If Noah had lived in the United States of America the story may have gone something like this:

And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, In one year I am going to make it rain and cover the whole earth with water until all flesh is destroyed.

But I want you to save the righteous people and two of every kind of living thing on earth. Therefore, I am commanding you to build an Ark.

In a flash of lighting, God delivered the specifications for an Ark.

In fear and trembling, Noah took the plans and agreed to build the Ark.

“Remember,” said the Lord, “you must complete the ARK and bring everything aboard in one year.”

Exactly one year later, fierce storm clouds covered the earth and all the seas of the earth went into a tumult. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard weeping.

“Noah!” He shouted, “Where is the Ark?”

“Lord, please forgive me,” cried Noah. “I did my best, but there were big problems.”

First, I had to get a permit for construction, and your plans did not meet the building codes. I had to hire an engineering firm and redraw the plans.

Then I got into a fight with OSHA over whether or not the Ark needed a sprinkler system and approved flotation devices.

Then, my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning ordinances by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission.

Then, I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to protect the Spotted Owl.

I finally convinced the US Forest Services that I really needed the wood to save the owls.

However, the Fish and Wildlife Service won’t let me take the 2 owls.

The carpenters formed a union and went on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or hammer. Now I have 16 carpenters on the Ark, but still no owls.

When I started rounding up the other animals, an animal rights group sued me. They objected to me taking only two of each kind aboard. This suit is pending.

Meanwhile, the EPA notified me that I could not complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn’t take very kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of the Creator of the Universe.

Then, the Army Corps of Engineers demanded a map of the proposed flood plan. I sent them a globe.

Right now, I am trying to resolve a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that I am practicing discrimination by not taking atheists aboard.

The IRS has seized my assets, claiming that I’m building the Ark in preparation to flee the country to avoid paying taxes.

I just got a notice from the state that I owe them some kind of user tax and failed to register the Ark as a ‘recreational water craft.’

And finally ... the ACLU got the courts to issue an injunction against further construction of the ARK, saying that since God is flooding the earth, it’s a religious event, and therefore unconstitutional.

I really don’t think I can finish the Ark for another five or six years.

Noah waited.

The sky began to clear, the sun began to shine, and the seas began to calm.

A rainbow arced across the sky.

Noah looked up hopefully.

“You mean you’re not going to destroy the earth, Lord?”

No, “He said sadly, I don’t have to. The government already has.”

Hey everyone. Hope your day is going well. As many of you know we have beem working to bring prayer and light across the whole .win network. This place already has a strong foundation in both. And i feel the core here has slowly developed into an amazing team. Keep it up. I am changing up my strategy a lil. I realized most of you here love it here(as do I). Or you are not a fan of discord. Either way i respect that and would rather not take the stregths from the place i love. So instead im seeing if anyone would help me with another Idea. I post daily prayer threads on both patriot and GAW. If i posted the link here would anybody be willing to show some unity for the cause amd pray on the thread daily. The more people we have praying the more others will feel courage to join. So if anyone is willing plz let me know. If not i understand, what ever you decide keep up the good work here

1. Converting pagans
2. Killing pagans
3. Philosophy/theology
4. Tax evasion

I have a sketch of Jesus laughing. It hangs on the wall across from my desk. It’s quite a drawing. His head is back. His mouth is open. His eyes are sparkling. He isn’t just grinning. He isn’t just chuckling. He’s roaring. He hasn’t heard or seen something like that in quite a while. He’s having trouble catching His breath.

It was given to me by an Episcopal priest who carries cigars in his pocket and collects portraits of Jesus smiling. “I give them to anyone who might be inclined to take God too seriously,” he explained as he handed me the gift.

He pegged me well.

I’m not one who easily envisions a smiling God. A weeping God, yes. An angry God, okay. A mighty God, you bet. But a chuckling God? It seems too… too... too unlike what God should do — and be. Which just shows how much I know — or don’t know — about God.

What do I think He was doing when He stretched the neck of the giraffe? An exercise in engineering? What do I think He had in mind when He told the ostrich where to put his head? Spelunking? What do I think He was doing when He designed the mating call of an ape? Or the eight legs of the octopus? And what do I envision on His face when He saw Adam’s first glance at Eve? A yawn?

