PT-1 Intro to "The Purifying Hope" (1 John 2:28-3:3)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/7/2024 7:55 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  PT-1 “Intro to ‘The Purifying Hope’

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                   Reference:  1 John 2:28-3:3

 

            Message of the verses:  “28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.  1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

 

            Sometimes the introductions that are found in MacArthur’s chapters are very short and sometime they are very long, this one is very long and so it will take us a few days to comment on the introduction to these verses.

 

            As seen in the “Focus” the title to this 10^th chapter in MacArthur’s commentary is “The Purifying Hope.”  Let me just say something about the word hope that is seen here and also in many parts of the Scripture.  Hope is a noun, which means that it is a sure thing, now I realize that the word hope is found in the title of this chapter, but I would have to say that it is a noun so what we are looking at when it says “The Purifying Hope” means that it will happen to us, meaning that believers will be purified.

 

            MacArthur begins his introduction by writing about the three benchmark virtues that are found in 1 Corinthians 13:13 which I will quote now:  “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  This is the final verse in what has been called the “love Chapter.”  As seen in the highlighted part of the verse that faith, hope, and love are the three benchmark virtues, and they are benchmarks of biblical Christianity.  Now of the three frequently discussed subjects, “faith” and “love” have engendered (created) the most discussion  among believers; while “hope” at least by comparison, has often been overlooked or neglected.  MacArthur writes “Yet, like faith and love, hope is not only a fundamental biblical concept, but the ultimate reality to which all others point—one that all Christians need to understand in its profound richness and full significance if they are to maintain a right true perspective regarding both this life and the next.”

 

            He goes on by writing “The concept of spiritual hope is” equivalent “to turning on a blazing light in a dark place.  It immediately illuminates one’s outlook, uplifts the soul, and produces joy in the heart.  Hope produces life and happiness into this sin-stained and death-filled world (cf. Ps. 146:5; Prov. 10:28; Rom. 5:1-2; 12:2; 15:13; Gal. 5:5; 2 Thess. 2:16; Heb. 3:6).  Yet sadly, most people in this world know nothing of the advantages and privileges that true hope brings.  Unbelievers simply do not have ‘and anchor of the soul, a pop both sure and steadfast’ (Heb. 6:19. In fact, all they have are superficial sources of security—things like narcotics, alcohol, sex, entertainment, materialism, surface-lvvel relationships, and a man-centered desire for a better future.  But all of these false hopes are only spiritual mirages that instantly vanish when this life ends (Job 8:13; 27:8; 31:24-28; Prov. 10:28; Cf. Eph. 2:12).  For the word, ‘hope’ is a mere wish based on a desire or plan, but not grounded in the promise of God who always speaks the truth and is faithful to all His Word.  Biblical hope is not a wish but an absolute future reality guaranteed by the Lord.”  Now I mentioned that in the Bible the word “hope” is a noun, as it is not a wish.  I suppose that Christmas time for little kids is a time when they use the word hope as a verb, “I hope Santa brings me a new computer.” 

 

            Now the truth is that the world’s hopelessness stands in stark contrast to the genuine and lasting hope that God offers.  The following verses in Romans 8:22-25 helps to describe that.

 

“22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

 

            How about you, are you eagerly awaiting for the hope that is described in these verse.  You can you know by realizing that you are a sinner because you were born a sinner and then confessing your sin to the Lord and realize that when Jesus Christ died on the cross that He died for you, so thank Him for that and invite Him into your heart to save you.  You don’t have to “hope” that He will because He promises He will.

 

12/7/2024 8:50 PM

 

 

PT-3 "Consider Your Resources" (2 Tim. 1:7)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/7/2024 9:26 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  PT-3 “Consider Your Resources”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  2 Timothy 1:7

 

            Message of the verse:  “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (NASB 95).  “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (AKJV).

 

            I begin this SD like a lot of others as I give you a quote from John MacArthur’s commentary:  “God also has given every believer the resource of His own divine love, which, like His power, we received at the time of our new birth.  In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul exulted, ‘The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us’ (Rom. 5:5).”

