Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #90 "Judgment, But With Hope" (Jeremiah 29:11 & Daniel) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today. 

Heroes— You know, I think it is very important for each and every one of us to have heroes; men and women of God we look to to inspire us and show us how to truly live for God. One of the heroes of scripture who inspires me the most is the prophet Daniel; a man taken into captivity to Babylon, which was the reigning world empire and forced to live amongst a strange people in a strange land surrounded by all sorts of false gods and various temptations. And yet in the midst of all that, he remembers to whom he really belongs and remains true to God in the face of (what seem at least to me to be) insurmountable difficulties.

Backdrop— Now, just to give you a little background, Israel (because of their unfaithfulness to God) had been sent into exile. God had made a covenant promise to His people to be faithful to them; to prosper them; to bless them. Yet that covenant was contingent upon obedience to Him. They were to remain consecrated, set apart for Him. It was their obedience to God that would allow His presence to dwell with them in the temple; and it was that presence that would bless them. But if Israel was unfaithful to God, then God promised judgment on them. We see this clearly in Deuteronomy 28, which says…

Deuteronomy 28:15 (ESV)— 15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

Deuteronomy 28:36a (ESV)— 36 “The Lord will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known….

Deuteronomy 28:64a (ESV)— 64 “And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other,…

Temple Destroyed— Now Israel, unfortunately, did not pay heed to this. They began worshiping the same gods and engaging in the same practices as the pagan nations. So God had to bring judgment. Israel was attacked and many Israelites were carried away into exile into Babylon. And we know that Daniel was among them. And not long after that the temple in Jerusalem, the center of their worship and the zenith of their faith; the very temple that was built and dedicated by Solomon, was destroyed.

What This Did to Them— Now we cannot even begin to imagine what this was like. Jerusalem and particularly the temple were the heart of Jewish worship. In Jerusalem you had the monarchy, which had now ended. The temple in which the presence of God dwelt was destroyed (something they thought could never happen). And with the temple went their ability to function the way that God had intended them to. With the temple went the sacrifices and the priesthood. They lost everything. And eventually that is where all sin leads us; it leaves us destitute. It takes away everything from us.

Unpopular Themes— Now we often do not like to talk about the judgment of God on sin. In fact in many churches nowadays if a pastor wants to start talking about judgment or sin, he probably ought to start packing his bags; because he very likely will not be at that church very long. Judgment and sin are very unpopular topics. Yet both are necessary before we can begin to understand God’s grace and redemption. Because the message of Grace isn’t that God overlooks sin, but that God’s righteous judgment on sin was born by Jesus Christ.

God’s Judgment is Always Redemptive— Furthermore, those who look negatively at this biblical theme of judgment don’t understand the true nature of God’s judgment, which is always redemptive. God judges us (ultimately) because He wants to preserve us. You see, it is sin that destroys. And therefore God’s judgment is always aimed towards liberating us from bondage to sin. It is always redemptive. Many of us love…

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)— 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Written to Those Under God’s Judgment— Many of us know this verse by heart. But what many don’t realize is that this verse was written to a people who were in exile; right in the center; the very heart of God’s judgment. Even Daniel’s name means “God is my judge.”

The Promise of Restoration— And this reveals something remarkable to us about the way that God judges. Whenever God judges, He always leaves His people with hope; the promise of their restoration if they but turn back to Him. Even in His judgment He already begins to show them His mercy; His promise. And this pattern stretches all the way back to Genesis to the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden.

Skins of Grace— Now usually when we talk about the Fall in those first chapters of Genesis we focus in on this theme of God’s punishment. And I don’t want to downplay that. But I think what we often miss is also a deep expression of God's loving provision. Adam and Eve had sinned against God; they had turned their backs on Him; and the Bible says they realized they were naked and hid. And God comes to them and lovingly leads them to acknowledge their sin. And afterwards He must, because He is a Holy God, deal with their sin. They are cast out of the Garden of Eden. Yet God does not send them out of the Garden naked and afraid, covered in nothing but the fig leaves they had tried to manufacture to cover themselves, though He had every right to. Rather, He takes an animal and kills it; He removes the skin of the animal and clothes them with that skin (foreshadowing the whole animal sacrificial system). I just think, what an amazing picture; that even though sin brought upon them shame (justly), God covers that shame with the skin of an animal. The death of that animal removed their shame. Even in the skin of that animal God was giving them hope; because He would eventually allow another to have His flesh torn and pierced; His very Son. And that death would be the death to end all death; to completely remove our shame and unite us again with the presence of God. As the skin of the animal covered them, foreshadowing sacrifice and the whole sacrificial system, so also it foreshadowed the day when we would be covered by the blood of Christ.

Satan’s Voice vs. God’s Voice— When God judges us, He always leaves us with hope. In fact, some time ago I found myself sharing with somebody something my own mentor had told me years ago about how to distinguish in my mind between God’s pointing sin out in my life and Satan’s trying to condemn me. And that is a real struggle for many Christians; and it may be for you as well; knowing when God is trying to correct you and when it is really Satan trying to tear you down. The acid test is this; if the source is Satan, it will leave you with a feeling of failure and the claim that you will never escape. But if the source of that voice is God, though the failure may be pointed out, He will always leave you with hope; hope that by His power, He can enable you to overcome. Because God always gives (even in His rebuke) the hope of future restoration if only we will repent and seek God (as Jeremiah 29:13 says) with all our hearts.

Repentance is the key to redemption— And repentance is key to redemption. And repentance means more than saying I’m sorry. No, the Greek word “repentance” (μετανοέω) means a change of mind; a change in the inner man. And the Biblical Hebrew word for repent is שׁוּב (SHUB ), which means “to turn back, return.” It is directional. So it is more than confession; more than just being sorry and expressing it. No, it means to change your direction. You are going one way and now you begin to go the opposite way. If we want to be saved, we must μετανοέω; we must שׁוּב; we must change in the inner person and we must change our direction. And I want to encourage you today that, no matter how far you may have fallen, if you are willing to repent like that, God will help you to repent and God’s promise of restoration will be available to you.

The Temple Dedication— When the temple was first completed, Solomon (I think with amazing wisdom and foresight) prays this incredible prayer of dedication. And in it he seems to anticipate a time when Israel might turn from God. Listen to what he prays in…

1 Kings 8:46-51 (ESV)— 46 “If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, 47 yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 48 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace).

Daniel turned his eyes toward Jerusalem— Isn’t it interesting that the Bible says (when Daniel is taken captive and placed under the charge of the chief of the eunuchs)…

Daniel 1:9 (ESV)— 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,

What had Solomon prayed for? That when Israel is taken captive, God might…

1 Kings 8:50b (ESV)— grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them

God is answering Solomon’s prayer. Why? Because Daniel (who knows what Solomon wrote) is doing exactly what Solomon said would be their visual act of repentance.

1 Kings 8:46-51 (ESV)— 48 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 

Remember King Darius’ edict that all people in his kingdom (Israel included) should worship no other god except him as king? When Daniel hears that edict, how does Daniel respond? It says in…

Daniel 6:10 (ESV)— 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Deliverance through Cyrus— You see, Daniel is modeling what real repentance looks like at that open window. And it is interesting to note that not long after this God does bring deliverance to His people through the hand of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian empire, which we will talk more about in the coming weeks. 

A feeling of hopelessness— You know, In general I sense this general feeling of hopelessness among Christians. I have even heard it said that America is too far gone to be able to turn things around. Now I understand that viewpoint, though I believe our passages today reveal to us another, more accurate way of seeing our current predicament. Yes I believe the time is fast approaching when God is going to judge this nation. But what I want you to see today is that this is not something we should dread, because (although it is going to be difficult) it is going to be redemptive. And if we individually and collectively repent, God will restore us. God always offers the hope of restoration to those under judgment; if they but turn to Him.

And so this week, let us commit to live lives that are characterized by true repentance. May we seek God with all our hearts. And may you experience (in every way) His love, His redemption, and His restoration in your own life. Amen.

Lechem Panim #89 "Living Life Unchained" (1 John 5:19-21) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today. Today we will be finishing our study of 1 John, a letter that was written to early Christians to help them have assurance of their salvation; giving them tests they can apply to teachers to determine whether they are Spirit-filled teachers or false teachers; and tests they can apply to themselves to prove that they are true children of God. And the closing verses of 1 John remind us of five things. And the first two are these: (1) Whose control we are under as children of God, and (2) Whose control the world is under.

1 John 5:19 (NIV)— 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 

Elephants and Rope— Once I read a story in which a group of elephants were standing together. [As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” the trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time {at least physically} break free from their bonds but because... {of their inner condition}, they were stuck right where they were.]

