Of what manner of love the Father gives us, that we are called children of God, and so we exist!*
John writes that at the present time we exist children of God.* What does it mean to exist a child of God? Paul writes from the riches of his grace and glory he has given us this spiritual blessing of adoption. We have entered into the kingdom of heaven, not by the means of an earthly inheritance where a promise is based upon earthly things, like being born into an earthly lineage receiving the inheritance of land and earthly wealth, no, in Christ the promise is of inheritance but based upon the spiritual. We enter into the kingdom of heaven being born of Spirit, having received a Spirit of Adoption whom testifies that we are his children.
Beloved at the present time we exist children of God and it is not yet revealed how we shall exist but we know that we shall be like him just as he is.*
We have some insight into how Christ was transfigured but fully we do not know how we shall be. And we exist still in a corrupt world and like the temple that existed on this corrupt earthly body, so we exist here, the Spirit of God is in our body, we exist his temple. More so, we are his children, sons and daughters of God. We exist a new creation in Christ, he being the first fruit, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. His Spirit is in us so we are partakers of His divine nature, we exist in Christ, righteousness, holy, as we have his nature, no longer of sinful nature. And though we exist in this corrupt body presently in which sin dwells, we are not defined by the sinful nature as also presently we exist his children, defined by our new nature. We have this hope in us that one day we will be like Him.
And all the ones having this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.*
The Spirit, Paul writes, is a guarantee of our inheritance, an earnest pledge of this inheritance we have in him. What manner of love is this, that we should be called the children of God? God so loved us that he sent his Son, to give to those who believe in him, the power to become children of God. It is an amazing thing, in this new covenant established in his blood, we are born of God. No greater love than someone would lay down his life for a friend. Such love we have received in Christ and the Spirit whom pours out in our hearts the love of God. Such hope in Christ we have, that one day we will be like him, receiving possession of the inheritance, when we are fully redeemed in body, we will be like Him. Such hope motivates us to purify ourselves as he is pure. Oh how much is the service of grace in this purpose; grace reigns through righteousness, our new nature, in Christ.
Not one of these born of God brings forth sin, because God's seed abides in him and he is not a sinner, because he is born of God.*
Amazing truth, those born of God will bring forth fruit, the fruit of righteousness, not sin. Why? this new creation is a partaker of God's divine nature. It is not based upon earthly lineage, nor upon will, you are a new creation, nor upon whether we sin or not, it is based upon our true identity in Christ. It is whether or not you are a sinner or a child, born of God. The saying I am "a sinner saved by grace" is not just about semantics and syntax but of whether it speaks of my past or of my true identity. In Christ I am not a sinner though I exist in a body in which sin dwells. Paul writes he finds this principle that evil is present with him and that sin exists in his member, thus evil wars against his carnal mind to bring him into captivity to sin. It is not me but sin in me Paul writes, which states it is not my true identity. Though he kept doing that which he hated, as it was against his true nature, he could not find the power to overcome. The power is in Christ who renews the carnal mind to be spiritual so we have the mind of Christ.
Not one abiding in him is a sinner, not one the sinner has seen him nor knows him.*
The concept of abiding is two-fold; one is connected to the Vine, and one remains in the Vine. Truly abiding in Him, in his words we will not sin. I believe what John is writing here is whether we exist a child of God, and if so we abide in him, and if not you are not connected to him thus you exist a sinner. The definition of sin assists us in this understanding, meaning to miss the mark. We either make the mark, born of God, or we miss the mark, a sinner. Paul writes when we heard the gospel of our salvation and believed we were "marked" with the Holy Spirit. Truly being born of God makes the mark of God's righteousness as we are a partaker of his divine nature. Furthermore, Paul writes we are a new creation, no longer defined by the old nature nor slaves to sinful nature but of his divine nature.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.*
To have truth in us is to have knowledge that we still exist in a corrupt body. Now, you are either a sinner, or you are a child, born of God. You either believe or you do not and how at the present time do God's children need to believe in who they are. The analogy of a plant is what Jesus used to help us understand the process of growth, a child, a young person, and the mature. A plant that sprouts up quickly without deep roots, will not survive the weeds. Of course, instant deliverance, renewal, and maturity God could do but it is not what God desires as this doesn't grow deep roots. The same analogy for growth uses a strong foundation and if we build upon sand when the storms come we will not stand. The focus of growth for the child is foundational. The seed, righteousness is planted and the fruit of righteousness will lead into sanctification, which brings forth fruit of righteousness, thus grace reigns through righteousness.
