some years ago in the early stage
of our church, a man was brought to preach in our pulpit and to
guide us in establishing what he called a faithful New Testament
church. After discussions into the night
prior to his sermon, he was made very clear on our stand against
Christians being obligated to keep the Mosaic law. And yet the whole way through,
the whole of the conversation, he kept his intentions close
to his chest. And you know what happened. The
next morning he stood in our pulpit and he preached. Sadly,
he preached that New Testament Christians are now obligated,
more obligated, to keep the holy law of God than Israel or the
Old Testament. The Israelis said they only had
to keep 10 commandments, but now we have to keep 11 commandments. He'd added this commandment,
John 13, 34, to love each other as Christ has loved us. This verse is just one of many
that appear on the surface to support what both this man and
many professing Christians believe to be our responsibility before
God. But sadly this kind of thinking
one denies the glory of God in the salvation of man. Two, it diminishes the honour
of the Lord Jesus Christ in this miracle. Three, it replaces the
perfect work of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification with the
filthy rags of our own wisdom and our own activities. And fourth,
it directs men's attention away from the Gospel, and it robs
them of their only hope of true salvation. So how do we read
verses like John 13, 34? Is our responsibility greater
because now we have to love him as he loved us? Is the Lord sending
us to the law again for our sanctification? In 2 Corinthians 3, the Apostle
Paul warns us that the scriptures can be read in two completely
different ways. He warns us that they reveal
two very different purposes of God in the hearts and the lives
of men. One way places a full responsibility
on man to purify himself to enter the presence of our holy God.
We've been doing that since Genesis 3, haven't we? There's another way, though.
The other way places the responsibility fully on the shoulders of the
Lord Jesus Christ, our great Advocate and High Priest. One way, says Paul, veils men's
hearts and minds and blinds them to the grace of God in the Lord
Jesus Christ. The other way reveals our Saviour,
our great Substitute, as our all and in all. One way is a
way that leads to death and condemnation, the other to life and liberty.
One way is received by our carnal wisdom, and the other way can
only be received if the Holy Spirit writes His Word upon our
hearts. Paul summarises these differences
in 2 Corinthians 3.6 when he says, the letter kills but the
Spirit gives life. So let's ask the Lord today to
bless His Word for us. Heavenly Father, You're an amazing
God, and we do thank You for the grace that You just pour
out in our lives and into this world in Your dear Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ. And we thank You for the work
of Your Spirit. And we know, Father, that because of our falling
Adam, we need You to come and visit us. and to shine a light
on your word, Heavenly Father, and make it spirit and life to
our souls. I pray, Heavenly Father, that
you do that this morning. You've promised to be in our
midst. You've promised to care for your people. You've promised
to feed us and strengthen us and energize us by the power
of your gospel. And we pray for that precious
mercy upon us this morning, Heavenly Father. In Christ's name, amen. The word commandment is similar
to the word covenant. Basically what it refers to is
an obligation, a requirement or a responsibility before God. However, this commandment is
described by the Holy Spirit as new. Brothers and sisters, as we come
to the Scriptures, we need to also and always be mindful of
the overall context of the Bible, the gospel context that attributes
all successful salvation to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. It's also helpful, especially
with difficult Scriptures, to let Scripture interpret Scripture.