Our Chains— Now you and I may think we are are not in bondage simply because we don’t see any physical ropes or chains. But our mental and spiritual chains are every bit as real. The reality is that the mind of the elephant had become enslaved to the point that even though it wanted to be free, it had inner barriers that made it impossible for it to be so. The same is true of us. We, since we were young (ever since we were born) were enslaved to the law of sin and death. 

A Core Center Change— And though sin can be defeated in our lives, it requires something more than our own strength; it requires a change at the core center of who we are. And although that begins with the work of Christ; accepting and receiving His forgiveness; it cannot stop there. Because when He (The Light of The World) comes into our lives, His Light reveals just how filthy our hearts really are. And we don't actually realize how bad we really are until we're saved. In fact we usually think we are pretty good. We may even think we are doing God a favor by choosing to receive Christ. But afterwards, when the the Holy Spirit turns on the Light it's like "YIKES!!!! I had no idea how bad my sin was; how deeply its roots have penetrated my life!" And when we see that for the first time suddenly our hearts begin to cry out for something more than just forgiveness. Our hearts begin to cry out for complete freedom from the bondage and control of that sin; true freedom of the heart, life, and mind. And that freedom is what we call holiness. Holiness is a total freedom from sin that comes through a complete surrender of all of who we are to the Holy Spirit.

A New Power— Without Christ we are under the controlling power of sin and death. But in Christ we come under a new controlling power; the law of the Spirit who gives life and sets us free from the controlling power of sin and death.

The Climax of Christianity— You see, the Spirit does what the Law can't; and that is to bring into our lives the presence of God that can make us truly holy. This is why I have said in and throughout the course of my ministry and will continue to say that the climax of Christianity is not Christ's death on the cross; nor is it even His resurrection. Both of those events were means to the ultimate climax which was the reunion of man with the Holy Spirit of God; which began at Pentecost. Pentecost is where the Spirit of God came to dwell once again with mankind. And heaven itself is merely an extension (and of course a deepening) of that reality. But the point is that the height of Christianity is the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God who produces life in you. And that is why Jesus came; to restore that presence. Because before the Spirit could come, the debt had to be paid. We needed a Savior who could pay the price for our sin, cleanse us by the power of His blood, and make way for the Spirit of God to come into our lives. And that is something we remember in a very real and tangible way during this season of Lent, which began this past Wednesday.

Now the next two things John reminds of us in this closing passage are these: (3) The way that we come to have truth, (4) the divine identity of Jesus and how He is the source of life, 

1 John 5:20 (NIV)— 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 

And so we are reminded that our relationship with truth and with life is personal; they come in and through a relationship with a person; the One who is truth and who is life; namely, Jesus Himself. You want to have knowledge and have life for today and for eternity, you have to come to Jesus. There is no other way. Why? Because He is truth and life itself.

Now the fifth thing John warns us about is the final thought of John. It is His final command. So simple and yet (at the same time) often the most difficult…

1 John 5:21 (NIV)— 21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. {and so you have (5) a warning against idolatry.}

Worldly-Minded—  I don’t know if any of us worship actual idols; I don’t know, maybe you do. But an idol can be anything you put before God; what you heart is set on; what your mind constantly dwells on instead of Him. I don’t know too many people who worship actual idols (I do know some). But I do know Christians of whom 90% of their thought lives revolves around their business, even when they are not at work. I know people whose lives or kids’ lives revolve perpetually around secular activities. It doesn’t matter what is going on at Church; those things take precedence over Church every single time. Isn’t that idolatry. What disturbs me just as much is this. Let me ask you, what chance is there of those kids ever receiving the mind of Christ?; Of having their hearts set ablaze for Jesus? What are the chances that God could even be ABLE to call any of them to the mission field? We allow ourselves to be so tied up with meaningless, fleshly things, that we render ourselves incapable of doing anything truly meaningful on an eternal scale. And that is right where Satan wants to keep us. 

Creation Museum: Changing Minds— When the Creation Museum, a Museum that takes and presents a Biblical perspective on dinosaurs, was being planned to be built in Kentucky, there was an uproar from many evolutionists. And one of them said one of the most remarkable things. He said, “We wouldn’t mind if you were going to build a Church, but you’re trying to change people’s minds!!!”

An Unchained Christian— You see, that is exactly what the Devil wants; for us to have just enough religion to where we feel we’re covered, but not enough to where it begins to change the way we think. You see, nothing is scarier to him than a Christian who has become unchained from the flesh and the things of the world. It is as scary to him as a bull elephant.

Wesley’s Ten— John Wesley once said an amazing thing about the power of the unchained Christian. He said, “Give me ten men who hate nothing but sin and love nothing but God, and we’ll change the world.”

Your Potential— What could God do through you if you allowed Him to unchain you? If you let Him change the focus of your mind; the way you think? I am telling you, Satan loses sleep over that very question; and the entirety of his mind is bent on keeping you focused on the world and on the flesh; on the things that have no long-term eternal value. Your salvation is not based on a decision made at an altar or even your baptism. Your salvation is based upon knowing and having the presence of God in your life. Salvation is not an event; salvation is person; a person who died for your sins so that you could enter into a holy relationship with Him. And if that is the case, then that relationship must take precedence over everything else.

Affairs Are Gradual— Some time ago I was looking at some statistics as to the number of married people who have had extramarital affairs. And obviously the number was high. But you know it occurred to me, very few men (or women), having been committed in marriage, wake up one day and decide they are going to have an affair. No, there is a whole series of decisions leading up to it. And many of those decisions are harmless in and of themselves, such as saying "hi" to the other person, getting to know them on a friendly basis in an appropriate context. But sometimes there comes a point where you start spending a little bit more time with them than you should; you let your guard down; boundaries begin to be erased. You begin to only see each other a little more than you should. But what ends up happening is you give more and more of yourself to the other person; taking little step after little step until the actual act itself is only the last small step. There was no momentous decision to abandon your spouse. Only the small decisions that steadily accumulated.

Spiritual Affairs Are The Same— The same is true in our relationship with Jesus. Even the things we do that are not sinful can be just as dangerous if we begin to give ourselves to them just a little bit more and a little bit more. What was once an occasional indulgence or hobby becomes something you flirt with; then you devote just a little bit more of yourself to it; and just a little bit more. And pretty soon, unbeknownst to you, you are cheating on God. He is no longer the center of your thought life or the center of your time. And whether that thing was sinful before or not, it has become sin for you because it has drawn you away from the Holy Spirit and the Mind of Christ. In Revelation 2:4 God tells John to write to the Church in Ephesus (the very people 1 John is written to), saying…

Revelation 2:4 (NIV)— 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Our Obligation— We (you and I) are the Bride of Christ; we are His spouse. And we have an obligation to love Him over and above anything else.

Sacrifice and Eliminate— Sin? It has to be put to death in us. Idols? They need to be placed on the altar. Worldly things and pass-times that don’t matter on the larger scale of eternity? They need to be kept to a minimum or (in many cases) eliminated completely.

“Your Hand Is Bigger Than Mine”— [A little boy and his father visited the country store, upon leaving the store the owner of the store offered the little boy some free candy. "Get a hand full of candy", the merchant said to the boy. The boy just stood there looking up at his father. The owner repeated himself, "Son get a hand full of candy, its free." Again the boy did not move continuing to look up in the face of his father. Finally, the father reached into the candy jar and got a hand full of candy and gave it to his son. As they walked back home, the father stopped and asked his son why he did not grab a hand full of the free candy. The boy with a big smile on his face looked into the face of his father and said "Because I know that your hand is bigger than mine.”]

God Gives Greater— The truth is, when you and I unclasp our hands; when we keep our hands from grabbing the temporary things that may have fleshly appeal, what God gives us in exchange is much greater and more abundant than anything we could grasp ourselves. His hands are bigger. And that is why today I would like to invite you to become unchained; to, in this moment, tell God, “I have let stuff come in between you and me. I have lived in defeat far too long. I am ready for you to change my mind; I am ready to surrender to your Spirit; I am ready to be free; free from death and the sin that holds me. Please Lord, set me free!!!” Pray that prayer today, and He will respond. Amen.

Lechem Panim #88 "The Sin Leading to Death" (1 John 5:16-18) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today.

The Omnipotence of God— One of the things I don’t ponder enough about God is simply His omnipotence; His absolute power over all things. I mean, just think; everything you and I have every known; the entire universe which houses billions of galaxies filled with planets far bigger than ours was brought into existence in one moment by a word spoken by the mouth of God. I mean to think of the intricate design; even down to the very structure of our DNA. He is amazingly powerful; in fact He is all-powerful.

