For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.

 John 18:33-40

For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. John 18:37b-c

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 18:33-40, where we Pilates' final questioning of Jesus.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus is questioned by Pilate and the dialogue can be summarized as follows: (1) Pilate asks Jesus whether He is King of the Jews and Jesus responds with a question in return whether Pilate truly wants to know this or whether Pilate asks this because the Jewish elders think this of Jesus and of course want to trap into guilt for blasphemy. (2) In v35, Pilate seeks to assess Jesus' guilt - what is the crime of which Israel (His own nation) accuses Him.  Jesus then seeks to clarify that He and His Kingdom are unlike Israel which are of the world - He is not from the world. (3) Pilate than asks if Jesus is a king and Jesus does not respond directly but instead clarifies that His purpose is to "bear witness to the truth." 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Pilate asks an interesting question in v38 that in the next two verses - vv39-40 demonstrates that the Jewish leadership is not interested in the truth because if they were they would seek it and believe in Jesus.  But instead they see Jesus as a threat to their status and power and seek to kill Him.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid listening and falling for Satan's lies. Claim the promise that Jesus is King of an everlasting Kingdom and He is saving a place in Heaven for us.  Follow the example of Jesus to bear witness to the Truth.  Know Jesus's voice and His truth (v37c) - the Bible (study it!) - then share it!.

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You give me Truth and reveal Truth/Yourself to me...and save me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts,‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’

Zephaniah 1:12-13

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts,‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ Zephaniah 1:12

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is an unassisted review of the fourth division per my commentary: vv12-13. Here, Zephaniah delivers a stern warning to those who are complacent.  First, assuming you are using the ESV translation in v12 which refers to those who are "complacent - it is important to understand the meaning of the word which is defined as "marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies."  This definition applies to those who in previous verses vv1-11 were consumed and satisfied by other gods of their own choosing and not the One True God - Yahweh.  Vv1-11 also describe Judah as being guilty of being aware of sin - idolatry, etc. - in their midst but not doing anything about this danger.  It starts with a fascination perhaps of sin and then perhaps a level of comfort which then evolves into an all consuming desire of sin.  John wrote about this danger in 1 John 2:15-17 when he wrote:   

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Romans 3:20 shares how scripture and knowledge of the law reveals sin - so we must understand God and His will for us, including His commandments.  We are then able to discern sin and Romans 12:2 further describes how a daily study of God's Word renews our mind, helping us not only understand sin but also God's will for our lives. Refer to these texts.

I go back to Zephaniah 1:6 where God seeks for us to follow and inquire of Him.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion.  Thank You for giving me Your Word and the Holy Spirit so that I can be in relationship with You and You can grow in my heart and I can get to know You more and become more like You.  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues..daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

Jude

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. Jude 17-19

I proceed with my study of Jude using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my study consists of a review of Jude 17-23, with a focus on a commentary-assisted review of the first division per the commentary - vv17-19. Per the commentary:

Main idea for vv17-23: "Since there will always be false teachings, Christians should diligently watch for false teachers and seek to rescue all from their destructive message, even as they eagerly await the return of Christ."

Division and subdivisions for vv17-19:

• Remember the Words of Our Lord
• The presence of false teachers is certain
• The portrait of false teachers is clear
• They are scoffers, sensual, schismatic, and Spiritless

We are of course not surprised how the gospel is warped by many of our contemporaries, even within the church and this will continue until Jesus comes again.  Vv17-19 start with Jude urging us to remember the words of Jesus and His apostles.  We must also remember how false teachers are just as much a certainty as the gospel itself in terms of how it saves and it is Truth. On top of Jude's warning, the commentary points us to Matthew 7:15-23, 24:11,14, Acts 20:29-30, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 2 Peter 2:1-3,12-22, and 1 John 2:18-23, 4:1-3.  We should be able to spot these false teachers as they focused on self vs God - the commentary shares how they: "laugh at, sneer at, and make light of God’s holiness and moral perfection. They joke about God’s righteous character and have no reverence for his purity....[and how they] [m]ock God’s law and moral precepts, these men walk according to their own ungodly lust....[and they] pursue anything that pleases their selfish desires. They live on the earthly plane, not the heavenly. They are not spiritual but carnal. For them lust is lord. Passion is their sovereign dictator." The commentary also shares how false teachers can be identified by how they cause divisions in the church and how they remain lost and Spiritless, as we are referred to Romans 8:9 and Titus 1:16.  See also my post yesterday. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who provides Truth so that I can know You, follow You, be sanctified by You, and ultimately saved by You.  Thank for these blessings and so much more!  Of course I am undeserving.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

