represented good. Those who practice good belong to God.
  • We might ask if it’s ok to imitate a human leader. The answer is yes, as long as they are imitating Christ.
    • We can’t see God.
    • We can see God at work in the lives of His children.
  • Those who live a godly life dedicated to serving the Lord are an encouragement to fellow believers. Hebrews 10:24 – And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works.
  • Demetrius was a man worthy of imitating.
    • He had a good testimony from everyone.
    • He was well known.
    • He was well respected.
    • He was loved by the believers around him.
  • Not only did Demetrius have a good testimony from the believers in the church, but he also had a good witness from the truth, the Word.
    • Just like Gaius, Demetrius walked in truth.
    • He obeyed God’s Word.
    • Neither was perfect, but they were consistent in their lives by seeking to honor God.
  • Demetrius also had a good testimony from John.
    • John knew Demetrius had a good testimony from the church.
    • This aligned Demetrius with John, which would make Demetrius an enemy of Diotrephes.
  • Once John traveled to this church, there would be quite an alignment against Diotrephes.
    • There would be authority figures both from outside and inside this church to confront the actions of Diotrephes.
    • We don’t know the outcome, but the best solution is that Diotrephes would receive the rebuke, repent, and become a productive member of the congregation.

John’s Farewell

The theme for this section is: Personal friendship can be expressed through written means, but it is better expressed face to face.

John now concludes this letter in a manner similar to 2 John. It’s possible the format John used was the standard way to end letters in John’s time.

  • John planned to visit the church soon.
    • There is no indication of what “soon” might mean.
    • But it was likely an encouragement to both Gaius and Demetrius, as well as a veiled warning to Diotrephes.
  • John preferred to discuss things in person rather than through a letter.
  • Considering the turmoil that Diotrephes was causing in the church, John’s use of the phrase “peace be with you” must have been encouraging.
  • Those associated with John also sent their greetings.
  • John encouraged them to greet each other by name.

Applications

  • Open your home and assist others in ministry when you are able to do it. This can be challenging and uncomfortable at times, maybe all the time. However, Scripture instructs us to help one another in doing God’s work. When we assist others in ministry, we also receive a blessing in aiding their work.
  • When we do help others, don’t look to people for a reward. Our reward comes from God. Be content that what you are doing is “Kingdom work,” and don’t do it for public recognition.
  • Be careful that pride and temptations don’t cause you to fall away from the truth, especially if you occupy a position of leadership or influence. Our actions affect those around us, both positively and negatively. 
truthproject777

2 John Lesson

2 John – Praise for obedience and warning about false teachers

 The Elder: 

To the elect  lady and her children: I love all of you in the truth—and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth — 2 because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever. 

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 

4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in the truth, in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. 5 So now I urge you, dear lady—not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love. 

7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.  This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves so you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it, does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and don’t say, “Welcome,” to him; 11 for the one who says, “Welcome,” to him shares in his evil works. 

12 Though I have many things to write to you, I don’t want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face  so that our joy may be complete. 

13 The children of your elect sister send you greetings. (HCSB)

I’ll be dividing this lesson into four parts.

  • Introduction – verses 1-3.
  • Christians must practice the truth – verses 4-6.
  • Christians must protect the truth – verses 7-11.
  • The farewell – verses 12-13.

Introduction

Before we start a deeper look at this epistle, let’s take a look at some introductory information.

  • The letter was sent to Christians in the general area of Ephesus.
  • It was written around or just after 1 John was written.
  • The theme is very similar to 1 John; encourage and strengthen Christians to walk in love with others and resist false teaching.
  • Emphasizes obeying God’s commands.
  • It is a highly personal letter reflecting John’s affection and concern for these believers.

Now, let’s take a deeper look at these three verses.

  • The overarching idea in the first three verses is “May God’s blessings be upon the people I love, people who let the truth live in them.”
  • John starts with the term “elder.”
    • The Greek word for elder is presbyteros.
    • The title of elder was used for someone in a position of authority and responsibility.
    • In the context of the letter, it indicated that John had authority and responsibility for the recipients of the letter.
    • The use of elder instead of John’s name is a further reflection of the relationship between the author and the recipients.
  • One word that John hammers home is the word “truth.”
    • It occurs four times in these three verses, highlighting its significance to John’s message.
    • The Greek word for truth is aletheia, which means “in truth,” “upon truth,” and “according to truth,” pertaining to being a real or an actual event or state.
    • It means reality as opposed to mere appearance.
    • Jesus is “the truth.” John 14:6 – Jesus told him, “I am  the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 
    • God’s Word is truth. John 17:17 – Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
    • The Spirit of Truth teaches us. John 16:13 – When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
  • John used the theme of “truth” at the beginning of this letter because there were false teachers leading the sheep astray.
    • John never tolerated false teachers.
    • There is a deadly difference between truth and error, and John would not tolerate error.
    • The truth would appeal to the minds of the readers.
  • The other important word in these verses is “love.”
    • It occurs twice in this section.
    • The Greek word used here is agape.
    • It means to have a love for someone or something based upon sincere appreciation and high regard.
    • Love would appeal to the hearts of the readers.
  • The next issue we need to discuss is the identity of “the elect lady and her children.”
    • Among scholars and theologians, there are three main interpretations of this phrase.
      • It is a figurative reference to a local church and its members. If this is true, then verse thirteen would also be a reference to a local church.
      • It is a reference to the universal church of believers.
      • The recipient is an individual lady and her children.
    • The majority believe the first choice is the correct one. It’s a metaphorical or symbolic way of identifying a local church and its members.
      • The term “lady,” or kuria in Greek, is the feminine form of “lord.”
      • This hints at the idea of the church being the bride of Christ.
      • This idea also meshes well with verse thirteen; churches are “sister” of each other.
      • Those who come to faith in a local church are the “children” of the “elect lady.”
  • John concludes this section with words common in ancient Christian greetings; grace, mercy, and peace.

