Now

Philippians 1:4-6 - In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Acts 2:42 - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 16:30-32, 34 - He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house…The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

Acts 28:28 - "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!"

Conclusions:

• The apostles’ teaching included all that Jesus Himself taught, especially the gospel, which was centered in His death, burial and resurrection
• The apostles’ teaching was a unique teaching in that it came from God and was clothed with the authority conferred on the apostles
• Today the apostles’ teaching is available in the books of the New Testament
• The fellowship is the corporate fellowship of believers in worship
• The breaking of bread is the Lord’s supper
• Acts emphasizes the importance of prayer in the Christian life—private as well as public
• The jailer had heard that Paul and Silas were preachers of a way of salvation
• Now with the earthquake and his own near death, the jailer wanted to know about the way
• Believe in the Lord Jesus is a concise statement of the way of salvation
• Paul and Silas explained the gospel more thoroughly to the jailer and to all the other members of his household, and they all believed in Christ and were saved
• Filled with joy is the consistent consequence of conversion, regardless of circumstances
• God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles is the main thought of the book of Acts
• The gospel is meant for all
• Paul was a chosen vessel to carry the message to Gentiles as well as to Jews

Application:

• Have you devoted yourself to prayer?
• Are you filled with joy about your conversion?
• Have you devoted yourself to God's Word?
• Have you devoted yourself to fellowship of believers in worship?
• Have you devoted yourself to the Lord's Supper?
• Have you listened to God's salvation?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

I Thank My God

Philippians 1:2-3 - Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you.

Romans 1:7 - To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:3-6 - We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 - We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

Conclusions:

• The basic idea of the Greek word saints is holiness
• All Christians are saints in that they are positionally set apart to God and are experientially being made increasingly holy by the Holy Spirit
• “We” in Colossians 1:3 is Paul and Timothy
• Every one of Paul’s letter, except Galatians, begins with thanks or praise
• In Colossians, thanks is an important theme
• The Bible never thanks man for his faith and love, but rather God, who is the source of these virtues
• Paul is obliged to give thanks where it is due
• Faith and love are two virtues that Paul had been pleased to acknowledge in the Thessalonian church, but that were also somewhat lacking
• “Is increasing” is the same verb Paul had used in his prayer that their love might grow
• Paul is recording an exact answer to prayer

Application:

• Are you positionally set apart to God?
• Do you thank God when you pray for people?
• Is your faith growing? Is your love increasing?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Believe In The Name Of The Son

1 John 5:13-16 - I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.

1 John 3:23 - And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

Hebrews 10:26-27 - If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Jeremiah 7:16 - "So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.

Conclusions:

• This command has two parts: (1) Believe in Christ, and (2) love each other
• “Deliberately keep on sinning” refers to committing the sin of apostasy (total rejection of Christianity after being Christian)
• To reject Christ’s sacrifice for sins is to reject the only sacrifice; there is no other
• A true prophet would pray for his people
• In Jeremiah 7:16, there is virtually no hope for his people
• On various occasions, Jeremiah prayed for his countrymen

Application:

• Do you believe in Christ and love others?
• Do you deliberately keep on sinning?
• Do you pray for people there is no hope for?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Life

1 John 5:12 - He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John 3:14-16, 36 - Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

Conclusions:

• Eternal life is an infinitely high quality of life in living fellowship with God—both now and forever
• God so loved the world is the great truth that motivated God’s plan of salvation
• The world is all people on earth—or perhaps all creation
• Although believers are also called sons of God, Jesus is God’s Son in a unique sense
• Eternal life is a present possession, not something the believer will only obtain later
• God’s wrath is a strong expression, meaning that God is actively opposed to everything evil
• A sinner cannot expect God’s wrath to eventually fade away
• God’s opposition to evil is both total and permanent

Application:

• Do you believe in Him?
• Are you called a son of God?
• Do you see eternal life as a present possession?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Has GIven Us Eternal Life

1 John 5:7-11 - For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

John 3:14-15, 33, 36 - Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life…The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful…Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

John 1:4 - In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

Conclusions:

• When anyone accepts Christ’s testimony, he accepts the truth that Jesus came from heaven and that God was acting in Him for the world’s salvation
• He thereby certifies that God is truthful
• Life is one of the great concepts of John’s Gospel
• Life is found 36 times in John, while no other New Testament book uses it more than 17 times
• Life is Christ’s gift, and He, in fact, is the life
• John’s Gospel also links light with Christ, from whom comes all spiritual illumination
• Christ is the light of the world, who holds out wonderful hope for man
• The stark contrast between light and darkness is a striking theme in John’s Gospel
• Eternal life is an infinitely high quality of life in living fellowship with God—both now and forever
• Eternal life is a present possession, not something the believer will only obtain later
• God’s wrath is a strong expression, meaning that God is actively opposed to everything evil
• A sinner cannot expect God’s wrath to eventually fade away
• God’s opposition to evil is both total and permanent

Application:

• Do you accept Christ's testimony?
• Do you see Christ as the light of the world?
• Do you have eternal life?
• Do you see eternal life as a present possession?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Overcomes...Has Overcome

1 John 5:3-6 - This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

John 14:16-17 - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

1 John 1:3 - We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:2,27 - He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world…As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1 Corinthians 12:3 - Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

Conclusions:

• To overcome the world is to gain victory over its sinful pattern of life, which is another way of describing obedience to God
• Such obedience is not impossible for the believer because he has been born again and the Holy Spirit dwells within him and gives him strength
• The one born of God by faith is enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey
• The Spirit brings people to the truth of God
• Fellowship is the spiritual union of the believer with Christ—as described in the figures of the vine and branches and the body and the head –as well as communion with the Father and with fellow believers
• God, out of love, sent His Son to make substitutionary atonement for the believer’s sin
• The Holy Spirit teaches you all things necessary to know for salvation and Christian living
• One who is regenerated by the Holy Spirit cannot pronounce a curse on Jesus; rather, he is the only one who from the heart can confess Jesus as Lord
• The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit does not involve revelation of new truth or the explanation of all difficult passages of Scripture to our satisfaction
• God’s holiness demands punishment for man’s sin
• Forgiveness must be received by faith
• The world takes no notice of the Spirit of God

