Dennis Bevans - Class 3: Behold What Manner of Love

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   This is day three of the 2019 Idyllwild Bible School. Our first period teacher is Brother Dennis Bevins. His general subject is John, letters from the disciple whom Jesus loved. Today's topic is Behold, What Manner of Love. Brother Dennis. Good morning. So I was talking to Brother Kitson last night and said, boy, I am so glad you guys went after us because that was pretty awesome. Your kids are very talented. And I know I would have been compelled to try to do something like that.

2. 0:36

   And the thought of my family with kazoos and a tambourine came to mind. It would not have been as good. It might have been entertaining. In fact, my sister-in-law, Christy, was practicing her routine this morning just in case the opportunity comes up. So very good. All right. So as we start this topic, when we talk about love, it's of course on the backdrop of John 21, which we did talk about already, so we won't do it in detail.

3. 1:12

   But just the reminder that Jesus loved Peter where he was, and that allowed Peter a chance to grow. And so as we've spent the last couple days really focusing on having strong, secure doctrine and letting that build in our love one toward another and one without the other is fruitless, we then see these two together knowing that perhaps I haven't always behaved as loving as I wish I had.

4. 1:41

   Maybe you haven't always behaved as loving as you wish you had. We all fail and fall short. The opportunity to fix it is given to us, and that's really the whole point. If we love each other where we are and not wait until you're worthy of love, we then get to learn how our master sees us in our failings, and we get to grow with the opportunity.

5. 2:04

   So we start with this first verse in chapter 3. There's probably many of you singing a song right now in your head. In fact, it was hard not to go with that melody as we read this verse. The concept then is very strong and very simple. We have to have an intimate knowledge of our God, his word, and his son, and that motivates our behavior in love.

6. 2:40

   So these next couple chapters, we're going to dive into keeping this truth alive by showing the new commandment to love one another in action. That makes us sons, or as the RSV says, children of God. Now, the love word here is agape. It's that self-sacrificing love because it's really talking about sacrificing the son.

7. 3:03

   Both of those know words are the intimate word because the world cannot intimately know God, the God of Israel, because the God of the world is lust, as we saw yesterday. Okay.

8. 3:18

   Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. So the beloved, that's also from the root word agape, keeping in line. But the no word changes here.

9. 3:36

   The no word here is the see or perceive word, that we perceive that when he shall appear, we shall be like him. See, none of us knows intimately that we will be in the kingdom. We all long for it. We all hope for it. And if we can't see ourself there, we won't pay the price to get there.

10. 3:56

    For lack of vision, my people perish, said Solomon. So it's good for us to see us in the kingdom. But that's a perception. We don't intimately know that. Note towards this that it says is, not was, because Jesus is now, when this is referred to, in his own immortality. We already are as he was, suffering through the trials of this life and the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, though he did not give in as we do.

11. 4:27

    But in his immortality, all those things are past, and we long to be like him in the kingdom mentally. Spiritually and physically. That's the purpose of God from the beginning. Acts 15, verse 14. How Simeon hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name.

12. 4:49

    And to that, we'll look at James chapter 2, verse 7. Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called? I believe that verse is the theme verse for the letter of James. And there's an awful lot of catchy things that are probably going through your head in James now. But the theme is living up to the name.

13. 5:11

    We get a name at birth. We get a name at marriage. Well, when we put those together, we have a representation of our baptism. We've taken on a name as we've been born through the waters of baptism. And we long to be married at the marriage supper of the Lamb, that that name would be immortalized and glorified.

14. 5:30

    So the question for all of us is, how am I doing showing the name by which I have been called to be? It's an opportunity for us to do a little self-reflection and then go back to that topic we had in Leviticus on our first day together, on reflecting the glory of God.

15. 5:51

    Every man that hath hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Now this is a small verse, but it's got a very interesting subtext. The word purifieth is a word in the New Testament that is used seven times. It's the completion of a covenant. But not just giving us this covenant undertone, that word pure is used eight times.

