PSALM 149
Sing a new song among believers verse 1
Praise the LORD – sing unto the LORD a new song
and HIS praise in the congregation of saints
Rejoice in the fact that God honors the humble verse 2- 5
LET Israel rejoice in HIM that made him
let the children of Zion be joyful in their King
let them praise HIS name in dance
let them sing praises unto HIM
with timbrel and harp
For the LORD takes pleasure in HIS people
HE will beautify the meek with salvation
Let the saints be joyful in glory
let them sing aloud upon their beds
Carry a sword to serve the LORD verse 6- 9
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth
and a two-edged sword in their hands
to execute vengeance upon the heathen
and punishment upon the people
to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with fetters of iron
to execute upon them the judgment written
this honor have all HIS saints
Praise ye the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 “Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Assembly – 6951 קָהָל [qahal /kaw·hawl/] n m. From 6950; TWOT 1991a; GK 7736; 123 occurrences; AV translates as “congregation” 86 times, “assembly” 17 times, “company” 17 times, and “multitude” three times. 1 assembly, company, congregation, convocation. 1A assembly. 1A1 for evil counsel, war or invasion, religious purposes. 1B company (of returning exiles). 1C congregation. 1C1 as organised body. rrJames Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: Verse 1 begins with the plural, liturgical exhortation for us to “Praise the LORD!” This praise includes singing to Him a “new song.” [The Preacher’s Commentary Series, 526].
As we recognize what the Lord has done for us we cannot be silent but spontaneously begin to give praise to Him. I love to sing praises and it is easy for me to praise Him for his mighty works, whether privately or in a congregation. The psalmist seems to indicate that our worship is to be corporate and public: we are to praise Him in “the assembly of saints” (those who belong to the covenant). This “new song,” which represents a new work of God, is for all of His people. His new work has to do with them. It appears that most people regardless of their nationality enjoy to hear and give praises while gathered together. May you take time today to reflect upon what the Lord has done and praise Him for it; either alone or in an assembly.
CHALLENGE: Rejoice and give praise for the mighty works of the Lord in your life! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 For the LORD takes pleasure in HIS people: HE will beautify the meek with salvation. (7521 “pleasure” [ratsah] means to become friends, to take a high degree of pleasure or mental satisfaction, be pleased with, accept favorably, or well-disposed toward.)
DEVOTION: I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior when I was twelve years old at Niagara Bible Conference Grounds.
All the campers watched a movie that showed the need for everyone to accept Jesus as their Savior or spend eternity in hell. I didn’t want to go to hell and so I met with one of the counselors there and asked Jesus into my life.
I started attending the church that paid my way to camp. It was a good Baptist church where the Word of God was preached and I had a Sunday School teacher that took an interest in my growth in the LORD.
I encouraged my siblings to attend the church and it turned out to be a good church for us. I was active in the youth group because the leader would pick me up and take me to events. I became active in Youth for Christ and joined the quiz team which made me memorize verses of Scripture in order to answer questions during quizzes. So I traveled with the team and had good fellowship with other teens that loved the LORD. I became the President of my High School club for Youth for Christ.
That led to a desire to learn more so I attended Buffalo Bible Institute and received my degree from Houghton College. From there I was called to my first church which also helped me out of the military as I had had my physical to go into the Army.
The LORD was directing me through many trials that has me where I am today. HE knew what was going to take place in my life and took me through some good times and some very trying times but HE never left me. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: God does take pleasure in HIS children even when HE allows them to go through trials they don’t think they need but HE knows what was best for me and for all those who are HIS follower.
_____________________________________________________________
: 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. (5937 “joyful” [‘alaz] means to exalt, be jubilant, be in a reveling state of great joy and happiness, rejoice, or triumph.
DEVOTION: The psalmist wants the saints to sing a new song. A new song is written as a new victory is discovered. Throughout the history of Israel there have been new victories to write new songs of praise to the LORD.
Israel is to rejoice in the fact that the LORD chose them to be HIS people. Israel is to rejoice because the LORD is their King. When they rejoice they are to be excited. When they rejoice they are to use musical instruments.
The LORD enjoys hearing HIS people praise HIM. This verse relays the fact that when God’s people come together there should be jubilance. There should be shouts of triumph. There should be great joy. The children of Israel are called saints three times in this psalm.