Application:

• Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you?
• Do you obey His commands?
• Does the Holy Spirit live with you?
• Do you have spiritual union with Christ?
• Has God's wrath been turned from you?
• Have you received the anointing of the Holy Spirit?
• Can you say Jesus is Lord?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

This Command

1 John 4:21-5:4 - And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

John 13:34 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 3:14-15 - Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

John 14:15 - "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Conclusions:

• In a sense, love one another was an old command, but for Christ’s disciples it was new, because it was the mark of their brotherhood, created by Christ’s great love for them
• Our standard is Christ’s love for us
• Eternal life is an infinitely high quality of life in living fellowship with God—both now and forever
• His commands are not burdensome, not because the commands themselves are light or easy to obey, but because of the new birth
• The one born of God by faith is enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey
• Love, like faith, cannot be separated from obedience
• To overcome the world is to gain victory over its sinful pattern of life, which is another way of describing obedience to God
• Such obedience is not impossible for the believer because he has been born again and the Holy Spirit dwells within him and gives him strength
• John speaks of two aspects of victory: (1) the initial victory of turning in faith from the world to God; (2) the continuing day-to-day victory of Christian living

Application:

• Is your standard Christ's love for you?
• Do you believe in Him?
• Are you born of God by Faith? Are you enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey?
• Do you obey Jesus commands?
• Have you been born again? Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you? Does the Holy Spirit give you strength?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Atoning Sacrifice For Our SIns

1 John 4:10-11 - This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Romans 5:10 - For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

1 John 2:2 - He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Conclusions:

• Man is the enemy of God, not the reverse
• The hostility must be removed from man if reconciliation is to be accomplished
• God took the initiative in bringing this about through the death of His Son
• To reconcile is to put an end to hostility, and is closely related to the term justify
• “Saved through this life” is a reference to the unending life and ministry of the resurrected Christ for His people
• Since we were reconciled when we were God’s enemies, we will be saved because Christ lives to keep us
• God’s holiness demands punishment for man’s sin
• God, out of love, sent His Son to make substitutionary atonement for the believer’s sin
• In this way the Father’s wrath is satisfied; His wrath against the Christian’s sin has been turned away and directed toward Christ
• Forgiveness through Christ’s atoning sacrifice is not limited to one particular group only; it has worldwide application
• Forgiveness must be received by faith
• 1 John 2:2 does not teach that all people ultimately will be saved, it teaches that God is an impartial God
• Corinthian Christians had come out of a background of paganism
• Temples for the worship of Apollo, Asclepius, Demeter, Aphrodite and other gods and goddesses were seen daily by the Corinthians as they engaged in the activities of everyday life
• The worship of Aphrodite, with its many sacred prostitutes, was a particularly strong temptation
• God so loved the world is the great truth that motivated God’s plan of salvation
• Although believers are also called sons of God, Jesus is God’s Son in a unique sense

Application:

• Have you been reconciled?
• Have your sins been atoned for?
• Do you flee from idolatry?
• Are you a son of God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

God Is Love

1 John 4:7-9 - Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

John 4:24 - God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

John 1:18 - No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Conclusions:

• Only those who are to some degree like Him truly know Him
• In His essential nature and in all His actions, God is loving
• John similarly affirms that God is spirit and light, as well as holy, powerful, faithful, true and just
• The place of worship is irrelevant, because true worship must be in keeping with God’s nature, which is spirit
• In John’s gospel, truth is associated with Christ, a fact that has great importance for the proper understanding of Christian worship
• God the One and Only is an explicit declaration of Christ’s deity
• Sometimes in the Old Testament people are said to have seen God
• We are also told that no one can see God and live
• Since no human being can see God as He really is, those who saw God saw Him in a form He took on Himself temporarily for the occasion
• Now, however, Christ has made God known
• God so loved the world is the great truth that motivated God’s plan of salvation
• The world is all people on earth—or perhaps all creation
• Although believers are also called sons of God, Jesus is God’s Son in a unique sense

Application:

• Are you to some degree like Christ?
• Do you worship in spirit and in truth?
• Has Christ made God known to you?
• Do you believe in CHrist?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Spirit Of Truth

1 John 4:5-6 - They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

John 17:14 - I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

John 14:16-17 - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Mark 13:5 - Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

Conclusions:

• The world is those hostile to God and God’s people
• Those not of the world do not have the mind-set of the world, i.e., hostility to God, for they have been born of the Spirit and are children of God
• In essence and in action the Spirit is characterized by truth
• The Spirit brings people to the truth of God
• All three persons of the Trinity are linked with truth
• The world takes no notice of the Spirit of God
• The Spirit was with Jesus’ disciples and would be in them
• Some believe the indwelling relationship anticipates the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
• It is clear from such words as “Watch out”, “You must be on your guard”, “So be on your guard”, “Be on guard! Be alert!”, “Therefore keep watch” and “Watch!” that one of the main purposes of the Olivet discourse was to alert the disciples to the danger of deception

Application:

• Are you born of the Spirit and are you a child of God?
• Have you been brought to the truth of God?
• Are you alert to the danger of deception?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Teach

1 John 2:25-27 - And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

John 15:4 - Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Matthew 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

1 Corinthians 12:28 - And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Conclusions:

• Since the Bible constantly advocates teaching, John is not ruling out human teachers
• At the time when John wrote, Gnostic teachers were insisting that the teaching of the apostles was to be supplemented with the higher knowledge that the Gnostics claimed to possess
• What readers were taught under the Spirit’s ministry through the apostles not only was adequate but was the only reliable truth
• The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit develops the capacity to appreciate God’s truth already revealed—making the Bible meaningful in thought and daily living
• The believer has no fruitfulness apart from his union and fellowship with Christ
• A branch out of contact with the vine is uselsss
• Matthew ends with the reassuring and empowering words of Him who came to earth to be God with us
• The apostles and prophets were part of the foundation of the church, and teaching was associated with the pastoral office
• Any act of helping others may be the product of a spiritual gift, though the primary reference in 1 Corinthians 12:28 is probably to a ministry to the poor, needy, sick and distressed
• Those with gifts of administration were enabled by the Holy Spirit to organize and project plans and spiritual programs in the church
• Word of Christ refers especially to Christ’s teaching, which in the time of the Colossians was transmitted orally
• Some of the most important doctrines were expressed in Christian hymns preserved for us now only in Paul’s letters
• A hymn was a song of praise, especially used in celebration, much like the Old Testament psalms that praised God for all that He is