16. 6:19

    A new beginning. And that's the principle. It's to complete the work of God in our lives and have a new beginning. And so we all have used the example of gold being tried. We take the trials of this life and the garbage comes to the top, scrape it off, and what's left is a more pure form.

17. 6:37

    That's what we all want to be. So this hope, which essentially is to be like Jesus and carry the name of God eternally, requires all of us to be ceremonial clean, using the language from Strong's Concordance, which ties us very nicely to the Old Testament again. That makes us undefiled by the world.

18. 6:58

    But having hope is only valuable if it changes us. The hope is sterile if it is not causing us to change and grow. And a great example of this goes back to Genesis chapter 32. Genesis chapter 32 and verse 25. When he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him.

19. 7:25

    And so we have Jacob wrestling with the angel. And remember, prayers and tears before this event, and this is now not just a physical struggle, but a spiritual struggle as well. So in the Hebrew, this is literally dislocating his hip. At verse 28, his name changes. Live up to that worthy name by which we are called.

20. 7:49

    And then at verse 31, he limps. We could use Romans 6 so many times as the backdrop to this epistle. This one I think we have to look at. Romans 6, verse 4. Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so also we should walk in newness of life.

21. 8:14

    So that model, as Jacob's name's changed to Israel, is giving us an opportunity to have our name changed. We change our allegiance from a world of lust to the God of hope. And then we must change our walk. So after his name change, he never walked the same again. He limped the rest of the way to the kingdom.

22. 8:34

    And that is where we come in. Change our name. Change our walk. Change our life. Verse 4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresses also the law. For sin is the transgression of the law. You can hear Romans 6 in the backgrounds too, but we'll focus on John's version right now. The RSV says it this way.

23. 8:58

    Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. It's not talking of a single act. We all have sinned and fallen short. But it's rejecting God's authority by our lifestyle. It's not that any of us would ever say things to reject God's authority. But the question is, do we behave as though we are being watched by our God to see if we are growing towards him or not?

24. 9:25

    It's that walking versus talking example. And I did this in the teens class a couple days ago. I don't have a dry erase board near me. I'd probably draw it now. Have any of you ever heard of a humming gator? A humming gator? Okay, good. So a humming gator, I'll try to paint you a picture.

25. 9:44

    Picture an alligator mouth, jaws open, and a hummingbird body. Talk's a big game. Can't back it up. That's a humming gator. Can't that be the description of us from time to time where maybe we deliver a great talk or we have a wonderful conversation with a brother or sister. And we feel like we've done some good to spiritually lift up another person and we feel good about what we are doing.

26. 10:14

    And the next conversation is shameful. We were talking the right game, but our life didn't match the words. The moment was great, but it didn't carry forth. It's something we all struggle with. Acknowledging that struggle is the first part. When we stop the fight, we lose. When we stop and correct, we're still growing.

27. 10:34

    And that's what our father wants to see. He wants to see us understand and do. So the talk is good. Keep the walk in line. And if it's limping, that's great. If you're limping the right direction, welcome. Verse 5. Verse 5. And we perceive that he was manifested to take away sin. And in him is no sin.

28. 11:02

    Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither intimately known him. There's two words change. Perception versus intimate. John 1 and 29. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Now, there's a theme that we started building on yesterday.

29. 11:30

    It's going to keep adding today. It's actually going to come to a climax tomorrow. And that is this concept of abiding or dwelling with the Father and the Son. Whosoever abideth in him sins not. We get to choose where we dwell. We can choose to dwell with the Father and fellowship with the Son.

30. 11:53

    We cannot dwell with Christ and live a life of lawlessness. If we choose to live a life serving our own lusts, we cannot intimately know the love of the Father or the work of the Son. It's really not that complicated conceptually, but we all know in our lives it's not as easy to do.

31. 12:09

    Easier to say than to do. Perhaps in your mind you're thinking of the verse, Should we continue in sin that grace may abound? Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. The deceive word in the Greek is to lead astray. It's to steer us away from the love of God and back to the world, which is what's in our line of sight.

