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Where's John 2 verse 18?
First, John 218 Little children, it is the last time, and as you have heard, that Antichrist shall come. Even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us, but they were not of us, or 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 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. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, He is Antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
This whoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledges the Son hath the Father also.
Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning.
Is that what you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you? You also shall continue in the sun and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has 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 teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, you shall abide in Him.
And their little 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, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of Him.
See the thought here.
It's verse 18 really is children or little children here. I believe it's the babes. It is the last hour, last hour.
We have in First Timothy last days, Second Timothy last times, but here's the last hour.
Especially warning them about evil doctrine about the person of Christ. We see a great deal of that today, even under the name of true Christianity. We find those who thought that Christ could sin. They may say he didn't sin, but they say He could have. And to say that shows that they don't recognize who He is.
Could one who is God himself sin and all his promises fail? If I know that you could possibly tell me a lie, then I can't rest upon your word. But it says God cannot lie, and the Lord Jesus is God.
Since the last hour.
And this hour has already lasted 1900 years. We must be down to the very last minutes of that hour, because here we find the Antichrist and, uh, these antichrists and those persons who abandoned Christ and set up themselves. And recently in this country we've had a man and David Koresh who set himself up to be Christ himself. Others, you know, and it was true in the days of the apostle John, how much force of the day which we were.
00:05:03
I suppose the very term Antichrist suggests that the form that the attacks of plates are mainly directed against Christ.
And so here we find that which is in director position to the personalized, and we find that period all around us in the most distinct form press among those that bring evil doctrines concerning the personalities of crime. But it's solely realized too, that in the world around us, we find more and more a rejection of Christ and the principles of Christianity that may not have been correctly connected with, uh, with Antichrist here, but we find that.
That Satan is working in all possible ways in these last and closing days, in this last hour, in order to oppose the blessed person of the large years of Christ and to oppose that pressure through that is connected with His person and with His name.
The whole trend of what is called humanism is really exaltation of man until it finally comes to its climax in the man of sin who is the Antichrist. And he sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And this idea that is growing on every hand that a man is to exalt himself. He's master of the universe.
And, uh, this, uh, spirit of things is already beginning now more pronounced in this time in which we live. We remember that in the Garden of Eden when Adam, Satan came to Eve with the temptation, it was he shall be as God. And I don't believe Satan is ever going to weary until he has brought man to think that he is God himself. And that's the climax of sin. That's what brings down the final judgment of God.
Upon this world that.
When the Lord Jesus comes out of heaven, it will be because this man of sin is sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And the profession of Christianity has been given up in the West. The profession of Judaism has been given up among Israel, and they're all ready for this man. Uh, they exalted him. He's sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. And it's them that the Lord Jesus comes.
God shows who He is. His name is called the Word of God.
And He comes in righteous judgment. We have to be careful. I believe in this day that we don't get caught in this idea that exalts man and does not give the Lord Jesus the glory and honor that's due to Him.
Very solemn, uh, verse there. Gordon is just mentioning the 2nd Thessalonians. Uh, interesting there and solemn too, to think that this man of sin, which uh, John refers to as the Antichrist, it says umm here, umm.
Oh, see the verse. Umm.
Yes, verse uh, chapter 2. Second Thessalonians, chapter 2.
And verse beginning of verse three, Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away. 1St And that and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition spoken of here. But notice verse four, Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God.
Or that is worshipped so that he as God or he sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. You know, we have the the system among today that the the one who has spoken of as the vicar of Christ, the representative of Christ. But this man will go to that extreme that he will say I am God as it says in that verse. I think that as God is out of context so that he.
Sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Is man going to believe it? Yes, they are, because.
When that time takes place, the church will be in glory already. Uh, as it says later down in that Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
Umm, and the verse verse say even verse 8, umm, even him who's coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. Notice verse 11 now. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion.
00:10:27
That they shall believe a lie.
God isn't doing that today, but He's going to do it, sending these those who remain a chosen earth as their portion. God is going to send them stronger and they're going to believe it. Not only are is their own hearts exercised in unbelief, but God is going to give them a strong delusion that they're going to believe the lie that this man is God. It's a solemn thing, isn't it? To think that about this as John refers to him here as the Antichrist and spoken of as the man of sin and the king in many places, various terms used.
