Wednesday, December 7, 2016

12-7-2016 Vol. 14 Part 36 The Gospel of John (John 8:35-47)

To Print Out The Lesson Click On The Title Below.

Proverbs 19:20-29
20  Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.
21  Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
22  What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.
23  The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24  The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25  Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.
26  He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.
27  Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28  A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29  Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
Father God, help us to prepare our hearts this Christmas Season. I pray Lord that with the hustle and bustle of this season, all will keep you in the foremost part of their mind, because it is all about YOU! In Jesus name we pray.  Amen!
Gospel of John 8:35-47 NKJV
Last week’s lesson was about the sin nature and being a slave to sin. Anyone that practices sin is a slave to the creator of sin, the devil. A slave to sin does not belong to God’s family. This week we have more of Jesus attempting to convince these leaders that He is the long awaited Messiah.
35  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever..
And a slave does not abide in the house forever; This phrase means a slave or a servant of sin has no place in the family of God, just like a slave has no inheritance in the family they are serving. If a slave or servant isn’t faithful to their master, they will be rejected; it is the same with a sinner.
But a son abides forever; Meaning an individual that has given their heart to Jesus and is living for Jesus; belong to God’s family as long as their faith remains in the Cross of Christ.
36  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
The Son of course is Jesus the heir of all things and He has the right and power to redeem mankind of their sinful state of being. He and only He can deliver a person from the bondage and dominion of sin; a state of freedom not from the chains of earthly master and monarchs, but from the bondage of sin.
37  "I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
Here Jesus even agrees with His listeners that they are descendants of Abraham, but yet they do not know Him. They don’t know His doctrine; the principles of what He is teaching; they had no room in their heart for His doctrine. They heard with their mind only, in fact they hated what Jesus was teaching and therefore sought to kill Him. They were so filled with pride, and prejudice, and false notions, that they would not receive his truth.
What is so sad today is that the world is the same as the Jews of Jesus time. People believe, but only with their mind. What is necessary for salvation is to believe with the heart through repentance. A person needs to push aside pride, heritage, customs, and religion and accept the Word of God in totality with their heart, and deny the teachings of self and man devised denominational religion.
38  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."
I speak what I have seen with My Father; Time after time Jesus tells these people who He is and where He came from, yet it falls on deaf ears because they practice a religion of death.
And you do what you have seen with your father; Here Jesus is telling these Jews that even though they are descendants of Abraham, they do not conduct themselves as children of Abraham. Abraham listened to God and obeyed; his faith was in God, but these people obey the Devil; their faith was in self righteousness, deceit, lies, etc.
39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.
These Jews were persistent and what they were claiming was true physically meaning heritage, but not spiritually. Speaking spiritually, if these Jews practiced what Abraham did, they would recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Abraham loved God, had faith in God, and looked for God’s Son to come. He had a spiritual relationship with God that these Jews didn’t have, if they would have, they would have believed what Jesus said.
40  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
But now you seek to kill Me; If these people really knew Abraham and the relationship and disposition Abraham had with God, they would have been able to see the sinful life they were living. Jesus also knew what was in their hearts by making this statement.
A man who has told you the truth which I heard from God; All that Jesus was teaching was truth not just because He heard it from God, but also that He is God.
Abraham did not do this; What Jesus is referring to here is that the attitude and conduct of these Jewish people would not have been the attitude and conduct of Abraham if he had been present. Therefore they couldn’t be his children, spiritually speaking.
41  You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God."
You do the deeds of your father; Jesus is plainly saying, that they were doing the deeds not of Abraham, but rather the Devil, which was obvious to all who truly followed the Lord.
Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God; This phrase could be taken several ways. 1.) Were they referring to Jesus possibly, did they know Mary was pregnant before Joseph married her? 2.) Were they referring to themselves since Jesus was accusing them of not being like Abraham so Abraham couldn’t be their father? 3.) Or were they speaking figuratively, that they were not the children of idolaters like those of the past; idolatry being called fornication in Scripture; spiritual idolatry; but that they were the holy seed of Israel, and children of the prophets, who had retained the pure word, and the true worship of God?
Most likely they were referring to 2 & 3 because of the conversation that was taking place. Things haven’t changed much in 2,000 years, still today many people practice spiritual adultery/fornication. They say they are believers, but yet they practice idolatry and following man’s doctrine and not the Word of God.
42  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father; What Jesus is referencing here is a spiritual birth; being Born Again.
You would love me; In the previous verse these Jews stated, “The only Father we have is God Himself.” If they were Born Again the love of God would be in their hearts and they would know who Jesus is. The Holy Spirit would be convicting these people and the hatred they had in their heart would be changed to love. In a regenerated heart, love of Christ is always implanted: it is a fruit of the Spirit, which always comes along with the super abounding grace of God in conversion. Where there is no love of Christ, there can be no regeneration: such a person is not born again; nor is God their Father.
Also those who reject the Bible cannot be friends of God. If they loved God, they would love Him who came from Him, and those who bears His image.
For I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me; Here again Jesus restates where He came from, who sent Him, and who He is.
43  Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
Why do you not understand My speech; Jesus asks a question here and proceeds to answer it.
Because you are not able to listen to My word; Actually what this phrase is referring to is this; they had no spiritual discernment and understanding of the doctrine of Christ, which showed them to be carnal natural men, and not regenerate ones as the children of God are. So they had a dislike to what Jesus was teaching and could not bear to hear it.
Again it is no different today than it was two thousand years ago. The unsaved will argue about the meaning of scripture, for instance, forgiveness. Many believe they don’t have to forgive or can’t find it in their heart to forgive so they base their faith on the mercy of God and that He will forgive them for not forgiving. Scripture states: Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. Scripture is quite clear on forgiveness.
The reason why sinners do not understand the Bible and its doctrines is because they cannot bear the truth, which was the disposition of these Jews. They detest some if not all scripture and their hatred produces unbelief and a disposition to quibble over scripture and to pervert the truth. They take an obstinate stance that it shall not be applied to their life. Therefore, they embrace false doctrine, and choose error rather than truth, and darkness rather than light. A disposition to believe God is one of the best attitudes for understanding the Bible.
44  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do; What this phrase is saying about these leaders is that they are portraying the characteristics of the devil. They have the temper, disposition, and spirit of the devil. They are influenced by him, imitate him, and therefore called his children. 1 John 3:8-10; Acts 13:10
He was a murderer from the beginning; Satan is a lair, deceiver, murderer; and the one that caused death to come about. He deceived Adam and Eve resulting in the sin nature which brings about spiritual death unless one is Born Again. Genesis 2:17 Physical death also came because of the devils deception Genesis 3. Because he was the cause why death came into the world, he can be called a murderer from the beginning.
Satan has in all ages deceived men, and been the cause of their spiritual and eternal death. His work has been to destroy. It was by his instigation, also, that Cain killed his brother, and is the instigator of all murders for all times. As the Jews plotted to kill the Saviour, they showed that they had the spirit of the devil.