32. 12:35

    So we have to practice righteousness, the opposite of verse 4. Romans 4 is a nice backdrop to this verse as well. For what saith the Scripture, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. You could probably refer to the whole chapter. He was deemed or reckoned by righteous, not because he was without sin, but because he believed God and that belief changed his walk.

33. 13:04

    He walked God's way. Contrary to the world around us, full of lawlessness, he walked the way of God. That's the exhortation to us. But it was not without precedence. Before Abraham, we're told of two other people that walked God's way. You probably know them by name. Genesis chapter 5. Enoch walked with God.

34. 13:29

    And he begat Methuselah 300 years and begat sons and daughters. And we've all used this verse in talking about the immortal soul and the false doctrine, and that's well and good. But we must never forget that all the false things that have been taught about Scripture, behind them, there's this fundamental truth. And let's make sure we remember the fundamental truth that was being taught here.

35. 13:50

    He walked God's way. Not the way of the world around him that was full of violence. He walked God's way. He was the seventh generation from Adam. So we start with, as in Adam all men die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. The difference is, completing the covenant God has offered to all of us by walking his way.

36. 14:12

    He's the only one mentioned in Genesis chapter 5, the book of death, not having his record of death. Everyone else has, and he died, and he died, and he died, but not Enoch. And of course, we all know he died. Romans, Hebrews, both tell us he's awaiting resurrection. So if we all know he died, and God's not surprised by this fact, why is it he doesn't say it in Genesis 5?

37. 14:38

    To show us that if we complete the covenant and walk God's way, we can escape the book of death. That's the beautiful lesson that's being given in Enoch. Well, Enoch's not the only one. In chapter 6, verse 9, these are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man, and perfect or complete in his generations, and why?

38. 15:00

    Noah walked with God. It's the first snapshot we're given as to why he found grace. We know the story, but he was just. He had a balance. He was complete and upright. But he was just and upright, not because he was such a good guy. He was doing things God's way. He walked the way of God.

39. 15:20

    And the most astounding part of that story is the number seven is the theme to the story of Noah. And we don't have time to do it in detail, but just enough to whet your appetite. Noah's name means rest, what God did on the seventh day. His father, Lamech, lived to be 777 years old.

40. 15:41

    When he sent forth the dove, he waited seven days. Another dove, he waited seven days. And then he sent forth the raven. And then he waited seven days. Oh, and there's more. Let's think. He went in the ark with seven other people. Let's see. Oh, I almost forgot the big one. How many colors in a rainbow?

41. 16:04

    There's so many more. I'm just throwing a few out. The theme of the story of Noah is completing the covenant by walking God's way. The next time we go through our readings, look for him to make the point. Because the exhortation to all of us, the one that should be in the forefront of our mind now, change my walk to line it with God.

42. 16:25

    It'll change my life. And if I change the walk and walk his way, I can walk with him and dwell with the Father and Son forever. However, Genesis chapter 17, verse 1, when Abraham was 90 years old and nine, the Lord said to Abram, I am the almighty God. Walk before me and be thou perfect.

43. 16:50

    If we want to dwell with Jesus forever, we need to be like Enoch, Noah, and Abraham walking God's way. So there is a contrast to this. The contrast, verse 8, he that committed sin is of the devil. For the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.

44. 17:16

    So this is that lawlessness we looked at from the RSV in verse 4. It ties to the comments made by John in his gospel, chapter 8 and 44, if you want to check it out. Now we all know what the devil is. The devil is a personification of sin in the flesh. So I recognize we don't have to spend a whole lot of detail on it, but it's important.

45. 17:36

    It's embedded in here for a reason. It's used to describe something that is very real, giving a personality to something that's not really a person. No different than Mother Nature, Father Time, Jack Frost. Pick your favorite. And it's interesting if you're looking at the way the scriptures have been rested from the gospel of John, it's amazing how every one of those rested scriptures in John has a corresponding fix, if you will, in the epistles of John.

46. 18:06

    I don't know that that's intentional, but it sure is convenient to be able to show what he said here is not what you think he meant because it's what he said here and they have to align with each other. We don't need to go over it in detail, but I do want to make sure we make one point clear before we continue.