Does God Have Limits?— But are there limits to God? Actually yes, there are. God is limited by his nature and character. For instance, God cannot sin because His nature is Holy and He cannot act outside of His nature and character. In the same way God is love, therefore God cannot create selfishly; merely to exact His own will upon an inferior being. To do that would go against His nature. No, He must create creatures who are free to love Him or free to reject Him. Only then can true love exist because love cannot be forced; or it is no longer love. We are either free to love Him and there are eternal benefits of doing so or we can reject Him, and there are eternal consequences to that as well. And we’ll talk about both in this closing section of 1 John. Verse 16 of 1 John chapter 5 reads…

1 John 5:16a (NIV)— 16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. 

[Sin not leading to death is sin for which forgiveness is possible because (1) forgiveness is sought and (2) God is willing to grant it.] In fact God is always willing to forgive our sin when we repent. 

The Sin Leading to Death— But then you have this second kind of sin: the sin that leads to death.

1 John 5:16b-17 (NIV)— There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

Now this verse may seem a bit confusing, and there is a lot of debate over how to interpret it; whether it means physical death for sin dealt out by God (such as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira), physical death as a result of legal punishment for certain sins (such as theft or murder), or whether it is spiritual death, which (ultimately) is the result of all sin. I am going to approach it today more from the standpoint of spiritual death. What we are talking about here [is probably sin that is (1) unrepented of and (2) of the kind or nature that John has warned about throughout the letter: resolute rejection of the true doctrine about Christ, chronic disobedience to God’s commandments, persistent lack of love for fellow believers—all indications of a lack of saving faith—which will not be forgiven.]

A Hardened Conscience— There is a point that a person can reach where they no longer are able to receive salvation, not because God is no longer willing to forgive them, but because they have so set themselves against God; they have so deadened their consciences that they have become too hardened to receive it. Now can God work to re-soften their hearts? Yes. Nobody is beyond salvation. But until He does; until our hardness is softened (often through the prayers of others), we are not able to be brought to salvation.

Stalin’s Steel Fist— Ravi Zacharias tells an amazing story shared by Svetlana Stalin, the daughter of Josef Stalin. [According to Svetlana, as Stalin lay dying, plagued with terrifying hallucinations {of wolves he believed were attacking him}, he suddenly sat halfway up in bed, clenched his fist toward the heavens once more, fell back upon his pillow, and was dead. The incredible irony of his whole life is that at one time Josef Stalin had been a seminary student, preparing for the ministry. Coming of Nietzschean age, he made a decisive break from his belief in God. This dramatic and complete reversal of conviction that resulted in his hatred for all religion is why Lenin had earlier chosen Stalin and positioned him in authority—a choice Lenin too late regretted. (The name Stalin, which means “steel,” was not his real name, but was given to him by his contemporaries who fell under the steel-like determination of his will.) And as Stalin lay dying, his one last gesture was a clenched fist toward God, his heart as cold and hard as steel.]

Steel Hearts— Now the reason God could not save this man was not because God was not willing, but because Stalin had set himself (like steel) against God and was determined to cling to his own sinfulness. And God would not overrule his will. And many people (even some Christians) are determined to live the way they want to live regardless of what the Bible says. Yet we know that we are called to lives of transformation;  what the scriptures call being “born again”.

1 John 5:18 (NIV)—18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

It was interesting. In my studies I took a look at a very popular study bible and what it had to say about this verse and do you know what it said? Listen to how their note on this passage opens: [Christians commit sins, of course,]. Now how does the verse open? 18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin;

A Different Background— Now whoever wrote this note comes from a particular theological background. They believe that the Christian must be in bondage to the sinful nature until we get to heaven. However, although it is true we will always be subject to temptation (as Jesus was) what scripture actually teaches is that the old nature can die this side of heaven; and by the Spirit of God, we can have victory over all sin in ours lives. Colossians 3 describes this and it is a major theme in this epistle as well; light being unable to have fellowship with darkness. And yet many Christians (like this particular commentator) believe we cannot have victory over our sinful natures. All we can do is keep sinning and saying “I’m sorry” without ever coming to experience consistent victory. And so they have tapered the Bible to fit their own pre-conceived theological viewpoint. I had a professor who was on the translation team of a popular translation used by many today; and he said (in frustration) that he witnessed this kind of thing a number of times; the text being mistranslated to fit the theology of the translator rather than the translator allowing what the text actually says to re-shape their theology.

An "Off" Translation— And here I looked back at how they translated this particular passage (verse 18). And sure enough, listen to what I found. They translated it: 18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, which suggests that although we sin, it’s just not as bad a habit. But that is not what the scripture says. But you see, they feel compelled to change what the scripture says because it does not match their particular doctrinal belief, which is that all Christians will continue to sin and there is nothing that we can do about it until we get to heaven. But is that what the text is really saying? Look at how they continue in their note on this passage. They say: [Christians commit sins, of course, but they ask God to forgive them, and then they continue serving him.] So in other words, there is a constant cycle of sin and repentance. But, interestingly, listen to how they continue. They say… [God has freed believers from their slavery to Satan, and he keeps them safe from Satan’s continued attacks.]
    Now I want to point this out to you because you and I are called to be thinking Christians. This person has just said “Christians commit sins, of course,”. Yet they also say [God has freed believers from their slavery to Satan, and he keeps them safe from Satan’s continued attacks.] How can those two ideas be compatible? We keep on sinning, but even though we do, we are still somehow not slaves to sin? That is their argument. But the question becomes, “Is that view compatible with scripture? Jesus presents a very different viewpoint in…

John 8:34 (NIV)— 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

The Bible (and Jesus specifically) says you cannot continue in willful sin without being a slave to that sin. You must forsake one master completely and serve another master completely. That is what Paul speaks to so closely in the book of Romans. He says in…

Romans 6:17-18 (NIV)—17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Parent Imagery— So you have the slave/master imagery which the Bible uses to describe complete freedom from sin, but in this epistle in particular remember you have this whole parent imagery as well. John reveals that we are to be children of God and no longer children of Satan. You cannot have two parents. We are to, as God’s children, manifest only His characteristics.
    Now for some this sounds like we are calling people to a much harder way of life; that to keep the Law of God the way He wants us to would be burdensome. But how would being able to obey God’s commands and live according to His Word the way He wants us to be burdensome? 

Is it really easier?— Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, in talking about this in his discussion on the Ten Commandments, asks: [Do we really believe that living with a divided heart is easier than living with a single heart? Is our life any richer if we look to the creation for what only the Creator can give us? Must we deal profanely with holy things like the name of the Lord and his Sabbath? Are we better off having no respect for those who gave us life? Do we have to live with deadly hate for any of our fellow persons? Is there no deliverance from the defilement and the destructiveness of lust? Can we come to the place where we can use language truthfully, even if it means our own hurt? Can’t God make us content with what we have so we do not have to perpetually covet what is not our own? Just to frame these questions ought to bring us to the conclusion that the Ten Commandments were not given to be an onerous burden and a structure to bind us. Rather, the Decalogue is our charter of freedom. The commandments are not a set of demands to bind us, but a tenfold promise of the freedom into which the Spirit of Christ wants to release us. If I will let him flood me with his Spirit and with his love, there is not one commandment that I have to break today.]

We CAN be free— You and I can be free of sin. I don’t know if there is any greater news I can share with you today than that. That is the heart of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can be forgiven of your sin and you can be freed from its power over your life as you are given a new nature; the very nature of Christ. And that nature is yours for the asking today. It is not something you can manufacture yourself, but (like your initial salvation) is offered by grace through faith alone. If you want that new nature today, simply ask and it will be given to you. Amen.

Lechem Panim #87 "Sowing Prayer" (1 John 5:13-15) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today.

George Muller: Living by Faith— Many of you have probably at least heard of legendary prayer warrior George Mueller. An amazing man of faith whose life was a testimony to how God could move through someone who relied in faith and complete dependence on Him. There was a time when [Things looked bleak for the children of George Muller's orphanage at Ashley Downs in England. It was time for breakfast, and there was no food. A small girl whose father was a close friend of Muller was visiting in the home. Muller took her hand and said, ''Come and see what our Father will do.'' In the dining room, long tables were set with empty plates and empty mugs. Not only was there no food in the kitchen, but there was no money in the home's account. Muller prayed, ''Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat.'' Immediately, they heard a knock at the door. When they opened it, there stood the local baker. ''Mr. Muller,'' he said, ''I couldn't sleep last night. Somehow I felt you had no bread for breakfast, so I got up at 2 o'clock and baked fresh bread. Here it is.'' Muller thanked him and gave praise to God. Soon, a second knock was heard. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. He said he would like to give the children the milk so he could empty the cart and repair it.]

It is amazing how our prayers (however flimsy they might feel to us) have the power to move the hand of God in amazing ways. If only we would pray…

In the closing chapter of 1 John we have been talking about the confidence that can be produced through faith in the life of the believer and how that confidence can re-shape the way that we come before God in prayer.