So today, I want to ask you to turn in 1 John. We're finished
in John 13 now. We're going to spend the rest
of our time in 1 John. Because 1 John is another place
where this new covenant, this new commandment is discussed
on a number of occasions. The book of 1 John, it has many
themes in it. They're all gospel themes. They're
all interconnected. They're all relevant then. and
they're all still just as relevant now, today. So often now we find
ourselves in the Book of 1 John as a defence of the Gospel, don't
we? We may be looking at those verses
that people use to suggest that God loves everyone and Christ
died for everyone. We often go to 1 John because
of how strongly John speaks of the fellowship that can only
be had under the banner of the Gospel. We also go to 1 John
because of the clarity that John gives us regarding the origin
of the false teachers and the nature of our enemies. In the midst of all this, there's
one very significant and very encouraging theme in 1 John which
is often passed over or not emphasised as much, let's say. And that's
the New Covenant promise of loving each other. And it's almost as
if John 1334 is a summary of this theme as it runs through
the Book of 1 John. When the Lord brought his people
out of Egypt, he protected them and he defended them by that
pillar of fire, which was and is his Holy Spirit. but he also sustained them by
that same pillar of fire. What's interesting is the word
of God is just like his spirit in Exodus, just like we read
in 2 Corinthians 3. The same word that defends us
and repels our enemies is the very same word that nourishes
us and that guides us. So we'll begin in 1 John by looking
at 1 John 2 verses 7 and 8. Because here John adds some things
that aren't quite as clear in John 13, 34. He says, Brethren, I write no
new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you
have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word
which you have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment
I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you, because
the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth." In verse 7, John makes it clear
that the commandment itself is not really any different. Under
the Mosaic law, we're called to love our neighbor as ourselves,
and here, to love each other as Christ loved us. But look
at verse 8. He shows that there really is
something new here now. This commandment is now fulfilled
in believers as it is in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He
says, which thing is true in Him and in you. And why is it true? Because the
darkness has passed and the true light now shines. That darkness
of carnal ignorance, that blinding that we saw in 2 Corinthians
3, it's past. And now by the gracious operations
of the Holy Spirit on our souls, the true light of the Gospel
reveals Christ as the only Saviour of His people. He's the mediator
of that new covenant where men meet with God in peace. the everlasting
covenant established before the foundation of the world. In fact,
Isaiah says he actually is that covenant himself. And by himself,
he has saved every one of God's children from all of their sins. And more than that, he's also
sat down, hasn't he? He and all his people in him
victoriously at the right hand of our Father in Heaven. The
next clarification that John makes regarding this New Covenant
is in 1 John 3, verses 22 and 24. And I'm sorry, we're going
to jump around a little bit in 1 John, but it's only a small
book. And whatsoever we ask, he says,
we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do
those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his
commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus
Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment. And
he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him,
and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he
has given us. You notice there in verse 22,
John begins by talking of the commandments in plural, and then
in verse 23 he summarises all those commandments down into
one singular commandment, just to believe on the name of Christ.
It's no different, Angus spoke about it last week, it's no different
to John 6.29 where the Lord answers that question, what shall we do that we might
work the works of God, the Lord's answer is not what men expect,
is it? This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom
he has sent. And it's not an easy thing. Since
Genesis 3 we've been drawn, dragged into our own works and activities
to get ourselves into heaven. It's a hard thing to break free.
It's a hard thing to stop and cease from our labours. In fact,
Hebrews 4 says if you do have to labour, labour to rest. And why? Because it's faith in
His faithfulness that accesses all the obedience of Christ on
our behalf. It's His faithfulness to our
Father in heaven. It's His complete and perfect
obedience to the holy law of God. and it's His eternal representation
of us before the throne of heaven. Brothers and sisters, this is
another reason why this commandment is new. All the merits of our Saviour
are actually received by His people through a faith which
He also creates and sustains within us. Finally, John adds another revelation
about this new commandment in 1 John 5 verses 2 to 5. He says,
by this we know that we love the children of God when we love
God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God,
that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not
grievous. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh
the world? but he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God. I hadn't noticed this before,
but I was listening to a Todd Nivatt sermon that Angus put
me on, and he's dead right. If you look there at verse 3,
we often read it as, this is how we're to love God. But that's not what the Scripture
says. In verse 3 it's clearly the love of God, His love of
us that's being described. Now this really is new. God now
works in us both to will and to do, making us willing in the
day of His power, and then as Isaiah 26 says, doing our works
in us. It should be the greatest relief
to our souls and it should be the most amazing encouragement
as we consider how we can live for God. And that's the question,
it's always the question for the Lord's people, isn't it?