Application:

• Do you appreciate God's truth already revealed?
• Do you have fruitfulness?
• Do you obey everything Jesus commands?
• Do you help others?
• Do you teach and admonish others?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Know My Father Also

1 John 2:21-24 - I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

John 8:19 - Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

John 14:23 - Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 15:4 - Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

1 John 1:3 - We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Conclusions:

• John makes it clear that the Word was with God and was God and reveals God
• Jesus stresses that the Father is known through the Son and that to know the one is to know the other
• Love and obedience are linked
• The believer has no fruitfulness apart from his union and fellowship with Christ
• A branch out of contact with the vine is useless
• “Fellowship with us” is participation with us in our experience of hearing, seeing and touching the incarnate Christ
• Fellowship is the spiritual union of the believer with Christ—as described in the figures of the vine and branches and the body and the head—as well as communion with the Father and with fellow believers

Application:

• Do you know Christ?
• Do you obey Jesus teaching?
• Do you have union and fellowship with Christ?
• Are you in union with Christ, the Father and fellow believers?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Anointing

1 John 2:19-20,27 - They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth…As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Jeremiah 31:34 - No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

John 14:26 - But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Acts 2:26-27 - Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Acts 22:14 - "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.

Conclusions:

• Since the Bible constantly advocates teaching, John is not ruling out human teachers
• At the time when John wrote, Gnostic teachers were insisting that the teaching of the apostles was to be supplemented with the higher knowledge that the Gnostics claimed to posses
• John’s response was that what the readers were taught under the Spirit’s ministry through the apostles not only was adequate but was the only reliable truth
• The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit does not involve revelation of new truth or the explanation of all difficult passages of Scripture to our satisfaction
• The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is the development of the capacity to appreciate and appropriate God’s truth already revealed—making the Bible meaningful in thought and daily living
• “All things” are all things necessary to know for salvation and Christian living
• When the Lord has done His new work, there will no longer be among His people those who are ignorant of Him and His will for human lives
• True knowledge of the Lord will be shared by all—young and old, the peasant and the powerful
• Know the Lord refers to experiencing the Lord, not knowledge of the Lord
• The Holy Spirit is the Counselor’s normal title in the New Testament emphasizing His holiness, rather than His power or greatness
• Both the Father and the Son are involved in the sending of the Holy Spirit
• The Holy Spirit “reminding you of everything I have said to you” is crucial for the life of the church—and for the writing of the New Testament
• It was the resurrected Jesus that had convinced Paul of the truth of the gospel and that became the foundation of his theology

Application:

• Do you have the capacity to appreciate God's truth?
• Have you experienced God?
• Does the Holy Spirit teach you and remind you of all things?
• Do you have an anointing from the Holy One?
• Is seeing the resurrected Jesus important to you?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

A New Command

1 John 2:8 - Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

John 13:34 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Romans 13:12 - The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1 Thessalonians 5:5 - You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

Conclusions:

• In a sense a new command was an old one, but for Christ’s disciples it was new, because it was the mark of their brotherhood, created by Christ’s great love for them
• Our standard is Christ’s love for us
• The night is the present evil age
• “Is nearly over; the day is almost here” is a clear example of the New Testament teaching of the nearness of the end times
• These texts do not mean that the early Christians believed that Jesus would return within a few years.
• The early Christians regarded the death and resurrection of Christ as the crucial events of history that began the last days
• Since the next great event in God’s redemptive plan is the second coming of Jesus Christ, the night, no matter how long chronologically it may last, is nearly over
• The day is the appearing of Jesus Christ, which ushers in the consummation of the kingdom
• In Semitic languages, to be the “son of” a quality meant to be characterized by that quality
• Christians do not simply live in the light; they are characterized by the light

Application:

• Is your standard Christ's love for you?
• Have you put aside the deeds of darkness?
• Are you characterized by light?

All scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

New Command

1 John 2:6-7 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

1 John 3:23 - And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

John 13:34-35 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Leviticus 19:18 - " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Conclusions:

• Corinthians Christians had come out of a background of paganism
• Temples for the worship of Apollo, Asclepius, Demeter, Aphrodite and other pagan gods and goddesses were seen daily by the Corinthians as they engaged in the activities of everyday life
• The worship of Aphrodite, with its many sacred prostitutes, was a particularly strong temptation
• God’s command has two parts: (1) Believe in Christ, and (2) love each other
• In a sense a new command was an old one, but for Christ’s disciples it was new, because it was the mark of their brotherhood, created by Christ’s great love for them
• Our standard is Christ’s love for us
• Love is the distinguishing mark of Christ’s followers
• Love your neighbor as yourself is quoted by Christ, Paul and James
• The stricter Pharisees added to this command what they thought it implied: Hate your enemy
• Jesus reaction, “Love your enemies,” was in line with true Old Testament teaching and was more in agreement with the middle-of-the-road Pharisees
• Rabbi Nahmanides caught their sentiments: “One should place no limitations upon the love for neighbor, but instead a person should love to do an abundance of good for his fellow being as he does for himself.”
• Neighbor does not merely mean one who lives nearby, but anyone with whom one comes in contact

Application:

• Do you flee from idolatry?
• Do you believe in Christ? Do you love others?
• Is your standard Christ's love for you?
• Is love one of your distinguishing marks?
• Do you love to do an abundance of good for your fellow being?

