1-3 John - 1st John 3:16-18 How we know Christ's love

So we're going to start at verse 13 in chapter 3 and read down through 24. So a fairly long text, and we're going to look at the three verses kind of in the middle of that section. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. 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 we know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by bliss. But whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in him and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide with him?

And we will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us. For God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God in whatever we ask or receive from Him. Because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment that we believe in the name of the same Jesus Christ and love one another just as He commanded us. the One who keeps His commandments, abides in Him, and we in Him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit, and He has given us.

All right, great. Thanks, Randy. So we're to begin today in verse 16. So Jack's challenged by this verse, and he last week said that he couldn't wait for us to cover this verse. And Jack, what has your homework shown us about this verse? Well, I would know that there is He indicates that we're taught, as in King James, to have this life, and to live not a life for our brother, you know what I mean?

That's what it is. Pretty tall task, huh? Yeah. Aren't you glad that I have to deal with this? I was wondering why Randy or Roger weren't dealing with this here today. The way this schedule worked out, I don't control the way that Roger controls the schedule. Yeah, that's right. And I'll let you make your conclusions whether that's appropriate or not, right?

The spirit leads, correct? All right, let's take a look at this. Remember, always, we interpret text in context, but we also interpret it related to the rest of the Word of God. So we can't really contradict God and his Word from one passage to the next. Let's put this into perspective. What's the epistle to John all about?

Thank you. OK. It's about fellowship. It's about the love of God, and that's in fact in this verse. Hereby perceive we the love, by the way, of God in parenthesis. It's not in the original text. Because what other kind of love is there like this, right? I mean, agape is used once to the believer, or the potential believer, but an unbeliever's like life. And what's that verse? Love not the world. That's agape.

And we as believers are challenged not to love the world with an unconditional love. Again, that's of a different nature, is it not? The love of the world comes from the sin nature, the Adamic nature, not from the person we are in Christ Jesus. To perceive we the love because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, perceived, perfect, tense, active, indicative.

So let's put that in English. Randy, English, perfect, active, indicative. We have come to know and still know. It's the idea that it's there, indicative, it's factual, right? Fact. We know the love, we perceive the love of God. So this is something we know, we keep knowing, and gnosko is the word for know here, not eido or head knowledge. This, in fact, is more of a personal knowledge because of who we are in Christ. We've been saved. We've been empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is a knowledge of the personal Lord Jesus Christ and that love of God perceived through him.

All right. The love of God. Again, note the parenthesis here, not in the original text. Notice now how this is defined. It's defined that he laid down his life for us, right? So, a couple verses. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

Romans 5.8. But God demonstrates his own love towards us. And that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Peter 2.24, I'm pulling from various sections of the New Testament, but I mean we could look at 15 verses plus for this. in his body on the tree, that we having died the sins might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed."

All right, so Gospel 101, right? He died for us. This is his love, his death for us. Corporately and individually, remember Christ died for all of the sins for the entire world for all time, right? What's he asked us to do? Believe it, right? It's all we got to do. And it's by his grace that we're saved. It's not simply by our faith. Grace is the mechanism. Faith is the vehicle.

All right. So we're all on the same page. Is there any other love like this? So of God in parenthesis, again, I kind of alluded to that earlier. Of course not. So now what's our responsibility here? Hereby we perceive the love of God because he laid down his life for us. Well, Jack, second part of the verse now. Unfortunately, we've got to finish the verse. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

All right, let's drill down here now and see what we have to learn here. All right. Ought, a philo, to owe or to be under obligation. Tough word. It's tough to dance around this one, isn't it? This is an obligation for the believer. And how is it given? It's a present active indicative. Present tense means now. Active means we're involved. Indicative, it's factual. We need to be doing it now.

Now, how many opportunities have we had in the last week to do this? Anybody had a chance to lay down their life for the Brethren here in the last week or two? We're going some place with this, I can assure you. Is this tying in to similar to Ephesians 5, where Covenant is to lay down one's life?