In this is the children of God and the children of the devil exist revealed, all not bringing forth righteousness exist not of God and the one not loving his brother.*
Bringing forth the fruit of righteousness, or practicing or doing truth, is best seen in loving my brother. Now, you are justified by grace through faith, you are either a sinner or righteous born of God. But love is what Jesus said the world should know us by, how we love one another. In context of John's writings we understand more about what it means the least of these, they are His brethren children of God, thus what we do to the least of these I do unto his brethren thus unto Christ. The sheep were separated from the goats by how they loved His brethren or not, how they helped the least of these His brethren, the children of God. It was not by how they reach out to those not his children, the community, the lost but how they loved the least of these His brothers and sisters. Helping others doesn't give us good standing, justify us before God, no, as God's child we please him when we become like Him, and he loves his brethren for this purpose as should we. Growing up unto salvation is the primary purpose of the Church, as His workmanship we will bring forth good works, according to our true nature.
This exists the message you have heard from the beginning, so that we love one another... we know that we have crossed from death to life because we love the brethren, whoever doesn't love remains in darkness.*
If a church has the world's goods and sees a brother in need, doing nothing, the love of God doesn't exist in it. Though they might say they love the lost and orphans these are purifying themselves by some other means than keeping the words of Christ. Here exists the fallacy in some examples of serving and sacrifice said to be done in the name of Jesus, in that it doesn't love the brother. John writes, we know that we have passed from death unto life in that we love one another. This is a sign of maturity in the true Church, not something that can be sacrificed in the name of Jesus, such sacrifice often called serving is a contradiction of truth.
All who hate his brother exists a murderer and you know no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.*
Can a murderer be forgiven? Surely so, it is the story behind the song "Amazing Grace." One who was defined as a murderer or by his treatment of slaves, who has experienced adoption, redemption, and the forgiveness of sin knows this, the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed him from all sin. Though this one was a sinner, a murderer, he is now defined a child of God, righteous. "In this we know agape love that he laid down his life on our behalf. And we are obligated to lay down our lives for our brothers."* There is no greater love than one would lay down his life for his brother. Does not such love, such hope in Christ, motivate us to present out bodies unto consecration, to purify ourselves? Those who have been forgiven much love much. And would not one be evil if he had been forgiven much debt only to turn around and punish his brother for lesser debt? Truly this one has not passed from death unto life.
Children, let us love, not in word or speech only but in action and truth. And in this, knowing that we exist of the truth and set our consciousness at rest in his presence.*
How can we boldly approach the throne of grace, receiving grace and mercy as needed, only to not give mercy and grace to my brother? And how can my consciousness be pure before Him in his presence if I have turned my heart from loving my brother? I can not, but oh, John begins with the solution, "if we say we have fellowship with him but walk in darkness we lie and do not bring forth truth. Now, if we walk in the Light as he exists in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin."* What does it matter if I am sorrowful for my sin, and I do not come into the Light? And what good is repentance if I am not cleansed of a guilty conscious before Him? And what good is being a law abiding citizen if I have no hope in Christ? Oh, that I understand truly who I am as a child of God, that I can boldly approach the throne of a living and loving Father. And in such we see our motivation to be like Him, we are his children.
all who have this hope in him, purifies himself just as he is pure.*
If I am in Christ then I have this hope, as faith exists hope in things unseen. If I am in Christ I exist not a sinner but a child of God, of righteousness, of his divine nature. As a child of God I have peace before God, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin. I can boldly approach and if I do sin, I have an advocate with the Father, Jesus, who is a propitiation for sin, not just for me but for the whole world. In the face of Christ the full glory of God is shining forth as a Light. In Him is the beginning of wisdom and understanding thus what is important as John writes is that we believe and love one another. Our eyes are enlightened in the knowledge of Him, our identity is established. We can approach a holy, living God, not one thundering from a mountain where even Moses approached full of fear and dread, no, "on the contrary we approach Mount Zion and the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and a multitude of angels, a joyful assembly of his own people."* What manner of love is this our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us? In that we are called his own, and Children of God we exist!