How do we live for God's glory and how do we live for the good
of His people? It was the question on the hearts of the Galatians
that was perverted by the false teachers. It seems to be a question answered
so often in scripture. And it's the same answer, or
it's an answer to the same question that's answered so clearly by
Paul in 2 Corinthians 3. We talked about 2 Corinthians
3, there's a contrast, he gives us a contrast between law and
grace. But the reason for that contrast
is the same question, isn't it? How do we live for God? How do
we change things in our lives so outwardly we serve God faithfully
and we care for His people? This is a very good answer from
Paul in 2 Corinthians 3.18. He says, But we all, with open
face beholding as in a glass, or a mirror, the glory of the
Lord. See, what he's saying is now
that we're not looking at law, now that the true light of the
Gospel has shone on these scriptures, we see that the Lord Jesus is
our substitute. It's like he's our spiritual
reflection, if you like, and as we gaze on the Lord's reflection, Paul says we're changed into
the same image from glory to glory. And then he tells us how. And it's not by our own activities.
He says, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. It's God's activity,
isn't it? Looking at one, John has revealed
some of the reasons why God calls this commandment new. It's revealed
in the true light of the Gospel, it's completely fulfilled in
His precious Son, it's received through faith, and it's fulfilled
again in us by God Himself. Now I'd like us to look at how
John describes the actual outworkings of this new commandment in the
lives of God's people. John seems to write in such a
way that he establishes the foundation, and then Angus said it's like
flower petals. He reveals new characteristics
while still holding that original idea. There's four of these significant
characteristics, vital characteristics of our God's fulfilment of this
new command within us that I'd like us to look at briefly today
in one John. This is someone saying religion
is where the rubber hits the road. It actually is this time. It's the practical application,
if you like, of the Lord's words. Even though they certainly are
four really good reasons that we should love each other. There's
no doubt about that. But they're actually four amazing
reasons because they're actually four sure promises why we shall
love each other. The first one's to be purified
of our sin. That's a good reason to love
each other, isn't it? Sin free. Sorry, turn back to 1 John 1.5.
We're going to start there on this one. John's just established
the authority of the apostles to be spokesmen for God in verses
1 to 4, and then he delivers to us the message that they received
from the Lord himself. Verse 5, he says, This then is
the message which you have heard of him, which we have heard of
him, sorry, and declare unto you that God is light and in
him is no darkness at all, perfectly holy and completely free from
sin, totally sovereign, upholding all things by the power of his
word. Now God is the source of absolute
truth without any shadow of turning. And you know what? He's of two
pure eyes to even look upon sin. But look what John does now.
John now shows that there's actually no fellowship, none at all, with
God apart from the power of the Gospel. Now, people criticise
us that we're too dogmatic about the Gospel. Have a look there
at verse 6. If we say then that we have fellowship
with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light,
as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all
sin. It's in the midst of this gospel
fellowship with God, this guiding influence, if you like, which
is what walking is in the scriptures. It's our spiritual direction
or the source of our spiritual hope or where our energy comes
from, in a sense, where our hopes are set, I guess. But it's in
the midst of this Gospel fellowship with God that we are purified
from all our sin by the blood of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Verse 8, if we say we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth's not in us. If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we haven't sinned,
we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. This doesn't mean that our salvation
rests on an act of our own repentance or our own confession. heard
a few blokes do gymnastics trying to make that happen, and that's
not true, okay? No, this refers to the fact that
we must first be made to see our sinfulness by the true light
of the gospel. We must be convicted of sin by
the Holy Spirit before we can look away from ourselves and
rest our souls on Christ. If we can't see this, And if
we don't know it to be true about ourselves, and this is John's
words, the Holy Spirit's words, then we don't have gospel fellowship
with God. And therefore, no matter what
men tell us, we don't have life. In verse nine, our Lord is described
as faithful and just. And there's no doubt about it,
the Lord Jesus Christ is faithful. He's faithful to his Father.
He's faithful to his covenant obligations to represent all
the chosen children of God. But what's also encouraging here
is that he's described as just. He is God. And he alone has the
right to judge men. But by His perfect redemption
as our surety, in absolute justice, we truly are cleansed of our
sin and we truly are made meek or qualified to enter the presence
of our God and to fellowship with Him in light. Chapter 2, verse 1, My little
children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And
if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the Righteous. And He is the propitiation for
our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world. The Apostle, as all of us, doesn't
want to encourage anyone to sin. And that's true. We don't want
to encourage people to sin when we declare grace. We're not doing
that. But what he does want to do there
is to show us that all the chosen children of God, and just to
spend a minute here, that's what world means. Okay, that's how
John uses the word world there. All the saints, in all the countries,
in every generation. There is and only ever has been
and only ever will be one Saviour in this world. All the chosen children of God,
John's showing us here, have been purified, it's past tense,
they have been purified of all their sin by Christ our righteousness. This work of salvation in the
Lord Jesus Christ is revealed by the true light of the Gospel
and it's applied with power by the Holy Spirit. this redemption that we have
in Christ, this cleansing that we're talking about, now, right
now, it allows us to have fellowship with our God, because through
the purity of our Saviour, we are now united to God. And that's my next reason, my
next good reason. These people are friends of God.