Okay. Obviously, this is something we've got to It cannot be us, it cannot be anything. It has to be Christ-like. Anybody else? Any thoughts here, Steve? How about you? How are you doing? Are you working hard at this? Okay, good. I'll be coming back in three minutes, so get your thoughts together. How about that of Peter? Let's look at Peter here. I love this verse. James 13, 37. Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. Is that kind of where the world's at here? Where the believers at for the most part? Absolutely. Right?

We can say that this is what the scripture says. We can say, yes, I'm willing to lay down my life for the brethren. But as Peter, we're going to fail this, aren't we? So let's really look at this more carefully. Can you interpret this verse in any other way than identification that makes it work and make it work? Is there any other way that the flesh can measure up to this? How can you deal with this verse unless you're found in identification truth?

Put this under law. We're all going to fail this, aren't we? If the flesh controls this obligation, what's the motive? And if we put this under law, we fail, fail, fail, and then we fail again, right? There's nobody here willing to lay down their life for the brethren in the power of the flesh. No way. So is John talking out of two sides of his mouth here? Self-preservation is the first law of physical life. Self-sacrifice is the first law of spiritual life. That's Warren Wiersbe, 1972. And I'm going to ask, we're going to spend a few minutes here.

How do you deal with what Warren Wiersbe's statement is in this regard? Do you agree with that? And if you do, expound on that. And if you disagree, what are your thoughts? Not that we're here to study Warren Wiersbe. But in a sense, there is some truth to that statement. Roger, yeah?

This is saying there has to be price. Our life is outside of price. We can't live our lives. We can't do anything efficiently out of ourselves. Otherwise, that's also not price. So in a way, this is just the ultimate extension of what it seems to me. And John is so much that way, right? He takes it to the head. He hangs it on the wall. Black or white in John, right? There's no gray zone stuff in John, OK?

And the other part of this is the historical context is that the pressure is constantly on from the Jews to attack Christianity. So in this context, historically, they would have been in a place where, frankly, during the United States, persecution is growing, but it's still only a mild rumbling. in comparison to the tumult and turmoil that they were in. So for us, we have to look at the practical application of. loving sacrifice to the Holy Spirit's direction in the body that's going to show up probably without laying their lives down physically. The recipients of this letter probably did have a lot more cultural pressure than you perceive right now. Okay, those are good thoughts. Gary? So, sacrifice puts some emphasis on you.

All right, when we think, when I steep this in identification, so what I said, where's that? Can you interpret this verse in any other way than identification and make it work? And the answer is no. But if we identify, how does that fit? What kind of garb do we put on there, right?

Remember, we're crucified, buried, and resurrected with Him. That's in the identification position at the right hand of God, right? Our life is hid in Christ. Our appeals are to heavenly places. That's where we're seated in position. When we identify who we are in Christ and our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags, But he hath made him who knew no sin to be righteousness for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

2 Corinthians 5.21. Powerful verse.

The identification unto death has to be identification in the new man. Was Stephen's death representative of this, do you think? Think about that a little bit. Was Stephen's death an example of this? Right? You say yes. Was Stephen's death not called a martyr's death? Would we define this type of sacrifice, if you will, of our physical life being a martyr? Was Christ a martyr? What about Warren Weir's statement here? Self-sacrifice is the first law of spiritual life. Is that fit? Self-sacrifice? I like the first statement. Self-preservation is the first law of physical life. The survival of the fittest kind of concept. Take it out of evolution. I mean, we can theorize all we want about this. But, you know, if we keep thinking that, gee, God, I don't know if I can do this, we're responding in the wrong man to begin with, right?

And let's say, what happened to Peter when he, in fact, made this statement and then, in fact, denied the Lord three times? What happened to Peter? Remember, before the church age. Peter's under law. But if we think of the relationship Peter had with the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, what happened after he denied the Lord?

What were the sequence of events that followed that? What? Okay. Did Christ minister to him? Now, like any other shortcoming, whether it be a sin of omission, a synod commission, or any other vanity, pride, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, which John's already talked about, right? What happens if we were put in a position where we had to lay down our life for the brethren, and in fact failed to live by faith and carry out that responsibility? What would happen?

So let's not overly theorize this, okay? This is like any other thing that's black and white and John, where we fall short, our fellowship is temporarily broken. This is not giving us an excuse. I think we've got to realize, I mean, some of us one day may be put in a position where in fact this has to come to be. But I don't think it's happening very many places right now around the world. Donna?

