App
Mishandling of Truth to create an error is a lie. Will you believe the lie of the naked Gospel?
(T.R.O.L - Truth, Obedience, Repentance & Love #4)
Fred R. Coulter—August 20, 2016
- Video | 
- PDF | Audio | [Up]
Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!
Jesus told us to 'be on guard, that no one deceive you.' We'll look at a couple of those things today. But first of all I want to tell you that we have updated the booklet, Is the Ministry God's Government? We have added to it The Nicolaitans by J. H. Allen. He's the one who wrote Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright. Very excellent article! The wrong type of church leadership can lead people astray.
What happens when people don't want to do things God's way? On churchathome.org I was covering Isa. 66. Remember that there can be apparent success with sin for a while. What we're doing, we're doing a short series on how to worship God.
Isaiah 66:1: "Thus says the LORD, 'The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.…'"
If you want another study, do 'heaven and earth.' See how many times that God uses that. We'll use it a couple of times here today.
"…Where then is the house that you build for Me?.…" What are you going to do for God? There are a lot of people who want to do things for God, but they forget that it's what God is going to do for you that's more important.
"'…And where is the place of My rest? For all these things My hand has made, and these things came to be,' says the LORD. 'But to this one I will look, to him who is of a poor and contrite spirit and who trembles at My Word'" (vs 1-2).
That's important. We're going to see that. What did John say about those who say, 'I know him'—that is the Lord—and do not keep His commandments? A liar! New Testament!
One of the greatest hoaxes is that Catholics say of the Old Testament, 'That's the old Law.' There's a quirk in human nature; you always want something new. But they forget to tell you that the old Law is eternal, so even though it's old, it's new.
As I talked about, you can get all the gold, all the silver. You can made the best, most beautiful, the tallest, whatever, for God. What is that compared to the universe? Nothing! With that attitude we are less than ants going around trying to build an anthill or termites building a termite tower.
If you come to God with the wrong attitude, the wrong spirit, and you don't have a contrite spirit and tremble at His Word—that means believe, keep, and not transgress, all combined in the one word tremble. Verse 3 tells you what it's like. When they brought the animal sacrifices, killing an ox was the most expensive and greatest thing you could do.
Verse 3: "He who kills an ox is as if he killed a man; he who sacrifices a lamb is as if he broke a dog's neck … [threw the dog on the altar] …he who offers a grain offering is as if he offered swine's blood; he who burns incense is as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways…'"
That's what human beings like to do; they call it freedom, except when you use your freedom to point out where their wrong. The freedom God offers is freedom from sin!
Here's what happens automatically, v 4: "I also will choose their delusions…" The human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. What a glorious Gospel it is to come and tell the carnal mind that you don't need to keep the Gospel. You don't need to keep the Law. Those two quotes I read in part 3, I'm going to read them again. Those are mind-blowing if you understand it says.
"…and I will bring their fears upon them..." (v 4). Is that happening today? What's one of the greatest themes of the election? Make America safe again, because everybody is afraid of the terrorists! You don't know who that could be. You could be walking down the mall and someone have a bomb. The moral of the story is to shop online. But make sure the package doesn't have a bomb in it when it arrives.
"…because when I called…" (v 4). Everybody who has a Bible has the call of God right in their home. All they have to do is open it and read it.
"…no one answered…" (v 4)—or they answer this way. 'Yes, Lord, but…'—the 'yeah buts'—that's part of their delusions.
"…But they did evil before My eyes and chose that in which I did not delight" (v 4). Does that sound a little bit like 1-John 2? Yes, indeed!
I want you to find the consistency in what we're doing with this study in 1-John, which is truth, repentance, obedience and love (TROL).
Deuteronomy 4:1: "And now, O Israel, hearken to the statutes and to the judgments which I teach you, in order to do them, so that you may live and go in and possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers gives to you"
Remember that every human being in the world needs to remember that you have nothing you didn't receive! Don't care
- who you are, where you are
- where you live
- how young you are
- how old you are
- whatever you have
- whatever you don't have
—you have nothing you didn't receive!
God says, v 2: "You shall not add to the word, which I command you; neither shall you take away from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you." Clear, isn't it?
What did John write? He said, 'Hereby we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments' (1-John 2)!
