Discernment and Love

1 John 4:7-5:3

Discernment

It’s important for Christians to not be passive recipients of any teaching, but to be active participants, in which we intentionally scrutinize what we receive in order to discern that which is, and isn’t, good. The apostle John said it this way (1 John 4:1):

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.”

Forms of, and Media for, Teaching

Teaching, in its simplest sense, is the sharing, imparting, or communication of, information. It can be accomplished through many direct and indirect, intentional and unintentional forms, such as:

• Oral (Nehemiah 8:1-3);
• Written (2 Timothy 3:16-17); and
• Behavioral (James 2:18).

Various media have been and can be employed for teaching, such as:

• Books (2 Timothy 3:16-17);
• Stories (including allegories, e.g., 2 Samuel 12:1-14);
• Songs (Ephesians 5:17-19; Deuteronomy 31:30-32:44);
• Drama;
• Role Playing;
• Art; and
• Movies.

In this regard, the world is filled with various forms of teaching through various media. The Christian duty is to use discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Discerning Truth Outside of Scripture (an Example)

As an example, consider the apostle Paul. When he was in Athens, he was invited to preach at the Areopagus, during which he used truth contained in secular poetry as part of his gospel proclamation (Acts 17:24-31):

“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

[For a detailed review of this passage see Reaching Out : The Apostle Paul in Athens]. Therefore, as an exercise in discernment, let’s take a look at what the apostle John wrote about love, and then compare it to the lyrics of three songs in the world.

Love (1 John 4:7-5:3)

“7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
19 We love Him because He first loved us.
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

Discernment and Love : Scrutinizing Teachings about Love in Music

The three chosen examples are (click on the song titles to obtain the song lyrics):

• “I Love the Way You Lie” (by Rihanna and Eminem)
• “All You Need is Love” (by The Beatles)
• “All the Way to Kingdom Come” (by Rich Mullins)

I Love the Way You Lie

There are mixed responses to the lyrics in this song. Some view it merely as a form of artistic expression teaching about the horrors of domestic violence (which is of course evil and should be brought to light). Others view it as full of false teaching, including (but not limited to):

• An implicit definition of love akin to temporal feeling based on experience; and the
• Representation of “loving” relationships as those which also involve deception, hate and violence.

The bottom line though is that whatever “true” definition of love is implied by this song, it isn’t true, in that it differs vastly from that which is provided by God (e.g., as explained in 1 John 4:7-5:3).

All You Need is Love

At first glance, the title is promising, for it has potential to elicit a reminder of the first and second commandments to love the Lord God and our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). However, the song is replete with statements that have a questionable connection to love, such as “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done,” and it contains some simple false teachings, such as “Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be” (this implies a type of fatalism foreign to Scripture). Ultimately, its portrayal of love is nebulous (ambiguous) and also clearly not consistent with 1 John 4:7-5:3. As a side, I like to remember when I first exposed my sons (a pre-teen and early teen at the time) to this song. When they heard the beginning, they both asked me: are they singing “Blah, Blah, Blah?” Of course not. But that just about sums up the ambiguous meaning of these lyrics.

All the Way to Kingdom Come

This song contains some truth consistent with 1 John 4:7-5:3 and other Scripture, including statements such as:

• “We didn’t know what love was ’til He came (see 1 John 4:9; 4:19)”
• “We were searching for glory, and He showed us a cross (see 1 John 3:16a; 4:10)”
• “But the sweet Lord Jesus, he’s a miracle man (see Philippians 2:9-11 and John 21:25)”
• “If He let go of us, we’d all blow apart (see Colossians 1:17)”

However, this song also has some questionable (ambiguous) content, such as:

“He gave love away like the sky gives the rain and sun”

What did Rich Mullins intend for this metaphor to mean? Does it matter? For example: the sky doesn’t “give” sun. It’s effectively a medium through which sunlight travels, to differing degrees based on the season and position of the earth relative to the sun. So is Rich Mullins saying that Jesus is merely a medium through which people can partially, temporarily, experience His love? I don’t know.

“Love is a miracle … And miracles are hard to come by these days”

Love, as amplified by 1 John, truly is miraculous (something of supernatural origin). But is this miracle of love “hard to come by?” I don’t think so. God is present! God is available, and He is able! The circumstances of this world can never diminish “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (Ephesians 1:19).” And He is always able to reveal His love and save (John 3:16-17)!

So then, while this song has many elements of true love, it also contains some ambiguous statements.

Summary

The world has much to say about “love,” and most of it is ambiguous, distorted or overtly demonic. This shouldn’t surprise Christians, for “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19b).” Therefore, what should Christians do? Should we retreat from the world and insulate ourselves from every medium other than the Bible? No! It’s important for Christians to be active participants in the “marketplace of ideas” in which we intentionally scrutinize all things in order to discern that which is, and isn’t, good. As it is written (1 John 4:1):

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.”

And thereafter, as God is willing, be like the apostle Paul and use morsels of truth that you find out in the world as a bridge to share the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

EndNote

For some examples of using nuggets of truth in secular media to share the gospel, check out: http://www.meaninginmedia.com.

Discernment

1 John 4:1-6

“1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.

6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Outline

• The Primary Audience
• The Two Commands
• The Spirit(s)
• Why Did John Provide these Commands?
• That Which Enables
• Four Tests that Facilitate

The Primary Audience

How did John describe the primary audience in this passage?

