Beyond The Four Spiritual Laws

[Beetow]

• 1John 3:6-8 . .Whoever abides in him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen
him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices
righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who sins is of the Devil, for
the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

John started off by saying: "whoever abides in him does not sin".

This is tricky because according to 1John 1:8-10 even the apostle John sinned; and
surely no one would suggest that John didn't abide in Christ; nor dare say that he
had neither seen Christ nor known him.

In a nutshell: "He who sins is of the Devil" refers to people whose religion and/or
whose spiritual ideology is something other than Christianity. Those outside of
Christianity are practicing unrighteousness; while those inside Christianity are
practicing righteousness. Bottom line: the practice of Christianity is the right thing
to do while the practice of all other religions and/or spiritual ideologies is the wrong
thing to do.
_

 

[Beetow]

• 1John 3:11-12 . . For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that
we should love one another-- not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered
his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his
brother's righteous.

The curious thing about Cain is that he was religious, but he wasn't pious. In other
words: Cain's association with God seems to have been based entirely upon ritual
with apparently little thought given to personal conduct. Cain couldn't even keep a
civil tongue in his head when speaking to the object of his worship. Now that's
really messed up.
_

 

[Beetow]

• 1John 3:18 . . My little children, let us not love only in word or in tongue, but in
deed, and in truth.

What is truth? (John 18:38)

Pilate's question was meaningful in his day because ancient philosophers
perpetually discussed and debated the nature of truth without ever achieving a
universal agreement about it.

Well; one of Webster's definitions of "truth" is: a state of being the case; viz: fact;
which Webster's defines as the quality of being actual. In other words: truth is the
way it is; viz: truth is reality as opposed to speculation, fantasy, opinion, error,
inaccuracy, inexactness, theory, imagination, and false impressions, etc.

The trick to loving in truth is first of all knowing the truth.

Well to begin with; "thy word is truth" (John 17:17). So the Bible is the Christian's
first choice as a source of truth relative to love.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God." (Rom 12:2)

There are no short-cuts to the truth. The good path is according to Eph 4:11-15;
viz: by teachers and preachers. I do not recommend the self-taught route. People
who go that way usually end up with disinformation lodged in their heads that is not
easily corrected. Beware.

"Some of Paul's comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and
unstable have twisted his letters around to mean something quite different from
what he meant, just as they do the other parts of Scripture— and the result is
disaster for them." (2Pet 3:16)

Love in accordance with truth may at times seem very unloving to the world
because it doesn't know the truth, nor does it care to know. I think a fair
percentage of the world would agree with Pilate that truth is uncertain and
unknowable.

The Greek word translated "deed" is ergon (er'-gon) which primarily has to do with
toil as an effort or occupation; but can also imply the way people act, i.e. the things
they do as opposed to the things they say. Some Christians can tell you all about
love, and readily quote the classic scriptures about love, but seem utterly incapable
of exemplifying any of it.
_

 

[Beetow]

• 1John 4:1 . . Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether
they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The koiné Greek word for "spirits" is pneuma (pnyoo'-mah) which means, among
other things; a current of air; viz: winds and breezes. I doubt that John is talking
about supernatural beings, rather, spurious doctrines. (Eph 4:14)

The common Greek word translated "prophet" is prophetes (prof-ay'-tace) which
essentially identifies a foreteller; i.e. someone who claims to know something about
the future.

Jesus said that false prophets are known by their fruits (Matt 7:15-20). For
example: the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has predicted Christ's return and
Armageddon several times in the past and been wrong every time. Well; if their
predictions are false, then we have to assume that their teachings are highly
suspect no matter how reasonable they may sound. Below is a paraphrase of Eph
4:14 that applies to religions like the Watchtower Society's.

Relative to Eph 4:11-13 Paul wrote:

"Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we
believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has
cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth."
_

 

[Beetow]

• 1John 4:20-21 . . If someone says "I love God," and hates his brother, he's a liar;
for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God
whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who
loves God must love his brother also.

NOTE: The commandment referenced is located at John 13:34

The Greek word translated "liar" isn't restricted to hard-core dishonesty, but applies
to anyone whose statements can be proven unsound; including misrepresenting
themselves, whether deliberate or mistaken makes no difference. In other words:
we could paraphrase the above to read: If anyone says "I love God" and hates his
brother, he's in need of correction.

In my opinion "liar" is a harsh description to pin on somebody, and I really think we
ought to reserve it for people who we know for sure are fully aware that what they
are saying is untrue. (This is only a suggestion. I'm not attempting to issue an edict
here.)

