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READ:

2 Thessalonians 3:5

⁵ And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

EXHORTATION:

This is Paul’s pastoral prayer and wish for the church. He prayed that the Lord would “direct” their hearts. The Greek verb for “direct” generally means to guide one’s way straight towards a place. Paul’s desire is that every Christian will be constantly led forward by God into a deeper, firmer relationship with God and Christ. No higher prayer can be offered than this – that by the influence of the Spirit of God, we may be led into the vibrant, unhindered operation of God’s love.

Christians’ continuous advancement in their spiritual relationship with their God and Saviour must always be sought after. Their spiritual life should not be stagnant, but constantly growing towards greater experiences of spiritual realities.

Like Paul, who trusted the Lord to direct the believers, we too can trust and pray to Him for our spiritual growth. Without the Lord’s direction, we will be like sheep that have gone astray, prodigals that have left their heavenly Father’s loving abode. If we would pray, He will lead us back to His loving presence and establish us in His love.

Hearts led by the Lord will not only obtain the joy and blessings of divine love, but will also grow in their love for God. More love for God will be seen in all aspects of their lives. Their love for God will manifest in greater appreciation for God’s Word, greater commitment to prayer, loving and generous service in the church, enthusiastic communion with God’s people, and compassion for lost souls. It would be impossible to suppress their love for God, as they grow to love Him with all their heart, mind and strength. May it be our desire to love as God has loved us!

Together with “the love of God”, the apostle Paul also mentioned “the patient waiting for Christ”. The Greek word translated as “patient waiting” denotes the idea of “the ability to continually bear up under difficult circumstances”. Impatience does not go along with love. Love begets patience. Patient waiting is the fruit of growing faith and love. It endures all circumstances with constancy, courage and steadfastness. Like Christ, we must also patiently suffer all things in love, for we know He is coming again to reward us. Therefore, in anticipation of the Lord’s return, we ought to bear difficulties, offences and sufferings with patience.

READ:

Romans 5:6

⁶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

EXHORTATION:

We once lived in great peril, having no strength to help ourselves out of our sins, misery and condemnation. Our impotency to help ourselves out of our utter wretchedness was an eternal peril that snared our souls. Our condition was pathetically awful, as we were “without strength”.

Our utter inability to please God – because of our sins – had left us completely open to the full force of God’s curse and wrath. “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). Our wretchedness reflected our cursed state – “for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10).

Our sins had left us in dreadful spiritual, moral, emotional and even bodily weakness. Ungodliness had brought upon us many evils, namely the wild passions, the miseries of life, gloomy and dismal prospects, banishment from God and condemnation. It had wrecked our lives and left us in total spiritual and moral paralysis. Oh, how true it is that we had been “without strength”! What a terrible, tragic condition was ours! This malady is not a calamity befallen upon us, but a condition brought about by our own deeds. Nevertheless, how consoling it is that “in due time Christ died for the ungodly”! The divine intervention on our behalf did not come too late. Christ came to this world at the divinely appointed time. The time had been declared by the Old Testament prophets (cf. Daniel 9:26). As Paul said in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law”.

When no man could help, Christ came. Christ means “Anointed One”. Christ, the Son of God, came as God’s appointed Saviour. He was endued with God’s perfect wisdom, power and authority to be our Saviour. He cannot and will not fail. Oh, what great news it is that God’s anointed one, Christ, has come to rescue us from our certain peril! How gracious it is that Christ “died for the ungodly”! He laid down His life on the cross, bearing upon Himself the divine justice against our sins. By His death, we have redemption. Truly, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

READ:

Revelation 12:11b

^11b And they loved not their lives unto the death.

EXHORTATION:

This is a description of the attitude of the saints towards their own lives during the Great Tribulation period. It has already been stated in the first part of this verse that they will wholeheartedly trust in the blood of Christ to overcome the ferocious fury and hostility of Satan against their souls. They are also determined and devoted to bear witness for Christ. They fearlessly confess Jesus Christ and testify concerning Him in the midst of atrocity and violence committed against them. They are fearless and undeterred by the fierce persecution. Violence, blood, suffering and death will not stop them from living out their lives for the testimony of Christ.

The saints of Christ do not go into hiding to avoid the wrath of Satan and his hosts. They will maintain their evangelistic efforts even if it means death to them. Thus, John goes on to pinpoint the attitude behind their bold testimony, i.e. they do not love their lives to the point of death. They refuse to live for themselves. They are least concerned about their own safety when it comes to testifying for Christ.