• Beloved
• Little children
• Of God

John is primarily addressing Christians!

The Two Commands

What are they (1 John 4:1)?

• Do not believe every spirit
• Test the spirits, whether they are of God

Believe it (or Not!)

The word “believe” was previously used in 1 John 3:23:

“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”

The words for believe in 3:23 and 4:1 are both derived from the same root word, πιστεύω (pist-yoo’-o), which is also often translated as faith [1]. These are the first two instances of this word in 1 John, and it’s as if John is simply saying:

“Trust in the name of Jesus Christ, but don’t trust anyone or anything else!”

Test

The root word for test in 1 John 4:1 is δοκιμάζω (dok-im-ad’-zo), which means to “put to the test” in order to demonstrate or prove what is acceptable, good, or genuine [1].

A Distillation

Discern if something is or isn’t consistent with the name of Jesus Christ, and if it is, then trust it!

The Spirit(s)

Every instance of “spirit” in this passage has the same root word — πνεῦμα (pnyoo’-mah) [1].

What are the two types of spirits referred to in this passage (1 John 4:6)?

1. The Holy Spirit (The Spirit of Truth)

“By this you know the Spirit of God (1 John 4:2).”

In the verse immediately prior to this passage, John had reminded these Christians that the Holy Spirit abides in them / us (1 John 3:24):

“Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”

2. The Spirit of the Antichrist (The Spirit of Error)

Ultimately, the spirit of error is of the Antichrist; it is demonic (satanic) (1 John 4:3):

“and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

Likewise, the apostle Paul shared that (1 Timothy 4:1):

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”

Demons (including Satan himself) are merely fallen angels, which are spiritual beings by nature (see Angels and Demons).

What’s the implication of this?

That a teacher or prophet and his or her doctrine is either inspired by the Holy Spirit (the spirit of truth), or inspired by Satan (the spirit of error) [2].

Why Did John Provide these Commands?

“Because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1b).”

He previously wrote about them:

• They are antichrists (1 John 2:18);
• They went out from us (the body of Christ), but they were not of us (ever part of His body) (1 John 2:19);
• They are liars (1 John 2:22); and
• They attempt to deceive the saints (1 John 2:26).

For more on this topic, see:

• 1 John 2:18 : Many Antichrists Have Come
• 1 John 2:18 : The Last Hour, Antichrists, and the Antichrist
• 1 John 2:19-27 : False Teachers
• 1 John 2:18-27 : Antichrists, Us and You

That Which Enables

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).”

Who is in You (if You’re a Little Child of God)?

The Holy Spirit!

What do We Know about He Who is in Us?

• Through Him we have overcome. This is a reminder of that which John already shared (1 John 2:13,14): Christians already “have overcome the wicked one.”
• The Holy Spirit is greater than he who is in the world (Satan and his minions)!

John previously wrote about the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to discern:

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things (1 John 2:20).”

“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him (1 John 2:27).”

Four Tests that Facilitate

1. The Teacher’s Doctrine of Christ

“Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God (1 John 4:2b-4:3a).”

What’s the implication of denying that Jesus came in the flesh?

If Jesus didn’t have a physical body, then he didn’t truly die on the cross, in which case there was no actual atonement for sin, and no actual resurrection of the dead, in which case Christian faith is futile, we’re still dead in our sins, and the gospel of Jesus Christ is false! It’s likely for this reason John began this epistle with a testimony of the Incarnation (1 John 1:1-3), and later wrote that (1 John 2:22a):

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus it the Christ?”

For more on this see 1 John 1:1-4 : Knowledge, Testimony, and the Incarnation.

Therefore, the first test of a teacher is to examine his or her doctrine of Christ. In this regard:

What has the apostle John, in this epistle alone through 4:6, revealed about Christ?

1:1 - He was from the beginning
1:1 – He was audible, visible, physical (incarnate)
1:1 – He is the Word of Life
1:2 – He was with the Father
1:3 – He is the Son of God
1:7 – He made atonement for sin; His blood cleanses us from sin
1:9 – He is faithful, just, and the forgiver of sin.
2:1 – He is our Advocate before the Father, and He is righteous
2:2 - He is the propitiation (substitutionary sacrifice) for the sins of the world
2:3 – His commandments are authoritative (to be obeyed)
2:22 - He is the Christ
2:28 – He is coming again
3:3 - He is pure
3:5 - He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin
3:8 – He was manifested to destroy the works of the devil
3:16 – We know love because He laid down His life for us
4:2 – He has come in the flesh

Amen!

2. The Teacher’s Life

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world (1 John 4:4-5a).”

How can you test the teacher’s life?

Examine the teacher as to whether or not he / she characteristically exhibits:

• Five Marks of Assurance (1 John 3:21-24); or
• The love of the world or the things of the world (1 John 2:15-17).

3. The Teacher’s Standing in the World

“They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them (1 John 4:5).”

What does this mean: the world “hears” them?