We might have expected that this warning would be addressed to, say, the fathers or the young men. But isn't it interesting in this 18th verse that little children are babies? Why is that? Well, because I believe that there's a simple way that we can detect such a thing. And that is, let's turn to John chapter 16.
John chapter 16 and verse 13.
Albeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth.
We shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. Here we see the simple test of what is not the Spirit of truth. Any line of teaching that exalts man, instead of exalting Christ, is not of God.
And I believe that we can make a very simple test of any doctrine that is presented to us by just asking that simple question. Does this line of teaching exalt man the 1St man, or does it exalt Christ?
And we find that, take for instance, such a simple thing as, say, the loss doctrine. What is behind that? Well, it's something in which man can take credit. Because if I can say, well, the Lord saved me, but since he saved me, I've done my part. I've kept myself saved. And there's a certain amount of honor and glory to myself that I did something. It wasn't sufficient what Christ has done. It wasn't sufficient that he's holding me securely in his hand. I had to do something.
Isn't it blessed, brethren, that God has given to the simplest child of God?
This simple test when someone comes and presents some teaching to you, ask this question. Does this line of teaching exalt man the 1St man, or does exalt the Lord Jesus Christ?
And you'll find that you could make a simple test even though you don't know you're viable. Very well. You can say this can't be of God because it's honoring the 1St man. It's not honoring the one whom God delays to honor his beloved son.
It's one of them that we have the Holy Spirit to give unto us, that capability of discerning between what is of God and what is of the devil. Just to refer you to the end of the chapter, uh, briefly we have that verse 27. But the anointing which you have received of him abided in you and had threatened to the little children, isn't it to the babes?
And you need not that any man teach you that has the same anointing, teaches you all things. And it's true, and it's no lie. And even as it has passed you, you shall abide in him. You know the little baby even has the capability of deserving the Shepherd's voice.
Because his sheep know him fightingly while I am and they don't follow a stranger because they don't know his life. And so that's a simple test. When otherwise is that the shepherd's boy, does that savor after, uh, what the Spirit of God will bring before us? Or is it something strange, something also different from it? So we have been given the capability even the, the youngest child of God even has been making, has been given the capability of listening to the shepherd by and not distinguishing all those other vices promised that I'm not the shepherd's life.
Is it beautiful to know that God is interested in most of the of the part of the chapter of this chapter is taken up with the babes. Isn't it the babes? How beautiful it is to know that God is interested in his children, especially the little ones, the fresh, the the new ones, those babes, He wants them to be established. He wants them to be brought into this place of recognition and blessing that they might be blessed.
00:15:22
I think it's so beautiful as reading these verses that we read it's it has much to do in fact most to do with the babes and how beautiful that is to think that the Lord is interested in in every one of the younger ones. You know, young in the truth, not not just some of us perhaps could be older in years and yet young in the truth, but God's desire is that they we might be in the enjoyment of this. I think another point to to remember here is as in chapter 4.
We speak there and speaking about the, the spirit, uh, and notice verse, uh, chapter 4, verse one beloved, believe not every spirit.
At all. There's a lot of spirits in this world, a lot of them. But try the spirits. How do I try the spirit? How do how do we test the spirits that are in this world? I think it's already been said that we we test them by the word of God. Is it is it compatible with the word of God? Does it bear the truth of God?
But I, I think year two it's a very, very solid thing because it says there are many false prophets or gone into the world. And as somebody has already said, there's many of them today even saying they're God or pretending to this. But just notice what it says in verse two of that 4th chapter. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in flesh is of God now.
This, this is a deeper thought, isn't it? The, you know, the, the, the, the truth that, uh, was first lost concerning in, in, in Christianity or Christendom lost the truth that Jesus Christ came in flesh. They lost that within the first 100 years of the church's history. And John's ministry takes us to that, that time keeps us in that time, doesn't it, The 1St 100 years.
