1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 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:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1.1-17
In this Passage here, from the opening words of John's Gospel of Jesus Christ, we read about the grace and truth of Jesus Christ more than once, and it is revealed in v14 that Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth, and it is revealed in v16 that we have received His fulness and grace for grace, and it is revealed in v17 that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15, the Word says that Jesus is the last Adam. This is a very deep discussion worth being a part of. There is the first Adam, and there is the last Adam. There is so much revealed about God and His will and His creation in these verses. Without unpacking that whole chapter, it is worth pointing to it in hopes that you will read it and learn that the first man is from the earth, and is made alive, whereas the second man is from Heaven, and is the Lord of the Earth, and is the One Who makes us alive spiritually. There is an eternity to meditate upon these truths. The Word tells us that we bear the image of the first man, and then those who put on immortality bear the image of the second man. This is our inheritance only by the blood of Jesus Christ. This great mystery is revealed in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and Friend.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Right now in March of 2023, if you have read any news articles or listened to any of the talking heads on the screens or radios where they squawk, you're hearing a resounding message: "We need to do something. It's time act. It's time to do something more than just sit there."
Don't get caught up in the passions of this world. Don't follow after their identity-centric follies. Your identity is hidden in Christ, reserved until the last Day. You don't need the wares of this world. You are whom God created you to be, and you don't need the world's permission or approval or official stamp to be so.
The world is declaring itself ready for Hell. The world is packaging itself into a neatly-categorized mess of human and machine and nature and beast, and the bow on the top is imprinted with a QR code and the box has an RFID tag within its confines. God is revealing Himself and the world is declaring it is time for unity and war. The Holy Spirit is being poured out upon all flesh, and the world is blaspheming the temple of God. There are many people in positions right now who are being given their moments to shine for the Kingdom of God, but who are so compromised with heavy-laden sin that they are immobilized or worse, and they are actively working against the Kingdom of God by living in lies. The God Who sends His Word out also declares that His Word will not return void. The blessings which God has blessed in the spirit will not go unheeded, but because those men whom He blessed with those blessings have chosen to instead indulge their flesh and belly and forego enjoying the simple blessings of God, those blessings are going to carry on and travel to animals, and those animals will exact the vengeance of God upon humanity for their interpretation of what that spirit is telling them. Bears are going to eat people on live television and birds will pick their bodies clean and all the "mainstream" news and all the "indy" news will make money off of these things happening, and more. Animals are going to sing in human languages the songs that humans ought to be singing. Dead people will rise from the grave and give glory to Jesus Christ and nobody is going to need to tell people to "know God" anymore, because everyone will know that God is pouring Himself out. So many people will curse God and will curse His people, yet there will be a final few people who confess their sins and leave their life to find eternal life by joyfully trusting in Jesus Christ and getting baptized and living beyond the expectations and means and ways of this world. It is for those few people who are left to repent that God is waiting patiently before ending it all and destroying His enemies with the brilliance of the coming of Jesus Christ in the sky.
When the world is telling us "now is the time" and things like "we are the ones we've been waiting for" and other mantras such as "we're all in this together" and when the world seems to all be acting in harmony around specific causes like the "covid" mandates or when "celebrities" and "influencers" are obvious shills for the Governments of the world, or when declaring that such a thing as truth exists is enough to get someone "canceled" and destroyed in the society which is built up, we as Christians can be content, knowing that our Kingdom is not of this world, knowing that we are not of this world, knowing that the One Who created everything has also declared that He is going to destroy it all, and He has given us His written Word and His Holy Spirit and His blessed servants throughout history to lead us into salvation. This life is primarily about preparing us for eternity, and a chief priority is that we would all be saved. If you do not yet know that you will spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus Christ when this life on Earth is over, what are you waiting for? It's not going to get easier, and there isn't going to be any more perfect day to surrender than right now, in the moment when you are considering it. When the Holy Spirit works in our heart, He shows up with His signature, so that we know it's Him. It takes effort for us to ignore Him and to ignore the knowledge we have that it is Him, but once that effort begins, it can get easier and easier to ignore Him, until you have eventually shut Him out completely.
Some people wonder if they are saved or not. That should be a sign of trouble, if you're not sure. The Bible tells us in many places throughout Scripture how to know if we are saved, and in 1 John 5.13, we read the following:
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
1 John 5.13
He says here "these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God" .. what things is he referring to here? He is referring to the other things he wrote in his letter to those who believe in Jesus Christ. He says he has written these things so that "ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." If John has written these things for us to know that we have eternal life, then we can know that by reading what he wrote, we can understand that we have eternal life, if we are of those who believe in Jesus Christ. And his purpose extends to even help us more believe on the name of the Son of God. So reading this one verse, and understanding that the author of this chapter declares that he wrote things for the purpose so that we would know that we have eternal life, how many people do you think will go on to read 1 John 5? It would seem natural for someone who is wondering about this topic, to want to read the chapter and see if perhaps they can understand the answer to their question of "am I a true believer in Jesus Christ?"