False teachers and prophets say things that are consistent with the worldly doctrines of men and demons, rather than of God. As a consequence, the non-Christian world actually likes, follows, and promotes their teaching! Here’s an example from the forward of Peter J. Gomes’ book entitled “Sermons”, written by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. [3]:

“Let me confess that I (didn’t) think of church attendance as a regular part of my Sunday routine. … To my own astonishment I now attend The Memorial Church at Harvard whenever Peter preaches, where each week he delivers witty and urbane sermons to standing-room-only congregations representing the diversity of society itself. … Peter’s sermons do not so much address such large and vexed questions as the Virgin birth or an eternal afterlife as they do how thoughtful and intelligent people, determined to be citizens of a multicultural, cosmopolitan, secular world, maintain a sense of deep spirituality and social justice within a highly competitive, often brutally irrational and grossly unfair existence, where fragmentation and the dissociation of sensibility are the sine qua non, and where bad people profit and thrive and good people suffer, seemingly capriciously. How does one abide, how keep the faith, without throwing one’s reason to the wind and embracing keepers of promises, evangelical zealots, or born-again literalists, for whom every searching query of the Bible is an act of bedeviled, heretical betrayal? … The forty sermons that he has collected for this volume attest to the unity that words can forge among multifaceted congregations. … His sermons on Sunday morning make for the very best show in town, which is why even cynical skeptics and agnostics like myself find the lure of his form of Christian religious belief so inviting, so profoundly humane, nurturing, worldly, and humanistic.”

False teacher “are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them (1 John 4:5).” Conversely, teachers led by the Holy Spirit are typically scorned, ostracized, persecuted, or even put to death. This should be no surprise to us, for as John previously wrote (1 John 3:13):

“Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”

4. The Teacher’s Consistency with Scripture

“We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 John 4:6).”

What does “us” mean in this context?

Those who are “of God,” in whom dwells the Spirit of God, who teach in accord with the revealed will of God (in Scripture). It may in fact refer to the apostle John and the other apostles, and thus by extension to apostolic doctrine, i.e., the New Testament.

What does “hear” mean in this context?

By inference: not only to listen and “register” the audible sound waves, but to respond positively to the word of God which was heard. For clarification, consider the words of Jesus in John 10:27, in which John used the same root word for hear — ἀκούω (ak-oo’-o):

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

So what’s the final test?

The teacher’s consistency with, and response to, the written word of the Lord.

Application

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God (1 John 4:1).”

In other words:

Do not simply believe every teacher (or every teaching), but test every teacher (and every teaching), to discern as to whether or not they are of God.

Endnotes

[1] http://interlinearbible.org/1_john/1.htm

[2] The apostle Paul has clearly written that he did and does “not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man (1 Timothy 2:12).” That is, women are not to teach over men in the body of Christ. A woman who teaches over men in the body, as well as anyone who condones or promotes said teaching, is being led by a spirit of error which is not of God. That said, Paul also instructed and thus instructs older women to be “teachers of good things, that they admonish the young women (Titus 2:3b-4a).” That is, women were and are permitted and exhorted to teach other women.

[3] Peter J. Gomes, “known internationally as Harvard’s pastor [4],” in particular for his staunch defense and support of homosexuality as valid and not inconsistent with the Scriptures, died on 28 February 2011. He is the author of “Sermons: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living,” William Morrow and Company, New York, 1998.

[4] http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2011/03/01/rev_gomes_harvard_minister _and_author_dies_at_68/

Who is Hobab? (Is Scripture Inerrant?)

Numbers 10:29; Judges 4:11

“Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, ‘We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has promised good things to Israel (Numbers 10:29).’”

“Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh (Judges 4:11).”

In the book of Numbers, Hobab is introduced as the son of Moses’ father-in-law, i.e., his brother-in-law. In the book of Judges, Hobab is referred to as the father-in-law of Moses. This begs at least three questions:

1) Who is Hobab?
2) Why are these two texts different?
3) Is Scripture inerrant?

From a Christian perspective, one may question as to whether or not the third question is offensive to God. I say “no,” provided that the one questioning approaches the text in humility and faith. Take, for example, the admonition of the apostle Paul who wrote (1 Thessalonians 5:21):

“Test all things, hold fast what is good.”

So then:

Who is Hobab?

From a chronological perspective, Numbers was written prior to Judges. In addition, Numbers was written by Moses himself (it is one of the five Books of Moses). Therefore, it seems logical to infer that the firsthand reference to Hobab in Numbers is more accurate than that in Judges, which was likely written about four centuries later. In this case, Hobab was most likely Moses’ brother-in-law. This simple logic was possibly used by the translators of the NIV, who rendered Judges 4:11 as follows:

“Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.”

The problem with this rendering though is that the NIV translators have appeared to “cover-up” and thus avoid dealing with the discrepancy between these two texts, and this (from my perspective) isn’t entirely intellectually honest. Regardless, it begs another question:

Why are these Two Texts Different?

I ruminated over this one evening with my wife and sons, and we came up with the following suggestions:

1. Scribal Error – At some point during the copying and transmission of these texts through history, a scribe could have made an error (in either Numbers 10:29 or Judges 4:11, but more likely in Judges 4:11) that wasn’t noticed until it propagated widely, and earlier, correct manuscripts were no longer available to cross-check and enable revision;

2. Scribal Omission – Possibly the original Judges 4:11 text had an “of” that for some reason was dropped during the copying and transmission process:

“Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab (of) the father-in-law of Moses”

3. Interpretation – Possibly at the time Judges was written, the Hebrew was implicit, such that the hypothetical (of) in the prior suggestion was understood by contemporary readers, and said understanding of the text has been lost over time. Some support for this is found by comparison of Mark 2:26 (in which Jesus refers to the time of Abiathar the high priest) with 1 Samuel 21:1-6 (in which it is clear that Abiathar’s father Ahimelech was high priest at the time of the incident referred to by Jesus).

