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We thank you for the prospect that's before us, being worthy and likely for all.
And the joy that Shelby ours nothing they hinder all blessing God. We we just would anticipate this in our hearts and our lives that soon we'll be with thee. And so now while we're down here at this coming hour, we pray that thou would bless thy word to our hearts. We just thank thee now and thy precious name, Lord Jesus, Amen and Amen.
Good afternoon, everybody. Just want to say that we are thankful that you're here and glad that you came to our conference.
Uh, let's read in first John chapter 2 and I believe around verse 12.
First John two and verse 12.
I write unto you, children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because you have known Him, that is, from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because you have known Him, that it's from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of Father, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof fajita doeth. The will of God abideth forever. Little children, it is the last time, and as you have heard, that Antichrist shall come.
00:05:15
Even now there are many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it.
And that no lie is of the truth, who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ.
He is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.
Russo denies the Son the same. Hath not the Father? Fahida acknowledges the Son. Hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the sun and in the Father. And this is the promise that He hath promised us even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you.
But as the same anointing teaches you of all things and is truth and is no lie.
And even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at his coming.
If you know that he is righteous, he know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him.
So verse 12, as we mentioned before, is.
Really, children, I write into your children and say what's true of the whole family of God.
And the characteristic is that your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. Wonderful truth of forgiveness of sins. Not sure why it is, but so often people even who are believers, you hear them in prayer asking forgive us our sins.
But our sins are forgiven for his namesake to know that gives a certainty to our relationship.
Remember preaching the Gospel and the Walla Wallace State Penitentiary one time and and there's a man sitting in the back row. I don't know why he was there, but he came comes up afterwards and said all these years I've been asking God for the forgiveness of sin.
Today I accept it and thank God for it.
Oh brother, what a precious privilege is to know that our sins are forgiven for His name's sake. This is what is true of all the people of God.
Beaches one verse seven, in whom we have redemption through his blood, The forgiveness of sins. We have the forgiveness of sin.
This is a certainty we have that the Old Testament Saints didn't have in quite the same way, because there was always a bit of a shadow in the Old Testament. Even the psalmist said remember not the sins of my youth. That's not an intelligent prayer for a believer in Christianity. Because thy sins and iniquities, I will remember no more. They're gone. He plotted them out as far as the East is from the West. They're forgiven. They're taken care of as their brother just read to us.
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Through the work of Calvary and in the in the on the basis of the blood of Christ, as we had earlier, and we noticed it in his contact. But how wonderful to be able to proclaim in the gospel the blood of Jesus Christ. His Son cleanseth us from all sin. And I'm not afraid of one charge of sin being brought up against me, because it's all been settled once and for all. And we never really have true peace in our souls, do we, until we get this precious truth.
That my sins are gone, they're forgiven, they'll never rise against me as to a point of refuge again. And if go, it's for His name's sake, not just for our sake. But it's interesting how he puts it here. It's for his name's sake, for His glory, for his honor as well. And God would be unrighteous now to bring one charge of sin against me, having availed myself of the finished work of Calvary.
It's a tremendous thought to think about, isn't it? God would be unrighteous.
To bring one charge of sin against me now because it's all been taken care of, not just for my sake, thank God it is for my sake and I'm on my way to heaven, saved from the death penalty of my guilt, but for his namesake as well.
In the Gospels the Lord taught the disciples to pray forgive us our sins as we forgive our debtors. But that was before the work of redemption was accomplished at the cross. If you look carefully in your Bibles, after that work of redemption was accomplished, the Lord had died and risen again is ascended to the glory. You look through the book of the Acts and through the Epistles. It never again says that we are to ask for the forgiveness of sins.
We have it through His blood, and so it is a wonderful reality of of Christian position. We are before God. We know that our sins are forgiven for His name's sake.
Might have to ask for the forgiveness of sins of our of our brethren. Sometimes we sinned against our brethren, and perhaps it's necessary to ask for forgiveness in that context, but not of God.
And as you say, brother Bob, it's true of every believer. It's true of a 5 year old here who has trusted Christ as their savior. It's not a progression here, is it? Every person that is born into the family of God, every person that knows Christ, this is true. That's why the little really shouldn't be here. It's true of every child of God, every person in these seats who knows Christ. You have the forgiveness of sins. It's not something that you have to work towards or something that's going to be progressive in your life.
As you grow spiritually and you learn more about the Bible and about the Lord, it's true of you as a fact right now. And if you we can get a hold of that in our souls, it's going to give us real peace. Many Christians today don't have peace in their souls. I believe there's many who are really the Lord. They're really children of God, but they don't have settled peace. And I've talked to many of them. They don't have settled peace because they don't rest on this principle.