Then 1-John 5:3 says, "For this is the love of God: that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." It's irritating to the carnal mind when it wants to do something else. Irritating to the carnal mind, says, 'Sundown Friday no night-clubbing, no partying,' Sabbath begins.
Think about what's happening in America today and also in Great Britain. Did you know that the new mayor of London, who is a Muslim, is beginning to slightly enforce Sharia Law? He does it with what the good Christians believe at first, taking down the advertisements on the public transit systems where it shows nearly naked women. He doesn't say the final step is a gunnysack. Not all of England, but he's like to be all of England.
Think about what they're talking about in the election today. What's the major thing? Donald Trump is right on this. He says if we don't turn it around now, this nation is gone! Have you read and studied anything about Venezuela?
I think Trump ought to run an ad on Hillary: if Hillary gets in, here's how your county is going to look. Sooner or later it's going to come. Even if Trump gets in and even if he does pretty good for a while, that may hold it back a bit. But in the long run, in the scheme of things, that won't be very much time. Now that I'm 82 I look back and life has gone by fast; it is true that the older you get, the faster time goes. That's why you have to sleep more.
Deuteronomy 4:6: "And you shall keep and do them… [all the commandments and everything] …for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations…" Israel was to be a model to the world. That's why Britain and America were great, but they took all the greatness to themselves. So, God is going to take it away from the them. The only reason we got it was because of the promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Not because we were more righteous; not because we're smarter; not because we're better, but because of the promises of God!
Remember: there is nothing you didn't receive! Take a deep breath. Isn't that wonderful? God is so great He provides oxygen for every living thing in the world and an abundance of it. That's a pretty tall task. God takes care of it so well that you don't even notice it, everything is automatic, except when you begin to lose your breath.
"…which shall hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'" (v 6).
When we (as a nation) were following God's way, much more than we are now, that was true. But now they look at us, because we're throwing it away, and they say, 'You're stupid.'
Verse 7: "'For what nation is so great whose God is so near to them, as the LORD our God is, whenever we call upon Him? And what great nation has statutes and judgments that are so righteous as all this Law, which I set before you today?'" (vs 7-8).
If you say that the Law has been done away, what are you doing to yourself? and To your nation? What are you doing? They don't know! They have no idea! When you get rid of God, that takes away everything. They wonder:
- Why have all these fires?
- Why we have all these floods?
- Why do we have all these crimes?
- Why do we have the Muslims and the adversaries against us?
- Why do we have the drugs flooding in?
- Why do we have cities where the inner cities are nothing but…
—as David Clark the sheriff of the county which Milwaukee is in, said—
- 'When there's no father at the head of the house, then tribal behavior begins.'
David Clark said it, not me! That's important because he is black, so he knows.
Remember all true law comes from God. He's Lawgiver. Man has wanted to go his way since Adam and Eve, so God has said, 'Okay, go! I made you plenty smart. Now you're a smart-aleck, you want to go your way and do your thing.'
It's like the kids growing up. When they're young, and then they start getting a little more intelligent and they can see all the faults of their parents. Then they think they're better than their parents. By time they get about 30, they say, 'You know, you were right.'
Verse 9: "Only take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things, which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. But teach them to your children, and your children's children, to remember the day that you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to Me, and I will make them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and they may teach their children.' And you came near and stood at the bottom of the mountain. And the mountain burned with fire up to the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words, but saw no likeness, only a voice" (vs 9-12).
God has done one better than that, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Who talked to us face-to-face (Deut. 18). They said, 'Oh, we can't stand to hear that.' The fulfillment of that was sending Christ. Now He's done something better, as I have mentioned. I'll mention it again. The Bible, it's here. You want to know what God says? Read it! Believe it! Study it!
Then He talks about all the way through warning them: Don't make idols; don't transgress; take heed to yourself.
Verse 37: "And because He loved your fathers, therefore, He chose their seed after them, and brought you out in His sight with His great power out of Egypt."
In Deut. 5 we have the Ten Commandments. It says to keep them. What do we have here in Deut. 6? The greatest commandment!
Deuteronomy 6:2: "That you might fear the LORD your God… [goes right back to Isa. 66] …to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you, and your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life, and so that your days may be prolonged." Now He's offering eternal life. How's that for a promise?