Saints are followers of the LORD. All those throughout history are called saints. There are Old Testament saints. There are New Testament saints. There are Tribulations saints recorded in Scripture. All are called the elect of God. The saints are all those who follow the LORD.
We are saints. We could call each other saint Richard or saint Carolynn. We don’t because we associate “saint” with people who are dead. That is not true.
Here is a gathering of the saints in the presence of the LORD who are singing songs that exalt the LORD. We are to sing songs while we are in bed. So when we are awake and walking – we are to sing praises to the LORD. When we are on our beds at night – we are to be singing praising to our LORD.
From the beginning of the day until the end of the day we should be rejoicing in our salvation before the LORD. Are we a rejoicing people? To look in many of our churches on a given Sunday – the congregation usually are not identified in this manner. Why not??? Are we letting circumstances affect our worship? Should we let circumstances affect our worship? What are our circumstances? We are children of the KING!!!! We have all the promises of Scripture to depend on!!!
CHALLENGE: Don’t live under your circumstance. Realize that the LORD is in control of your circumstances and HE promises to never send more that we can take. HE wants to stretch us!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand. (6374 “two- edged” [piyphiyah] means double edged thing, tooth, or mouth.
DEVOTION: The word translated “mouth” is really the Hebrew word for throat.
Praises are to come out of the mouth of all those who love the LORD. The whole Psalm deals with the fact that the people of God are to praise the LORD whom they serve.
HE in turn uses them to do HIS work here on this earth. They are the instruments of judgment. They are the ones HE calls on to exact HIS vengeance on the heathen. They are to bind up the kings of the heathen. They are to put those who are leaders in chains.
This responsibility is to be an honor given to those who love the LORD. The children of Israel were HIS chosen vessels while they were obedient to HIS commands.
The command that they are obeying now is to praise HIS name. Those who are not willing to praise HIS name are being disobedient and shouldn’t expect blessings from the LORD. Also, those who praise with the wrong motives will not be blessed by the LORD.
Our mouths are used to show outward expression for what is happening inside our hearts. God looks on the inside to see if the outside is genuine. HE desires genuine believers.
Now all the way through the Bible the people of God are to do the bidding of God Here they are to have a double-edged thing in their hand. When believers in the New Testament were told to put on the armor of God part of the armor was the sword of the Spirit which was the Word of God. We are to go out into our world with the Word of God to explain why we do what we do for the LORD. If they listen, we have gained another servant of the LORD. If they refuse to listen, they will stand before the LORD one day and give an answer for their refusal.
CHALLENGE: We need to know what is contained in the Word of God to use it for HIS glory. What is in our hand?
__________________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Written verse 9
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praise verse 1, 3, 6, 9
Sing verse 1, 3, 5
New Song verse 1
Praise verse 1, 3
Congregation of saints verse 1
Rejoice verse 2
Joyful verse 2, 5
Dance verse 3
Timbrel verse 3
Harp verse 3
Sing aloud upon their beds verse 5
High praise in mouth verse 6
________________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Written verse 9
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 4, 9
Creator verse 2
King verse 2
Praise HIM in a dance verse 3
Name of the LORD verse 3
Takes pleasure in HIS people verse 4
HE will beautify the meek verse 4
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 6
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Heathen verse 7
King verse 7
Nobles verse 7
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Heathen verse 7
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Join a church verse 1
Saints verse 1, 5, 9
Rejoice verse 2
Pleasure verse 4
Beautify verse 4
Meek with salvation verse 4
Praises of God in their mouth verse 6
Honor verse 9
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israel verse 2
Children of Zion verse 2
HIS people verse 4
Two-edged sword in their hand verse 6
Vengeance upon the heathen verse 7
Punishments upon the people verse 7
Bind their kings with chains verse 8
Bind nobles with fetter of iron verse 8
Execute judgment verse 9
This honor have all HIS saints verse 9
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
_______________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church, please use that method. Thank you.
_______________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
Worship and warfare go together, as the book of Revelation makes very clear. Satan has always wanted to be worshiped (Isa. 14:12–15), and he is willing to pay for it (Matt. 4:8–11). Satan is constantly at work enticing the world to worship him (Rev. 13), for he does not mind if people are “religious” so long as they leave out Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel. In recent years, some denominations have eliminated the “militant songs” from their hymnals and their worship, and this is disappointing. Whether we like it or not, the church is an army, this world is a battlefield, and there is a struggle going on for the souls of lost sinners (Matt. 16:17–18; Eph. 6:10ff; 2 Tim. 2:3–4; 2 Cor. 10:3–5). Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), is also the Conquering Warrior (45:3–7; Rev. 19:11–21), and like the workers in Nehemiah’s day, we must have both tools for building and swords for battling (Neh. 4:17–18). Our weapons are prayer, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12), and hymns of praise to the Lord. Worship is warfare, for we are singing soldiers! Did not our Lord sing before He went out to the cross to do battle against the devil? (See Matt. 26:30; John 12:31–32; and Col. 2:13–15.)
