Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Evidence of Eternal Life Pt.3

Let's turn to 1 John. I trust you had an opportunity to read that this afternoon in preparing yourself for the study. As we go on, remember that we were talking about the fact that this epistle was written to combat Gnosticism.

That spirit is very strong in the church in America today and is something that you and I are in combat with on a daily basis. It's been ingrained in the American church and reinforced by the false prophets (that we were talking about this morning) who are filling many of the pulpits and refusing to bring about a word that is pure, a word that is like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. The American church is absolutely fearful today of anything that would bring about a challenge towards sin. Preachers are afraid that if they preached against sin, it would empty their churches. And do you know what? It probably would. It's very acceptable today. We have within our churches a damnable spirit of tolerance that is governing our nation today. "We need to be tolerant of people and their 'diseases.' You know, I have this disease of rebellion and hatred. I can't help myself. It goes along with my alcoholism, and my drug addiction, and my addiction to pornography, and my addiction to--you know, I'm just filled with diseases! I have no control over my life; so, we have a twelve-step program. We have a twelve-step program for everything to assist us through life because we're victims." Everybody is a "victim" in our society today, and it's carried over into the church. People just frankly don't want to be responsible for anything.

As we've been looking, we see that we're responsible for our actions. God requires of you and me this accountability according to the Word of God. We've seen that the responsibility we have as the body of Christ is to bring about (through the Word of God) reproof, rebuke, and instruction into righteousness, so that we as God's people could be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto every good work. Most people aren't interested in that kind of a life. And it's expressed in the embracing of this spirit of Gnosticism which says, "I have a heart for God; my life, however, is one that more resembles the devil." We saw this morning that Jesus said, "No; it's by their fruits that you'll know them." As we read the First Epistle of John, we'll see this one phrase that just stands out: "...he that doeth righteousness is righteous (3:7)..." We see John writing against that First Century stronghold of Gnosticism; Docetes and Cerinthus were the two main proponents. They talked about this spiritual light and this spiritual force that had nothing to do with the material world. That's why the First Epistle of John starts off as strangely as it appears to the 21st Century reader today.

So, let's look over there for just a moment and look at the introduction to this epistle. Then we're going to get into the nine different markers that would give us the assurance that we have eternal life, those things that are the evidence of eternal life in the believer today. John starts this epistle in a very interesting way. One of the camps of the Gnostics was also a proponent of the fact that the body of Jesus was not a physical, tangible body; because if it were matter, then it would inherently be sinful because all material things were absolutely sinful. So, they taught that the body of Jesus was a spiritual body, or some thought that it was an illusion; it was just an apparent body. So John starts his epistle in this way: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life" (1 John 1:1). Do you ever wonder why this epistle has such a strange beginning? He says, "You have to understand something, those of you who are proponents of Gnosticism, those of you who are trying to justify your sinful lifestyle. You say that you're right with God spiritually, even though matter has no control. It will do evil 100 percent of the time, but don't worry; they're two separate entities. The body will be destroyed, but the spirit will be accepted into the presence of God." John says, "Not so. Jesus was not this apparition as so many people seem to think. He was real; we touched Him."

Then he goes on and says in verse 3, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you [This is what this epistle is all about; this is what the ministry of the apostles was all about] that ye also may have fellowship with us...." That's a key phrase here. As we're looking at this study, we see how we affect one another's lives for eternal life, how we're responsible to be examples to the believer, how we're to be iron that sharpens iron, how we're to bear the burdens of one another and lift up the hands that are hanging down. The Apostle says right here, "Look; we're sharing these things with you that you might have fellowship with us." Now, this is important because he's going to say, "And if you don't want to hang out with us who are doing the Word of God, if you depart from us, then it is obvious that you're of your father, the devil. You're of the spirit of antichrist, and you went out from us because you were never part of us." So, you can tell whether somebody is born again by whether they want to hang around you or not. How comfortable are they in your presence? Are they seeking out (and are you seeking out) the most spiritual? Or, are you seeking the lowest level of this fellowship, where you can either appear to be superior or be in your comfort zone? "Nobody will reprove me down there, because they're living as carnally as I am." You begin to look and ascertain these things according to John's revelation here, and it shows where we are in our pursuit of God.

He said, "I'm sharing this with you that you might have fellowship (koinonea) with us," which means "commonness, a common purpose." It's not only a commonness in our association here, and helping one another, and having a good family; but it's the commonness of our pursuit of Christlikeness, the commonness of believing that He is coming, and having that hope in Him, and therefore we're purifying ourselves even as He is pure. So he said, "I'm sharing these things that you might have some fellowship with us."