But it's just so, so sound to think that within that short time of 100 years, they lost the truth that Jesus Christ came in flesh, that he was a true man in this world that was lost. And I believe that's the thought here. What it is, uh, people's may they make many professions, but where is the reality? Hmm, yes, it is because, uh, we don't come in flesh. We were born in flesh, but the Lord Jesus had a previous existence in eternal existence before he entered his world.
So it's a group of deity divinity.
Yes, I think that's important. That is the point, just what you were saying. We all began our existence with a body, that is, we were born into this world. But when the Lord Jesus came, he was forever with the Father, but he came in flesh and says a body hast thou prepared me? And so it was the recognition that this one who came into this world was from eternity, but came into this world as a man.
In a body of flesh and bones and walked through this world, but He himself was forever in the bosom of the Father. Well, I believe that's very important because, uh, that was the confession that showed that they really acknowledged who He was. With everything in Christianity, He depends upon who he is.
Improving.
00:20:06
And for the contrast is a separate voice.
In a certain sense, the Antichrist is an imitation of Christ's, isn't it? Counterfeits, let us say, and if men don't receive the truth, the true Christ, they'll accept the counterfeit. There's only two possibilities. Eventually we'll they'll land or end up by accepting the one with the 4th price.
What the Lord Jesus said, didn't he, I am coming my Father's name, and ye receive me, not another shall come in his own name. Him he will receive. And those are the ones. And of course we know that will fully be taking place after the church is gone. But the warning was the spirit of Antichrist was already in the world. So in the 19 verse, he's not talking about real believers, he's talking about those who made a profession of Christianity.
And gave it up, abandoned it. And so they went out from us, but they were not of us. Let's not leave a person leaving one company of Christians and going to another. This is talking about those who gave up the true Christ of the Bible.
And so there's no home for them at all. They turned their back upon Christ. Same kind that are spoken of in Hebrews chapter 6 and in Hebrews chapter 10. And that is, it's impossible to renew them again to repentance, seeing a crucifier themselves, the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame. You see, I once believed these things that I have given that all up. What a solemn thing you usually find that these apostate groups.
That they are people who once had some knowledge of the truth that turned their back upon it.
I'm even in a long stays taking different forms. In the epistle of Jude, we find certain men hatched in Malawi. So they come in touchily. They come in secretly bringing in, uh, denimable harrises and also moral evil into the assembly. But here we have apostasy, don't we? In the 1St of this long John, they were amongst the Christians, but they gave it all up. They abandoned it. They turned their back to it. Interesting the way that's written here. That's, uh, verse 19 they.
Went out from us, but they were not of us, as Gordon has said, not the Lords at all, but they were in among the believers. But they went out. Had they? Would they? For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But I was thinking of the contrast. And in verse 20. But ye, but ye, are you speaking to those that are real, and want to know the truth? But ye have an unction or an anointing from the Holy One.
And you know all things I thought of this verse. It doesn't mean that I sit here and know everything. That's not the point. The point is that the Spirit of God, I'm a child of God indwelt by the Spirit of God will have be given him the knowledge of the truth of God about the person of Christ as he goes on with the Lord. And so he says you have an unction or an anointing as you find it later down in the chapter, but the anointing in the SE 27th verse. But he says you have an unction or an anointing from the Holy one and you know all things.
That is, we God will reveal to the true child of God what He wants Him to know.
To me it's beautiful to think of that, that the Spirit of God is indwelling a believer now to assure him, and to declare unto him the person of the glory of the Christ in his great heart.
Connect itself with John 16 also. That's John 16 and Brainstead and Harvey. When he's a spirit of Joseph's town, he will guide you into all truth with others. A whole range of truth is open up onto our by the gracious, uh, teaching of the Holy Spirit and by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we have access to it all. It's no longer concealed for us in any way.
But the Spirit is there to guide us into all truth.
It's like to have been revealed the, the energy of the, of the communion with the Spirit of God in connection with our pathway. Isn't it, umm, all the, the truth that God has revealed to us, the Spirit of God is not going to tell us, uh, something that's contrary to the word of God. If, if two of us have a different view, uh, that uh, uh, somebody is wrong.