47. 18:21

    Hebrews 2 and 14, For then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. So John and Paul, I would suggest, is the writer of Hebrews, both make this very powerful statement that the purpose of the death of Jesus was to destroy the devil.

48. 18:50

    And that only makes sense as a personification of the nature that we share as he died without giving into it. The destruction of that devil is complete in his body. He cannot sin nor die anymore. But the work within his bride is ongoing. And that's where we come in to change our walk, to go towards the kingdom, destroying fleshly thinking as in the kingdom age, if we can be somewhat successful at it in our lives today, we have the opportunity to convert the world to righteousness, showing them what we did to get to that little piece to be given you have been faithful over a few things.

49. 19:31

    It is an interesting thought that that's a wonderful tie-in to what we did just a couple nights ago, conquering the serpent rod because in the next wave, it's time to conquer the dragon rod.

50. 19:46

    Verse 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him. He cannot sin because he is born of God. Now that seed is the same word used five times in Matthew 13, verses 18 through 43, the peril of the sower, which I know we're all aware of.

51. 20:05

    It doesn't speak to our natural birth as we all sin. It's not a spiritual, it's not of our natural birth as we all sin, but a spiritual birth. We've all lost the battle against flesh from time to time. This speaks to the birth to immortality where sin is no longer possible. Naturally, we're inclined to sin.

52. 20:27

    Since our baptism, we have failed and sinned. But in the kingdom, sin is conquered. It's no longer evident in our body. It's no longer possible. And that is why it is up to us between now and then to get our mind right with our God. Our bodies will change. The lusts that pull us away go away.

53. 20:49

    But what doesn't change is our thinking. Oh, it's expanded. We absolutely will have greater capacity. I would love to get a better understanding of the promises to Abraham by sitting down and having him tell me how it felt. That's not going to happen this side of the kingdom and the only shot I've got is to be there.

54. 21:05

    I know he'll be there. But between now and then, if what's keeping me away from serving my God in perfection isn't here, I have hope. But if I don't really want it, if I'm not right in my head, the lust of the flesh isn't the problem. It's the thinking that's getting me. That I have to conquer now.

55. 21:27

    The conquering of the flesh, get a little bit going, the rest has to be happened in immortality. It's a tie back to the tree of life.

56. 21:38

    In this, the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil. Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. And now we can see a connecting of the dots to what we looked at in the last couple days. The RSV says this, By this it may be seen who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil.

57. 22:00

    Whosoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother. And that love word is agapeo, the verb form of self-sacrificing love, that love in action. Being sons and daughters of God is going to be determined both by doctrine and action. Our love must be evident to show our faith even has a pulse.

58. 22:27

    The best place to show our love is one toward another, which is the reason the ecclesia exists. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that you should love one from another. In fact, the word message should be command in this context. It's the command that we've heard from the beginning, that we should agapeo, have an action, self-sacrificing love one towards another.

59. 22:56

    And so, we set the ideal, and as John has done before, he's going to do again. We'll use a negative example to teach the positive lesson. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked, or evil as it should say, one is not in the text, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him?

60. 23:15

    Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Envy and jealousy are often the motive for what evolves into hatred and sin. Cain and Abel is just the first such example, but we have to remember there's something very important in this, and we're going to look at Genesis 4 just in summary to make sure we get why did John bring us back to Cain and Abel.

61. 23:43

    So we look at the Cain details. He's a tiller of the ground. We're told in verse 3, in the process of time, we're not given a thou shalt bring me a sacrifice. We have the two boys in the process of time want to give a gift to their God. Verse 5, he's angry that his gift is not accepted.

62. 24:05

    And I like to use that as a point. I am not an artist, so if I were to draw you something, it would not be impressive. But just for a moment, pretend that I'm a good artist. I know it's a stretch. You've seen I can draw flies.

63. 24:20

    That's not in my notes. But pretend I'm a good artist, and it's your birthday. And isn't it a nice gift for me to give you a painting I made especially for you because, well, I'm a good artist, and you might enjoy this. So for Cain to say, I want to give something to God, giving something that he has worked on with his hands and wants to give a gift, that is not the problem.

