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READ:

Jude 1:21

²¹ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle Jude commands believers to keep themselves in the love of God. Believers must remain in the realm of God’s love. They should not wander away from the goodness and blessings that God has lovingly provided for them.

God’s love for His people is profoundly taught in the Scriptures. It is so great and wondrous. Psalm 36:7 says, “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” In Ephesians 2:4, the apostle Paul describes it as “his great love wherewith he loved us”. 1 John 3:1 exclaimed, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God”. It is in the provision of God’s great love that we are commanded to remain always.

In John 15:9-10, Jesus explained what it means to remain in God’s love. He said, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” So according to Jesus, to keep ourselves in God’s love is to be obedient to His commandments. And when we remain obedient, we will have greater opportunities to relish in His love. When we remain obedient to God’s Word, we stay in the sphere of His loving provision and protection. It is, therefore, very important that we be watchful not to drift away from the realm of God’s love through disobedience. Rebellion and disobedience would push us into the realm of His severe dealings of displeasure and wrath. So, let us be wise to keep ourselves in God’s love.

As children of God, we must live with a constant awareness of His love. We must delight in the knowledge of His love and all that it has granted us in Christ Jesus. We must seek to be nourished in all the blessings that His love has promised. We must, like Paul, pray that “the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God” (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

The ultimate expression of His love is that He will soon come for His people. So we must live in the constant anticipation and prayer for His return. Referring to His coming, Jude exhorts us that we should be “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

READ:

1 John 2:1b

^1b And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

EXHORTATION:

We live in a world of many temptations of sin and with a body marred with sinful lusts. Though Christians are not permitted to sin, it is highly likely that we will find ourselves being overtaken by sin from time to time. John’s exhortation here should never be taken as a licence to sin. Nonetheless, if a Christian commits a sin, he should admit his sin and turn to Christ who is our Advocate with the Father in heaven.

The present advocacy of Christ in heaven is due to the fact that we still have sins. In heaven’s court, the charge against our sins will be read out. To make things worse, our adversary, Satan, will press the charge further against us. Satan is a hate-filled prosecutor who accuses us relentlessly (Revelation 12:10; Zechariah 3:1-2). He attempts to turn God against us, as he did in the case of the Old Testament saint, Job (Job 1:6-11).

Undeniably, our sin causes us to be guilty. In view of our absolute inability to have the charge against us disallowed, God’s love has ordained a perfect, able and suitable Advocate for our acquittal. He is Jesus Christ. There are two reasons why a repenting Christian, though he had committed a sin, can be comforted because of Christ, the Advocate.

Firstly, our Advocate, Jesus Christ, is “with the Father”. As our Advocate, Christ will not attempt to hide or deny our guilt. He will admit the guilt of His people for whom He has become the Advocate. He will not forsake them in their hour of need. He will have pity on His people and plead their case with the Father. He will speak to the Father in their defence. Jesus Christ remains with God to plead for every one of His people.

Secondly, our Advocate, Jesus Christ, is “the righteous” One. He is our perfect Advocate. His perfect righteousness is the basis of His plea for us. He will say, “Father, yes, they are sinners. Yes, they are unrighteous. But Thou has accepted Me as their Substitute. Now, please see my righteousness that I have given to them. I also have shed my blood as a propitiation for their sins. They wear my righteousness by faith.” In this way, Christ will appease God’s anger against our sins.

What more can a sinner ask for than this? Let us confess our sin, and embrace our great Advocate, Jesus Christ, by faith. He will not reject us.

READ:

1 John 2:1a

^1a My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

EXHORTATION:

John’s salutation of his readers, “My little children”, expresses God’s love for His people. Divine love that flowed through the exhortation of the apostle sought sanctity in the lives of His people; hence he tenderly commanded them not to commit sin.

Would God’s children be bent on pursuing sin, knowing that it would grieve their loving Father? His dear children should say, “Oh, I will not grieve my God, who is so kind and good to me. Oh, how could I again grieve my God who has forgiven my sins?” If every child of God is grateful for the immense love that God has bestowed on him, he will not want to defy and dishonour God with his sins. Sincere appreciation for divine love and mercy will be a powerful incentive in the heart of God’s children to forsake besetting sins in their lives.