What's the first thing that happens when you begin to have sin in your life? What's the first thing that happens when you begin to walk in darkness, and you're trying to hide the direction that you're going in? Maybe it has to do with peripheral preferences (disputable matters), and you know that you're moving off course. You know that you're moving off course and getting stronger relationships with co-workers than you should be having. What's one of the first things that you do? You start breaking fellowship, don't you? What was the very thing that Adam did when he sinned and God came into the garden? What did he do? He jumped in the bush; he hid himself.

John says, "We're sharing these things with you; and if you're part of the family of God, the one thing you're going to want is koinonea. You're going to want fellowship. You're going to want to be with the people of God and (he goes on here in the context and gets it a little clearer) with people of light." As we go on into this study, one thing you're going to show as absolute evidence that you are born again is that you're a person who loves the light--just have it out there! "Here's what I am, and here's where I'm going. I'm pursuing Jesus; and if you see something in my life that is going to hinder me, please tell me." That's totally contrary to the flesh. The flesh prefers darkness, because its deeds are evil. Listen; one of the foundational truths in this epistle (and that John uses to destroy Gnosticism) is in these first few verses where he says, "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all ... But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (verses 5 and 7, emphasis added). Oh, beloved, there is no greater indication that you're walking in right fellowship than the fact that you love the light (we're the light of the world) and that you're dispersing the light.

We're going to talk about that--how it relates in our lives to one another and how important this is in ascertaining where we are in the fellowship. Ask yourself this question: How comfortable am I in the light? How comfortable are you in dispersing the light? How much of an influence does the secular have on our dispersing of the light? Let me ask you something: Are you comfortable being rebuked by a seventh grader, someone that's in this room? Can you receive reproof at their hands? "Listen; you need to respect your elders!" Well, you need to act like an elder. If you need a seventh grader to start putting you back on course, then maybe you are the one who needs to grow up! So we realize, then, that there are many secular things that influence us. How comfortable are you in receiving the truth, regardless of the vessel or channel that God uses to bring it to you? How about when you receive reproof or rebuke from someone who is obviously inferior to you socially and intellectually? Oh, we don't speak those things, but we deal with that. There are those of us here (I won't include myself in this!) who are in a position to where intellectually we're just a little sharper than the average. And do you know what? We're aware of that! How easily can you receive light from your brother that comes in going, "Dup, da-dup, da-dup, doo, doo"? Just because he's an idiot in so many other things doesn't mean he can't represent the light. We deal with all these areas that are in our members, to where we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, to where we are incapable of really understanding the dilemma of our own individual battles. Because of that, Satan continues to hold us captive; because we stay back in that darkness instead of coming to the light, and being ready to hear the Word of God (the truth) at anybody's hands.

John goes on in this epistle and says, "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (verse 4). That's why this epistle was written. He said, "I want your joy to be full." This tells me something, as he's battling Gnosticism. You will never have joy when you're trying to fulfill the lust of the flesh. You will never have joy when you're trying to justify your carnal behavior saying, "I'm still right with God; I know the Lord; I'm born again. My life is just out of control." John says you'll never know the joy of the Lord that way. A double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways. So, he is calling us here in this epistle and saying, "Look; I'm writing these thing to you that the great gift of joy and the peace of God can be experienced in your life. And here's how it's going to happen: you have to move to the light. If you want the joy of the Lord, I'm writing these things that your joy may be full." "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." There is no darkness at all.

Then, to blow this Gnostic doctrine away, he's going to bring to their understanding that Jesus is this God of light and that He did manifest Himself physically. He was born of a woman. He was a human being Who walked in the light, and there was no darkness in Him at all. He was the sinless sacrifice, the substitute for our sins.

So when we begin to look at the first evidence that we're born again, believing in the name of Jesus (go ahead and write that down as number one), we see that it means more than a mental assent. It's a full commitment to the fact that Jesus did die as our substitutionary sacrifice and that in His name alone there is forgiveness of sins. He was the God-man; but He lived a perfect life in the flesh, in reliance upon the Holy Spirit, and not from His divine essence, but from His human essence. He was obedient, and He was victorious; and we, according to this epistle, are to walk as He walked.

John doesn't allow any substandard in the church, which Gnosticism brings. John doesn't allow any respect of persons, which is so common to men. That's one of the things that we all have to guard against--respect of persons. We want to bring the light; but it's a little tougher sometimes when you're a seventh grader, and you're having to confront dad. How many of you know that's not real easy? That's a tough one. That doesn't fly real well in the realm of the secular. It's a very difficult thing, so there is a respect of persons. How about when it's someone in the ministry, one of the five-fold ministry gifts? How about when it's a deacon? That makes it tough. We've talked about the fact that respect of persons is one of the greatest displays of carnality, of selfishness. We're so fearful of our own image that we show respect of persons in different ways. We either show preferential treatment, or we're more judgmental than we should be. It's tough to keep things in their proper perspective, on an equal plain; but in the body of Christ, there isn't male or female, Jew or Gentile. The great among us are not like the great of the secular. The great among us are the servants of all, those who are humble, those who are laying their lives down, those who don't think of themselves too highly, those who are not seeking honor, but seeking to serve, and God is honoring them. Those are the greatest among us. So, it works totally contrary to the natural mind.