Christians Must Practice the Truth

  • The overarching theme in verses four to six is, “It is a joy that some of you are walking in the truth. We are commanded to love one another and to walk in obedience to God’s commands.”
  • In this section, we find another word that repeats itself. The words “walk/walking” occurs three times in this section.
    • In the original Greek, this would convey an action beyond simply understanding truth. It would require acting on the truth.
    • It’s not enough for believers to know the truth. We must demonstrate the truth through our actions wherever we are.
    • When someone “walks in the truth,” it means they are obeying the truth and allowing it to control their lives.
    • John 14:15 – If you love Me, you will keep My commands.
  • John is “very glad” that some of the believers are walking in the truth.
    • Although not apparent from the English rendering, John had met some of the members of the church during his travels and observed their obedience. John wasn’t saying that only a portion was walking in obedience.
    • It also makes the Father “very glad” when His children walk in obedience to His Word.
    • Shepherd leaders are also “very glad” when members of their flock walk in obedience to God’s Word.
  • Another word that occurs repeatedly is “command.”
    • Command occurs four times in these three verses.
    • The commands are given by the Father.
      • Each commandment is an expression of love.
      • The will of God is the revelation of God’s heart. Psalm 33:11 – The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation.
      • Obedience to God’s Word is a revelation of our love, not an expression of fear. 1 John 5:3 – For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden.
      • False teachers try to make God’s commandments appear harsh and difficult, offering their followers “true” freedom, which is really false freedom. 2 Peter 2:19 – They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.
      • The greatest freedom is obedience to God’s perfect will.
      • Those who are true followers of Christ and love God would never think His commandments are harsh or unbearable.
  • John now moves on to the command to love one another.
    • Loving others is not a new command; it goes back to the Old Testament, where Jews were told to love both their neighbors and strangers.
      • Leviticus 19:18 – Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.
      • Deuteronomy 10:19 – You also must love the foreigner, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
    • However, what is new is that with the incarnation of Jesus, there is a new emphasis on brotherly love, agape, as demonstrated in Jesus’ life, and the expectation that we follow His example and love others in the same manner. 
    • A reasonable question to ask is, “is it possible to command love?” The short answer is yes! But we need to understand what defines Christian love.
      • It’s not a feeling or special kind of “religious emotion.”
      • It’s an act of will that enables us to interact with and accept others.
      • Christian love is treating others in the same way God treats you.
      • It’s possible to extend love to others even when we really don’t like them.
        • People can be rude to us, but we can be kind in return.
        • People may persecute us, but we can pray for them, and when the opportunity presents itself, we can be kind to them.
        • If we followed our feelings, we would retaliate.
        • But if we allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives, we can act like Jesus would have acted in Christian love.
    • Love and obedience go together.
      • We can’t separate our relationship with God from our relationship with others.
      • If we say we love God, but we hate our brothers or sisters, how can we say we love God?
      • If we walk in obedience to God, His love is made perfect in us toward others.
  • When we look at these three verses together, we see the themes of truth, love, and obedience blended.
    • Believing in the truth, Christ, and the Word leads to our salvation.
    • The evidence of salvation is love and obedience.
    • Love and obedience are strengthened as we grow in the knowledge of the truth.
      • Ephesians 4:15 – But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ.
      • John 7:17 – If anyone wants to do His will, he will understand whether the teaching is from God or if I am speaking on My own.
    • Obedience allows us to learn more truth, and the more truth we learn, the more we love Jesus, who is the truth.
    • Instead of living in a vicious circle of defeat, we live in a victorious circle of love, truth, and obedience.

Christians Must Protect the Truth

  • The theme for this section is that believers must not be led astray by the world’s deceivers, those who don’t acknowledge Jesus. We shouldn’t help them in any way, which would be assistance to those practicing evil.
  • In this section, John warns about the deceivers in the world.
  • In the context of this letter, it addresses the false teaching of docetism or proto-Gnostics who denied the incarnation of God the Son.
  • The Greek word for deceiver is planos, and it means more than just teaching false doctrine.
    • It does mean teaching false doctrine.
    • It also means to lead people astray or to lead them into wrong living.
    • John had already taught that what we believe determines how we act. Wrong or false doctrine will lead to wrong living.
  • Where did the deceivers come from?
    • They came from inside the church.
    • They professed faith in Jesus but were false believers.
      • Jude 3-4 – Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. 4 For some men, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly,  turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. 
      • 1 John 2:19 – They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us. 
      • Acts 20:30 – And men will rise up from your own number with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them.
  • John also warns there are many deceivers.
    • 2 Peter 2:1-2 – But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and the way of truth will be blasphemed because of them. 
    • These deceivers are also the “antichrists” John warned about in 1 John 2:18-23.
  • To protect the truth requires a faithfulness to the basic doctrines of the Christian faith.
    • The deceivers had departed from the truth and church fellowship.
    • The deceivers were dangerous.
  • John points out three dangers the church and its members face from the deceivers.
    • The danger of losing what we have worked for.
      • John warns the readers to “watch yourselves.”
        • The deceivers will try and falsely offer something you don’t have.
        • In reality, they will take away what you do have.
      • Satan is a thief, and so are his minions.
      • The full reward John is talking about is an abundant entrance into the eternal kingdom.
        • Believers will receive rewards in heaven. Both John and Paul talk about that in Scripture.
          • Revelation 4:10 – The 24 elders fall down before the One seated on the throne,  worship the One who lives forever and ever, cast their crowns before the throne, and say.
          • 1 Corinthians 9:25 – Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. 
          • 2 Timothy 4:8 – There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing. 
    • The danger of going beyond what Scripture says.
      • The Greek term for “goes beyond it,” proago, means to go beyond the established boundaries of teaching or instruction, failing to obey properly.
      • The false teachers will try and come off as “progressive” in their thinking.
      • However, the progress they push actually abandons the doctrine that Jesus is God the Son, who came in the flesh.
      • We all know of examples today where pastors, churches, or denominations have “gone beyond” what is contained in Scripture to promote a “kindler, gentler, all inclusive” Gospel.
        • Same-sex marriages and non-binary genders are two of the more recent examples.
        • However, both go “beyond Scripture,” which is clear that God created male and female and that marriage is between a man and a woman.
      • Learning is good, but anytime it leads us away from the fundamental doctrines of the person and work of Jesus Christ, then we are on dangerous ground.
  • The danger of welcoming or receiving false teachers.
    • As we consider verse ten, we need to view it in the context of first-century practices of hospitality.
      • As opposed to today, there weren’t many inns for travelers to stay. This was especially true for traveling Christians who tried to stay away from the evil influences in the world.
      • Christians were encouraged to open their homes to visitors.
        • Romans 12:13 – Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.
        • Hebrews 13:2 – Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.
      • Believers who showed hospitality to servants of God were helping those who were spreading the truth, the Gospel.
    • Those who were showing hospitality to false teachers were sharing in their evil works.
    • The true doctrine of Christ is a test of truth, a foundation for fellowship, and a bond for mutual cooperation.
    • The same principle applies today.
      • We may have Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses come to our door, spreading their false doctrine.
        • We should never be rude to them; see the section above about love.
        • But, we should point out their false teaching and show them the truth contained in Scripture.
        • One additional method of trying to limit their damage is to take as many of their resources as possible and then burn them so they won’t do any harm.
      • There are also false teachers on television, radio, youtube, etc., who spread false teaching. We need to be alert so that we don’t inadvertently aid them in any way.
    • Why was John so focused on not accidentally helping the wrong people?
      • It would give the false teacher the impression their heretical teaching was acceptable.
      • It would be possible to become influenced by them.
      • It would provide the false teacher with ammunition on their next stop that you supported them. Our disobedience could lead to someone else’s destruction.
    • John was not saying that only believers could/should enter your house.
      • Engaging the lost is required to lead them to Christ.
      • Often, a comfortable setting such as our home is a good place to do that.
    • John is saying we shouldn’t receive, enable, or encourage false teachers who represent antichristian groups.