God has declared in writing that “the day of the Lord” will come when He will send judgment to a world that has rejected Christ and chosen to worship Satan (Rev. 6–19). God’s people will appear to be the losers, but in the end, they will conquer the enemy and reign with Christ (Rev. 19:11ff). Today, the sword belongs to human government and its agents (Rom. 13), and God’s servants do not wield it (John 18:10–11, 36–37). But the day of the Lord will come “as a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2ff), and then Christ will “gird His sword … and ride prosperously (45:3–5). Until then, the church must take worship very seriously and realize that worship is a part of the believer’s spiritual warfare. To ignore worship, trivialize it, turn it into entertainment, or make it a routine activity is to play right into the hands of the enemy. It is an honor to serve in the Lord’s army of worshiping warriors! (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., p. 223). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
_________________________________________________________
149:6–9. The psalmist then called on Israel to take the praise of God … in their mouths and a sword in their hands to execute God’s justice on the wicked. Israel was being encouraged to put down evil antagonism against the Lord and His anointed. Then praise was again summoned to the Lord (halelû-yāh; cf. v. 1). (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 898). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
________________________________________________________________
149:6–9 It would appear that this section is eschatological in nature and looks 1) to the Millennium when all nations and peoples will acknowledge Christ as king and 2) to Jerusalem as His royal capital (cf. Eze 28:25, 26; Joel 3:9–17; Mic 5:4–15). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 149:6–9). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
_____________________________________________________________
Ver. 7. To execute vengeance upon the Heathen, &c.] Either upon the Gentile world, in the first times of the Gospel; when the apostles, going there with the two-edged sword of the word, vehemently inveighed against the idolatry of the Heathens, and exhorted them to turn from their idols to serve the living God; and divine power going along with their ministry, multitudes were turned from them; through the success of the Gospel, the oracles of the Heathen were struck dumb, their priests were despised, their idol-temples were forsaken, and idols rejected; now were the judgment of the Heathen world, and the prince of it, cast out, and vengeance in this way taken upon it, or their disobedience to God revenged, John 12:31; 2 Cor. 10:6. Or else upon the Papists, as will be in the latter times of the Gospel; who are sometimes called Heathens and Gentiles, Psal. 10:16; Rev. 11:2 on whom vengeance will be taken for all their idolatry, superstition, and bloodshed of the saints; and they will be smitten and slain by the two-edged sword, proceeding out of the mouth of Christ, and as in the hands of his servants, Rev. 19:15, 21. And punishments upon the people; or reproofs; sharp and piercing ones; such as the convictions the word of God will strike in the minds of men, and will be very distressing and afflicting to them; as the fire out of the mouths of the witnesses, which is their doctrine, will be to their enemies the Papists; and will torment and kill them, and be the savour of death unto death unto them, Rev. 11:5. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 325). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
____________________________________________________________
7. “To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people.” This was once literally the duty of Israel: when they came into Canaan they fulfilled the righteous sentence of the Lord upon guilty nations. At this hour, under the gentler dispensation of grace, we wrestle not with flesh and blood; yet is our warfare none the less stern, and our victory none the less sure. All evil shall eventually be overthrown: the Lord shall display his justice against evil-doers, and in that warfare his servants shall play their parts. The saints shall judge the world. Both the conflict and the victory at the end of it shall cause glory to God, and honour to his holy ones. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 120-150 (Vol. 6, p. 454). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
___________________________________________________________
5–9. These are all so many gracious calls to the redeemed, to praise God in Christ every where, at home and abroad; when upon their beds, and when elsewhere; in the church, and in the closet. And they seem to refer to the triumph of the church of Christ over all her enemies, both in this world and in that which is to come. It looks into the kingdom of glory, as well as refers to the kingdom of grace. The honour which all the saints of the kingdom shall have, will one day be final, and full; when Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all that believe. In the faithful expectation of that day, let the saints of Jesus rejoice; looking for, and hasting unto, that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing, of the great God, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 1:10. Titus, 2:13. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 638). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
____________________________________________________________
7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen. To inflict punishment upon them as a recompence for their sins. The word heathen here means nations. The allusion is, doubtless, to those who had oppressed and injured the Hebrew people,—perhaps referring to those who had destroyed the city and the temple at the time of the Babylonish captivity. They were now to receive the punishment due for the wrongs which they had done to the nation; a just recompence at the hand of God, and by the instrumentality of those whom they had wronged. Comp. Notes on Ps. 137:7–9.