All of this which was being injected into the church by the spirit of antichrist, John is opposing. He says, "Look; you've to understand that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." "If we say that we have fellowship with him [the God of light], and walk in darkness, [say it with me] we lie, and do not the truth" (verse 6). John's just kind of nailing this thing down, isn't he? Now, if you say that you know God, you say that you are a child of light, you say that you're in fellowship with God, but your natural tendency is to move to darkness, you're a liar, period! There is no truth in you, because "God is light and in him is no darkness at all." Don't say you're in fellowship with God, but you're uncomfortable in the light. You're deceiving yourself. If you don't love the Word of God, if you don't love the presence of God, you're in darkness. You're not doing the truth. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship [communion] one with another, [and if you come to the light, look what's going to happen] and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (verse 7). What is this telling us? The more we're in the light, the cleaner we get. The cleaner we get, the more comfortable we are in the light. The more we're in the light, the purer we become. We begin to walk as He walked--in total reliance upon the Father, in total reliance upon the Holy Spirit. We begin to hate the things of the world. We're no longer a friend of the world. We're no longer seeking the things of the world. We're not bound by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life any longer. These things do not attract us and dominate us, as they do the carnal. The evidence, then, that we're the children of God is that we believe in His name. We believe in Him Whom the Father sent to be the expression of the light.

Turn over to the fifth chapter real quickly, and look at this passage as it pertains to this confidence in the name. The term "believe" (and we've taught this many times in the past) means "corresponding action," doesn't it? It's not a mental assent; it's what you do. It's not what you assent to, not what you say you agree with, but what you do. The believer in the name of Jesus is a doer of the commandments. Verse 13 says it this way. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." That's an interesting phrase. We talked about the fact that to he that has shall more be given. You believe on the name; eternal life becomes a reality, and it causes you to really understand what you're believing. And the more you believe on that name, the more you embrace the confidence in the price that was paid for the reconciliation and the communion that you have as sons of God and sons of light. That fellowship becomes a reality, and you're a doer and not a hearer.

Look back at verses 1 and 5 of this fifth chapter. Verse 1 says, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God...." Now remember, the spirit of this letter, the reason this letter was written, helps us to understand what it is saying. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ..." You see, the Gnostics were putting out salvation by many other avenues; but John made it very clear that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one can come to the Father but by Him (John 14:6). We understand very clearly from the revelation of God that there isn't salvation in any other name. He was given a name, Paul says, that is above every name; that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). To believe on the name is to have trust for your salvation in nothing else. You're not trusting in your works (which indicate your own righteousness). There are no other gods before Him. You're not a Judaizer or a Gnostic. To believe on the name is to understand His absolute lordship and your own personal death on a daily basis with your own personal cross.

As we go on in this epistle, we'll see that it's a life of obedience--keeping the commandments of God and walking as He walked. To believe on the name is to have absolute reliance in His indwelling presence to fulfill the heart and the purposes of God, and in nothing else. We believe that truly when He spoke, "It is finished," it was finished. That's what it means to believe on the name. To believe on the name is to (in corresponding action) go out and take His name, and heal the sick, and cast out devils. Freely we've received, and freely we're to give. That's what it means. So, in this number one point, if we want the evidence that we have eternal life abiding in us, we're a people that are proclaiming salvation by no other means than the name of Jesus. It's not a name that is just intellectually apprehended, but it's being expressed in power. We're praying in the name of Jesus as we lay hands on the sick. We're binding and loosing in the name of Jesus. It's a representation of the name. "Silver and gold have I none but such as I have, give I you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" Can I ask you something? If you're born again, are your prayers getting answered in the name of Jesus? Is there power evidencing itself in your life in the name of Jesus? When it's time to make the big decisions in your life, are they made in the name of Jesus, by seeking His lordship in your life and not the secular? So, we really begin to see how important it is to begin this quest by understanding what it means to believe in the name of Jesus. It's so obvious; you think it's so simple; but the fact of the matter is, we've got to believe absolutely in His lordship.