They truly epitomise Jesus’ teaching on discipleship: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). The true follower places Christ above everything else, even above his own life. Furthermore, Jesus said, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34). Denying oneself and bearing the cross are essential components of a life that is faithful and fervent for Christ. In other words, the faithful believers maintain their witness even if it means martyrdom.

In Revelation 2:10, the believers in Smyrna were told: “Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Many Christians will be persecuted, though not all will be put to death. So Christians must be willing to suffer and die for Christ, if necessary. They should not love a life that does not bear testimony for Christ. If the world and Satan should crush their efforts to live for Christ by inflicting death, they would happily accept it. Like Paul, their testimony would be: “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death” (Philippians 1:20).

READ:

Revelation 12:11a

^11a And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.

EXHORTATION:

Satan and his hosts of demons have, according to previous verses of this chapter, been trying to destroy Israel and Christ and all the believers on earth. Satanic destruction has been unleashed against believers all through the ages and will reach its climax against the saints of the Great Tribulation. He will try to destroy and slaughter all of the believing people.

However, Satan will be defeated. Notice what our text says: “they overcame him”. Believers will overcome all satanic opposition and persecution. How would they overcome Satan and his demonic hosts? According to our text, their overcoming of Satan and his demons was not by rebuke, incantations, bindings of demons or exorcism.

They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14 describes the Tribulation saints as “they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”. Because of Christ’s blood shed for their redemption, no accusation would stand. No accusation against the suffering saints of the Great Tribulation would stand before the throne of God. In fact, no accusation against any believer in any age would stand. It is not that they possess some personal power of their own, but rather that “God hath set forth (Christ) to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Romans 3:25). As Paul said, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6-7; cf. Colossians 1:14). All of the accusations against us fall on deaf ears because we have been saved by the blood of the Lamb, even our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:12, 14).

What’s more, the believers also overcame Satan “by the word of their testimony”. In a world filled with demonic treachery and opposition, their testimony never wavered. They remained faithful regardless of all the threatening situations brought against them by the fury of Satan. They were unflinching and unwavering in the face of hostility. Their witness was clear and steadfast. Truly, Christians do not surrender; as “overcomers”, they go forth bearing Christ’s testimony, even in times of satanic hostility.

READ:

1 John 5:18b

^18b But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

EXHORTATION:

It is the second time that the apostle John refers to a Christian as being “born of God” in 1 John 5:18. The Greek word for “begotten” was earlier translated in the verse as “born”. “He that is begotten of God” simply means that he is born of God.

John also categorically states that he who is born of God “keepeth himself”. The desire and effort of a person who is truly born of God will be to keep himself from sin. In this epistle, John repeatedly asserted the duty of God’s children to keep themselves from the defilement of sin. In 1 John 3:3, John said, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” He also said in 1 John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world”. At the end of this epistle, John commanded, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

Every child of God will voluntarily and solemnly endeavour to avoid sin. He guards his mind and body through prayer and godly disciplines to overcome the lust of the flesh and the temptations of the world and Satan. Every child of God must emulate the apostle Paul, who said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27). God’s children must keep their affections and faculties pure, passionately and fervently pursuing an obedient life unto holiness. In Romans 6:18-19, Paul exhorts Christians, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

As John mentioned earlier in 1 John 3:9, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” Because of the gracious divine influence through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, Christians are constantly urged to flee from every temptation of sin. They shall be so kept that the wicked one, Satan, shall not mortally “touch” them. God’s children will be faithful to keep themselves from Satan’s temptation by taking heed of divine counsels of God’s Word.

Why do we ask the question, “What time is it?” The most common reasons are (i) to help us manage our responsibilities duly, and (ii) to avoid being bad stewards of time by missing opportunities and schedules. We, as Christians, need to ask this question so that we may be good stewards of our time and opportunities in a very distracting and perilous world.

As we observe the world around us, it becomes increasingly evident that the times we live in are characterised by escalating moral defilement, spiritual decay, and a pervasive disregard for truth. In every era, believers are tasked with distinguishing between good and evil, but in times of heightened moral decay, this responsibility becomes even more pressing. The Bible cautions us about such times, urging believers to be spiritually vigilant and discerning. How can we, as followers of Christ, identify the subtle and not-so-subtle signs of evil in our world, and stand resolute in faith? In this article, we will delve into biblical wisdom on how to respond to the current times of moral and spiritual decadence, while underlining the urgency of the situation.