And the context that he uses in the first part of this is that the relationship that you have with the Christ in Christ will be deserved nothing more than to understand fellowship with that man or our father who is now on the planet. Well stated. And Jack, I think if we go back here, you know, the term we ought to, meaning ready at any time, this is a call to the identification of who we are in Christ. He, at the right time, was willing to, in fact, sacrifice his physical life on behalf of the brethren. And ultimately, we, as we identify with him, are put in that same position. And conditioned, potentially.

We can theorize this all we want, but we don't have to lose sleep overnight about having to say, gee, I failed you, Lord, today because I didn't give up my life on your behalf. I would claim that, in fact, we seek out ways to do this, that that brings glory to self and is more of a martyr's type of approach than, in fact, it is the identification trip played out.

Everybody okay with that? Don't get hung up on this verse. It's there for a purpose, but it's all identification. It seems like dying on behalf of the brother is one part of it, but it seems like just putting aside self and knowing the self is something that you do every day. Do you look at this in two ways? And we keep in mind, you've said it well, but I just want to make sure we understand this process. Dying to self every day. is really the faith that it's already been accomplished, is it?

I mean, we keep returning to the old man and his ways, the sinful nature and his ways, but ultimately our faith is in the fact that it's already been done. So I agree with you that, again, as the light gets brighter, the sin seems darker. for what it really is.

But yet we trust God. In fact, he's told us that not only have our sins been forgiven, but our sin nature has been crucified. And we believe that. And that makes our condition more consistent with our position. Well, we do it by faith, though, do we not reckoning on it to be true?

That in fact, it's all been taken care of. There's no new event going on there, other than us being brought to the cross again and again to recognize that it's been done. Yeah, what? You think that's physical life? He died, we separate, they come descending to the earth. But we know this, we learn this, because we've already put this guy around. But every day, by faith, we recognize that as truth. He died daily, but others may live for better and better. I think he said it well, he died for a soul. Okay.

Any other thoughts about verse 16? Now, things get not tougher, but they get a little more complicated here. You know, dying for the brethren is pretty finite, well-defined, and ultimately not available for most of us on a daily basis, although we're told to be ready at any time to be able to do this. And verse 17 says, but whosoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him. How does the love of God abide in him?

All right. This world's good comes from the Greek word bias, which really means life. And as we look at that in more detail, it's really our present state of existence, whatever it might be. And by implication, it's the means of our livelihood, that by which this life is sustained. So it's kind of, where's breakfast coming from tomorrow? Where are the sheets to put over our cold body each night? It's kind of the daily existence on planet Earth. the Greek, though, it seems to relate more to goods and wealth, not excess wealth, just the fact this is what we need to get by. It's what the minimum pay wage might be or whatever. All right.

Seize is present, active, subjunctive. Roger? Yeah, it's it's could be not always kind of interpretation, I think. And so it's now it's our role. And it also it's possible it will occur. So there may be a brother in need here. And there may not be, but we, in fact, can be called to meet a need if, in fact, it occurs. And by the way, this is not merely casually, but deliberately contemplates this as a spectator. So we're beholding something, OK? This is something that we're actively involved in. All right. Now, his brother in need. Christian brother? Is that the brother here? I mean, the brother can be translated more broadly as a you know, a blood brother.

You don't have to get angry about it, honey. of American culture in two places. One, as givers, but also that we would confess that we have needs. I have need. Oh, well, I won't tell anybody. I'll just go put this on my credit card. I have need. I'll go without. I have need.

And we have this American pride that's part of our culture that goes directly against the vulnerability and honesty that is part of this message. It's humbling for me because I know what I did in the flesh to avoid having to share my burdens with the virus. And who's taking care of the basic needs in the world we live in today? I'm extending it beyond simply believers. The world system. We talked about Greece at breakfast this morning. What's going on in Greece?

And I would contend if the Brethren, first of all, the Brethren are being called to meet the needs within the body, right? We're not there to meet the needs of the world, although I don't think the Lord would hold it against us if in fact we did extend, you know, our monies at times to meet the needs of the world. I don't know about you, when an earthquake occurs someplace, I always can think about sending a little bit in that direction.