Look over at the fourth chapter, verse 15, for just a second. "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." Then he equates that belief in the name with the knowledge of God's love for us. "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (verse 16). We say we believe in the name of Jesus, but where do you run when the pressure is on? Do we believe (as we were teaching in the series on prayer) that when we pray in the name of Jesus, we're praying based upon that representative relationship, the knowledge of His abiding Spirit, the knowledge that we've been obedient to the Word of God, and that there is legal representation? We're there on God's mission; we're not about our own work. So, to believe in the name of Jesus is to believe that we're legally representing the person of God. We've been given, through the power of attorney, that name. We are representatives of God. We are ambassadors of Christ. We're not establishing our own agenda, but the purposes of God. And that's the first evidence that you have eternal life abiding in you. It's not about you. It's about representing the kingdom of God. If you are born again and have eternal life abiding in you, you are on the mission of God, and not your own acquisition of fame, ease, peace, glory, comfort--all of the things that the Gentiles seek after, all of the things they worry about, all of the things that motivate them. Your Father knows that you have need of those things. If you believe in the name, then those things aren't dominating your life. So, number one is that assurance of His lordship and His experiential presence in our lives. To believe in that name is to live in corresponding action to that lordship. John goes on in this epistle and gives us some more evidences.

The second evidence that indicates whether eternal life is abiding in us or not is that we're keepers of His commandments. Do you remember what we read in John 7 this morning? The wise man is the one who hears and does. The second indicator is that we keep His commandments and walk as He walked.

Now remember again, and this is what makes you a good Bible student. To arrive at the truth of the Word of God (proper biblical exegesis, being able to extract the real truth from what is being said) you can't just sit down and read this book. If the Holy Spirit doesn't apply its proper application, then there are all types of secular applications we can make; but the Spirit will always lead us to its original intent. Now, you don't have to be a scholar and understand intellectually the things that we've been talking about, but the Spirit can lead you into truth. The best way to study the Scriptures, again, is to know to whom this was being written and why it was being written. What is the abuse that's trying to be corrected here? What was God trying to say to the Church? We've explained all that; so we're comfortable in drawing these principles out, because we know what spirit was being opposed.

So, when we're talking here about keeping the commandments of God, he tells us very clearly throughout this epistle what those commandments are. We're to love God; we're to love the brothers; and we're to hate sin. It's pretty much that simple, but it's to be done experientially. When he talks about knowing God, as you begin to read throughout this epistle, we begin to see an interesting word come up--the knowledge of God, knowing God. Distinctions are made through the two primary words for knowledge, ginosko and oida. As you look at them in their proper context, you'll see that he talks about doctrinally understanding God, understanding the purposes of God. But when it comes to the brethren, when it comes to serving one another, when it comes to knowing Him in the light and serving Him, ginosko is used. That's not just an intellectual understanding, but it's an intimate, working knowledge that we're supposed to have of God. It's not an understanding of God, but a knowing by relationship. We've shared with you before that it carries the same connotation as "And Abraham knew Sarah"--an intimacy, a coming together, a oneness. So, when we talk about the knowledge of God as we read through these passages, understand it in that way.

The second chapter, verses 3 and 5--look at this; it's really a pivotal point of the epistle. "And hereby we do know that we know him...." I would say that's pivotal in our study, wouldn't you? How do I know whether I know God or not? How do I know if I'm abiding in Him, and His words abide in me, and I'm producing fruit that's acceptable, and I have eternal life? How do I know? "And hereby we do know that we know him..." Have you ever asked anybody point blank, "Are you born again? Are you a Christian?" And they say, "I don't know. I hope so; I'd like to be." Then, you're not. If you know God, you know that you know Him. We're not talking about knowing everything about God. We're not talking about "Super Saint." We're talking about the understanding of this communion, this fellowship that we have with Him. (We'll show that as one of the other indicators in just a moment.) People know about God, but those who are doers of the Word and keepers of the commandments are a rare breed. They're a light to the world.

Just yesterday, as we were fooling around down in Delmar, we were getting ready to make a pass. I looked out and saw Greg talking to some guy. The guy was walking by and did a pivot on his heels. He looked up and saw the Scripture on the trailer. He walked in and said, "I had to see what you guys are about. That's not normal. It's not the normative representative of Christianity with a big sign on the trailer that says, 'Jesus Christ died for our sins, was raised the third day according to the Scriptures. Yet if Christ be not risen, then your faith is in vain; you're still in your sins.' What is it about you people? You seem to be pretty convinced of that message since you hang it out there like that. Don't you understand that's not really the popular message of today, to tell people, 'You're still in your sins.'"? They don't want to be in their sins. (Or, I should say, "You're still bound by that disease." They're "righteously challenged.") It becomes very obvious when you have no apologies for your testimony of His redemptive work, His lordship, and what it means to be this unique people, the children of light. What an opportunity to share again the love of God and to represent the commandments!

How do you know that you know Him? "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (verses 3-4). "Oh man! John is hammering us here!" If you say that you have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, you're what? Look at verse 6 of chapter 1. What does it say? You're a liar! You say that you know Him; you walk in darkness; you're a liar. You say you know Him, and keep not His commandments; you're a liar.