00:25:15
So we know that I, I think over here in connection, it says the Speaking of it is the, is the, uh, energy of communion among, uh, of his revealed mind in the word of God.
The Spirit of God will reveal this to us if it's our desire.
We look at First Corinthians chapter two. I think we have something that connects with this First Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 12.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teach us, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.
Neither can he know them.
Because they are spiritual ages earned. So I believe that's what we have here. Even the baby has received the Spirit of God. He has received now the capacity to discern spiritual things. He never had that.
Until he had received the Lord Jesus, and now the Spirit of God who indwells him, gives him intelligence in these things, and then he has in the Scriptures the very words of God, not just the words of man. And that's what they. That's why it's so important, brother, that we have a good translation because it says here, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches. Sometimes in translations there's a liberty taken to.
Have what they call dynamically equivalent to have something the same, but we want the very words that God spoke. We want to have as much as it's possible and accurate translation.
Of what God has actually said. So that's the only God that we have. And having this, then we have the Spirit of God to give us the understanding and the very words of God in the Scriptures. And I think that's important and I believe that's what it means. You have an option from the Holy One and you know all things.
It's so interesting to notice too, that whereas in the Old Testament certain things remain concealed, they are now open up on to us. I'm thinking of Daniel chapter 12, especially, of course, the prophetic truth. Jen Daniels 12 and very supportive first class. Now Daniel for Daniel, shut up the word and feel the book even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and for our knowledge shall be increased. But Daniel says those things will remain sealed as they turn to Revelation 22.
And very soon they said that he said that to be sealed, not the sayings of the capacity of this book for the time and at times. So we are living in these last days where God has been pleased to open a whole range of relation, truth, process. Nothing remains sealed. All is made known unto us as needed for our blessing to give unto our spiritual intelligence, and we are LED into the whole truth by the gracious guidance of the Spirit of God.
I'm thinking of that verse in Romans 16 and verse.
19.
Your obedience has come abroad unto all men. I'm glad therefore on your behalf, but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil, uh.
A simple, uh, soul that may not have a large intelligence or understanding of Scripture. All the ramifications of evil can be kept if there is, uh, that, uh, teachable spirit and, uh, submission, uh, to the, uh, the work of the Spirit of God and to the truth of Scripture that is brought before him, He can be cast.
And preserved from the evil doctrines which are abroad and even in ecclesiastical matters. You may not understand all the, the background of the, uh, the separations amongst the, uh, gathered Saints, but if there is simplicity and a desire to uh, follow the Lord with a teachable spirit, that person will be, will be kept.
00:30:18
And preserved in in the past, marked out by God and His Word.
We have expression then we're almost 16 and very safety find good words and false speech is to see the hearts of the simple. Now we are told to be simple after evil, but we are not to be simple as the fruits of God because God wants us to have intelligence as they thought. And if we have simple answer those things, then we are activating trees easily because they haven't entered into those things that God has brought us in precious words. We have remained ignorant as to those things and they adjust as to the truth so they're devoting against that such can be deceived by by good words and bad speeches.
Then his 21St verse I have not written unto you, because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and no lies of the truth. So we have the unction, the Holy Spirit of God, and the 21St verse, 20th verse, and then we have the written word of God in the 21St verse. And this is what preserves us. And I've noticed rather, when I have read questionable translations, there's always some insidious attack on the person of Christ in those translations.
We have to be very careful because the enemy is very clever and knows how to introduce those things.
And if we're not simple of connection with the truth of God, he can easily bring in that which robs us of the person of Christ. And I believe that's important, that we have a translation that carefully guards the person of Christ. And I don't find that with questionable translations.
Verse 22 we get the complete denial, don't we? I believe the early part of that first first 22 who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ. This has more to do with the Jewish unbelief they did they denied that he was Jesus the Christ the sent one of God and then.
He is Antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. That's the denial or a rejection of Christianity itself. So we see how what the lie really is. It's against the person of Christ and the truth of God that he was truly a man in this world.
That's a very solemn word, isn't it? In that 23rd verse, whosoever denies the Son the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledges the Son hath the Father also.