And does not stand in the truth; The KJV states this as, “and abode not in the truth.” The meaning of this phrase is that at one time Satan abided by the truth, but then rebelled, and since that time he is a deceiver of the truth.
Because there is no truth in him; There has been no truth in the devil since his fall.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it; Satan is the originator of the “lie”; consequently, his entire kingdom of darkness, in totality, is built on the “lie”. He is the father or originator of falsehood. As the Jews refused to hear the truth which Jesus spoke, so they showed that they were the children of the father of lies.
45  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
The attitudes and actions of these leaders clearly identified them as followers of Satan. They may not have been conscious of this, but their hatred of truth, their lies, and their murderous intentions indicated how much control the devil had over them. They were his tools in carrying out his plan; they spoke the very same language of lies. Satan still uses people to obstruct God's work and when he uses people, the truth cannot be heard, seen, or comprehended. (Genesis 4:8; Romans 5:12; 1 John 3:12)
46  Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
Sin, meaning immorality in life or of any imposture, corruption, or falsehood in doctrine. The argument of our Saviour is this: A doctrine might be rejected if it could be proved that the one delivering it was an impostor; but if you cannot prove this of Me, you are bound to receive my words. Again this shows their true state of spirituality.
47  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."
A person that has a personal relationship with God hears God. Any Born Again person knows this is true. After a person is regenerated there is a communication channel that is opened up that was never heard before. It is an awesome thing.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.” 

(John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

11-30-2016 Vol. 14 Part 35 The Gospel of John (John 8:33-34)

To Print Out The Lesson Click On The Title Below.