So, what do we do the next time we're here with somebody who's part of us, and their life is habitually expressing this one thing? We go to challenge them with the Word of God, and they say, "Yeah, I'm really battling that; but I just really love the Lord." You need to just look them dead in the eye and say, "You're a liar!" John would have done that. Why do you keep lying to yourself? You're never going to get free if you keep lying to yourself. You're either backslidden, or you were never born again. Christians don't live like that, because "Christian" means "Christ-like," walking as He walked. Now, we'll get into the habitual aspect of that; but I'm wanting you to see how all of these centuries have diluted the church, and have made it tolerant of sin. It really has not understood what it means to be born again, to be regenerated, to begin the process of sanctification, and to endure unto glorification.

Another evidence (we said this morning) of the new creature is that we love the light; we want to know the truth. Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. If we say that we know Him, and keep not His commandments, we are liars, and the truth is not in us. But whoso keepeth his [say the next word with me] word..." (verse 5). So, when we approach people, what do we approach them with? The Word of God.

When you go to work tomorrow, and that person is there that says they're a Christian--they bring their 40-pound Bible to work, and they've got this huge cross, and an ichthus is sewn on their pockets, and these different things, and they come in--they're just stinking the place up, man! They're whited sepulchers, full of dead men's bones. What do we approach them with? The Word of God. "Hey, man, I noticed your 7-pound cross and your 40-pound Bible. I just happened to notice that (this is always interesting.) Are you born again?" "What do you mean, am I born again? Can't you see my necklace? Check out my ichthus!" "Well, I've seen all that stuff, but I've also heard you lying to people--the boss and customers. I was just wondering if you understand that anybody who is habitually a liar is of their father, the devil. Do you not understand that every liar is going to find his place in the lake of fire? Do you know, tragically, who you're lying to the most? You're lying to yourself." If you can bring somebody clearly the Word of God and show them these areas, then (as we said this morning) you begin to immediately determine who they are and where their heart is.

So, check it out; this is interesting. He says, then, that as we bring this truth to them, "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him [we abide in Him, and He abides in us] ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked" (verses 5-6). Now, if we put the standard up there and say, "What does that passage mean? Does it mean sinless perfection?" Of course it doesn't mean sinless perfection. We can't walk experientially in that perfection, though doctrinally we would say it's possible through the provision that God's grace has afforded us. But experientially, nobody's done it, and probably won't. So what does it mean to walk as He walked? If it doesn't mean sinless perfection, then what does it mean? It means absolute dependence upon Father. To walk as He walked is to speak His words, not our own, to do His will, not our own. To walk as He walked means, very clearly, to be aware of our humanness.

Listen, beloved. Don't for a moment think that it was impossible for Jesus to have sinned. Now we're getting into one of these great debates about not only the sovereignty of God, but the omnipotence of God, and all of these different areas. But you need to understand one thing: it was possible; He was a man. The first Adam walked in sinlessness and innocence in the Garden of Eden, and then was brought down through his own pride, was brought down through the rebellion in his home and family through broken order. He abdicated his lordship in the home, and the woman rose up, and he subordinated, and it was the original sin that continues to this day. The biggest problem in our homes today is that same broken order. We've talked about that.

Did I tell you what happened in the prisons the other day with the Mother's Day cards? Did I share that? (I can't remember.) This greeting card company made available Mother's Day cards to all of the prisoners. They lined up clear out into the courtyard! The inmates in this prison--hundreds, and hundreds, and hundreds of them--were in line, and they gave out all of these Mother's Day cards. The greeting card company thought, "Well, this was nice; we'll do it again on Father's Day." So, they went to the same prison and offered Father's Day cards. Not one person. Now, why is that? This isn't something that's just common to this generation. You're going to have to go back generation, after generation, after generation to find out what the problem is here. Have you noticed that guys don't go off to war with "Dad" tattooed on their arm? Al Jolson didn't get down on his knees and sing, "Daddy, my dear old Daddy!" Yet the Scripture says, "...the glory of children are their Fathers" (Proverbs 17:6). What's wrong? We've got it totally backwards. The glory of the children is their Father. Well, how did we get things so backwards? Who did this? Who do you think is behind this? The devil, sin. Do you want to find out whether you're a Christian or not? Who's the glory of your house? Man, you got quiet on that one; dear Lord! What am I pushing for? I'm pushing for beefing up Father's Day, man! I want flowers and chocolates!