Hardly.

As my vision improves and I’m able to read without my stained glasses, I’m seeing that a sense of humor is perhaps the only way God has put up with us for so long.

Is that God with a smile as Moses does a double take at the burning bush that speaks?

Is He smiling again as Jonah lands on the beach, dripping gastric juices and smelling like whale breath?

Is that a twinkle in His eye as He watches the disciples feed thousands with one boy’s lunch?

Do you think His face is deadpan as He speaks about the man with a two-by-four in his eye who points out a speck in a friend’s eye? Can you honestly imagine a somber Jesus bouncing children on His knee? No, I think Jesus smiled. I think He smiled a bit at people and a lot with people. I think He was the type of guy that people wanted to be near. I think He was the type of guy who was always invited to the party.

Consider, for example, the wedding at Cana. We often talk about this wedding as the place where Jesus turned the water into wine. But why did Jesus go to the wedding in the first place? The answer is found in the second verse of John 2:

Jesus and His followers were also invited to the wedding. — John 2:2 NCV

When the bride and groom were putting the guest list together, Jesus’ name was included. And when Jesus showed up with a half- dozen friends, the invitation wasn’t rescinded. Whoever was hosting this party was happy to have Jesus present.

“Be sure to put Jesus’ name on the list,” he might have said. “He really lightens up a party.”

Jesus wasn’t invited because He was a celebrity. He wasn’t one yet. The invitation wasn’t motivated by His miracles. He’d yet to perform any. Why did they invite Him?

I suppose they liked Him. Big deal? I think so. I think it’s significant that common folk in a little town enjoyed being with Jesus. I think it’s noteworthy that the Almighty didn’t act high and mighty. The Holy One wasn’t holier-than-thou. The One who knew it all wasn’t a know-it-all. The One who made the stars didn’t keep His head in them. The One who owns all the stuff on earth never strutted it.

Never. He could have. Oh, how He could have!

He could have been a name dropper: Did I ever tell you about the time Moses and I went up on the mountain?

He could have been a show-off: Hey, want Me to beam you into the twentieth century?

He could have been a smart aleck: I know what you’re thinking. Want Me to prove it?

He could have been highbrow and uppity: I’ve got some property on Jupiter...

Jesus could have been all of these, but He wasn’t.

His purpose was not to show off but to show up. He went to great pains to be as human as the guy down the street. He didn’t need to study, but He still went to the synagogue. He had no need for income, but He still worked in the workshop. He had known the fellowship of angels and had heard the harps of Heaven, yet He still went to parties thrown by tax collectors. And upon His shoulders rested the challenge of redeeming creation, but He still took time to walk for miles to go to a wedding in Cana.

As a result people liked Him. Oh, there were those who chaffed at His claims. They called Him a blasphemer, but they never called Him a braggart. They accused Him of heresy but never arrogance. He was branded as a radical but never called unapproachable.

There is no hint that He ever used His heavenly status for personal gain. Ever. You don’t get the impression that His neighbors grew sick of His haughtiness and asked, “Well, who do You think made You God?”

His faith made Him likable, not detestable. Jesus was accused of much, but of being a grump, sourpuss, or self-centered jerk? No. People didn’t groan when He appeared. They didn’t duck for cover when He entered the room.

He called them by name. He listened to their stories. He answered their questions.

He visited their sick relatives and helped their sick friends.

He fished with fishermen and ate lunch with the little guy and spoke words of resounding affirmation. He went to enough parties that He was criticized for hanging out with rowdy people and questionable crowds.

People were drawn to Jesus. He was always on the guest list. Thousands came to hear Him. Hundreds chose to follow Him. They shut down their businesses and walked away from careers to be with Him. His purpose statement read:

I came to give life with joy and abundance. — John 10:10 The Voice

Jesus was happy and wants us to be the same.

When the angels announced the arrival of the Messiah, they proclaimed “good news of a great joy” (Luke 2:10 RSV), not “bad news of a great duty.”