Verse 3: "Hear therefore, O Israel… [put your name there] …and be diligent to observe it, so that it may be well with you, and that you may greatly multiply, as the LORD God of our fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel. Our one God is the LORD, the LORD. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart" (vs 3-6).
Let's come back to 1-John 2 and we'll pick up where we left off. This is quite an epistle. If you go back and you look at all of the epistles, all of the writings in the New Testament, what major event is spoken of by Christ but not written about that it occurred? You can read hints of it coming in 2-Peter and 1st, 2nd, 3rd John and Jude: the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
Yet, Jesus said, 'Not one stone shall be left upon another.' That's interesting when you're reading the chronology of when the books of the New Testament were written.
1-John was probably written somewhere about 62-63A.D. Some think maybe a little after. There is no reference to a destroyed Jerusalem in the New Testament, yet, that was the major event for the Jews. Think about that.
There is a hint of it (Rev. 11), measure the temple. Then Matt. 24, 'the one who reads, let him understand.' We've gone over that a couple of times.
1-John 2:3: "And by this standard we know that we know Him: if we keep His commandments…. [sound a lot like Deut. 4-7] … The one who says, 'I know Him' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him" (vs 3-4).
Interesting, the book The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley:
- What does it say in Gal. 3:27? It says to put on Christ!
The Greek means to be clothed with Christ!
- Is not Christ the Gospel?
- Didn't Paul say, 'I came to preach Him as the Gospel'? Yes, indeed!
- What does it say to the Laodiceans in Rev. 3? Put on the garments, because you are naked!
Put on the garments so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. Interesting, isn't it? What happened to Adam and Eve? The naked Gospel started in the Garden of Eden. This one quote is astonishing. I'm going to read from the book again. Sometimes it's good to repeat. After all, don't we have that with the Sabbath every week? Yes!
The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley: The Secret Formula
So if the Scriptures say that the law has no place in the life of the believer…
Verse 3: "And by this standard we know that we know Him: if we keep His commandments. The one who says, 'I know Him' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him" (vs 3-4).
What is the Truth? Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! He is the Word! 'In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Let these words be in your heart and in your mind.' Don't go to the left hand, don't go to the right hand; keep it all!
Here's a profound lesson concerning what Christ did. No man can add to or take away from the Word of God. Who is the only One Who can? God, because He gave it! Understand this. Whenever Jesus brought out the spiritual meaning of the Law, He raised the standard! He did not do away with it! So, everything becomes spiritual.
- Where does the spiritual operation work? Right here in the mind!
- What's to happen to our mind? Be transformed and renewed!
- What's to be written in there? Laws and commandments of God!
- How? By the Spirit of God!
You can't put them into a carnal mind and expect them to stay there. Even in a spiritually-based mind, we have to stir up the Spirit, continually study and grow and overcome, because we are preparing for the greatest thing in the world: eternal life!
The answer to any rebellion is this: It already happened once with Lucifer and it isn't going to happen again. That's why there's going to be the Lake of Fire. You don't agree with God, you are history.
The question is this: if the law isn't our moral guide, then what is? As Christians, we have an inborn desire for our behavior to turn out right.
We've covered that (Prov. 14:12 and 16:25).
In fact, the desire to please God is what drives some to embrace the error of law-based living.
This is amazing!
How about this: you rob, steal and murder; you're caught! I was watching television I Almost Got Away With It. I was thinking, this one guy escaped twice. He did killing and different things like that. I wonder what would have happened when he was brought before the judge if he would have said, 'I'm a good Naked Gospel Christian. The Law doesn't apply. I can do whatever I want. I can lie, steal, cheat, kill.' The judge is going to look down on him and say, 'Hang him, right now.'
Worse: false religion, taking God's name in vain to create a false religion. This man (Andrew Farley) is taking Christ's name in vain. Unfortunately some of these things, if you read Rev. 2 and 3 about the prophecy of the churches, has also come into the churches.
Taking the commandments away from a believer can be spiritually akin to taking a safety blanket away from a child. The child may feel insecure, but removing the crutch is essential to helping them become mature. It's natural for adults to feel insecure when something we've seen as a foundation for our lives is figuratively yanked from us. But realizing our release from the law is an essential step toward Christian maturity.