All Scripture references taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

God's Love Is Truly Made Complete In Him

1 John 2:5-6 - But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

John 14:15 - "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

1 John 4:12 - No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

John 17:20-21 - "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Conclusions:

• Love, like faith, cannot be separated from obedience
• Since our love has its source in God’s love, His love reaches full expression when we love fellow Christians
• The God whom no one has ever seen is seen in those who love, because God lives in them
• The unity of believers should have an effect on outsiders, to convince them of the mission of Christ
• Jesus prayer is a rebuke of the groundless and often bitter divisions among believers

Application:

• Do you love Jesus?
• Do you love fellow Christians?
• Are there divisions between other believers and you?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Obey His Commands

1 John 2:3-4 - We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

John 14:15 - "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Titus 1:16 - They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

1 John 3:6 - No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

1 John 4:8 - Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Conclusions:

• Love, like faith, cannot be separated from obedience
• Faithful and just is a single concept
• Faithful and just indicates that God’s response toward those who confess their sins will be in accordance with His nature and His gracious commitment to His people
• God is faithful to His promise to forgive
• God will provide the forgiveness that restores the communion with Him that had been interrupted by sin
• The false teachers stood condemned by the test of personal conduct
• Right knowledge is extremely important, because it leads to godliness
• Paul maintained a remarkable balance between doctrine and practice
• John is not asserting sinless perfection, but explaining that the believer’s life is characterized not by sin but by doing what is right
• Only those who are to some degree like Him truly know Him
• In His essential nature and in all His actions, God is loving
• John similarly affirms that God is spirit and light, as well as holy, powerful, faithful, true and just

Application:

• Do you love Jesus?
• Have you confessed your sins?
• Do you claim to know God? Do your actions deny Him?
• Is your life characterized by doing what is right?
• Are you to some degree like Him?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Atoning Sacrifice For Our Sins

1 John 2:2 - He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Conclusions:

• He is the One who turns aside God’s wrath, taking away our sins, and not only ours but the world’s
• God’s holiness demands punishment for man’s sin
• God, therefore, out of love, sent His Son to make substitutionary atonement for the believer’s sin
• In this way the Father’s wrath is satisfied; His wrath against the Christian’s sin has been turned away and directed toward Christ
• Forgiveness through Christ’s atoning sacrifice is not limited to one particular group only; it has worldwide application
• Forgiveness must be received by faith
• 1 John 2:2 does not teach universalism, but that God is an impartial God
• God so loved the world is the great truth that motivated God’s plan of salvation
• The world is all people on earth—or perhaps all creation
• Although believers are also called sons of God, Jesus is God’s son in a unique sense
• Lamb of God is an expression found in the Bible only in John 1
• Many suggestions have been made as to the precise meaning of Lamb of God
• Lamb of God seems to be a general reference to sacrifice, not the name for a particular offering
• John was saying that Jesus would be the sacrifice that would atone for the sin of the world

Application:

• Has God's wrath been turned away from you?
• Are you a son of God?
• Has Jesus atoned for your sins?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Darkness

1 John 1:4-8 - We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by 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, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Hebrews 9:14 - How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Proverbs 20:9 - Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"?

John 8:44 - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Conclusions:

• It is also true that God is light
• And as Jesus followers reflect the light that comes from Him, they too are the light of the world
• Darkness is both the darkness of the world and that of Satan
• God is light; but Jesus is also the light from God that lights the way for life—as the pillar of fire lighted the way for the Israelites
• He was the one who offered the sacrifice, and He was the sacrifice itself
• Christ was unblemished in the entirety of His being, not just superficially
• To cleanse our consciences means to remove sin’s defilement from the very core of our being
• No one is without sin—but those whose sins have been forgiven have clean hands and a pure heart
• The Jews relationship to Satan was stated explicitly
• Jesus clearly excluded the idea of the universal fatherhood of God
• The Jews problem was basically spiritual, not intellectual
• Being oriented toward Satan, the Jews were bent on murder and eventually would succeed
• Truth is foreign to Satan and those who are his

Application:

• Do you reflect the light that comes from Jesus?
• Have you removed sin's defilement from the very core of your being?
• Do you have clean hands and a pure heart?
• Do you have spiritual problems?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Fellowship With Us

1 John 1:3 - We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:9 - God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

John 15:2,4-5 - He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful…Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Colossians 1:18 - And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Conclusions:

• “Fellowship with us” means participation with us in our experience of hearing, seeing and teaching the incarnate Christ
• Fellowship is the spiritual union of the believer with Christ—as described in the figures of the vine and branches and the body and the head—as well as communion with the Father and with fellow believers
• God may be trusted to do what He has promised, namely, to keep believers strong to the end
• “Cuts off” is a reference to judgment
• Pruning produces fruitfulness
• In the New Testament the figure of good fruit represents the product of a godly life or virtues of character
• The believer has no fruitfulness apart from his union and fellowship with Christ
• A branch out of contact with the vine is useless
• Jesus is emphasizing that He is the vine
• A living union with Christ is absolutely necessary; without it there is nothing
• Christ is the beginning of the new creation
• Christ was the first to rise from the dead with a resurrection body
• Elsewhere Paul calls Him the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
• Others who were raised from the dead were raised only to die again

Application:

• Do you have a spiritual union with Christ?
• Is God keeping you strong to the end?
• Is your life godly or virtuous?
• Do you have fruitfulness?
• Do you have a living union with Christ?
• Is Christ your head?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Word Of Life

1 John 1:1-3 - That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-2,4 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning…In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 11:25-26 - Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

John 14:6 - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

1 Timothy 3:16 - Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Conclusions:

• Fellowship is the spiritual union of the believer with Christ—as described in the figures of the vine and branches and the body and the head—as well as communion with the Father and with fellow believers
• The Word was distinct from the Father
• Jesus was God in the fullest sense
• Christ is the light of the world, who holds out wonderful hope for man
• Jesus not only is life but conveys life to the believer so that death will never triumph over Him
• Jesus is the way to God
• Jesus is not one way among many, but the way
• In the early church, Christianity was sometimes called the Way
• The Holy Spirit enabled Jesus to drive out demons and perform miracles
• Most importantly, the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead and thereby vindicated Him, showing that He was indeed the Son of God
• Christ was seen by angels at His resurrection and ascension

Application:

• Are you in spiritual union with Christ?
• Is God's Word meaningful to you?
• Is Christ your hope?
• Does Jesus convey life to you?
• Do you see Jesus as the only way?
• Does Jesus Christ produce piety in you?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Covers Over A Multitude Of Sins