Paul teaches us that we are accepted in the Beloved.
And that expression shows us that the measure of His acceptance there in the presence of the Father, is the pledge of our acceptance if we are in Christ. I can hardly think of an expression that gives us more of a sense of the place that we have in Him, accepted in the Beloved.
If God could raise the question about our position, He would have to raise that same question about His own beloved Son. Impossible.
I just wonder if you don't have that in type. In Leviticus 16 and 11, verse 11, it says an errand shall bring the Bullock of the sin offering which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the Bullock of the sin offering which is for himself. In other words, that's the one offering that satisfies everything.
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For the believer of this dispensation.
Yes, and so in Hebrews, by one offering He has, by one offering He has perfected them that are sanctified. And again, if God were to refuse me now, having availed myself of the finished work of Calvary, He would have to refuse His own dear Son. And that's impossible. And if you ever doubt your salvation or doubt these precious truths we're talking about, just look up by faith and see where the Lord Jesus is now.
Because the resurrection, the ascension, and the glorification of Christ are God's Amen to the work of Calvary. That settles it. When I see where God, where God has put His Son, raised him from the dead, and seated him at his own right hand, and that by one offering He has perfected forever them that are sanctified, that gives me settled peace on the authority of God's Word.
Mr. Deck puts it so beautifully in that hymn 213 that we sing sometimes our conscience as peace that can never fail. Tis the Lamb on high on the throne.
Verse 13. Then we go into the different ones he addresses in the family of God.
Fathers, young men, and here it's proper little children.
Little children, those who are, I suppose we all fit into this category.
Some into perhaps the next category and you perhaps into the category of fathers. And if you notice the the addresses each group twice.
Fathers in the beginning of verse 13 and in the beginning of verse 14. Young men in the middle of verse 13 and in the middle of verse 14 and 15/16/17. And the little children in the end of verse 13 and then again in verse 18 down further into the chapter. So each category he addresses twice.
First kind of inter introductory way in verse 13 and then he expands on it in verses 14 forward only. It's interesting that when it is the Father's what he says is exactly the same in verse 14 as it is in verse 13 because.
Father is one who is full grown. It is full growth. And what does it mean to be full grown?
To have because you have known him, that is from the beginning. And again we say that expression from the beginning appears again and again in this chapter and in other parts as well. And every time it occurs, it takes you back to the first verse of this epistle, that which was from the beginning, the Lord Jesus coming in incarnation.
Eternal life manifested in His life down here in this world. That was the beginning it's talking about. And they had known him, that is, from the beginning. And so in verse 14, he doesn't vary what he says. It's just the same. That's full growth.
It shows us that the highest attainment that one can reach his personal acquaintance with Christ.
You can't get anything higher than that. And this is brought in because of the, uh, Gnostic teaching that was prevalent in that day. They were saying that there was something more that a person should be looking for and they had some certain insights that were beyond what the apostles were bringing to the, the church. There's no truth in that. He shows that you couldn't get any higher than to know Christ personally. And so that's why when he re re addresses the fathers the second time, he speaks to them exact same words because you cannot reach higher.
And personal acquaintance with Christ himself.
00:20:04
Yes. It's not just to know about him, it's to know him. And there's quite a different system there. And Paul said that his exercise of his life was that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, not just more about him. Wonderful to know about a person, but it's more wonderful to have an intimate acquaintance with that person. And that's really what he wants for all of us. I know this is for the fathers here. He's addressing those who have reached full maturity in that regard.
But is that really our exercise, brethren? Not just to learn more about him? That's important. But we never know a person till we walk in their company. I can read up about some famous person and know a lot of facts about them and be able to rattle them off to you, but I can't. I couldn't say I know that person. I know about them. But what the Father and the Son want is not just to know about them, but to know them in an intimate walk with them. And you never know a person until you spend time in their company.
And the young men are those that have overcome the wicked ones. So it uses that word overcome in verse 13. It uses it again in verse 14.
8th of a young man is a faith that overcomes. It's characteristic of the faith of God that it overcomes. In chapter 5 and verse 14 it says whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world. Even our faith. Faith is that principle that lays hold of God that brings God into the picture.
So often there are situations in our lives we are not up to it, but we can bring God into the picture and that's the overcoming principle.
Brethren, it's not escapism. Too many Christians today, when they get into a circumstance that they don't like you let me out of here. I'm, uh, I'm going.