So, under the full force of God’s love towards us, John exhorts us: “these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” He has just mentioned in the previous chapter about the divine commitment to forgive us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The reason why he highlighted God’s unreserved commitment to pardon those who confess their sins, is not to encourage them to continue in their sins, but rather to persuade them not to live in sin again. Having been divinely forgiven, how can we callously live in sin still? Jesus died to rid us from all uncleanness, so we are indebted to please Him and not to vex His gracious heart.

This is not an exhortation to claim that Christians will be perfectly sinless, but to rouse them to decisive action against any propensity towards sin. They should not entertain sin within their hearts. They should not yield to temptations of sin. Their love for their holy God should kindle in them a strong aversion to sin. They must sturdily detest sins, which their God hates. Instead of succumbing to the downward pull of sin, they should yield to God’s loving call unto purity.

Beloved Christians, you should neither justify nor excuse your sins. You also should not feel proud of your sins. Rather, you must repent of your sins in shame and godly sorrow. Neither think of sin with pleasure nor recollect past sins to dwell on them. Instead, pray and deliberate on how to avoid sins, and then act on the plan to avoid or flee from them.

READ:

1 John 5:21

²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle John begins his final exhortation of his first epistle by addressing believers as “Little children”. This is his characteristic affectionate term in addressing believers. In this epistle, John used the salutation “little children” at least 8 times (1 John 2:1, 12-13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21). With tender affection, the apostle here warned believers concerning the danger of “idols”.

What are those “idols” against which the writer is warning? The Greek word eidolon, rendered here as “idols”, denotes an image or figure or anything that is set up to be acknowledged as representing God. In the New Testament, the word “idols” has been used for the heathen gods. Many of the early Christians were people who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). However, there was a great danger of them being tempted to return to idolatry because the communities among whom they lived were greatly influenced by idolatrous practices. So the apostle Paul warned the Christians in 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” Then he continued, “What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians 10:19-22). Likewise, in 2 Corinthians 6:16-17, Paul admonished, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”.

The word “idol” has also been used in the New Testament to represent anything which occupies the place that is due to God. In Ephesians 5:5 and Colossians 3:5, covetousness is referred to as idolatry; thus we are commanded to mortify our tendencies to be covetous. The exhortation to keep ourselves away from idols entails our duty to love and serve our living and true God always, and our consecration to be separated from all things that distract us from Him and His truth.

READ:

1 John 5:15

¹⁵ And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

EXHORTATION:

The scope of our prayers is found in two phrases of this verse: “whatsoever we ask” and “the petitions that we desired of him”. Together, these 2 God-sanctioned “perimeters” instruct us that as long as we are asking according to His will (v. 14) and are sure that He will hear us or attend to our prayers, there is no limit as to what we can ask. We can ask whatever we would, as long as His will permits.

Some people seem to be disheartened by their unfounded thinking that if they are only allowed to ask within God’s will, they will somehow miss the best things in this life. Such a notion is far from the truth! Nothing is greater or better than God’s will. No human mind can ever imagine or grasp all that God has planned for His people. The apostle Paul quotes from Isaiah 64:4, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Paul further assures us that God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Consider also the promise of Psalm 84:11 – “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

What an assurance that we (who pray according to His will) have – “we have the petitions that we desired of him”! The apostle John had already taught this truth in 1 John 3:22 – “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”

It is not enough for us to merely desire to achieve great things by prayer. We must believe in the Lord and His promises, and go to Him in prayer, submitting our petitions that are according to His will. Only then will we have what we desired, and more.

Prayer is the means of access to God in order to procure all His great and wonderful blessings. God is our inexhaustible source of grace, wisdom, strength and all good provisions. Through the ages, His people have bowed down in prayer to drink from the living stream of His blessings. Let us not foolishly neglect this open channel of blessing to all His people.

I would like to share with you two short articles that I wrote to counsel believers to be always watchful against their tendency to drift away from the communion and service of the Lord. May the Lord help us to pay heed to the counsel of His Word.

