Devotionary

Latest Episodes:

Ep 242 – 1 John 5:6-12 PT 4 Aug 20, 2017

Show notes

This fourth episode on 1 John, chapter five, verses 6-12 is an important one. It is called, "Present-Tense Belief" and deals with a problem I think most of us face as believers. The tendency to see our testimony as something in the past. We have been trained to think of our faith story as having taken place at a singular point in time. But John would seem to differ from that perspective. He would see our faith as ever-evolving and expanding, growing in depth and confidence. It is never stagnant or stationary. The faith to believe should become the faith to keep on believing. Saving faith should become sanctifying faith. If we find ourselves thinking that placing our faith in Christ was a one-time event that occurred sometime in the past, we are missing the point. There is no doubt that the moment we place our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we are immediately declared positionally righteous by God. But he is out to make us practically righteous – by transforming our thoughts and behavior – as we continue to place our faith in Him.

Ep 241 – 1 John 5:6-12 PT 3 Aug 19, 2017

Show notes

This is the third episode on 1 John, chapter five, verses 6-12 and its' called, "Internal Evidence". As John continues to litigate Jesus' claim to be the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah, he will call the Holy Spirit as witness. And because each and every believer in Jesus Christ has the Spirit of God living within him, this testimony is internal, not external. We have living proof, living inside us. The indwelling Spirit of God provides us with daily, irrefutable evidence that Christ was exactly who He claimed to be. His Spirit within us testifies directly to us. As John says, "Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself" (1 John 5:10). We don't have to go far. We don't even have to look outside of ourselves. We have the transformative power of God residing within us. And that could only mean one thing. Jesus was the Son of God and the Savior of the world. And when He promised to give us the Spirit to live within us, He had meant it and delivered on it.

Ep 240 – 1 John 5:6-12 PT 2 Aug 18, 2017

Show notes

This is the second episode on 1 John, chapter five, verses 6-12 and its' called, "God's Testimony". There are all kinds of opinions and testimonies concerning Jesus out there. And the truth is, there's nothing new under the sun. The denials of Jesus' deity and even the claims that He never even existed have been around since the days just after His death. Denying Jesus is one of the oldest sports known to mankind. But at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter what men think. We should worry a lot more about what God has to say on the issue. And, according to John, God the Father has a lot to say about His Son. The naysayers, doubters, critics and postmodern deconstructionists can shout all they want. They can pontificate and posture, presenting the claims of the bible concerning Jesus as nothing more than fantasy, but God's word supersedes theirs. His opinion is the only one that really matters. It was King David who said, "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God" (Psalm 14:1 ESV). And the same fool would say there is no Son of God. But John would side with David and have God as an expert witness.

Ep 239 – 1 John 5:6-12 PT 1 Aug 17, 2017

Show notes

As has been our custom throughout the book of John, this will be the first of seven episodes on 1 John, chapter five, verses 6-12. I've entitled this first one, "Can I Get A Witness?" The fact is, John had more than enough witnesses to support His assertion that Jesus was the Son of God. And in these verses he is going to point out three of them. It really didn't matter what others said or taught. They could deny the deity of Jesus, but it didn't change anything. There was more than enough proof to support Jesus' claim to be the Son of God and the Savior of the world. And John will begin with the Holy Spirit Himself. The very fact that He existed and had come to indwell each and every believer was more than enough proof that Jesus had been who He claimed to be. He had promised the Holy Spirit would come after He returned to have, and the Holy Spirit had come – in power, at Pentecost. But there were two other witnesses to Jesus deity. His baptism and crucifixion. At the first, God confirmed Jesus as His Son. At the second, God sacrificed Jesus as His sinless Son. The only sacrifice that would do.

Ep 238 – 1 John 5:1-5 PT 7 Aug 16, 2017

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This is our final episode on 1 John, chapter five, verses 1-5, and it's called, "New Birth = New Life." You see, for John, our new birth was to result in a new way of life. As believers, we have been born of God and, as a result, we should reflect the very nature of our heavenly Father. We should bear His likeness is all that we do. We should be chips off the old block, so to speak. God has made it possible for us to emulate the character of His Son. But much more than this, He has made it possible for us to be transformed into His very likeness. We don't just mimic Jesus, we become Christ-like in our speech and conduct because we are being made into His image from one degree of glory to another. While we live on this earth, we are going through a God-ordained transformation. And just like our salvation, it is the work of God. Left to our own devices, we could no more copy the character of Jesus than we could fly like a bird without the help of a plane, parachute, glider or some other outside aid. Our new life in Christ is made possible by God. But never forget. It IS possible.