1 John 5:13-15 (NIV)— 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

we presently have what we asked of him— Now one interesting thing about that last phrase is that it doesn’t say we know that we will have what we asked of him. Rather, it says we know that we have (already) what we asked of him. It is a belief and trust that is so sure (because of how sure we are of God’s revealed will to us, both through prayer but also through His Word) that we consider it already accomplished. We don’t need to see it to believe it; it is enough for us to know that it is the will of God, that we have prayed for it, and whether in our time or not God will accomplish it. 

George Mueller’s Persistence in Prayer— Now [When George Mueller was a young convert he began praying daily for five friends to come to know Christ as Savior. Two friends became Christians within two years of his own conversion. But it seemed as if his prayers for the remaining three friends would never be answered. But they were. One of those men was converted about ten years after Mueller’s conversion. The fourth apparently was converted shortly before Mueller’s death, in response to what was probably Mueller’s last sermon. And the fifth man was converted within a year of Mueller’s funeral. George Mueller had been praying for him for more than sixty years!] THAT is intercession at it’s deepest. But it is because Mueller was faithful to intercede for them; faithful to carry them in prayer all those years that they eventually came to Christ. And there ought to be similar people for whom you and I are doing the same. Because He really does move this way.

Tanya’s Aunts— My wife Tanya’s family had a similar thing happen in their family. Her mom and her sisters grew up in a strong Christian home all their young life. Their dad (Tanya’s grandfather) was even imprisoned for his faith. But, despite his and his wife’s prayers for their daughters to become Christians, after all the girls grew up, none of them were Christians except for one. And Tanya’s grandparents died without seeing all their daughters accept Jesus, though they had prayed for it. And now, many years after they have died, all the daughters (including Tanya’s mom) became Christians. God really does answer prayer. And ultimately this is why John is talking about confidence in prayer. Because he we wants to encourage us to believe enough; to have confidence enough to pray. Prayer is powerful. We know that it works. God has given us the promise to answer when we pray in accordance with His will. Now (after seeking His will) we just have to be faithful enough to pray; to believe in prayer enough to pray. You know one of our favorite passages on prayer; the one we probably think on the most whenever we are talking about faith and prayer?

Matthew 17:20b (ESV)— …For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

A Mountain-Top Experience— Now do you know the context of that verse? If we look at the previous section, what has just happened? Jesus has just been transfigured before His disciples Peter, James, and John. Jesus has revealed His divine glory. And Peter, James, and John are amazed. They have seen the glory of Jesus. And I am sure that you and I have had similar mountain-top experiences with Jesus; where we have seen and experienced Jesus’ presence in a special way. And I love mountain-top experiences. But at some point we have to come down from the mountain. We enter back into the drudgery of everyday life that is wrought with all kinds of trials and tribulations. Here the disciples descend the mountain and are instantly met with brokenness and need in the lives of other people, particularly a young boy who is not only sick, but is possessed by a demon. Talk about spiritual contrast. They go from a Spirit-filled experience on the mountain where they have seen Jesus glorified (it says his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.) Not even Oxi-Clean could get it brighter. Jesus was glowing! Elijah and Moses appeared and began speaking with Jesus. Then they hear the voice of God audibly speak, saying “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” , after which they are left alone and they begin to descend the mountain. And immediately upon descending the mountain, they encounter the demonic. And the question rises, are they going to carry the glory of Christ they have just witnessed into the frey of everyday life.

You know some of the disciples had tried to cast the demon out and failed. Do you know why? They ask Jesus afterwards and this is what He says…

Matthew 17:20 (ESV)— 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith {(and Mark’s account (in which Jesus also rebukes their lack of faith, also adds: “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”) They weren’t praying! Prayer is intimately intertwined with faith, which is why Jesus continues:}. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

NOTHING!!!!!!!! Imagine that!!!

Impala Faith— You know, when I was a kid, I loved to watch nature shows. Sometimes I still do. I love learning about all kinds of animals. And one animal that is truly amazing is the impala, the African antelope. [The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap us.] This is what living a life a confidence looks like in the life of the Christian. Nothing, not even Satan himself can hold back the accomplishment of God’s will through those who are living by faith in Jesus as the Son of God and are seeking His will and lifting up prayers daily to Him.

Flower Bed— Just recently my son asked me what a flower bed is. To an 8-year-old, the phrase flower-bed must sound really funny. But I explained to him that a flower bed is a section of dirt in which flowers are planted. But we know that the reason there is a flower is because there was first a seed that was planted there. And the only difference between soil that has plants and the same soil that doesn’t (if it was treated the same) is the fact that no seed was sown. And that is something we must all remember. The reason Jesus talks in this context about faith and prayer in connection with seeds is because the only difference between a life that is fruitful and a life that is fruitless is faith and prayer. You want your flower bed to be full, then you need to plant. Now it may take time, just like a plant takes time to grow. But if you plant your prayers and endure in faith (keeping on praying) then you will reap a harvest.

And as our passage today says, you and I can have faith and confidence when we pray; a faith and confidence flowing from our knowledge that God does both hear and answer those prayers offered by those who seek to pray in His will. If we can pray in faith; in accordance with the will of God; and do so persistently (even in the dark times when we feel like our prayers are not being heard; like their not reaching past the ceiling), God promises us here in His word that He HAS both heard and already answered our prayer; and as we abide in prayer, He is able to use us to move mountains in unspeakable ways for His name’s sake and for the sake of His kingdom.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)— 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

​Let us do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #86 "Praying in Confidence" (1 John 5:13-15) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to Lechem Panim. Today’s passage in 1 John 5 (like much of 1 John) has to do with confidence. I don’t know how confident you feel as a Christian, but I remember spending much of my younger years worried about destination of my soul; where I was going. I remember I would pray the sinner’s prayer sometimes a dozen or more times a day. I knew about faith, but didn’t have assurance. And you can imagine how most of my prayers came from a posture of fear, rather than confidence. This is why this epistle has been (at least for me) so transformative. John writes…

1 John 5:13-15 (NIV)— 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Ironside and the Seeker of Assurance— Once [An elderly man said to H.A. Ironside, "I will not go on unless I know I'm saved, or else know it's hopeless to seek to be sure of it. I want a definite witness, something I can't be mistaken about!" Ironside replied, "Suppose you had a vision of an angel who told you your sins were forgiven. Would that be enough to rest on?" "Yes, I think it would. An angel should be right." Ironside continued, "But suppose on your deathbed Satan came and said, 'I was that angel, transformed to deceive you.' What would you say?" The man was speechless. Ironside then told him that God has given us something more dependable than the voice of an angel. He has given His Son, who died for our sins, and He has testified in His own Word that if we trust Him all our sins are gone. Ironside read I John 5:13, "You may know that you have eternal life." Then he said, "Is that not enough to rest on? It is a letter from heaven expressly to you." God's Spirit used that to bring assurance to the man's heart. (H. A. Ironside.)]

Assurance for You— And those words of John can also be used by God to bring peace to your heart; peace concerning where you stand in relationship to the Savior. That is John’s chief aim in this epistle; to give you and me assurance of our salvation.

1 John 5:13 (NIV)— 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Theme of Assurance— Now once again this verse summarizes the theme of the entire book, which is to give the believer assurance of their salvation so that we might have confidence of where we stand with Christ. There are signs of transformation in the life of the believer that point us to the saving presence of Christ and His Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is there, making us like Christ, we know that we are in Christ because it is only through Christ that we can receive the Holy Spirit.

believing in the name of the Son of God— But how do we receive Christ to begin with? Verse 13 says that it involves us believing in the name of the Son of God. Now what does it mean to believe in somebody’s name? Keep in mind this is kingly terminology. If you come in the name of a king, you are a physical representation of them; you carry their authority; their power. So to believe in Jesus’ name is to believe in His authority and power as (what?…next phrase) the Son of God. And that is crucially important, because we believe that Jesus’ authoritative power to save and redeem comes from His being the Son of God; God in the flesh.

knowing that you have eternal life— If we have placed our faith and trust in Him, understanding who He is and what He has done for us, then we have come to the starting point of our salvation; we have entered the fold. And as we remain in the fold, we become more and more like our shepherd in our character and how we relate to our brothers and sisters and to the world. And so because of what Christ has done for us, in us, and is doing through us, we can have assurance that we are saved. 

