Contend For the Faith Once for All—Jude 3-10

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Contend For the Faith Once for AllContend for the faith once for all. Jude 1:3

The Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 1:5

The Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah due to their immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:7

Those dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority, and slander celestial beings. Jude 1:8

Such men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand. Jude 1:10

What things they do understand, by instinct, like unreasoning animals — those are the things that destroy them. Jude 1:10

We are destined to holiness. Never tolerate any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. He created us to be holy. Oswald Chambers

Grace – Mercy – Peace – Truth – Love

2 John

Grace - Mercy - Peace - Truth - LoveGrace – Mercy – Peace – Truth – Love . . . they all come from God the Father and Christ his Son. 2 John1:3

This is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. 2 John 1:6

Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God. 2 John 1:10

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this (Christ) teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 2 John 1:10

Prayer changes me and then I change things. God has established things so that prayer changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer works miracles in a person’s inner nature. Prayer is the way our life in God is nourished. Oswald Chambers

He Who Believes that Jesus is the Son of God Has Overcome the World

1 John 5

He Who Believes that Jesus is the Son of God Has Overcome the WorldThis is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. His commands are not burdensome. 1 John 5:2-3

The whole world is under the control of the evil one. But who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:5

If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him (spare his) life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that we should pray about that. ALL wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. 1 John 5:16-17

Biblical Examples of Sins that Led to Death

(Sexual immorality)It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 5:4-5

The Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the righteous people in it?” The Lord answered, “For the sake of ten righteous people, I will not destroy it.” When they reached the city the two men (angels) said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” Genesis 18 & 19

“Because by doing this (adultery with Bathsheba) you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.” David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” 2 Samuel 12:14-19

(Disrespect for the Lord’s Supper) – Those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep (died). 1 Corinthians 11:30

(Lying to God) – “What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. Acts 5:4-5

The Bible prescribes the death penalty for the following activities:

  • Murder
  • Adultery
  • Bestiality
  • Rape of a betrothed virgin
  • A man picked up sticks on the Sabbath. He was taken into custody because a punishment was not known. The LORD told Moses that the man in custody must be killed. (Numbers 15:32–36)
  • A man met a betrothed woman in town and slept with her. If it is a case of rape where out in the country she called for help and no one heard, the death penalty only applies to the man
  • A woman who is found not to have been a virgin on the night of her wedding
  • Worshiping other gods
  • Witchcraft
  • Taking the LORD’s name in vain or cursing his name
  • Cursing a parent
  • Kidnapping
  • Rebellion against parents
  • Having a spirit of divination

Beware of any belief that makes you self-indulgent or self-gratifying; that belief came from the pit of hell itself. – Oswald Chambers

This Is How We Recognize the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Falsehood

1 John 4

This Is How We Recognize the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of FalsehoodAnyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.  1 John 4:20

Love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God. 1 John 4:7

Test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Every spirit that acknowledges the Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is from God. 1 John 4:1&2

We are from God and whoever knows God listens to us. Whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1 John 4:6

 

If you are not right with God you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. Oswald Chambers

Let Us Love With God’s Truth

1 John 3

Let Us Love With God's TruthIf anyone has material possessions and sees a fellow believer in need but has no pity on him, how can that person claim to know God and have the love of God in him? Let us not love with tongues but with actions and truth. Again I say: Let us love with actions. Let us love with God’s truth. 1 John 3:17-18

God is greater than our hearts. God knows everything. 1 John 3:20

If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask. This is because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 1 John 3:21-22

These are God’s commands:
1) Believe in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ.
2) Love all fellow believers as God commands. Love all always. 1 John 3:23

Those who obey God’s commands, live in him and he lives in them. 1 John 3:24

This is how we know that God lives in us: We know it by the Spirt he gave us. 1 John 3:29

Sacrifice is the Holy Spirit’s ultimate expression of love. Oswald Chambers

 

This Is How We Know Who the Children of God Are

1 John 3

This Is How We Know Who the Children of God AreHow great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Christ. What we will be has not yet been made known. When Christ appears, we shall be like him. We shall see him as he is. We shall be like him. 1 John 3:1-2

Everyone who has this hope in Christ purifies himself as Christ is pure. 1 John 3:3

Everyone who sins, breaks the law; in fact sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4

Christ appeared that he might take away our sins. In Christ there is no sin. No one who lives in Christ keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Christ or knows him. 1 John 3:6

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil. 1 John 3:7

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin. Because God’s seed remains in him, he cannot go on sinning. He is born of God. 1 John 3:8-9

Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother in Christ. This is how we know who the children of God are. 1 John 3:10-11

Enter into “the secret place,” and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time. Oswald Chambers

Christ’s Anointing Teaches You About All Things

1 John 2

Christ's Anointing Teaches You About All ThingsThe anointing you receive from Christ remains in you and you do not need anyone to teach you. His anointing, through his Holy Spirit, teaches you about all things. 1 John 2:27

The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit does not involve revelation of new truth or the explanation of a difficult passage of Scripture to our satisfaction. Rather, it is the development of the capacity to appreciate and appropriate God’s truth already revealed, thus making the Bible meaningful in thought and daily living.

Do not love the world or anything in it. The lust of the eyes and our boasting comes from the world, not God. 1 John 2 :15-16

Many anti-Christians went out from us but they did not really belong to us. No, the liar, the anti-Christian, is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. Such an individual denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:22

Everyone who does what is right before God has been born of Christ. 1 John 2:25

Those who influence us most did not have even the slightest idea that they were doing so at the time. In the same way, Jesus produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring. Oswald Chambers