That is not overcoming, that is escapism. That is not the faith of God, the faith of God.
Faces, the difficulty bringing God into the picture. Think of David and I think it is such a beautiful, simple illustration. When he went to meet the giant, every one of those men on that battlefield, including Saul, who was head and shoulders above all the people.
We're afraid to go against Goliath because to them it was them against Goliath.
David used the thing otherwise he said who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God. So David, it wasn't David versus Goliath, it was God versus Goliath who was bigger necessarily, it was God. And so he goes down into the Valley of Eli. Beautiful picture the simplicity of faith.
I was thought if it was me, I might want to stay back and take my shots at Goliath from a distance. But David runs toward Goliath. That's the confidence of faith, brethren, and that's what faith does. And young men are known for their strength. So it says in verse 14. I've written unto you, young men, because you are strong.
And the word of God abideth in you. I love that.
Doesn't say you're reading the words. No, the word of God abides in you. That's more than just breathing it. It's letting it be your constant portion. That's what will make you strong. It's not physical strength. The word of God abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.
Let's go back to a Scripture. We quoted part of it earlier, but in Psalm 119.
00:25:06
Goes along with what you have just got before us.
Some 119 very interesting Psalm in almost every verse I counted one one time, But in almost every verse but one or two, there's some mention of the word of God, either called commandments, or thy precepts, or thy testimonies, or thy word, showing the importance but of it. But I wanna notice. I'll read from verse 9. We've already had the ninth verse before us. But wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto, according to thy word?
With my whole heart of I sought thee. Well, let me not wander from thy commandments and then notice this. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee. It's more than just taking in the word. In our intellect. It's important to read the word and to have a knowledge. We need a knowledge of Scripture. But that's not the dwelling place of the truth. That's not where it's going to have its practical power and effect in our lives. It's when we take it in and it dwells in our hearts so.
That's what's going to give us the power to overcome the wicked one. That's what's going to keep us from sin in the day, in the day in which we live. So it says the glory of young men is their strength. But the young men that that John was writing to, their strength wasn't in the fact that they went and worked out in the gym twice a week. Nothing wrong with that. Wasn't because they ran on the treadmill every morning or lifted weight. Nothing wrong with that. Bodily exercise is for this life and it profits for a little time.
But spiritual, there was spiritual exercise in taking in the Word, and that's where their power, their power was, and that's where our power against the enemy is going to be. Now, if you'll just bear with me, I want to go back to what Bob said about David and Goliath because I believe that there's something very significant in connection with David being used to overcome Goliath, a picture of our enemy, Satan.
When before he went to faith Goliath, he went down to the brook and he took five smooth stones. And remember what we've already said in these meetings, a brook or running water is usually a figure of the Spirit of God. Again, out of his belly shall flow rivers of water. And this he spake concerning the Spirit. And I suggest that what we learn from David going down to the brook and taking 5 stones and putting them in his shepherd's bag is he took the Scriptures. It is a picture of taking the Scripture.
In the plight and the power of the Spirit and applying it for ourselves, appropriating it to ourselves. He took those stones from the brook, put them in his bag, and he took them with him. And when the right moment came, he was used of God to overcome Goliath by that which He had appropriated to himself from the brook. And so it's the word of God in our lives applied in the power of the Spirit.
So it's going to have the have the power for us to overcome the wicked one. Why we see it with the Lord Jesus himself in the temptation when he met Satan in the wilderness. He simply took us, if I can put it this way, one of those smooth stones. Each time he took he quoted a verse of Scripture and it was the word of God that had the power for him to overcome the enemy there in the temptation of the wilderness. And brethren, we're no match for the wicked one. Even then, even the strength of youth can't meet.
The enemy today and the circumstance says in Isaiah, even the youth shall faint and be weary.
And the young men shall utterly fall. Natural strength even of youth isn't enough, but we can overcome by appropriating the Word of God for our own souls, having it there on, if I can put it this way, unreserved, to be used against the enemy in the power of the Spirit at the right moment.
There may be a sister in the audience that says, uh, I'm a sister. Uh, where do I fit in here?
We have children, young men and fathers, but nothing about sisters.
Think the answer is simple. He's using these as a figure for for designating various stages of development in the family of God as far as spiritual growth is concerned. And so in that sense, a sister could be in the category of a young man or a father. So we mustn't look at this as age groups, nor should we look at this as being gender related. It's nothing to do with that. He's speaking using figures.
00:30:18
I thought I should mention that perhaps I could have mentioned at the beginning.