4. Moses’ Father-in-Law was Referred to by Multiple Names – He was referred to as Reuel (Exodus 2:18) and Jethro (Exodus 3:1) in the book of Exodus. Is it possible that he also went by the name of Hobab? This seems plausible, for at the time of writing this blog entry, I’m referred to as Michael, Mike, Bradford, Papai, Dad, Fofinho, or Skin, depending on who is talking with me at the time.

While it’s possible that one of these suggestions, or some other suggestion, accounts for the difference between the two texts, it begs the following question:

Is Scripture Inerrant?

The Bible self-declares that (Psalm 119:60; 2 Timothy 3:16-17):

“The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Consequently, many Christians (such as myself) posit that while the originally inspired manuscripts were directly inspired by God and thus free from all forms of error (such as apparent contradictions, including the two herein about Hobab), subsequent copies of said originally inerrant manuscripts may have become corrupted through the introduction of some minor errors (apparent or otherwise) to a minor extent that nevertheless have no impact on Christian doctrine or practice.

That said, skeptics use these minor differences between texts as evidence to support their claim that Scripture is errant and thus untrustworthy. For example, see: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/inconsistencies.html. In this regard, Christians must always be “ready to give a defense to everyone who asks (for) a reason for the hope that is in (them) (1 Peter 3:15).” Hence, four suggested reasons for the apparent discrepancy between Numbers 10:29 and Judges 4:11 have been provided herein.

However, if these four suggestions aren’t sufficient to allay your concerns about the plausible inerrancy of Scripture, then ask yourself:

Would you disregard the authenticity of the original Mona Lisa if a subsequent copy had a small blemish?

Would you refuse to fly in an airplane that had a spelling error in the free in-flight magazine?

Would you disregard the overwhelming evidence that supports the authenticity and authority of the Bible (including historical and prophetic writings, as well as the impact that Scripture has had and continues to have on transforming lives for the better), based on a minor apparent error that doesn’t impact any doctrine or practice?

I hope that you answered “no” to each of these questions. Regardless, for further discussion on the inerrancy and witness of Scripture, check out:

• Mark 11:11 : Is Scripture Inerrant?
• 1 Kings 7:23,26 : The Cubit, Bath, Handbreadth and Sea: Is Scripture Inerrant?
• 1 John 5:9 : The Witness of God and Men

Five Marks of Assurance

1 John 3:21-24

Certainty of Salvation : The Posture of Our Heart

What differentiated Cain and Abel from God’s perspective?

Faith! As it is written (Hebrews 11:4):

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”

How can we differentiate between a child of God and a child of the devil?

By direction, not perfection [1]; by the posture of the heart!

“For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).”

1 John 3:21

21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

The Target Audience

John is primarily focused on his beloved, little children, i.e., Christians.

The Heart

What is meant by use of the word heart in this passage?

The word used for heart in this passage is καρδία (kar-dee’-ah), which in context is being used figuratively to refer to a person’s mind, or his/her moral or volitional center (i.e., the conscience) [2].

Confidence

Confidence is derived from παρρησία (par-rhay-see’-ah), which implies both trust and certainty, or boldness, especially regarding freedom of speech [2]. In the following three verses, the apostle John provides five indicators of the posture of the heart, i.e., five marks of confidence or assurance.

1 John 3:22-24

22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Five Marks of Assurance

What are they?

1. Whatever we ask we receive from Him;
2. We keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight;
3. We believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ;
4. We love one another; and
5. The Holy Spirit has been given to us.

We Believe on the Name of Jesus Christ

The first mark of assurance is faith in Christ, by implication based on sound doctrine, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)”. Note that although this is the first explicit reference to faith — πιστεύω — (pist-yoo’-o) in this epistle, John emphasizes faith throughout his writings. For example (John 3:16):

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Faith in Christ is the prerequisite to undertaking “The Joy Ride,” and sound doctrine (knowledge) is that which properly guides “The Joy Ride.”

The Holy Spirit has been Given to Us

This is the second mark of assurance previously alluded to by John (1 John 2:27a; 3:9a):

“The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you;”

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him;”

This is a permanent gift, with implications! The apostle Paul explained the link between faith in Christ and the gift of the Spirit as follows (Ephesians 1:13-14):

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

The Holy Spirit fuels “The Joy Ride.”

We Keep His Commandments

A third mark of assurance is obedience; this (a.k.a. holiness or practicing righteousness) is one of the wheels of The Joy Ride. As John has previously written (1 John 2:3-5):

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”

This of course merely restates that which Christ Himself had already said (Matthew 7:24-27):

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

That is to say, if you have been saved by grace, through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord, then as a consequence you should have a desire to joyfully submit to God’s moral and relevant civil law (see The Law and the Children of God Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4).

We Love One Another

A fourth mark of assurance (which is integral to fellowship, the second wheel of “The Joy Ride”) is love for brothers and sisters in the body of Christ (for more on loving one another, see Love One Another and The Law and the Children of God : Part 3). Again, John had previously stated this:

“He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him (1 John 2:10).”

“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another (1 John 3:11).”

“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).”

These four marks of assurance effectively comprise The Joy Ride and serve as a foundation for the fifth mark:

Whatever We Ask We Receive from Him (We have Confidence in Prayer)

What does this mean?