The Greek word for "love" throughout 1John 4:20-21 is agapao (ag-ap-ah'-o)
which is an indistinct word for love that may or may not include affection and
fondness; but it certainly includes things like civility, courtesy, generosity, lenience,
tolerance, charity, kindness, patience, forgiveness, diplomacy, humility, hospitality,
sympathy, respect, tact, etc.

I think that what John is trying to get across is that inconsiderate treatment of a
child of God betrays one's lack of consideration for a father's feelings; which is the
behavior of a churlish Christian rather than a spiritual Christian.
_

 

[Beetow]

• 1John 5:16-17 . . If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to
death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not
lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should
pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

The most common sins unto death are those classified as capital crimes; viz: those
for which the death penalty is the right thing to do. It would be a miscarriage of
justice to pray somebody out of that jam. If the courts and the laws of the land
have decided that they must die; then they must die; and that's that.

If a fellow believer is on death row for a capital offense; it's best to stay out of it
and let God and the courts handle it. Christians on death row should be encouraged
to man-up (or woman-up, as the case may be) and face the music rather than
expect sympathy from either their church or their Christian friends. Christians who
pray for the release of believers on death row for capital crimes are not only
attempting to obstruct justice, but also in shameful rebellion against Almighty God's
sovereign edicts.

"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of
the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is
God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear
the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him
who practices evil." (Rom 13:3-4)

FAQ: What does this mean? "God will give him life"

A: It's quite possible that a fellow Christian's conduct is sinful, but in their own
honest opinion it's not. The kind of life spoken of in this passage is an
enlightenment that pierces into the conscience and improves its sensibilities enough
to persuade the errant Christian to take the initiative to rectify their mistakes. (cf.
Gal 6:1)
_

 

[Beetow]

• 1John 5:21 . . Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

The Greek word for "idols" is eidolon (i'-do-lon) which means: an image (for
worship) viz: by implication, a heathen god.

Most modern Christians know better than to worship a figurine or a statue as their
god, but not all know better than to set up a figurine or a statue-- i.e. a shrine
where they can kneel and pray for providence; not from God, but from the person
whom the statue or figurine represents; e.g. a patron saint and/or Jesus' mom.

Religious art such as paintings and sculptures don't really qualify as idols until
somebody gets a little too carried away; for example:

There's a statue of the apostle Peter in Rome whose big toe has been eroded over
the years by the lips of people kissing it. I would have to say that easily qualifies as
idolatry. I've no objection to paintings, statues, and stained glass, but when people
kneel to, pray to, speak to, and/or kiss those items, then I believe they've
trespassed into forbidden territory, and broken the very first of the Ten
Commandments.

"Be strictly on your guard not to act corruptly by fashioning an idol for yourselves
to represent any figure, whether it be the form of a man or of a woman." (Deut
4:15-16)

Using that as a guideline, I would have to say that praying to, and/or looking to,
patron saints and/or Jesus' mom for providence easily qualifies as both polytheism
and idolatry; as well as marginalizes God and diminishes one's affections for Him. If
somebody loves The Lord their God with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind,
and all their strength, as per Mark 12:30, there will be nothing left for patron
saints, Jesus' mom, and/or artworks and statuary; thus idolatry would never be an
issue.

NOTE: Idolatry back in Paul's day oftentimes included immoral activities with
temple prostitutes. We sure wouldn't want Christ's believing followers involved in
that sort of thing.

"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take
the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know
that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said,
"The two will become one flesh." But he who unites himself with The Lord is one
with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are
outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." (1Cor 6:15
18)
_

 

[Beetow]

• 2John 1:5-6 . . And now I beseech you, lady, not as writing to you a new
commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love
one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is
the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should
walk in it.

The precise identity of the "lady" of this epistle is impossible to know for sure.
Some have construed it to be Christ's mom, and yet others as a local church to
which John mailed his letter, while others believe it refers to the church as per Matt
16:18. I tend to think it was a local church since 2John 1:13 indicates the lady had
a sister; viz: a sister church.

The first of the two loves in the passage isagapao (ag-ap-ah'-o) which is a verb.
The second love is agape (ag-ah'-pay) which is a noun. Neither of those two words
specifically refer to either affection or fondness.

Things like courtesy, generosity, loyalty, sympathy, kindness, civility, and charity
can all be extended to one's fellow Christians without especially liking them; in
point of fact, we may even wholly despise them with every fiber of our being. But
we dare not allow our low opinion to dictate how we treat them.

Anyway, the bottom line is: though Christians obsess and chirp about love till the
cows come home, the bald fact is that if they are not complying with Christ's
commandments in their association with other believers, then as persons they have
little to commend them.