What is this spirit that we're dealing with? Do you see the subtleness of the enemy, the broken order, how things can be so disorderly, and yet be so common to us that we don't even see it? You know, we oppose this with such vehemence that people think that somehow I'm some kind of chauvinist. You ask my wife if I like women or not! But I don't like all women. I like virtuous women. The other ones I want to knock out, man! That big attic for that dripping woman isn't big enough. I'll catch her and beat the tar out of her! It's unacceptable; it's the original sin. It's blasphemy to say we're Christians and then live like the world does in these areas. What does the Scripture say here? If we say that we're in fellowship with Him, if we say that we love Him, then we're to walk as He walked. We allow His standards to become the dominant pursuit of our lives.

You go on, and we see that whosoever keeps His Word, in Him is the love of God perfected. You see, the commandment is love. But love is equated in John's epistle with obedience to the Word. There is no love without doing the Word. There is no love without applying the Word of God properly to whomever it is that we're loving--fathers, mothers, children, brothers and sisters. You see, the problem we have in our churches today is that there's no distinction. The love within most professed churches today is just secular love. It's tolerance, or it's lust of what can be gained out of any interpersonal relationship. But it's surely not the emptying of ourselves for the good of the other person; it's not the knowledge of the Word of God, the application of the Word of God, the pursuit of the Word of God that makes those that we love better Christians. Don't say you love somebody if your whole relationship with them is not to make them a better Christian. You don't love them if your whole relationship is not to make them better Christians. You don't love them biblically; you love them the way the world loves. It's all secular. So, how do you know if we're born again? If we can properly apply the love of God in our community, in our homes, etc.

How do we know if somebody is a Christian? If they'll let us love them with God's love. Do you allow yourself to be loved the way God says love expresses itself? Or do you demand secular love, which says, "You'll love me based on my perception of love"? "If you don't treat me this way, this way, this way, and this way, you don't love me. I will establish the standard of love and let you know whether you're loving me or not." That's not love. You can't say you're a Christian and relate in that way. It's obvious. "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth [you can understand this new love and this new application]. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother [doesn't love his brother with the Word of God, does not demand that his brother keeps the commandments, is not living the commandments before his brother] is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, [brings the light to his brother] and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother [he that allows his brother to live in sin, that will not bring the Word of God to his brother, who doesn't bring reproof, rebuke, and instruction into righteousness, he who hates his brother] is in darkness, and walketh in darkness [he is not only having an improper relationship with a brother in darkness, but because he's refusing to love his brother, he himself is in darkness], and knoweth not whither he goeth, [and] because that darkness hath blinded his eyes [they're both going to fall into the ditch]" (verses 5-11). A little bit of commentary there, but this is what he's saying to us.

Knowing who this epistle was being written to, do you see the environment of the church? "Love your brother." "Hey, tolerance man! We're all living these sinful lives; we're all living in rebellion; we're all living in lasciviousness. But, praise God, we're in the light, and we love God, and we love one another." And you're saying, "You're all in darkness! Love is keeping the commandments. Don't say you love God and don't love your brother." How can you say you love God (he goes on to say in the epistle) Whom you haven't seen, and you can't even love your brother whom you live with daily?

Does this help you understand this passage, this section, a little bit better? Do you see what he's saying here, and who he's writing to, and what the environment is? When you read this epistle, put yourself in this church. When you're reading Corinthians, put yourself in the Corinthian Church. We know what they were like. Put yourself in the church here. And do you know what? They're no different than we are. We as a fellowship here are in better shape than the Corinthian church. Can you say, "Praise God!" for that? But we've got some Corinthians among us, and we've got some of those from the Galatian churches among us that are Judaizers. And, as this general epistle to the church at large, we have Gnostics here in our midst. He's telling us how to relate to this spirit of antichrist.

So, the second point to knowing if we have eternal life abiding in us is: are we keeping His commandments and walking as He walked? As John speaks toward this same aspect he says, "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us" (3:24). The Spirit that dwells in us cries, "Abba Father!" The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God. How do we know that? Are we obeying His commandment? Now, in the context of this whole thing, as we've read to this point--obeying the commandment, the love of God--we saw what it meant. It means representing His lordship. It means representing a life of submission, and holiness, and pursuit of the light. So, lets sum it up to this point. Loving the brothers (which is the commandment) is demanding light in your life and theirs. That's the summation of these verses that we read up to this point. And if you don't, then don't say you're born again. You're a liar, and the truth isn't in you.

When were out ministering in the secular workplace to those who are saying they're Christians, the first thing to do is don't just say, "You're a liar!" Challenge them and say, "Explain to me what is a Christian." If you don't know somebody, but you see something a little suspect in their life, you say, "I understand that you're professing to be a believer. But I was just wondering, what does it mean to be a Christian?" "Well, you go to church on Easter." "Okay. And that's it?" "Well, midnight mass on Christmas." "Is that all it requires? How about one trip to Mecca? If those are the requirements, let's just cover all the bases." What a year that would be spiritually--hit Easter, midnight mass, Mecca, and go listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and go listen to one of Shirley Maclain's personalities! What does it mean to be a Christian? It means to walk as He walked. It means to keep His commandments. It means to be a lover of the light. It means to be an ambassador. As we go on into the study on Wednesday, we're going to see that it means hating sin and understanding righteousness.