Evil Days! Redeem the Time!

Scripture says in Ephesians 5:16, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Here, with great earnestness and urgency, the apostle Paul succinctly expresses the urgency and intentionality required of Christians to live faithfully in a world marked by evil. This directive is a timeless call to recognise the fleeting nature of time and to use it wisely, especially in a world where moral decay and spiritual dangers abound.

Two terms that the apostle Paul uses here denote the concept of time: “time” and “days”. The first word—“time”—is the translation of the Greek word (kairos), which indicates a fixed or allocated period or season. Here, it refers to a person’s life and the opportunities that God has allotted to him. The second word—“days”—refers to the daily experience of earthly life.

Time is a unique resource because it is both unchanging and irreversible. Unlike money or other possessions, time cannot be saved for future use or replenished once spent. This makes Paul’s call to redeem time even more urgent. The phrase, “redeeming the time”, conveys the importance of seizing every opportunity and making the most of it. The Greek word for “redeem” (ἐξαγοράζω, exagorazō) implies “to buy up” or “to reclaim something valuable”. In this context, it implies that time, once lost, is gone forever; therefore, it must be managed wisely and devoted to godly purposes. Paul’s message isn’t just about being busy or productive; it’s about aligning our time with God’s will, ensuring that each moment serves His glory and contributes to our spiritual growth.

By saying that “the days are evil”, the apostle warns us of the temptations and trials that this corrupt and immoral world throws at us daily. The Christians living in the apostle’s time were surrounded by paganism and infiltrated by heresy. In Ephesians 4:14, he wrote, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”. Greediness, dishonesty and immorality were a way of life in Ephesus, which most of the believers had once been involved in, and to which they were tempted to revert (cf. Ephesians 4:19-32; 5:3-8, 15).

Though some are given opportunities far into old age, others would only have a short life, ending in their childhood or young adult life. But none of us knows how long or short his allotted time is. Moreover, we have little time to waste. Because the days are evil, our opportunities for freely doing God’s will are often limited. So, the advice to redeem the time means buying up the time or making the most of the time. When we have the opportunity to do something for His name’s sake and for His glory, we should do so with all the strength that we have. So, let none of us waste our time and opportunity, but use them entirely for Christ!

High Time to Wake Up to Righteousness

Scripture exhorts us in Romans 13:11-13 – “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”

Paul urges the believers in Rome to arise from their spiritual state of slumber by casting off the pursuit of worldly pleasures. Instead, they should focus on spiritual matters, knowing the imminence of Christ’s return. In Romans 13:13, Paul delves deeper, outlining specific behaviours that Christians should avoid. He emphasises the significance of understanding Scripture’s admonition against engaging in works of darkness.
One key takeaway is the importance of rejecting “works of darkness”. This doesn’t solely refer to physical brawls, but rather a rejection of excessive indulgence and sinful revelry. In today’s world, particularly in affluent societies, Christians can easily get caught up in materialism and career ambitions. This pursuit of worldly success can distract us from serving God and contributing to His mission. We become trapped in a cycle of wanting more, leading to dissatisfaction and hindering our ability to support the church and its work.

Paul further warns against drunkenness, lewdness, and a generally disorderly lifestyle. These behaviours are incompatible with God’s righteous ways. As Christians, we are called to be holy, just and righteous, reflecting the character of our God. We must shed these “works of darkness”, and embrace a life of decency and order.

The word Paul uses for “honestly” in verse 13 goes beyond mere truthfulness. It encompasses living a decent and moral life, one that exemplifies righteousness. Unfortunately, some Christians prioritise worldly concerns and societal expectations over living a life truly aligned with God’s truth.

Turning away from sin and embracing godly virtues has immense power. We can walk according to God’s will by yielding to the Holy Spirit. As Ephesians 4:24 reminds us, we are called to “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

The time for complacency is over. We cannot afford to remain asleep in the darkness of sin. Eternity approaches, and we must be prepared. Let us rise and shine as the light of God’s righteousness, and live with honesty and decency, genuinely reflecting our identity as children of God.

READ:

1 John 5:18a

^18a We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not.

EXHORTATION:

When the apostle John says “We know”, he is actually alluding to the assurance and confidence that Christians have about spiritual realities. In this epistle, John used the word “know” at least 22 times. From the opening words to the end, there is a ring of absolute assurance in this epistle. It would be very appropriate to call this epistle ‘the Epistle of Certainties’.