All right, 1 John 2, starting at verse 24. Let that therefore abide in you
which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you
have heard from the beginning, that's the true light of the
gospel, shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the
Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that
he hath promised us, even eternal life. All true light emanates
from and is sustained by God. But this is more than just physical
life, isn't it? What John's talking about here
is eternal life, the life that can only come through a fellowship
with God or a relationship, if you like, with God. That's what
the Lord's talking about in John 17.3 when he says this is eternal
life. It's knowing. It's knowing our
Father. It's knowing in His Son. This
life is achieved by the Holy Spirit's work, applying the true
light of the Gospel to our souls. This is the only source of true
fellowship, and it is what unites us to God. Verse 26, These things
have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the
anointing which you have received from Him abideth in you, and
you need not that any man teach you. And I want you to see this,
but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth,
and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, you shall abide
in him. Now John's speaking of the Holy
Spirit, the gift of the Holy Spirit, which the Lord promised
in John 14 and 16, to both teach us and to guide us into all things. God Himself, that true light,
is our teacher. He always teaches perfectly and
all of His children always perfectly get His lessons. What John's
really saying is that this life union of ours with God, it's
securely sustained, not by our own activities, but by the effectual
power of God the Holy Spirit. And that's why you can say, ye
shall abide. Verse 28, now little children
abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence
and not be ashamed before him and his coming. If you knew that
he is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness
is born of him. What amazing good news. God sustains
us in this relationship with himself. It's a relationship
which imputes the righteousness of Christ. upon his people. And he does say through faith
that God sustains also within us. Brothers and sisters, God even
blesses us, he says here, with the confidence of knowing, and
that's knowing within our souls that our righteousness before
his holy eyes is actually our Lord's everlasting righteousness. And lastly there in verse 29,
John says that we're actually born of Him. It's much, much
bigger. And it's much, much better than
just unity, isn't it? Through the saving activities
of God the Holy Spirit, we actually become sons of God. Look at 1 John 3, and that's
my third reason too. These people are God's family. Okay, 3 verse 1. Behold what
manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should
be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know
that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is. And every man that hath this
hope, in him purify himself, even as he is pure. There is now within us a new
creation, a new man growing spiritually within all true believers. John tells us in verse 2 that
even though we don't see or understand what this entails, right now
in this life we are the sons of God. This is a promise of
the Gospel that all our hopes rest on. And how does true light
reveal the way to purity? Look at verse 4. Whosoever commiteth
sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression
of the law. And you know that he was manifest
to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. Whoever abideth
in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth has not seen
him, and neither known him." In Acts 15.9, Peter tells us
that our hearts are actually purified by faith. Our union with Christ is our
only source of purity. And through faith, this purity
is received. It's the only way we can be pure
even as He is pure. The true light of the Gospel
reveals how our Father in Heaven actually sees us, how He's always
seen us, in His Son, perfectly holy and without spot or blemish. 7. Little children, let no man deceive
you, he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8. He that committeth sin is
of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil. In Genesis 3, tempted by the
devil, We very, very freely chose in our father Adam to go it alone
and to get ourselves into heaven by our own wisdom, by the knowledge
of good and evil. And it's no different to the
law, is it? Just tell us what to do and we can do it, as if
salvation was that easy. But from that moment on, from
Genesis 3 on, we've been rejecting our God. We've been trusting
in the old man of our flesh and all we've ever done since that
moment has been sin. But when God creates a new life
within us, there are now two distinct natures abiding in each
one of the Lord's saved children. One is that fleshly nature that
we just spoke about that's constantly influenced by Satan's lie and
does nothing but sin. The other is a new man, it's
Christ in us, our only hope of glory. Verse 9, whosoever is
born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him,
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children
of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever
doeth not righteousness, is not of God, neither he that loveth
not his brother." John makes a clear distinction
here that the only source of true righteousness is Christ
and that any righteousness must first flow from Him. It's through this new man who
cannot sin because he's born of God that God works righteousness
in His people. The new nature within us is that
divine nature of God. And by the operations of the
Holy Spirit upon this new man, we really actually do become
vessels of God's love. And that's my fourth reason.
