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John 15, starting with verse
12. This is My commandment that you
love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no
one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You
are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I
call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master
is doing. But I have called you friends,
for all things that I have heard from my father I have made known
to you. You did not choose me, but I
chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the
father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you,
that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know
that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the
world, the world would love its own. But because you were not
of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of
this, the world hates you. Let's pray. Dear Lord, we thank
You for Your Word. We thank You, Lord, that these
promises that we're going to look at today are for us. Yes and amen. Lord God, Your
Word is forever settled in our heart. Today, as we partake of
it, I pray that it not leave us, Lord, but that You would
watch over Your Word and perform it in our lives. We give You
thanks for this in the name of Jesus. You may be seated. Wow. Brother Andy and I didn't get
together on any of this, A lot of the songs and the worship
that we just got through with, worship session, fits well together
in the verses that we're going to be looking at today. That's
amazing, huh? I want to give thanks for my
dear wife. I guess she sensed my nervousness. As Brother Andy was praying,
she wrote me a little note, said, it's not you, it's God in you. I thank the Lord for my wife.
She's been a strength for me for 35 years. Pray there's another
35, unless I go. There's an ongoing discussion
about that, which one of us is going first. So, praise God. I thank God for my wife. Yeah,
amen. I've been praying for that, brother.
Last week, as the elders gathered together over the phone to pray,
Brother Andy thought I was going to be preaching that week. So
he prayed in that way. We got through praying and I
told him, I said, Brother Andy, I'm preaching next week, I hope. I said, while you was praying,
I was saying, dear Lord, your word says you're coming back. Why not make it tonight? But
I wasn't ready. But really, I've been working
on this for several months now. I thank God for our pastor. He
does an amazing job at putting together the lessons, the Bible
studies, the sermons, his radio broadcast. And he has a wonderful
way of communicating. I'm not an accomplished speaker,
and I don't communicate well. I have trouble at the drive-thru
at the restaurant ordering my food. When you do something like this,
you come to appreciate the man of God that we have here. Amen? The Word of God is under attack
today as never before. That's why we place such a high
emphasis on declaring, reading, and singing the Word of God.
Winston Churchill, I don't know what you think about the man,
but he had some amazing sayings and he did a lot. One of his
quotes is, the truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance
may deride it. But in the end, there it is. And that certainly holds true
to the Word of God. Psalms 119.89 says, Forever,
O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven. We have a more sure
word of prophecy. Amen. The Word of God is true. What I think, what I believe,
what I speak is not necessarily true, but the Word of God is. Amen? For any man to stand behind
this pulpit, or any pulpit, and misuse the Word of God or mislead
the people is a very grave offense to God. So today as you hear
the Word of God read, know that it is truth. Anything else I
say is subject to question and scrutiny. Weigh my words against
Scripture. Don't be like the little baby
birds in a nest sitting there with your mouth wide open waiting
for something to be shoved into it. Amen? Amen. In the passage we're
looking at today, Jesus is talking to eleven of His disciples. Everyone
else has left Him. Judas, in chapter 13, had left
the group to betray Jesus. But in fact, it was in chapter
12 that it's written, Judas had already had it in his heart to
betray the Lord. And a few chapters before this,
in chapter 6, it says, many stopped following Jesus because the things
He said was too hard to believe. That's amazing for us to look
back and realize that now. Before Judas left, they ate together. Jesus washed the feet of all
twelve of his disciples. Judas was in that group. Judas
heard the things from the mouth of Jesus that the others had
heard. He had seen the same miracles.
He witnessed Lazarus being raised from the dead. Jesus made sure
His disciples knew, including Judas, that He was telling them
beforehand the things that were going to happen so that they
had proof that He was who He said He was. Amen? In chapter
14, Jesus told His disciples, don't let your heart be troubled. He was comforting those who remained,
letting them know that yes, hard times are coming, He told them
about that, did He not? And it will seem for a while
that they will be left alone, but they will see Him again.
And not only will they see Him again, but a Helper, the Holy
Spirit, will come and will never leave them. That they will go
and do even more than Jesus Himself did. Not do greater in power,
but greater by being far more reaching into all the world.