The Pitfalls of Backsliding

Proverbs 14:14 vividly depicts the stark contrast between the “backslider in heart” and the “good man”, underscoring the profound impact of their chosen paths. Prov 14:14 - “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.” This verse implies that those who veer from the righteous path, even if only in their hearts, will ultimately be engulfed by the repercussions of their decisions.

The term “backslider” comes from the Hebrew word “sûg”, which implies a hostile turning away. In Psalm 53:3, this word describes an unrepentant person who actively rejects God. He turns away from God because his heart is “filled with his own ways”. A backslider is self-conceited and considers his fleshly desires above God’s will. He is resentful when the ways of God are shown to him. He wants to pursue his personal ambitions rather than God’s commandments. 

This rejection stands in stark contrast to the “good man”, who finds contentment. Instead of finding satisfaction, the backslider becomes consumed by the foolishness of his sinful choices. Let us note that sin is ultimately the source of human despair.

The prophet Jeremiah reinforces this idea in Jeremiah 2:19: “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” Here, Jeremiah delivers a powerful message: our own wrongdoings will ultimately lead to our downfall. Turning away from God brings bitterness and hardship.

This proverb resonates deeply as it unveils a universal truth: our choices bear consequences. When we opt to deviate from the righteous path, we sow seeds of trouble that will inevitably sprout. The backslider, ensnared by his own folly, becomes entangled in a cycle of discontent.

Yet, this need not be the end of the narrative. The proverb also holds out a beacon of hope. The “good man”, the one who remains steadfast to his principles, discovers a profound sense of inner peace and contentment. This contentment doesn’t stem from external factors, but from leading a life in harmony with his God-honouring values.

The message is clear: true happiness comes from living a life of integrity. When we stray from the right path, we risk harming others and inviting dissatisfaction into our own lives. By choosing to live righteously before God, we inherit assurance and inner peace, and thus avoid the pitfalls of backsliding.

God’s Proving and Our Right Response

Exodus 20 recounts God verbally delivering the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Moses was summoned to the mountain, and God spoke the commandments aloud to Him, which were later inscribed on stone tablets by God Himself (cf. Exodus 31:18; 32:15). The Israelites, witnessing thunder, lightning, and smoke, were terrified and stood afar off, preferring Moses as a mediator. They feared direct communication with God. We read of this episode in Exodus 20:18-20, “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

Moses reassured them that God’s presence and commandments were meant to test their faith and obedience, not to instil fear but to prevent sin. Moses said to them, “Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

This encounter underscores the clarity of God’s Word, which can be overwhelming, especially when confronting our sins and imperfections. The Israelites’ fear highlights the “perspicuity” of Scripture—the clarity and authority of God’s Word. It’s not that God’s Word lacks clarity, but our sin clouds our perception and acceptance of it.

Hebrews 12:18-24 contrasts the Israelites’ fear at Mount Sinai with how believers under the New Covenant should approach God. The Israelites were so fearful of God’s voice that they asked not to hear it anymore, unable to endure the commands (Hebrews 12:19-20). In contrast, New Covenant believers are called to come to “mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22). Believers should approach God through Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, whose sacrifice has made a new way to God (Hebrews 12:24).

God’s proving of believers is continual, intending to convict, challenge, and transform them, drawing them closer to Him. When preached clearly, God’s Word should not cause retreat or fear, but inspire repentance and a desire to yield to God’s will. God’s Word insists on how to live and come together, emphasising holiness, obedience, and strength. Obedient and righteous people will be strong, pure, beautiful, and resistant to backslide.

In essence, God’s proving is not about destruction, but about refining believers into obedient, faithful servants equipped for a closer walk with Him and for greater work.