Would people say the same of us? Where did we get the notion that a good Christian is a solemn Christian? Who started the rumor that the sign of a disciple is a long face? How did we create this idea that the truly gifted are the heavyhearted?

May I state an opinion that could raise an eyebrow? May I tell you why I think Jesus went to that wedding in Cana? I think He went to the wedding to — now hold on, hear me out — I think Jesus went to the wedding to have fun.

Think about it. It had been a tough season. This wedding occurred after He had just spent forty days in the desert. No food or water. A standoff with the devil. A week breaking in some green-horn Galileans. A job change. He had left home. It hadn’t been easy. A break would be welcome. Good meal with some good wine and some good friends... Well, it sounded pretty nice.

So off they went.

His purpose wasn’t to turn the water into wine. That was a favor for His friends.

His purpose wasn’t to show His power. The wedding host didn’t even know what Jesus did.

His purpose wasn’t to preach. There is no record of a sermon.

This leaves only one reason. Fun. Jesus went to the wedding because He liked the people, He liked the food, and, Heaven forbid, He may have even wanted to swirl the bride around the dance floor a time or two. (After all, He’s planning a big wedding Himself. Maybe He wanted the practice?)

So forgive me, Deacon Drydust and Sister Somberheart. I’m sorry to rain on your dirge, but Jesus was a likable fellow. And His disciples should be the same. I’m not talking debauchery, drunkenness, and adultery. I’m not endorsing compromise, coarseness, or obscenity. I am simply crusading for the freedom to enjoy a good joke, enliven a dull party, and appreciate a fun evening.

Maybe these thoughts catch you by surprise. They do me. It’s been a while since I pegged Jesus as a party lover. But He was. His foes accused Him of eating too much, drinking too much, and hanging out with the wrong people!

I must confess: it’s been a while since I’ve been accused of having too much fun. How about you?

Remember that sketch of Jesus hanging in my office? What sort of portrait of Jesus hangs on the walls of your mind? Is He sad, somber, angry? Are His lips pursed? Is He judging you? If so, visualize the laughing Christ on my wall. I’ve needed the reminder more times than I can say. Jesus laughed. He had fun. He was always invited to the party, because people wanted to be near Him.

They didn’t fear His judgment. They knew He wouldn’t try to shut things down.

Who could be relied on to be the life of the party more than the One who came to give life with joy and abundance?

Starting a study of John. I am using this as a resource: https://versebyverseministry.org/lessons/gospel-of-john-lesson-1a?autoplay=1

Please study along, we can discuss John below. I will be going study by study, sometimes watching, sometimes reading the outline, it is a very interesting study.

So many beautiful verses of what it means to believe.

Abiding.

Walking.

In the spirit, when our earthly selves operate under the Holy Spirit, we are imbued with the same strength Jesus had when he was on this earth.

Fasting, and prayer should be the main point we tell new converts, those who are waking up to the deception. And are being led by the Holy spirit, abstaining from this world is key.

After reading all the verses that have “in christ” (NASB20 Search Results for "in" AND "christ")

One only comes to the conclusion those who abide in Christ, are in Christ.

These believers:

[Rom 8:1-2 NASB20] 1 Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

That is all that is needed.

So when you hear verses like these:

[Psa 16:3 NASB20] 3 As for the saints who are on the earth, They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them.

[Psa 34:9 NASB20] 9 Fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no lack [of anything.]

[Dan 7:18 NASB20] 18 ‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and take possession of the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’

[Dan 7:21 NASB20] 21 "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and prevailing against them,

[Dan 7:22 NASB20] 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.

[Dan 7:25 NASB20] 25 'And he will speak against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.

[Dan 7:27 NASB20] 27 ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of [all] the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom [will be] an everlasting kingdom, and all the empires will serve and obey Him.’

My eyes are on this.

We already won, the saints of the LORD.

Jew or Gentile,

[Rom 1:16 NKJV] 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Remember “I will bless those that bless you and curse those that curse you”? This is often attributed to national Israel.