Proverbs 19:11-19
11  The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
12  The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass.
13  A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.
14  Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15  Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger.
16  He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die.
17  He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.
18  Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction.
19  A man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
Father God, send you Holy Spirit to humble us and show us we are sinners. Remove the veil of deception from our hearts; remove our religious blinders so that we can abide in you and you in us. In Jesus name we pray.  Amen!
Gospel of John 8:33-34 NKJV
We left off two weeks ago with Jesus telling these Jewish people again who He was; that He was from the Father, that the Father was with Him always, and what He was saying was the Fathers words. Jesus tells them if they believed who He was and what He was saying they would be free of the chains of sin. They wouldn’t be slaves of the sin nature that all human beings inherited from Adam and Eve via the Devil that is the owner of the sin nature. It is because of the sin nature that we act the way we do; that the world is the way that it is; that America is in the shape that it is. It is the blood of Jesus that redeems us and makes us a child of God when we repent of our actions, ask for forgiveness, and ask Jesus to lead us in our life.
Enough said let’s see what these Jewish listeners have to say about bondage which also applies to the Jewish people and the Gentiles of today.
33  They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"
They answered Him, We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone; This is a most remarkable declaration by these Jewish people, and a false one. Their fathers had been slaves in Egypt; their nation had been enslaved in Babylon; it had repeatedly been subject to the Assyrians; it was enslaved by Herod the Great; and was, at the very time they spoke, groaned about being under the dreadful and unbearable bondage of the Romans.
It is no wonder they couldn’t see the bondage of sin when they couldn’t recognize they were slaves under the Roman Government. Sometimes we really have to stop and think; dig really deep into our habits and lifestyle; humble ourselves and admit we are sinners and need a Saviour; that we aren’t good according to God’s Standard.
How can You say, 'You will be made free'; These Jews are thinking physical while Jesus is speaking spiritual. Jesus is speaking of being in bondage of sin due to the fall of Adam (inherited sin nature). People will say anything, however false or ridiculous, to avoid and oppose the truth. People groaning under the most oppressive bondage are often unwilling to acknowledge it in any manner, and are offended at being charged with it. This is the case with all sinners. Sin, and the bondage to sin, produces passion, irritation, and a troubled soul; and a person under the influence of passion regards little what he says, and is often a liar. There is need of the gospel and only the gospel can set people free, calm the anxious, create meekness within, and become lovers of truth; and since every person is by nature the servant of sin, he should without delay be seeking an interest in the gospel, which can make him free.
Bondage blinds the heart just like a young person gets into a relationship with another that is of poor character. The innocent can’t see the road they are going down because of love. They have love bondage blinders on. This is the way the Jews were, they had religious blinders on, do you?
34  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you; In this verse Jesus was telling these people that they were sinners, and, therefore, “servants of sin,” and consequently not “free!” He is not referring to political bondage, but to the slavery of the soul; to evil passions and desires.
Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin; What exactly does this phrase mean? Does it refer to a single sin? Does it refer to sin as a result of temptation? This phrase has a lot more meaning to it than what appears on the surface. Being a slave to sin applies to both believers and nonbelievers, but with two different outcomes. This is something I also struggle with just like other believers. When I was saved Jesus removed several things from my life but left others. Why, I don’t fully understand, maybe as a trial to see if I will remain faithful. Maybe it is one of those mysteries we aren’t to fully understand, or it is to help us grow in faith. The Apostle Paul also struggled with sin in his life because Paul tells us that in Romans 7:15-25 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.  21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law;  23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?  25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
We don’t know what Paul struggled with, but with verse 25, Paul tells us that his true desire; his thoughts; his goal was not to sin, and as long as his faith is anchored in Jesus Christ, he was on the right track toward Heaven. When he would sin it was due to the sin nature within, and sinning was not his true desire; he didn’t delight in sin; he didn’t plot out schemes to sin; etc. His true desire was to please God.
To help understand more of the sin nature the rest of this lesson will deal with the sin nature in our lives both believers and nonbelievers. This is something of utmost importance that we need to fully understand so that we can place our faith properly in Jesus Christ and why He died on the Cross of Calvary for us along with His Resurrection. I’m going to quote some expositor notes here with a summary following on this topic of being a slave of sin. Read these slowly and pay attention to the commas and semi colons to help get the full meaning of what is being said.