Why is it that the wicked one is mentioned specifically with the young men and not with the fathers right ahead of it?
And then as we come on down into verses 1516 and 17, we see, as you were mentioning, Brother Bob, that the young man is an admonishment to the young men. And would it be fair to say that Satan has all of his attacks thwarted on on one population, if you will? I mean, specifically the young people particularly are going to have the funnel attack we see here in verses 1516 and 17.
Yes, I think in a special way, but we get down to the children. We find that there's a tax on them too. So, uh, each one in their category, I think, uh, have attacks and.
It's not easy. The Christian path is not easy.
And.
Everywhere I go there's problems and don't say to my brother in Latin America, can't you please tell me somewhere I can go? There's no problems. There's no such place and God allows it, brethren, for our exercise. It's because when we're exercised, we grow. Need to have good solid food and exercise makes you grow and that's why God allows those things. So don't question God's wisdom and allowing you to be in a circumstance.
That is.
Tom, that's God's way of getting us to grow, and we need to grow, brother.
The exercise or the, uh, exhortation to the young men is love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
So it's either the love of the world or the love of the Father. You cannot mix those two things. They don't mix your love enjoying the love of the world. You cannot enjoy the love of the Father. And brethren, that is our our strength against the attractions of this world to know the love of the Father. I often think of the Lord Jesus down here in this world.
He was tempted.
In all things like as we are, except there was number sin there to respond to it. So he knew what temptation was as well, but what was it that didn't give him to respond to anything?
Because he enjoyed the love of the Father that he had enjoyed from all eternity. There was nothing that attracted him because.
He enjoyed the love of the Father.
It might be helpful to say, too, that the world is taken up in three different contexts, and it's helpful when you notice, when you see the word world, keep it in its context. And this context here is a system of things set up by man in independence of God, of which Satan is the head. The God is the God of this world religiously. He's the Prince of this world politically. Plus there's a vast social system that leaves God out.
And feeds the, feeds the lust of man and the flesh and so on. And that's what he's talking about here. Just to put it in context, sometimes when you have the world, it's talking about the physical planet on which we live. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners in incarnation. He came as a man to planet earth from, from the Father. That's the planet we live on the physical globe. God so loved the world. He didn't love a planet. I speak reverently.
It's in that context, it's the people that inherit that that inhabit the earth.
And he loves them, and we should have a love for souls too. So that's not the love, not the world, it's not the people. We should have a love for the people and be exercised to go out with the gospel and so on. But here it's that system of things. And again, the wicked one is the God and Prince of this world, and he's the head of it socially and so on. So I just say that it's very helpful to keep things improper, to keep things in their context.
00:35:20
Mm-hmm. OK.
So it speaks of Lo not loving the world nor the things that are in the world. And then he gives 3 categories.
All verse 16 that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.
So there's three categories, the lust of the flesh. Some have suggested that this is very, uh, common in youth and the lust of the eyes of those in middle age and the pride of life, those that are further on, although I think God, Satan tries to use these things in any of us, so you can't exclude that he might. But all that is in this world fits into these three categories.
It's interesting, I'm sure it's been noticed before, but it's it's good to see in Genesis chapter 3 when Satan came to tempt Eve, that he used those very things.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, there's the lust of the flesh, and that it was pleasant to the eyes. There's the lust of the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise. There's the pride of life she took of the fruit thereof.
And aid.
And did he, and gave unto also unto her husband with her, and he did he.
So Satan uses those tactics, he used them in the Lord Jesus. Two, in the three temptations that are given to us. Of course he was tempted for 40 days and we don't know all of them, only three that are given to us, but it is the same. 3 The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Not of the Father, but of the world.
It's helpful to notice the order that those three things are in these these verses. Could you speak up brother, please? Sorry. It's good to notice the order that these three elements show up in these verses.
Body is first.
Turn over to 1St Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 23 and we find a different order, the order with ease.
Was also a body 1St and.
In first session only is chapter 5 and verse 23.
The very God of peace sanctify you wholly. This is a practical sanctification.
Being set apart and I pray God that your whole spirit, soul and body.
Be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
This order is very important it I've thought of it as a this is God's way, a model for us to make decisions. This world has a very different decision making process, body, soul and spirit. God has set us up differently.
Uh, he's given us a spirit that's a God conscious, intelligent part of our being. And as Christians, we have the word of God that enlightens us. And whenever there's a fork in the road, this world now and we, we're well on this journey now the, the decision is made body, soul and spirit. We live in a very immoral world, but here the order is.
To be preserved spirit, soul and body, and God wants.