John later provides some clarity (1 John 5:14-15):

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

That is to say: if we are abiding in Christ, and we petition God in accord with His will or His nature, then we shall receive it!

Conversely …

If we ask for something that isn’t in accord with God’s will or His nature, then we shouldn’t expect to receive it. Consider what James wrote as a rebuke (James 4:3):

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

In addition, if we doubt God or His ability to answer our petitions, we also shouldn’t expect Him to provide (James 1:5-7):

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.”

How do we know if something is or isn’t in accord with God’s will or His nature?

Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17)! That is to say, search the Scripture to determine if it is or isn’t in accord with God’s nature or will. Here are three obvious examples:

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3).”

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).”

“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men (1 Peter 2:15).”

Does God only provide what we need?

I think not. God is by nature an incredibly gracious and lavish giver, prone to pouring out His blessings! To a certain extent this aspect of His nature is captured by the imagery in Psalm 23:5b:

“My cup overflows (ESV).”

It’s as if the cup represents our needs (from God’s perspective, not ours), such that the overflowing cup represents God’s provision of more than what we need.

What if we ask in faith and do not receive?

If after prayer you don’t receive what you asked for, consider the following:

1) Grace – God is not obliged to heal or remove some other burden; His grace is more than sufficient (see Are You Sick? Go to Jesus!);

2) Timing – God transcends time and thus His timing is typically not the same as our timing (2 Peter 3:8b):

“With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

Possibly you need to merely wait for God to answer (see The Practice of Patience). That said, He may not choose to answer your prayer in your lifetime.

3) God’s Conditional Will – To simplify, God has an absolute will (which will always come to pass), and a conditional will (in which there are multiple possible outcomes). That which you prayed for may simply be part of God’s conditional will. Consider, for example, the salvation of the wicked. God Himself has declared the following (Ezekiel 18:23):

“Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”

And elsewhere (2 Peter 3:9):

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Though God is sovereign in election, and it is clearly His will that not all should perish, not all people will be saved, and some will perish. Why? Because of God’s conditional will. That is, God placed a condition on salvation: the lost person needs to exercise his / her will and place his / her faith in Christ as Savior and Lord in order to be saved (for more on this apparent paradox see Election).

4) The First Four Marks – It’s good practice to periodically examine yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5), else the apostle Paul wouldn’t have encouraged people to do so, e.g., before the Lord’s table (1 Corinthians 11:27-30). That is to say, if you’re caught up in some sin and need to repent, it’s possible that the Lord isn’t answering your prayers because He simply isn’t listening to your prayers (Isaiah 59:2):

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

Two Examples of Prayer in Accord with God’s Will or Nature

The Holy Spirit models intercessory prayer for us when He intercedes for us in accord with the will of God (Romans 8:26-27):

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Consider also Daniel’s prayer of adoration, confession, and supplication, which stemmed from his reading and understanding of the prophet Jeremiah and the Torah (Daniel 9:1-19), and was answered with a prophecy of the coming Messiah (Daniel 9:20-26)!

Application

Be a Berean (Acts 17:11), test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and then confidently pray without doubting (James 1:5-7) and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) in accord with God’s will and nature (1 John 5:14-15)!

References

[1] This phrase is an excerpt from a sermon by Todd Cravens entitled “Sabbath, Sin and the Son of God” (29 January 2012).

[2] http://interlinearbible.org/1_john/1.htm

Certainty of Salvation : The Posture of Our Heart

1 John 2:28,3:18-21 ; Genesis 4:1-15

Are you certain of your salvation? On what basis are you certain? What is the posture of your heart? For details, click on the following link:

Certainty of Salvation – The Posture of Our Heart

The Law and the Children of God (Part 4) : Cain and Abel

1 John 2:28-3:15; Genesis 3:1-4:15

“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

In this passages the apostle John differentiates between the children of God and the children of the devil. The children of God are those in whom God’s seed (His nature, His Holy Spirit, or Christ) abides (1 John 3:9). They have been saved by grace through faith in Christ as Savior and Lord, and characteristically practice righteousness (perform good works) as a consequence of their salvation. That is, they willfully, faithfully, submit to God’s moral and relevant civil law (see The Law and the Children of God). But what does this “look like?” They characteristically pay taxes, give freely and generously, and they characteristically love one another [see The Law and the Children of God (Part 2) : Taxes and Giving, and The Law and the Children of God (Part 3) : Love One Another]. The children of God also characteristically act like Abel, in that they worship God in faith. And the children of God don’t characteristically act like Cain, who offered false worship (without faith), rejected God’s Word, rejected God’s admonition, hated and murdered his brother, felt no sorrow for his sin, refused to repent, and ultimately complained about God’s just and merciful judgment. For a table which breaks down 1 John 2:28-3:15 and Genesis 3:1-4:15 to highlight these contrasts between the children of God (like Abel) and the children of the devil (like Cain), click on the following link:

1 John 2:28-3:15 : Cain and Abel

The Law and the Children of God (Part 3) : Love One Another

1 John

What does it mean to love one another? Is love some nebulous, subjective concept? Or is it something far greater? For answers to these and other questions, click on the following link:

1John_The Law and the Children of God_Love One Another

The Law and the Children of God (Part 2) : Taxes and Giving

1 John 2:28-3:15

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-4; 14-16).”