John Gill: “Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin; which must be understood, not of one that commits a single act of sin, though ever so gross, as did Noah, Lot, David, Peter, and others, who yet were not the servants of sin; or of such who sin through ignorance, weakness of the flesh, and the power of Satan's temptations, and especially who commit sin with reluctance, the spirit lusting against it; nor indeed of any regenerate persons, though they are not without sin; nor do they live without the commission of it, in thought, word, or deed; and though they fall into it, they do not continue and live in it, but rise up out of it, through the grace of God, and by true repentance; and so are not to be reckoned the servants of sin, or to be of the devil. But this is to be understood of such whose partiality and bent of their minds are to sin; who give up themselves unto it, and sell themselves to work wickedness; who make sin their trade, business, and employment, and are properly workers of it, and take delight and pleasure in it: these, whatever liberty, they promise themselves, are the servants of corruption; they are under the government of sin, that has dominion over them; and they obey it in the lusts thereof, and are drudges and slaves unto it, and will have no other wages at last but death, even eternal death, if grace prevent not.” This verse parallels this topic of slavery to sin. Romans 6:16 Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”
Do you see that Gill said the same thing as Paul? It is what our will is; what our heart wants; it is how sin affects us and what we do; do we immediately want to reconcile with God? Do we talk about (gossip) people and think nothing of it or do you struggle with the sin of gossip?
Paul also teaches about being a slave to sin in Romans. The following explains the laws of bondage or being a slave to something and who a slave obeys.
Romans 6:16  Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Albert Barnes:Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves; The objection noticed in Romans 6:15, {which is (What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!)}, the apostle answers by a reference to the known laws of servitude or slavery, Romans 6:16-20, and by showing that Christians, who had been the slaves of sin, have now become the servants of righteousness, and were therefore bound by the proper laws of servitude to obey their new master: as if he had said, “I assume that you know: you are acquainted with the laws of servitude; you know what is required in such cases.” This would be known to all who had been either masters or slaves, or who had observed the usual laws and obligations of servitude.
You are slaves to the one whom you obey; To whom ye give up yourselves for servitude or obedience. The apostle here refers to voluntary servitude; but where this existed, the power of the master over the time and services of the servant was absolute. The argument of the apostle is, that Christians had become the voluntary servants of God, and were therefore bound to obey him entirely. Servitude among the ancients, whether voluntary or involuntary, was rigid, and gave the master an absolute right over his slave, Luke 17:9; John 8:34; John 15:15. To obey, to be obedient; or for the purpose of obeying his commands, to whom ye come under subjection, that is, you are bound to obey his requirements.
Whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death; The general law of servitude the apostle now applies to the case before him. If people became the servants of sin, if they gave themselves to its indulgence, they would obey it, let the consequences be what they might. Even with death, and ruin, and condemnation before them; they would obey sin. They give pleasure to their evil passions and desires, and follow them as obedient servants even if they lead them down to hell. Whatever be the consequences of sin. Yet he who yields to it must abide by them, even if it leads him down to death and eternal woe.
Or to obedience, which leads to righteousness; The same law exists in regard to holiness or obedience. The man who becomes the servant of holiness will feel himself bound by the law of servitude to obey, and to pursue it to its regular consequences. Unto justification; that is, unto eternal life. The expression stands contrasted with “death,” and doubtless means that he who thus becomes the voluntary servant of holiness, will feel himself bound to obey it, unto complete and eternal justification and life; compare Romans 6:21-22. The argument is drawn from what the Christian would feel of the nature of obligation. He would obey him to Whom he had devoted himself. Romans 6:21-22 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
JSM: “One must notice, that Jesus used the word, “whosoever,” meaning that irrespective of who the person is, if they “commit” or practice sin, they will become, and quickly so, a “servant of sin.”
Every single unbeliever in the world, and irrespective as to how religious he may be (believing in the wrong thing), is a “servant of sin.” As well, and as Paul also addressed in Romans Chapter 6, even Believers can come under the bondage of sin once again, with it ruling in their lives (Rom. 6:12), if they do not properly understand that their victory is in Christ, instead of their own efforts.
In Truth, and sadly so, there are many if not millions of True Believers, who truly love the Lord, and are striving to please Him, but have a misconception of what Christ truly did for them, and despite all of their efforts, are in fact, “servants of sin.” To be honest, we fool ourselves, if we think this is not true. And yet, in a moment’s time, and with any Believer, if they can truly understand what Jesus has purchased for them, and what He truly did, and will have Faith in this, they will immediately be set free from this “weight and the sin, which doth so easily beset them” (Heb. 12:1).
Too often, Believers attempt to overcome in a wrong way. Consequently, their life becomes a constant struggle, which is anything but the “rest” promised by Christ (Mat. 11:28–30). The Believer does not have to do anything to overcome sin, and in fact can do nothing to overcome sin, even by prayer, fasting, the memorizing of certain Scriptures, etc. While these things are extremely important, and will greatly advance the individual in Christ, and draw him closer to the Lord, still, these efforts as holy and righteous as they may be, if carried on in this manner, constitute “works,” and will not, and in fact cannot, bring victory over sin.
Even though the Believer should do these things constantly, which we have just mentioned, still, if we do them in the capacity of which I have stated, in effect, whether we realize it or not, it is saying that Christ did not finish the task at Calvary and the Resurrection, and something else needs to be done or added to His finished work. Consequently, this is something God will not, and in fact, cannot honor.
We are to totally trust what Christ did at Calvary and the Resurrection, understanding that He did it solely for us, and we were in fact in Him by Faith (Rom. 6:3–6), and that He completed the task. He broke the grip of sin within our lives, in that Satan now has no more hold on us. We should believe that and understand that, and “rest” in that. When we do, having Faith in that, the overcoming sin will instantly fall away, and the person will be instantly victorious. That means the sin which some have fought so hard and so long, and made no headway, but rather have regressed, will dissipate like fog under a hot morning Sun.
By simply having Faith in what He did, and that we were in Him (by Faith), thereby trusting that, this makes us dead to sin, and we are no longer a “servant of sin,” but rather, totally victorious in Christ over every sin (Rom. 6:11).
Most of the Church world thinks only of unbelievers as “servants of sin,” but Believers can and do fall into the same category, and simply because of not fully knowing or understanding their rightful place and position in Christ. Once again, it is “knowing the Truth, and the Truth makes us free.” However, it is error in believing that all Christians have all the Truth. They do not! And in Truth, I think one could say, without any fear of exaggeration or contradiction, that no Believer, no matter how mature he is in the Lord, has total understanding of all the Truth given to us by God. Even Paul said, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12).”

