Effie Darlene Barba

I John  3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

² Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

³ And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

⁴ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

⁵ And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

⁶ Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Does John mean here that Christians never sin?  That is what the preachers of legalism would tell you and with a voice of pride they would proclaim this fact with as they at the same time attempt to say, they have overcome sin and have become the perfect example of the perfect Christian, making a mockery of the truth.  Paul also dissected these truths with great detail in his letters as well.  But back to John, were John to have meant that no one who has accepted Christ as their Savior never sins; then what do we do with the following verses? 

I John 1: ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Speaking to believers he also said, I John  2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

So what is John talking about when he says, he who sins does not know Christ?  When you go back to the greek, it is clearer as the tense being used refers to remaining in sin.  Christ overcame sin in the lives of those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and as His Sanctifying work continues in the believer we become more like Him.  Our love for Him and His abiding love within us causes us to be discontent with sin and hate sin in our own lives.  Out of love and respect we long to become more like Him, we battle against those desires by seeking Him, reading our scriptures and abiding in His presence so that we may be the conquerors of sin in our lives–only because He has won the battle already. 

I John 5:  ⁴ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Romans 6: ¹³ Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

My only hope to overcome sin is by the Victorious work of Christ on the Cross, it is that hope which fills my heart as my greatest longing is to become more like Him who wooed me by His Amazing Love. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbe7OruLk8I

Matthew 14: ²⁴ But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

²⁶ And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

²⁷ But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

²⁸ And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

²⁹ And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

³⁰ But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

³² And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

As long as Peter kept His eyes on Christ, he had no fear and he had the power to overcome the storm.  When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the storm, he began to sink and would have drowned had Jesus not reached out to take his hand.  It was not Peter who reached out, Jesus reached out to him.  What an amazing thought, when Peter’s faith wavered; Christ saved him by reaching out to pull him out.  We as Christians find ourselves too often in that same place.  Would it not be easier to hold tight to our faith, keep our eyes on Jesus and never look at the storm?   Ah, yes; but where does our faith come from?  Jesus provides even the faith we need when we keep our eyes focused on Him.  We must remember that this is not our final home and live the joy that He has promised in Him, both now and in the future.  If we keep our eyes on the prize, we can run this race no matter what is the difficulties surrounding us. 

Hebrews 12:

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

As we behold His Glory, He transforms us.  He improves our sight and changes us into His likeness, filled with His Joy, His Hope and His Faith.  The glass may appear dim at times and we must clean the worldly dust off our glasses by spending time with Him and in His word. 

II Corinthians 3: ¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Who is in control of our life?  So, as I awoke this morning this song remained pressed on my mind and I urge you to do the same–Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. Then you also can praise Him as did Jude; knowing that He is the one who can present you before the Father–faultless with exceeding joy–His and Yours

Jude 1: ²⁴ Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

²⁵ To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=W7E-zxA-HFo

2 Corinthians 1: ³ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

⁴ Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

⁶ And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

⁷ And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

⁸ For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

⁹ But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

¹⁰ Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

¹¹ Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

¹² For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world,

Do you feel the world pressing in on you at times?  Do not think that you are alone or that God has forsaken you in the midst of this world that has constant pressures from all sides.  He is there to comfort you and to give you the strength to press forward with His testimony to the world.  Stop for a moment, lay aside all the demands on your time for a moment and spend a moment alone with God. He only can bring you peace, no matter how tough the pressures surrounding you become. 

Psalm 46: 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

EVIL SURROUNDS

Evil surrounds

Evil abounds

Pressing my life throughout each day

Quickening Sounds

Blaring around

Bidding my heart within to sway

Lord, let your light shine in my heart

Command all darkness to depart

Let Your love shine forth through me

That all evil is forced to flee

Evil Surrounds

Evil Abounds

Firm in Your Grace I cannot sway

Quickening Sounds

Blaring Around

Your still voice drives them away

It is Your love that presses on

When my strength is fully gone

Remove from me each selfish thought

On that cross my life You bought

Faith now Surounds

Hope now abounds

Your Righteousness gives way

Glorious Sounds

Praise all Around

Sin’s chains are gone away

Let your love reach through these hands

Feet firm set on this grace in which I stand

Let your glory shine through me

A light a darkened world might see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKPvBV4xqVw

I John 4( AMP) ¹⁰ In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.

¹¹ Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another.

¹² No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!

¹³ By this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His [Holy] Spirit.

¹⁴ And [besides] we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son [as the] Savior of the world.