Are you a true believer in Jesus Christ? Do you know this? Have you read what the Word says, and does your life match up to the description of someone who believes in Jesus Christ? Many so-called "Christians" today are under lies which tell them that the words in the Bible don't apply to them somehow. There are many people who think that they can go on regularly sinning and still call their self a believer in Jesus Christ. Many so-called "Pastors" are preaching this kind of shit from behind pulpits on a weekly basis, and they are the ear-tickling teachers that the Bible talks about people will gather together with. The Bible is clear about who will not inherit the Kingdom of God, and even the fearful are in that number.
Perhaps you have read this far and you're hanging on to your false hope in your false god that you've created an image of in your mind, calling it Jesus and worshipping it like you think your little Jesus would want to be worshipped, and you're wondering if there's a different test of your salvation, rather than having to read an entire chapter from 1 John, because that's a lot of words and stuff to think about. Here's a simple test, a question you can ask yourself:
Are you content? You should know the answer fairly immediately, otherwise the answer is probably no. Someone who is content knows that they are content. Most people who are not content also generally know that they are not, but many people grow up learning from other actors in their life how to pretend to have it all together, and many people grow up with unhealthy expectations for what it means to "live life" or "grow up" or "arrive," and by the time most people reach their early 20s nowadays, they feel like they've already experienced everything the world has to offer, and yet they're still searching for something to make them content, because inside there is a hole, a gap where they know they ought to be filled, yet all that is there is an empty aching. For someone who worries about death, there is no way to be or remain content in any real meaningful way. Deep down, there is an unsettled soul that is stressed and pressured in unbalanced and unhealthy ways, because we were created as eternal beings, and we were not meant to die, so for as long as our body, soul, and spirit know that this is our destiny, we will be unsettled with that knowledge in our core belief, and it will affect every other system and part of our life until it is resolved.
For the one who trusts in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the fear of death is no more. Anyone who holds onto their fear of their own death in any substantial way hasn't actually trusted in Jesus Christ, because His Holy Spirit dissolves that fear, and everyone who believes in Him has His Holy Spirit living inside of them. Christians have feared God, and learned that we need not fear anything or anyone, because God alone has the power to create our soul and He alone has the power to destroy our soul, and He has declared peace and abundant life for all of us, by the power of Jesus Christ. We all have Him as our Lion, our rearguard, and we all Have Him as our Light and as our food and drink.
Perhaps you're reading this and you are actually content, and when you read 1 John 5 or elsewhere in Scripture where it defines a Christian, you are reading about yourself and your characteristics that you have inherited from the life which Christ purchased for you. You may be wondering whether there is any grace and truth for you in this post. There is. I am praying that you might be edified and encouraged by these words, and I pray that God blesses you with the wisdom of His grace and truth and that He guides you along in His timing.
Perhaps you're reading this and you know that you are not content, and you know that you are still willfully sinning, and you know that you have death as your destiny, and you know that unless God does some business in your heart, you're hopeless. If this is you, then you can also know that I am praying for you. I am especially praying for you, because your soul is in jeopardy, which means that you are in danger of forfeiting your eternal resting place with Jesus Christ as eternity unfolds into eternity. I am especially praying for you because God has led me to be able to pray for you, and to be able to encourage you by telling you that there is hope, and I can tell you Scripture after Scripture after Scripture that will prove to you that God loves you and that He wants you to spend eternity in Heaven with Him, and He wants to live inside of you by His Holy Spirit. I would tell you about how your body is the temple of God, and how He also says that He is our temple. I would tell you many things which Jesus Christ said and did, as He lived and walked on this Earth for about 33.5 years. I would use a lot of words, all you would have to do is contact me somehow, perhaps through e.mail at [email protected], but no matter how many words I use, that would only help you a little.
People are only truly saved once they see their need for Jesus Christ and they cry out to Him in spirit and in truth, worshipping Him as their Lord and Saviour. Until someone sees their need for Christ, they don't know that they should cry out to Him. The Word tells us that it is Jesus Christ Himself Who shows us our need for Him. It is truly like being born again, to believe in Jesus Christ, because He puts the desire in us to live right, and to be baptized, and to tell others about Him, and after a little while, a true believer no longer resembles the old, dead person they used to be. A newborn baby doesn't know how to take care of itself. It can't change its own diapers and it wouldn't do it even if it could. A newborn baby needs someone to take care of it all day every day for it to survive and thrive, and it requires a lot of love and effort and planning and wisdom to bring a baby up to become the child that he or she was created to be. The church has a charge to take care of the newborn Christians as well as the older ones, and every one in between.