Assurance & Prayer— But that assurance that we receive also can empower other aspects of our relationship with God as well, particularly prayer. And that is what John focuses on in our passage today. Look at verse 14…

1 John 5:13 (NIV)— 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Ishmael: God Hears— I am reminded of the story of Hagar in the Bible, the woman Sarah gave to her husband Abraham as a wife in order to conceive and bear an heir. And sure enough she conceives. But she begins to despise Sarah and Sarah, unable to stand it, gets Abraham to surrender Hagar to her power and then Sarah mistreats her, forcing her to flee into the wilderness. Here was a woman in a desperate situation. She has lost all security; she has no home. And on top of that she’s pregnant and on her way back to her former home in Egypt. Yet God meets her by the well. He tells her to go back. And then He promises to bring many descendants from her and also makes a promise providing a future for her soon to be born son. And God commands her to name her son what? Ishmael. And what does Ishmael mean? God hears. God wanted her, every time she called her son’s name, to be reminded of the fact that He had heard her; and that He still hears her.

Even when things seem toughest for you and me, God wants us to always remember that He both sees and hears us. And because of that we can have confidence.

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)— 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

confidence in approaching God— Now this doesn’t mean marching into the throne-room of God with a long list of demands, but humbly knowing that our heavenly Father both knows our needs and is actually eager to meet them. So what do we have confidence in? We have confidence in the fact that God hears us; and John doesn’t mean that God simply knows what we need, but that word hear implies a response from God. God hears and answers our prayers.

The Two Oranges— Once [While crossing the Atlantic on an oceanliner, F.B. Meyer was asked to address the first class passengers. At the captain's request he spoke on "Answered Prayer." An agnostic who was present at the service was asked by his friends, "What did you think of Dr. Meyer's sermon?" He answered, "I didn't believe a word of it." That afternoon Meyer went to speak to the steerage passengers. Many of the listeners at his morning address went along, including the agnostic, who claimed he just wanted to hear "what the babbler had to say." Before starting for the service, the agnostic put two oranges in his pocket. On his way he passed an elderly woman sitting in her deck chair fast asleep. Her hands were open. In the spirit of fun, the agnostic put the two oranges in her outstretched palms. After the meeting, he saw the old lady happily eating one of the pieces of fruit. "You seem to be enjoying that orange," he remarked with a smile. "Yes, sir," she replied, "My Father is very good to me." "Your father? Surely your father can't be still alive!" "Praise God," she replied, "He is very much alive." "What do you mean?" pressed the agnostic. She explained, "I'll tell you, sir. I have been seasick for days. I was asking God somehow to send me an orange. I suppose I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had not only sent me one orange but two!" The agnostic was speechless. Later he was converted to Christ. Yes, praying in God's will brings an answer. (Our Daily Bread.)] One of the most amazing things for us as Christians to witness is how God hears and answers prayer. And yet sometimes I think God is just waiting to move if we would just bend the knee and ask Him to.

if we ask in accordance with God’s will— Now one of the things about prayer that we have to remember is that although God’s love is unconditional, His response to our prayers is not, as John makes clear. What is the condition that John gives before God will answer our prayers? That we ask…according to his will…: if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (v.14)

a common misconception about praying God's will— Now the way that you and I approach this is we will ask Jesus for something and hope it’s His will. If we watch and it doesn’t happen, then we conclude it wasn’t His will; if it does happen, then it must have been His will. But in either case we do not know what is going to happen and what does happen is what supposedly reveals to us what the will of God was. But I would like to challenge you on this point, because I believe that interpretation is out of tune with what John has been saying in this passage. He has just said that we can have confidence. Confidence of what? Not confidence only that God will hear us, but confidence that (v. 15) we have what we asked of him. In other words, what John is saying is that we can have confidence ahead of time (going into prayer; approaching God) knowing what His answer is going to be. I don’t think you can interpret that verse any other way because of the tense John uses. He tells us to believe that we have what we asked of him; in other words, that we have already received it. Well, how can we do that if we are are unsure of how God is going to answer? That wouldn’t make sense. No, what John is saying here is that you can know (maybe not always, but often) how God is going to answer. Well, how is that? Well we need to go back to that phrase if we ask anything according to his will because it is then that He is said to hear us. What John is saying is you can know ahead of time what God’s answer is going to be if you pray in accordance with His will. Well how do we do that?

seeking the will of God— First, we must seek the will of God. And waiting till after you pray to see what happens is to late to see what the will of God is. That isn’t confidence, that’s guessing and hoping. No, we first seek God’s will in a situation and then we pray that that will might be accomplished. And my point is that before we ask, there ought to be a seeking period when you ask God to make His will known to you. And that involves listening as much as anything else. We ask God to reveal Himself; we seek Him in His word; we follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit; and God makes His will known to us or (if not specifically) He will at least reveal to you how to pray. It is then that we can pray with certainty; with confidence; with assurance that it will indeed happen because God is leading our prayer. We can pray with confidence; with certainty. We can pray knowing that God will move.

praying in His will in confidence— Asking God for something is not enough; praying that God’s will will happen in a situation is not enough; we must take the time to actually seek His will so that when we pray (knowing as much of His will as He will allow us) we can pray in faith with confidence rather than just a shallow kind of “hit or miss” level of hope. Hope that is truly Christian goes much deeper than that. And so I want to encourage you today to pray in confidence. If you are like me, prayer can be a challenging thing at times. I tend to rush at God with my requests, maybe after a quick word of thanks. But prayer time in which you allow yourself the time to come into the presence of God; where you are seeking His will and aligning yourself to that? That is the kind of a prayer life that can move mountains. Let us commit to pray together that way as we always seek to enter into the awesome presence of God. Amen.

Lechem Panim #85 "The Water, The Blood, and The Spirit" (1 John 5:1-12) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to Lechem Panim. In today’s passage (1 John 5:1-12) we are going to be talking a lot about assurance; assurance of who Jesus is and assurance of who we are in Him.

If You Wake— I recently read a story about [A life insurance agent {who} was speaking with a would-be client. After a long presentation of the risks of not buying the policy, the man was still a bit hesitant. “I feel that you’re trying to frighten me into a hasty decision. “Oh, no, I would never do such a thing!” the agent assured him. “I’ll tell you what — Sleep on it tonight. If you wake in the morning, give me a call then and let me know your decision.”] If you want assurance, an insurance agent is not always the best choice. However, when it comes to where we are going to spend eternity, the apostle John wants his readers to have absolute assurance.

One of the things that makes 1 John such a valuable epistle is that it’s aim is to give us personal assurance of our salvation. While in his Gospel, John writes in order that we might “have” eternal life (John 20:20-31), he wrote this epistle so that we might “know” we have eternal life (I John 5:13). He uses the word "know" 39 times in this epistle alone. John wants us to have the assurance and peace that comes from knowing where we stand with God. Do you know where you stand this morning in your relationship with God? Do you have complete assurance of your salvation. John says we can. We can test ourselves in order to know whether or not we are truly children of God. And John gives us three major tests.

Belief in Christ— In verse 1 is the first test: What we believe about Jesus. It says: 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,

Both Divine and Human— And as we said before, that involves our believing that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. And as fully God and fully man, He died on the cross for the atonement of our sins and was raised from the dead in order that we also might experience victory over sin and death. So belief in who Jesus claims to be and placing our faith and trust in Him for salvation is how we receive salvation. 

Love for God’s Children— Now in the second part of verse 1 we are given the second test: and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. If we are truly saved, then we will truly love the Father. And if we love the Father the way we ought to, we will love and care about those He loves and cares about. Now John has made this point before. Remember he records in his Gospel Jesus saying in…

John 13:34-35 (ESV)— 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Obvious, but Not Easy—  Now we know that we are supposed to love each other; that’s obvious. But just because something is obvious doesn’t mean it’s easy. I think sometimes we forget how difficult this really is. How do we think about that sibling who has wounded us? That person at church who has wounded us? Those people who you run into in life who, when you are down, enjoy kicking you and making you feel small? What about that person at work who always makes your job harder by how they do theirs. In our thought life, how do we view them? Do we love them? Apart from God, that love becomes very difficult; actually impossible. We can never truly love our brother or sister or neighbor until we first love the Father in and through Jesus Christ. Our love for God can enable us to love them because we love them not for their own sakes, but for Christ’s sake. And John is very careful to connect the two. We love our brothers and sisters and neighbors by first loving God. If we truly love Him and maintain that relationship, He will perfect the love we have for others. He says in verse 2…

1 John 5:2-3a (ESV)— 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

Obeying God’s Commands— And in that verse is contained the third test of genuine Christianity: loving God and obeying his commands. If we truly love God, then we will keep His commands. And more than that, we will want to keep His commands. They will be a joy. As the second part of verse 3 says: And his commandments are not burdensome. Now why are they not burdensome? Because His Law; His commands are not just regulations He comes up with, but are an expression of His very nature and character. And therefore if we truly love Him, we will love His nature and character and therefore as a result will also love His Law and practice His commands.