NOTE: Christianity is a very practical religion. It not only brings sinners into a right
relationship with their creator, but it also makes them better people; viz: makes
them more civil and humane.
_

 

[Beetow]

• 2John 1:8 . .Watch yourselves, that we might not lose what we have
accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.

The Greek word for "lose" is apollumi (ap-ol'-loo-mee) which doesn't mean to lose
as if stolen or misplaced, but rather, it means to lose something by its destruction
like when people's homes were demolished in New Orleans by the hurricane
Katrina.

Apparently it's okay if your successor wrecks what you've accomplished for Christ
because that will be on their head. Just make sure you yourself don't do anything to
wreck it; and it doesn't really take all that much: a little adultery, a little
immorality, a little fraud, a little embezzling, a little dishonesty, a little abuse of
power, a little hypocrisy, a little dereliction of duty, a failure to honor promises and
commitments; et al.

Take for example Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He started off as an okay Christian
minister ordained to serve Jesus Christ, and then deserted the sheep that Christ
entrusted to his care and diverted his energies to political activism. King's pastoral
work went abandoned and neglected; and he cheated on his wife too.

Moral of the story is: nobody is twisting anybody's arm to commit to serving Jesus
Christ; but once the commitment is made: then they'd do well to hold fast, stay the
course, and not get distracted.

"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)

"As Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for
then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army." (2Tim 2:4)

Two things that Christ and his Father value very highly are integrity and loyalty.
When those are someone's guiding lights; the likelihood of their bottom line with
God showing a profit, instead of a loss, is greatly improved.
_

 

[Beetow]

• 2John 1:10-11 . . If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not
receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil
deeds.

The greeting in view is the holy kiss mentioned in Rom 16:16, 1Cor 16:20, 2Cor
3:12, 1Thess 5:26, and 1Pet 5 :14. The holy kiss is reserved for brethren, not for
outsiders.

Some have construed 2John 1:10-11 to mean believers are forbidden to respond to
a knock on their door by Latter Day Saints and Jehovah's witnesses, or invite them
in for a chat. That's not really what John's saying.

In his day, missionaries were put up in people's homes during their travels; thus
assisting them in their mission. So then, if you greet cultists as brethren, and/or
put them up for the night, or assist them in any way to accomplish their mission,
then you become an accomplice; and that includes buying flowers from Moonies.
_

 

[JerryfromMass]

.
There's been times during my 20+ years of internet forum activity when I've encountered people wanting to know what they're supposed to do now that they decided to become a Christian.

A mega Baptist church that I attended back in the decade of the 1970's had a discipleship program that incorporated an outreach booklet called The Four Spiritual Laws, authored in 1952 by Campus Crusade for Christ founder Dr. Bill Bright.

Those guidelines are helpful as far as they go, but they're pretty elementary and in my opinion inadequate for taking Christ's believing followers to infinity and beyond, so to speak.

Some years ago, just for the fun of it, I set out compiling a home-spun catalogue of Christ's instructions from the new Testament that apply to all his followers regardless of denominational affiliation. In time I realized that his instructions, accompanied by a little commentary, would make a pretty good devotional.

I chose to start in the book of Acts because that's pretty much where Christ's apostles began telling his believing followers what to do in accord with the Lord's instructions as per Matt 28:19-20.

FYI: Should someone prefer a better quality devotional than mine; there's a very popular one available online and in print called Our Daily Bread that's been around for a long time. It's not only instructional; but also quite entertaining, and it's available in children's versions too.

Buen Camino
_

Once a person has been regenerated, I believe the best place to start is John to get aclear understanding of the God-man-Son-of-God Jesus. Then Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts. Many claim the first four books are entirely Jewish in nature and audience, but I say they are all Jewish and they are all a witness to all nations, peoples, and tongues. Since Jesus is the eternal Word, and Jesus was from the beginning part of the etrrnal triune Godhead, Jesus is in all sixty-six books.

 

[Beetow]

• 3John 1:5-8 . . Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the
brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the
church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt
do well: because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the
Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to the
truth.

The "Gentiles" in this instance can be considered another word for unbelievers
because that's what most of the non-Israelites were thought of by Jews in the
Roman world of that day.

Paul and his contemporaries did not stoop to the despicable practice of selling
tickets to their meetings, and/or passing the hat among the crowds that gathered
to hear them. No, just as the Old Testament's priests were supported by their
constituents, so Christ prefers to draw support from his own rather than from
strangers; for example Luke 4:41 where Jesus forbid demons to identify him.
_

 

[Beetow]

• 3John 1:11-12 . . Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one
who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

The "one who does evil" refers is a believer who habitually give in to their base
nature instead of resisting it.