Look Up Child
Beloved at the present time we exist children of God and it is not yet revealed how we shall exist but we know that we shall be like him just as he is.*
We have some insight into how Christ was transfigured but fully we do not know how we shall be. And we exist still in a corrupt world and like the temple that existed on this corrupt earthly body, so we exist here, the Spirit of God is in our body, we exist his temple. More so, we are his children, sons and daughters of God. We exist a new creation in Christ, he being the first fruit, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. His Spirit is in us so we are partakers of His divine nature, we exist in Christ, righteousness, holy, as we have his nature, no longer of sinful nature. And though we exist in this corrupt body presently in which sin dwells, we are not defined by the sinful nature as also presently we exist his children, defined by our new nature. We have this hope in us that one day we will be like Him.
And all the ones having this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.*
The Spirit, Paul writes, is a guarantee of our inheritance, an earnest pledge of this inheritance we have in him. What manner of love is this, that we should be called the children of God? God so loved us that he sent his Son, to give to those who believe in him, the power to become children of God. It is an amazing thing, in this new covenant established in his blood, we are born of God. No greater love than someone would lay down his life for a friend. Such love we have received in Christ and the Spirit whom pours out in our hearts the love of God. Such hope in Christ we have, that one day we will be like him, receiving possession of the inheritance, when we are fully redeemed in body, we will be like Him. Such hope motivates us to purify ourselves as he is pure. Oh how much is the service of grace in this purpose; grace reigns through righteousness, our new nature, in Christ.
Not one of these born of God brings forth sin, because God's seed abides in him and he is not a sinner, because he is born of God.*
Amazing truth, those born of God will bring forth fruit, the fruit of righteousness, not sin. Why? this new creation is a partaker of God's divine nature. It is not based upon earthly lineage, nor upon will, you are a new creation, nor upon whether we sin or not, it is based upon our true identity in Christ. It is whether or not you are a sinner or a child, born of God. The saying I am "a sinner saved by grace" is not just about semantics and syntax but of whether it speaks of my past or of my true identity. In Christ I am not a sinner though I exist in a body in which sin dwells. Paul writes he finds this principle that evil is present with him and that sin exists in his member, thus evil wars against his carnal mind to bring him into captivity to sin. It is not me but sin in me Paul writes, which states it is not my true identity. Though he kept doing that which he hated, as it was against his true nature, he could not find the power to overcome. The power is in Christ who renews the carnal mind to be spiritual so we have the mind of Christ.
Not one abiding in him is a sinner, not one the sinner has seen him nor knows him.*
The concept of abiding is two-fold; one is connected to the Vine, and one remains in the Vine. Truly abiding in Him, in his words we will not sin. I believe what John is writing here is whether we exist a child of God, and if so we abide in him, and if not you are not connected to him thus you exist a sinner. The definition of sin assists us in this understanding, meaning to miss the mark. We either make the mark, born of God, or we miss the mark, a sinner. Paul writes when we heard the gospel of our salvation and believed we were "marked" with the Holy Spirit. Truly being born of God makes the mark of God's righteousness as we are a partaker of his divine nature. Furthermore, Paul writes we are a new creation, no longer defined by the old nature nor slaves to sinful nature but of his divine nature.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.*
To have truth in us is to have knowledge that we still exist in a corrupt body. Now, you are either a sinner, or you are a child, born of God. You either believe or you do not and how at the present time do God's children need to believe in who they are. The analogy of a plant is what Jesus used to help us understand the process of growth, a child, a young person, and the mature. A plant that sprouts up quickly without deep roots, will not survive the weeds. Of course, instant deliverance, renewal, and maturity God could do but it is not what God desires as this doesn't grow deep roots. The same analogy for growth uses a strong foundation and if we build upon sand when the storms come we will not stand. The focus of growth for the child is foundational. The seed, righteousness is planted and the fruit of righteousness will lead into sanctification, which brings forth fruit of righteousness, thus grace reigns through righteousness.