 

            That paragraph gives all believers very good news.  I want to talk for a moment about something that has to do with God’s jealously, and yes God is a jealous God, but jealous in a good way.  Think for a moment about salvation and how a person is saved.  First of all I believe that the Bible teaches that in eternity past that God chose those who would be saved.  Now don’t think that this is unfair, for we are dealing with God who is perfect and cannot make any mistakes.  Next there comes a time in a person’s life when the Spirit of God gives them an effectual call for salvation.  This happened to me on the 26^th of January, 1974.  I have mentioned this experience in earlier SD’s.  Next that person accepts that call and realizes that they are a sinner and asks the Lord to forgive them and then invites the Lord into their lives to be their Savior.  A person may not realize at that time that not only is the Lord Jesus Christ their Savior, but also their Lord.  Now the point in all of this is to show that this is all the work of God.  God has given us certain gifts in order to do what He has planned for us to do for the cause of Christ.  We, on our own cannot do things that please the Lord, but using the gifts that God has given us will bring glory to the Lord.  This is all about God, and when you think about it worshiping a perfect “jealous” God is the best thing that will happen to us.  I realize that this is at times difficult to understand and because we are human beings a lot of times we want to be in control and do things for the cause of Christ on our own.  Remember when we get to heaven the “flesh” will not be going with us, and I for one am thankful for that.

 

            Now back to our verse in 2 Timothy.  Now speaking of love as found at the end of this verse, it is the Greek word agape, the volitional and selfless love that desires and works for the best interests of the one loved.  This is not emotional and conditional, as philos love often is, and has nothing in common with eros love, which is sensual and selfish.  Now the love that we as believers have from God is constant.  It does not share the ebb and flow or the unpredictability of those other loves.  Now if I remember correctly the eros kind of love is never mentioned in the Word of God.  Agape love is a self-denying grace that says to others, in effect, “I will give myself away on your behalf.”  Now when you think of that kind of love it reminds you of what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary.  Now “directed back to God from where it came,” writes MacArthur, “it says, ‘I will give my life and everything I have to serve You.’  It is the believer’s ‘love in the Spirit’ (Col. 1:8), the divinely bestowed love of the one who will ‘lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13).  It is the ‘sincere love of the brethren’ by which we ‘fervently love one another from the heart’ (1 Peter 1:22), the ‘perfect love [that] casts out fear’ (1 John 4:18).  It is the love that affirms without reservation of hesitation: ‘If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s ‘(Rom. 14:8).  Above all, it is ‘the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge’ (Eph. 3:19).”  

 

            Now the truth is, and it is something that I know that I have a hard time of always doing, is our spiritual lives are measured accurately by our love.  If our first love is for self, our life will center on seeking our own welfare, our own objectives, our own comfort and success.  That means that we will not sacrifice ourselves for others or even for the Lord.  However if we love with the love of God provides, our life will center on pleasing Him and on seeking the welfare of others, especially other Christians.  Godly love is the first fruit of the Spirit, and it is manifested when we “live by the Spirit and… walk by the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:22-25).  “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-25).

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This section has stepped on my spiritual toes and by the grace of God this wakeup call given by the Spirit of God will cause some change in my life, needed change. 

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to allow the Spirit of God to work in my life and to fill me with His love so that I can love others like Christ loves.

 

12/7/2024 10:13 AM

 

PT-2 "Christians Remain Faithful" 1 John 2:24-25)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/6/2024 8:37 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                        Focus:  PT-2 “Christians Remain Faithful”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  1 John 2:24-25

 

            Message of the verses:  “As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.  This is the promise which He Himself made to us:  eternal life.”

 

            I want to pick up from where I left off in last night’s Spiritual Diary on these verses.  The ultimate prize for those who remain faithful is, of course, eternal life.  Now concerning Himself, the true Bread of Life, and  those who are spiritually united to Him, this is what Jesus promised as seen in John 6:53-58:

 

53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.’”  In His commentary John MacArthur has some verses listed that compare with this one:  John 14:1-6; 2 Tim. 1:1;Titus 1:2; 3-7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Jude 21.)