I want you to remember step: A direct contradiction of what we're going to read in just a minute.
The Apostle Paul minces no words in making freedom clear to the first century church and to us today.
It's absolutely evident he knows nothing about Judaism. {note our book, Judaism: A Revelation of Moses or a Religion of Men?} The problems of law/no law in the New Testament has nothing to do with Catholic vs Protestant. That's 1500 years later. It has to do with Judaism vs Christianity.
What did Jesus say to the scribes and Pharisees about their traditions? Was it pleasing to God? What did we read in Deut. 4? Don't add to; don't take away! So, Jesus said that you reject the commandments of God that you may keep your own traditions. Isn't that what I'm reading here? A tradition of the Protestants: the Law has been done away!
What else did Jesus say because of that? He said, 'In vain do you worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.' It's incredible how people can write these things and publish them and people believe it. This is glorious news to the carnal-minded person. 'Oh, I'll just be a good person and everything is fine.' How do you be good? 'Whatever I think. I'll be nice. I'll say please. I won't hurt people's feelings. I might even admit a mistake once or twice in my life.'
The law was never intended to serve as a foundation for the Christian life.
How can that be if it's to be written in our heart and in our mind? Christ is the Cornerstone! He is the Lawgiver. So, it's all combined together. You can't say, 'Christ, I want you. By the way, get rid of Your laws, I don't like those.' Can't happen! Never happen!
We have no right or Scriptural basis by which to select portions of the Mosaic Law and claim that these should supervise believers. Paul teaches that believers are led by the Spirit and not under law.
You need to get our sermon series:
- Grace of God
- Grace Upon Grace
- God's Grace & Commandment-Keeping
so that you know what it means to be 'under law.' Did you know 'under law' has nothing to do with commandment-keeping? It has to do with the world's relationship with God, so they all might become guilty.
Thus even the Ten Commandments are not designated to guide our daily life. The Ten Commandments are described as a ministry of condemnation that brings death.
No! Sin brings death! Sin is the transgression of the Law. The Law is Holy, righteous, good and spiritual. Who wants that in their life?
Question to Andrew Farley: Are you destined to die like everyone else? Yes, you are! 'Oh, but my soul's going to heaven.' No, it's not!
I think about this every once in a while. This is going to be great and maybe we'll have a part in this. Second resurrection: It says every man in his own order. I don't know what that means, but there's an order to the resurrection. The first resurrection, but how about for those in the second resurrection?
Christ says, 'All right now, now is the time we're going to raise all those Protestants and Catholics.' Whoom! They are raised up. 'Oh, we're in heaven.' No, pinch yourself, you are still flesh. If you want salvation, keep the commandments. Think what that is going to be for them. All you Catholics, Mary is down there in Jerusalem. All your prayers to her were never heard. You have to have an order. Here are the Buddhists. Think what it's going to be for all the Muslims. They're all raised. They're looking around. Where's the harem? Virgins are all spoken for. If you take each order of one, you could have a lot of fun with that. But it's going to be something for these people.
We're also informed that sin gains an opportunity through the commandments…
That's to warn us what sin is. You take them away, you have no sin. That's how they get rid of sin; they get rid of law.
...the law causes sin to increase, not decrease…
No! That is an absolute lie! If you think of stealing and then all of a sudden you think God says don't steal, that stops sin. Same way with any of the commandments: murder, adultery, stealing, lying. We're going to hold Donald Trump to his word. He says, 'I will never lie to you.' Once you are in the political realm, may not be possible.
Therefore we can expect more struggle and more sinning if we adopt the law as our guide for living. Conversely, our release from the law directly results in a release from sin's power. Apart from law, sin is dead.
(go to the next track)
1-John 2:14: "I wrote to you, fathers, because you have known Him Who is from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God is dwelling in you, and you have overcome the wicked one."
He gives the command on how to overcome the world and not be taken in by things that look right and that appear good, when they actually are not.
Verse 15: "Do not love the world…" You talk about the world today compared to the world then. A flick of the switch and the world is pouring through your living room.