[Rom 2:9-10 NKJV] 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

[Rom 10:12 NKJV] 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

[Gal 3:28 NKJV] 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

[Col 3:11 NKJV] 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave [nor] free, but Christ [is] all and in all.

But did god really say . . . . There is a plan for the jews, and plan for church.

God set aside Israel, barring them from the rapture.

But wait, all Israel will be saved:

[Rom 9:27 NKJV] 27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.

How can the number of children be as the sand of sea?

Because

[Rom 9:6 NKJV] 6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they [are] not all Israel who [are] of Israel,

[Rom 9:7-8 NKJV] 7 nor [are they] all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 8 That is, those who [are] the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

Here we are plainly told, once one is in Christ, they are in Christ, and counted as a descendant of Abraham.

[Rom 9:25-26 NKJV] 25 As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” 26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You [are] not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Of course that is not to say national Israel is left out, Romans clearly teaches that.

That means all the verses that are divided into meaning “Jews here” and “saints there” “church here”

is false . . .

If we operate under the guiding principle of all these verses, we see an immense witness of sound doctrine.

Revelation 12 provides the clearest example of this line of thinking.

God does have a plan for national Israel:

[Rev 12:5-6 NKJV] 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Verse 5 is a beautiful picture of Christ’s work at the cross. I know there was a lot of hubbub on the 9/21/2017 event - which may or not be significant, (i lean towards it was a significant event)

The point is these symbols refer specifically to Israel. The people who gave birth to the messiah.

They are nourished for 3.5 years, a times time and half a time, they will not face the antichrist:

[Rev 12:17 NKJV] 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Those are a separate group of Believers. they cant be in Christ since the rapture already happened.

Now how can you really support that idea?

The bible clearly says the dead in Christ rise first, the living will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.

[1Th 4:15 NKJV] 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [and] remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

[1Co 15:20-24 NKJV] 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, [and] has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man [came] death, by Man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those [who are] Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then [comes] the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

Any partial rapture theory needs to account for these verses, and not by types and shadows, but hard verses. Not jewish wedding traditions, or feasts of the LORD.

For the lord is coming at an hour we do not expect, why else would we be given this warning:

[1Th 5:2, 4 NKJV] 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. … 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

[2Pe 3:10 NKJV] 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

[Rev 3:3 NKJV] 3 "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

[Rev 16:15 NKJV] 15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed [is] he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

Does this sound like a feast day to you? would the believers alive at his coming be wishing and hoping every feast day? I know this is attributed the “hour that no man knows” with the position of the moon etc. But this reference in Revelation . . . . . IMHO blows away any idea of the coming of the lord occurring at a predictable time (such as a feast day)

That last verse presumes there are living believers on earth. Read 20 verses before and after that verse, you see there is strong evidence for this warning to come when we are experiencing some aspect of the 7 seals, most likely the 5th seal.

We know the living will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.

That means these:

[Rev 6:9-11 NKJV] 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both [the number of] their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they [were], was completed.

Are in Christ, as well as these:

[Rev 20:4 NKJV] 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then [I saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received [his] mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

[Rev 20:6 NKJV] 6 Blessed and holy [is] he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

We have to consider some doctrines circulating in the church are in fact false, one of them is that God has a separate plan for the jews, and the bride of Christ are resurrected from the earth before those who must give their lives for their testimony and faith in Christ.

If we operate under the guiding principle of the idea the dead in Christ rise first, a lot verses read very plainly and harmoniously.

There are promises to the Israel proper, we learn most about that in Revelation 12, and the rest of her offspiring also have a role to play. All part of the same body.

[1Co 1:12-13 NKJV] 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

I pray this opens the eyes to many, these verses are not contrived or twisted, or typified - plain bible teaching. Our redemption draws near.

[1Co 1:22-25 NKJV] 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

[1Co 1:30-31 NKJV] 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

Read corinthians, thessalonians, matthew mark luke and John every book of the bible and dont worry about which group Jesus is speaking to - the bible and all that is in it is about Christ. And salvation, saving faith and promised inheritance.

Despite all that is going on, this assurance we have far outweighs any mask or shot or passport.