¹⁵ Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God.

¹⁶ And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.

¹⁷ In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world.

¹⁸ There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love ^[g]turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear ^[h]brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].

¹⁹ We love Him, because He first loved us.

God’s love toward us has been and is extended to us even when we are in our most unlovable state.  He has not waited for us to make the first step or to clean up our act in order that we might become lovable first.  Instead, He draws us in and that love He demonstrated is such as it begins to change and transform us into a person who can love even those whom we feel have wronged us or extends that love to those whom we would never be able to love were it not for our knowledge of God.  The more we learn of God, the more we are enlightened to the depth of His love toward us, and the more our hearts are transformed into both a Spirit that portrays Him in the world and a person who displays love, joy, and peace.  Our former fears (which stand in the way of our proclaiming His name or demonstrating His love toward others) are dissipated by our understanding more of who He is and our learning to trust and abide in Him.  In this Christian walk, I struggled much of my life with this concept.  I believed that by Grace He had saved me and that, in that sense He had demonstrated a type of love; but, I did not understand the very depth of His love.  Because I did not understand the depth of His love, I lived in a fear of failure toward Him and was constantly waiting for Him to send some lightening bolt down from Heaven to destroy me.  Fear of failure actually resulted in more failures.  It was through many trials that He carried me to the knowledge of the depth of love that He has for me.  When I abide in that love, all fear goes away and I am able to experience His love, His Peace, and His Joy.  That is when I experience His perfect love and become better equipped to demonstrate that kind of unconditional love to others.  When I allow the doubts and fears to return (usually after having spent less time in prayer and Study of His word because I see overwhelmingly the demands of the world upon me) then I become less reflective of that love to others.  It is fully dependent on whether I remain with my gaze fixed upon Him or I allow my eyes to wander.  So simple, look upon His Love to experience peace, joy, hope, and love; or gaze at myself or the world around me and  experience chaos, sorrow, disenchantment, fear, and bitterness.  So why do we ever look in a different direction?  That is a question I have asked myself many times along this journey.  What about you?  So I will wage the battle to fight for that joy by spending time with Him, every morning, every night, and whenever I feel the beginning of fear whispering in my ear. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5OwLHGv4yA

"Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified^® Bible,
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Mark 10:¹⁷ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

¹⁸ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

¹⁹ Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

²⁰ And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

²¹ Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

²² And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

²³ And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁴ And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

²⁶ And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

²⁷ And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

The young ruler came to Jesus running and bowed at His feet, calling Him Good Master.  Jesus questioned the young man as to why would he call Jesus Good and reminded the young man that only God is good.  This response was of a two-fold nature.  1.  "Do you really understand that I am God, come to earth to pay the price for mankind?"  2.  If only God is good (righteous); then the following questions regarding the young man’s ability to keep the law perfectly are pointless except to prove that young man’s estimation of his own ability to keep the law (both letter and spirit of the law) was false.  When Jesus next questions the young man about his keeping the commandments, the young man is very quick to assure Jesus that he had known and kept the law since his youth.  At least, he believed himself to have kept it and trusted in his own righteousness.  He had not come to Jesus to lay his sin at the feet of the Messiah and to ask for mercy; instead, he came to have his own righteousness confirmed by the Jesus.  Had he understood any of the old testament prophets who had foretold the need for the Messiah to take upon Himself the wrath of God against sin so that mankind might be saved, because no one could keep the law?  The law only proved man’s guilt.  Christ knew that the young man’s own self righteousness would not stand up against the test.   The first two commandents, he had failed.  Deuteronomy 6:" The Lord our God is one Lord:

⁵ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. and Exodus 20:2 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. "   When Christ asked him to sell everything and to give it to the poor, the young man went away sad–his possessions were the god that was more important to him than the Lord God.  And so the young man was much like the one referred to another parable of Jesus where he refers to the seed of the Word (Jesus is the Word) is choked out by the cares and desires of this world causing those to hear to cast it aside and walk away.  Mark 4: " ¹⁸ And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

¹⁹ And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful."   So, if you have money can you be saved?  In the words of Christ Himself, "with God all things are possible."  Yet, for the rich and the self-righteous it is more difficult; because they trust in their riches and their own "righteousness" to be enough.  Their only hope is to recognize that they are indeed sinners in need of a Savior.  Only then may they lay aside their love for their possessions and fall in love with the one who is their only hope of Salvation–Jesus Christ. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX-a_ibnHB0