I mean, I don't get credit. I mean, the point is, is I think this is directed to the Brethren. This is in the body we're talking about. That's where those needs exist, and that's where the text addresses us. But there's no sinful nature in giving monies to meet world needs of hunger and plight and disease, I think. I mean, I'll let you make your own conclusion, but that's not what this text is about here. All right. We need, in need. So what kind of need here? Well, In context is a necessity, I think.

James 2.15, if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and we're going to come to verse 16 in a few minutes. But anyway, this gives you an idea of the kind of need. It's just an example, I think. I mean, we don't have to really overly define it, but James defines it pretty well here. And he calls us to respond to that need. So let's use that as an example.

And by the way, if we see such a need, and I think the Spirit must lead us as to perceiving the need as a true need. We're not detectives here. We're not lawyers. We're brethren. So we'll let that play out because the power of the Spirit is adequate in his own right to direct us in that situation.

So the source here, when we're perceiving a need that the Lord has brought to our attention, the bowels is what the original translation is, which effectively means it's the heart metric here. How are we perceiving that need and seeing or beholding that need? All right. It's the source that's in question here.

Aorist, active, subjunctive. Are Greek scholars? Subjunctive, we just said, is kind of could be. Maybe it's not. We'll have to perceive that. Active, we're involved. And aorist occurs at a specific point in time. It indicates a specific response to what is observed, if in fact that is observed. If we're beholding something, we need to respond. This is a fairly strong term, this responding here. We're talking about withholding the response. OK, so that's where we're at in the verse. Let's make sure we go back and understand that. So we're. Yeah, but whosoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him. OK, so. Is that the bottom one? It's the bottom one. OK. OK, so what's the rest of the lesson about? So this, being a strong term, I found another couple of examples.

It could mean the cause the heavens to withhold rain. I mean, that verb can be used in that situation. To shut up compassion so that it is like a thing that is unaccessible. And the final kind of parallel, it's another is to be devoid of pity towards another. And finally, to obstruct the entrance into the kingdom of heaven. So that's the way this verb is used in other places in scripture.

Strong word about withholding when there's a need that we perceive. So shutting up our heart is pretty tough here. So how does the love of God abide in him? If we shut up our hearts to these needs that are presented to us, how does the love of God abide in us?

Okay, well, that's the question. The text asks the question. So, a theoretical, or actually not a theoretical, a rhetorical question. In other words, if we're saved, we have new natures, we live by the power of the Spirit and the new nature, and in fact we're not meeting these, that's oxymoron.

Who are you anyway, right? I think it's pointing to, if it's that obvious that the new nature is there, you would not. Because that's such a strong term, you wouldn't withhold. Because if you did, you wouldn't be capable of withholding, in fact, because the love of Christ is there. And that's what John's saying here, isn't it?

If in fact you are who you say you are, in fact he's assuming you're who you say you are, you're born again, you're a member of the body of Christ, and there's a need that the Lord presents before you, and you don't respond, you know, that doesn't fit. It's kind of like breaking fellowship again. You know, if we're back in the old ways of doing things and we're ignoring these needs, in fact, where's the source? The source is in that other guy, right? Not in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, the text says that our abundance and comforts need to yield to the necessities of our brethren. Now we're going to get into an interesting topic here. Let's think about putting this under law. If we put this under law in terms of meeting needs, we need to define our own abundance and comforts, right? And then the necessities of the brethren. The government takes these under law and says, well, you have too much, so we're going to take from you. We want everyone to own a house.

You know what's interesting is that actually I just have been reading through the law because I You know, I read through the Bible program, and the scriptures are explicit about how this is handled, so that your fields are open to your neighbors, they can't take it and stick it in their pockets. If they need some food, they can come and fetch a heads of wheat from the grain field and get some food. But you can't take it home just to replenish your own storehouse selfishly from someone else's goods. script and you can't lend money to somebody if they don't have money and then charge interest. And things that are part of our culture of dealing with things in a worldly way, the Old Testament law forbade those. So the nation of Israel would be strong within itself unto the world. But they abandoned it. And so even in this, in the law capital L, couldn't do that.