The joy and peace Christ gives us will feed and hydrate our soul amongst any fleshly ailment, or persecution.

[Rev 13:8-10 NKJV] 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

[Psa 1:1-6 NKJV] 1 Blessed [is] the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly [are] not so, But [are] like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Hallelujah!

Hello everyone hope your day is going well. We are in this together and are helping change the world. Keep it up. Im here today thoughs to ask if anyone is willing to do join the prayer warriors team. Its gonna be a team combined with people from Patriot GAW and the christianity sub. Im posting here because most people here want to serve God and thats what we will be doing. We created a discord server as a hub for us to bounce ideas off eachother. Think of positive ways to show a united front for God. Build eachother so we may build up the .win sites. And all act as a single unit so others may see and gain courage to join us. Im also gonna be saving all the daily prayer threads there so people can know who has been asking for requests or get some positive energy if feeling low. Right now im just asking for anyone willing to join the server so we can see what we are working with. We will have more info later down the road. Thank you everyone much love

https://discord.gg/NSduswkeuE

Jeremiah 51 KJV

1 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

2 And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

5 For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.

7 ----->Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.<-------

8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

10 The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

13 O thou that ----->dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures,<----- thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

18 They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

19 The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.

20 Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but ------>thou shalt be desolate for ever<------, saith the LORD.

Sounds a lot like Revelations, don't it? All these things came to pass on the actual city of Babylon, fires, invasion, earthquakes until Iraqis got the message and relocated the building materials, that God had knocked over, into what is now Baghdad. The final end came in 300 AD. Saddam was trying to rebuild it, God's army showed up and put a stop to it. Not a soul lives there now.

How do people who have experienced the miracle of new birth deal with their own sinfulness as they try to enjoy the full assurance of their salvation? My answer is you deal with it by the way you use John’s teaching. John warns against hypocrisy over here, claiming to be born again when you’re not born again, because there’s no fruit, no evidence, no validation in your life. That’s hypocrisy, and he warns against that probably fifteen times in this letter.

And over here he celebrates that we have an advocate, we have a propitiation. We have one who is righteous, and who removed all the wrath of God, and, by bearing our judgment and our sin and providing our righteousness, made a way for us sinners into everlasting hope. So, those are the two things he does for us: warns us against hypocrisy over here, and celebrates the advocate and the propitiation over here.

So, the question is, How do you use those two truths? And this is really where you should deal with the Lord right now. How do you use those two truths? What do you do with them? Because what I’m going to argue is that the born-again person spiritually discerns what to do with those two truths and makes proper biblical use of them.

“There are times when we should be dealt with severely, and there are other times when we desperately need to be dealt with tenderly.” Tweet Share on Facebook How do they function in the born-again heart? How do those two biblical teachings function in the born-again heart? I’m going to paint two scenarios for you, and I believe all Christians oscillate between these. And hopefully we find ourselves more or less free from both of them, but in this room here, there would be people way off on this side and there would be people way off on the other side. And I hope that we can help each other.

So, here’s the first scenario: You are slipping into a lukewarm, careless, presumptuous frame of mind in regard to your own sinfulness. You’re slipping and you’re just drifting. You didn’t even know it was happening. You realize you haven’t thought about sin and you haven’t been concerned about sin for long time.

You’re kind of waking up and saying, “Whoa, how’d that happen?” You’re starting to coast or be indifferent to whether you are holy or worldly. You’re losing your vigilance against bad attitudes and behaviors. You just kind of slide into them now. Once there was a vigilance. You watched over your soul, you had some standards, you put up some barriers, you fought the fight. But now your hands are limp and your knees are loose, and you’re just blowing in the wind and going with the flow.

When the born-again person experiences that — which they do — then the truth of 1 John 3:9 becomes very crucial for them: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning.” The Holy Spirit, in the born-again person, takes that verse and awakens him — scares him about the danger of his condition so that he flies to the advocate.