I want to finish this second point here, and then we'll unhook for this evening. Over in John's gospel, chapter 14 (you can get that in your notes, and take a look at verses 21 through 24), as you're sharing with these folks on the job, look at what it says here. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (verse 21). If you're born again, you're going to be having some visitations from God. I don't mean He's going to appear in your room. That could happen. But God should be manifesting Himself to you. "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, Peter, but My Father. You're a blessed man to have the visitation, the manifestation of God. If you keep My commandments [to he that has shall more be given], I will reveal Myself to you. We'll come and fellowship with you, Father and I." "Judas saith to him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" (verse 22). "How are we going to know You, and You're going to appear, and the world won't?" Jesus gave him the understanding, and He said, "If any man loves Me, he will love My Word; he'll have an appetite for My Word. If any man loves Me, He can find Me in My Word. And the world doesn't go to My Word, because the spiritual truths--if they open this book, it's coded." What do I mean by "coded"? They can't read these words and understand them? Of course; they can read this same page you and I do, and write an essay on it. But the truths are foolishness to them; they're spiritually discerned.

Point number two. How do we know if we have eternal life abiding in us? Are you getting revelation from the Word? Is it not foolishness to you to submit to your husband? Is it not foolishness to you to love your husband, and love your children, and keep the home? Is it not foolishness to you, men, to love your wives as you love yourself, to lay your life down for them, to admire them in their role as the weaker vessel, and (if they're subordinating their lives because of their relationship to Jesus) to humble yourself, and realize the magnitude of that call and how difficult it is to walk in that subordination? It can only be done by the grace of God in their lives. So, to love them is to recognize their obedience to Jesus, and to honor them, and not take advantage of their submission. Do you love them enough that you'll spend time on your face before God, and set a course for your household, so that you can say, "If you follow me, you'll end up in the presence of God"? That's what it means to love your wives--to bring them to the light, to say, "Follow me, as I follow Christ."

"How is it going to be done, Judas? Those that love Me will keep My words." "...And my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not [say it with me] keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me" (verses 23b-24). It's very simple. Do you love God? Keep His sayings. So, now I have to sit down and say, "Okay, if I love God, what are His sayings? What does God tell me to do? What is my role, first of all, as an individual who knows God as a Christian? What do Christians--not male, not female, but Christians--do? What is my responsibility as a Christian? Number one, am I keeping that? Now besides that, I have another role; I'm a husband. What do Christian husbands do? Because you see, if I'm born again, and I have eternal life abiding in me, I have a role. I'm to walk as He walked. I'm His representative. I'm believing in His name. I'm representing His name. Okay; so, what do I do now as a Christian husband? I'm also a father. What do I do as a Christian father? How am I loving my children?" You see, the secular has their definition of what it means to be a father, and what the responsibilities of a father are, and these different things.

It's interesting; this is just something that came from Italy. The good news is, it says there are less Italians in the world today; so that's good. I grew up in a town that was like 50 percent Italian, 49 percent Black, and 1 percent redneck. (I got a birthday card today--a month early. I appreciate it, man; Neil was on the ball! He's beat everybody else to my birthday this year. Actually, April 7^th is my Dad's birthday. May 7^th is my birthday--for your notes! Neil sent me a card and a dollar. I appreciate that. That's a tradition. In our family, however, the tradition was you got a dollar for every year. So, I'll expect fifty-four more, Neil, in a month. It gives you a month to raise the money!) So, I joke about the Italians. We grew up around them and Vito and the boys.

"In a ruling set down in Rome today, through Italy's highest appeals court, they've decreed that fathers must carry on supporting adult children until they find a job of their liking. Psychologists warned that the decision could discourage people from having children in a country whose birth rate is already one of the lowest in the world [that was the good news I shared], while commentators said it could boost Italy's already high unemployment rate. The case revolves around a wealthy family in Southern Naples where the father is still paying $680.00 a month in maintenance to a son who's in his mid-30's and has a university law degree. The son also has a trust fund worth a quarter of a million dollars, an apartment in the nicest part of town, and has turned down several job offers. But the Court ruled that the father, who is a former Parliamentarian and respected from the Neapolitan Medic [whatever that is from their region], should carry on supporting his estranged son. [maybe 'strange son,' but it says 'estranged son'] 'You cannot blame a young person [he's got young person's disease!], particularly from a well-off family, who refuses a job that does not fit his aspirations. The parents must be responsible for their upkeep.'" That's the court's ruling.