Overcome the World— Now verses 4-5 mark what is perhaps one of the most encouraging passages in scripture. It says…

1 John 5:4-5 (ESV)— 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Living in Light— Through faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, we can have victory over sin and temptation because we can, as John says, abide by the commands that God has given us. We can live in His light and have victory over the darkness merely because of the fact that we are abiding in the Light of the World and He in us. And if we allow Him, He can expel all darkness in us and also much of the darkness around us as we bring the light of Christ to others. And once again if we truly love Christ, then we will want to do that.

Refuting Gnosticism— Now during this time there was a false heresy that was developing that served as the foundation for what would later become Gnosticism. And this was a belief system that denied that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh (1Jn 4:1-3; cf. 2Jn 7). And one of the representatives of this belief system was a man named Cerinthus. And he taught that the divine Christ descended upon Jesus at the time of his baptism and then left him before he died on the cross. And so (they claim) that “Christ’ never experienced death. Now WE know that it was necessary that Jesus (as the Christ) die in order to atone (to pay for) the sins of the world. And you cannot be a true Christian without believing in that foundational truth. This is why John has been trying to emphasize throughout this epistle first that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2) and secondly, those who believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh are “of God” and have been “born of God” (1 John 4:2; 5:1a). And in defense of this John presents to us specific witnesses we have concerning the truth that Jesus is the Christ and that he has come in the flesh.

1 John 5:6a (ESV)– 6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. 

The Water— Now the "water" refers to Jesus' baptism in the Jordan river, when the Father spoke from heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:13–17). And you will remember that after he came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended and rested upon him as a dove. And this was one of the means by which the Father testified (audibly from heaven) concerning His Son; right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Talk about validation!!!

The Blood— Now the second witness is “the blood”. And “the blood” refers to Jesus’ death on the cross and the testimony that was born of Jesus as He was hanging there. At the end of Jesus’ ministry [the Father gave further witness as the time drew near for Jesus to die. He spoke audibly to Jesus from heaven, and said, “I have both glorified it [My name], and will glorify it again” (John 12:28). Furthermore, the Father witnessed in miracle power when Jesus was on the cross: the supernatural darkness, the earthquake, and the rending of the temple veil (Matt. 27:45, 50–53). No wonder the centurion cried out, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (v. 54) Jesus did not receive “the Christ” at His baptism and lose it at the cross. On both occasions, the Father witnessed to the deity of His Son.]

The Spirit— Now “the water and the blood” are not alone in their witness, but are joined by a third witness: The Holy Spirit. It says in…

1 John 5:6b-8 (ESV)– And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 

And so we see that the Holy Spirit is another key witness to the incarnate Christ. And He is certainly a strong witness, for He was heavily involved in every aspect of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus. He was involved in Jesus’ conception (Mt 1:20), played an active role in His baptism (Mt 3:16), was with Jesus and led Him during His time of temptation in the wilderness (Lk 4:1), and was upon Him for all of His ministry (Lk 4:18). He also came upon the disciples, sanctifying them and bestowing on them spiritual gifts (Hebrews 2:3-4); and inspiring some of the disciples to author New Testament books and letters. And so the Spirit is a huge witness to who Christ is. And John points out how The Spirit, the water, and the blood, all agree with one another, meaning that they agree in their testimony that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Now here John continues…

1 John 5:9 (ESV)– 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.

The Greater Testimony— And this simply means that since in a court of law we receive and accept the witness of men, how much more should we accept the testimony of God. Isn’t he greater? Of course. Now for those who have been “born of God”, it says…

1 John 5:10a (ESV)– 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. 

Confirmation in Our Spirit— And what John (and Jesus) is saying is that when we set out hearts and minds on doing the will of God, we will know that the doctrine of Christ is really from God. We will receive confirmation in our spirit regarding who Jesus really is and who we are in Him as born again believers. Now there are those (obviously) who reject the testimony of God. And John says of them…

 1 John 5:10b-12 (ESV)– Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

And what John is saying is that you cannot have life apart from Jesus. All these witnesses that John is talking about (witnesses to who Christ is) ought to lead us to place our faith in Him as the ONLY source of life there is; and to follow Him with a complete and total commitment of ALL of who we are to Him. When we truly place our faith in Jesus like that, there will be (like John says) that fruit; that evidence in our lives demonstrated in righteousness and love; and we can have assurance that we are indeed children of God. And if you want to experience that deeper relationship with Him today, open your heart to God in prayer and invite Him to begin that work in you. And as it says in…

Philippians 1:6b (ESV)— …he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Lechem Panim #84 "Living in Confidence" (1 John 4:17-21) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to Lechem Panim. 

Before we begin today, I’d like to give you an update regarding the show. A couple of weeks ago we aired a special episode where I interviewed a very dear friend and mentor of mine name Bennette Ash. And one of the things we talked about was the difference it makes having a life that is built on the foundation of Christ. And not long after that we received an encouraging email from a gentleman named Thomas, expressing his thanks for her testimony of what a difference it means to be rooted in Biblical principles and in a relational experience of God. He said, “I caught this broadcast while flipping stations on my radio. So in some manner I took it as a message of encouragement from God to me during a tough time in my life right now. And of course we are glad to hear that the Lechem Panim broadcast is reaching people who need that hope and encouragement. There are many ways to listen to the broadcast; via our website (LechemPanim.org), as well as on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. But we are excited to announce that we are now available to listen to via Podcast; and you can subscribe to us through Apple Podcasts or your favorite Podcast provider. And so we want to invite you to do so. And thank you for listening (click here to subscribe).

Airport Nervousness— This past Christmas season, I traveled with my family to go to my sister Lauren’s wedding. And so we found ourselves in a number of airports. And coming from a person who has flown quite a bit in his lifetime, I can say that airports are very interesting (and at times stressful; and at other times even very stressful) places, especially when you are traveling with kids. And if you are ever in an airport, {(as someone once pointed out)] one interesting thing to note is the the [the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace and … pace. The difference is caused by the confidence factor. If you knew that in fifteen minutes you would have to stand in judgment before the Holy God and learn your eternal destiny, what would your reaction be? Would you… pace? Would you say to yourself, "I don't know what God's going to say--will it be 'Welcome home, child,' or will it be 'Depart from me; I never knew you'?]

That is a question every one of us must at some point ask ourselves. Yet if we have placed our faith in Christ and chosen to follow Him, we can (and ought) to have assurance that we are indeed saved. And that is what our passage today is all about. In 1 John 4:17, we circle back to this theme of confidence. It says…

1 John 4:17 (ESV)— 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

And this word “confidence” shows up a number of places in John’s epistle.

1 John 2:28 (ESV)— 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

1 John 3:21 (ESV)— 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

1 John 5:14 (ESV)— 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Abiding, Complete Love, & Confidence— So we see that this theme of confidence is and important theme in 1 John, and one that John emphasizes very strongly as we draw nearer to the close of his epistle. John wants his readers to be abiding in Christ, to have that relationship authenticated by having demonstrated in themselves the fruit of a transformed life (a love that that is “complete”); and lastly to have a life that is marked not by fear, but by confidence; and particularly a “confidence for the day of judgment ”.

Not Arnold’s Judgment Day— Now if were to google image search “judgment day” right now (and I did just recently) you would find that most of the pictures you would be greeted by are not Biblical pictures. Instead of pictures of Jesus you are greeted by photos of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator looking back at you. As cool as he may have looked in that movie (and as much as I have been told I look like him;…….okay that’s not true) we are talking about a very different kind of Judgment Day.

Day of Judgment— [The day of judgment is that time when all people will appear before Christ and be held accountable for their actions. {However, for Christians} With God living in us through Christ, we have no reason to fear this day because we have been saved from punishment.]

Romans 8:1 (ESV)— 8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Looking Forward To Judgment Day— And so this means that [Instead, we can look forward to the day of judgment because it will mean the end of sin and the beginning of a face-to-face relationship with Jesus Christ.] We can have assurance during and leading up to that day; an assurance that produces a confidence; a boldness in how we live, how we pray, and how we witness. Now how do we get that assurance and confidence?

1 John 4:17a (ESV)— 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:…

So first of all, we see that we need to have a love that is complete. Well what does it mean to have a love that has been made complete?

1 John 4:17 (ESV)— 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

Now this is a stunning and powerful statement. And what it is pointing us to is the marvelous reality that the true believer is clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

Romans 3:21-22 (ESV)— 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)— 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Philippians 3:9 (ESV)— 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

Imparted Righteousness— Now John is clearly talking about more than our being covered by the righteousness of Christ (imputed righteousness) where God sees us through the blood of Jesus. As important as that doctrine is, John is careful to communicate that Christ’s imputed righteousness must also become our imparted righteousness; we can be made righteous as God Himself is righteous. A strong statement? Yes, but one that is in perfect accord with what God has always said was both possible and necessary.