So anything that denies the deity of Christ robs us of the true God of the Bible, because the true God of the Bible is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I think all of us know that there are different words than the original Hebrew of the Old Testament, and that the word Lom used in connection with creation is a plural word, and that it's speaking out the whole 3 persons of the tragedy.
This is very clear because it says let us make man in our image. And so the God of the Bible is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and the order in which he is brought before us in the Scripture is the Father in council, the Son who carries out the counsels of the Father and the Spirit, the power. And I believe it's important for us in this day to be very careful about those teachings that go around that make.
Any attack whatever on the God of the Bible, and especially upon the person of the Lord Jesus.
00:35:11
Right, 24 days of the remedy against the town, doesn't it?
King James when they are added not be long that 23rd verse, although half of that verse is italicized, yet that does belong there, doesn't.
It has to do with confessing the sun, doesn't it? Acknowledging or confessing the sun?
Mm-hmm.
There was no change in the truth of God. It says on the 24th verse left that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. God's truth doesn't have to be brought up to date. It's true that in the Old Testament God dwelled in the thick darkness, but now all the glory of God shines out in the face of Jesus Christ. The Word of God as we have it is complete. No further revelation to be given.
And so we are to abide in it. And the truth that God has given to us through the apostles is a very complete truth of God. And we're not reward, not to add to what God has given to us in his Word, nor to take away from it.
Also to change it in any way, I was looking at a verse back in Proverbs chapter 24 in this thought. Umm that would you have heard from the beginning?
Uh, just noticed the verse 21 of chapter Proverbs chapter 24.
My son, fear thou the Lord, the fear of the Lord.
Is the beginning of wisdom or knowledge. Fear thou the Lord and the King, and metal knots with them that are given to change. You know, man likes to change things. We've had very many examples of that within the last few years. Changing things, metal not with them that are given to change. Go back to the beginning, that which God gave us from the beginning. And as our brother Gordon has said, God hasn't changed one iota.
It's just the same now as He was then. So he says, let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the sun and in the Father. There's the again, that precious truth that God the Father sent the Son into this world, and the Spirit of God adhere is here in this world to make it good to our souls.
So we don't need to think about change or altering anything. God hasn't changed and never will change. Very interesting verse there in in Proverbs 24.
First Corinthians chapter 2 Says the ordinance heard us to.
Where? Where 10 shows us that umm.
That spiritual truth is revealed by Spirit.
Searched out by him and communicated to us by the spirit and we received it by the spirit. So it's really kind of sobering that when someone, uh.
Goes off the path doctrinally and takes up with uh.
Some of these, uh, errors, it's, there's moral route to it because the Holy Spirit is indwelling us. And if we go along in our life in a, in a way where we're not grieving the Spirit, the Spirit of God is going to be free to minister to us. Nothing but true. So we see some really, uh, just incredible, uh, attorneys aside by some who are very experienced in the past were taken up with, with, uh, lies that deny the eternal sonship of Christ.
Men who, uh, at one time sat in rooms like this administered the truth to us very, very encouragingly. And others, uh, we've seen in, in, uh, in our experience where, uh, there would be a little bit of a moral slip and then a recovery, and then, uh, more serious moral slip and then a recovery and pretty soon a very serious doctrinal, uh.
00:40:23
Uh, problem will come in and do you say, well, what would cause that? They just got turned. They just didn't understand a certain passage in a certain page, right? And it was a moral rule. That's why they went aside. And so it's, uh, it's kind of sobering and it's, umm, when we realized that it's, uh, it's not us going up into having to search things out, but being in a proper state of soul that the Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God may be free to minister to us.
And, uh, we'll always Minister Truth to us.
The roots and some of these things.
Is described in a way in the 22nd chapter of the Proverbs.
Verse 20.
That's not I written on this.
The address is on what is written on the more significant questions in the scriptures is free, but it says what set the scriptures.
1000 questions can be answered with that as a response, but 1St 20.
20 have not. I've written to the excellent things in councils and knowledge that.
I might make you know the certainty of the words of truth. Now there is a framework, there is a, uh, structure that, uh.
Provides for a proper reception of.
Then replied thine heart. That's in reference to the affections.