James 5:15-20 - And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Conclusion:

• Love forgives again and again

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Elders

James 5:12-14 - Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Psalm 50:14-15 - Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Psalm 23:5 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

1 Timothy 5:17 - The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

Conclusions:

• God is honored with praise in the fulfillment of the vows—and, implicitly, with obedience to His covenant law
• The word of Christ refers especially to Christ’s teaching, which in the time of the Colossians was transmitted orally
• But by implication, the word of Christ includes the Old Testament as well as the New Testament
• Some of the most important doctrines were expressed in Christian hymns preserved for us now only in Paul’s letters
• Psalms refers to the Old Testament psalms, some of which may have been set to music by the church
• Psalm could also describe a song newly composed for Christian worship
• A hymn was a song of praise, especially used in celebration, much like the Old Testament psalms that praised God for all that He is
• A song recounted the acts of God and praised Him for them, much like the Old Testament psalms that thanked God for all that He had done
• The heavenly Shepherd-King receives David at His table as His vassal king and takes him under His protection
• In the ancient Near East, covenants were also included with a meal expressive of the bond of friendship; in the case of vassal treaties or covenants, the vassal was present as the guest of the overlord
• Anointing the head with oil was customary treatment of an honored guest at a banquet
• All elders were to exercise leadership and to teach and preach, and all were to receive honor
• Those who excelled in leadership were to be counted worthy of double honor
• This was especially true of those who labored at teaching and preaching
• Such honor should include financial support

Application:

• Are you obedient to God's law?
• Does the word of Christ dwell in you richly?
• Are you under God's protection?
• Do you honor your elders?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

The Lord Almighty

James 5:4-5 - Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.

Genesis 17:1 - When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.

Ezekiel 16:49 - " 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

Jeremiah 12:3 - Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!

Luke 16:22-23,30 - "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side…" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

Conclusions:

• Thirteen years had passed since Ishmael’s birth
• The Hebrew for God Almighty (El Shaddai) perhaps means “God, the Mountain One”, either highlighting the invincible power of God or referring to the mountains as God’s symbolic home
• God Almighty was the special name by which God revealed Himself to the patriarchs
• After Abram’s and Sarah’s attempt to obtain the promised offspring by using a surrogate mother, God appeared to Abram
• The Lord made it clear that if Abram was to receive God’s promised and covenanted benefits, he must be God’s faithful and obedient servant
• Abram’s faith must be accompanied by the obedience that comes from faith
• The sin of your sister Sodom highlights social injustice rather than immoral perversion
• Jeremiah asks that his wicked countrymen receive the fate they had sought for him
• Jeremiah’s request arises not so much out of a desire for revenge as the vindication of God’s righteousness
• The Talmud mentions both paradise and Abraham’s side as the home of the righteous
• Abraham’s side refers to the place of blessedness to which the righteous dead go to await future vindication
• Its bliss is the quality of blessedness reserved for people like Abraham
• Hades is the place to which the wicked dead go to await final judgment
• That torment begins in Hades is evident from the plight of the rich man
• The location of Abraham’s side is not specified, but it is separated from Hades by an impassable chasm
• Hades includes the torment that characterizes hell
• Some understand Jesus description of Abraham’s side and Hades in a less literal way
• The story of the rich man and Lazarus may suggest that Lazarus was intended, but Luke’s account seems to imply that Jesus was speaking also of His own resurrection
• If a person’s mind is closed and Scripture is rejected, no evidence—not even a resurrection—will change him

Application:

• Are you God's faithful and obedient servant?
• Are you arrogant, overfed and unconcerned?
• Do you seek vindication of God's righteousness?
• Are you prepared to go to the place of blessedness?
• Are you doing what you need to do to keep from being tormented for eternity?
• Is your mind closed?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Last Days

James 4:15-5:3 - Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.

1 Corinthians 5:6 - Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?

Acts 2:17 - " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

1 John 2:18 - Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

Conclusions:

• To illustrate Christian holiness and discipline, Paul alludes to the prohibition against the use of leaven in the bread eaten in the Passover feast
• Leaven in Scripture usually symbolizes evil or sin, and the church here is called on to get rid of the yeast of sin because they are an unleavened batch of dough—new creations in Christ
• Peter interprets the quote from Joel as referring specifically to the latter days of the new covenant in contrast to the former days of the old covenant
• The age of Messianic fulfillment has arrived
• With other New Testament writers, John viewed the whole period beginning with Christ’s first coming as the last days
• They understood this to be the last of the days because neither former prophecy nor new revelation concerning the history of salvation indicated the coming of another era before the return of Christ
• The word last in “last days”, “last times” and “last hour” also expresses a sense of urgency and imminence
• The Christian is to be alert, waiting for the return of Christ
• John assumed his readers knew that a great enemy of God and His people will arise before Christ’s return
• That person is called antichrist, the man of lawlessness and the beast
• But prior to him, there will be many antichrists
• Antichrists are characterized by the following: (1) They deny the incarnation and that Jesus is the divine Christ; (2) they deny the Father; (3) they do not have the Father; (4) they are liars and deceivers; (5) they are many; (6) in John’s day they left the church because they had nothing in common with believers
• The antichrists referred to in John’s letter were the early Gnostics
• The anti in antichrist means against

Application:

• Have you removed the yeast of sin?
• Has God poured out His Spirit on you?
• Are you alert waiting for the return of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Speaks Against His Brother...Speaks Against The Law

James 4:9-14 - Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 2:8 - If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

James 5:9 - Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Isaiah 2:22 - Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Conclusions:

• The law of love is called royal because it is the supreme law that is the source of all other laws governing human relationships
• The royal law is the summation of all laws
• James calls for patience toward believers as well as unbelievers
• “The Judge is standing at the door!” is a reference to Christ’s second coming and the judgment associated with it
• The New Testament insistence on imminence arises from the teaching that the last days began with the incarnation
• We have been living in the last days ever since the incarnation
• The next great event in redemptive history is Christ’s second coming
• The New Testament does not say when Christ’s second coming will take place, but its certainty is never questioned and believers are consistently admonished to watch for it
• It was in this light that James expected the imminent return of Christ
• “Stop trusting in man” means cease from man or give up on man
• “Stop trusting in man” describes the rejection of the Messiah
• Ironically, the one Man who should have been trusted and esteemed was rejected, given up on by men
• The Messiah alone was (and is) worthy of the esteem wrongly given to frail leaders

Application:

• Do you keep the royal law?
• Are you patient toward others and do you watch for Christ's second coming?
• Do you trust in man?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Near To God

James 4:8 - Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Psalm 73:28 - But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Zechariah 1:3 - Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty.