The relationship between “the law” and the children of God is of incredible import. As such, Jesus and His disciples spoke and wrote frequently about it. In this regard, let’s look at The Gospel, Its Consequence, and two examples of this relationship: Taxes and Giving.

The Gospel

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).”

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).”

Its Consequence

“‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen (Matthew 28:19-20).”

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).”

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-20)?”

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:3-5).”

“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother (1 John 3:4-10).”

The Scripture is clear: good works are a consequence of faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. Good works, simply stated, are demonstrable acts of willful submission to God’s moral and relevant civil law (for more on this distinction between moral, civil, and ceremonial law, see The Law and the Children of God). Let’s look at an example of relevant civil law:

Taxes

Jesus was once asked the following question (Mark 12:14):

“Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

His answer was simple (Mark 12:17):

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

The apostle Paul amplified Jesus’ teaching when He wrote that Christians need to “be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God … For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor (Romans 13:1,6-7).” So then, what’s the simple application of these texts for the Christian? Choose to pay taxes in accord with civil law! [For more on this topic, see Pay Your Taxes! and Render to God].

But what if the government to whom the Christian must pay taxes is corrupt?

That’s a good question! But the answer is simple: a Christian must still pay his or her taxes in accord with civil law. Note that neither Jesus nor Paul qualified the command to pay taxes. Neither Jesus nor Paul stated that IF government is righteous then pay taxes, but IF NOT then don’t pay taxes. Why? For both Jesus and Paul knew that government, which is comprised of sinful people, could never be perfectly righteous!

There are other examples of relevant civil law, many of which can be broadly grouped into Licenses for undertaking activity, and Limits on the scope of activity. One question to ask is the following:

What should a Christian do when there is tension between God’s moral law and civil law?

Christians need to recognize that not all civil law is relevant. That is, when God’s moral law and civil law are in conflict, Christians should submit to God’s will (as revealed in His word) and ignore or resist civil law. For example, the early disciples ignored restrictions placed on their preaching (Acts 5:17-29), and Christians in many totalitarian or Islamic nations today congregate together (Hebrews 10:24-25) in direct violation of civil law.

Giving

An overview of the types of giving prescribed and described in The Law is found in Deuteronomy 12:5-6:

“But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.”

Therein, there are two main categories for “giving” under the Law: obligatory & freewill.

Obligatory Giving in the Torah

Obligatory giving was part of the Ceremonial Law and included burnt offerings, heave offerings, vowed offerings, sacrifices, tithes and offering of the firstborn (this is not an exhaustive list). Note that the tithe (meaning = one tenth) was just a portion of the total obligation for the Jewish people. And while these offerings were obligatory, there were some important purposes and underlying principles therein. For example:

Why did God command that the Israelites bring the tithes and offerings to the place where God chose?

The answer is in Deuteronomy 12:7:

“And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.”

Simply put: the children of God should engage in joyful, thankful worship for God’s provision.

What was a key purpose of the obligatory tithe?

To support the Levitical priesthood (Numbers 18:21):

“Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.”

Of course, there’s an important principle in this command:

God’s workers are worthy of their wages (1 Timothy 5:18; Matthew 10:9-10).

What was God’s view of the failure to give that which was obligatory?

He considered it to be theft (Malachi 3:8-9):

“Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.”

An underlying principle here is that God expects His people to give.

Freewill Offering in the Torah

In contrast to the obligatory giving prescribed in the Torah, the concept of the freewill offering is also described (the freewill offering is part of God’s moral or spiritual law). These gifts are spontaneous and voluntary. A great example revolves around the construction of the tabernacle:

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering (Exodus 25:1-2).’”

“And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments (Exodus 35:20-21).”

“The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the LORD, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done (Exodus 35:29).”

“Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, ‘The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded us to do.’ So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, ‘Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.’ And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much (Exodus 36:2-7).”

What’s the key principle involved here?

A freewill offering is a generous, perhaps lavish gift presented when your heart is stirred and willing!

The Obligatory Tithe in the New Covenant

The only passage in the New Testament after the resurrection of Christ which mentions the tithe is Hebrews 7, and the context isn’t a command for Christians to tithe, but an illustration of the superiority of Christ as High Priest! The bottom line is this: there is no command in the NT to tithe (to give away one tenth of our income or possessions), or for any other type of obligatory giving [1].

Freewill Giving in the New Testament

The concept of the freewill gift is integral to giving in the present dispensation, as exemplified by Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 9:

“1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. 6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:

“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”

10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

In this passage there are several important principles concerning “Christian giving:”

• 9:1-2 – Willingness and zeal to minister to (serve) the saints;
• 9:5 – Giving should be out of generosity and not grudging obligation;
• 9:6 – Liberal giving shall be rewarded;
• 9:7a – Give that which you purpose in your heart, not of compulsion;
• 9:7b – God loves a cheerful giver;
• 9:10 – God provides that which we give, and He multiplies it;
• 9:11 – Freewill giving causes thanksgiving to God;
• 9:12 – Give to supply the needs of the saints;
• 9:13 – Liberal sharing glorifies God; and
• 9:15 – Give graciously and sacrificially!

The epitome of freewill giving is found in 2 Corinthians 9:15, which highlights the exceedingly gracious gift of Jesus Christ! Remember:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).”

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).”

Application (of the Moral / Spiritual Law of Giving under the New Covenant)

If you have been saved by grace through faith, then as a consequence you should desire to prayerfully discern what and how much you should give of your time, talent, and treasure, and then give willfully, cheerfully, generously, and perhaps lavishly and sacrificially, to the glory of God!