Amen. Jesus and his disciples are making
their way to the garden. They're still in the upper room
right now, but these are the final hours for Jesus to be with
them. He loved these men, and for three
years had been preparing them to be the world changers for
the sake of the gospel. Chapters 12 through 17, Jesus
is recapping the teachings of those years. condensing them
down into a summary as they make their way to the place of the
disciples' graduation. Soon they would be without their
master, and time would come for them to be the teachers. True
enough, this is the site of the most horrific event in the history
of the world. God Almighty is betrayed by His
creation. Jesus said in chapter 12, now
my soul has become troubled. He just told the disciples, don't
let your heart be troubled, huh? What did Jesus say? Now my soul
has become troubled. Time is short and there is an
urgency in His voice that we need to keep in mind as we read
again these eight verses. Start in verse 2. Verse 12 and
13, This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as
I have loved you. Greater love has no one than
this, that one lay down his life for his friends. Jesus said in
verse 9 of this same chapter, Just as the Father has loved
Me, I have also loved you. This statement is amazing. To
the same degree that God the Father loves God the Son, the
Son loves His disciples. That's who He is talking to here.
But by extension, He loves us the same way. We are His friends. Do you believe that? Amen. Amazing, because we can see how
God would love Jesus, right? Perfection, loving perfection. But loving us? Not only the non-perfect, but
when did He love us? When we hated Him. Jesus is worthy of God's love. We are not worthy. Yet He loves
us. And Jesus laid down His life
for His friends, and that includes us. His life wasn't taken from
Him. He laid it down. He offered His
life for us. He became the sacrifice for us. That's the demonstration of the
greater love. Now I need to ask you a question.
Is the love of God unconditional? The answer is yes. And no, God
loves all His creation. It tells of His glory and His
majesty, the good and the bad. Amen? But the love that Jesus
is speaking of here, that's supposed to be verses 12 and 13, is reserved
for the elect. Those chosen by God to be His
children, His church. John 13, 35. By this all men
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.
1 Thessalonians 4, 9. Now as to
the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write
to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. What a promise. 1 Peter 4, 7.
I'm sorry, 8. Boy, I've got a lot of mistakes.
Above all, keep fervent in your love one for another, because
love covers a multitude of sins. John 10, 11. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep. Romans 5, 6, and 8. For while
we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. For one will hardly die for a
righteous man, Though perhaps for the good man someone would
dare even to die, but God demonstrates His own love toward us, and that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So yes, the love that Jesus has for the
elect is unconditional. The condition is that it's for
the elect. Amen? For that type of love anyway. Verses 14 and 15. You are my
friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you
slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing,
but I have called you friends. For all things that I have heard
from my Father I have made known to you. Again, that's another
wonderful promise. All things that I have heard
from my Father I have made known to you. Jesus calls us friends. If you take notice in the epistles,
the apostles called themselves slaves of Christ, not friend. Is this a contradiction? No way. We're going to see it. With the
same love that God the Father and God the Son have with each
other, Jesus has towards us. Not only that, but Jesus told
us to have that love one for another. And I can see that. I fall short on my part, but
I can understand that the Word of God tells us this is so. But He goes on and calls us friends. Not slaves or servants, depending
on which English version you're using, but friends. We must not
use the generosity of our Lord to elevate ourselves to the same
level as God, but with humility continue to remind ourselves
and others that everything we have and enjoy is because of
the work of Christ Jesus. Matthew Henry said it this way,
The more honor Christ puts on us, the more honor we should
study to do Him. The higher in His eyes, the lower
in our own. Jesus shared with the disciples
all that the Father asked Him to share for the purpose that
they would in turn share with other men. Now our charge is
to tell others as well, which is what I have the privilege
of doing here today. Like I said, I'm not an accomplished
speaker, but what a privilege, what an honor to be able to proclaim
the Word of God. There's so many men here that
could do a better job. I've been with Corey out on the
street. And he does a wonderful job at proclaiming the Word of
God to his listeners. We are friends of God. Let that
soak in just for a minute. We are friends of God. You know
angels are envious of our position with God? Now let that soak in
as well. Angels are envious. Angels do not have the experience
of the new birth But they get a glimpse of that miracle by
looking at the church. 1 Peter 1.12 says, Announce to
you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy
Spirit sent from heaven, things into which the angels long to
look. I don't know about you, but this
blows my mind to think about it. So my question is, is there
sin in heaven? We know there's not. So the account
that we have in Isaiah 6 and the Revelation 4 about the angels
are creatures or beasts, depending on your translation, with six
wings and crying, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord. These creatures
have never sinned. Do you believe that? What happened
to the angels that sinned? There's no sin in heaven. There's
no sin in the throne room of God. Yet in Isaiah we are told
why they have six wings. Isaiah 6, 2, and 3. Each having