Okay, going back to verse 34 the word “commit” in the Strong’s Concordance is defined as practiced; performed repeatedly; habitually. What Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and the commentaries are saying is when a person sins it is caused by the sin nature that resides within us. The difference between a saved person and an unsaved person is that the unsaved willing continue in the sin without any remorse. They will transgress deeper and deeper into sin. Example; a person may start out with a single picture of pornography which leads to more pictures, then to videos and movies, then being obsessed leading to and seeking or plotting rape or child abduction, etc. Drugs, alcohol, stealing, lying, fornication, homosexuality, in fact all sin starts and progress the same way. These people are then a slave to sin; they have no remorse; their faith is in their flesh; they are consumed in sin.
Now the saved individual will sin and realize they sin and will be remorseful and go to the Lord for forgiveness and ask for help to overcome the sin. Their mindset is to please God; their faith is in the Cross of Calvary; they want victory over the sin; they want to be more like Jesus; their trust is in Jesus Christ.
So, what are your thoughts and actions when you are convicted of sinning? Do you give it much thought? Are you remorseful? Does it bother you? Is your attitude, that’s life? Are you a slave to righteousness; Jesus Christ or a slave to sin; the Devil? Is your heart set on pleasing God or self? Do you struggle with sin; is pleasing God front and foremost in your life, if so then you are most likely saved, but if sin is a ho hum attitude and it doesn’t affect you, then you probably aren’t saved.
Take some time to do a deep spiritual examination of yourself. Be honest with yourself in this examination and if need be humble yourself, repent of your lifestyle, ask Jesus to forgive you, and invite Him into your life to lead you. Pray the prayer at the end of this lesson with a “sincere heart”, meaning you want to live according to every Word of God and not man, and He will save you. Read Bible scripture daily with a true desire to learn and live by the Word of God daily.
I truly pray and hope I haven’t confused you and that you have a better understanding of what and how the sin nature works within us. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The key to salvation is realizing we are sinners and we need God’s Grace and not religion.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church

Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.” 