64. 24:44

    And we can prove that because he's given an interview in verse 6 and 7 that if you do it right, I'll accept you. Nowhere in Scripture does God say, come to me with the wrong heart, the wrong spirit, the wrong attitude, but if you accidentally do the right thing, I'll accept that. That's not biblical.

65. 25:04

    If you've got the right heart and the wrong gift, fix the gift. This is the story of the Apostle Paul, is it not? There's a fork in the road. You want to serve God, but you're killing the people that are getting it right. That's bad. Fix the action. The heart's not the problem.

66. 25:25

    The difference between Cain and Paul at that fork in the road, Cain couldn't change. He couldn't do it God's way. Remember, he says, if you don't do it right, there's a sin offering on the porch and you're going to need him. Because now you know there is the opportunity. And rather than go God's way, he killed his brother.

67. 25:51

    Now, Cain had a choice. God's way or his own way. Follow what I want to do, what I think is right, what my idea is, or surrender and do it the way God wants. There were opportunities to fix that. We know he talked to his brother again. It wasn't a long conversation, but he did.

68. 26:12

    Couldn't he have said, okay, I understand. What God wants is what you did. How about this? I'll make dinner tomorrow. Let's take one of your lambs and let's do it again. I want to work with you. Would that have been an acceptable offering to the Father? Or how about this? I've got a month's worth of produce.

69. 26:28

    I want to trade you. And they make an exchange. Would that have been an acceptable gift to the Father? There were opportunities to do this right. God didn't ask him to do something impossible, but he wanted him to align with the concept that the covering of sin requires the shedding of blood, going right back to Genesis 3.

70. 26:44

    And we might go, well, that's not that long ago. It's only one chapter in the story. But he didn't get that point. It was about him and what he wanted, not about what God wanted. And the most powerful part of that entire lesson is that's the first ecclesia as recorded in history. So when our ecclesia seems to struggle with people thinking this way is right and that way is right, don't think we're the first ones to have that challenge.

71. 27:10

    Every ecclesia since the dawn of ecclesial existence has had that trouble. Hopefully no one in your ecclesia is killing each other, so at least we've got an opportunity or something we haven't lived up to. That's good. But Jesus says if we hate our brother, we've murdered him. That language is there to drive us to the root cause.

72. 27:30

    Had Cain surrendered to what God wanted, the whole story is different. The challenge for us today is to make sure that we individually check our egos, that we let God come first and not what we think and feel. And so, he says, marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you. It's picking up from the curse of Adam, another tie to Genesis 3, also the words of Jesus if you want them.

73. 28:00

    It's in John 15 and John 17 during his prayer. The world hated Cain, excuse me, the world hates us for the same reason Cain hated Abel. No one wants to be condemned by their conscience. That happens at school, that happens at work, and if it never happens to you, it should make you think.

74. 28:19

    If no one ever looks at us like we're a little different or no one ever sees us as being a little strange to the world that we live in, that should scare us. Now, I'm not saying we should walk around with the lives of visible conflict and turmoil. I'm not saying that. Don't ham it up.

75. 28:36

    But if the world thinks we fit in perfectly, that should scare us some. Because if we fit in to their way of thinking, it's actually a challenge to the way I'm thinking. Because if my thinking is not aligned with God, I cannot be walking God's way. My mother used to say it this way.

76. 28:54

    It's profound, so I'll share it with you. Birds of a feather smell the same. You've probably heard that before. Verse 14. And we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. And he that loveth not his brother abideth in death. This gets even more personal. Comparing to the world around us to Cain is easy.

77. 29:24

    Comparing Cain to a brother in the Ecclesia is even harder. Comparing Cain to the brother in the Ecclesia that's me is even harder than that. Both love words here are agapeo again. It's that verb form of self-sacrifice. Sacrifice. And what we're trying to derive from this verse, what we're trying to derive from this verse, is that it is mutually exclusive.

78. 29:47

    We either have this active love, which equals life, or we don't. And that equals death. John 13. A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have one love one to another.