Because that's the world system. And you're right, that's the communism that is socialism that's so widely embraced. So look at the trap here. I mean, and I think again, unless you're steeped and founded in identification truth, you've got a problem here.

Because we're getting into using legal principles to define abundance and comforts and needs. That's not the way the New Testament message that the gospel to the church applied is in fact anything but that. It's the power of the spirit to discern the need and meet it. There's no legal system here.

So if we would look at Ingrid's situation, we defined her abundance and comforts, we might say, well, here's where we're putting a metric on that. And here's this need. This need is kind of here. Looks like she should be meeting this. But then we go to Gary. I mean, the point you can see what we get into. This is crazy.

If you think about putting a legality principle to this, this can't work that way. And this is, I think, the principle of because Christ has made us free, we can be free indeed. And that's the power of the spirit to discern and perceive appropriately and meet the needs as the Lord presents it to us. OK, let's look at this further. The question is, how are you doing here? Again, if you ask that question, how are you doing here, you're applying legal principles to this. The power of the Spirit in the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't measure this in terms of performance. It provides an enactment, is it not? Yeah, Pat. Oh, roger.

Over and over again. he's really asking us, where's your fellowship at? That's what he's underlying for all these chapters. Always. How's your fellowship going? How's your fellowship going? So I think that's really, you say, how you're doing it, you can rephrase that to say, is your true fellowship the same? So that's the question. Because he's asking these questions to make you think. Yeah. Is that really true fellowship? Don't be kidding yourself. That's right. That's why I began the class reminding us today that 1 John is all about fellowship. And so anything that betrays fellowship is what he's calling to our attention. Pat, I'll take your comment just in a second. Let me go through this if I could.

So in Christ the Holy, here's something I've kind of just put down here. The Holy Spirit works by faith through the new creation. In each one of us, to perceive and meet the needs of the brethren, the life of Christ in us manifested, and to God be the glory. Right? It's that simple. We're all put in circumstances, needs get brought before us, the Spirit enacts the response through our faith that this is a need we need to meet. We don't apply metrics. Some scripture.

Colossians 3.12. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and long-suffering." That fits within that verse, I think. 1 Timothy 6, 17, and 18, command those who are rich in the present age not to be haughty. nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Let them do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share." Again, same principle laid out here. And in fact, when the life is not manifested, this abiding is not evident, Roy. And the fellowship is temporarily abandoned, Roger.

I mean, when we do not respond when the Lord has put that need before us, Then we play out James 2.16.

And one of you says to them, remember we got a person who's naked and without food or whatever. Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but don't give them the things which are now needed for the body. What does it profit? So I mean, James calls us to a task. And here, in fact, is where that fellowship does not maintain the issue not perceived in that.

So anyway, get a comment. Go ahead. Well, the perception is we're in a position of, you know, having these, if you will, life-related issues available to us. Yeah, I'm just, that's a paraphrase. Well, yeah, plenty is, again, we're getting under law now. I mean, if we measure what we all have and compare it to one another, there's going to be differences. And I guess the question comes up, you can really get overly bogged down with, do I have too much? And I mean, you know, again, that's not what the verse calls us to. The verse calls us to meeting the needs when the needs are met.

Having the surplus is a ministry of the Lord that you have the stewardship of. I have a good job right now, hopefully that stays the case. But I have a stewardship of what I have right now. And if someone else is in need, it is my responsibility before the Lord to be looking for these things. But I used to really wrestle with, because I know believers who have an incredible amount of wealth, I used to wrestle with that.

Why aren't they doing whatever? really nice car. They don't need a car that nice. They should have bought a Corolla. Or whatever it is. Is that a car? Is that a... Yeah. It's funny because this ties in with Romans 14 where it's talking about the strong and the weak believer. Yeah, that's true. And it's funny, we look at wealth and we disconnect financial wealth and well-being from that principle of sanctification that Romans 14 brings in.

If I am legalistic about giving a certain percentage to the church, It's that same problem. Holly Hill says it tucked in right, doesn't it? There's no offering plate. And what does Paul say about giving, by the way? I think this bleeds into this to some extent. What's the principle of giving for the New Testament believer? To a cheerful giver.

