When We Love One Another - Part 3

Wade Webster

John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11). In these verses, we will see three things that we show when we love one another.  In the last two installments of this study, we noticed that when we love one another we show that we are  born of God and know God.  In this installment, we will notice that we show that we are indebted to God.

When we love one another, we show that we are indebted to God. “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:9-11). I want to call your attention to two small words in the eleventh verse. - “if” and “so.” There is no way to understand the verse without understanding these two little lwords. First, let’s look at the little word “if.” The word “if” is sometimes used to refer to the possibility of something. At other times, it is used to refer to the reality of something. It is used to refer to what has happened instead of what might happen. I believe that this is the way that it is used in our text. Since God so loved us in the past, we ought to so love one another in the present . That brings us to the little word “so.” It is an adverb that emphasizes the degree or the extent to which God loved us. God loved us to the extent that He gave His only begotten Son for us. No doubt, the little word “so” reminds us of another verse that features that word. In the gospel that bears his name, John records the following words of Jesus: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son that we might perish, but enjoy eternal life. God also loved us to this extent that we might love one another in the same way. God gave us an example to follow. In the gospel of John, we find these words of Jesus: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Two chapters later, we again read: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Clearly, we are to love one another as God has loved us. In the third chapter of his first epistle, John wrote , “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:16-17). Did you see the parallel in the passage? Jesus laid down His life for us, and we are to lay down our lives for the brethren. Getting back to our starting text - 1 John 4:9-11, since God loved us so much, we ought to love one another. As we conclude this point, let’s notice one more word. The word that I want us to end with is the word “ought.” This word has more letters by itself than the other two words do combined. The word “ought” refers to that which we have an obligation to do. We are obligated to love one another because of how God has loved us. When we love one other, we show how much we have been loved.

We have seen three things that we show to others when we love one another. We show that we are born of God, that we know God, and that we are indebted to God.

When We Love One Another - Part 2

Wade Webster

John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11). In these verses, we will see three things that we show when we love one another.  In the last installment of this study, we noticed that when we love one another we show that we are  born of God.  In this installment, we will notice that we show that we know God.

When we love one another, we show that we know God. Since God is love,, we declare that we know Him when we love one another. John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). If God is love, and the Bible says He is, then those who are born of God and know God should show His love in all that they say and do. To John and others, Jesus declared, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34.-35). When Jesus’ disciples loved each other the way that He loved them, then all men could know that they were His disciples because they knew His love and were practicing it. The disciples had received an invitation to be one of His disciples or students. They were following Him closely. They were day after day sitting at His feet as He taught. They were watching as He interacted with people. They were learning both by what they heard and by what they saw how to love. Mark records an occasion, when this is clearly seen. He wrote, ““Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Mark 10:17-22). Did you notice what Mark recorded? Jesus, looking at him, loved him. Sadly, the rich young ruler didn’t love Jesus back. Jesus offered the young man the opportunity of a lifetime. He commanded the young man to sell all that he had, to give it to the poor, and then He invited him to come and follow Him. Jesus invited the young man to be a disciple, but the young man refused because he had such great possessions. This young man would never learn to love others as Jesus did. With the exception of Judas, the twelve disciples would learn to do so. Judas would talk about precious ointment being sold to give the money to the poor (John 12:1-8), but He didn’t really care about the poor. He was a thief and kept the bank bag. Some of the money might have eventually made it to the poor, some of it was going to be pilfered and end up in his pockets. In contrast, Peter and the others would genuinely learn to love like Jesus. In Galatians, we find Peter reminding Paul and Barnabas to remember the poor, which they were eager to do (Gal. 2:10). The disciples were covered in the dust of their teacher. People could see that they had been with Jesus. In the book of Acts, Luke records, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus”(Acts 4:13). Although this passage is dealing with boldness and not love, it shows that they were learning and living what they had heard and seen from Jesus. There is, by the way, a connection between love and boldness. Later, in the chapter that we are studying, John wrote, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (I John 4:18).

I Am Resolved

Wade Webster

• To offer unto God the worship that He wants. “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks” (Heb. 11:4).
• To live a life that pleases God. “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”” (Heb. 11:5-6).
• To save my family. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb. 11:7).
• To look for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:8-10).
• To keep myself pure no matter the cost . “But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside” (Gen. 39:11-12).
• To suffer affliction with God’s people rather than enjoying the pleasures of sin.“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:24-27).
• To stand up for God while others are bowing down to worldly pressure. “So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Dan. 3:7-12).

To pray fervently and faithfully every day. “So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Dan. 6:4-19).