That's a a suggestion that everything in my circuit right in the head.
I wouldn't want to say anything contrary to study, that's that's fine.
But if it doesn't affect the heart, if it doesn't freeze my affections and it turns out.
Bow down.
Here reply thine heart to my knowledge.
Then there's a a keeping verse 18. Keep them.
And then there's a fitting.
And the source of our information.
That I have made on the.
And 1St Corinthians 2 is the thread says the words that the Holy Ghost teaches.
If our instruction comes.
Oh God, that arrives in this kind of an environment.
Bowel down here.
Hearing willingness to be taught with a part of engaged.
In our chapter verse 24.
We have 3 words that describe something.
The first line of five down towards the end of the first remain and then the last line continues.
One place, uh second Samuel maybe about chapter 6, it says of David, he went on and he grew great. He doesn't say he grew great by the prowess of his soul, but because of the bigger which he conducted the numerous campaigns.
00:45:30
We change the setting pace.
Don't find too many fox races in the world and you find lots of horse races, but to just go on steady, persistent.
Applying remain continuous.
And we not only have the Spirit of God, but in the 25th verse. And this is the promise that He had promised you, even eternal life.
The Lord Jesus has spoken of as that eternal life who is with the Father and has been made known unto us. And so that isn't it lovely that the believer has a life that delights in obedience of often sad God will never ask us as Christians to do anything that the new life within doesn't respond and delight in doing. That's the kind of life that He has given to us. We won't have a different new life even when we get to heaven.
We possess the same new life now, the very life of Christ, when Christ, who is our life shall appear. So we possess this. So we have the power, we have the intelligence by the Spirit, and we have the life that responds to all of truth and the claims of God. I think this is very beautiful. He's given this to us, the instruction in His Word, but the life that responds and delights in that path that He's marked out for us.
No mentioning again about the off being kind of a slow animal.
In RJ Umm.
It's kind of a buy now pay later type of day where you know the.
The thought of diligent, methodical labor to achieve a desired end is, uh, is thought to be foolish, you know, unnecessary, you know, why not have it now and leverage and whether it's financial or other ways, that's, uh, that's the way of the world currently. And, uh, fall in the second Timothy two, I think I understand this first.
Second Timothy 2 and UH-6, the husband and the laborers. I think that should read. Correct me if I'm wrong. Laboring first becomes a partaker of the fruits.
Bye bye.
Leave the two. In the book of Proverbs, the person, uh, whether uh, in the context of natural things, but you can apply it spiritually. The person that hates to be rich gets a snare to his soul.
Uh, someone that wants to be rich quickly, he, uh, tends to strive unlawfully and he gets a snare. So, but the methodical diligence that the scriptures encourage, whether natural things are spiritual, uh, the diligent soul shall be made back prosperous. And so in the context of our chapter, uh, verse 26, he's a person's, uh, trying to seduce the Saints out of the past. And so if we are content to just diligently.
Methodically here a little there, a little line upon line, precept upon precept to be able to grow, uh, we won't be, uh, vulnerable and exposed, uh, so much to, uh, with itching ears to some new thing or something that promises quick or rapid growth or to bring us into a whole new realm or something like that, which, uh, you might otherwise be susceptible to. So, you know, as, as we continue on over the years, uh.
Not every reading medium say at the local assembly, uh, do you leave and say, uh, I, I can't believe how much I learned tonight. Uh, maybe when we're first, uh, saved and gathered either. I can remember leaving that way. I couldn't take it all in. But as time goes on, much of what we hear is confirmation and reminder of what we've learned before, which is good. And then, uh, even reading means like this and maybe one thing or two things we never quite saw that way. So it's here a little and they're a little. And, uh, as we go on and find where ways, uh.
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Imperceptible to ourselves, uh, we're, uh, hopefully becoming more fruitful by this increased knowledge as the things we've gone. I believe this, uh, one of the hymn writers is the expression that I enjoyed still leaning on my people with, with gentle. I think it says gentle having me grow.