And punishments upon the people. The people of those lands. Those who had waged war with the Hebrew nation. (Barnes, A. (1870–1872). Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms (Vol. 3, p. 338). London: Blackie & Son.)
______________________________________________________________
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
_____________________________________________________________
Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Numbers 33-34
“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana is known for saying many catchy phrases to express his skepticism and view of life and society. History does have similarities and cycles that appear to repeat themselves but always with a slight twist!
Israel is on the cusp of entering the land of promise which the Lord had stated they would inhabit. They had been to the entrance of the land once before and because of unbelief and rebellion they were turned away and made to wander in the wilderness! Moses recounts the history of the journey and key points that occurred while travelling to the land God had promised Israel. A trip that should have taken two weeks continued for 40 years!
History does not repeat itself in this instance. Instead, the Lord gave Moses’ instructions for conquering the land (33:50-56). They would occupy the land, but a stern warning was given to Israel if they failed to drive out the inhabitants. If Israel allowed the former occupants to remain in the land, these people would become pricks in Israel’s eyes and thorns in her side (33:55).
Further instruction was given in regard to boundaries and how they were to be established in the land once it was conquered. While the locations of the boundaries are not always easily identified, a general outline can be established from the Mediterranean Sea eastward to the Sea of Galilee and down the Jordan River to the Dead Sea. Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had acquired the land east of the Jordan River. Joshua and Eleazar were to be the leaders that divided the land between the tribes and designated what each tribe received. Each tribe was to appoint a leader to represent them in this process of appropriation.
Mark Twain stated, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Like the nation of Israel, we can often sin, repent, and follow afresh the Lord’s teaching. The problem arises when we learn enough to not commit the same infraction but do one that is similar. May we learn to flee the appearance of sin and not walk close to the line of temptation (1 Timothy 6:11).
With an Expectant Hope by Pastor Miller
________________________________________________________________
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples.
INSIGHT
Jesus’ message of salvation is the greatest news on earth. He does not leave to chance the need for His message to be taken to all earth’s people.
In Matthew 28, Jesus charges His disciples with that task. If however, you begin the recital of the Great Commission with verse 19, you have the “great omission.” Verse 19 begins with “Go therefore.” But to fully understand the phrase, we must go to verse 18 to see what “therefore” is there for.
On the basis of His authority, we are to go, and to go in confidence that, as we are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ’s commission, He will accomplish His work through us.
(Quiet Walk)
_______________________________________________________________
THE CROSS AND CHRIST’S LOVE
…the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Looking at our Lord on the cross, what I see above everything else is the love that made Him do it all. “Love so amazing, so divine.” What does it mean? Let the apostle himself answer the question. This is how he puts it: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:6-10).
It comes to this, my dear friends: He is dying there because of His love for you, His love for me, His love for those who are sinners, those who are rebels, those who are enemies. He died for people who hated Him. As He was dying there, Saul of Tarsus was hating Him, but He was dying for Saul of Tarsus. As Paul (to give his subsequent name) puts it later: “….the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). He did not wait until Paul was converted before He loved him. He loved him even when Saul of Tarsus was blaspheming His holy name, ridiculing His claim that He was the Son of God and the Lord of Glory, ridiculing the idea that He came to teach us and to die for us and to save us, pouring his blasphemous scorn upon Him. While Paul was doing that, Christ was dying for Paul. And He was doing the same for you and for me.
A Thought to Ponder
He died for people who hated Him.
(From The Cross, pp. 59-60, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
________________________________________________________________
Like a Wave of the Sea
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1:5-6)
A contrast is set up in these verses between faith and doubt. Jesus taught that “if ye have faith, and doubt [same word as ‘waver’ in our text] not ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:21-22).