six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered
his feet, and with two he flew. These creatures have been in
the presence of God for how long? Who knows? What's important are
these facts. Even though we are saved and
we have been redeemed, We can't, in this present condition, be
in the presence of God. Our flesh is still corrupt. We
have to be given new bodies for that trip. Amen. The angels who
have been in the presence of God since they were created used
two of their wings to cover their face, and two to cover their
feet, and two for flying. The four used to cover with is
a sign of humility and for protection. Moses did not look into the face
of God, yet after he came off the mountain, the people could
not stand to look at his face. Can you imagine what the glory
of God has done to those angels? As the examples that we have
recorded for us in the Word of God, mainly in the Old Testament,
we too would probably fall down as dead were we to look in the
face of one of these angels. You know what I'm talking about,
huh? The humility the angels portray
should be an example to us that while we are called the friends
of Christ, we too are but servants or slaves of the Most High. Is
there anyone here that can say, I deserve to be among the elect,
or I deserve to be among the chosen by God? Isaiah 41a says,
But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant
of Abraham, My friend, called Abraham his friend. I say to
you, My friends, in Luke 12, verse 4, Do not be afraid of
those who kill the body, and after that have no more that
they can do. James 4.4 says, you adulteresses,
do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility or
enmity toward God? Galatians 4.6 and 7 says, because
you were sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our
hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Therefore, you are no longer
a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through
God. What promises? Philemon 16. No longer as a slave,
but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but
how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. James
1.1 says these next three are the writer's view of themselves. James, a bondservant of God and
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter said, Simon Peter, a bondservant
and apostle of Jesus Christ. Jude said, a bondservant of Jesus
Christ and brother of James. These men here too, like Brother
Andy pointed out, or Brother Reese did, about Moses, a man
of God. Amen? What better way to think of somebody
that they're a man of God, huh? May we all be men of God, or
women of God, huh? John 15, verse 16. You did not choose me, but I
chose you. The title of the message today. and appointed you that you would
go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever
you ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you." So what
is Jesus talking about here? The doctrine of election, huh?
The most controversial and even hated subject in the Christian
world today, and in fact, hated ever since Jesus spoke these
words. Now in this church we discuss this subject on a regular
basis, so much so that if you come here more than once and
you hear somebody mention anything about election, you'll have to
say, I've heard that before, right? One of the reasons that
election has received such a bad rap is because embedded in that
doctrine, in the doctrine of election, is the doctrine of
total or here we say utter depravity. You see, the reason that Jesus
had to choose us is due to the fact that we are dead. Spiritually
dead. Meaning that left to ourselves,
we do not have the ability or the desire to choose Jesus. The Word of God says we are God-haters,
despising the very Word of God. So, after that phrase by our
Lord, you did not choose me, but I chose you, we have little
to boast about, right? Another reason for the reluctance
to embrace the doctrine of biblical election. It goes against fallen
nature to suggest we might not have the ability to do something,
huh? While it is true we make choices
every day, all day long, We just don't concerning the things of
God. Especially where salvation is concerned. And I know what
some people could be thinking right now. Wait a minute. What about what Peter said to
the Lord in Mark 10, verse 28? Peter began to say to Him, Behold,
we have left everything and followed You. So how about that? The disciples decided to follow
Jesus. Why did they decide to follow
Jesus? Who chose who first? And while we're talking about
this, let me ask you, who chose Judas? Hmm? Jesus. Allow me to point out
something to you here about verse 16. Now just say for a minute
we omit this verse and read the passage. What is the context
of these verses? Let me read it. This is my commandment
that you love one another just as I have loved you. Greater
love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his
friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No
longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what
his master is doing. But I have called you friends.
For all things that I have heard from my father I have made known
to you. This I command you, that you
love one another. If the world hates you, you know
that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the
world, the world would love its own. But because you are not
of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of
this the world hates you." So what are we talking about here?
The context of these verses is love, is it not? 1 John 3, verse
1. See how great a love the Father
has bestowed on us, that we would be called the children of God,
and such we are. The love between God the Father
and God the Son, the love of the Father and the Son with the
elect, and the love of one another of the elect. So this verse explaining
how election works is not out of context. The Lord loves those
who are His. Not in the way a master loves
his slaves, but in the way that dear friends love each other.
Brother Blair says that we are benefited because we are caught
up in the love affair between God the Father and God the Son.