For now, it isn't possible to literally feast your glims on the actual person of God.
But what John's saying is that believers who do evil are somehow unaware who
they're dealing with. I think one of the more serious temptations is for Christians to
take their God for granted; and to forget that first and foremost He's a monarch
who frowns upon insurrection in His kingdom. God may be your Father, but He's
your sovereign too.

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is
My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?" (Mal 1:6)

"And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to
every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:" (1Pet 1:17)

The Greek word for "fear" in that verse is phobos (fob'-os) which means: alarm or
fright. In other words: a little Theophobia goes a long ways towards giving God the
degree of respect He not only wants; but also fully deserves. If it's unwise to trifle
with rattlesnakes, high voltage electrical wires, arsenic, and IRS audits; then surely
it's agreeable that it's just as unwise to trifle with God.

Inquiring minds can "see" God on the pages of holy writ by means of The Lord's
personal tutoring.

"No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the
Son: and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Matt 11:27)

So then, a believer who's lazy at Bible study, and/or indifferent to complying with
Christianity's commandments, will fail to see God, and subsequently, they will fail
to imitate Him simply because they don't know enough about their Father in order
to utilize Him as a role model.

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children" (Eph 5:1)
_

 

[Beetow]

• Jude 1:3 . . Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our
common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Given the peace-loving nature of true God-given Christianity, I seriously doubt that
Jude means Christians should get involved in inquisitions and crusades. Instead,
contending for the faith means taking a serious interest in helping to prevent your
church from becoming infected with, and/or influenced by, godless ideologies;
especially liberalism and so-called political correctness.
_

 

[Beetow]

• Jude 1:20-21 . . But you, beloved-- building yourselves up on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Spirit --keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

"keep yourselves in the love of God" is somewhat vague. It can indicate God's love
for the believer, and/or it can indicate the believer's love for God. I tend to suspect
it's both because Jesus said:

"If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15)

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who
loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him" (John 14:21)

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you
obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's
commands and remain in his love." (John 15:9-10)

The Greek word translated "keep" is very ambiguous. One of its meanings refers to
safe-guarding and/or protecting so as to prevent loss.

It's impossible for a believer to stop God from caring for them, but by their conduct
they can, and they often do, make it difficult for Him to actually like them.

Prayer in the Holy Spirit simply means to communicate with heaven via the God
given method rather than one's own, or a method prescribed by one's
denomination; i.e. man-made methods. The protocol has to be God-given or else
your thoughts will just bounce off heaven's door like popcorn off the side of a brick
house.

The mercy spoken of is one's resurrection to a permanent, immortal body; which is
something that Jude says them that are sanctified by God the Father, and
preserved in Jesus Christ and called should anticipate, viz: not just wish for, but
instead fully, and confidently, expect to obtain. (Phil 3:20-21, 1John 3:2-3)
_

 

[Beetow]

• Jude 1:22-23 . . On some have compassion, making a distinction; but others
rescue with fright, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by
the flesh.

Some Christians are offended by fright because it violates their concept of love. But
fright can be a good thing if it's applied judiciously. For instance: it is just as wise
to be afraid of God as it is wise to be afraid of cactus spines, a mule's kick, and/or a
forest fire.

Christians neglecting to build themselves up on their most holy faith, to pray in the
Holy Spirit, to keep themselves in the love of God, and to look for the mercy of
their Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life; are seriously off-reservation. Some are so
far off-reservation that somebody needs to get in their face and confront them
about their condition, even if it means becoming harsh, insensitive, and judgmental
because stray Christians are also away from God's providence; and that is a very
risky situation to be in.

Some off-reservation Christians can be stopped from destroying themselves; while
others are too far gone. Of those with possibilities, counselors have to use a little
God-given common sense as it isn't necessary to employ fright with everyone-- just
the ones who are particularly difficult. Some people can be reasoned with, while
others only understand fear and can be persuaded to move in the right direction
only by lighting a fire under them, so to speak.
_

 

[Beetow]

• Rev 14:6-7 . . And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the
everlasting gospel to preach to the people who dwell on the earth-- to every nation,
tribe, language, and people. Fear God! he shouted. Give glory to Him! For the time
has come when He will sit as judge. Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all the springs of water!

The everlasting gospel is very elementary. Pretty much all it says is:

1» There's a supreme being.

2» He deserves respect.

3» There's a frightful reckoning looming on the horizon, and

4» The cosmos-- all of its forms of life, matter, and energy --is the product of
intelligent design.

Giving glory to God basically requires giving Him credit where credit is due; and
worship basically consists of admiration, reverence, applause, and dignity.

The everlasting gospel's points are as valid in our day as they will be in the days
ahead; viz: the everlasting gospel is timeless.

-- The End --