1 John Chapter 2\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Verses 1-12\u00a0 We will finish the chapter\u00a0next time.<\/p>\n
John gives us his goal in chapter 2 verse 1, the goal is to help us sin not.\u00a0 The previous chapter we are told that we will sin.\u00a0 Now John wants us to grow away from having sin in our lives.\u00a0 Sin feels okay when there is no truth, because the action is not known until truth exposes sin.\u00a0 As we grow in the truth we change because our behavior is exposed as sin or as it is put in chapter 1 the light of truth exposes that we are in darkness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we sin, we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous.\u00a0 This is our defense attorney that shows His righteous on behalf of the believers.\u00a0 Satan is the accuser before God, and we give Satan many sinful events to accuse us of.\u00a0 But grace gave us the righteousness of God who stands as our advocate declaring the saved covered by His blood.\u00a0 The advocate also stands with us through life.<\/p>\n
Not only is Jesus an advocate for us but He is our propitiation.\u00a0 Propitiation means satisfier.\u00a0 Here is the Holman Bible Dictionaries definition: propitiation emphasizes the appeasement or averting of God\u2019s\u00a0wrath and\u00a0justice. Propitiation is related to\u00a0reconciliation, since it is through Christ\u2019s death on the cross for our\u00a0sins that we are reconciled to a God of\u00a0holy\u00a0love (Rom. 5:9-11;\u00a02 Cor. 5:18-21;\u00a0Col. 1:19-23).<\/p>\n
Why do we feel saved at times and not saved at other times?\u00a0 God helps us on this subject through John\u2019s writings over the next few verses.\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 3 , \u201cwe know that we know Him\u201d.\u00a0 First catch we know, we have a peace about salvation when certain things are carried out in our lives.\u00a0 Even the saved will live unsure when they are surrounded by darkness.\u00a0 In order to feel salvation we need to allow some things to happen in our spiritual growth.<\/p>\n
Keeping the commandments of God help us understand we are His child.\u00a0 Our actions and desires to do right confirm our salvation.\u00a0 Our actions do not create or bring about salvation, but it does confirm redemption has taken place.\u00a0 The scriptures move from commandments to keeping God\u2019s word.\u00a0 We take in God\u2019s word and we grow in life allowing the Word to be perfect in us, or to mature us spiritually.\u00a0 It even goes deeper than keeping God\u2019s word to walking as Christ walked in verse 6.\u00a0 God even takes us deeper yet to loving our brother.\u00a0 This is the out working of the gospel.\u00a0 We receive Christ and desire His commandments, we learn of Christ and desire His ways, we grow in Christ in so much we live as Christ and that brings out a love of God where we love the people of God.<\/p>\n
The process is cut off when we leave the light.\u00a0 Just as a plant needs light to grow, we need the light of God and His Word to grow.\u00a0 Maybe you doubt your salvation.\u00a0 If you do make sure first you are saved, you have repented and received the work of Christ on the cross as the payment for your sins.\u00a0 If you are saved, maybe you are spiritually starving.<\/p>\n
Share how the reading is going as well as any questions or concerns with us.<\/p>\n
mbpastor@fidmail.com<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 Pastor Joe\u2019s email\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0memorial@fidnet.com<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 Diane\u2019s email \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Youth@mbcnewhaven.com<\/a>\u00a0 Pastor Mark\u2019s email<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":1167,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","filesize_raw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[23,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-reading","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1167"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=974"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":975,"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/974\/revisions\/975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbcnewhaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}