The Farewell

  • John now closes this letter much in the same way he will close 3 John.
  • There are several points in these last two verses.
    • John emphasizes the importance of Christian fellowship.
    • John is saying we should experience joy when we gather with other believers.
    • Receiving letters from fellow believers is important but not as important as face-to-face meetings.
    • The letter that John wrote doesn’t contain all the things he wanted to discuss with them.
    • John was planning on visiting this family or church in person.
  • John concludes the letter by saying the children of their elect sister send greetings.
    • As previously discussed in the first section of this lesson, this most likely refers to a church and its members.
    • This demonstrates that Christian churches in the first century were concerned about other churches; there wasn’t any competition or disunity.

Applications

  • John commended the recipients of the letter for walking in the truth but also commanded them to walk in the truth. Examine your walk. Do you walk in the truth? Do you walk in love, which means following the commands the Father has given us? If you do, keep doing it. If you don’t, pray for the Holy Spirit to give you the strength to walk in God’s power and love others just as God loves us.
  • Be watchful for false teachers around your home, in your workplace, in your community, and your church. If you find some, don’t enable them in any manner. Confront them with the truth of the Gospel. Warn your spiritual brothers and sisters, so they don’t fall victim to their heresy. As believers, we must always confront and correct false teaching.
  • Engage in fellowship with other believers. While written and voice correspondence is important, they will never replace the importance of face-to-face meetings. We should meet often with fellow believers to encourage and support each other.
  • Pray for the other churches around you, regardless of their denomination or demographics. The one caveat is that they are a church that teaches the truth and doesn’t compromise to be socially acceptable in a fallen world.
truthproject777

1 John Lesson Twelve

1 John Lesson Twelve: 1 John 5:14-21 – Prayer and Three Christian Certainties

14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for. 

16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not bring death, he should ask, and God will give life to him—to those who commit sin that doesn’t bring death. There is sin that brings death. I am not saying he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that does not bring death. 

18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. 

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One. We are in the true One—that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols. (HCSB)

I’ll be dividing this lesson into four parts.

  • Verses 14-15 – Effective prayer.
  • Verses 16-17 – Confronting sin.
  • Verses 18-19 – How Christians act.
  • Verses 20-21 – We know the truth.

Effective Prayer

As we dig deeper into the first two verses in this passage, talking about prayer, we need to focus on the idea that godly prayer is prayer that aligns with God’s will, not our wants. Let’s look at some points John is talking about regarding prayer.

  • We have confidence when we bring our prayers before God.
    • In the original Greek, confidence means “freedom of speech.”
    • We have the freedom to bring our petitions before God and tell Him our needs and the needs of others.
  • First, there are some conditions that must be met before our prayers are heard by God.
    • We need a heart that doesn’t condemn. 1 John 3:21-22 – Dear friends, if our conscience doesn’t condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands and do what is pleasing in His sight.
    • Unconfessed sin is an obstacle to prayer. Psalms 66:18 – If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
    • Husbands must honor their wives. 1 Peter 3:7 – Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
    • We must settle our differences with other believers. Matthew 5:23-25 – So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
    • We must abide in Christ, demonstrating love and obedience. John 15:7 – If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
  • Second, we must pray in alignment with God’s will.
    • Matthew 6:10b – Your will be done.
    • George Muller, who ran several orphanages in England during the 1800s housing thousands of orphans, said: “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of God’s willingness.”
    • There are times we can only pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.” (from Luke 22:42)
    • If we are immersed in God’s Word, we can determine His will by reading Scripture and listening to the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26-27 – In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts  knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 
    • God wants to supply our needs, not our greed. Philippians 4:19 – And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.
    • If we walk with God, obey His commands, and pray for things that glorify God and build His kingdom, those requests will be answered.
    • James warns about praying with the wrong motive. James 4:3 – You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.
    • We also need to remember that God may answer the request in a way that is different from what we anticipated. Also, God will answer the request in His time, not ours. We may have to wait longer than we’d like to get the answer.
  • As we mature in our prayer life, we must learn to see things from God’s point of view, not from ours.
    • We study Scripture to learn about God’s will in a general sense.
    • As we face circumstances in life, we take these general principles and apply them to specific circumstances.
    • We pray for what God wants, not what we want.
    • When we do that, our prayers will be answered.
    • John Stott wrote – “Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or for bending His will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to His. It is by prayer that we seek God’s will, embrace it and align ourselves with it. Every true prayer is a variation of the theme ‘Your will be done’”.

Confronting Sin

John now talks about sins that don’t lead to death and sins that do lead to death. What could John be talking about when he mentions “sin that brings death?” Scholars and theologians have wrestled with this question and have come up with four possibilities, although none are clear-cut. Here are the four.

  • A terrible sin that God will not pardon. There isn’t anything in the New Testament that fits the definition of this kind of sin. Peter cursed and denied Jesus three times. That’s about as bad a sin as we could imagine. Yet, a short period of time later, Peter was eating a meal with Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  • It’s talking about some type of apostasy, to deliberately turn from being a follower of Christ. However, 1 John 3:9 appears to teach that a true Christian can’t fall away from the faith. If some do, it’s an indication they were never a follower in the first place.
  • John is talking about blaspheming the Holy Spirit, a sin Matthew says will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31-32) But how could John call someone like that a “brother?”
  • John is talking about a physical death. Some Christians in Scripture sinned so badly that God took their lives; Ananias and Sapphire (Acts 5:1-11), the man sinning with his stepmother in 1 Corinthians 5, the people who “fell asleep” in 1 Corinthians 11 because they were abusing the Lord’s supper.

Although we don’t know the correct interpretation, we can focus on a positive point from John’s message. We need to be praying for our brothers and sisters who are in sin. This type of request would align with God’s will. Jesus prayed for Peter on the night he was betrayed, and we should do the same for others.

One final point here. John is not being soft on sin. He writes that “all unrighteousness is sin.”

How Christians Act

John is not talking about the occasional or accidental sins that believers commit. John is talking about habitual and deliberate sins. Because a believer has a new nature, their desires should change from the realm of darkness to the kingdom of light. Let’s dig into this deeper.