James explains that a doubter can be compared to ocean waves. Waves (in contrast to the tides that are caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun) are caused by wind that imparts energy to the ocean water that scarcely attenuates until the wave crashes onto the shoreline, perhaps many miles from its original source of energy. A wave cannot stay in one place. It surges onto the shore and recedes backward. It rises up and sinks down. It contains much froth, as well as great energy, which cannot efficiently be harnessed for good but has the potential to cause great damage.
What an elegant picture of the doubting, half-believing soul. Willingly receiving onward and upward impulses, he cannot sustain them, quickly sinking to former depths, only to rise again, in an endless cycle, until ultimately dissipating all energy on some rocky shoreline of life. “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).
In much the same way, Paul urges that we “be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15).
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
____________________________________________________________________
Parking Lot Quarrel
Do not merely listen to the word . . . . Do what it says. James 1:22
The scene in the parking lot might have been funny if it wasn’t so tragic. Two drivers were arguing loudly over one of their cars that was blocking the passage of the other, and harsh words were being exchanged.
What made it especially painful to watch was that this quarrel was taking place in the parking lot of a church. The two men had possibly just heard a sermon about love, patience, or forgiveness, but it was all forgotten in the heat of the moment.
Passing by, I shook my head—then quickly realized I was no better. How many times had I read the Bible, only to fall into sin moments later with an uncharitable thought? How many times had I behaved like the person who “looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” (James 1:23–24)?
James was calling on his readers not only to read and reflect on God’s instruction, but also to do what it says (v. 22). A complete faith, he noted, means both knowing Scripture and putting it into action.
Life’s circumstances can make it hard to apply what Scripture reveals. But if we ask the Father, He’ll surely help us obey His words and please Him with our actions.
By Leslie Koh (Our Daily Bread)
_____________________________________________________________________
Knowing Him
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)
John uses two words for “know” in this short letter, both of which are used in the final instruction to his readers. The Greek word ginosko is used 25 times throughout this epistle, stressing knowledge that is gained through personal experience. The other word, ei’do (or oi’da), is used an additional 17 times, emphasizing mental understanding and comprehension.
The Intellectual Confidence
We “know [ei’do] that he was manifested to take away our sins” (1 John 3:5). We “know that we have passed from death unto life” (1 John 3:14). We “know that [we] have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). We “know that we are of God” (1 John 5:19). We “know that the Son of God is come” (1 John 5:20). All of this “head knowledge” is, of course, straight from the Word of God. These are the basics of our belief in the work of Christ.
The Personal Experience
We “know [ginosko] that we know [ginosko] him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3). “There [are] many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments” (1 John 5:2).
Thus, our intellectual “knowledge” of God’s Word is “experienced” as we “work out [our] own salvation” (Philippians 2:12). Being “born again” is just the beginning. We should “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
_________________________________________________________
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.
INSIGHT
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week – at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ. (QuietWalk)
_________________________________________________________
THE DIVINE SEED
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him.
1 John 3:9
The power of sin is not immediately destroyed in us. God has chosen to do this work gradually. This word “seed” is rather significant. Does that not simply mean God’s method and plan in every realm? In the realm of nature you sow the seed, but it may be weeks and months and perhaps years before you get the full bloom. Why does God do it like that? My answer is, I do not know, but that is God’s method; it is His way, and it seems to me that is what we are taught in the Scriptures. We are taught about being “babes in Christ,” we are taught about growing and developing, we are taught about “growing in grace.” John has already dealt with that when he said, “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).
It is a process, a development, and surely if we do not interpret a section like this in that way, then it means that we are denying what he has already told us in the first chapter: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (verse 8).
John’s object in writing is “that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father” (2:1). But why is that if the Christian is immediately delivered and made perfect? This is a great mystery. It is not for us to understand, but we must face the facts. We must realize that experience, the experience of the greatest saints, denies the teaching of sinless perfection, and we see that it is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture.
John exhorts us to strive to purify and cleanse ourselves and to interpret Scripture in our daily lives. We do not just have to submit and resign ourselves in order to be made perfect; we are to understand the Scriptures and their doctrine. We are to see their implication and to implement them in our daily lives.
A Thought to Ponder: Sinless perfection is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture. (From Children of God, pp. 79-80, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
____________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.
____________________________________________________________