He flies to his propitiation for mercy and forgiveness. He confesses his sin (1 John 1:9). He receives cleansing. He’s renewed in the sweetness of his relationship with Christ. He recovers his hatred for sin. He’s restored. And the joy of the Lord again becomes his strength to fight the fight another day. That’s the function of 1 John 3:9 in the Spirit-indwelt, regenerate heart. The newborn person doesn’t read 1 John 3:9 and blow it off.

Second scenario: You are sinking down. My guess is this is more common in this series right now than the other one. You are sinking down in fear and discouragement and even despair that your righteousness and your love for people and your fight against sin could ever be good enough — good enough even to demonstrate your new birth.

We all know theologically it can never be good enough to save us, but 1 John says you’re not born again unless there’s evidence in your life. Then you take that and you are absolutely undone by it. Your conscience is condemning you. “Your own deeds seem so imperfect that they could never prove that I was born again.” That’s what your conscience is telling you.

Now, when the born-again person experiences this — and we do. This is not presumption. This is despair. When the born-again person experiences the truth of this reality, then he turns to 1 John 2:1, and he listens to God and he hears God. God says, “My little children.”

I had to pause there as I got to this point in my message just to feel why John began with those words. He really wants to deal with you tenderly at this point. There are times when we should be dealt with severely, and there are other times when we desperately need to be dealt with tenderly. And when he begins with “my little children,” he doesn’t mean just the young ones in the church. He means all of them. He was probably an old man as he wrote this. And I’m getting to the point now where I can look out on almost all of you and say, “my little children.”

“New birth doesn’t use the promise that we have an advocate to justify a cavalier attitude toward sin.” Tweet Share on Facebook So, I do feel tender toward you. I have walked through this veil so often. I don’t want to beat you up in moments when you have examined your life and you can’t tell if the fruit is enough. I know the feeling. It’s an impossible feeling. It’s an impossible situation. There’s no way out, except that in the regenerate person — and this is why I believe I’m born again. God has rescued me again and again and again, by taking my eyes off of my mediocre performances and fixing them on my advocate.

“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate.” In other words, the word that John wants the despairing to hear is the word: we have an advocate. What’s the point of an advocate? It’s to plead the cause of sinners.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)

And perhaps he mentions Father there so that that too will feel less daunting than judge. And note that Jesus Christ is the righteous one. We’re not; he is.

So, let me try to sum it up. John’s warning of hypocrisy calls us back from presumption, and John’s promise of the advocate calls you back from the precipice of despair. The new birth enables you to hear Scripture and use Scripture helpfully and redemptively. New birth doesn’t use the promise that we have an advocate to justify a cavalier attitude toward sin.

The way the new birth uses the Bible, uses 1 John, is not to say, “I have an advocate. Let us sin so that grace may abound.” That voice is not the voice of the new creature. So, you know whether you’re born of God based on whether you respond to this first that way.

If you hear God hold out his advocacy to you, and you say, “Thank you — I will go sin some more,” you’re not responding as a born-again person. But if you take it in your trembling hand and say, “Again? Again, you will hold this out to me?” that’s a good sign.

The new birth doesn’t respond to the warning, “no one born of God makes a practice of sinning,” by using it to pour gasoline on the fires of despair. If you’re despairing, and you’re trembling that you don’t know if you have the fruit or the evidence in your life that you’re born again, and then you read 1 John 3:9, and you use it to kill yourself, that’s not the Holy Spirit. That’s not the new birth. That’s not the new creature in Christ responding.

So, my answer to how we deal with our sin as we try to enjoy assurance is that the new person within discerns spiritually how to use warnings of hypocrisy and assurances of advocacy. It discerns how to use them and knows how to move between them. It doesn’t become presumptuous, and it doesn’t become despairing.

I close by simply praying: Lord, grant that our new birth would be confirmed by our responses to the word of God. May he grant us to embrace the warning and may he grant us to embrace the comfort so that we can indeed grow in our capacity to enjoy the full assurance of our salvation.

Isiah 3 KJV

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

As a ruler, you were instructed to lead the people in the ways of the LORD.

Do you believe that you are the LORD? And the people should follow your way? As satan also believed with his mind?

Do your actions cause people to go astray of the ways of the LORD? Does your hand lead others to damnation, as the hand of satan does?