  • A Christian faces three enemies, all of which want to lead them into sin.
    • Satan.
      • The whole world is under the sway of the evil one – 1 John 5:19.
      • Satan is the god of this age, meaning this world. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
      • Satan is the ruler of this world. John 14:30 – I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over Me.
      • Satan is the spirit who works in the children of disobedience. Ephesians 2:2 – in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.
      • Satan tells lies. Genesis 3 and 2 Corinthians 11:1-3. When people listen, they turn from and disobey God’s truth.
      • Satan may inflict physical suffering.
        • Job.
        • Paul: 2 Corinthians 12:7b-9 – Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.
        • David: 1 Chronicles 21.
    • The flesh.
      • The old nature still lies within us even after we are born again.
      • We have a new nature, but we don’t always yield to the new nature.
    • The world.
      • The world is our enemy. 1 John 2:15-17 – Do not love the world  or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 16 For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.

A believer faces three very formidable foes. How does a believer keep from sinning? The answer is in verse eighteen. 

  • Jesus keeps us. The word “keep” has two meanings here.
    • One is to “watch over.” Jesus watches over us, so the evil one doesn’t touch us.
    • Because Jesus “watches over” us, we are able to obey His instructions.
  • We see an illustration of this in Luke 22:31-32 – “Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
  • Satan can’t touch a believer without God’s permission.
  • If God gives permission to Satan to attack us, it also means He has given us the ability to resist the attack through His power. God will never allow us to be tested beyond the capability of our strength in Him. 1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it. 

We Know the Truth

The truth John is talking about here is that the Son of God has come to redeem us, and He’s a reflection of the Father. Let’s take a deeper look at these last two verses,

  • Jesus is God the Son.
    • Jesus, in human form but fully divine, was a reflection of the Father.
    • The characteristics that Jesus displayed are the same that make up the Father.
    • When we study and understand who Jesus was, how He acted toward others, and how He acted in situations, we see the Father on display, and we see how we should act as followers of Christ.
  • Because we know, worship, and serve the true God, we are connected with reality.
    • The “true One” means the original as opposed to a copy or the authentic as opposed to an imitation.
    • Jesus is the true light. John 1:9 – The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
    • Jesus is the true bread. John 6:32 – Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven.
    • Jesus is the true vine. John 15:1 – “I am  the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper.”
    • Jesus is truth. John 14:6 – Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
  • Jesus came into the world to give us an understanding of the truth.
    • The truth of Jesus repudiates the false teaching in the world.
    • Some of the false teachers claimed to have a special knowledge of God and salvation apart from Jesus.
    • God can only be known in one way, through Jesus.
    • Truth can only be known in one way, through Jesus.
    • Anything that claims something different from what Jesus taught is false and a work of Satan.
  • Christians live in an atmosphere of reality or truth, while unbelievers live in an atmosphere of lies and falsehood.
    • Followers of Christ have been given spiritual discernment to know the truth from lies.
    • Unbelievers don’t have this understanding.
    • Christians don’t choose between good and bad; they choose between true and false.
  • John doesn’t end Colossians with a typical farewell. Instead, he delivers a stern warning.
    • By using the phrase “little children,” John is indicating a deep love for the recipients of the letter.
    • It may seem out of place for John to be addressing the issue of idols here. But, a theme of the entire epistle was the idea of truth versus lies. John is warning them to reject idols and cling to Christ; reject the false and embrace the real.
    • What idols was John warning against?
      • The best interpretation is that John was warning against anything that would take the place of God.
        • 1 Thessalonians 1:9 – For they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.
        • Ephesians 5:5 – For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral  or impure  or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom  of the Messiah and of God.
        • Colossians 3:5 – Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.
      • In the context of this letter, John was most likely referring to the “idols” of the false teachers who were saying Jesus was less than God.
        • The god of the false teachers was not just less than a perfect god; it was an idol.
        • The god of the false teachers was not true but a god of men’s imaginations.
      • For believers today, it is essential that they guard against any God-substitute. What are some of the idols that control people today?
        • Covetousness. A person may “worship” their bankbook or stock portfolio.
        • Adultery. A person may be addicted to pornography.
        • The thing we “serve” is the thing we worship. Whatever controls our lives is our god.

Applications

  • Be active in prayers that align with God’s will. All believers should have an active prayer life. But being active in prayer is not enough. Our prayers must align with God’s will. As we mature in our spiritual walk, we will grow in our understanding of God’s will for any given situation. One question to ask ourselves as we pray is, “Does this request bring glory to God?” If the prayer is answered, will God be glorified? Or is it a selfish prayer that benefits the person praying or another individual? 
  • When we see a fellow believer involved in sin, we are instructed to pray for them. Are you praying for those around you who are involved in the sinful activity? Everyone sins, and we all need the prayers of others to help us in this life.
  • Guard yourself against false teachers. There are many false teachers who preach an “attractive” message. We should always compare what a preacher/pastor/Bible teacher says against what Scripture says. If the message and Scripture don’t agree, it’s a red flag for false teaching. If you find yourself in that situation, you need to discuss it gracefully with the teacher. It’s possible they made an honest mistake, and they’ll correct it with the group who received the false message. If they don’t accept the charge of false teaching, you need to warn others who heard the message. Everyone in that group is in danger of being led astray.
  • Guard yourself against the idols of this world. In today’s modern world, there are too many potential idols to list. Some examples are jobs, positions, social media, pornography, drugs, or alcohol. The bottom line is that anything that takes a primary place in our lives and pulls us away from God is an idol.
truthproject777

1 John Lesson Eleven

1 John Lesson Eleven: 1 John 5:6-13 – The Full Assurance of Our Relationship to God

Jesus Christ—He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water  and by blood. And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood —and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept the testimony of men, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that He has given about His Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar,  because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 

12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (HCSB)

As John nears the completion of this letter, he drives home a point that directly challenges the false teaching from the Gnostics that he was confronting; Jesus is God. 

I’ll be splitting this lesson into two parts.

  • Jesus is God – verses 6-10.
  • Believers have eternal life – verses 11-13.

Jesus is God

In the previous section of the passage, verses one to five, John placed emphasis on trusting in Jesus and overcoming the world. To believe that Jesus is the Son of God is fundamental to the Christian experience. But how do we know that Jesus is God? 

Some of those alive at the time called Jesus a liar and a deceiver – Matthew 27:63. Others said that Jesus was a religious fanatic, a madman, or perhaps a zealous Jew who was sincere but sadly mistaken. We also need to remember the false teaching the recipients of this letter were receiving from the Gnostics. The false teaching of the Gnostics had two main points.

  • The “Christ” came upon the man Jesus when He was baptized.
  • Before Jesus died on the cross, the “Christ” left Jesus, and He died like any other person.

John’s letter refutes this false teaching by presenting three infallible witnesses to prove that Jesus is God.