"…nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (v 15). Is that a contradiction? Is it possible to love everybody in the world, with the same degree of love? No! Only God can do that!
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world…" We're told not to love the world. Why? Because we're not God! Our carnal mind and our carnal thinking can get carried away. Especially when you think on it. It's really something you desire and want to do that looks so good, that sounds so good, whatever it may be. There are a lot of temptations out there today.
"…that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life" (v 16).
If you don't know the plan of God through the Holy Days, and things like this, you will never, never understand that verse. It's not a contradiction. We are not to love the world! Why? Who is the god of this world? Satan the devil, that is why. He's got a lot of things that look good, sound good, feel good, operate in whatever way. Here's what happens.
1-John 2:15: "Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world…"
Every time you see a car advertisement, the person loves that car, even 2012 Ford Focus cars that are lemons. It's okay to hate that car!
Today we have more things, more gadgets, more of everything. People have their idols. They carry it around. You can tell who they are, because they have 'idol necks.' They are leaning forward looking into their idol. Everywhere you go, someone is texting.
Today they gather around in groups. They don't talk to each other, they sit there and they message to each other. Like I mentioned on churchathome.org that worshiping God is not like Twitter. It is a way of life and involves your whole way of living, everything that you are.
This is why he says don't love the world. "…nor the things that are in the world…" (v 15). Can you imagine what the Apostle John would write today if he were resurrected right in the middle of Times Square in New York City? After he got done writing, he's call fire down from heaven. That would be something!
"…If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (v 15). What is he talking about? No one can serve two masters! He will either love the one, hate the other! Sooner or later when everything gets down to crunch time and you have to make a choice, who are you going to choose? That's what becomes important.
This is why we have the new booklet, Is the Ministry God's Government? What are the Laodiceans and the Nicolaitans? Very interesting. You need that new booklet. Every time I mention something, we get lots of orders and all the study packs, as well. We've got to keep Ken busy here. That's why the love of God is the most important thing.
Verse 16: "Because everything that is in the world…" I'm going to describe to you the success of advertising companies, right here:
"…the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pretentious pride of physical life… [that's what it is, every bit of it.] …is not from the Father, but is from the world" (v 16). Who is 'the god of this world'?
We're talking about light and we're talking about darkness. Who is the author of darkness but Satan the devil? Darkness has a certain light to it. What did Jesus say? 'The eye is the light of the body. If the light in you be darkness, how great is that darkness'!
2-Corinthians 4:1: "Therefore, having this ministry, according as we have received mercy, we are not fainthearted. For we have personally renounced the hidden things of dishonest gain…" (vs 1-2). That's important!
Maybe you ought to play that. Jonathan worked that up for me one time, a short video on a comedy routine of evangelicals. Remember that one? I've got it somewhere. I've got to play it. It is absolutely hilarious. That's what they do. They want to get from the people. You go on TBN and the other ones, they're always asking for money.
"…hidden things of dishonest gain, not walking in cunning craftiness…" (v 2)—having an agenda. Did you know that there were those in a large Church of God that were sleepers for decades until the right moment came?
"…nor handling the Word of God deceitfully…" (v 2). Like Farley does in the book The Naked Gospel, and like so many do. It's Truth, Truth, Truth! Compare Truth with Truth:
- love of God
- faith of God
- hope of God
- all of these things
This has to be taught. If the ministers do not teach the love of God, and teach people to control their own lives, and let Christ rule in each one of their lives, by teaching them the Word of God, they become the ones who have to live their lives and tell them everything they need to do.
It was even said in one Church of God, don't even think about buying a car until you've consulted a minister. The ministers all drove Plymouth Fury #3, because the fury comes from God; so, this is a car that God approved. I'm not kidding; they gave the ministers on the lease program for their cars, Plymouth Fury #3.
"…but by manifestation of the Truth, we are commending ourselves to every man's conscience before God. But if our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing" (vs 2-3)—automatic spiritual blindness. If you don't keep the commandments of God, spiritual blindness happens and you're walking in darkness and you don't know it.
Satan's job is to try and diminish the light bit-by-bit within the Church. If he can do that with the ministers to change the Word of God, and to change the doctrines—and that happened. Leading ministers were sent off to Protestant colleges and universities. They came back with Protestant doctrines, because they were not grounded enough in the Word of God and you didn't stay in the Truth of God to keep the apostasy from taking place. We've all suffered from that.