The three of those to be preserved together and we can be preserved by prayer and the word of God. And so just keep that in mind.
You know the idea the the, the, the adage that if it feels good, do it well. We know what orders that falls into. So here spirit, soul and body. I've heard people quote verse 23.
00:40:01
Body, soul and spirit.
It may be a mistake, but there's a moral order there. Let's be very careful.
And the world passeth away.
And the lust there are.
That he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
This world is a passing world.
Want to live for this world that's going to pass away in a few short years?
Gonna be all gone.
He that does the will of God abides forever. You want your life to count for something lasting in eternal.
Oh, what a challenge it is to live for God's eternal day.
There's a scripture in First Timothy 6 and it says this, but say that will to be rich fall into temptations and snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drowned a man in in destruction and ruined for the love of money the root of all evil, that while some have coveted after they urge for the fate and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
There's one thing that can allow a man to satisfy each one of these uh.
Different qualities. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, covetousness and the pride of life. It's money.
So that's perhaps one reason why the Lord said it's harder for a rich man to enter into heaven and a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
So keep in mind that when we strive to be something in this world.
These things are.
Very readily available.
It's what we set our heart on, isn't it? It's not what we have. It's what our heart has set on. And we're thankful for those that God has raised up that have means and wealth and so on, and they've used it for the Lord's glory and the furtherance of the truth and so on. And even in Scripture, we see men like Daniel and Nehemiah who were promoted in their business and under those kings, and God used them in a in a wonderful way. But it's using the world, not abusing it. And it's not money that's the root of all evil. It's the love of money.
It's setting our heart on it, but I just want to say this word to those who are younger.
Because again, I think sometimes those who are younger look at us who are taking part or those of us who are older, and they think we're beyond some of these things. And they say, well, it's all right for Bob and Bruce and Vern and Jim to talk about these things. They've moved beyond all this. These things, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are something that affect us all our life. We still are vulnerable to the attack of the enemy in these ways. Don't think that we've arrived.
And we have to be perhaps even more careful and more on our guard than even some who who are younger and pray for those who are younger or who are older and those that God raises up in a place of influence and leadership. Because the enemy knows that he can trip up those who in a place of leadership and influence, not only do they miss the past themselves, but they influence and take others with them. And as one has said.
Sometimes there's restoration for the one who has fallen, but they rarely bring their followers back with them. Those that they have taken down, they rarely bring them back. And it's a very serious thing. So I just say young people don't sit back and say, well, they're beyond it up there. No, we are just as vulnerable or perhaps in some ways more vulnerable than those who are younger. I quote Mr. Bellitt, He said there's nothing wrong with being rich. There's always a danger.
00:45:02
Yeah.
Well, the fact is, is that every aspect of our lives can be used to be a temptation in one way or another.
Because this wicked one that he's Speaking of here is more intelligent than any of us.
So the best part for us is to abide in Him and as it says here, for His Word to abide in us to stay near to Him. It's really an encouragement to live simply as a Christian, isn't it?
How simply did the Lord live when he was here?
It's interesting to notice that, uh, in addressing these three stages of development in the family that he has, uh, quite a bit to say to the little children. And we'll talk about that when we get there versus 18 down to verse 28. But when he's Speaking of the, uh, young man, he has less versus 14 to 17. But when he speaks to the fathers, he has very little because they have known him, which is from beginning and being in communion with him and having personal acquaintance with Christ.
Is the place where the enemy cannot get out of and there's so there's no warnings or dangers being said to tho that those in that group, because they're impervious to the enemy's attack because of communion, is like a wall around us that the enemy cannot breakthrough.
So it's important that we know him, that is from the beginning. Personal acquaintance with the Son of God himself is what is a very incredible preservation in itself.
I still remember this story. I don't know if I have all the details correct of a difficulty that arose amongst brethren and.
I.
Someone can fill in if I don't say it all correct, but there was quite a few charges laid against a brother that was particularly useful and he listened to them all and when all the charges were laid out against him.
Somebody asked him, do you have anything to say to all that he says? Brethren, they have said nothing against the Lord, yet I have nothing to say. That's what it means, doesn't it? That known him, that is, from the beginning. It's not. They're not worried by personal attacks. They have grown to the point where it is Christ that is everything and it all.
Just another little word before we pass on, on the world passing away and the lust thereof. We have a very solemn story in the Old Testament in connection with one who lived for this world and lived to see it all burned up and destroyed. And that was Lot. Lot is a we'll see Lot another day in the glory. Lot was a righteous man, but he lived for this world, and the day came when he saw it all gone. It passed away.