These people are loving me. So we're going to look at 1 John
4 verse 7. Verse 7, Beloved, let us love
one another, for God is love, and everyone that loveth is born
of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. The type of love that John's
talking about here, it's a spiritual love. It's a love that has its
origin in God, a love that must first flow from Him. Verse 9,
in this was manifest the love of God towards us because that
God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might
live through him. Here in his love, not that we love God, but
that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for
our sins. The love that flows from God,
as with all the blessings of God, flows to us on the basis
of Christ's finished work, his eternal redemption, and His everlasting
righteousness. Verse 11, Beloved, if God so
loved us, we ought to also love one another. No man has seen
God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells
in us and His love is perfected in us. When the apostle says
we ought to love one another, it's not an instruction that
he's giving us, it's an expectation. While we don't see God in the
flesh, He does manifest Himself in and amongst His people. When our gracious God's love
is revealed or fulfilled in the midst of our relationships, His
love is said to be perfected in us. Now, perfected just means
completed here, and it's no different to the Lord in Hebrews 2.10,
where they said that the Lord was perfected through His suffering.
It's just a completion. We know our Saviour is perfect
from one end to the other, but it's just a completion of His
saving work. 3. Hereby know we that we dwell
in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
4. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son
to be the Saviour of the world. 5. Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. There are so many people in our
lives that say, Jesus, yep, Jesus is the Son of God. It's true,
isn't it? There's many people that would
say it, but what does it mean? What does the term Son of God
mean to them? What does that term mean to you?
Does it represent a complete and absolute salvation that requires
nothing of the creature? Because that's the salvation
that the true light of the Gospel exposes, isn't it? Or does it
represent a possible salvation needing my approval and my efforts? By the true light of the Gospel,
the Lord's people really do intimately know what this term means to
them. Verse 16, And we have known and
we have believed the love that God has toward us. God is love,
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in
the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear,
because feareth torment. He that feareth is not made perfect
in love. Without a doubt, God's love is
particular, and it is effective. Our eternal lives depend upon
it, don't they? By our union with God the Father
in heaven, on the basis of the blood of His Son, by the power of His Holy Spirit,
and received through God-given faith, We really do have boldness
in the day of judgement. We have boldness in any day for
that matter. Because if God is for us, who
can be against us? What can set itself against us?
Do you notice in verse 17 there, now it's our love being perfected
or made perfect or fulfilled or revealed. And how? Because we have nothing to fear
from men or from God himself because we've been made perfect
in our Saviour. In Colossians 2, Paul says we're
complete in Him. And again, through saving faith,
that's something we know in our souls. Verse 19, we love him
because he first loved us. If a man say I love God and hate
his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth
not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has
not seen? And this commandment we have
from him, that he who loves God, loveth his brother also. The source of any true spiritual
love must come from God. Ultimately, it's His love to
His people through His people. And what an amazing statement
verse 20 is. It's as if John expects us to
see our God when we look upon our brothers and sisters. In
Matthew 25, as the Lord sorts the sheep from the goats, he
says, inasmuch as you've done it to me, unto one of the least
of these my brethren, you've done it to me. By the grace of God, we are one
with our Saviour, and as He is right now in heaven, so are we
here in this world. When He works in us to love one
another, we love each other, we actually love each other for
His sake and by His power. So there you have it, four good
reasons to love each other. Or are they? This is where I make a confession
to everyone. I began to prepare this sermon
and I was convinced that God had given me four sure reasons,
four great reasons in my mind, John, to love each other. The
saints are purified of their sin, they're united to God, they're
children of God, and they're vessels of His love. And they're all good reasons. if I'd have just preached that
to you, I would have given you the most subtle shot of law that
you've ever had. I would have been no better than
that fellow that stood in our commandment with his 11 commandments
in his quiver. Thankfully what God did in my
preparations was to show me by that same true light of the Gospel
that these are actually for sure New Covenant promises that the
Lord's people shall love each other. And in it all He's also
shown me how easy and how subtle it is to slip back into that
carnal way of thinking, that darkness of fleshly wisdom. We
have many enemies, many enemies that set themselves against this
miracle of God that works within us. John warns us of the devil,
the Antichrist, the spirit of Antichrist in the religious teachings
of men, and then he tells us in John 5 that the whole world
lies in wickedness. There's also another enemy that
I think John addresses in 1 John 2. It's an enemy within our own
flesh, an enemy that's constantly influenced by that lie of Satan.