  • Before we look at the three witnesses, we need to remember Jewish law. In order to confirm testimony, at least two witnesses were required.
    • Deuteronomy 19:15 – One witness cannot establish any wrongdoing or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
    • John 8:17 – Even in your law it is written that the witness of two men is valid.
  • The first witness is the water.
    • The water refers to Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River at the beginning of His ministry.
    • Matthew 3:13-17 – Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?” 15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him to be baptized. 16 After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.  17 And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!
  • The second witness is the blood.
    • Blood refers to the shedding of Jesus’ blood at His crucifixion and subsequent death.
    • As the time drew near for Jesus to die, God spoke from heaven.
      • John 12:28b – Then a voice  came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!”
      • This was a reference to both what had already occurred and Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
    • There are also Scripture references to the glorification of Jesus during His crucifixion.
      • Matthew 27:45 – From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land.
      • Matthew 27:50-53 – Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit.  51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many. 
      • Matthew 27:54 – When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!”
  • The third witness is the Holy Spirit.
    • The Holy Spirit was sent to bear witness to Jesus. We can trust the Holy Spirit because it is the Spirit that is truth.
      • John 15:26 – When the Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
      • John 16:14 – He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.
      • Romans 8:15-16 – For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 
      • 1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated  spiritually.
  • John is showing that all three testify to the truth of Jesus being the Son of God, the incarnation of the divine, and the pathway to redemption and restoration with God.
  • If human testimony is accepted on the basis of two or more witnesses, how much more should God’s testimony be accepted?
  • John makes two points in verses nine to eleven.
    • Divine testimony should be accepted because it is greater than human testimony, which everyone accepts.
    • Willful unbelief is sin. If we trust human testimony, why shouldn’t we trust God, who is more trustworthy than people?
  • When we consider these two points, we see the following three facts, which lead to one conclusion.
    • The Father witnessed at Jesus’ baptism.
    • The Father witnessed at the cross.
    • The Holy Spirit witnesses today within each believer.
    • Jesus is the Son of God.
  • Those who reject these facts are calling God a liar.
  • There is no middle ground in this discussion.
    • You are either with God and part of His spiritual family, destined to spend eternity in heaven.
    • Or you are against God, excluded from His spiritual family, and destined to spend eternity in hell.

Believers Have Eternal Life

  • John makes this point clear in the final three verses of this passage.
    • Those who accept the truth of the Father’s testimony concerning Jesus have life.
    • The life John is referring to in verse eleven is eternal life in heaven.
      • Life is contained in accepting the testimony about Jesus.
        • Those who accept the testimony about Jesus have the Son.
        • Those who accept the Son have life.
      • Death occurs for those who reject the testimony about Jesus.
        • They will have a physical death.
        • They will have a spiritual death, eternity in hell.
    • John is reminding and encouraging the recipients of his letter that those who believe in the testimony about Jesus have eternal life.

Before we take a summary look at this passage, let’s remember the situation that John was addressing. False teachers had permeated the early church, teaching heresy and leading some astray. Let’s consider the modern-day church. Few would argue that false teachers promoting heresy have permeated the church, leading believers astray.

Now, let’s consider three points essential to John’s writings.

  • The “blood” must remain central to all we are and preach. The “blood” refers to the cross.
    • In 1 Corinthians 1-4, Paul talks about the “foolishness” of the cross. Paul isn’t saying the cross is foolish. He is saying it is foolishness to those who reject the truth. 
    • As believers, we can never demote the significance of the cross.
    • 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 – But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
      • Christ is the power of God.
      • Christ is the wisdom of God.
    • Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the gateway to redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life.
  • The Holy Spirit is the preserver of truth.
    • However, John isn’t clear on how this is done on a practical level.
    • It could be spiritual discernment.
    • However, since John references water and blood, it makes the most sense he is referring to “what was at the beginning.” This understanding would point not to personal creativity and innovation but to the foundations on which the church was built.
      • The confessions and traditions of the original church.
      • The recitation of creeds.
      • An alarming trend has been noted by theologians.
        • The foundations for all of what we believe are no longer recognized by many “believers.” One of the more common is the teaching that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are fictional.
        • The validity of belief for many now appears to be functional.
      • One enlightening example is from a commentary author talking about his last year of seminary. The students were required to read one sermon per day for ten weeks. An observation from that exercise is that older sermons, those from pre-1950, contained a higher level of theological sophistication, which is lacking in many modern sermons. I’m sure many, if not all, who are reading this, can remember examples where the sermon they heard was light on sin, hell, love, and sacrifice. At the same time, those sermons may have been heavy on how to feel better about yourself or that God was still “love” even when we are engaged in willful sin.
    • Theology is losing ground to false teaching because churches have stopped pursuing and teaching truth.
  • Any claim to being a genuine follower of Christ is illegitimate if it denies what God has said about Jesus.
    • Jesus is both fully human and fully divine during the entirety of His life.
    • Any theology that rejects incarnation Christology must be dismissed as false theology.
    • Anyone who teaches false theology, whether knowingly or unknowingly, is part of Satan’s attempt to undermine and destroy the church.

Applications

  • Do you understand and believe in the absolute and unconditional truth that Jesus is who God the Father says He is? If not, examine why in light of what John wrote in this passage. Water, blood, and the Holy Spirit all testify about who Jesus is. 
  • If you hear or read about false teaching, confront it. Remember to always correct in a spirit of gentleness while not tolerating compromise.
  • Are you confident in your eternal destination? John is clear that if we believe the truth about Jesus and place our faith in Him, we have eternal life. If you have doubts in this area, determine why you doubt and pray for reassurance.
truthproject777

1 John Lesson Ten

1 John Lesson Ten: 1 John 5:1-5 – Proving Our Love Through Obedient Faith

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey His commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden, 4 because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 And who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (HCSB)

John continues his discourse on the connection between love, faith, and obedience. A good summary statement for this passage is – The true Christian overcomes the world by their faith and demonstrates their salvation by obeying God’s commands, and those commands are not a burden.

When we consider what John is saying in verse one, let’s take a moment to consider how Christianity differs from every other main world religion. All of the other religions involve humanity vainly trying to work their way to God. It may involve legalistic practices or earning merit through various activities. In contrast, Christianity involves God coming to humanity and humanity responding to the invitation. The difference often creates a stumbling block. We try to rationalize why an all-powerful God would pursue His creation. The one overarching reason is that God loves His creation and doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity separated from Him. 

Now, let’s take a closer look at this passage.