Verse 4: "In whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe…" If you do not believe, just like this book we're talking about, The Naked Gospel.
"…lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we do not preach our own selves…" (vs 4-5). That's the key:
- always preach Christ
- always preach the Truth
- always preach the commandments of God
- always teach what is right
- always continue in that
"…but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake" (v 5).
1-John 2:17: "And the world and its lust is passing away… [taking a whole lot longer than he figured, but it's going to pass away] …but the one who does the will of God abides forever" (v 17). Let's understand what that means. That doesn't mean that the individual won't die. Notice how kindly Jesus spoke to the priests:
John 8:44: "You are of your father the devil…" What does this tell us? The principle that Satan the devil always wants to do. If you want to corrupt the majority of the people, you corrupt the leaders first, then it comes down through all of the institutions of teaching, religion and everything.
"…and the lusts of your father you desire to practice.…" (v 44). These are the priests at the temple where God put His name. What happened? They thought their word and their traditions and their ways were greater than God's!
"…He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the Truth because there is no Truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he is speaking from his own self; for he is a liar, and the father of it" (v 44)—and clever lies, indeed! Even using some Truth.
Like I explained on churchathome.org. Christianity is: you want a new car? You think, 'Yeah, I want a new car.' Most expensive car you could ever get. 'Yes, I'll take that.' But what do they deliver?
Because they say, 'If you believe in Jesus, He died for your sins. You want your sins forgiven?' Yes. 'Say, I believe in Jesus. Hooray, the finished work of God has been done in you.' You look around and they delivered to you the frame and four wheels. Eternal life takes a whole lot of work! Just like producing a whole car, with everything the way that it should be. By the way, they have to obey laws to build it. Many, many laws. Not only the laws of the land, but laws of metal, plastic, inertia, gravity, all kinds of laws. Otherwise, you have a breakdown.
You cannot bring about Truth by mixing error in it! or Taking Truth and throwing away the substance of it and having a mere skeleton left! How can you say that this frame with four wheels and tires is a perfect car? You can't! Same way we are to be perfected (1-John 2). Hereby we are perfected, we love God and keep His commandments.
"…Whenever he speaks a lie, he is speaking from his own self; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I speak the Truth, you do not believe Me.… [that's the way it is with a lot of them] …Which one of you can convict Me of sin? But if I speak the Truth, why don't you believe Me? The one who is of God hears the words of God. For this reason you do not hear, because you are not of God" (vs 44-47).
John 5:36: "But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works that the Father gave Me to complete, the very works that I am doing, themselves bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, Who sent Me, has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice nor seen His form at any time. And you do not have His Word dwelling in you…'" (vs 36-38).
You talk about a great contradiction of this book by Andrew Farley, right there! You must have the Word of God dwelling in you. Does that include the commandments of God? Yes! What did we read in 1-John 2? 'The one who is keeping His Word is being perfected in love.'
Verse 39: "'You search the Scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life; and they are theones that testify of Me. But you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men; but I have known you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves" (vs 39-42). Amazing, isn't it? This is why John wrote what he wrote.
Verse 43: "'I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; but if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How are you able to believe, you who receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, in whom you have hope. But if you believed Moses, you would have believed Me; for he wrote about Me. And if you do not believe his writings, how shall you believe My words?'" (vs 45-47).
No wonder they wanted to kill Him. Think of going to Rome, to the pope and the college of cardinals, and telling them these very words and add to it: unless you go out there and destroy every idol, every picture, every crucifix, you will not have even a ghost of a chance for salvation—because you're not of God!
John 8:48: "Then the Jews answered and said to Him, 'Are we not right in saying that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?'" There is a way that seems right to a man, the ends thereof are the ways of death! What did Farley say? That God has put it in man to make his life right. What did Jesus say here? They think they're right, but they are of the devil!
Verse 49: "Jesus answered, 'I do not have a demon. But I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. Yet, I do not seek My own glory; there is One Who seeks and judges. Truly, truly I say to you, Jesus answered, 'I do not have a demon. But I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. Yet, I do not seek My own glory; there is One Who seeks and judges. Truly, truly I say to you… [that's what we're talking about in 1-John 2] …he shall not see death forever'" (vs 49-51).