I'm thankful we can be that God has in his grace and mercy and kindness as as he said earlier, he said in verse 20, I just call attention back to verse 21. I have not written unto you, uh, written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it. And as you were saying, it's rehearsed truth, isn't it? It's truth that's gone over. And then in a verse 20, uh, verse 26, these things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
How thankful we can be that God has given us these truths, all that we've just been reading, He's given us that we might not be seduced, that we might not be tripped up. And I think it's beautiful to think of that. And he says it's not, not anything. You know it already. Everyone here has heard these things before. But how do we, are we embracing them? Are we abiding in that truth? Are we going on in it? And so he says these things. Have I written unto you concerning them that seduce, seduce you.
We have the written word of God in our hands and then the very next verse says the anointing which you have received of him abided in you. Could God do more for us? I say no, he couldn't. We have the word of God in our hands. We have the Lord Jesus on high and we have the Spirit of God indwelling us. God has made every provision that we might not be seduced or turned aside in any way. I think it's so beautiful as as I thought about it.
All has been done. He's made every provision for us.
Not only has he died for us, but I think of Romans is a Romans 5 says he's living for us too.
In Philippians 3 and verse 16, we have wholesome imagination that goes along the same line. Chapter 3 and verse 16. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same same God's place doesn't change it, such as where it doesn't change and what we have learned of it. Let's just continue with it and cherish what He has revealed untoward from His precious words and holy sense.
August 27th, 1St doesn't mean that God may not use teachers. We find in Ephesians chapter 4 that the ascendant Christ has given gifts, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. And I would say most of us here have profited by that which has been written as well as that which has been spoken by those who have taught us in the things of God. But in actuality, we don't learn anything until we learn it from God.
And so it says in John, the Lord Jesus said, and they shall be all thought of God. And we might hear things in these meetings, we might mechanically hear them, have them in our knowledge, so to speak, but they're not really our own until they're taught to us by God himself through his Spirit. And so we go away. And if we have really said, I've got that from the Lord, if you say, Oh well, I think I can trust that brother. And that was his thought on it. Well.
It won't really give your soul until you have received it directly from the Lord, and then you can say.
The Lord has shown me this. He might use a teacher and I believe that's what we have an Ephesians 4. But on the other hand, if there's no occasion, the person might be sick and unable to get there. Does this mean that God cannot teach them at home? Yes, he can, but to neglect the provision that he has made, He tells us, think of a brother who said I don't need to go to the meetings. He had written ministry and he could stay at home and read his Bible. And so he said I can just stay at home and get all that I need.
Brother said to him, oh what good do you get out of Hebrews 10/25 when you read the Bible at home?
What does that first say? Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is that exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching. So God can and does often teach as many things as we read His precious words. But we need the assembling together too, brethren. It's part of the Word of God.
So when we were first brought to assembly meetings at the.
Sensation that, uh, someone has been following us around all week and reading our boss and telling the brethren they were ministering the word because it could seem like, uh, it was all just for us. And, uh, I'm thinking about the book of Ruth yesterday and what we had. It's, it's quite, uh, touching to think of, uh, Ruth chapter 2. That's a little picture of the local assembly where Boaz specifically inquires about group.
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And he, he, he takes information about her.
Studies her, so to speak. Where is she from? What has she found? And then he uses that information to take care of her and make provision for her. And he does that through the young men and the maidens. And so in the local assembly. I think that's why when the Spirit of God has liberty, that there is that sense sometimes that we feel that, uh, just what we were burdened about was brought out or just a certain him was given out that, uh, touched a certain spot that encouraged us or a particular truth that we've been or particular issue we've been troubled with.
And has been brought out by someone who could have no idea what we were going through. I believe that's one of the things about Boaz's field that he knows. And, uh, he's made himself informed, so to speak through his servants, uh, about what the needs are. And he has a provision. And that's why he says still not to glean in another field. He has the young men there and the maidens and he gives specific commandments. So not to her group, but to take care of her. So she goes back as I enjoy her brother said the other day.
He doesn't talk about the maidens or the young men. He says I was a bowling.
That's interesting you mentioned that because in our early days of being introduced to the gathering and going in and listening to the ministry, there were times when I thought that somebody must have told them how I, what I thought before I went to meet because the Spirit of God worked and brought out just what I needed. And I used to, I used to wonder about where some of us were a little puzzled about that, why they seem to know more about me than I, uh, somebody did somebody tell them these things?