  • A Christian is a person who has been born again.
    • They believe and have placed their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
    • The new birth transforms them from children of disobedience into children of God.
  • John uses the term “born of God” seven times in this first epistle, using it to describe the characteristics of a believer.
    • They practice righteousness – 1 John 2:29.
    • They don’t practice sin – 1 John 3:9.
    • They love other believers – 1 John 4:7.
    • They overcome the temptations of the world – 1 John 5:4.
    • They guard themselves against Satan – 1 John 5:18.
  • John emphasizes the trilogy of love, obedience, and truth as tests for inclusion in God’s spiritual family.
    • If we love God as our Father, we will also love our fellow believers.
    • Our love for fellow believers will lead to obedience.
    • When we love others, it creates a willingness to serve others.
  • The Christian who believes that obedience to God’s Word is a burden doesn’t understand biblical love.
    • Christians are not to love the world, belong to it, or yield to it.
    • They have overcome the temptations of the world and the devil and false teachers.
    • They overcome it by faith in God, not through individual power or wisdom.
  • When we look at the context and historical setting of this letter, it appears John was addressing a situation in Ephesus, where the antichrists were acting in a hateful manner towards believers.
    • We don’t have to love perfectly to demonstrate a regenerate heart.
    • If we demonstrate hate towards other believers, as the antichrists did, we can’t have confidence we have been born again.
  • John addresses the question of whether or not following God’s commands is a burden or not.
    • How many times have you or someone you know struggled with being obedient to God’s commands?
    • How often do you think that God’s commands are restricting your life?
    • John makes a convicting statement when he says, “His commands are not a burden.”
    • The world would disagree with this statement. How often have we heard, from unbelievers, that Christians don’t have any fun?
    • It’s true that disobeying God is easier than following Him. But then the consequences are easier to experience, too.
    • For one example, let’s consider the sin of sex outside of marriage. Let’s consider some of the consequences.
      • Those who engage in this practice treat one another as objects to fulfill our desires. They don’t treat each other as a valued human being.
      • Those who have multiple partners run a serious risk of catching a sexual disease. Some of the diseases can have lifelong consequences or even result in death.
      • With multiple partners, there is always the risk of jealousy, resulting in violence.
      • If one of the individuals is married, they are violating the marriage covenant, resulting in various consequences.
        • A broken marriage.
        • Children who are torn from their parents or develop negative feelings towards the offending party.
        • The financial burden of a broken marriage.
    • When two people engage in a marriage covenant and don’t violate it, they will not experience any of the consequences listed above.
    • When we consider this example, we see that sin has a consequence. When those consequences are “paid,” we clearly see that God’s commands, in this case, “don’t commit adultery,” is not a burden when we compare the cost in consequences.
    • This sheds understanding when Jesus said in Matthew 11:30 – For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
  • John ends this passage of Scripture with two verses that can challenge and bring doubt to the minds of believers. This centers around the phrase, “has been born of God conquers the world.”
    • First off, until we get to heaven, every believer will struggle with sin and make mistakes, some more than others.
    • Because of the “sin struggle,” some believers may feel that they have not conquered the world and are, therefore, not a true Christian. However, this is a false understanding of what John is trying to say here.
    • First, we need to come to grips with what John means by “the world.”
      • John may be referring to the false teachings that say Jesus is not the Son of God and didn’t come in the flesh.
      • John may be referring to the temptations of the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
      • John may be referring to the threat of open hatred the world brings against followers of Christ.
    • Regardless of which one John was referring to, all are possible, and all are included in the final victory that has already been won.
      • We won it in a past tense understanding when we submitted to Jesus.
      • We win it in the present tense when we refuse to deny Him.
    • All who have been born again have overcome the world and can claim the victory.
    • In John 16:33, Jesus declares, “Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
    • Jesus’ victory has overcome evil and set us free from the power of Satan.
    • Our victory is based on faith.
      • When we place our faith in Jesus, nothing can separate us from the love of God.
        • Romans 8:37-39 – No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, 39 height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
        • 1 Corinthians 15:57 – But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
      • The believer is victorious over the world because of their faith in Jesus.
    • When we understand what John is saying in these two verses, we should feel fear or discouragement when we struggle with sin. Instead, we should be encouraged because even though we do struggle with sin, Jesus has already won the victory for us.

Applications

  • Do an evaluation on yourself, or have a trusted family member or close friend who is a believer regarding the characteristics of a Christian.
    • Do you practice righteousness?
    • Do you avoid sin?
    • Do you extend love to your spiritual family?
    • Do you overcome the temptations of the world?
    • Do you guard yourself against Satan?
    • We will never be perfect in these areas, but we should be victorious more than we stumble.
  • Do you consider God’s commands a burden or an easy path? If you consider them a burden, reevaluate that area and consider the consequences of not following God’s instructions. On the surface, being obedient may seem like a burden, but when you consider the consequences being obedient is a much easier path.
  • Don’t become discouraged when you do stumble. Every believer will stumble at some point. There are several issues to consider when we sin.
    • Are you like the Gnostics and believe that sinning is ok since you’ve professed faith in Jesus? If you are in this camp, your understanding of saving faith is skewed, and you may not be a genuine follower of Jesus.
    • Does it become a habit where you become numb to your sin? This is dangerous and may lead you into falling away from the faith.
    • The opposite, excessively beating yourself up when you sin, is also dangerous. You may begin to believe that you aren’t really a Christian and fall away from the faith.
    • The healthy response is to confess your sin and move past it in victory immediately.
truthproject777

1 John Lesson Nine

1 John Lesson Nine: 1 John 4:13-21 – Combining a Right Belief and a Right Attitude

This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given assurance to us from His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 

17 In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because He first loved us. 

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen. 21 And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother. (HCSB)

In this section, John continues with his theme of love. In this passage, John outlines the duality of our love for God, as well as our love for fellow believers. To make it easier, I’ll break this passage into three sections.

  • Our assurance of Jesus as God’s Son – verses 13-16.
  • Our confidence for eternity – verses 17-19.
  • Love reveals the heart – verses 20-21.

Our Assurance of Jesus as God’s Son

In John’s time, there were many who physically saw Jesus. That is not the case for present-day believers. So what do we base our belief in that Jesus is who we claim Him to be? Let’s dig deeper into that argument.