What does this statement tell us? That you will die, but you won't be dead forever! Why? Because there's a resurrection! When it says 'shall live forever' (1-John 2), this has to be interpreted by what Jesus said there, 'you shall not taste of death forever.' The hope of every Christian is the resurrection from the dead. Always remember that every Christian who is going to be in the resurrection, and are not alive right now, have died, every one of them!
1-John 2:17: "…but the one who does the will of God abides forever." Then he explains why he's writing some of these things, because there were problems within the church.
Verse 18: "Little children, it is the last time; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming…" John writes of that in the book of Revelation. Also, this refers to the man of sin, the son of perdition' (2-Thes. 2).
"…even now many antichrists have risen up…" (v 18). How do we know that they are antichrists? The Church was really undergoing quite a transformation. It's like this book The Naked Gospel, the Word of God is not true; you don't have to follow it. 'Oh, this part over here is true; but this part over here…
"…by which we know that it is the last time. They went out from among us…" (vs 18-19). At first they left. The Church was strong enough so that they left, but did they cease their activities? No, that's how the Church became so transformed by the beginning of the second century that it wasn't recognizable. They continued:
- Did they continue with the name of Jesus Christ? Of course!
- Did they still continue with the Father? Of course!
- But what did they say? There's no resurrection; the resurrection is over; our souls go to heaven!
By 118A.D., the time of so-called Saint Ignatius they were believing in child/infant baptism. Why? Because the questions came up, if you have an immortal soul and baptism only takes place when you're an adult, what's going to happen to those children who die? 'Oh, we've got to baptism them so their soul will go to heaven.' How far removed is that from the Bible and the Word of God? Then by 325A.D., the first pope, Constantine, Pontifex Maximus. The groundwork had been laid for the Catholic Church to form. There it is.
Verse 19: "They went out from among us, but they were not of us because if they were of us, they would have remained with us; nevertheless, they left that they might be exposed to show that they all were not of us. But you have the anointing from the Holy One…" (vs 19-20).
Here's a very important section of Scriptures for this. There are some people who come along and twist and turn this and say, 'We don't need someone to teach us; we have it right here.' They just read these Scriptures and don't understand the background necessary for it.
"But you have the anointing from the Holy One…" What is that anointing? The Holy Spirit. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. So, you have obedience, repentance, baptism, everything involved right here in this one statement. You don't receive the anointing unless you first repent and then are baptized, have hands laid on you, and enter into the covenant relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. Then you receive the anointing.
"…and you have knowledge of all things…" (v 20). They read that 'all things.' We don't need any more. Since we have the anointing, we know it, but that doesn't mean all things. Do they know how the universe works? No! This all things does not mean everything there is in the way of all knowledge that fills the universe. This means:
"…pertaining to salvation…. [can't mean anything else; the truth about salvation] …I did not write to you because you do not know the Truth, but because you know it…" (vs 20-21). It has to be repeated, reinforced, verified, checked, re-checked, double-checked, triple-checked.
"…but because you know it, and you understand that not one lie comes from the Truth" (v 21). This is telling us that on all of these kinds of doctrines we have got to able to discern between Truth and error. If you do not keep the Word of God and the commandments of God—and have enough understanding of it to know—then some of these things can sound very enticing.
Remember what we saw on Called to be Free, that video? (www.calledtobefree.org) That was sad to see because there were those who knew the truth and threw it away.
Remember that as long as we still are fighting the carnal mind—which we are, because we're growing and overcoming and we haven't been perfected yet, because perfection doesn't come until the resurrection—that carnal mind and the lust and pull of the flesh will still be there. It's just like if we come to the Light, Who is Christ, then we're fine. But if we turn our backs on the Light and walk away, right at first there is still Light around us from behind. Sooner or later you're out there in darkness. This is why we go through all of these things.
John wrote to them because they knew, not because they didn't know; v 21: "I did not write to you because you do not know the Truth, but because you know it, and you understand that not one lie comes from the Truth."