End Note

[1] It’s sometimes difficult to succinctly prove a negative. So, if you’re unsure about the categorical claim herein that “there is no command in the NT to tithe (to give away one tenth of our income or possessions), or for any other type of obligatory giving,” then I encourage you to simply read the New Testament and search for a passage that includes a specific command for obligatory giving. If you find one, then please share it with me!

The Law and the Children of God

1 John 2:28-3:15

The Law

What is “The Law”?

The Law of Moses, known in Hebrew as the Torah, and known in Greek as the Pentateuch, comprises the first five books of the Bible and is distinct from the Historical Books, Prophets & Psalms (Luke 24:44, John 1:45). It has three main aspects: Civil Law, Ceremonial Law, and Moral / Spiritual Law.

Civil Law

Civil law was intended to govern the general workings of Israelite society, including relationships between people, as well as what is identified today as Family Law and Criminal Law. For example, Deuteronomy 15:12-18 contains laws concerning bondservants and their freedom, and Deuteronomy 19:1-7 contains the law concerning cities of refuge for those who cause accidental death.

Ceremonial Law

Ceremonial law comprises rules and regulations that governed practices associated with Israelite worship. For example, Exodus 23:14-17 established the law requiring participation in three annual feasts, and Exodus 31:12-17 describes the Sabbath law.

Moral Law

Moral or Spiritual law in the Torah is reflective of God’s perfect moral nature, and is encapsulated by the two greatest commandments: first, to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), and second, to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).

Old Covenant View of the Law

The Law is described as perfect (Psalm 19:7-10), and was to be obeyed (Deuteronomy 30:11-16) in faith (Habakkuk 2:1-4).

Jesus’ View of the Law

Jesus taught that all Scripture (which at that time comprised the Law, Historical Books, Psalms and Prophets) testified of Him, who is the One who gives eternal life (John 5:39-40). Jesus claimed that the Law is perfect to the smallest detail, and prophetic (Matthew 5:17-18). In addition, He taught that when there is tension between different aspects of the Law, the Moral Law prevails. For example, consider Mark 2:23-27, in which Jesus taught that the Moral law which commands the provision of food for the needy (Leviticus 23:22) supercedes the Ceremonial law which forbids consumption of the showbread by non-priests (Leviticus 24:9) [For more on this tension see The Sabbath was Made for Man].

Purposes of the Law

Civil law was intended primarily for the maintenance of order in society, as it is today (Romans 13:1-5); Ceremonial law was a foreshadow of Christ (Colossians 2:16-17); and the Law as a whole was intended to serve as a tutor to bring people to faith in Christ (Galatians 3:19-24). Remember, those saints like Abraham who lived prior to the first advent of Christ looked forward in faith to His coming (John 8:56)!

Some Consequences of Faithful Jewish Adherence to the Law under the Old Covenant

Faithful obedience to the Law resulted in blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) and holiness, i.e., separation from the Gentiles (Deuteronomy 28:9-10).

The New Covenant

How well did Israel follow the Law by faith?

Not well at all! The Israelites characteristically broke the Law, such that by ca. 626 B.C. God declared that the Mosaic covenant itself was broken (Jeremiah 31:31-32)! The primary problem was that the Israelites attempted to keep the Law by works instead of by faith (Romans 9:31-32).

What did Jesus usher in the night of His betrayal?

The New Covenant (Luke 22:14-20).

What is the Import of the New Covenant Relative to the Old Covenant?

The New Covenant supersedes the Old Covenant, which is now obsolete (Hebrews 8:7-13).

Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy : Two Sides of the Same Coin

Orthodoxy means “true doctrine” and orthopraxy means “true actions.” Where there is true doctrine, true actions are likely to follow.

What impact did Christ have on the separation between Jews & Gentiles intrinsic to the Old Covenant?

This is a now revealed mystery of great import, as described by Paul in Ephesians 2:11-18:

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”

According to the Holy Spirit (who spoke through Paul), the Law of commandments in ordinances was abolished, such that both Jews and Gentiles, through faith in Christ, could be reconciled to God and to each other, thus becoming part of one and the same new body, i.e., the Church! That is to say, the barrier of separation between Jews and Gentiles was removed!

Which aspects of the Law were abolished?

The Law of commandments in ordinances is widely understood as primarily the ceremonial law but also some aspects of civil law (in so far as they applied specifically to governance of the nation of Israel, e.g., Deuteronomy 17:16).

Which aspects of the Law were NOT abolished?

Moral or spiritual law, which is reflective of God’s perfect moral nature, was not changed, for God Himself does not change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). In addition, some civil law was not abolished. For example, Christians are still commanded to submit to governing civil authorities (Romans 13:1-5; 1 Peter 2:13-17). That said, when God’s moral law and “societal” civil law are in conflict, Christians should submit to God and ignore or resist civil law (e.g., Acts 5:17-29).

In this context, what is a consequence of salvation by grace through faith?

Good works! That is, willful, demonstrable submission to God’s moral and relevant civil law (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Pseudodoxy and Pseudopraxy : Two Sides of the Same Coin

Pseudodoxy means “false doctrine” and pseudopraxy means “false actions” [1]. Where there is false doctrine, there is likely to be false practice. Let’s look at two general examples:

Case 1: “Someone” teaches that adherence to some form of Ceremonial Law is required for salvation

This is the false doctrine of salvation by works, and is the focus of Paul’s epistle to the Galatians!