Several times in this epistle, John wrote how we could be absolutely sure that we are born of God and are His children. For instance, he said in 1 John 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God”. At least 8 times in this epistle, John referred to believers as “born of God”.

In his Gospel, John wrote, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Our spiritual assurance that we are God’s children has nothing to do with our physical birth; it is not inherited from parents. Hence, it is written concerning our spiritual new birth that it is “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man”.

Our spiritual regeneration is the working of God’s grace in us that is marked by genuine faith and obedience unto a righteous life. So John says, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not”. Everyone who is born of God is called to live a sanctified life.

The Greek verb for “sinneth” is in the present tense, thus indicating that those who are genuinely born of God will not continually or habitually sin. The fact that the children of God will not give themselves to a sinful life is repeatedly asserted by John. The triumphant certainty of the power of God’s children to overcome sin has been repeatedly claimed by John. In 1 John 2:29, he said, “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him”. Likewise, John says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9).

A child of God may fall into temptation and sin. However, his normal condition is one of resistance to sin. The triumphant reality is that all those who believe on Christ do have the power to overcome sin!

Sermon Text: Psalm 88
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 8th September 2024

READ:

1 John 4:16b

^16b God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

EXHORTATION:

Never was more meaning encapsulated in so few words than in this short sentence – “God is love”. It is a statement of eternal magnitude. The apostle John stated this truth twice in his first epistle (cf. 1 John 4:8, 16). In fact, the message of this short verse is splashed all over the Bible.

When John wrote that “God is love”, he was not saying that “love” is the complete revelation of God. In fact, he has earlier also written in the same epistle that “God is light” (1 John 1:5), which refers to God’s holy nature (cf. John 3:18-21; 1 John 1:5-10). So, love is not the only attribute that adequately describes God. God cannot be fully explained by one of His attributes alone. The emphasis of the saying, “God is love”, is that in God alone we can fully view what true love is; it is only by His enablement that we can express true love.

The declaration that “God is love” not only reveals God as a loving God, but also portrays love as natural and essential to His divine glory. All of God’s will and all of His works are draped in His glorious love. In nature and essence, He is “God of love” (2 Corinthians 13:11).

God is perfect and His love is perfect too. God is unfathomable; hence His love is beyond our full grasp. But the knowledge that God is full of perfect and infinite love enables us to draw near to Him with full assurance of faith for pardon and redemption. There is no act of love in this world that can ever be compared to God’s love which receives us as His children, though we were once His enemies. He loved us when we had no love for Him. He lovingly came to us even when we had wandered away from Him. He loved us wretched sinful mortals so that we might live in heaven, live with God, and live in eternal glory and blessedness with Him and through Him. Oh, what love has reached us here on earth!

The apostle John also declared the unmistakable proof of our loving relationship with God – “and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” Everyone who loves all that God loves is certainly the one who dwells in God, and God in him. This is the practical proof of our relationship with God. So let us love Christ and His people, just as God loves them. Let us love the church, the work of the Gospel and His servants, just as He loves them. Let us love even our enemies, for God loved us while we were yet His enemies. Where God abides, love abides.

READ:

1 John 4:16a

^16a And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle John here speaks of his experiential knowledge of God’s love, which is not only his most cherished spiritual blessing, but also that of all other believers. All true Christians have tasted God’s love and can speak of its wondrous blessing in their lives in the most enthralling and confident manner. They do not speak of God’s love as a mere philosophical concept or ideology or possibility, but as their most intimate of experiences.

Knowing the love of God is the dearest and sweetest experience of Christians. They perceive the love of God in their minds, as the apostle John said in 1 John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” This is not a mere intellectual opinion or proposition about God’s love, but a deep conviction and full assurance resulting from the working of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel of Christ. As Paul said in Romans 5:5, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”. The Holy Ghost imparts an intense appreciation and sense of God’s love declared by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So like the apostle John, all genuine Christians are able to say most sincerely, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1)!

Once we are loved and adopted as God’s children, we will be led by His good and gracious providence to more and more blessings of the love that God has towards us. God’s promise is that His children would discover more and more blessings of His love with each new day. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)? Thus, it behoves us to pray like Paul for greater perception of His unending, infinite love towards us – “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Christians are the authentic witnesses of God’s amazing love. Hence, every Christian ought to be one who testifies to God’s love, both from the heart and with the lips. Let us sing of His love. Let us proclaim His love with our voices and actions. Oh, the love of God that will not let us go!