1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV)— 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Now with our being being clothed with the righteousness Christ as we experience His love for us and reflect that love back on Him, our former fear is replaced with confidence. John writes in…

1 John 4:18 (ESV)— 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 

Not Just Emotional Fear— Now I want to point out that what we are talking about here is more than just a feeling of fear or anxiety; which we all struggle with from time to time. We are talking about a significant doubt in our salvation.

John Wesley’s Doubt— Before Wesley’s famous Aldersgate experience where he receive assurance of his salvation, Moody writes how [After John Wesley had been preaching for some time, someone said to him, "Are you sure, Mr. Wesley, of your salvation?" "Well," he answered, "Jesus Christ died for the whole world." "Yes, we all believe that; but are you sure that you are saved?" Wesley replied that he was sure that provision had been made for his salvation. "But are you sure, Wesley, that you are saved?" It went like an arrow to his heart, and he had no rest or power until that question was settled.]

What the Apostle John is teaching us is that fear is banished by the confidence that comes to us in and through the love of Christ. And scripture teaches us that [we do not love God and come to Him in love, and at the same time, hide from Him in terror (cf. Rom. 8:14, 15; 2 Tim. 1:7).] We don’t have to fear the future judgment (and the moment or punishment that goes with it) because our sins have been forgiven through faith in Christ; and we have been redeemed and are being perfected in love. That is what it means to live by faith. And that faith is rooted (ultimately) in the love of God. As verse 19 says…

1 John 4:19 (ESV)— 19 We love because he first loved us. 

And [If we ever are afraid of the future, eternity, or God’s judgment, we can remind ourselves of God’s love. We know that He loves us perfectly (Romans 8:38-39).]

Romans 8:38-39 (ESV)— 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And so [We can resolve our fears first by focusing on his immeasurable love for us, and then by allowing him to love others through us. {In doing so} His love will quiet your fears and give you confidence.] Now if we have that confidence in His love for us and our belonging to Him, that love will move us to love those around us. And that love is one of the clearest evidences of the fact that we truly belong to Jesus. John writes in…

1 John 4:20-21 (ESV)— 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

And so I want to encourage you today to ask God to create that kind of love in you in a deeper way. With that love will come righteousness; and with that righteousness will come the assurance that you belong to Him and a confidence and a boldness that will allow God to use you in a powerful way in your family, in your church, and in your community. Ask Him for that today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #83 "A Perfect Abiding" (1 John 4:12-17) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to Lechem Panim. 

The Tiny Thread of a Root— A few years ago I remember I had to undergo the task of pulling out numerous bush-like weeds that had grown up through the cement of my family’s back porch. And what amazed me was how such large weeds could protrude from such tiny little cracks. In other places on the porch, however, there were other weeds that had become withered and died. Both had received the same amount of rain and sunshine, and yet some flourished while others faded away. The key to the life of those that flourished wasn’t found in what they themselves could absorb from their environment, but rather upon a tiny thread of a root that (through the almost imperceptible cracks) connected them to the earth beneath the pavement. And the same is true of us. Jesus says to His disciples in…

John 15:4 (ESV)— 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

The Key To Life— Now what John is doing here in our passage today here in 1 John 4:12-17 is he’s expounding a little bit on what Jesus was saying, reminding his readers that the key to life itself lies in our abiding in Christ; we must abide in Him and He must abide in us. Take note as we read verses 12-17 just how many times we come across the keyword “abide” and the keyword “in”:

1 John 4:12-17 (ESV)— 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

Our Spiritual Transplant— So here we see the process by which the believer comes to abide in the family of God. We confess that Jesus is the Son of God (v 15) and then immediately in that same verse we see that after confession God abides in the Christian and the Christian in God. And in that abiding we experience two things. The first is the love of God for us; and the second is the presence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. And really the Spirit is the secret to the life of the Christian. He is the One who shapes us into the image of Christ to where we are holy and righteous (John even says “in this world”) as he is. In fact, it is helpful to think of the Holy Spirit as the Holy-making Spirit because His chief role is to make us like Christ. And it is the sense of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives that John says confirms that we are in Jesus. It says in…

1 John 4:13 (ESV)— 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

Kinlaw on The Role of the Holy Spirit— Now one scholar I read often points out here how: [the Spirit whom Jesus gave to his disciples was not just the third person of the Trinity; it was the Spirit who had empowered Jesus’ own life and ministry. The secret to Jesus’ life was the Spirit, and the Spirit is anxious to be the secret of your life and mine. The Spirit was the one who initiated Christ’s conception. It was he who anointed Jesus at his baptism. The word Christ means “anointed,” so it was the Spirit who made Jesus the Christ. It was the Spirit who led Jesus and sustained him through his temptation in the wilderness. The Spirit was the source of Jesus’ power over the demonic, and the Spirit enabled him to endure the Cross. The writer of Hebrews speaks of Christ as the one “who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God” (Heb. 9:14). It was the Spirit who, with the Father, raised Jesus from the dead. The Spirit was the key to the earthly life of Jesus. Now on Jesus’ last night before the Cross, he told his disciples that he wanted them to have the same one in their lives who had been in his own. He promised them the Holy Spirit. And that promise is to you and me as well.]

A Spirit-empowered Love— Now when the Spirit re-makes us in the image of Christ, the Christian finds that their life becomes characterized by love. Not the world’s standard of love (which is incredibly shallow) but rather the kind of self-sacrificial love that Jesus embodied and demonstrated on the cross; the kind of love that John has been talking about in and throughout this entire epistle. That kind of love is what separates Christianity from mere religion.

Getting On The Cross— It’s as someone once said: [“Religion is hanging around the Cross; Christianity is getting on the Cross."] Abiding in Jesus means we will also abide in and share His sacrificial love. John says in…

1 John 4:12 (ESV)— 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

The Best Preacher— [Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, famous British preacher, had five sons, all of whom became ministers of the gospel. One day a visitor in their home dared to ask a personal question: “Which of you six is the best preacher?” Their united answer was “Mother!” Of course, Mrs. Morgan had never preached a formal sermon in a church, but her life was a constant sermon on the love of God.] And that is what our lives are supposed to be as well; a constant sermon on the love of God. But that love does not begin in us, but rather starts with our first accepting Jesus Christ and His love for us. John says in…

1 John 4:14-16a (ESV)— 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. 

From Vertical to Horizontal— Before anything else, we must accept and receive the love that God has for us. And that means accepting Christ. It is only when that vertical relationship with God is healed through the work of Jesus that the Holy Spirit can come in and begin to transform our horizontal relationships with one another. And He will. Once we begin to abide in Christ, not only do we connect ourselves with eternal life, but also with the source of Love. And that forever changes our relationships with other people; to the point where we become identified by the love of Christ. John says in…

1 John 4:16b-17 (ESV)— God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

Cleansing of The Heart— Now how this works is that the Holy Spirit works in us a cleansing of the heart. Cleansing from what? Sin, yes; but what does that look like? What is sin? Sin is more than an act of disobedience. It is an orientation of the heart; an orientation that has been shifted from seeking to please and obey God to seeking our own wants and desires and placing them first.

The Two Men and The Two Fish— [You may have heard the story of two friends who met for dinner in a restaurant. Each requested filet of sole, and after a few minutes the waiter came back with their order. Two pieces of fish, a large and a small, were on the same platter. One of the men proceeded to serve his friend. Placing the small piece on a plate, he handed it across the table. "Well, you certainly do have nerve!" exclaimed his friend. “ What's troubling you?" asked the other. "Look what you've done," he answered. "You've given me the little piece and kept the big one for yourself." "How would you have done it?" the man asked. His friend replied, "If I were serving, I would have given you the big piece." "Well," replied the man, "I've got it, haven't I?" At this, they both laughed.] 

The Selfless Mark— The mark of a transformed, abiding Christian is that all that he/she does is not ultimately for themselves, but for the glory of God, which also means a placing of the needs of others before your own. That is the essence of love.

[LOVE OF A DISCIPLE— Clement of Alexandria, describing the person who has come to know God, wrote, "He impoverishes himself out of love, so that he is certain he may never overlook a brother in need, especially if he knows he can bear poverty better than his brother. He likewise considers the pain of another as his own pain. And if he suffers any hardship because of having given out of his own poverty, he does not complain.”]

The Self-Emptying of Jesus— As I was reading this quote, I began thinking about the self-emptying of Jesus. Jesus impoverished Himself; lowered Himself; bore our sins in our very flesh which He took on. In the same way we are to empty ourselves for one another and for Him. Our selfishness; our sin must give way to abiding in the Love of Christ and allowing that love to move us to give ourselves to others as Christ gave Himself for us. 