Well, there's secular love, and there's biblical love. How are you loving your children? Are you bringing them to the light? Are you keeping the pressure on, to where they can understand (as that segment we read in John) that they themselves are in darkness, that they're not keeping the commandments of God? You see, this is the love of God, beloved. There isn't any other expression of love than to do the Word of God and keep His commandments. Don't say you love your children if you're letting them rebel against God and move contrary to biblical principles. Don't say you love your spouse if you in any way--listen--if you in any way are accepting non-biblical behavior in their lives. Don't talk about loving them. You just love yourself, and you surely don't love God. It's important that we begin to identify where we find ourselves in this walk in the Spirit.

We'll end with Hebrews 5:9 for this evening. We're to walk as Jesus walked. If you say you know Him, you're to keep His commandments and walk and He walked. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered [endured]; and being made perfect [complete, finishing the mission, fulfilling His role] he became the author of eternal salvation [How do you know if you're born again? How do you know if eternal life is abiding in you? He became the author of eternal salvation to all of those that--say it with me] unto all them that obey him" (verses 8-9, emphasis added).

Father, we ask that Your Word would become real to us. As we examine our hearts (first ourselves), and as we look around, we believe that You're coming back, Lord, and there are a lot of people out there who the Gnostics have deceived. They know it's not right, but everybody says its okay to live that way. The teachers are telling them that it's okay. The populous is telling them that this is the acceptable thing; yet, many are confused. We have Your Word on eternal life. We have these principles that are so clear that can set an honest man free, where there is no hope, where there's just confusion and a lack of joy.

"I've written these things that your joy might be full." You'll never have joy in darkness; you have to come to the light. Where are you tonight? Have you been in the light, and yet you find yourself in the bush? You hear the Word of the Lord coming as He's walking in the Garden, but you don't run to Him anymore; you just kind of stand on the fringe. What level are you seeking in this fellowship--penlight, or those big search lights that the grand openings have? You just walk up and stand right in front of the thing and say, "Does anybody see anything?" There is that kind of pursuit of light, and then there are those who are opening the trunk of the car, and light comes on, and they say, "How do I look?" They're hiding out in the shadows in the parking lot, when the grand opening light is over here. How do you respond to darkness around you? Is it acceptable? If we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, tolerate darkness, then we lie; the truth is not in us. As we go on in the study, the admonition is there. If you're not in that light, it's time to repent. It's time to fall on the Rock and be broken. It's time to cry out to God. If you're feeling any conviction, if you have any twinge inside of you that says, "You need to get back on course," then there's life in you. God is pruning you; be thankful for it. But act; do it now; change your course! Draw nigh unto God; He will draw nigh unto you.

Let's stand. As Gary plays for us--I told you, we've had a couple of the young people bail in the last couple of days. This is one of the things that's prompted me along these lines. I'm just wanting to make sure that this next generation--it's so important that there is an understanding that it's personal. Every individual has to embrace God themselves. You don't inherit salvation. God doesn't have any grandkids. So many have no concept of what's out there in the world, and they won't believe. They won't believe what the Word says; they have to go out and find out for themselves. You see, you're not born again. Any idiot can go out and have a personal experience. That's not wisdom; that's stupidity, when the Scripture tells you what the consequences are going to be to lascivious living.

Kimberly told one of the young ladies that was going out, "If you're going to go, then go." They said they might go this Baptist church. She said, "Why? Why fool around? Just go out there and sleep with everybody you can find to sleep with; go out and take drugs, and do it!. If you're going to go out and serve the devil, then go out and find out what kind of a taskmaster he is. You're going to hell--not for all of that, but for the very fact that you said you want to control your own life. So why go to hell sitting a church?" If I'm going to hell, it's not going to be sitting in a church; it's going to be sitting in a bar. If I'm going to hell and serve the god of the world's system, then I'm going to be a thief just like him. I'm going to be a liar just like him. I'm going to be good at it. I was good at it. But one of the things that I'm encouraging you that are sitting here tonight--not only the young people, but the rest of you: you've got to make a decision. If you're not absolutely pursuing the light, then you're going to hell. Why play games? Get on with it, because you're not going to make it; you won't be able to stay here. Children of light, you represent it in every area. There's no exceptions.

Let's sing it together and thank Him for His presence in our lives. "Jesus Draw Me Close..."

As we hear this, those of us that are children of light, what's this message to you and me? To purify ourselves as He is pure. What is the message to you and me? That we would walk more in the light. It enables us to help those who are around us, to deal with the issues in our life that we might see clearly to represent His lordship and to walk as He walked. "Yes, I'm born again, but I want to be more like Him, praise God!"

Make it real to us Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody and say, "Walk in the light." Praise God! Go in God's peace.

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