If you are truly interested in knowing more about Jesus Christ, and growing as one of His believers, then being in regular fellowship with other believers in Christ is essential for your life and growth. The Bible tells us to not neglect the meeting together with each other, and the church has many different roles that it fulfills in a believer's life, and many different people experience church differently than many other people. Most churches which claim to be a part of any denomination are actually not true Christian churches, but they can be considered dangerous, perhaps more dangerous, than your regular run-of-the-mill cult. A true church is one which loves God, loves His people, and loves the whole Bible, and teaches the Word in grace and truth. A church in some moments is like a spiritual hospital, giving people a place to be healed and regenerated and refreshed and awakened from death to life. A church in some moments is like a military or like a school which teaches sharp discipline, training up pilgrims to behold the glory of our Father, His Son, and His Holy Spirit. A church in some moments is like a broadcasting network, declaring the truth and information that the Holy Spirit has ordained to be published. A church in some moments is like a nursery, or a geriatric home, where extraordinary efforts are established and where people with deep love for others are prepared and eager to take care of those who need to find rest for their first time, as well as those who are approaching their final earthly rest down here.
You don't need to be in a church to surrender to Jesus Christ and know that you know that you are saved. You can have that assurance of your salvation right now, by stopping being distracted by everything else, and turning your attention, your sight, upon Jesus in your heart and mind, and telling Him that you are ready to surrender to Him, trusting that He hears you, and trusting that His Word is true. He says all that keep His saying will never see death. He says that those who hate their life in this world for His sake will have life forever.
Jesus Christ is not the person that most "churches" are talking about today. Most so-called "churches" today aren't even trying to teach people about Jesus, but they are trying to gain people by using the name of Jesus. I can say "most" because I have observed a lot of churches and Pastors, and almost the entirety of them are charlatans and they're exceedingly skillful at being convincing and placating, but they're unable to reconcile their claims with the Word of God. Some of these people even claim to read and teach the whole Bible, yet they skip over the verses that they don't like, and they reinterpret other verses from multitudes of translations, to make Scripture match whatever topic it is they are trying to convince people about. These people are all talked about in the Bible as false prophets and the damned. It's so sad because they choose it willingly, and after time become seared in their consciences so that they cannot withstand the conversation it would require to show them the error in their ways. Only the Holy Spirit can save someone who is lost in this way.
To be absolutely clear about what I am saying here, I am not saying that a Pastor who uses multiple versions of the Bible is a heretic. That is not the sin. The sin is being unable to reconcile their claims with the Word of God, and reinterpreting the Word of God and calling their reinterpretations the same thing as the Word of God.
Certainly, I can point to several Pastors who faithfully serve God and who read from several versions of the Bible. I myself only read from the King James Version during my studies, and I am blessed that God meets me there every time I open those pages and approach Him in spirit and in truth, but most assuredly I know of men and women who have three or four or more versions of the Bible that they reference and cross-reference while they study the Word of God, and it is evident by the fruits that God is producing through their lives that people are coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through the lives of these people, and their love is what love God has loved them with and it transforms lives because the name of Jesus Christ is powerful because He Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega. The original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic are most worthy of studying and understanding in whatever portion God gives to you. The English translations we have are a part of God's faithfulness to all generations. Surely most of them are corrupt and not the true Word of God, but there are plenty which say mostly the same thing. The Holy Spirit throughout time is the same Holy Spirit Who inspired the written words originally and He is the same One Who guides those scraps of paper today. The canon paper and ink Book points us to Jesus Christ because of the hearts of the men whom He lit.
Jesus said He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance and to turn to God. People who think they have it all figured out are very often times the examples for us to see the end results of pride in. People who boast in themselves or in possessions or in position or in powers or in other people or connections or devices or abilities, these people are lost and headed towards destruction.
If you understand that you are a sinner, and you understand that you need a Saviour, then you are exactly where you need to be to be able to trust in Jesus Christ and be freed to spend the rest of your life giving thanks to Him from a position of rest and strength, instead of the worrisome position you've been living in. There is a reason that Jesus Christ is the only God Who made the claims He made, and there is a reason that nobody else hates any false gods the way that people hate Jesus Christ. It's because none of those false gods have any real power. It's because the Holy Spirit reveals our sins and convicts us to repent. It's because men choose darkness rather than light, and cannot comprehend the light. Yet, by the blood of Jesus Christ, we can.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 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:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1.1-17