So how is election brought about? By love. 1 John 3, verse 1, we
read, See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us that
we would be called the children of God, and such we are. He first
loved us. For what reason were we elected? What reason was it that we might
be saved? Was it because we're saved from
the wrath of God? No, that's a benefit. We were
chosen that we would go and do what? Bear fruit. Not because
of our ability to be fruitful. We in ourselves do not possess
that ability. We are to bear fruit that remains,
so that it may bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians 3, 5-8, or
6-7. I planted, Apollos watered, but
God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants
nor the one who waters is anything but God who causes the growth. I got so many mistakes in this
thing. I told you I've been working on this for a couple of months,
huh? Brother Blair told the elders, you need to have a couple of
sermons ready just in case. You never know what's going to
happen, right? So I've been working on this. And when I realized,
OK, this is my turn, I started pulling this together. And I
had like 40-something pages. And I'm going, oh my gosh. And because I've been working
at it for so long, so I started chopping it up. And left some
out that I didn't need to leave out. But anyway. The last two phrases of verse
16. And appointed you that you would
go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever
you ask the Father in my name, He may give to you. are so deep
and rich that a whole series of sermons would be needed to
unpack that meaning and do it any justice. Not only are you
chosen, but you've been appointed to go and bear fruit. As I stated
earlier, these words of Jesus were spoken to His closest disciples. But rest assured, these same
words are just as true for you today. Jesus knew what was going
to happen, didn't He? He knew each step of the way. So there was that urgency for
him to keep pouring into those men who were going to take over
after he was gone. So not only are you chosen, but
you appointed to go and bear fruit. And as I stated earlier,
these words of Jesus were spoken to His closest friends, His disciples. But rest assured, these are for
us today. If you are chosen, they're for
you. If you're born again, they're for you. If not, we're going
to look at that in verses 17-19. These are wonderful promises
attached to election. Those who are chosen have been
appointed for something. We do not all have the same gift
and calling. With the appointment mentioned
in verse 16 comes the assurance of completion or victory. You
will bear fruit, fruit that remains or last, because it is God who
called. It is God who saves. It is God
who keeps. And it is God who causes the
fruit to come forth. So I ask you, what is this fruit? Is it our works? Is it the number
of people we lead to the Lord in the campaign? It's us being conformed into
the image of Jesus Christ. Amen. And whatever you ask for in Jesus'
name, God will give it you. Is that what was written in the
Word of God? Sure it is. What does it mean? Can we ask anything? Anything
we ask will cause lasting fruit. Anything we ask that will cause
lasting fruit to be brought forth. That's the prayer that gets answered.
Now how do we apply that to our lives today? What is the subject
of this passage aside from election? Love, right? Jesus commanded
his disciples and us to love one another as we already looked
at, but here's another reason to walk in that love, to guard
it and to nurture it. Matthew Henry said, keep peace
among yourselves and this will fortify you against the world's
quarrels with you. Those that are in the midst of
enemies are concerned to hold together. There's safety in numbers. Amen? Acts 22-14, And He said, The
God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to
see the righteous one, and to hear an utterance from His mouth. Precious, wonderful promises.
Romans 9, 10-17, Though the twins were not yet
born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose
according to His choice would stand, not because of works,
but because of Him who calls. It was said to her, the older
will serve the younger, just as it is written, Jacob I loved,
but Esau I hated. What shall we say then? There
is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be. For he
says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and
I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then, it
does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but
on God who has mercy. Amen. Then in 2 Timothy 2, the
things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses,
entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others
also. Who does this apply to? Every believer. Amen. Ephesians
2.10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them.
1 Corinthians 3, I planted, Apollos
watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the
one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who
causes the growth. Amen. Where does the fruit come
from? From God. Amen. What's that? Yeah. Corinthians 1. which has come
to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing
fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also
since the day that you heard of it and understood the grace
of God in truth." And then John 15 verse 7, If you abide in Me
and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will
be done for you. John 15, verse 17. This I command
you, that you love one another. This is the third time in these
chapters, chapters 12 through 17, this is the third time that
Jesus gave this command. So do you think Jesus was trying
to make it clear that Christians should love one another? The first one was in chapter
13, verse 34. A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you
also love one another. The second one was John 15, verse
12. This is my commandment, that
you love one another, just as I have loved you. And again in
verse 17. This I command you, that you
love one another. Starting of the sentence, this
I command you, I'm expecting a list, huh? Were you? You feel
that way? But it's simply to love, because
love fulfills the law. Jesus didn't just tell us to
love, He demonstrated that love by laying down His life for the
elect. He demonstrated love by making
us sons and daughters of God. He demonstrated love by calling
us friends. He demonstrated love by choosing
and sending the elect to preach the gospel. 1 John 3, we know that we have
passed out of death into life because we love the brethren.