 

            MacArthur then writes “The contrast between antichrists and Christians is absolutely clear.  Antichrists deny the faith, depart from the faith, and seek to deceive the faithful.  Christians, on the other hand, affirm the faith and remain faithful to the end—they cannot be permanently deceived.  The Westminster Confession of Faith sets fort the following regarding the understanding of truth and perseverance:

 

“All things in Scripture are not alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. (I:VII)

 

They, whom God hast accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.  (XVII:1)

 

            Now I know that the verses from the 6^th chapter of John that I quoted above are difficult to understand so here is where you can find what I wrote on those verses:   SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/18/2016 7:21 AM

            If you are interested at looking at that rather long SD just look for it on my blog with the date mentioned above. 

 

            Let me just quote a partial paragraph from MacArthur’s commentary on these verses.

 

            “Jesus, of course, was not speaking of literally drinking the fluid in His veins any more than He was of literally eating His flesh.  Both metaphors refer to the necessity of accepting Jesus’ sacrificial death.  The New Testament frequently uses the term blood as graphic metonym speaking of Christ’s death on the cross as the final sacrifice.”  He then gives a great many verses to show this truth which I am not going to include here.  He ends this paragraph by writing “His sacrifice was the one to which all of the Old Testament sacrifices pointed.”  Now many people who read these verses think that Jesus is talking about communion, but that is not the case.

 

12/6/2024 9:07 PM

 

PT-2 "Consider Your Resources" (2 Tim. 1:7)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/6/2024 8:33 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  PT-2 “Consider Your Resources”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  2 Timothy 1:7

 

            Message of the verse:  “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (NASB 95).  “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (AKJV).

 

            I want to continue to write about this verse, a verse that has meet a lot to me in the past, and yet I am getting new insights into it as I study it more thoroughly at this time. 

 

            God has given resources to us as seen in this verse where we see He has given us power and love and discipline.  MacArthur adds “When we are vacillating and apprehensive, we can be sure it is because our focus is on ourselves and our own human resources rather than on the Lord and His available divine resources.”

 

            Now we look again at the Greek word for power which is “dunamis” and I have stated in earlier SD’s that we get the word dynamite from that word.  This word denotes great force, or energy.  It also carries the connotation of effective, productive energy, rather than that which is raw and unbridled.   So we learn that God provides us with His power in order for us to be effective in His service.  Paul did not pray that the believers in Ephesus might be given divine power but that they might be aware of the divine power they already possessed.  “18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19  and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20  which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:18-20).  Now it is through Christ we have the resource of God’s own supernatural power, the very power He used to raise Christ from the dead.

 

            Now when we think about both the Old and New Testaments we know that the OT saints were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit in the same way that New Testament saints are, that is not to the same degree of fullness.  Let us look at John 14:15-17 “15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”  Now it is true that the OT saints did have resource of God’s Spirit providing divine help as they lived and served Him.  They understood, as Zechariah declared to Zerubbabel, that their strength was not by human ‘might nor… power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord” (Zech 4:6). 

 

            Now I sometimes think of what Dr. Warren Wiersbe stated in one of his books about this subject as he wondered how much of a difference in the believer’s life if the Holy Spirit’s power would be taken away from them.  I think that what he may have been referring to was that the believers in our country today need a Holy Spirit revival, something that I have been praying for, for a very long time.

 

            I will conclude this SD with a quotation from MacArthur’s commentary.  “It is of upmost importance to understand that God does not provide His power for us to misappropriate for our own purposes.  He provides His power to accomplish His purposes through us.  When our trust is only in Him, and our desire is only to serve Him, He is both willing and “able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Eph. 3:20).

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is my desire that God through His Holy Spirit give me the power to write my Spiritual Diaries in a way that will bring glory to Him.

 

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire that the things that God has called me to do will be done in His power and not in mine, for that would mean that if done in my power they would not be done correctly.  In the Spirit not in the flesh.

 

12/6/2024 12:12 PM

PT-1 "Christians Remain Faithful" (1 John 2:24-25)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/5/2024 10:39 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                        Focus:  PT-1 “Christians Remain Faithful”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  1 John 2:24-25

 

            Message of the verses:  “As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.  This is the promise which He Himself made to us:  eternal life.”