Malachi 3:7 - Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'

Psalm 119:113 - I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.

Conclusions:

• “I will tell of all your deeds” is a concluding vow to praise God for all His mercies to him
• If the people of Zechariah’s day would change their course and go in the opposite direction from that of their forefathers, the Lord would return to them with blessing instead of with a curse
• If the Lord is to come for Israel’s redemption, she must repent
• A double-minded man is unstable in all he does

Application:

• Do you praise God for all His mercies to you?
• Have you returned to God?
• Have you repented?
• Are you unstable in all you do?

Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Resist The Devil

James 4:6-7 - But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 4:26-27 - "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Ephesians 6:12,14-15 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Conclusions:

• Personal sin is usually due to our evil desires rather than to direct tempting by the devil
• However, Satan can use our sins—especially those, like anger, that are against others—to bring about greater evil, such as divisions among Christians
• “Not against flesh and blood” is a caution against lashing against human opponents as though they were the real enemy and also against assuming that the battle can be fought using merely human resources
• Rulers and forces are Paul’s allusions to powerful beings in the unseen world
• The belt of truth is the symbolic clothing of the Messiah
• Character, not brute force, wins the battle, just as in the case of the Messiah
• The warrior’s character is his defense
• God Himself is symbolically described as putting on a breastplate of righteousness when He goes forth to bring about justice

Application:

• Have you given the devil a foothold?
• Do you lash out against human opponents?
• Are you standing firm?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Impartial

James 3:16-17 - For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Hebrews 12:11 - No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Romans 12:9 - Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

James 2:1,8,10,12-13 - My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism…If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right…For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it…Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Conclusions:

• When received submissively, discipline is wholesome and beneficial
• Love is the Christian’s love for fellow Christians and perhaps also for his fellowman
• Sincere love is true love, not pretend love
• The love Paul speaks of in Romans 12:9 is not mere emotion but is active love
• God does not show favoritism—nor should believers
• The law of love is called royal because it is the supreme law that is the source of all other laws governing human relationships
• The royal law is the summation of all other laws
• The law is the expression of the character and will of God; therefore to violate one part of the law is to violate God’s will and thus His whole law
• The judgment is not for determining eternal destiny, for James is speaking to believers, whose destiny is already determined
• This judgment is for giving rewards to believers

Application:

• How do you receive discipline?
• Is your love sincere?
• Do you show favoritism?
• Do you keep the royal law?
• Do you stumble at any point with the law?
• Do you speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Wisdom

James 3:10-15 - Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10,14-16 - However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God…The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Conclusions:

• Wisdom enables one to face trials with pure joy
• Wisdom is not just acquired information but practical insight with spiritual implications
• “What God has prepared” is probably not to be limited to either present or future blessing; both are involved
• The “Spirit searches all things”, not in order to know them, for He knows all things
• Instead the Holy Spirit comprehends the depth of God’s nature and His plans of grace; so He is fully competent to make the revelation claimed here
• “Man without the Spirit” is described in Jude 19 as one who follows mere natural instincts
• The non-Christian is basically dominated by the merely physical, worldly or natural life
• Because the non-Christian does not possess the Holy Spirit, he is not equipped to receive appreciatively truth that comes from the Spirit
• The non-Christian needs the new birth
• The spiritual man is the mature man
• One who does not have the Spirit is not qualified to judge the spiritual person
• Thus believers are not rightfully subject to the opinions of unbelievers.

Application:

• Do you have practical insight with spiritual implications?
• Do you love God?
• Has God revealed to you what He has prepared for you?
• Do you understand the things that come from the Spirit of God?
• Do you make judgments about all things?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Set On Fire By Hell

James 3:4-9 - Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.

John 8:44 - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Luke 16:23 - In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

Genesis 1:26 - Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Conclusions:

• Jesus clearly excluded the idea of the universal fatherhood of God
• “You want to carry out your father’s desire” points to determination of will
• The Jews problem was basically spiritual, not intellectual
• Being oriented toward Satan, the Jews were bent on murder and eventually would succeed
• Truth is foreign to Satan and those who are his
• Hades is the place to which the wicked dead go to await the final judgment
• That torment begins in Hades is evident from the plight of the rich man
• The location of Abraham’s side is not specified, but it is separated from Hades by an impassable chasm
• Hades includes the torment that characterizes hell
• Some understand Jesus description of Abraham’s side and Hades in a less literal way
• God speaks as the Creator-King, announcing His crowning work to the members of His heavenly court
• Since man is made in God’s image, every human being is worthy of honor and respect; he is neither to be murdered or cursed
• Image includes such characteristics as righteousness and holiness and knowledge
• Believers are to be conformed to the likeness of Christ and will someday be like Him
• Man is the climax of God’s creative activity, and God has crowned him with glory and honor and made him ruler over the rest of His creation
• Since man was created in the image of the divine King, delegated sovereignty was bestowed on him

Application:

• Do you have spiritual problems?
• Where are you going to spend eternity?
• Are you conformed to the likeness of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Not By Faith Alone

James 2:24-3:1 - You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

James 2:21 - Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

Hebrews 11:31 - By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

Luke 20:47 - They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

Conclusions:

• Apart from its context, James 2:21 might seem to contradict the Biblical teaching that people are saved by faith and not by good deeds
• But James means only that righteous action is evidence of genuine faith—not that it saves, for the verse that he cites to substantiate his point says, “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness”
• Furthermore, Abraham’s act of faith recorded in Genesis 15:6 occurred before he offered up Isaac, which was only a proof of the genuineness of his faith
• As Paul wrote, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
• Faith that saves produces deeds
• The prostitute Rahab is a designation describing her way of life prior to her newly found faith; also a testimony to God’s boundless grace that can reach down and redeem and raise any sinner to eternal dignity
• Because a teacher has great influence, he will be held more accountable
• The teachers of the law took advantage of widows by fraud and schemes for selfish gain
• The higher the esteem of men, the more severe the demands of true justice; and the more hypocrisy, the greater the condemnation

Application:

• Does your faith produce deeds?
• Have you been redeemed and raised to eternal dignity?
• As a teacher, you will be held more accountable.
• Do you take advantage of people for selfish gain?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Dead

James 2:15-19 - Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Galatians 5:6 - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Romans 3:28 - For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

1 Corinthians 8:5-6 - For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Conclusions:

• Faith is not mere intellectual agreement but a living trust in God’s grace that expresses itself in acts of love
• When Luther translated Romans 3:28, he added the word alone, which, though not in the Greek, accurately reflects the meaning
• God the Father is the ultimate source of all creation
• God the Son is the dynamic one through whom, with the Father, all things came into existence

Application:

• Do you have faith expressing itself through love?
• Are you justified by faith?
• Do you live for God (the Father) and through Jesus Christ (the Son)?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Merciful

James 2:12-14 - Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

Luke 6:37 - "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

James 1:25 - But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Romans 3:22-24 - This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Conclusions:

• Jesus did not relieve His followers of the need for discerning right and wrong, but He condemned unjust and hypocritical judging of others
• The perfect law is the moral and ethical teaching of Christianity, which is based on the Old Testament moral law, as embodied in the Ten Commandments, but brought to completion by Jesus Christ
• In contrast to the sinner, who is a slave to sin, obeying the moral law gives the Christian the joyous freedom to be what he was created for
• Justified describes what happens when someone believes in Christ as his Savior: From the negative viewpoint, God declares the person to be not guilty; from the positive viewpoint, He declares him to be righteous
• God cancels the guilt of the person’s sin and credits righteousness to him when justified
• No one lives a perfectly good, holy, righteous life
• There is no one righteous and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
• Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law
• Even though all are sinners and not sons, God will declare everyone who puts his trust in Jesus not guilty but righteous
• This legal declaration is valid because Christ died to pay the penalty for our sin and lived a life of perfect righteousness that can in turn be imputed to us
• Christ’s righteousness will be credited to believers as their own
• The central thought in justification is that although man clearly and totally deserves to be declared guilty, because of his trust in Christ God declares him righteous
• God declaring the believer righteous is stated in several ways: (1) freely, (2) by His grace, (3) through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus and (4) through faith
• Redemption is a word taken from the slave market—the basic idea is that of obtaining release by payment of a ransom
• Paul uses redemption to refer to release from guilt, with its liability for judgment, and to deliverance from slavery to sin, because Christ in His death paid the ransom for us

Application:

• Do you judge? Do you condemn? Do you forgive?
• Do you obey the moral law?
• Have you been justified and redeemed?

All Scripture verses taken from the NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Judged

James 2:1,11-13 - My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism…For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Exodus 20:13-14 - "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery.

James 1:25 - But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

John 5:24 - "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 - If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.

2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Conclusions:

• Adultery is a sin against God as well as against the marriage partner
• The Hebrew for murder usually refers to a premeditated and deliberate act
• The judgment in James 2:12 is not for determining eternal destiny, for James is speaking to believers, whose destiny is already determined
• The judgment is James 2:12 is for giving rewards to believers
• The perfect law is the moral and ethical teaching of Christianity, which is based on the Old Testament moral law, as embodied in the Ten Commandments, but brought to completion by Jesus Christ
• In contrast to the sinner, who is a slave to sin, obeying the moral law gives the Christian the joyous freedom to be what he was created for
• God does not show favoritism—nor should believers
• Whoever believes in Him has eternal life shows faith and life are connected
• Eternal life is a present possession for believers
• The believer has crossed over from death to life, meaning the believer no longer belongs to death
• Gold, silver and costly stones represent precious, durable work that stands the test of divine judgment; symbolic of pure Christian doctrine and living
• Wood, hay or straw is worthless work that will not stand the test; symbolic of weak, unpleasing teaching and life
• Fire is God’s judgment
• The work of some believers will stand the test while that of others will disappear—emphasizing the importance of teaching the pure word of God
• Appearing before the judgment seat of Christ has nothing to do with justification, which is credited to the Christian fully and forever through faith in Christ; instead, it refers to what we have done with our lives as Christians
• Although the body is wasting away, we are responsible for our actions while in it

Application:

• Are you an adulterer?
• Are you a murderer?
• Do you speak and act as if you are going to be judged?
• Do you obey the moral law?
• Do you show favoritism?
• Do you hear God's Word and believe Him?
• What is your foundation built on?
• Will your work stand the test?
• What have you done with your life as a Christian?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived fron NIV Study Bible

Favoritism

James 2:9-10 - But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

James 2:1 - My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Galatians 3:10 - All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

Conclusions:

• God does not show favoritism—nor should believers
• The law is the expression of the character and will of God; therefore to violate one part of the law is to violate God’s will and thus His whole law
• All who rely on observing the law refers to legalists—those who refuse God’s offer of grace and insist on pursuing righteousness through works
• All who rely on observing the law are under a curse because no one under the law ever perfectly kept the law
• God’s blessing has never been earned, but has always been freely given

Application:

• Do you show favoritism?
• Do you violate any part of the law?
• Do you rely on observing the law?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Royal Law

James 2:6-8 - But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

Leviticus 19:18 - " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Romans 13:8 - Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

Conclusions:

• The law of love is called royal because it is the supreme law that is the source of all other laws governing human relationships
• The royal law is the summation of all laws
• Love your neighbor as yourself is quoted by Christ, Paul and James
• The stricter Pharisees added to “love your neighbor as yourself” what they thought it implied: Hate your enemy
• Jesus reaction to hate your enemy was love your enemies. Jesus reaction was in line with the Old Testament teaching and was more in agreement with the middle-of-the-road Pharisees
• Rabbi Nahmanides caught the sentiments of the middle-of-the-road Pharisees: One should place no limitations upon the love for the neighbor, but instead a person should love to do an abundance of good for his fellow being as he does for himself
• Neighbor does not merely mean one who lives nearby, but anyone with whom one comes in contact
• To love is the one debt that is never paid off
• No matter how much one has loved, he is under obligation to keep on loving
• Loving one another includes not only fellow Christians but all people, as loving his fellow man makes clear
• The law is the Mosaic law, which lays down both moral and social responsibilities

Application:

• Are you loving your neighbor as yourself?
• Do you seek revenge or bear grudges against people?
• Do you love all people?