Remember, partial truth is not whole truth. Even the courts still have this: Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? With your hand on the Bible! Then they say yes and get up on the stand and lie! Mishandling of Truth to create an error is a lie. true Truth, no lie can come from that. But modified and adjusted Truth, lies can be created, loopholes can exist.
Verse 22: "Who is the liar if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?.…" The nature of Christ and God. What happens? That cycles through periodically. Guess what's happening now, cycling through periodically? Jesus was not God before He became flesh!
They have some convincing arguments. If you've been walking away from the Light, and you haven't been coming to Light, and if you haven't been studying and continuing to study, to grow and overcome in knowledge and understanding, could you be one of those who would believe the lie? Because it sounds so blessedly true.
Verse 23: "Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either." So, if you deny that He was the only Begotten of the Father and the Son of the Father, and was God before He became flesh, you don't Christ and you're denying the Father.
Verse 24: "Therefore, let what you have heard from the beginning dwell in you…"—live in you. With the Holy Spirit of God we know there are two parts to that:
- from the Father
- from Christ
We will make Our abode within him or her. That's dwelling!
"…if what you have heard from the beginning is dwelling in you, then you will be dwelling in the Son and in the Father" (v 24).
You can't say, like some do, the Father was the God of the Old Testament. 'That's what the Jews have. We have Christ.' Neither one of them have God! You need Both!
Verse 25: "And this is the promise that He has promised us: eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are leading you astray. But you yourselves have dwelling in you the anointing that you received from Him; and you do not have need of anyone to indoctrinate you; for the same anointing instructs you in all spiritual things, and is true, and is not a lie…" (vs 25-27).
There are conditions for that. You have to study, rightly divide the Word of God, pray, grow, overcome, all of those things are other Scriptures to add to it.
"…and if you do exactly as it has taught you, you will be dwelling in Him. And now, little children, dwell in Him, so that when He is manifested we may have boldness, and not be put to shame before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been begotten by Him" (vs 27-29).
That finishes 1-John 2. There is an awful lot in this Epistle of 1-John. This is fantastic! What we will learn in this is that all of God's Word is a unified whole. We have the globe of the world over there on the table; here we are on this spot on earth, Hollister, one little speck of dust on the earth. Look at everything that is out there.
It's just the same way with the Word of God and the promises of God. They are so great that we will not completely understand them until the resurrection. Then the whole education program begins again as spirit beings. You think we're going to be resurrected and just remain static forever? Brain frozen in spiritual concrete forever? No! That's going to be a fantastic thing, learning, growing and overcoming.
It will be like this. You have a pet at home? Probably have a nice dog or a nice cat. Maybe you have a cow or a horse. You talk to it. Your words, they can hear. They can understand a few of them: come, go, sit, stand, roll, jump. You can teach them that.
But what do they know about human life? Nothing! So likewise, as physical human beings, We can get a glimpse; as Paul says, we're looking through a glass darkly, but think how fantastic that it's going to be at the resurrection!
Scriptural References:
- Isaiah 66:1-4
- Deuteronomy 4:1-2
- 1-John 5:3
- Deuteronomy 4:6-12, 37
- Deuteronomy 6:2-6
- 1-John 2:3-4, 14-15
- John 3:16
- 1-John 2:15-16
- 2-Corinthians 4:1-5
- 1-John 2:17
- John 8:44-47
- John 5:36-47
- John 8:48-51
- 1-John 2:17-29
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Deuteronomy 18; 5
- Revelation 11
- Matthew 24
- Deuteronomy 7
- Galatians 3:27
- Revelation 2; 3
- Proverbs 14:12; 16:25
- 2-Thessalonians 2
Also referenced:
Article: The Nicolaitans by J. H. Allen (friendsofsabbath.org)
Booklet: Is the Ministry God's Government by Fred R. Coulter
Books:
- Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright by J. H. Allen
- The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley
- Judaism: A Revelation of Moses or a Religion of Men? by Philip Neal
Sermon Series:
- How to Worship God (churchathome.org)
- Grace of God
- Grace Upon Grace
- God's Grace and Commandment Keeping
- The Nature of God
Video: Called to be Free (calledtobefree.org)
FRC:lp
Transcribed: 9-1-16
Formatted: 9/4/16
Copyright 2016—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.