(John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

11-16-2016 Vol. 14 Part 34 The Gospel of John (John 8:21-32)

To Print Out The Lesson Click On The Title Below.

Proverbs 19:1-10
1  Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
2  Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet.
3  The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the LORD.
4  Wealth makes many friends, But the poor is separated from his friend.
5  A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape.
6  Many entreat the favor of the nobility, And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.
7  All the brothers of the poor hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
8  He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.
9  A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish.
10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool, Much less for a servant to rule over princes.
Father God, those of today’s lesson proclaimed they believed in your Son, but your word states otherwise. Some believed with their mind only and fell away quickly. If we are deceived and believing with our mind and not our heart, we ask your Spirit to reveal this to us so that we can amend our ways.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen!
Gospel of John 8:21-32 NKJV
Note: I will not have a lesson for next week due to Thanksgiving. Will continue November 30th.

This week Jesus continues to teach in the temple on the topics of who He is, where He came from, where He is going, abiding in every word of God, etc. We humans have a very difficult time believing with our heart which was the same for the Jewish people of Jesus time. I was that way before I got saved, I believed with my mind. I knew who Jesus was and what He did for me, but not fully understanding the mystery of it all. We need to clear our mind of what we know, our heritage, and religion we are brought up in and listen with child like innocent ears, to what Jesus is trying to teach us.
21  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come."
Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away; Jesus is referring to His death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of His Father; Heaven where only those that place their faith in Jesus and what He did on the Cross for them go when they die.
And you will seek Me; Meaning these Jews that have rejected Jesus for who He was, will continue to seek the Messiah.
And will die in your sin; This is a pretty harsh statement from Jesus. Some could interpret that Jesus was judging here. He’s not, just stating the truth, the truth of scripture. Some would even say Jesus is love and that whoever wrote this verse is wrong, because Jesus will have mercy on me when I stand before Him and He will forgive my sinfulness. But the fact of the matter is that He also stated you must be Born Again to see His Fathers Kingdom.
Where I go you cannot come; This speaks of Jesus going back home to His Father in Heaven. Jesus isn’t just speaking to His audience, but also to nonbelievers today. These Jewish people believed in God, but their faith was not in God it was in worldly things and self-righteousness; they believed with their mind and not their heart. The vast majority of people today also believe with their mind and not their heart.
22  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"
If these Jews believed, they would know and understand what Jesus was saying. They didn’t have spiritual knowledge, in other words they were thinking with their carnal mind and not there heart.
When a person gives their heart to Jesus through repentance a change takes place within a person. It starts with the heart and with a snap of fingers spiritual wisdom fills the heart. That spiritual wisdom is the Holy Spirit that takes up residence in the individual’s heart.
23  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
And He said to them, "You are from beneath; Meaning the home of Satan; Hell; their father.
I am from above; Heaven where God and all that are true believers reside.
You are of this world; Meaning the unsaved live their lives for their own pleasure; they are self righteous; they live for materialistic things that give them pleasure; they live to satisfy their flesh; they live their lives for the pleasures of the here and now; they aren’t worried about the eternal. This lifestyle is the result of the inherited sin nature which belongs to Satan, therefore nonbelievers are living for Satan, without realizing the fact.
I am not of this world; Jesus is not of this world because He lived a life of Holiness; obedience to the Father; a life without sin. He came from the Father; lived a life to honor His Father; and returned to the Father. He rejected the ways of the world and worldly temptations. The only way we can live a life as Jesus, is through repentance and being Born Again, there is no other way. We are saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ.
24  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
Again Jesus delivers some very harsh words here to nonbelievers. No one likes to hear these words that if they aren’t saved they will be going to Hell. This still applies today because God doesn’t change, only humans change. How many times have you heard this, “That’s the way it is now days and it is acceptable.” Society has changed and believes God has changed. Society now believes it is acceptable to live together without being married; murdering babies is a females right; adultery is ok; having relations out of wedlock is ok; homosexuality and lesbianism is ok; etc. God hasn’t changed and views these actions as sin that will send a person to Hell, unless they repent and get saved.
One other thing to take note of with this verse, Jesus makes no reference to a place (Purgatory) between Heaven and Hell.
25  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
Then they said to Him, "Who are You?; This question could be interpreted as, how dare you say such a thing to us, or who are you to condemn us. What Jesus said had to cut clear to the heart, as it did then and does now. Sadly, self pride keeps people from believing and the human nature (sin nature) inside a person kicks into high gear with all types of justifiable actions.