  • The Apostles and the larger group who followed Jesus all saw Him in the flesh.
  • But it wasn’t just His followers who saw Him.
    • The Jewish religious leaders saw Him but, out of jealousy, plotted and succeeded in killing Jesus.
    • There were those not associated with the religious establishment who saw Jesus but chose to reject His message. One example is the rich young ruler.
    • There were those who cried out for His crucifixion and who saw Jesus.
    • The Roman leaders and soldiers in Judea saw Jesus and were complicit in His crucifixion.
  • It’s much easier to place our faith in something we can see or touch. Those alive in the first century benefitted from being eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life and ministry. How do we support our belief in Jesus?
    • Predominately through faith. But what supports our faith?
      • Belief in the testimony of eyewitnesses who lived with Jesus, saw His death, and witnessed His resurrected body.
      • Scripture testifies to the truth of Jesus and His works.
      • We’ve experienced the impact of Jesus on our lives when we submit to His Lordship.
      • We’ve seen the change in those around us as they submit to Jesus. In some cases, we may have witnessed an extraordinary change in the behavior of others.
      • Maybe we’ve witnessed miraculous healing that doctors can’t explain. 
    • One of the definitions of “faith” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” As Christians, we need to be careful and not ascribe to that definition for our belief in Jesus. There is ample “proof” of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and His earthly ministry. 
  • The main basis of our faith is the Holy Spirit.
    • The Holy Spirit is the one who reveals the truth of the Gospel to the lost.
    • As believers, one of our roles is to evangelize the lost. However, we can’t “convert” a person. We can only speak of the truth of the Gospel. It’s the role of the Holy Spirit to “open the eyes and ears” of the lost.
    • The indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives us assurance we are part of God’s family.
    • Paul speaks of the assurance given by the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:16 – The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children.
  • Building from previous lessons in 1 John, we remember that love and truth are mutually inclusive.
    • There is a relationship between God and the person testifying that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
    • Those who hold fast to this belief will do all they can to build this relationship to the fullest extent possible.
    • Those who have a heretical position on the identity of Jesus don’t have a relationship with God. Therefore, they have no relationship to build.
  • To remain or abide in God is a present tense verb.
    • It infers a vital, intimate, continuous, and growing relationship.
    • The believer understands they have an invisible power, through the Holy Spirit, to fulfill their kingdom work on earth.
    • The believer understands that physical life is a temporary one. Their real home is in heaven.
  • This section of the passage ends with a theme presented earlier; God is love, and those who live a life of love, live in God and God in them.
    • In John’s writings, this is the true test of Christianity.
    • The basic character of God is love.
    • We should experience love in our relationship with God.
    • Others should experience this type of love in their relationship with us.
    • It’s the reason God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, to have our love relationship restored with Him.
    • When we don’t live a life of love towards God and others, we need to reexamine our relationship with God.

Our Confidence for Eternity

John returns to the subject of the judgment seat of Christ, which he previously mentioned in 1 John 2:28. 

  • The judgment seat can bring either hope and peace or fear and anxiety.
    • When God’s love is perfected in us, we can live in confidence; we don’t need to worry about our future judgment.
      • Our lives should be filled with peace and hope.
      • We extend God’s love to others as we shine the light of Christ.
      • When a believer lives as an example of Jesus, there is no fear as they approach the judgment seat of Christ.
    • However, when we don’t live in a spirit of love, thinking about future judgment may unsettle us.
      • Our lives will be filled with fear and anxiety about the future.
      • Instead of shining the light of Christ, we will carry an air of gloom.
      • Believers who live without extending the love of Christ to others will approach the judgment seat of Christ with fear as they expect the loss of eternal rewards.
      • A believer who fears the judgment seat of Christ demonstrates that God’s love has not reached maturity in their lives.
  • The reason we love others is because God loves us first.
    • God commands us to love others.
      • 1 John 3:11.
      • John 13:34-35.
      • John 15:17.
      • Colossians 1:4.
    • Christian doesn’t mean we’ll always agree with what others do or their viewpoints.
      • It does mean we still extend that love because He first loved us.
      • Read James 4 to understand what happens when selfishness overshadows love.
  • The perfecting of God’s love in our lives happens in stages. It’s not a sudden change.
    • Before a person comes to saving knowledge of Jesus, they lived in fear and knew nothing of God’s love.
    • After submitting to Jesus, a person discovers a combination of fear and love in their heart.
    • As a believer grows in fellowship with the Father, the fear gradually decreases, and their heart becomes more controlled by His love.
    • An immature Christian bounces between fear and love.
    • A mature Christian rests in God’s love.
    • As a believer’s confidence in the presence of God grows, it’s an indicator that their love for God is maturing.
  • In verse nineteen, John makes a comparison between our love for God and God’s love for us. Let’s consider three reasons why this is significant.
    • Our love for God and others originates in God’s love for us.
    • Love is tainted by fear when there is a doubt it will be returned. A believer has no fear in this area since God’s love occurs before ours.
    • Affection flows from a heart filled with gratitude for God loving us first. The Father sent the Son to die for each of us.
  • God’s love is perfected in us when we extend unbridled love in three directions.
    • A believer’s love toward God.
    • A believer’s love toward others.
    • A believer’s love toward themselves.

Love Reveals the Heart

In the last two verses in this passage, John points out that our words and actions need to match. It also drives home the point that the theology of the false prophets and antichrists is refuted. 

  • If we remember back toward the beginning of this letter, one of the doctrines of the false teachers is that it was ok to sin as our spiritual being was not affected by what our physical body was doing.
    • Their theology was in disagreement with the idea that love for God requires obedience to God.
    • In disagreeing with Scripture, it proved their theology was a lie.
  • John also points out that it’s difficult to prove our love toward God as He is a spirit being, and we can’t “see” how others act towards God.
  • However, we can see how people act toward each other.
    • When we love others, it’s a reflection of our love for God.
    • Scripture gives us the command, “The one who loves God must also love his brother.”
    • Jesus also made this point in Matthew 25:40, “I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”
  • An example of spiritual hypocrisy is found in Acts 5, the narrative of Ananias and Sapphira.
    • They sold some of their property and brought a portion of it as an offering.
    • However, to the church, they made it seem as if they were bringing the entire proceeds of the sale.
    • The sin wasn’t keeping back a portion for themselves. Peter was clear in the passage that they could have kept part of the proceeds for themselves.
    • The sin was in lying about it. They were trying to make themselves appear more generous and spiritual than they were.
  • Pretending is an act for children, but it isn’t a characteristic of a mature adult.
  • Adults must know and be themselves, fulfilling the purpose for which Christ saved them. Their lives must be characterized by honesty.
    • Spiritual honesty brings peace and power to a person.
    • They don’t need to keep track of their lies or spend energy covering up those lies.
  • Paul drives home the point about love in Galatians 5:14 – For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Applications