In this is the children of God and the children of the devil exist revealed, all not bringing forth righteousness exist not of God and the one not loving his brother.*
Bringing forth the fruit of righteousness, or practicing or doing truth, is best seen in loving my brother. Now, you are justified by grace through faith, you are either a sinner or righteous born of God. But love is what Jesus said the world should know us by, how we love one another. In context of John's writings we understand more about what it means the least of these, they are His brethren children of God, thus what we do to the least of these I do unto his brethren thus unto Christ. The sheep were separated from the goats by how they loved His brethren or not, how they helped the least of these His brethren, the children of God. It was not by how they reach out to those not his children, the community, the lost but how they loved the least of these His brothers and sisters. Helping others doesn't give us good standing, justify us before God, no, as God's child we please him when we become like Him, and he loves his brethren for this purpose as should we. Growing up unto salvation is the primary purpose of the Church, as His workmanship we will bring forth good works, according to our true nature.
This exists the message you have heard from the beginning, so that we love one another... we know that we have crossed from death to life because we love the brethren, whoever doesn't love remains in darkness.*
If a church has the world's goods and sees a brother in need, doing nothing, the love of God doesn't exist in it. Though they might say they love the lost and orphans these are purifying themselves by some other means than keeping the words of Christ. Here exists the fallacy in some examples of serving and sacrifice said to be done in the name of Jesus, in that it doesn't love the brother. John writes, we know that we have passed from death unto life in that we love one another. This is a sign of maturity in the true Church, not something that can be sacrificed in the name of Jesus, such sacrifice often called serving is a contradiction of truth.
All who hate his brother exists a murderer and you know no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.*
Can a murderer be forgiven? Surely so, it is the story behind the song "Amazing Grace." One who was defined as a murderer or by his treatment of slaves, who has experienced adoption, redemption, and the forgiveness of sin knows this, the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed him from all sin. Though this one was a sinner, a murderer, he is now defined a child of God, righteous. "In this we know agape love that he laid down his life on our behalf. And we are obligated to lay down our lives for our brothers."* There is no greater love than one would lay down his life for his brother. Does not such love, such hope in Christ, motivate us to present out bodies unto consecration, to purify ourselves? Those who have been forgiven much love much. And would not one be evil if he had been forgiven much debt only to turn around and punish his brother for lesser debt? Truly this one has not passed from death unto life.
Children, let us love, not in word or speech only but in action and truth. And in this, knowing that we exist of the truth and set our consciousness at rest in his presence.*
How can we boldly approach the throne of grace, receiving grace and mercy as needed, only to not give mercy and grace to my brother? And how can my consciousness be pure before Him in his presence if I have turned my heart from loving my brother? I can not, but oh, John begins with the solution, "if we say we have fellowship with him but walk in darkness we lie and do not bring forth truth. Now, if we walk in the Light as he exists in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin."* What does it matter if I am sorrowful for my sin, and I do not come into the Light? And what good is repentance if I am not cleansed of a guilty conscious before Him? And what good is being a law abiding citizen if I have no hope in Christ? Oh, that I understand truly who I am as a child of God, that I can boldly approach the throne of a living and loving Father. And in such we see our motivation to be like Him, we are his children.
all who have this hope in him, purifies himself just as he is pure.*
If I am in Christ then I have this hope, as faith exists hope in things unseen. If I am in Christ I exist not a sinner but a child of God, of righteousness, of his divine nature. As a child of God I have peace before God, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin. I can boldly approach and if I do sin, I have an advocate with the Father, Jesus, who is a propitiation for sin, not just for me but for the whole world. In the face of Christ the full glory of God is shining forth as a Light. In Him is the beginning of wisdom and understanding thus what is important as John writes is that we believe and love one another. Our eyes are enlightened in the knowledge of Him, our identity is established. We can approach a holy, living God, not one thundering from a mountain where even Moses approached full of fear and dread, no, "on the contrary we approach Mount Zion and the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and a multitude of angels, a joyful assembly of his own people."* What manner of love is this our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us? In that we are called his own, and Children of God we exist!
Look Up Child