 

            I begin this last section in the ninth chapter from John MacArthur’s commentary which he entitled it “Antichrists and Christians.”  Notice that both of these words are plural, meaning that there are many Antichrists and many Christians.  Now we probably are not surprised of the many Christians, but that there are many antichrists may surprise us a bit, so that was something that we all needed to learn about.

 

            I am not ashamed to say that John knew that the true sheep could never lose their salvation (John 10:27-29; cf. 1 Peter 1:5), he exhorted his audience to persevere, to let that [truth] abide in them which they heard from the beginning.  Now just for a moment let me talk about this statement about the truth that once a person becomes a believer that they can never lose their salvation.  I will do this by once again talking about what happened when I became a believer.  It was in January of 1974 about five months before my wife and I were married that I took a trip to visit a high school friend of mine in Florida.  I have mentioned that my life before becoming a believer in Jesus Christ was not good at all.  I could hardly say a sentence without swearing and I had gone through a heartbreaking divorce a few years earlier and did not have the correct understanding of women.  When I got to Florida at my friends house he had a series of tapes which were sermons from a man named Hal Lindsey that were references the bestselling book that he wrote entitled “The Late Great Planet Earth.”  He said that I might want to listen to these tapes, which meant I had to stay at his house to listen to them.  I think that it was about the third day of listening to these tapes which were about mostly of the end times that the Spirit of God opened my heart to salvation.  How did I know this, well the Lord took swearing away from me, which to me was a miracle.  I called my wife and had her fly down so that I could talk to her about the Lord by telling her what had happened to me.  It would be sometime in April of that year when she became a believer.  All I can say was that time in Florida changed me, changed my life, and it also would change the lives of our two children and eventually seven grandchildren.  I received salvation from the Lord at a time when I really did not know what that meant and so I know that it was the Lord through His Spirit who saved me that warm winter day in Florida, and so I know from that experience that this gift of salvation that was given to me will never be taken away from me.  That does not mean that I can go back to the life that I was living because that is not what I desire to do, as I want to serve the Lord, doing what He has planned for me to do from eternity past.

 

            I will finish this first SD on these verses by quoting the rest of the first paragraph from MacArthur’s commentary.  “Believers are commanded to actively persevere in  the truth because it is the gracious means by which they are sanctified (John 8:31; 1 Cor. 15:1-2; Phil. 2:12-13; Col. 1:22-23; 2 Tim. 3:14) even as faith is the means by which they are graciously justified (Rom. 3:24-26).  The word twice rendered abide and once abides is from meno, which refers to a continual action of remaining (cf. it use in John 6:56; 8:31; 14:17; 15:4, 9-10; 1 Cor. 13:13; 2 Tim. 3:14).  Those who continue in what they have heard show that what they have heard from the beginning abides in them, and they also will abide in the Son and in the Father (1 John 3:17; 4:13).”  I think that what I just quoted goes right along with what happened to me almost 51 years ago, and for that I am so very thankful to the Lord and desire to serve Him.

 

12/5/2024 11:10 PM     

PT-1 "Consider Your Resources" (2 Timothy 1:7)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/5/2024 8:33 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  PT-1 “Consider Your Resources”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  2 Timothy 1:7

 

            Message of the verse:  “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (NASB 95).  “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (AKJV).

 

            I put this verse up in two versions of the Bible because when I memorized it a very long time ago I memorized it in the KJV and as one can see there is a difference between the NASB and the KJV.

 

            This Spiritual Diary begins a second means for guarding against being ashamed of Christ and that is to consider our divine resources. MacArthur adds “The Greek verb (didomi) behind has not given is in the aorist active indicative tense, showing past completed action.  God already has provided for us the resources.”  I for one am glad that he explained this because I surely am not any kind of Greek scholar like MacArthur is.

 

            It is possible and very likely that the Lord may withhold special help until we have special need.  Let us now look at what Jesus told the Twelve in Matthew 10:19-20 “19 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”  I remember reading something about this promise from these verses and it had to do with a preacher who would not prepare for his sermons but claimed these two verses to be able to preach his sermons.  Of course this was not right theology as Jesus’ point here is when a person comes under persecution and has not prepared to speak during that time then the Spirit of God will give him something to say. 