The question is, have we gotten on the cross? Are we living lives of sacrifice for other people that is characteristic of Christ’s own sacrifice for us? That is the mark of the Spirit-filled believer; and it is something that John comes to time and time again. And so we come full circle to the question of abiding. Are we just going through the religious motions? Or are we connecting ourselves (like that weed through the pavement) to Christ, the source of real, genuine, Spirit-filled Life? It is so easy to lose sight of what matters. The Ephesians John was writing to in this passage had become disconnected from God. And John wanted them to cast their roots and begin to connect back.

​   And today, that is what God is asking us to do. Now maybe you don’t feel able enough or strong enough to cast deep roots; and that’s okay. You might feel like the pavement is just a little too thick. But you know what, if you are willing to ask God to meet you where you’re at, He will bring His ground up to you and help you to get deeper into Him. But it begins with our asking; our invitation to Him to allow Him in. And so let us invite Him in today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #82 "The Divine Roots of Love" (1 John 4:7-12) Pastor Cameron Ury

 Greetings! Welcome to Lechem Panim. 

Years ago I worked at an Apple retail store. And during my time there I had an atheist acquaintance I used to work with that I tried to witness to. And he was open to Christianity, but remained unconvinced. But I will never forget what his chief struggle was. It wasn’t any of the typical things you might think an atheist would struggle with; the problem of evil in the world, or anything like that. No, it was something else. The primary thing he just could not get past and accept was the fact that the God of the universe would ever lower Himself to care for people like us to the depth and to the degree that the Bible says He did. For my friend, that seemed very un-God-like. 
    And you know I think you can even be a Christian and struggle with this question. I know sometimes I have questioned and even doubted God’s love for me simply because of how unworthy I feel of that love. But one of the things we will unpack as we begin to move through this passage today is that God loves us not on the basis of who we are, but on the basis of who He is. He is not just “loving”; no, He is love. He defines love. And though it is one of the clearest Biblical teachings, the doctrine of God’s love for us is at the same time one of the most profound truths and (at times) the most difficult to accept.

God is Love — Have you ever wondered why it is that God loves us? Or, on a similar note, why did He create us? Have you ever wondered why God created man? Is it because one day He just got bored and lonely and decided to create us for entertainment; or for company? I mean if God has always existed and existed before we were created, what did He do? Does God need us? Was He compelled to create us because, by Himself, He was deficient? Is He like some kind of Ferris Bueller character that says to us, “You complete me.”? Does God need us? That is an interesting question because of what is revealed to us in…

1 John 4:7-8 (ESV)-- 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

God is Love— Now notice that it doesn’t say that God is loving. No, it says God is love. He is the very definition of love. This is something that sets Christianity apart from every other religion. God is not merely loving; He is the very definition and source of all love.

Requiring and Object-- Now love, as we all know, requires an object. You cannot love; truly love by yourself. Love is something that is demonstrated by your actions in another person’s life. Love is not a feeling. It is an action verb. Well, let me ask you this. Long before man was created; long before the world was created; long before heaven and angels were created, was God still love? That is what Christianity teaches. But the question then becomes, “Well, how could God be love before there was anything to love?” How could God be love before there was an object that could receive that love?” Now you can say that God was not love until He created man, but that is not what the Bible teaches because then that would mean that God had to change at some point; and the scripture is very clear that God never changes. It says in…

Malachi 3:6 (ESV)-- 6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

James 1:17 (ESV)-- 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

The Triune Nature of God-- So how could God be love from eternity? How could He possibly be love before there was a single created thing? Well the answer lies in the unique Christian doctrine of the Trinity. God is not one person, but three; God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit. And so rather than being just one, God is three. God is a community of persons who live in constant communion; a fellowship of love with one another; and have done so from eternity. And so God has always been love in Himself because all three persons of the Trinity have always existed and have each poured themselves out in love to the others.

The Most amazing thing-- Now this is important in answering our first question: Does God need us? Because one of the most amazing things we come to know about our relationship with God is that while we need Him, He does not need us. He is already a community of persons in Himself (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He doesn’t need our companionship, our worship, or our prayers. Rather, He is sufficient; He is complete in Himself. So why then did God create us? Well, while our minds cannot even begin to grasp the depth of that love and every aspect of it, we do know one thing about it: IT CANNOT BE CONTAINED. IT CANNOT BE CONTAINED. You see, God’s love is always growing; always expanding. It is so selfless that it is always seeking for new beings to love. Why? Because God’s love is always creative; it always bears fruit. It always desires to expand. And so because God is that kind of love, He wanted to produce more beings who might be recipients of the overflow of His love. God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit wanted to allow their love to produce a fruit. And so they created man. And that is the defining characteristic of Biblical love; Godly love always bears fruit.

Humanity the Overflow of God’s Love-- Humanity is the fruit of the overflow of God’s love. And, because Biblical love is always fruitful, so was mankind to be fruitful. Just as God is plural, yet one, so man was to be plural, yet one. Man was to cleave unto His wife and become one flesh. And that relationship was meant to bear fruit. The first command given in all of scripture was to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, .…” (Gen. 1:28 ESV)

Fruit Now Born Through Pain-- But then of course man sinned. And sin changed everything. Adam and Eve did what they thought was best for themselves rather than what was in God’s interest or each other’s interest. And the result of that sin was that we became separated from God. But it is interesting how the curse immediately affected them. Adam would work the ground, which would no longer easily bear fruit. Eve, who would become the mother of all living, would from this point onward experience pain in childbirth; at the very point of her fruitfulness. God would still allow them to bear fruit; fruit from the ground and fruit from the womb, but that fruitfulness was now limited and associated with pain and toil. And that is what sin does; it always touches us at the point of our fruitfulness.

Love as Christ loved us— Now God could have turned His back on us. He could have said, “You are no longer my children. I am going to leave you to the death that your sin has produced, which will be the end of you.” But He doesn’t. Instead, He begins to show His true Father-ness; the depth of His love for us.

1 John 4:9-10 (ESV)— 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

Frequency of the World Love-- Now in verses 7-21 the word “love” appears 27 times. Now there are many words for love in the New Testament. But I looked every one of these up in Greek. They are all agape. Well, what is agape love?

The Boy Rewrites the Story of The Ant and the Grasshopper— I remember reading a story a number of years ago. [The mother of a nine-year-old boy named Mark received a phone call in the middle of the afternoon. It was the teacher from her son’s school.

“Mrs. Smith, something unusual happened today in your son’s third-grade class. Your son did something that surprised me so much that I thought you should know about it immediately. The mother began to grow worried.

The teacher continued, “Nothing like this has happened in all my years of teaching. This morning I was teaching a lesson on creative writing. And as I always do, I tell the story of the ant and the grasshopper:

“The ant works hard all summer and stores up plenty of food. But the grasshopper plays all summer and does no work. Then winter comes. The grasshopper begins to starve because he has no food. So he begs, ‘Please Mr. Ant, you have much food. Please let me eat, too.’”

Then I said, “Boys and girls, your job is to write the ending to the story.”

“Your son, Mark, raised his hand. ‘Teacher, may I draw a picture?’

“ ‘Well, yes, Mark, if you like, you may draw a picture. But first you must write the ending to the story.’

“As in all the years past, most of the students said the ant shared his food through the winter and both the ant and the grasshopper lived. A few children wrote, ‘No, Mr. Grasshopper. You should have worked in the summer. Now I have just enough food for myself.’ So the ant lived and the grasshopper died.

“But your son ended the story in a way different from any other child, ever. He wrote, ‘So the ant gave all of his food to the grasshopper; the grasshopper lived through the winter, but the ant died.’

“And the picture? At the bottom of the page, Mark had drawn three crosses.”]

Defined by the Cross-- You see agape love is the deepest kind of love; it is self-sacrificing love. And it is defined by Christ’s own love demonstrated for us on the cross. And it is a love we are called to as well.

1 John 4:11-12 (ESV)-- 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

By The Spirit-- Now the only way for us to love self-sacrificially not only those who love us, but even those who wound us (just like Christ loved those and prayed for forgiveness for those who were at that time wounding him on the cross) is by the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can enable you to love like that. So if you are loving like that, then that is strong evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in your life. But the self-giving, sacrificial love of the cross is the standard. And you and I can know that love. But it must begin with your own relationship with Jesus; you have to come to the point where you accept and receive God’s love for you in and through His Son Jesus Christ; and the sacrifice He made for you on a personal level.  Only then can we fully reflect a love that is (like Christ’s) perfect and complete. And though we may never understand why God loves us (at least FULLY), we CAN know that He loves us. Let’s embrace that Love today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #81 "Building on The Rock" (Matthew 7:24-29) Pastor Cameron Ury

Join us as I interview Bennette Ash about her ministry of mentoring those going through storms and what a difference it has made in her life to have Christ as her foundation.