"Do all things without
complaining and disputing
that you may become blameless
and harmless, children of God
without fault in the midst of a crooked
and perverse generation,
among whom you shine as lights in the world,
holding fast the word of life,
so that I may rejoice in
the day of Christ that
I have not labored in vain."
Philippians 2:14-16
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Let's begin out time in study with prayer.....
"Heavenly Father, we come together this day to thank You for the Word of life. We know that without Your word, we are lost in this crooked and perverse generation. Help us to remember to hold fast to Your word and learn to love Your commandments.
I ask forgiveness of my sins today. I know that I have sinned against You and only You. I pray that You will wash me clean this day and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
I pray for each lady reading this study. I pray that she will be renewed by studying this book and learn something new today. I pray that You will come alongside her and give her strength.
In Jesus' name....amen."
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The Word of Life
1 John 1:1
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-"
As we begin today's lesson, remember what we looked at last time: who John was as a witness to Christ and who Christ was...the incarnation of God in the flesh, the incarnate Word of God made flesh.
Today we will look more into the phrase "Word of life" so that we can have a full understanding before we delve deeper into chapter one.
Please read:
John 1:1-14
Phil 2:16
1 Pet 1:23
1 Thess 2:13
Is. 40:6-8
After reading these passages we find a similar thread throughout them all: God's Word abides and lives forever. It is no wonder Christ Jesus was called the Word of life. We see in scripture that God's word is life to our bones.
Look up and read:
James 1:17-18
Here it is called the Word of truth
John 6:63-69
Jesus called His words "spirit" and "life".
And Simon Peter called them "words of eternal life."
John is alluding to the fact that all he had written is about Jesus as the Word of life. This word came alive and is still alive to this day:
Heb. 4:12-13
It is living and powerful...sharper than any two-edged sword....it divides: households, friendships, marriages, businesses, countries. God's word is that powerful!
Psalm 147: 15-20
Input the word, "Son" where it says "word" and you can see a clear picture of how God uses His Son.
Isaiah 49:2- Here we see a more clearly defined role of Christ as the LORD's servant.
But not all believed in the Word of life....
Please read:
John 12:48
We will be judged by the words of Christ....and whether or not we believed and obeyed them.
Rev 19:11-16
The Word of God shall strike the nations with the sharp sword that comes out of His mouth.
John 5:24
But those chosen by the LORD will hear His words and have life....
John 4: 13-15
She heard the words of Jesus and He gave her eternal life....
John 6:33 & 47-51
giver of life...
2 Tim 1:1 & 9
Promise of life....
Titus 1:2-
hope of eternal life....
So, we see here that God's word is powerful, alive, sharp, and it is TRUE....His promises are true and endure forever. His word is His bond. We can trust in His word because He IS HIS WORD. He has sworn an oath on His word, on His diety that all these promises are YES in Christ Jesus! (2 Cor 1:20)
How great is that??
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Life Application
We can read 1 John 1:1 now with a clear understanding of what he was writing: he is a credible witness to who Jesus was and what He did and that all this is concerning the Word of life which is Christ the Lord Himself.
How do we apply this knowledge to our lives? Having complete faith in God's word is the backbone of Christianity. To claim to be a Christian and not believe in the Bible as the infallible word of God is to reject the words of Christ Himself...to reject His body and His spirit.
So, how can one claim to be a Christian without depending solely on the Bible? As we read deeper into 1 John, you will see how these early Christians were dealing with the same dilemma as we do to this day: People who were not truly called by Christ were claiming to be Christians.
Today it is easy to get caught up in the need for intellectual arrogance. Attaining a degree of higher education can make one feel proud or boastful, until you read the Bible and realize it is all futility.
Relying on God's word for life is essential for living because His word endures forever whereas this world does not.
Apply these verses to your life by making sure you are wholly dependent on the Bible for life. Constantly remember that the things of this world are passing away....just like us.
As Christians, we are to know this word of God and hold it deeply to ourselves as though tomorrow it will be gone. It sustains us, it nourishes us, and it repairs our relationship with God so that we can have fellowship with Him.....and that is the greatest thing for our souls.
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Until next time.....
"God is loving, but a major part of what He loves is His own perfect character, with a major aspect being the importance of maintaining justice and righteousness. Though God pardons sinners and makes great provision for expressing His mercy, He will never negotiate His justice. If we fail to understand that, the cross of Christ will be utterly meaningless to us."
-Dr. R.C. Sproul (The Truth of the Cross, 2007, p. 19)
Blessings,
Ruth
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