Jude

These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.  Jude 12-13

I proceed with my study of Jude using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my study consists of a review of Jude 11-16, with a focus on a commentary-assisted review of the second division per the commentary - vv12-13 - which the commentary titles God Condemns the Ungodly Because of Their Deception. The commentary shares that "[p]retending to be full of love and concern for others, they are egocentric and selfish. Stepping into positions of leadership, they are like destructive reefs hidden just below the surface. They are slow to reveal their true colors and commitments; and when they do, the body of Christ can be damaged or destroyed. A church, a college, a seminary, even a denomination is vulnerable if it is not vigilant in keeping its eyes open and its guard up."  The commentary then, referring to "waterless clouds" with clouds and wind but no rain, shares that "[t]hese false teachers promise liberty but enslave; they promise prosperity but impoverish; they promise refreshment and leave their followers parched; and they promise life but bring death."  Describing the text which compares false teachers to fruitless trees that wither and die, the commentary shares that "[t]hey project a false understanding of godliness and the spiritual life, and those who buy into their deception eventually discover they produce no good thing. Fruitless and rootless, rootless, dead top to bottom, they are uprooted and destroyed. They show no fruit of regeneration, no fruit of character, no fruit for King Jesus."  Referring to how the text describes false teachers as waves that crash and expose their sin, the commentary shares that "[t]hey make a lot of noise with great swelling words, but they do not have a life to back it up. They may tour and fill arenas, get on television and write books, blog and gain a following, but none of this proves their genuine faith." Finally, the text describes false teachers as washouts that do not produce anything eternal: "[f]alse teachers are shooting stars, here today and gone tomorrow. They burn bright for a night and then vanish into the midnight darkness, never to be seen or heard from again. Their history is short lived, leaving a legacy of no real significance. Because they wander about, these teachers show no consistency or reliability. They promise spiritual light; but they are aimless, erratic, and destined for God’s condemnation, which is described here as “the blackness of darkness” reserved forever. They may fool men, but they do not fool God."  We are encouraged by Jude to discern Truth including churches we attend and other influences we have.  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of love and grace for me - giving me Truth and a church and Godly men and women who sharpen me and provide Godly examples.  Thank You Jesus!  I am grateful for such blessings!  Yet I am undeserving of such blessings and for my salvation. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Jude

Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. Jude 11

I proceed with my study of Jude using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my study consists of a review of Jude 11-16, with a focus on a commentary-assisted review of the first division per the commentary - v11 - which the commentary describes with the title God Condemns the Ungodly Because of Their Decisions.  Scripture is full of examples of those condemned by God because of how they reject God.  False teachers, as describe by Jude, represent one such category of those condemned by God.  The commentary shares how these false teachers from Jude are "hateful, greedy, and rebellious."  They are compared by Jude to Cain as depicted in the commentary as "self-centered in character and consumed by self-love, [Cain] chose his way over God’s and in the process killed his brother. Guilty of fostering a man-made religion, he turned from God and turned on others."  Balaam is also used as a reference point by Jude for false teachers - the commentary points us to Numbers 22-24 where Balaam's story as a false teacher unfolds - he was simply seeking monetary gain. "People were a means to an end, and God killed him for it (see also Numbers 31:8)." V11 also describes Korah as a false teacher/leader who led the Israelites astray - Korah's story unfolds in Numbers 16. The commentary describes Korah as a "Levite who rejected the God-ordained spiritual authority of Moses and Aaron. As a result, God destroyed him, his household, and his followers. Like Korah, these men in Jude’s day were a law unto themselves, rebellious in heart and nonsubmissive in attitude. Like Korah, they would perish. Arrogance and pride are always on the radar screen for God’s certain condemnation."  We must always be on the lookout and be able to discern false teachers and teaching.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God that gives me Truth so that You can reveal Yourself to me, speak to me, sharpen me, and make me more like You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide scripture and Truth.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Jude

Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. Jude 11

I proceed with my study of Jude using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my study consists of a review of Jude 11-16, with a focus on an unassisted review of the first division per the commentary - v11.  Here Jude warns us of the fate that befalls the false teachers discussed in the previous verses of Jude including v4 where Jude calls them out for how they "pervert[ed] the grace of our God into sensuality and den[ied]" the authority and sovereignty of Jesus Christ.  Jude further describes their sin by comparing them first to Cain whose offering to God failed to reflect a heart of faith and he killed his brother out of jealousy (see Genesis 4).  Second, Jude compared the false teachers to Balaam who sought reward from Balak, the king of Moab who was seeking a curse upon Israel as the Israelites were moving towards the promised land (see also here) - ultimately it was the Moabites themselves and their idol worship that drew Israel into sin.  Finally, Jude compares the false teachers of his day to Korah and the rebellion he led in the wilderness where Korah "usurp[ed] the authority of God and of those whom He has chosen to be leaders of His people." There are many contemporary equivalents to false teachers who pervert the gospel for their own gain and we must both carefully discern truth for ourselves and seek out churches and other influences that focus on Truth.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me Your Word, the church, wise counsel, and other resources/influences to help me discern and obey Truth.  Thank You Jesus!  I am blessed by the Truth.  Yet I am undeserving of the love and blessing that comes with the Truth.  My sin is great and it continues...please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 4

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

I resume my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of 1 John 4:1-6.

Per the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Genuine Christians will avoid false teachers and will recognize that true teachers possess the Spirit of God and preach Jesus Christ as the risen Lord."

Excerpts from the introduction:

• "Calling out and identifying false teachers is neither fun nor popular. It is, however, both biblical and necessary."
• "Again we are reminded that our greatest dangers are not from without but from within."
•  "God. John provides a fourfold test we must take. This exam is more important than any you will ever take in any school. Its results are of eternal significance."
  

Divisions: 

1. Are You Following False Prophets (4:1)?: All believers have the obligation to assess truth vs lies. See also Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:20-22, and 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 for text elsewhere we can use to discern the distinction between truth and lies. Scripture provides ample warnings about false teachers: see also Matthew 7:15, 24:11, 14, Mark 13:21-23, Acts 20:28-30, 2 Peter 2:1-22, and Jude 4-19.
   
2. Are You Confessing the True Jesus (4:2-3)?: If we are to discern truth, we must believe that Jesus "is the very incarnation of God, then the gospel and only the gospel is true....[A true confession] is heartfelt, mind-engaged, and soul-committed. It is on this truth that authentic Christianity stands or falls—that there was a true, genuine, and permanent wedding of deity and humanity in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son." We must be prepared to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior just as Peter did in Matthew 16:16.
   
3. Are You Trusting in the Greater Spirit (4:4)?: With the Holy Spirit and the full armor of God (Ephesians 6) we are stronger than the world. "[We]  can live confidently, blessed with supernaturally given assurance that [we are] His and that [we] fight a battle in which victory is mine for the taking."
   
4. Are You Listening to the Right Teachers (4:5-6)?

Excerpt from the conclusion: "A battle is indeed raging for the hearts, the minds, and the souls of men and women. Be a good soldier of Christ and the cross, of that which is true and that which is right. Test the spirits, confess Christ as Lord, trust the Holy Spirit who is within, and stay latched to the Word. Here is your strength. Here is your safety. Here is your salvation."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - You provide Truth, the full armor of God, discernment, etc. to help me defeat the forces of darkness, including false teachers that seek the pry me from Your hands.  Thank You for Your protection.  I am undeserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.