And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning; Do you suppose at this time Jesus is getting somewhat frustrated repeating Himself. If it was you or me, would we be pulling our hair out and getting angry? What Jesus is saying here has reference to verse 12 (John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.")
26  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."
I have many things to say and to judge concerning you; Omniscient as Jesus was, He knew the heart of these people and their actions; their lives and conversations; all their sins and transgressions; which He could justly charge them with, and condemned them. But this was not His present business, He came not to judge and condemn, but to save. He waved these things, and took no notice of them, leaving them to his Father, who would call them on, and punish them.
But He who sent Me is true; God is true, past, present, and future. The truth will set you free. Jesus is part of the Trinity; therefore He is true and speaks the truth.
And I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him; Albert Barnes has this to say about this phrase when spoken a little differently: “I have indeed many things to say blaming or condemning you. I have already said many such things, and there are many more that I might say; but I speak only those things which God has commanded. I speak not of myself I come to execute his commission, and he is worthy to be heard and feared. Let it not be thought, therefore, that my judgment is rash or harsh. It is such as is commanded by God.”
27  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
These Jewish people no doubt understood what was taught of God, but they were unwilling to acknowledge that He really came from God, which was the main point of disagreement.
28  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man; Meaning of course Himself, who was to be lifted up upon the cross, as the serpent was upon the pole, in the wilderness. To look upon the serpent resulted in physical life, whereas looking upon Jesus on the Cross results in Spiritual life. Numbers 21:8,9
Then you will know that I am He; ”Am He,” meaning the true Messiah and not an impostor. They will know just as the centurion, and those that were with Him, when they observe the earthquake, the things that were done at and after His death; resurrection; ascension and the pouring forth of his Spirit. They will know!
And that I do nothing of Myself; Jesus will was the Father’s will and what He did was not of His own. Jesus was led totally by the Holy Spirit, John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
But as My Father taught Me, I speak these things; Jesus was human while on earth and learned as we do by being taught. What He was taught was original, authoritative, and divine from God. It was not of human doctrine, or a device of man’s; or His own as man, but divine. John 7:16 Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. We are to abide by the Word of God, like Jesus did, and not by the word of Denominational Religion or self!
29  And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."
This relationship of Jesus and the Father is beyond comprehension to human beings. They were of the same spirit that is, indivisible. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus constantly leading His every thought and action. Jesus pleased the Father without fail, something no other human being can claim.
30  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
The words spoken by Jesus were of such authority and of a convincing nature, they believed He was the Messiah and received His doctrine. While there were many that became more obstinate and hardened under His preaching, there were many who by the same truth were made repentant and believing. Jesus words will either harden or soften ones heart. The same sun that hardens clay, softens wax.
31  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
Jesus is issuing words of caution here to those proclaiming to believe. He uses the word “if” because not all new believers that proclaim to believe actually believe or have roots wrapped around Jesus. A new believer is like a baby that lives on milk and not solid food. Their digestive system doesn’t have the capability of digesting the food. In a sense the same holds true with a new born believer. They don’t have the knowledge and understanding of Scripture after birth to be able to discern truth from deception. It takes some time in study and reading the Bible to gain Spiritual Wisdom.
New born believers would be represented in the parable of the sower where some seed fell on rocky ground and some seed fell on fertile ground. Those on rocky ground may find it to difficult to abide in Jesus word when trials and tribulations come along and leave, due to lack of spiritual wisdom and discernment.
If you notice Jesus also said, “abide in my word” not bits and pieces of it, those that live on scripture that fits their lifestyle and reject the rest, is like a person living solely on junk food, both will bring death, one spiritual and one physical.
32  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free (John 8:36). He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from continued slavery to sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. He shows us clearly the way to eternal life with God. Thus, Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. As we seek to serve God, Jesus' perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.
Looks like a good place to stop here. The next lesson will continue with the Jews claiming they are not in bondage or have ever been slaves. To their surprise the Jewish people of Jesus time and before were in bondage, not just slaves, but also the bondage of sin.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church

Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.” 

(John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)