And it's interesting, isn't it, to see the Spirit of God working in a soul, especially in the fresh.
Umm entertain or in inter introduction into the truth of God, where the Spirit of God teaches.
And most type of thing is I get in taking in the truth, is it? There is a gift in the ministry of the truth. But the question is that diligence and obedience. We have a vast legacy of written ministry at our disposal and we should certainly avail ourselves of it. And those of us who are younger, especially, we may not all have the ability to.
To draw from those deep wells like the young men in the Route 2.
But, uh, some have done this for us. So we can all drink out of the vessels that are, that are, uh, taken. It says, go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn. And so we've had that we have in our hands that a precious treasury of truth, and we need to be diligent and roast that which we take in hunting and beat out that which we gleaned in the field.
So diligence God will reward.
And, uh, we're not gonna grow in the truth that we despise the ministry that has been left to us, but really we're despising a gift that God has given to his church. So I perhaps overemphasize this line, but, uh, I feel that we should take every opportunity to, uh, to avail ourselves from the precious written legacy of ministry that is, that is at our disposal.
But you say this. So the young ones here, you pick up the the ministry of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not speaking about all the pamphlets on the news stands. I'm speaking about the ministry of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you read that ministry. You read that. You know the whole thing if you read it carefully.
And prayerfully.
And you will find that they direct your thoughts to the person of Christ. That's that's true ministry, not exalting man and as one certain evangelist that I I read part of his book and I never read the word I as much in all my life as it was in that book. It was I I I all through did that was that was no profit to me at all. But when I read ministry where they direct my thoughts to the person of Christ and the glory of God. There is where the spirit of God can teach you.
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And he will give you something for yourself, for your own soul in that. I think it's important to see that. Mm-hmm.
Just an expression too abide in Him mentioned in the end of the 27th verse and then mentioned again in the beginning of the 28th verse. Abiding in him. The Lord Jesus spoke of that and he in John chapter 15. Dividing in him we bear much fruit. I believe that abiding in Him is keeping close to Him and communion in the path that He has marked out. So it isn't just getting hold of the knowledge, but it's being attracted to the person that is.
Especially brought before us. And then when it says when he shall appear, we may have confidence. Notice that not he may have confidence, but we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him and his coming. I believe this is the side of things that is very important. That is, uh, she speaks in the 13th chapter of Hebrews. They watch for your souls that they must give account. I believe in giving out the truth.
It's not just giving out knowledge like the professor talking in the college, but it's having an interest in souls. And the one who gives it out is interested in the progress of the ones who hear. And it's a very responsible thing to give out the truth of God. And as I say, I quote again what it says in Hebrews. They watch for your souls. And rather, if we give out the truth, it's not just displaying how much we know. But do we love the Saints? Are we, uh, seeking to see price produced in them? We find the Apostle Paul Speaking of these things too, and 1St Thessalonians.
You said that you said that, that I'd like to turn this because I don't think I can pull it. Just, uh, First Thessalonians chapter 2.
Verse 19 But for what is our hope, Our joy or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming, For ye are our glory and joy.
Seems to be this brings before us the desire the apostle had for the Saints there a Thessalonica and he said in that day of manifestation when all comes out why it'll be his joy to see them rewarded. And so that was the attitude that the apostle John had to to be just illustrated is something like a teacher in a classroom. She has a whole class at the end of the year half the class fails. Isn't that some reflection on her that they didn't get along a little better.
But suppose you have the end of the at the end of the season or the teaching year, every one of them passes and half of them passes with honors. Oh, isn't that her joy to see that, that those children, that our young people have really progressed in what she was trying to teach them? Well, brethren, I believe it's a very serious thing to seek to be a help among the people of God. The truth is never to be administered in the attitude of take it or leave it. It's a love for souls that seeks to give out that which is for their good and for the glory of Christ.
And is interested in their growth and progress in the things of God. I think that's very beautiful so important for us if we seek to be a health among the people of God and.
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