In contrast, Abraham looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He lived for something that was future and eternal. And what a contrast. But, brethren, if we live only for this world, if we set our hearts on things here, then we're going to live to see it all done away. It's all as it says in Peter, reserved under fire.
So what is going to matter when we stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ? How well we planned our lives, how much we had down here, how well we got along in this world. He that doeth the will of God abideth forever. It's having done His will. Those are the things that are going to have eternal value. Perhaps a little different, but it tells us in Romans chapter 12.
To present our bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable or intelligent service. And it's those things that we've done for him and those sacrifices we've made for him and for his people that are going to stand the test and that are going to be rewarded for, and they're going to have eternal weight in that day of glory.
00:50:10
So the last section is from verse 18 forward where we get the little children principles that really apply to the whole Church of God, because if we all enter there, we may have grown to another category, but still that's where we enter. And so he says it is the last time. And as you have heard, that Antichrist.
Shall come. Even now there are many antichrists. We know that Antichrist singular is someone that will be revealed after he that hinders will be taken out of the way. But now there are many antichrists, those that are against Christ, whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us, but they were not of us, for they had ever, if they had been of us.
They would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all.
Of us notice how often us is referred to there. It's the apostles that is that have laid the foundation work that has given us this testimony of him that is from the beginning. That's the groundwork of our faith brethren. And so it's not that they went out from those of us who are gathered the Lord's name. It's the they had abandoned the principles of Paul of the apostles doctrine.
It went out from us and so that is the basis of our fellowship.
It's helpful to see Mr. Darby's translation too, in connection with this expression the last time. Before I reference it, let me just back up because Paul, in writing to Timothy in the second epistle, he speaks about the last day, and he characterizes the ruin of the last days in professing Christendom.
In Second Peter, he speaks about the closing days, but here I believe, if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, he brings us right down, not just to the last or closing days, but he brings us down to the last hour.
Right down to to the end. It's more than just the last day. And brethren, isn't that where we are now? We're just in the last hour. And so we need to perhaps be on our guard against these things more than ever. If we're right at the end in the last hour. And there are those who are opposed to fundamental truth because that's what it really is, as Bob said.
That's what we have in these verses. It's opposition to fundamental truth, that foundation truth, what was laid at the beginning. But this is what is characterizing the day in which we live, because this is indeed not just the last days, but it is the closing hour.
So that's an expression that is used to characterize this entire day in which we live. We call it the Church age when we're talking about the church, or we call it the dispensation of the grace of God. But when we say the last days, the last days began with Christ and the apostles.
Because remember that the mystery was hid in God, that this, this extended time when God was doing something that was, uh, revealing the mystery of Christ in the assembly that was hidden God. And he, he says here, this is the last hour. It's in a sense a season or a particular time. And that, that evil, this conflict in heavenly places is what characterizes the last hour.
There have been many antichrists, but there is going to be the Antichrist, the man of sin, and the last hour is only going to be over when the consummation of all things take place and the Lord Jesus reigns supreme.
So the day in which we live is characterized by this conflict, the need to overcome. There is something out there that must be overcome.
And it's been brought out, I think very profitably, that this world is the scene of a disputed right between Christ and Satan.
Satan doesn't like the fact that Christ came in and accomplished the work and bought all men. Purchase or propitiation. He made the way so that all may come.
00:55:13
But he wants to take as many as he can the other direction.
So we have to remember that we are in a, we're in a scene of conflict. And so when he speaks to the young men about overcoming and to the little children here about the fact that it is the last hour and there are many antichrists, it shows that this is a scene of conflict where we need to be on our guard. And the things that we've been talking about these two days, they need to be real to each of us.
What Satan promised Adam wasn't You shall be like God and the Antichrist.
Is Adam fallen full blown, sits in the temple of God that he has gone?
So in Jude you have the apostates within. Is that worse?
Well, it's been. I like the expression it's been pointed out.
Morally speaking, Jude comes before John. In Jude, they creep in.
But in John they go out. So John, this is the thought of a full apostasy. They abandon the Apostolic teaching, don't they? In Jude, they creep in and they do what they can to corrupt it. But in John they go out and they take their followers with them. It's a it's apostasy from the Apostolic doctrine, from Christianity.
Is encouraging, though in verse 20, amidst the, uh, difficulties, uh, what we have, we have an unction from the Holy One and ye know all things. That word function is the same word that we have in verse 27, the anointing, the anointing which you have received of him.
A virus in you and you need not that any men teach you, but as the same anointing.
Teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie and even.
As it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him. First, we know that it is the Spirit of God that dwells in us. That is the unction or the anointing. And there's a lot in John's Gospel chapter 14 and 15 that speak of the and 16 as well that speak of the Spirit of God and how He's sent to guide us into all truth. Amazingly wonderful.
Truth, brethren, God the Holy Spirit dwells in our bodies individually and in the Church collectively.
Do we really let that truth sink in properly and he's speaking this to those who are youngest in the family of God. It's wonderful to me to see those who have come to real living faith in the Lord Jesus. And of course, when a person.
Trust in the Lord Jesus is sealed by the Spirit of God. Spirit of God becomes as the seal, and He is the anointing for intelligence in the things of God. And there are people in other parts of the world that have very little education.
As human education, but it is beautiful to see the intelligence that they have because they simply been taught by the Spirit of God, and that's what we have here.
What is the remedy of this apostasy that's taking place, the Antichrist that are so prevalent in today's world, Those that have abandoned the basis of our faith in the person of the Lord Jesus and have given it up, what is the remedy?
The ancient that you have received of him is he says that ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know.
All things I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Yet to know the truth not necessary to do. To be studying all the false doctrines that there are out there. That's not necessary. Know the truth, and when there's something that's not true, you might not know what it is, but you can tell something that doesn't ring true there.
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Spirit of God is the power of the little children knowing. So, Bob, how do we reconcile this expression with First Corinthians 13 that says we know in part?
And here it says we know all things.
Go ahead, Jim.
Bye. Bye Ruth. You have a thought?
Well, it's all things that are presented to you. You have the spirit within. It gives you to have a sense if you're in communion, if you're abiding in Him, a sense of whether it is truth or error. If someone comes presenting some wild Gnostic idea and you're living in communion with the Lord Jesus, abiding in Him and so on, you say to yourself, that doesn't bring true at all. That doesn't seem right. You can't maybe turn to a chapter and verse because you're not acquainted with the Scriptures. Remember, he's talking to the little children here, the babes.
And so he can't really reference the Scripture, but he has the indwelling spirit that tells him there's something wrong.
So we have this tremendous, uh, asset, this great resource of the indwelling spirit that will help us make our way through, uh, the dangers and the pitfalls that are out there in this corrupt world, spiritual world. But it only is available to us if we abide in him. Spirit of God will give us to have a sense what is truth and what is error. Yes, that's helpful because we can spend our whole life on Scripture and we still only know in part. We're not going to know it in that way.
All this sight of heaven, we only get an outline really in. Those who are older will confess that you only still have an outline of scripture. We don't know everything. Now repeat a little story that helped me to understand just what Bruce is saying. Some of you remember Charlie Little was my father's cousin and he was saved as a young man in his late 20s and there were several others that were saved at that time.
And they knew nothing, as Charlie told me in later years, he said John 316 could have been someone's phone number for all I knew, He said. I was brought up in a worldly home, he said. We went down to a gospel tent meeting in Pennsylvania.
Half a dozen of us young fellas really just on a lark and the Spirit of God worked and they got saved. But the story I want to tell is that they were going to a so-called church and after the service one Sunday night, they got around the so-called minister, pastor of the church and they said to him, is there something in the Bible about the Lord's coming? We knew nothing about the Lord's coming, but we'd heard that expression that this man was a big.
Officious looking man and he.
Stuck his thumbs in his suspender and he looked down at these other, these young men and he said, yes, the Lord's coming. It's in two parts.
Well, if he stopped there he would have been OK, he said. He comes first for the clergy and 2nd for the common people.
Well, you, you smile, but he was dead serious. So Charlie said we were still just men of the world. And we went over to the pool hall and we lit up our cigarettes and we got our Bibles out and we said, you know, that doesn't sound like the Lord. That doesn't sound right. That's the unction that is, that's this first you have an unction from the Holy One and you know all things. They didn't know what the Lord's coming was about, but they knew that wasn't right.
I'll just tell you quickly the rest of the story. One of the brothers, not Charlie, but one of the other young men.
Went in to get his car serviced at a body shot a garage there in the Endicott area. And as he was paying his bill, he saw Bible on the counter. And it was Brother Stuart who was in fellowship years ago in in that area in Endicott. It's Vestal now. And he said to Mr. Stewart, he said set your Bible, said yes, said do you read it? He said yes. He said, is there something about the Lord's coming in it? He said, come on into my office and we'll have a chat.
And through that, those young men came into the knowledge of the Lord's coming. And not only that.