Case 2: “Someone” teaches that Christ abolished ALL Law (Ceremonial, Civil, and Moral) and that Christians Don’t Need to Obey Christ

This false teaching is known as antinomianism, meaning “opposed to law.” Those who follow it are prone to fall into habitual sin (lawlessness), an indication of which is that they likely were never saved, and a consequence of which is that they won’t likely be saved. This is the focus of 1 John 2:28-3:15! John was addressing the issue of antinomianism that was most likely brought into the first century church by the antichrists about whom he had previously written (see Antichrists, Us and You). John was basically refuting the false doctrine of the false teachers that had recently left their community.

1 John 2:28-3:15

28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

For a table which breaks down these verses to facilitate comparison and contrasting of the characteristics of the different people mentioned in this text, click here. Therein, you’ll notice that the Children of God abide in Him (2:28), practice righteousness (2:29, 3:7), purify themselves (3:3), don’t habitually sin (3:6, 3:9), and love one another (3:11). For more on this topic, check out 1 John 2:3-6 Obeying His Commands.

Applications

1) Examine yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5)! To what extent is the “vector” of your life becoming increasingly like the child of God? Is there something about which you need to confess? Do you need to repent?

2) In humility and love, share 1 John 2:28-3:15 with anyone you know who claims to be a Christian yet seems to have a lifestyle characterized by sin. Ask him or her about your observations, and if true, and he or she is willing to repent, then be prepared to commit to helping him or her overcome and be accountable to Christ!

End Note

[1] Pseudopraxy isn’t in the English dictionary, as far as I know. I might have made it up!

God Does Nothing Unless He First Reveals His Plans?

Amos 3:7

“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”

A prophet is someone who periodically communicates on behalf of God under His inspiration (for more information see Prophets and the Gift of Prophecy). So then, what does this verse in Amos mean? Does it mean, in general, in all contexts, that “whenever God gets ready to do something, He always reveals to a person or His people what He is going to do [1]?” Certainly not. Here are some obvious examples of God doing something without any apparent prior revelation:

1) The act of creation (Genesis 1:1-25). As there were no humans in existence during these creative acts, there were no prophets to whom God could reveal that which He was planning to do.

2) The suffering of Job (Job). There’s no record of God a priori revealing to anyone (human) His plan regarding allowing Satan to persecute Job.

3) The deliverance of Israel from Haman (Esther). There’s no record of God revealing that He would create or allow for circumstances in which Esther would become queen so that she could be an instrument of God’s deliverance of Israel from the wrath of the Amalekites. In fact, in the Hebrew version of this text, God isn’t even explicitly mentioned.

Of course, any mature Christian knows from personal experience that God routinely does many things without first revealing His plans or purposes to His people. It’s His prerogative; He’s God! So then, what does Amos 3:7 mean in context ? Consider the following:

1) The Date (Prior to Assyria’s Destruction of Israel) : Amos prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah in Judah (792-740 B.C.) and Jeroboam in Israel (793-753 B.C) [Amos 1:1].

2) The Occasion (Judgment for Transgression) : Amos was called to pronounce God’s pending judgments against Damascus (Amos 1:3), Gaza (Amos 1:6), Tyre (Amos 1:9), Edom (Amos 1:11), Ammon (Amos 1:13), Moab (Amos 2:1), Judah (Amos 2:4), and Israel (Amos 2:6).

3) The Response (Rejection of God) : Despite all that God had done for (to) the people of Israel in order to prompt them to repent, they refused to return to Him (Amos 4:6,8-11).

4) The Result (Mourning and Captivity) : Amos revealed that there would be a time of great mourning, culminating in Israel’s captivity “beyond Damscus” (Amos 5:16-27), i.e., in Assyria. This ultimately occurred in ~ 722 B.C. (2 Kings 17).

So then, what does Amos 3:7 mean in context ? Simply this:

Prior to carrying out any national judgment due to characteristic corporate wickedness, the Lord would reveal (to a prophet) said wickedness and His plan to justly punish it in order to provide the nation with an opportunity to repent of its sins and return to following God, thereby also possibly avoiding God’s just punishment.

In this case, how should Christians apply Amos 3:7 today? I think that there are two options:

1) Individually. Each Christian is himself or herself an individual temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), Who searches the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10), and Who convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). Therefore, Christians should diligently discern if they’ve sinned [see Hearing God : How Does God Speak Today?] and then proceed accordingly (with penitence, confession, repentance, and when necessary, attempts at reconciliation). For more on this topic check out Examine Yourself, Confession, and Holiness, Fellowship and Forgiveness.

2) Corporately. The corporate body of Christ is also the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). In this regard, it’s important to realize that the Holy Spirit can communicate about corporate issues as well, both to leaders and non-leaders (in particular if the leaders have become corrupt or are the perpetrators of the sins for which judgment on the body is pending). Therefore, diligently seek to discern any corporate sin in your local church body, and if or when necessary, share that which you discern with your church leadership team. For more on this topic, check out Leadership in the Church and Boldly Confront Sin Amongst Church Leaders.

Reference

[1] Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King, “Experiencing God : Youth Edition,” LifeWay Press, Nashville, 2005, p.31.