Daily Bread - April 1, 2019 (The Second Day - Genesis 1:6-8)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Monday, 01 April 2019 05:35

1 John 2:1 - My little children, I write these things to you so that you do not sin. But if anyone sins, we have a Paraclete at the Father's side, Jesus Christ the righteous. Part 1: IF, Not When, You Sin. The Word of God is written so we might have power over sin, because it abides in us (verse 14). The psalmist said, "Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you." We can be certain John is not saying, "believe that you are sinners and have sin, so you will not sin," which of course makes no sense at all! He is rather saying that we are in God, Who is Light; and, therefore, we have no fellowship with darkness. Furthermore, if we say we have fellowship with Him, but continue on in sin, we are liars because we have been equipped with the ability through the power of the new birth to dwell in Him and walk as He walks. Jesus placed the same absolute demand on the paralytic man that was healed, when He said, "Sin no more." (John 5:14). Jesus also gave the same command to the woman caught in the act of adultery saying, "Sin no more." (John 8:11). Similarly, Paul writes in Romans, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God Forbid!" We are now dead to sin (Romans 6:1-2; also, see whole chapter context: Romans 6) Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)

 

Daily Bread - March 30, 2019 (The Seventh Day - Genesis 2:1-3)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Saturday, 30 March 2019 10:39

1 John 1:10 - If we say, "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. Verse ten describes the past tense condition of those who have not been born again and washed in the blood of Jesus. The statements of verse eight and verse ten are for the most part repetitive statements. The only real difference is verse eight is expressing the present tense condition of the unredeemed, and the other, verse ten, the past tense. First, the present tense of verse eight - "We do not have sin" ('hamartian echein'/ ἁμαρτίαν ἔχειν), and then the past tense of verse ten "We have not sinned" ('harmartein' / αμαρτειν). The two conditions expressed are: those who are in sin and refuse to admit and confess their sins, so that they may be cleansed; and those who refuse to ever admit they had sinned at any time. The Epistle of John is the strongest epistle in the New Testament condemning all sin in the life of those who have been born again. To the honest reader, these points are clear from the arguments set forth contrasting those who are in darkness to those who walk in the light, to the strong statements of 1 John 1:5-7, 2:29, 3:6-9, and 5:18 which demand we walk in righteousness and give no place to sin. To make any kind of a defense that somehow a sinful condition is the common condition of those born of God is definitely not supported by this First Epistle of John. Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)

 

Daily Bread - March 29, 2019 (The Sixth Day - Genesis 1:24-31)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Friday, 29 March 2019 17:57

1 John 1:9 - If we should confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us of the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Part 7: The Holy Spirit Will Not Lead You Into Sin We are called to keep the commandments of the Lord Jesus; and if we say we know Him, yet do not keep His commandments, John says we are a liars (John 14:15, 15:10; 1 John 2:4). What many today call "legalism," John called proof of salvation (1 John 2:5, 5:3). Legalism is trusting in the Law of Moses for salvation. It is not legalism to be an obedient child of God who walks in holiness and godliness (Luke 1:74-75; Ephesians 4:24). Those who have been born of God and have matured like young men in God have conquered the evil one (1 John 2:13). The Word of God abides in them, and they abide in Christ Jesus; and Satan and his sin have no power over them (John 15:1-6; Romans 6:1-13; 1 John 2:14). Those who have the love of the Father in them have overcome the world with its lust of the flesh, its lust of the eye, and its pride of life (1 John 2:15-17). The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit through the conduct of our lives that we are born of God (Romans 8:16; 1 John 5:1-12). Therefore, if we walk in righteousness, then we are the children of God; but if not, we are the children of the Devil (John 8:40-41, 44; 1 John 3:7-10). The anointing we have received from Him teaches us that we are to abide in Christ Jesus, and walk in righteousness even as He is righteous (1 John 2:27, 29, 3:7, 4:17). We are to be pure even as He is pure (1 John 3:3). We are those who keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight (1 John 3:22). As many as are led by the Holy Spirit - they are the sons of God, and the Holy Spirit will not lead you into sin (Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:16). Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)

 

Daily Bread - March 28, 2019 (The Fifth Day - Genesis 1:20-23)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Thursday, 28 March 2019 05:34

1 John 1:9 - If we should confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us of the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Part 6: Sin Has No Place in a Person Who is Born of God John continues from these verses throughout his whole epistle making an even greater argument against sin and its power. He says Jesus was manifested to take away our sin, and that anyone who sins has not seen Him nor known Him (1 John 3:6). He goes on to say how those who sin are of the devil (1 John 3:8). This is true, primarily because one must participate with a demon spirit in order to sin. John even says it with stronger words when he states, "Everyone who is born of God does not sin," and even says, "He cannot sin" (1 John 3:9). We have Christ Jesus dwelling in us, and have overcome the wicked one, with all of his sin and lust (2 Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 1:27; 1 John 4:4, 5:4-5). This important point and reoccurring theme throughout John's First Epistle is brought to a conclusion at the end of the epistle when he says, "We know that everyone who is begotten of God does not sin, but the one begotten of God keeps himself, and the evil one cannot touch him" (1 John 5:18). Those Jews who would have refused to acknowledge that they had sin, and refused to acknowledge they were in need of a savior (because they believed that the Law was all they needed) were not of God, and had not been born of God, nor cleansed by the blood of Jesus (Luke 18:11; John 8:24, 39, 9:41; 1 John 1:8, 10). Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)

 

Daily Bread - March 27, 2019 (The Fourth Day - Genesis 1:14-19)

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Wednesday, 27 March 2019 05:42

1 John 1:9 - If we should confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us of the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Part 5: Sinning More or Less Everyday is Not the Plan of God One of the great ironies of Church history is the use of 1 John 1:8 & 10 to support both a notion that God expects us to sin every day, and the conclusion stating, "If we are not sinning, then we are not of God." Of the entire New Testament, John's first epistle is by far the most forceful in proclaiming how sin should not exist in the life of anyone who has been born of God. John writes his epistle to the Church because of the deceivers who were telling the people they could never be free from sin (1 John 2:26). He starts off the epistle saying that anyone who walks in darkness has no communion with God (1 John 1:6). He makes it obvious how darkness is the realm belonging to Satan, just as the realm of light belongs to God (1 John 2:8-11). In other words, darkness is the place of sin and death. We are rather to walk in the light, just like Jesus walks in the light -a place where we need not stumble (Psalm 119:165; 2 Peter 1:10; 1 John 1:7, 2:10-11; Jude 1:24). We have been given the faith and the grace to confess our sins, and as a result, He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Again, "unrighteousness" is a synonym for sin, and once a person is cleansed from unrighteousness, sin is no longer present. There are those who go on to argue that this verse of Scripture implies the continuous activity of sin, and they continuously need to confess so that they can be cleansed. Yet, John says in the next verse he was writing to them so that they should never sin (1 John 2:1). Then, he further emphasizes the "never" by saying, "If we sin," not "When we sin." Therefore, those who have deduced such a foreign doctrine are in grave danger and jeopardy of their own souls, and of those before whom they cast a stumbling block. Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21)