Sermon Text: Psalm 87
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 1st September 2024

READ:

1 John 5:14

¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle John began his exhortation on prayer with an advice on the proper attitude of prayer. He tells us of “the confidence that we have in him” when we pray. The pronoun “him” refers to “the Son of God” found at the end of the preceding verse. Hence the phrase “confidence … in him” is a reference to the full assurance of faith in Christ. Prayer in itself is an expression of our confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is this “confidence” that should characterise us when we pray? The word “confidence” in the original Greek language of the Bible is parrēsia, which indicates “freedom in speaking” or “unreservedness in speech”. It denotes the liberty of access and speech. Our prayers must indicate our faith’s absolute assurance that God has received us in Christ and therefore, it is our privilege to come before Him to ask for His help in our needs and troubles. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” (Hebrews 10:19-23). Hebrews 4:16 also exhorts us to boldness in prayer: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Christians’ prayers do not emerge from confidence in their own merit, but from the confidence in the merit of the Son of God whom they have believed. Christians who pray with fear and doubt belittle Christ’s atoning death, and unwittingly dishonour God by their distrust. All of God’s children must have the attitude exhorted by Paul in Ephesians 3:12 – “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”

Let us also learn to pray according to His revealed will in the Scriptures. Let us not desire or pursue anything that is contrary to His will, nor vainly utter them before God. As His children, we must solely be committed to seek and do His will. If, in doing God’s will, we ask whatever we need to accomplish His will, He will provide.

READ:

1 John 5:12

¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

EXHORTATION:

Possessing Christ, the Son of God, is to possess life eternal. Conversely, rejection of Christ means to live under the sentence of death, without having the eternal life that Christ alone offers. The Son of God Himself proclaimed in John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” He again said in John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

There is no reason to doubt if those who have Christ, the Son of God, have possession of eternal life. Those who have Christ are those who live by faith in Christ. Their lives show that they do possess Christ by faith. They do not behave like those who reject or have no knowledge of Christ. Their faith in Christ will be evident in their lives. If they ever fail to express their faith, being overcome with temptations, they will repent and renew their faith and walk again in the ways of Christ. Their repentance and renewal will prove their possession of life which the Son of God has given to them.

Those who have Christ will have the life that He gives, not the life that the world and the devil have prepared for those who seek to possess the world. The present lives of those who have Christ will certainly manifest all the characteristics of the life that is in Him.

The apostle John has given us much evidence of the spiritual life possessed by those who possess Christ. Let us consider some of the proofs mentioned by John. The first proof is that they obey His commandments (cf. 1 John 2:3-4). Secondly, they live a righteous life (cf. 1 John 2:29). Thirdly, they do not habitually commit sin (cf. 1 John 3:9; 5:18). Fourthly, they love the brethren (1 John 3:14; 4:7). The fifth, and by no means the last, proof is that they overcome the world (1 John 5:4).

The life that Christ gives to those who receive Him is not just life in heaven, but also a present life of Christ-likeness. While a Christ-like life proves that one has Christ, a worldly life demonstrates that one has rejected Christ. Let us delight in the life which Christ gives and dismiss the deadness of worldliness and sin.

READ:

1 John 5:11

¹¹ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

EXHORTATION:

In the previous verses, the apostle John wrote about several records or witnesses concerning Christ and His gift of eternal life. In verse 7, the apostle mentioned a set of three heavenly witnesses – “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Those witnesses are the three Persons of the Trinity. John here referred to the Triune God Himself as the heavenly witness.

In verse 8, he mentioned the second set of three witnesses on earth – “And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” These witnesses are: first, the Holy Spirit’s witness, whether at Christ’s baptism or through His miracles or by His resurrection; second, the water baptism of Christ by John the Baptizer; and third, Christ’s own blood shed in His death.

Those two sets of witnesses are divine witnesses, and hence the firmest and most faithful witnesses concerning Christ and His gift of eternal life. Referring to those divine witnesses, John said in verse 9, “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.” If man’s testimony can be accepted when adequately attested to (Deuteronomy 19:15), God’s testimony, being greater, must be accepted without hesitation! In other words, to spurn the testimony of God is to reject His mercy and redemption that He has sent to us through Jesus Christ.

In addition to all those witnesses, according to verse 10, there is also a witness within every believer concerning the gift of eternal life – “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself”. As a result of believing all the witnesses of God concerning Christ and His gift, one will receive assurance within oneself. The external witnesses of God, when faithfully accepted, become internal assurance.

These witnesses of God are immutable and everlasting. Nothing else can be a greater witness than those that John had already mentioned. If we have accepted the testimony of God and believed on Jesus Christ, His Son, we have eternal life. Christ Himself is life eternal. God has appointed no other but Christ to give us eternal life.