John describes this enemy as the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And it's a good description
of our natural man, isn't it? I don't know what the lust of
the flesh would be if it's not that desire to be as God that
came directly out of the garden. The lust of the eyes, it's got
to be the knowledge of good and evil by which we discern or we
think we discern ourselves into heaven, walking by sight instead
of by faith. And the pride of life is the
way we live in this world for self, rather than for God. Each
of our enemies, both within and without, in the Book of 1 John
are contrasts with this love we have for each other. Now this
is probably one of the most important things I can tell you today.
This love of each other. Even though it is a promise from
God, It's not consistent. And if anyone tells you that
there's a consistent growth in your obedience to God, then they're
probably giving you progressive sanctification. It's not consistent. The wind blows where he wishes. And on top of that, in Romans
7 and Galatians 5, we're told that there's an internal war
raging within every one of the Lord's saved children. The flesh lusts after the spirit,
and the spirit lusts after the flesh, says Paul in Galatians
5.17. And then he says, so that we
cannot do the things we would. What hope can any of us have
if it doesn't rest completely and solely in the saving activities
of our God? Thankfully, John tells us on
two different occasions, in 1 John 3 and in 1 John 5, that we actually
have successful access to our God in prayer based on the merits
of our Saviour. According to Romans 8, we have
the most powerful, two of the most powerful advocates before
our Father in Heaven, our Saviour and His Spirit. I found one John to be a book
of great assurance. I do recommend you go home and
read it. I'm a slow reader and it only takes me about half an
hour. But if you get the time and you get an opportunity, get
yourself a couple or something, a couple of biggies, maybe some
healthy stuff. But sit down and just relax and
read one, John, with these things in mind. I'd encourage you to
do it. It's a great, great, great encouragement. It has been for
me. John's telling us of an amazing
reality that's actually taking place in this world here and
now. This is a reality where the Most
High God actually really does manifest himself in and amongst
his people. I'm sure this is what Paul's
talking about in Colossians 2.19 when he says, all the body by
joint and bands. I think what he means there is
by our relationships with each other and bands means ligaments. So I think he's talking about
the individual members. All the body, by joint and bands,
having nourishment ministered and knit together," that's got
a bit of work of His Holy Spirit within us, doesn't it? All the
body, by joint and bands, having nourishment ministered and knit
together, Paul then says, increases with the increase which is of
God. May our God settle our hearts
by the true light of his gospel, that we might rest our souls
on the sweet nectar of his promises, and may he do it all in and by
our great yes and amen, our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's
pray. Our Heavenly Father, salvation
truly is an incredible miracle. We thank You, Heavenly Father,
that by the mercy that You show Your people, You open the eyes
of our understanding and You show us the wonders of Your Son
in Your Scriptures, the promises, Heavenly Father, the sureties,
the guarantees that we have, because You cannot lie. Pray
your mercy upon us, Heavenly Father. I pray for us as we leave
here that you might have just refreshed our souls and caused
us to see our Saviour in something of a new light. Please make us
overwhelmed with your glory in His face, Heavenly Father. Pray
your mercy upon us all. We pray as we come to His table,
Heavenly Father, that You would bless us with a sweet remembrance,
a very personal remembrance of the things that You've revealed
of Him in us and to us. We pray Your grace in our lives,
Father, and we pray in Christ's precious name. Amen.