  • Do you practice love or legalism? While rules and standards are important, they can also create problems. The biggest issue Jesus had with the religious leaders in Israel was legalism. The question we need to consider is whether rules can inspire a life of devotion, service, and worship. Additionally, does a framework of legalism cultivate a lifestyle of reflex activity instead of a lifestyle of love and devotion? There’s a quote from C. S. Lewis where he says, “Love is that which forgives the most and condones the least.” The challenge for us is to love others while keeping to the standards outlined in Scripture.
  • Can we extend a love that is too generous? This idea is a branch of the first point. A love without expectations and consequences is a love that can be exploited. Sometimes it is a fine line we walk between extending love and holding people accountable. It’s always possible that we can go too far in extending love. When we consider this idea in dealing with fellow believers, we need to be careful and look to the example of Paul in Galatians. Paul is quick to point out the hypocrisy of disciples who fail to mature, yet he never threatens them with the idea that God will abandon them.
  • Do we have a proper awe of God? When we think about God’s love for us, it’s not difficult to go too far and think of God as too personal or approachable. God is not our “friend.” God is our all-knowing and all-loving Father, but He’s also infinitely holy and righteous. As our infinitely holy and righteous Father, He also is against sin. Sin can’t exist in the presence of an infinitely holy God. We need to understand who God is and live in reverent fear of Him.
  • Do we claim our Christian victory and life in a spirit of confidence? For many churches, especially in Western society, the Holy Spirit is the “forgotten God.” We often hear or read about the Father and the Son, but the Holy Spirit only makes an occasional appearance from the pulpit. Jesus told His original followers they would receive power in Luke 24:29, “And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” We can’t live in victory and accomplish the work set before us if we aren’t empowered and led by the Holy Spirit.
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1 John Lesson Eight

1 John Lesson Eight: 1 John 4:7-12 – An Appeal for Love

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the •propitiation for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us. (HCSB)

In this short section of Scripture, John outlines how to discern a couple of things regarding love.

  • True agape love can only come from God.
  • The demonstration of agape love is an indicator of whether or not a person is a genuine believer, someone who struggles with unconditionally loving others, or a false believer.

Before we dig into this passage, let’s consider the main theme John is conveying to the reader.

Love comes from God, so if we are born of God, we will also love. God loved us first, so we must love one another.

Now, let’s break apart this passage.

  • First, let’s consider that in John’s writings, he uses three expressions to help us understand the nature of God.
    • God is spirit – John 4:24.
      • This addresses the essence of God.
      • God is not flesh and blood.
      • God is not limited in time and space the way His creations are.
    • God is light – 1 John 1:5.
      • This refers to God’s holy nature.
      • In Scripture, light is symbolic of holiness, and darkness is symbolic of sin – John 3:18-21.
      • God can’t sin because He is holy.
      • When we are born again, we receive this holy nature – 1 Peter 1:14-16.
    • God is love.
      • This doesn’t mean that “love is God.” 
      • Just because two people “love” each other doesn’t mean their love is holy. 
      • A well-known expression is “love doesn’t define God, but God defines love.”
      • God is both light and love. Therefore, God’s love is holy love.
      • God’s holiness is expressed in love.
      • All that God does expresses all that God is. His judgments are measured out in love and mercy – Lamentations 3:22-23.
      • Much of what the world defines as “love” bears little resemblance to the holy love that God demonstrates.
  • The letter now returns to a subject John previously talked about, love, which comes from God.
    • Extending love, primarily to fellow believers and also to unbelievers, is another test for a follower of Christ.
      • Only those who have been spiritually born again can understand and extend agape love to others.
      • Since God is the only source of genuine love, only a believer can understand love and extend it to others.
      • At the same time, it’s possible to see occasional acts of sacrificial love demonstrated by unbelievers.
        • We need to remember that each person is made in the image of God and is capable of these sporadic acts of love. It is part of our divine creation.
        • However, these individuals are not able to sustain this lifestyle and aren’t doing it with an understanding of agape love. 
        • Additionally, true love that includes loving God and a full expression of love to others, predominately in the area of evangelism and the Gospel, is only a characteristic of genuine Christians.
      • A proper understanding of the word “know” is required to fully understand what John is talking about.
        • “Know” doesn’t refer to intellectual understanding.
        • The word “know” is used in many translations to refer to the intimate union between a husband and a wife – Genesis 4:1.
        • To “know” God means to be in a deep, personal relationship with God.
        • We share life with Him and enjoy His love.
        • Knowing God is a matter of understanding truth – 1 John 2:3-5.
    • John then flips the discussion, talking about those who don’t extend or demonstrate love to others.
      • Those who don’t extend love are demonstrating they don’t know God.
      • What evidence does John reveal to support this statement?
        • John is referencing the very nature of God.
        • God’s essence is love.
        • When we look at John’s argument, we can see that the test for lack of love is easier to understand. Think of the changes that occur when a person is spiritually reborn.
          • They receive eternal life through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
          • They have the Holy Spirit dwelling in their body.
          • They have been saved by love and are indwelled with love.
          • A believer may not love perfectly, but there is a significant difference between not loving perfectly and not loving at all.
  • John now switches the focus of the letter from an understanding of what love is and isn’t to a discussion of how God revealed His love for us.
    • The clear answer appears in John 3:16 – Jesus sacrificed His life for us.
    • It also appears in parallel in 1 John 4:9 – God sent Jesus to us to sacrifice His life for us.
      • God the Father knew how Jesus would be treated and the horrible death He would experience.
      • God sacrifice Jesus so we might live through Him.
    • It was through Jesus’ sacrificial atonement for our sins that our relationship with God can and is restored.
      • The sacrificial gift was not a response to humanity’s love for God.
      • It was the exact opposite. God initiated this sacrifice in spite of our sinful and hateful attitude toward God.
      • The main urge for people is to sin.
        • The natural condition for people is to pursue sin.
        • Man doesn’t naturally love God or Jesus’s sacrifice.
      • God’s nature was to show His love and provide a way to restore our broken fellowship.
        • Love is always demonstrated by action.
          • To take away our sins.
          • To destroy the works of the devil.
        • Our love is a reflection of His love and a response to it.
  • God has set the gold standard for love.
    • Believers are part of God’s spiritual family; we are His children.
    • Believers are to extend love to others, especially fellow believers but also unbelievers.
    • God’s love for us is made visible and complete as we love others.
    • God’s love is completed as we reach out to the lost.
  • John also points out that we can fail in demonstrating love; he uses the phrase “if we love one another.”
    • John is pointing out we have a choice in this matter.
    • Not everyone who says they are a believer actually is one.

Applications

  • Do you extend unconditional love to fellow believers? Admittedly, this can be very challenging. As people, we are difficult and messy, and some are easier to love than others. In fact, some believers may be very difficult to love. Still, God calls us to extend love to others. If you have a hard time in this area or there are one or more people, in particular, you find it difficult to love, pray for a softened spirit. Maybe there is an issue between you and that person or persons. If so, go to them and resolve it. 
  • Do you extend unconditional love to unbelievers? We never know when our selfless acts of love for the lost may result in their resistance to God being broken. Think back to the events that led to you becoming a Christian or maybe someone you know. Was there a selfless act leading up to their salvation? Pray for opportunities to extend acts of selfless love to others.
  • If we see fellow believers acting in a way that is contrary to what this passage is telling us, gently interact with that individual in the spirit of Galatians 6:1. Also, remember to remove the log in your eye before mentioning the speck in their eye.