79. 30:13

    I know we've looked at it before, thought it was worth repeating. So is this, Matthew chapter 7. Enter into the straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. And many there be which go thereat. Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life.

80. 30:33

    And few there be that find it. The road less traveled is what makes all the difference. And as we're making these stringed points together, this is why fellowship, based on correct doctrine, is the starting point. But if that's all it is, it's of no value. From there, we have to have love as the springboard showing we are true disciples.

81. 30:54

    Walking God's way is only possible if we are dwelling together in love. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. The word know is the perceived word. You can perceive that no murderer has eternal life in him. Notice that's not intimate. Is murder beyond the forgiveness of our Father?

82. 31:26

    That word is used three times in the New Testament. Two of them are right here. The only other one is John 8 and 44 if you want to check it out. It is interesting. It's actually a reference back to some very specific words from Jesus. And in this context, Matthew chapter 5 is very scary.

83. 31:44

    And we have read this before so we won't read it again. But it's a reminder that it's put in the ecclesial setting. It puts self-serving anger and disrespect on the same level as murder. Someone made a reference. I think it was Ben made a reference to having a lot of fun at business meetings.

84. 32:03

    We all kind of chuckle because we've all been there. But sometimes that's not the place to see the love of the Father. Sometimes we can see someone that's got an agenda and they have the right heart in the sense that they think what they're doing is right. But they've not aligned themselves with the love of God.

85. 32:21

    And that love is not evident in the portrayal. And as Ben confessed, I have to confess too, that's been me at times as well. You know, it's healthy for us to have open discussion regarding how this can happen and how we can collectively avoid it in our free time. The most dangerous thing we can do is pretending it's not an issue, like, oh, that's the old stuff.

86. 32:47

    That never happens around us. If you don't know who the problem in the ecclesia is, it's you. Sorry. My ecclesia cannot be perfect because I'm there. Your ecclesia can't be either because you are. It's humbling and it's kind of funny, but it's absolutely true. We are not in the ecclesial setting because, well, you sinners need to learn how to act by watching me.

87. 33:15

    That feels stupid even saying it. It's because we all are struggling with something. Can we love each other through what's going on today that we can tomorrow hold hands in the kingdom? That's the challenge. So, verse 16, hereby perceive, this is an interesting one, that word in the Greek is the intimate knowledge word.

88. 33:42

    we intimately know the love and of God is not in the text. We intimately know the self-sacrificing love because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. That's talking about the work of Jesus who laid down his life to show us how to prefer each one above ourselves.

89. 34:09

    verse 17. Whoso hath this world's good and seeth his brother have need shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? So this word world is the word cosmos, the order of things, and good is actually plural in the RSV. It's the same word translated living in the story of Mark 12 where they cast in from their abundance and she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all of her living.

90. 34:43

    So the world's goods, the word bowels today doesn't quite mean the same thing as it did when it was written. The RSV puts the word heart. It's not really the right translation, but it does put it in modern context because it was the ancient seed of emotion that we see that our brother have needs and we shut our emotional compassion from him.

91. 35:09

    we're not demonstrating the agape love. If I can't even emotionally open up enough to help you physically, how could I possibly open up enough to help you spiritually? It's a small token, but it's evidence that our faith has a pulse. It's repeated in the next chapter at verse 20, so we'll look at that again tomorrow, but it also comes very closely tied to James chapter 2 verses 14 through 17, which we won't look at.

92. 35:39

    We will, however, look at Galatians chapter 6. Galatians chapter 6, verse 10, for therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good unto all, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. So it's great to help everyone, nothing wrong with that, but the ecclesiast must come first. That's really the theme of his second letter, which we'll get to in a couple days.

93. 36:05

    The reason I want to put this here is very simple. Matthew chapter 25 is something we all have said from time to time. It's a context we refer to often. We talk about the dividing and those that will be in the kingdom and those that won't. And in summary, just for a moment, the piece I want to hold on to right now is that both those that were found worthy and those that were not asked the same question.

94. 36:29

    when were you hungry and thirsty and sick and in prison? When did I do all those wonderful things? When? If you've done it to my brethren, if you've showed the love of the truth to my family, you've done it unto me. But the other side asked the same question too. When were you hungry and we didn't feed you?