But they were all gathered to the Lord's name until the Lord took them home. So I just used that to illustrate your point in this verse. They didn't know anything about it, but they knew what they heard wasn't the truth. And when he did hear the truth from brother Stuart, that rang true as to it being the word of God. Brother, I experienced that when I was when I was raised in an ungodly home and never. So I make a long story interesting. I told the Lord if I didn't even think about God. But I said, if you win this ball game, I'll go to church.
01:05:14
And I saw it bothered me and month went by and I said I gotta do this now. I never kept my word all the time, but I didn't this thing bothered me. So I was up in the upstairs in my friend's house and I said, are you going to go to the movie tonight? And it was right next door. And he said no, our aunt brought this evangelist to town and we got to go because my aunt wants me to go. So I'm going to go with get this over. And when I first heard that man speak, I thought he was cussing. That's all I'd ever heard about the Lord Jesus.
And I what is this?
But before that was over, I had, you know, definitely made that decision. You know, we said this is a way you you escape hell. And so I did it and I felt really saved. And then the next morning I woke up, I didn't feel safe. So I did it all over again the next night. I just felt really safe. The next morning I woke up and I didn't feel safe. So but he got a hold of me and he said that frames and feelings fluctuate. This can there thy Savior be turn thyself in Christ to see them be feelings what they will. Jesus is thy Savior still.
So he said just go and look and see if John 316 still in the Bible and you're OK.
But I, one of my friends, he said, well, you know that that's not the only book, don't you? No, I said, he said, no, he says it's not the old book. I said, I didn't know that. I said, would you like to know that? Would you like to go and find out? So anyway, he, he took me and it was happened to be a Mormon. I didn't know, I didn't know anything when I, when I went home that night, my friend who's now a Christian and uh, but he said, Clark, you think you can live that way?
I said I don't think so, but I'm giving a whirl and I and it there was this little. There was this little.
New Testament. I knew it was in this in this drawer, and so I got it out and I thought, I started reading this thing. He begat him and he begat him. How does this thing end? I turned over there. Here's Revelation. What am I into? But I went with this man and it was just, I just knew this wasn't right. I didn't know anything. I didn't know Genesis from Revelation.
But I knew it wasn't right. And, and then there was a little, uh, Pentecostal church and pastor he got, he says, you know, there's nine gifts, don't you? I don't know, I didn't know that. Would you like them? Yes, you know, I never got them. And the things that went on there, they just didn't seem right. But this Baptist minister, he come back and, and every week and he would teach us and, uh, and I just seemed like that was right, but I didn't know anything. It was a junction, but I did, I didn't have any agenda. I was ready for anything.
And and God protected me from being getting into a cult or anything else. So I think that's a little example I experienced in my life.
The Spirit of God gives testimony to the truth of God, and if you keep close to the Lord and walk in fellowship with Him, you will know when things are not right. That's what we have here in this the anointing or the unction.
And brethren, I think even in our reading meetings, there are times when things don't sound quite right and we need to meditate. We don't have to force the things of God. We can allow the Spirit of God to clarify them in his own time. Just this last time down in Bolivia, I had an experience with a dear young brother I respect highly in the Lord. Lord is using him. He's a.
Physics teacher in UH school down there, but the Lord has really raised him up and.
He has a different feel on certain areas and I said to him that I was worried that that didn't become a problem between he and me and and him.
Him and myself and he said to me, brother, I have confidence that the Spirit of God is going to lead me and he's going to lead you into what is the unity of the spirit. I really appreciated that and I think.
We need when we come to these meetings, there's differences at times. We don't have to force things. It's the Spirit of God that gives testimony to the truth of God. Meditate on it and the clarity will come in time. That's what we have here in this 90 or this unction.
01:10:17
#318 O Lamb of God, still keep us close to thy fiercest side is only there in safety.
All Lamb of God still.
Keep on broken light here, and thine and only Byron save me.
And be free ground.
Hebrews 11, verse 6.
But without faith, it is impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, that he exists.
And that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Our God and our Father, we thank Thee for these meetings that we've had, and we thank Thee for thy tremendous, amazing love that would bring us into.
Because thou art faithful, thou are trustworthy.
And Lord, how we need to.
Because if we knew what you know, we choose what you choose.
Brad's forgot his way is perfect. We just pray that these things would be a reality in each one of our lives that we would every day.
01:15:06
Walk with thee.
That we would judge our flesh.
That we would be in communion with the.
Long to see thy face.
We just pray for help and blessing.
With thankful hearts in Jesus mighty name, Amen.