God doesn't need a grudge on our behalf to respond to these needs that ultimately he brings before us, right? being cheerful. This should be a ministry that we're uplifted by, not us personally, but the Lord Jesus Christ is uplifted in the glory of God.

I mean, we can't apply legal principles to this. You're not only serving the one who has all the sheep and cattle on a thousand hills, but in fact, it's really a self-serving operation only. And again, to try to define what these needs are and whether we're in a position to meet them is just non-scriptural. I mean, this has got to be led by the Spirit.

And believe me, there'll be opportunities for all of us. And so we need to be ready and capable of having that love of God abide in us. So last verse today, my little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. This looks kind of like a works gospel, doesn't it? Anyway. What would love in word or in pung look like? Well, how about I'll extend that question one more here. Is John condemning good words? It's a placating vocabulary.

I hope someone else takes care of this. I hope God does the miraculous, because I'm not going to participate in this. Because the active nature of the Greek in the previous verse, saying, I'm abiding in the Holy Spirit's moving through me. My volition is tied in with His will, and we're working together, and He's glorified.

And John says that's garbage. What might be a circumstance where, in fact, the response would be one of good words, but yet then ultimately you bring this to the attention of somebody else in the body where, in fact, they're in a position maybe to better meet the need? I mean, again, we don't want to get overly defined here. I think we just have to realize that John calls us to say good words ain't enough in their own right.

There has to be a proactive response if the needs presented to us in a way that that need is met. All right. And what would love indeed work and in truth look like? Well, again, to define it puts it under law, doesn't it? If we're here to describe what this looks like, I think we're really going beyond what the test really indicates. They are. And notice how deed is linked with truth here. I think Jesus said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by me. But Christ himself is the way, the truth, and the life.

So they're all wrapped up into him. And if we think of his earthly walk, it was nothing but his nature being portrayed into the populace around him, day in and day out. So as believers though, we need to turn to kind of the church age. And so after Paul has established the believer at the right hand of God, blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. I mean, remember, in Paul's epistles, the first half of the epistle almost is entirely identification, is it not? But then there's the putting on of the life, right, that follows.

And some people like to kind of dismiss the first part and go to the second part in terms of a works kind of atmosphere. But we can't deny the fact that when the life gets put on by the power of the Spirit, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all loneliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And that really fits very nicely with what we're being called to here in John of perceiving the needs, beholding them, And as the love of God abides in us, ultimately those needs are met. And to go any further to try to define what abundance or this life's wealth is in each one of us, or ultimately what the need is, would be going beyond scripture. And as Randy reminded us, the Old Testament really spells it out, doesn't it? We're out from underneath that cloud.

You know, I would suggest that the neo-evangelical church would like to, in fact, list the things we need to be doing one by one and two by two. Are you meeting these needs? And I sense that sometimes we do get a little bit callous to what the needs are. But I mean, that's just a general comment. The Spirit is always true, that he ministers through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in us to perceive the need and to meet it as we best can. And we'll leave it up to God to allow that responsibility to be carried out in each and every one of us. Thoughts? Further conversation? Questions? So that these needs are not perceived as weaknesses, but the building up of the body.

If we're abiding in the Holy Spirit's directness in these things, it's going to cause people to be in awe of what was in that. The account in Acts Chapter 2 of the First Church, this very same principle was outlined, that the Bapists were doing this. But it also says that they were in awe of what was being done in the Bible.

That to me is exciting, because it's not about the stuff. It's about the heart. That's not the question. Come break bread with me. Then I can know you, then I can know what your needs are. You know, let's worship the Lord. Other thoughts? No thoughts? Okay, good. Let's close in prayer. Father, we're grateful for your text. It seems difficult at times to put such a profound and straightforward statement to task.

We know we've been called into fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, who in fact is our life. That life gets manifested as you bring circumstance after circumstance into our path for the opportunity to see how you might be glorified by our response. And our response is not one out of a legal nature. In fact, we know that there's no glory to you when, in fact, that response is motivated by the flesh. But in fact, as the Spirit guides us and directs us, we know there are needs there, and we trust that you will continue to make them known to us, to ultimately work through us to meet those needs, as you've called us to, abiding in the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we go on today now, we lift up the nature of this truth as it applies to our lives, and may you get the glory before it's even accomplished. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.