95. 36:52

    When were you sick? Jesus, if I knew you wanted a sandwich, I would have made it. If you haven't done it for my family, you have not done it for me. So the important piece of that lesson is not which side of the fence are we on. It's not even what question are we asking because they ask the same question.

96. 37:12

    What's really on the line is, is my love evidence to the family? That is the only way I can prepare to dwell in love with the Father and the Son. It's to get it right in some small measure today.

97. 37:28

    1 Corinthians 13 and 3, And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not agape love, it profiteth me nothing. I believe that's the origination of the modern phrase, talk is cheap. Verse 18, I just read but didn't move the slide.

98. 37:51

    Sorry. No, I didn't read that. What did I do? Maybe I did. Oh well, whatever. Verse 19, And hereby we know intimately that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and intimately knows all things. The word assure in the Greek is actually persuade, shall persuade our hearts before him.

99. 38:23

    It's interesting that condemn word is used two other times in the New Testament. One is verse 21, but the other one is Galatians 2 verse 11 where when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed. That's that word condemned. It's regarding another ecclesial conflict we could talk about in another day.

100. 38:43

     Only God can see through to our motives. You cannot possibly see mine, I cannot possibly see yours. We can see evidence of each other's for sure, but that requires some perception and interpretation of which none of us is very good at. This is why we need to give the benefit of the doubt.

101. 39:00

     The alternative, assuming the negative, breeds anger, contempt, and eventually our eternal death. Verse 21, Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence towards God. The exhortation is to live before our God so that our conscience doesn't condemn us. It's the concept of working on it now while we have a chance.

102. 39:27

     So if we feel convicted by some of the things we've heard, it's okay, we should. That's why it's written. It's a timeless thought. For the rest of time until our Lord returns and brings it right, this is an appropriate exhortation. So this is that raise the little hand on the inside part. Yeah, okay, I've got to fix that part in my life.

103. 39:46

     It gives us an opportunity to show our love in action. Verse 22, Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. The word keep in the Greek really is to attend or guard carefully. Same word was used in chapter 2, verse 3.

104. 40:07

     It's a reference back to John, a lot of places in John, chapter 14, 15, 16 if you want to have some fun. But I want to make sure we're clear on one point. This verse does not mean that God is our personal concierge, like we dial up God and say, here's what I need, you owe me one.

105. 40:24

     That's not what's happening. It's not a system that says, I ask, God delivers. He's not Amazon. It's designed that we would ask in faith, but that he would provide guidance to walk his way, that he can deliver because we're doing what he wants us to do. It's not the other way around. It's the God that is we need to conform to, not conforming God to the God we want.

106. 40:54

     It's his will, not our own. When you create a planet, you get to make the rules. You know, one of the most powerful prayers we can make, and it's a scary prayer to do it, so think carefully on what you would be asking before you do, but think of this. What if we were to all of us on our knees tonight, ask God to put whatever problem I need in my life tomorrow so that I can jump it and be in the kingdom.

107. 41:25

     Whatever challenge I have to hurdle, bring it on. Can you imagine the courage we'd have to have to say that prayer? I mean, we all want to be refined for the kingdom, but we do want it in small doses. That's a scary thought, but what a powerful thought it is. Just the fact that we'd be afraid to make that prayer tells us we know we've got some work to do.

108. 41:47

     We all do. Good news is you're not alone. I'm afraid to pray that one too. Verse 23, this is the commandment that we should believe on the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment. It's a two-step process. Believe and then love. Put another way, first know and then do.

109. 42:10

     He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he has given us. That word dwelleth is the same word as abideth and we've been using it for the last two days. Tomorrow, that one's going to be driven home.

110. 42:29

     This is the intimate no word. Hereby we intimately know that he dwells in us. So let's close this class with a reference back to the gospel. John chapter 14, verse 23. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words and my father will love him and he will come to him and make our abode with him.

111. 43:06

     Even so, come Lord Jesus. Let's keep up.