 

            The truth is that God does provide everything we need for everyday faithful living and service when we first believed writes MacArthur.

 

            As we move further into this verse there is a negative perspective, as we can be sure that any spirit of timidity that we might have is not from God.  Both the New and Old Testaments speaks of a fitting and proper fear of God, in the sense of awe and reverence, however the here is what the Greek Word for timidity means “deilia timidity, fearfulness, cowardice is.  This is a shameful fear that is generated by weak, selfish character.  MacArthur adds “The Lord is never responsible for our cowardice, or lack of confidence, or our being shameful of Him.  The noun deilia (timidity) is used only here in the New Testament and, unlike the more common term for fear (phobos), carries a generally negative meaning.”  I think that what is being explained here is that one was given us something when we are born-again that has to do with not being afraid, especially not being afraid so that we will become shameful of our Lord, and in the case we are looking at now Timothy as not using that resource.  Look at the verse again “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” Notice the highlighted portion of the verse for in that we learn that it was not God who is giving us a spirit of timidity, but God has given us power and love and discipline.  I can’t help but think of what Peter did when the Lord was crucified, how he denied Him three times just like the Lord said that he would, but in the 21^st chapter of John’s gospel the Lord asked Peter the following “15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. 18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!’”  The Lord was brining Peter back into fellowship with Him for He would be using Peter in a few short weeks to preach the very first sermon in the Church age.  Peter denied knowing Jesus three times and so Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. 

 

            In a similar way Paul’s letter to Timothy is being used by the Lord to bring him back to where he was before he became timid.  Not only is this second letter to Timothy for Timothy but for all of us when we become fearful and deny the Lord. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I now realize why it is that the Lord has put upon my heart to study the letter of 2 Timothy, and there are different reasons, but one has to do with some of the things that Timothy was going through, that I too am going through from time to time.  Learning to take this verse apart to see what God has not given me and what He has given to me is something that has blessed my heart this morning.

 

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  Remembering what God has not given me, fear or timidity but has given me power, love and discipline.

 

12/5/2024 9:20 AM

 

PT-2 "Christians Accept the Faith" (1 John 2:20-21, 27)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/4/2024 10:05 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                       Focus: PT-2 “Christians Accept the Faith”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference: 1 John 2:20-21,27

 

            Message of the verses:  “20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth…. 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”

 

            I really thought that I would finish this section in my last SD, but didn’t get it all done and so I want to complete it this evening, and then we will have one more sub-section to finish this chapter. 

 

            What I did not get to write about yesterday evening was verse 27 as it is almost as long as verses 20-21 together.  What we have in verse 27 is that it reiterates the truth that the anointing, (which speaks of the Spirit-given knowledge of the truth) which John’s readers received from Him abides in them.  His readers possessed the truth; it resided in them permanently as it does in all true believers.  Here is a list of verses that shows this truth too (John 14:16-17; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13).  So they (John’s readers) had no need for anyone to teach them.  And because God’s truth is all-sufficient (Ps. 19:7-14; 2 Tim. 3:16-17) and incompatible with error, His anointing teaches…about all things, and is true and is not a lie.

 

            John MacArthur concludes this section by writing “When the apostle asserted that believers do not need other teacher, he was not advocating a mystical anti-intellectualism that spurns all human teachers.  On the contrary, the Lord given the church godly pastors, elders, and teachers ‘for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ’ (Eph. 4:12; cf. v. 11; 1 Cor. 12:28).  John’s point is that believers must not rely on human wisdom or man-centered philosophy (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18-2:9; Col. 2:8) but on the teaching of God’s Word by Spirit-gifted human teachers and the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit.”

 

            I am very glad for the last paragraph that MacArthur added so that nobody gets the wrong idea of what we are leaning from those verses.  John is writing to a church which was to function like a New Testament church and that is still what we are under and so it is best to continue to learn about how the Church is to operate and follow that. 

 

12/4/2024 10:07 PM