Ep 237 – 1 John 5:1-5 PT 6 Aug 15, 2017

Show notes

This is episode six on 1 John, chapter five, verses 1-5, and it's simply called, "Faith." You're familiar with the word. And while faith is usually associated with, well, people of faith, it is something every living human being utilizes each and every day of their lives. So, what's the difference between the faith of the average man on the street and that of a follower of Christ? The answer is the last word at the end of the previous sentence: Christ. It's the object of our faith that makes the difference. It is who or what we are placing our faith, hope or trust in. Everyone has faith in something or someone. We all live by faith. But sometimes our faith ends up disappointed because the object of our faith fails to come through for us. But for those who place their faith in Christ, that's never a possibility. Oh, we can still find ourselves worrying that He will come through for us, but it will prove to be a waste of our time. Because He is faithful. And it is because He is faithful that our faith in Him is always well-placed and never disappointed.

Ep 236 – 1 Johh 5:1-5 PT 5 Aug 14, 2017

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This is our fifth episode on 1 John, chapter five, verses 1-5, and I've called it, "Nike." Long before that word became a household name and a ubiquitous presence in virtually every household around the world, it was a common Greek word. One that John liked to use. And in our verse for today, he will use it to describe believers are overcomers. As we saw in the previous episode, we have been born from above and, as a result, we are intended to be victorious, those who overcome the world. But what does that really mean? And how are we supposed to pull it off. It all goes back to that little Greek word. But John isn't going to tell us to strap on the latest pair of running shoes or trainers. He isn't going to encourage us to hit the treadmill or the gym wearing the latest workout fashions made with dry-wick fabric. In fact, our victory has little to do with us. Instead, it has everything to do with what Christ has done for us. Our ultimate victory over this world is dependent upon the work of Christ and our faith in what He has accomplished for us.

Ep 235 – 1 John 5:1-5 PT 4 Aug 13, 2017

Show notes

This is episode four on 1 John, chapter five, verses 1-5, and it's entitled, "Unfinished Business." You see, John is going to call us to remain obedient – until the end. God expects faithfulness from His people and He has provided everything they need to pull it off. He has placed His Spirit within us, placed us within the body of Christ, and provided us with the Word of God as a constant source of teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. We have all we need to be all we need to be. And God is at work, behind the scenes, working on our lives in ways that are oftentimes invisible to us. He is molding and perfecting us, out of love, into the likeness of His Son. And one of the main ways we show our love to God is by obeying His commands. By allowing His Spirit to lead and direct us. By not only reading His Word, but doing what it says and applying it to our lives. When Jesus gave the great commission to His disciples, He told them to go and make more disciples, but He added a line that we too often overlook: "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

Ep 234 – 1 John 5:1-5 PT 3 Aug 12, 2017

Show notes

In this, our third episode on 1 John, chapter five, verses 1-5, we'll be taking a look at what John means when he says we have been born of God. He is not talking about creation or our status as human beings. In fact, John uses the term "born of God" to refer exclusively to believers. It is a term of differentiation, used to set us apart from the rest of humanity. We are born from above. In other words, it is the work of God. It is not a physical event, like the one we experienced at birth. It is spiritual in nature. And it is only possible through belief in Jesus Christ. Our new birth is made available to us by the grace of God and through faith in His Son. That faith not only results in our new birth, but our subsequent victory over sin and death. We move from living under the control and dominion of Satan into a relationship with God Himself. We become His sons and daughters, with all the rights and privileges that come with being His heirs. We become, as John puts it, overcomers. Victors in Christ because of what He has done for us.

Ep 233 – 1 John 5:1-5 PT 2 Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

This is the second episode on 1 John, chapter five, verses 1-5 and it's entitled, "Do We Really Love?". Sometimes we can think we're loving another individual, while, in fact, we are simply going through the motions. Externally, it may appear as if we are loving, but in reality, our actions are lacking in compassion and love. We look like we're doing the right thing, but our hearts are not in it. And without love, Paul would say our best actions on our best day, backed by our best intentions, are nothing to brag about. We tend to see love as a list of actions to be taken or commands to be followed. But if our heart isn't in it, our efforts become little more than legalism, or an attempt to win favor with God. I can give money to the poor, but if I don't love them while I am doing it, my actions are hollow and empty. And when I love others the way God has loved me, I am actually showing love to Him. And to be able to love others even when I see their flaws and failings, is to love as I have been loved.

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