He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his
brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal
life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He
laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods,
and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart against
him, how does the love of God abide in him? Back to our passage, John 15,
verse 18. If the world hates you, you know
that it has hated me before it hated you. Starting at the first
of the Bible, in Genesis, you don't have to get very far into
the book to see this played out. The temptation in the garden
by Satan is the first look of hatred toward God, and then hatred
toward man. When God is left out of any situation
like, say, our life, Satan dominates. I know you've heard Brother Blair
say this too. You're going to serve someone.
And to not serve God is an automatic declaration you're going to serve
the devil. No one, hopefully, sets out to
serve Satan. But from John MacArthur's commentary,
he dominates the evil world system and leads it in rebellion to
God. 2 Timothy 3.13 says, but evil
men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving
and being deceived." Is it important that we know the Word of God?
Amen. So whether it be the atheist
who says there is no God, or the Jews who detest Jesus, or
the person who says they don't know what they believe, to not
love God is to love the world. To hate Jesus is to hate God.
There's no separation here. To not believe the Word of God
or to hate the Word of God is to hate the triune God. Verse 19. If you were of the world, the
world would love its own. But because you are not of the
world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the
world hates you. So if we look at this phrase
by phrase, we're of the world. Matthew 5 says, blessed are you
when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds
of evil against you because of me. Now how is it a blessing
to be persecuted? We have that answered for us
in 1 Peter. If you are revived for the name
of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God
rests on you. And then Matthew 10, 22. You
will be hated by all because of my name, but it is the one
who has endured to the end who will be saved. Now our enduring
does not save us, but because of salvation, we are preserved. That is the preservation of the
saints. In James 4, we read, Euodraltus
says, Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward
God? Therefore, whoever wishes to
be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. And
then in Luke, If you love those who love you, what credit is
that to you? For even sinners love those who
love them. And again, 1 John. If you are
from God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater
is He... I'm sorry. You are from God,
little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He who
is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world,
therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens
to them. Now, concerning the phrase, because
you are not of the world, in John 17, I have given them your
word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of
the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask you to
take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. This
is Jesus' prayer. for His elect. Jesus prayed that
God would keep us from the evil one. How about we pray this over
ourselves, our family, and our church? This is one of those
whatsoever you ask will be given you type of prayers. Ephesians
2, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the
spirit that is now walking in the sons of disobedience. Among
them, we too, all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh. indulging
in the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even
when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved.
Amen. 1 Peter, but you are a chosen
race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own
possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. For you
once were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You
had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved,
I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts,
which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent
among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander
you as evildoers, they may, because of your good, as they observe them, glorify
God in the day of visitation." So here's the thing. More than
likely, we will be falsely accused about something at some point
in time. Our charge is to make sure it's
a false accusation. Amen? When Lynn and I lived in Guatemala
as missionaries... Let me back up. I'm always complaining
about the roads here in Mississippi. I don't know if any of you are.
But let me tell you something, the roads in Guatemala are a
whole lot worse. And there was a highway going
to where we lived, and in this highway were holes you could
lose a whole car. And if it was raining, you didn't
know that hole was there. There was a man riding in front
of us on a bicycle, and he reacted bad, hurt himself bad. So we
picked him up and took him to the hospital. His friends were
following behind us. Well, needless to say, we're
in a van. They're on bicycles. We got there way ahead of them.
The first thing the hospital was concerned with, not treating
this man. Here's a gringo. with a Guatemalan
who's hurt, who hurt the Guatemalan, the gringos. False accusations
come. That's just a small example of
that, but they come. We've got to make sure it's false.
Amen. And 1 John, 3 verse 12, Not as Cain, who was
of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason
did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil,
and his brothers were righteous. In 1 John 5, We know that we
are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the
evil one. We know that the Son of God has
come, and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is
true. And we are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God in eternal
life. The word here used for true also
means genuine, Jesus is the genuine God. 1 John 5, 21, little children,
guard yourselves from idols. Keep yourself from false gods.
Then one last verse of encouragement to those who believe we have
been made to be children of God. Look at 1 John 3. See how great a love the Father
has bestowed on us, that we would be called the children of God,
and such we are. For this reason the world does
not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are
the 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.
And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself
just as He is pure." So look at the contrast in verse 2. Children of God at the beginning
of the verse and ending with, we will be made like Him. We
will not be deity, but I confirm conforming to the image of Christ
will be complete. We will finally be without sin. Amen.
You Did Not Choose Me, But I Chose You
| Sermon ID | 911181039599 |
| Duration | 46:42 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday Service |
| Bible Text | John 15:12-19 |
| Language | English |