When We Love One Another - Part 1

Wade Webster

John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11). In these verses, we will see three things that we show when we love one another.

When we love one another, we show that we are born of God. John wrote, ““Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God…” (1 John 4:7). Please note that love is of God. It comes from Him. When we love one another, we show that we have been born of God. “Born of God” is a favorite expression of John. John often identifies certain characteristics as revealing that we have been born of God. First, receiving or believing Jesus reveals that we have been born of God. We read, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (1 John 1:10-12). Again, he wrote, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:1, 4). Second, practicing righteousness shows that we have been born of God. We read, “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 2:29). The one who is born of God does not habitually practice sin. John wrote, “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:7-9). Again, we read, “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:18-19). Third, loving the children of God, reveals that we have been born of God. John wrote, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments” (1 John 5:1-2). In like manner, Peter wrote, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 2.22-23). Sincere and fervent love of the brethren shows that we have been bon of God.

Why Churches of Christ Take the Lord’s Supper Each Sunday (Part 2)

Allen Webster

In the first part of this study, we noted two reasons why churches of Christ take the Lord’s Supper each Sunday. The two reasons that were given were to receive the strength it provides and to give Christ the glory that He deserves. In this, the second and final part of this study, we will notice a third reason.

TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINNERS TO LEARN THE GOSPEL.

Every time we eat the Lord’s supper we proclaim the gospel. The bread and juice “shew forth the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26). The supper teaches non-members of His sacrifice and reminds the Bride to remain pure for the coming wedding.

Whereas Old Testament worship was hands-on, sensory, and visual, New Testament worship is more spiritual and cerebral. The exception is the supper. It is participatory even more than the singing and offering. A visual age—especially children and unbelievers—benefits from this most visible worship act. Like a child who participates in a July Fourth celebration learns about His country, so an unbeliever who sees the supper learns about His Lord.

Some churches offer communion as an option in a side room, rather than in the main worship service. Why? They believe “seekers” see communion as a strange practice that dwells too much on death. They are afraid it will frighten them away.

Are modern services devoid of any meaningful reference to the cross an improvement? Bring back the supper for a gospel-centered, Christ-ordained worship centerpiece. The Lord’s supper is not a side show but central part of worship for the whole body of believers.

Familiarity breeds contempt, some say, but Paul does not reason that since the Corinthians abused weekly communion, they should take it less often. Instead he focuses their attention more clearly on the solemn facts which the supper represents. He tells them to do it better.

Endnotes

[1]ROMAN CATHOLICS and EPISCOPALIANS. Daily mass is observed and usually required as a “perpetual sacrifice of Christ’s blood,” better known as Holy Eucharist. To Catholics, the bread becomes the actual body of Christ and the wine His actual blood. This is known as “Transubstantiation.” Sins are forgiven as part of Mass. (Forgiveness comes from obeying the gospel and walking in the light [Acts 2:38; 1 John 1:7-2:1-4]).

LUTHERAN teaching on the Lord’s supper, “Consubstantiation,” is distinctive. When a Lutheran priest blesses the bread, Lutherans believe that the true body and blood of Christ are under the bread and wine.

METHODISTS. The Lord’s supper is taken once a quarter.

BAPTISTs do not offer the Lord’s supper upon every first day of the week. They also believe in closed communion, which means that only those who have been voted into the church can take communion.

PRESBYTERIANS take the Lord’s supper every quarter usually. A collection for the poor is associated with the observance of the Lord’s supper.

JEHOVAH WITNESSES. The Lord’s supper is taken once a year after sundown on the “exact day” of the year Christ died. Unleavened bread and fermented wine are used for the communion, and only those of the “heavenly elect” (144,000) can partake of the Lord’s supper.

MORMONS‘ Sunday worship includes weekly observance of the Lord’s supper. They use light bread and water instead of unleavened bread and grape juice.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST worship services are held on the Sabbath which begins Friday at sundown and lasts until Saturday at sundown. The Lord’s supper is usually observed once a quarter and always preceded by the observance of foot-washing.

NAZARENES. The minister is to invite “all those who have with true repentance forsaken their sins and have believed in Christ for salvation” to take communion.

PENTECOSTALS. The unique teaching that separates Pentecostals from other religious bodies is that they teach that divine healing takes place while they partake of the Lord’s supper. They believe that the communion is a quickening life of Christ for their healing.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE have eliminated the Lord’s supper from their worship. They hold “communion services“ in the branch services twice a year, but on these occasions, neither bread nor wine is used. It is basically a type of meditation