All Scripture verses from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Word of truth

James 1:18-25 - He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

1 Peter 1:23 - For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

John 8:32 - Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

James 2:12-13 - Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

John 8:34 - Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Conclusions:

• The new birth comes about through direct action of the Holy Spirit, but the word of God also plays an important role, for it presents the gospel to the sinner and calls on him to repent and believe in Christ
• The imperishable seed is doubtless the word of God, which is imperishable, living and enduring
• Perfect law is the moral and ethical teaching of Christianity, which is based on the Old Testament moral law, as embodied in the Ten Commandments, but brought to completion by Jesus Christ
• In contrast to the sinner, who is a slave to sin, obeying the moral law gives the Christian the joyous freedom to be what he was created for
• Closely connected with Jesus, the truth is not philosophical truth but the truth that leads to salvation
• The truth will set you free from sin, not ignorance
• The judgment is James 2:12 is not for determining eternal destiny, for James is speaking to believers, whose destiny is already determined
• The judgment in James 2:12 is for giving rewards to believers
• A sinner is a slave to sin because he cannot break free by his own strength

Application:

• Have you been called to repent and believe in Christ?
• Are you being what you have been created for?
• Do you know the truth?
• Do you speak and act based on heavenly rewards?
• Are you a slave to sin?

All Scripture verses from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Every Good And Perfect Gift Is From ABove

James 1:16-17 - Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

1 Corinthians 6:9

Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Malachi 3:6 - "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Conclusions:

• People who engage in the practices of 1 Corinthians 6:9 as well as the other offenders in 1 Corinthians 6:10, are explicitly excluded from God’s kingdom
• “God is not a man, that He should lie” describes the unchangeability of the Lord and the integrity of His word
• Balaam is a foil for God—constantly shifting, lying, misleading, changing—a prime example of the distinction between God and man
• Contrary to what many in Malachi’s day were thinking, God remains faithful to His covenant
• Israel was not destroyed in spite of Israel’s history of unfaithfulness
• Wisdom enables one to face trials with pure joy
• Wisdom is not just acquired information but practical insight with spiritual implications

Application:

• Do you engage in the practices of 1 Corinthians 6:9?
• Are you constantly shifting, lying, misleading and changing?
• Do you have a history of unfaithfulness?
• Do you have practical insight?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Nor Does He Tempt Anyone

James 1:13-15 - When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Genesis 22:1 - Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

Genesis 3:6-7,15,22 - When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves…And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."… And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

Job 15:35 - They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit."

Conclusions:

• Tempted refers to temptations that test one’s moral strength to resist sin
• Because God in His very nature is holy, there is nothing in Him for sin to appeal to
• Isaac had grown into adolescence or young manhood when Abraham was asked to sacrifice him
• God tested Abraham. God did not tempt Abraham, for God does not tempt
• Satan tempts us in order to make us fall; God tests us in order to confirm our faith or prove our commitment
• Abraham answered with the response of a servant, as did Moses and Samuel when God called them by name
• The three stages—desire, sin, death—are seen in the temptations of Eve and David
• Good, pleasing and desirable are three aspects of temptation
• Once initiated, sinful thoughts develop quickly into evil acts
• No longer innocent like children, Adam and Eve had a new awareness of themselves and of each other in their nakedness and shame
• The antagonism between people and snakes is used to symbolize the outcome of the titanic struggle between God and the evil one, a struggle played out in the hearts and history of mankind
• The offspring of the woman would eventually crush the serpent’s head, a promise fulfilled in Christ’s victory over Satan—a victory in which all believers will share
• In a terribly perverted way, Satan’s predictions came true
• Sin, which always results in death, cuts the sinner off from God’ gift of eternal life

Application:

• Do you accuse God of tempting you?
• Do you answer with the response of a servant?
• Do you conceive desire?
• Do you give in to temptation?
• Do you conceive sinful thoughts?
• Are you ashamed when you sin?
• Are you a believer?
• Have you been cut off from God's gift of eternal life?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible.

Blessed

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Genesis 22:1 - Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 - However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Matthew 5:10 - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 1:1 - Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 Timothy 4:8 - Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Conclusions:

• Abraham was tested, not tempted, for God does not tempt
• Satan tempts us in order to make us fall; God tests us in order to confirm our faith or prove our commitment
• Abraham answered with a response of a servant, as did Moses and Samuel when God called them by name
• What God has prepared is probably not to be limited to either present or future blessing; both are involved
• Theirs is the kingdom of heaven is a present reality as well as a future hope
• Psalm 1:1 speaks progressively of association with the ungodly and participation in their ungodly ways
• Blessed is the happy condition of those who revere the Lord and do His will, who put their trust in Him, and so are blessed by God
• The Psalter begins by proclaiming the blessedness of the godly and ends by calling all living things to praise God in His earthly and heavenly sanctuaries
• Counsel is deliberations and advice
• Sinners are those for whom evil is habitual; for whom wickedness is a way of life
• Mockers are those who ridicule God and defiantly reject His law
• Paul uses the metaphor of the wreath given to the winner of a race
• Paul could be referring to (1) a crown given as a reward for a righteous life, (2) a crown consisting of righteousness or (3) a crown given righteously by the righteous Judge
• That day is the day of Christ’s second coming

Application:

• Do you answer with the response of a servant?
• Do you love God?
• Are you persecuted because of righteousness?
• Do you revere the Lord, do His will, and put your trust in Him?
• Do you long for Christ's appearing?

All Scripture verses from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible