Again, we just want to invite our television audience to study the Word with us, we’re just an informal Bible study. I don’t claim to have all the answers. I don’t mind if someone disagrees if they can do it scripturally and rightly divide the Word. But hopefully we can just open the understanding of folks to search the Scriptures and compare Scripture with Scripture. That’s the way I find is the best way to teach it.

So, we’re presently in I John chapter 5 but we’ve just gone on some new stations again and a new network, and by the time these programs get on the air I’m sure we’ll have quite a few new listeners. And so I’m going to take a moment for their benefit to remind even the rest of us that these little Jewish epistles of James and Peter and John are just that – they are written to Jewish believes. And James makes it so plain that he’s writing to the Twelve Tribes. Well, now that’s Israel.

And Peter comes back and begins his little epistle by saying that he’s writing to those that are scattered abroad, which of course, would be a reference to the Jews. And John follows in that same format. So as we study these little Jewish epistles, they are still all under the Jewish economy. There is almost nothing of the Gospel of Grace we’re living in today. There is nothing in here that pertains to the Body of Christ as such but it’s all a continuation of the four gospel accounts.

In fact, so much as we’re going to see here in just a minute, that John writes in this little epistle almost word for word from the gospel of John, which just shows that nothing has changed so far as these three men are concerned. And I’m going to use some Scripture to back that up. But just remember that we’re continuing on the prophetic Scriptures coming out of the Old Testament that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah promised ever since David, especially, but all the way the back to Abraham and that if Israel would have accepted Him as their Redeemer, Messiah, and King He could have set up the Kingdom.

But of course that has now been set aside and what these writers are now looking for is it’s still out in front. They proclaim that Christ has been resurrected and ascended back to Glory, but He’s ready to return and that’s what Peter said in Acts chapter 3. "That if Israel would yet repent of having crucified their promised Messiah, God would still send Jesus Christ to set up the Kingdom." But all of that is fading now because of Israel’s unbelief. But nevertheless, the thrust of these little epistles is to prepare Jews who had embraced Jesus of Nazareth and to prepare them for the coming horrors of the Tribulation. And if they could go through that they would see the Kingdom become a reality. Now of course, in retrospect, we can look back that all of that was put on hold when Israel refused to believe, and instead God raised up the Apostle Paul, the Gentiles’ apostle we are to receive our Church Age instructions from with that whole new economy of the Grace of God.

Now I’m going to show that to you before we go very much further. And maybe this is as good a time as any. Let’s go all the way back to Acts chapter 9. And this is what I call, the fork in the road. Now for those of you here, I know you’ve heard this not too long ago, but again like I said, for the sake of our new listeners, I want them to see where we are coming from on some of the remarks that we will make even this afternoon.

But here in Acts chapter 9, we have what I call the "fork in the road." Everything has been Jewish up until now concerning who Jesus of Nazareth really was, and that they’d crucified Him. But God raised Him from the dead. Called Him back to Glory, but He could still return and fulfill the promises. But Israel isn’t buying it. So now then God does something different in chapter 9 He saves another Jew, the Apostle Paul, outside of the land of Israel.

Now I always like to make the point that Jesus chose the Twelve inside the borders of the land of Israel, the shores of Galilee and so on and so forth, but this man is commissioned outside the borders of Israel. He’s on Gentile territory up at Damascus and he is consequently then the Apostle of the Gentiles. (Romans 11:13)

All right, now if you’ve got Acts chapter 9 we’re going to look at verse 15 where God is talking to Ananias, one of those devout law keeping, believing Jews. Now when I say believing Jews at this time I’m talking about Jews who have embraced Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, the Son of God. That’s what they’ve believed for salvation.

The rank and file of Israel has said "No way, nothing good can come out of Nazareth." But this little remnant, this small percentage of Israel that have embraced Jesus of Nazareth, I’m calling the Jewish believers. And that’s all they are. They know nothing yet of salvation as it’s been revealed to the Apostle Paul for this Age of Grace, and what we must believe today for salvation.

All right, so the Lord is speaking to this Jewish believer, Ananias. Verse 15 of chapter 9.

"But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he (this Saul of Tarsus, that rank persecutor) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles,…"

My! That was unheard of in Israel. And if it was, they didn’t like the idea. And I always go back to Jonah for an example. Why in the world did Jonah go out on the Mediterranean rather than go to Ninevah? Well, Ninevah was Gentile. And a good Jew wouldn’t have anything to do with Gentiles, (Matthew 10:5-6) so he took a ship to get as far away as he could. That was a typical reaction of the Jew. And I could show you verse after verse even here in the book of Acts. For example go on over to chapter 11.

Now I didn’t intend to do this but I guess the Spirit is leading in this direction. This is always good for all of us. You can’t repeat it enough. And this is one thing that just sticks in the craw of most of Christendom that the Gentiles were not involved until Paul. They just can’t buy that, but here’s the Scripture. Acts 11:19 and this is long after even Pentecost and this is after Peter has been up to the house of Cornelius and so we’re probably at about seven or eight years after Pentecost and these Jews are still being scattered out of Jerusalem because of the persecution.

"Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen (Jews! Believing Jews) traveled as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch, (now here it comes) preaching the word, to none but unto the Jews only."

Well, now you’ve got to stop in places like this. And you just have to ask yourself, how much of the Word is out there at this time? Old Testament. There’s no New Testament written yet, eight years after Pentecost. So the only Word that these Jews had was the Old Testament, well that’s all they needed if they were preaching to Jews. But the last part of the word says what? "preaching the word, to none but Jews only." Now that’s as plain as language can make it. They had no intention of going to Gentiles. So going to the Gentiles is left for the Apostle Paul, just exactly as God wanted, and you’ll never find Paul mixing Law and Grace in his epistles that he wrote.

All right now then, since we’re dealing with the Apostle Paul, I’ll take you to a statement that just shakes people up. Come on over to Romans a minute. Romans chapter 16 verse 25. Now this is what this Apostle of the Gentiles is going to be proclaiming to the whole world. Now of course, he was limited to a certain area of the Roman Empire, but nevertheless, it becomes a worldwide Gospel of salvation totally different than the prophetic program for Israel and now look what it says.

"Now to him that is of power to establish you (now remember he’s writing to Gentile believers in Rome) according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, (which was given to Paul. And this revelation of the mystery) which was kept secret since the ages began."

Now I always have to slow down and help people to just soak that up. Where has this message been? Hidden in the mind of God. Nobody had the slightest hint that God would take this Gospel of salvation to the whole world and offer a salvation by faith plus nothing in what He had accomplished at the cross! That was unheard of.

All the Old Testament was speaking of was this coming Messiah and Redeemer of Israel. So if you wanted to put the Old Testament account into the same kind of language, you could say that Jesus and the Twelve preached Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Prophetic Program. And that was: Faith in the Redeemer, Messiah and King. They were never told to have faith in the finished work of the cross as we must do today.

But Paul doesn’t say a word about the Messiahship. He doesn’t say a word about Christ being the King, and that He is the Head of the Body. He’s the Savior of mankind, that’s Paul’s language. All right, let’s just flip over and pick up another verse along that same line. Come on over to Ephesians chapter 3. Now remember this is still review of our introduction of James and Peter and John. And what we have to understand is that all of the Jewish program preached by Jesus and the Twelve was based on the Old Testament promises. (Romans 15:8) And those Old Testament promises were concerning a King and a Kingdom. Paul doesn’t mention that. He’s under a whole different format, see?

"That the Gentiles (see? The non-Jewish world) should be fellowheirs. and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ (that’s the epitome of everything for us today) by the gospel: 7. Whereof (that is this Gospel of salvation, according to the revelation of the mystery) I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me…"

Paul didn’t earn it because of his education or his position as a priest, or anything like that. No. It was given because of the grace of God to this rank persecutor.

"… given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, (he never forgot the misery that he brought into the believing element of Israel) is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles (not Israel, although Israel is going to have an opportunity, but it’s primarily to the Gentiles) the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9. And to make all men see (not just Israel) what is the fellowship of the mystery, which (now watch this carefully, especially for those of you out in television watching me for the first time) from the beginning of the world (that is the beginning of the human experience, so we can go back to Adam) hath been hid in God, (the same God) who created all things by Jesus Christ."

Where has this glorious message been? Hidden! No one in the Old Testament economy had any idea that God was going to do this. All they understood was that God was going to bring in this glorious earthly Kingdom promised to Abraham and David and the rest of the Patriarchs and then Israel in turn could be a magnet that would bring them to a knowledge of their God. But Israel dropped the ball. Israel didn’t recognize their King and they crucified Him and God in turn, now turns to the Gentile world through this Apostle with this whole magnificent message of the Grace of God.

Well, let’s go back to I John chapter 5 and again kicking back into to where we began, that this is all written to Jewish believers and they were believing for salvation only that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah. They know nothing of this revelation of the mystery as yet. Now maybe I should back my argument a little stronger. Let’s just continue on proving why I’m saying what I’m saying.

Come back with me now a minute remember now what we’ve just seen that God is going to send Paul to the Gentiles and Jesus and Peter and the other eleven men have been dealing only with Jews. Jews only, just like Acts 11:19 said. But now come back with me if you will to Galatians chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2 and remember now this is 51 or 52 AD. Twenty-one or twenty-two years after Pentecost. About twelve years after Paul has begun his ministry among the Gentiles and Peter has already gone to the house of Cornelius. And yet, the Jerusalem Jewish believers are not convinced that Paul’s Gospel is the real thing. They just can’t buy the fact that these pagan Gentiles could be saved without becoming proselytes of Judaism.

And so they go in behind Paul back, and tell these Gentile converts of his, you can’t be saved unless you practice circumcision and keep the Mosaic Law. You can find that in Acts 15, as it’s as plain as day. So finally they had to come to a conclusion and settle this thing, and it’s ‘either’ ‘or’. It’s either Paul’s Gospel is right, or he has been misleading the Gentiles. And so they meet up in Jerusalem according to the Divine leading and here we have it now in Galatians chapter 2. Now I’m not going to take time to come through all of it, but I merely want to show that from this Jerusalem counsel Peter, James and John agree not to interfere with Paul’s ministry among the Gentiles, but instead they will stay with Israel. And this is paramount to our understanding all these things.

And here it is. Galatians 2 verse 9, after the argument had been settled between Paul and Peter, James and John, here’s their conclusion.

"And when James, and Peter, and John, (all three of them) who seemed to be pillars, (that is of the Jerusalem church) perceived (or understood) the grace that was given unto me, they (Peter, James and John) gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; (And here’s what they shook hands on.) that we would go to the heathen, (Gentiles,) and they would go to the circumcision (Israel.)"

I call that the gentlemen’s agreement. And they never abrogated that. So consequently with that agreement in mind are these little Jewish epistles written.

Now it’s interesting that by the time we come to the end of all this and Paul and Peter are both about to be martyred and within a couple of years the Temple will be destroyed, burned to the ground and Israel uprooted out of Jerusalem and the Promised Land and scattered into the ends of the earth; it follows then that the Jewish program is going to disappear. The Temple is gone. The priesthood is gone. They’ve got nothing left to stand on, so what remains? The Gospel of Grace. Paul’s Gospel of Grace is all that’s left.

Now see how Peter by inspiration comes to that point. II Peter chapter 3 and this is an amazing statement. Of course, it’s Holy Spirit inspired. We never take that away from one word of Scripture. But nevertheless, as these men wrote, their own personality certainly comes through. II Peter 3 starting with verse 15 and this is so crucial to understanding this separating Paul from the rest of the Jewish economy until the Jewish program disappears completely. And the Holy Spirit prompting Peter to recognize that fact, this is what he says.

"And account (understand) that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;…"

Now you know whenever I teach this verse what am I always saying? This whole Book from Genesis to the end of Revelation is primarily concerned with bringing lost people to a point of salvation. That’s the whole heart of God in everything, is to bring lost people to a place of salvation. See? All right, so here Peter is saying the same thing. "the longsuffering, the patience, the Grace of our Lord is salvation." Now watch it!

"…even as our beloved brother Paul…"

Now I’m going to stop a second. Do you know that most of Christendom and whenever some of our listeners go into their respective pastors and try to point out what I’ve been teaching, they get real upset, and say "There’s never been any difference between what Paul and Peter preached. They preached the same thing." Well now let me beg to differ.

Do you ever up until right here see Peter make any kind of a condescension or a statement of compromise with the Apostle Paul. I don’t know of a single instance until here. There has never been an instance that Peter, James and John recommend the Jewish people listen to or read Paul. But at the end of it all, when there’s now no more hope for Israel – two years, the Temple is going to be gone. Jerusalem is going to be wiped off and the people are scattered. Now look what Peter says,

"…even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom (what’s the wisdom? The revelation of the mysteries. And according to those mysteries that have been revealed unto him) given unto him hath written unto you;"

Peter says, "That’s where you have to go now. Our ministry is coming to an end, but you go to Paul." Now verse 16.

Not just in Hebrews, which I think he’s referring to in 15. Not just Hebrews. But now you go to all his epistles, even though their written to Gentiles, you Jews have to go to Paul’s epistles to find salvation, because that’s where it’s at today.

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, (we’ve commented on that a hundred times, haven’t we? Poor old Peter just couldn’t catch it all) which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (or twist. My they’re doing it today like never before) as they do also the other scriptures unto their own destruction."

And what does Galatians 1:6-9 tell us? "Even if it’s an angel from heaven, preach and twist Paul’s Gospel of salvation, to mean something else there’s only one future for them and that’s anathema. Condemnation."

All right, now in the few moments we have left, let’s go back, maybe we can make one verse of headway anyway in I John chapter 5, I didn’t intend to use this whole lesson just for review. See, now that’s why I have to tell Laura, my daughter, right off the bat, I never know where I’m going to end up after these four lessons are finished. All right, I John chapter 5, we covered verse 8 in our last program, but we’ll read it.

"And these three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, (the Holy Spirit,) and the water, (now remember we covered all that last week, that referred to His physical birth) and the blood:…"

His Divine aspect. He was the God-man. And I can’t emphasize that enough. He was totally human. He got hungry. He got tired. He suffered. But on the other hand, He was totally God. He could raise the dead. He could forgive sin. He could still the wind. And as God, He could just be God! From His human side, He would pray to the Father, as any other human. And so you always have to keep these things in perspective. So here they’re all reviewed. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All right, now then, verse 9.

"If we receive the witness of men, (we take them at their word,) the witness of God is greater:…"

Men can lie. But can God? No. God cannot lie. He cannot even tell a half-truth. It’s beyond His nature.

"…for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record (that is the written record) that God gave of his Son."

Well, I shouldn’t have even started this verse without having a full thirty minutes, but nevertheless we’ll take just a little bit of comparison now. Remember the first part of verse 10 "he that believeth on the Son of God has witness in himself."

Now let’s come back to John’s Gospel, like I said it’s so much, almost identically word for word. Come back with me now to John’s Gospel chapter 3, and if this isn’t almost the same thing that you saw in I John. Let’s start with verse 17. I was going to read 16, but you all know that so we’ll just take these few seconds to go to 17.

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but the world through him might be saved. 18. He that believeth on him (on the Son) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

That’s the Gospel of salvation according to John, and we can’t use it by itself in this Age of Grace. Today we must also use the finished work of the cross as we see in Paul’s I Corinthians 15:1-4.

Okay, it’s good to have everybody back after a coffee break and we’re ready to jump right back in where we left off. That’ll be in I John chapter 5. And for those of you joining us on television, I just have to take a minute to thank you from the depths of our heart, we just came up with our yearend report and my, the Lord has been good! We have been so blessed. And we’ve been taking on more stations and everything and it’s because of you folks who are willing to give. You know I never ask for a dime. We’re not underwritten. People can’t understand it. I just had a call a while back, "Just where do you get money to be on television?" And the answer is always the same. "From God’s people." My, how faithful you are.

Okay, now like we said at the beginning of the last program, we are teaching these little Jewish epistles from that perspective that they were written to Jewish believers, in view of the horrors of the Tribulation just out in front of them and so these are epistles to encourage them. And the language is almost identical with that of Christ’s earthly ministry and the four gospels account and the early chapters of Acts.

Salvation for these Jewish believers was by simply believing – plus of course, all the rest of the Judaism requirement – but the Jewish believers had believed for salvation that Jesus was the Christ. Period. And as I’ve said over and over while we’ve been teaching these, you don’t see one word about salvation through faith in His death, burial and resurrection. It’s only believing who Jesus is and was. No mention of the Body of Christ. No Age of Grace language in any of this that we see in Paul’s epistles. That was an unknown term to these Jewish believers.

All right, so now we come into I John chapter 5 and verse 10 where we ended our last program, and it’s the same kind of language as John’s gospel account.

"He that believeth on the Son of God (that’s a perfect parallel with John 3:16) hath the witness in himself: (but the other side of the coin, the flipside) he that believeth not God hath made him (God) a liar; "

Now that’s the way that has to be read. "He that believeth not God makes God a liar." Now, just stop and think a minute. If I were to tell you something that I know is as truthful as truthful can possibly be, and you turn right around and tell me, "I don’t believe it." What could you just as well call me? A liar. You would just simply say, "Les, you’re a liar." Well, that’s what every unbeliever is doing with the Almighty God. And God cannot lie! Consequently it is the one and only sin that will put men and women into the Lake of Fire. Unbelief! Calling God a liar.

Now there is one primary example that is used all through Scripture to drive home the point of what happens when mankind will not believe God. And it’s Kadesh-barnea. All right, when Israel had just received the Temple worship, in the form of the little tent, and they’ve now got the priesthood and they’re ready for the Promised Land. But, even before they get out of Egypt, this is what God promises them concerning the future time of going to the Promised Land.

Now you know as we’ve been studying Isaiah in one of our Oklahoma classes and you know I even get to the place myself where I just love to just hammer home some things, for my own benefit because that’s the only way we retain it. See, that’s what brain washers do. They just hammer something home so that it never can slip out again. All right, so I’m hammering home in the book of Isaiah – in fact I’ve got some of my Tahlequah people here – that all through the book you have the promises of God, but those promises all concern the future and so then we call it what? Prophecy. Promises and prophecy.

All right, here’s a good example back here in Exodus now chapter 23. They’re going to be heading for the Promised Land that was promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob some 400 years earlier. All right now look what God says to Moses, Exodus chapter 23, let’s start at verse 20.

"Behold, I send an Angel (now that’s capitalized so it’s the Angel of the LORD, which is God the Son) before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have (what?) prepared."

God’s gotten it all ready! And you know how long He’s been working on it? Four hundred years! That’s a long time to get some real estate ready, isn’t it? Now that’s the way I like to look at Glory, my goodness, God is working in all eternity to get Heaven prepared for you and I. No wonder it’s going to be glorious!

But, all right, here’s God is telling Moses that they’re getting ready to go to the place that He has been preparing for them for the last 400 years. All right, read on, verse 21.

"Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. (That is the Angel of the Lord.) 22. But, if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thy enemies, and an adversary unto thy adversaries. 23. For mine Angel…"

Capitalized again, the Angel of the Lord. And Jacob puts another definition on it in Genesis 48 – "The Angel of the LORD who redeemed me." How many Redeemers in Scripture? One! So it has to be the Son of God that is the Redeemer, the Angel.

In other words, God’s going to move them out with hornets. Then the voice of warning,

"Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. 25. And ye shall serve the LORD your God, (that is when they would get into the Promised Land now, don’t forget what we’re talking about) and he shall bless thy bread and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee; 26. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: The number of thy days I will fulfil."

Now what are all these? Promises. Right now? No. A little ways out into the future, so then it becomes a what? Prophecy. Promise and prophecy.

"I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, I will make all thy enemies turn their backs to thee."

Now you don’t fight with your back to the enemy, or you’re running. Right? All right, so that’s where he’s got the Canaanite tribe with their back to the Israelites, they’re running. How’s he going to get them to run? The next verse. God says:

In other words, He’s not going to drive them out so fast that before the Jews have time to come in and become settled and start taking over the farmland and the vineyards and the pastures and everything, He’s going to do it slow enough so that nothing falls out of production. Nothing. The land is just going to remain in production. What a promise!

"By little and little I will drive them out before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land."

What a promise! God’s been working 400 years to get this ready, well who’s been His workmen? The Canaanites! The Canaanites are building, you know, they thought for themselves. No they weren’t building it for themselves, in God’s providence they were getting it ready for the Jews. So it’s prophecy. It’s a promise. Verse 31.

"And I will set thy bounds (or your borders) from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, (which is the Mediterranean) and from the desert to the river: (that is the River Euphrates) for I will (there’s the promise) delivery thee inhabitants (there’s the prophecy) into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32. Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods it would surely be a snare unto thee"

All right, now there’s the promises and the prophecies spoken by God Himself. All right, now let’s just go ahead a little way to Numbers. Numbers chapter 13, now God is ready to bring the prophecy into fulfillment. He’s got them at the gateway to Canaan, Kadesh-barnea. Everything is ready. They’ve now got the Tabernacle. They’ve got the priesthood. Everything is ready for the Nation to go in and enjoy the Sabbath rest. It would be light work, it would be tremendous production, it would literally be almost Heaven on earth. That’s the promise and now the prophecy is ready to unfold.

Now come into chapter 13 and let’s just drop in at verse 27. And I’ve always made the point you know that sending in the spies was not God’s idea, that was Israel’s. God said, "go in and take it." But Israel said, "oh, let’s first send spies." Well that was their first step down in unbelief. But God permits it. You know God has a directive will, I think, and He has a permissive will. Sad to say, most of us end up in the permissive. But, the directive will was "go on in." The permissive will was "okay, send in your spies." So here they come.

"And they (the spies) told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it."

And you all have seen pictures of them carrying the grapes and so forth.

"Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. (a giant type people.) 29. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan."

Well that didn’t surprise God! He knew where they were and He told the Jews that He’d drive them out. Now verse 30.

"And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31. But, the men that went up him said, we be not able to go up against the people: for they are stronger than we. 32. And they brought up an evil report of the land, which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; (what a falsehood.) and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. 33. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which came from the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

What are they forgetting? The promises of God! They are spurning the Word of God. Now when you spurn the Word of God, what are you guilty of ? Unbelief. Unbelief! All right, next chapter just for a little bit before we move on.

"And all the congregation (the whole Nation of Israel) lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, "Would to God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God that we had died in the wilderness! 3. And wherefore hath the LORD brought us into this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey?"

What have they forgotten? What God said! Unbelief. And this experience of unbelief is referred to all the way up through Scripture. I think it’s probably referred to as often as any one thing that I can think of, but we’ll just come all the way up to Hebrews chapter 3 now. The horrors of unbelief. And what makes it so horrific, is that when mankind says, I don’t believe what God said, they’re calling Him a liar! The Righteous, Holy, Majesty of the Godhead, that cannot lie and mankind has the voracity to say, ‘you lied.’ No, God can’t lie.

God meant it when He said, "I’ll drive them out with hornets" They wouldn’t have lost a drop of blood. They could have had that tremendous land of production, if they would have just gone in taking God at His Word by faith. But instead – unbelief. All right, Hebrews chapter 3, this is one of the final places that this is referred to. Let’s drop in at verse 8.

"Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, (that’s at Kadesh-barnea) in the day of temptation (or testing) in the wilderness: 9. When your fathers (now remember Hebrews is written to Hebrews, so this is a reference to Israel) tempted me, and proved me, and saw my works for forty years."

In other words, as a result of their turning away from Canaan, they went back into the wilderness you remember for forty years, until they all died like flies.

"Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. (They couldn’t believe what He said.) 11. So (God says) I sware in my wrath, (because of their unbelief) They shall not enter into my rest."

In other words God says, "If they can’t believe me, they’re not going to enjoy the fruits of 400 years of preparation." Verse 12.

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of (what?) unbelief,…" The most vile sin I think that a man can commit against our Holy, Creator God – to call Him a liar. And that’s what we do when we don’t believe. All right, read on, verse 12 again.

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (and that’s the masses. They refuse to believe what God has said) 13. But, exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; (while you still have this opportunity) lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end; 15. While it is said, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16. For some, when they had heard, did provoke; howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17. But with whom was he (that is God) grieved forty years? (while they died in result of their unbelief?) was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

Now I have to stop a minute. What horrible thing took place in Israel’s history probably a matter of weeks before Kadesh-barnea? The Golden Calf. The Golden Calf, and it wasn’t just a golden calf, it was their behavior. What did they do? They went into gross pagan religious rites, including all the immorality that was associated with it and yes, I think God put to death something like twenty-one or twenty-two thousand of them in judgment, but nevertheless, the Nation as a whole survived all that. And they come up to Kadesh-barnea. But God isn’t talking about the Golden Calf and the horrors around it. What’s He talking about? That they couldn’t believe to go in and take Canaan. Isn’t that something?

Now I can understand where He would have controversy with the people over their laxness and their immorality and their going back in to pagan worship of a golden calf, but no, God’s put that behind them. He’s not bringing that up to them. That’s gone. But now what are they guilty of? Pure unbelief. I don’t care God if you did say it, we can’t do it.

"And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, (which was the Promised Land) but to them that (committed adultery? To them that worshipped the calf? To them that did this or that or any other thing? No. To them that what?) believed not?"

Oh it’s awful! I can’t make it strong enough that when mankind calls God a liar, he is opening the gates of hellfire. Now that’s all there is to it. And it’s so simple to believe, knowing that with God nothing is impossible. But oh, we’re all human, we’re so prone to unbelief, so then verse 19 says it all.

"So they could not enter in (that is to the Land of Promise, which is of course a picture of Heaven itself in symbolism) because of (what?) unbelief."

And so it will ever be. You cannot attain eternal life anything short of faith and faith alone! Today that eternal life is obtained, by simply believing in your heart for salvation that Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again. Plus Nothing! (I Corinthians 15:1-4)

All right, now let’s come back to I John, chapter 5 again, now verse 11.

"And this is the record, (set in stone) that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

Now as I was preparing for this, the last few days, I’ve been trying to find how, for comparison’s sake, Paul refers to this whole idea that when we’re saved by Grace, we too, step into an eternal life existence. In other words, we will never, never die. Well, I can’t find the exact language as it is here in John’s little epistle but certainly we have all of the symbolic statements that tell us the same thing from Paul’s epistles.

I’m going to bring you back a moment to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 just like I told you several weeks ago, Paul never uses the term "born again." He just does not say, "born again" in so many words, but the implication is that when we’re saved, we have a new birth, we are "born from above" as he says here in Romans 8 and we become the children of God by virtue of a new birth. But he doesn’t use the exact language. Well the same way with eternal life. I can’t find where Paul says that we step into eternal life. But all at all these references that mean the same thing.

"The Spirit (the Holy Spirit) itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are (not hope to be, but rather we are) the children (or here’s the term, the born ones) of God:"

That’s what the Greek really means, that we are the "born ones" of God, we’re born from above.

"And if children, (if we’re born from above) then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

Now verse 18, what a promise from the pen of the Apostle Paul for us Grace Age believers!

Now you want to remember there was far more persecution in Paul’s day than what you and I can imagine here in America. Now there are other areas of the world, of course they know what he’s talking about, but so far we’ve been blessed in America that we’ve

been avoiding persecution. The Glory that’s awaiting us! And then he goes on to give us the picture of what’s going to take place when we finally receive our new resurrected body.

All right, now let’s stay in Romans chapter 8 and come on over to verse 35. Goodness, our time’s just about gone. Now I’ve got to hurry. Now remember what I’m trying to say, that Paul is showing us without saying it just like John did that we have eternal life, yet we do. All right, verse 35.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? 36. As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, (the world thinks nothing of us. You know that.) 37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors though him that loved us. 38. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. (Nothing! Nothing!) 39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other of creation, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We are secure for all eternity! We’re ‘in Christ. Now if I had time I wanted to go to Colossians chapter 3 where he says, we’re what? "We’re hid in Christ in God." Who can touch us? Nobody!

My goodness, how many folks are telling us for the first time they’re understanding the Bible and they’re enjoying it and simply because they suddenly understand that what is written to Israel is for Israel; what’s written for the Church is for the Church. And even though it’s all under the same God, yet it’s two totally different scenarios. And that’s why there’s so much confusion. Many think the Church is Israel, and Israel is the Church. But if the Word is rightly divided as Paul tells us to do, then just leave the Scriptures where they are. You don’t have to move them around to make them fit.

You know I’ve used the illustration over and over and the other day somebody sent me a little booklet where somebody used almost the same kind of an illustration, but I use the one that a fellow came up and used on me one night, years ago. He said, "all my life all they’ve ever done with the Scriptures is throw it into a blender (now this is symbolism, of course) they throw it into a blender, turn it up on high, ladle it out and then we wonder why I get sick to my stomach."

Well of course, what he is simply saying is that all everybody does is mix everything together. They never sort out the differences, and it gives you Spiritual indigestion. You just can’t handle it. And so this is the whole secret of, I think, our teaching ministry is to show the difference between God’s dealing with Israel through Christ’s ministry and the Twelve, and then sending the other apostle, the Apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle of Grace, the Apostle Paul to the Gentile world with this glorious Gospel of Grace.

All right, for months now we’ve been here in these little Jewish epistles here at the back of your Bible, so I always point out how Jewish this is and then compare it with what Paul says in our present day. All right, now here’s another good example. We’re in I John chapter 5 verse 11.

Well, I don’t have to turn back, you all know John 3:16. That’s back in the Jewish economy remember? John is part and parcel of the four gospels. And like someone just shared with me a minute ago, they shared it with someone, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Well and good. But it there anything pertaining to the cross? Is there anything pertaining to His death, burial and resurrection? No. It’s still the approach to Israel that they had to believe for their salvation who Jesus of Nazareth was. He was the Son of God.

All right, now let’s go back and pick this up in, like we’ve done before, but the Scripture repeats and repeats and repeats and so I’ll do the same thing. Over and over the Scripture will repeat things and they are the Divine author, and if they do it, then certainly I can use that as a reason for doing it as well. Come back again to Matthew 16, because I have to show you that this has been the message from the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry. As He labors up and down the highways and byways of the little land of Israel, this was the message and His miracles and signs and wonders were proving it – that He was who He said He was.

"When Jesus came into the coast (borders) of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples (the Twelve) saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?’ 14. And they said…."

Now I always have to repeat this. Amazing! That after all the signs and wonders and miracles, all in fulfillment of the Old Testament promises and prophecies, they still didn’t get it. They just didn’t get it. And here’s what they thought.

"…"Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and other, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. 15. He (Jesus) saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16. And Simon Peter answered and said, (here it is now, watch this) Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (who will die for me and be raised from the dead? No. It doesn’t say that!)

Well, when people tell "that Peter preached the same salvation message that Paul did," you see I have to differ with them, because Peter would have had to include "That Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again," as we see in Paul’s Gospel of salvation in I Corinthians 15:1-4, and he doesn’t.

All Peter knows is who Jesus was. Just exactly like John says in his epistle. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, those Jews had eternal life. But I maintain that’s not sufficient today. You don’t get saved by simply believing who Jesus was, you have to go on now to the rest of God’s eternal purposes and that’s what? He died for sins. His blood was shed. He was buried. He arose from the dead, in power and victory and glory and we believe it! And when we believe that in our heart, for our salvation, then God responds by giving us what? Eternal life.

In fact, I said in the last lesson that I couldn’t find eternal life in Paul’s epistles. That’s why I like these breaks, see what I miss these guys at break time straighten me out. And there was one, in I Timothy 6 verse 12 and we’ll look at it after a bit, where Paul does say, "hang on to eternal life." But here we have the whole scope of the Jewish Gospel of salvation, and that was they were to believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises and that He was that Son of God, the Messiah.

Now again, I always like to use these as much as I can. Come up with me to John’s Gospel chapter 11, and we’re at the death of Lazarus. Now we touched on all these in previous programs, I know that. But we’re merely repeating for emphasis, and let’s just jump up into verse 23 where Martha is complaining that Jesus wasn’t there to heal Lazarus when he was sick. But now in verse 23, Jesus says to Martha:

Well that’s right in accord with what John has been writing. He doesn’t say anything about faith in His death, burial and resurrection for salvation. Oh, He intimates that He has the power of resurrection but He’s not attaching that to Martha’s faith. But now look at her response.

"She saith unto him, yea Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." (Period)

Not a word about his death on the cross. Not a word about the power of resurrection. And it wasn’t expected. You know, I’m always making the point and I have to use Scripture to make my point. Come up with me to Romans chapter 10, and this whole idea of faith and believing and trusting is based on what God has said, as we saw in the last program. What did God tell Israel? I’ll drive the Canaanites out. All you have to do is walk in and occupy it. He said it. What was Israel to do? Believe it! But did they? No. And so they were under the anathema of unbelief. Look at what Paul says here in Romans. This is the process.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, (or that Jesus is Lord) and shall believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, (now I know it doesn’t say that He died, but certainly in order to be raised from the dead, what’s implied? He died. Right?) thou shalt be saved."

Any strings attached? Not a one! Now here’s why in verse 10.

"For with the heart, (not head knowledge, but rather heart knowledge) man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Now I always say it this way. If you’re saved, you can’t keep it to yourself. You’re going to tell somebody. All right, and that’s all this verse means. I do not see that this says you have to get up in front of a congregation of two-three hundred people and give your testimony. That’s not what it means. It merely means that if you’re truly saved, you’re going to be ready to tell others. Now reading on.

Now you’ve got to remember. Now I’ve got to backtrack a minute. When this Jewish program, of which we’re studying basically now from the little Jewish epistles, when it comes to the place where God finally drops the gate on it because God knows that in a year or two the Temple is going, and that destroys the practitioning of Judaism. The priesthood will disappear. Israel is going to be out of the land, all right, so it stands to reason that God drops the gate on that Jewish plan of salvation, which we call the Gospel of the Kingdom, and that was for their salvation they had to believe who Jesus was.

So, as soon as the gate drops on that, where does that put every Jew? In the same place that we are. There is no difference. A Jew today can be saved, but must be saved on the same basis that we are. He cannot take any shortcuts because he’s a Jew. He does not have any guarantees because he’s a Jew because now in this Age of Grace, there is no difference. And a Jew that’s saved today comes right into the Body of Christ with the rest of us, because Paul writes in Galatians "that in the Body of Christ there is no Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, and so on and so forth, we’re all one."

That is recognizing His death, burial and resurrection remember, and faith in that shall be saved! All right, but now the point I’m making is, what does God have to do before we can believe it? Read on.

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him in whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (or the Greek word is proclaimer) 15. And how shall they preach (proclaim) except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach (or proclaim) the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?"

For even way back 700 years before Christ. Now verse 17, this is where I wanted to come to.

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing (cometh) by the word of God."

So my question is. Can you believe something that God has never spoken? Can you believe something that God has never said? No! Impossible. So if God hasn’t said it, He can’t require mankind to believe it. But on the other hand, as soon as God says it and declares it, now with all of his eternal righteousness, what can He demand? Believe it! And as we saw in the last program, when mankind says, I don’t believe, I won’t believe, then whether they know it or not, they’re calling God a liar. And they’re going to suffer the consequences.

You know when people will sometimes call and say well I’ve got a friend who is all upset, and they ask the question: "How can a God of love send people to such a horrible doom?" Well you see, that’s really an ignorant question. That’s ignorance personified. Because if they just understood all that Christ suffered and all that He did in the power of who He was for our salvation and then comes back and says all I’m asking you to do is believe it, is that asking too much? I don’t think so. And consequently He has every right in all of eternity to do with those unbelievers as He sees fit. So don’t ever accuse God of being unfair.

All right, but the whole crux of the matter is that when God has spoken it then we are expected to believe it. Well in the early moments of our first program this afternoon, we showed you that this Gospel of salvation that Paul proclaims was kept hidden. Now then, if it was hidden could anybody be saved by believing it? No. It hadn’t been revealed.

You know I’ve always used for a long time Deuteronomy 29:29. Man, it’s been so long since we’ve used it I don’t even know if I remember it myself. But I think if I’m right it goes like this. "For the secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us…"

And when they’re revealed then we’re to believe it, and that’s exactly the process. God kept this glorious Gospel of Grace secret. Had never been revealed through the prophets. Jesus never revealed it in His earthly ministry. Peter knew nothing of it in the book of Acts. But when the Apostle Paul was separated and sent out into the desert and received these mysteries, now it’s to be believed for salvation.

It has now been proclaimed --- let’s see how Paul puts it in his own language. Come back with me to Romans chapter 3, and see what a difference from what we see in Peter, James and John. Because this is a whole new revelation of things that had been kept secret. Let’s pickup with verse 24. These are verses you don’t see routinely. These are verses most people just haven’t any idea are in their Bible. But here it is, black and white.

"Being justified freely by his grace…"

Now see in Galatians, Paul would put it, "not by works of righteousness, what we have done, but it’s by God’s Grace"

We used these verses in I think our last set of programs, that "God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His (what?) blood!" Now you don’t see any reference to that in Peter’s confession of faith. You don’t see any reference to the blood in Martha’s confession. Now John does make one reference in I John when he says that "the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin." But, not in the same vein that Paul does, see? Now verse 26.

"To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness: that he (that is the God of verse 25) might be just, (He’s not going to cut any corners. He’s not going to compromise His holiness) and the justifier of him which believeth…"

And what do we believe? What God had revealed. And what has God revealed? When Christ finished the work of the cross, everything was done that needed to be done and now we believe it and we have eternal life! Absolutely, we have eternal life.

All right, now then, let’s come on over to I Corinthians. Haven’t used that for a few weeks. I Corinthians chapter 15, my it just thrills us when we travel through the country and we come to places and in one way or another, we see that I Corinthians 15: 1-4 just pop up. I’m thinking of a home in Indiana where they’ve got it painted on little rocks along their front walkway – I Corinthians 15: 1 through 4. Well, they haven’t got enough rocks to put the whole verse but at least the reference is there. And this is what they’re referring to. The Gospel of salvation that we must believe for eternal life.

"Moreover, brethren, (Paul is writing to believers) I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you received and wherein you stand; 2. By which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you believed in vain."

Now that just simply means, you have to know what you believe. You don’t just say, well, I believe. You believe what the Lord has revealed and that is the work of the cross. Now verse 3. Here again Paul makes this kind of language because it’s a revelation of things that had been kept secret and so he and he alone can give us this kind of language.

"For I (and he’s not an egotist. Don’t ever accuse the Apostle Paul of being an egotist. He is always if anything, putting himself down. But the Holy Spirit is the inspirer here and the Spirit through the Apostle Paul causes him to write,) I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, (well what did he receive? Things kept secret for thousands of years! Things that the Old Testament knew nothing of. And what is it?) how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;"

But it was in such veiled language no Old Testament patriarch could figure out what it was. You know several weeks ago I used those verses in Peter where Peter says they what? "They searched diligently." But they couldn’t figure it out. They knew there was something associated with all this, but they couldn’t figure it out. But when the Lord revealed it to the Apostle Paul as a revelation of a mystery kept secret since the ages began, here it is.

Now that’s our Gospel of salvation! That’s it! We have eternal life for believing that! And class, that goes way beyond John 3:16. Now I love John 3:16 as much as anybody, I remember using it the very first time sitting on the steps of the old barracks after basic training and I shared John 3:16 with a fellow. But it didn’t get the job done. It was years later that he finally came to the place of believing. Forty-some years to be exact. But nevertheless, here is the fulfillment of things that had been kept secret.

All right, now then, let’s go back to I John again, and see if we can make a little headway. But on the way, I’m going to look up that Scripture in I Timothy that we referred to earlier after we had our last break. I don’t know how I missed it when I was studying, as I used my concordance and everything and I couldn’t find this, but here it is. Paul uses the word eternal life here.

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on (what?) eternal life, whereunto thou art also called and hath professed a good profession before many witnesses."

Now you know I always put it this way – and how long is eternal life going to last? As long a God lives! Will He ever stop living? Un-uh. And so that’s eternal life. It’s beyond human comprehension. We can’t begin to comprehend what it’s going to be to live for all eternity. All right, back to I John, now verse 14. This is another good one, and it too is right out of the Gospel of John.

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: 15. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

Now how does John put it back in the four gospels? Come back with me now. John’s Gospel, chapter 14 and oh in my younger days I wrestled with this before I learned how to separate the Scriptures. I even wrote to a good missionary friend in Japan at the time and he didn’t give me a decent answer either. Now I’ve got the answer, but I didn’t then.

Look what it says. Almost identical with what we just saw in I John 5, and oh this has thrown a curve at so many people. And this is why it gives them spiritual indigestion. All right, read it,

John 14:13-14

"And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that I will do, (that’s what Jesus said, it’s in red if you’ve got a read letter edition. Whatsoever you ask, I’ll do it) that the Father might be glorified in the Son. (then He repeats it) 14. If you shall ask anything in my name I will do it."

Now that’s amazing isn’t it? Does that work today? Does God do everything you ask Him to do today? No, He doesn’t because we’re under a whole difference scenario.

See, when Jesus was speaking here and when John was writing back here, I’ve been emphasizing now all the time, what was just over the horizon? The Kingdom! Heaven on earth. Now under a Heaven on earth scenario would anything, would anybody ever ask anything that was not in God’s will? No. It’ll be Heaven on earth. So then Jesus could say that in view of the Kingdom, that yes, Israel under that Heaven on earth experience, could just simply ask what they will and God would do it. Because they wouldn’t ask anything otherwise.

But see today, I dare say there’s not a soul setting in this room that can honestly tell me that God has done everything you asked Him to do. Oh, my goodness, we’re down to only nine seconds? Okay, we’ll pick that thought up in the next program.

I just want to thank you, our television audience, for being part of our ministry, whether it’s with your prayers for us, or your financial assistant or both. And the same for those of you here in the studio audience, we want you to know that we appreciate your effort to come in and be a part of this and as all of us labor together. I usually write a note to folks and say that that’s what we are, we’re co-laborers. And what I receive as reward someday, you’re going to be a part of it.

Okay, now we sort of ran out of time in that last program, and I didn’t realize I was down to seconds, when I looked up to see how much time I had left, so therefore didn’t have a chance to finish our thought. So I had to leave everyone hanging by a thread. So let’s go back to John’s Gospel chapter 14 and I just want to show again the stark difference between what was taught in Jesus’ earthly ministry and what Paul teaches in the Church Age of us today on this same subject. Remember in Jesus’ earthly ministry, He meant what He said. He wasn’t lying, He wasn’t stretching the truth, it was absolute, but what He said there in John 14 doesn’t work in the Age of Grace today.

"And whatsoever (and that means what it says) ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, (That’s a promise.) that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

Now you and I know that that doesn’t work. You cannot tell me that ‘everything’ you’ve ever asked for God has done, because it just doesn’t happen in this Age of Grace! But with their (Israel’s) view of the Kingdom, and with Christ as the King, yes, then it would become a reality.

But, now come back with me to the language of the Age of Grace, the Church Age, the Apostle Paul over in the Book of Philippians. Now whenever folks call us and have a real prayer need, this is what all of us there at the ranch - myself and the girls working out in the office and Iris, always take them right back to this portion of Scripture. Philippians 4: 6 and 7, because this covers all the bases. This says it all!

Now there are other portions where Paul certainly prays as a model prayer for us, but you can always use this and feel at peace doing it.

"Be careful (or worry) about nothing; (that’s easier said than done too, isn’t it?) but in every thing…"

Now there again it means what it says. "Everything." Now I think all of us are sensible enough that we’re not going to ask for something silly or something that’s inappropriate. But being commonsensical about it as believers we now have the freedom to come into the throne room and ask for anything.

Now I know there are those who hold that God is not concerned about our physical or material needs. And I say ‘hogwash!’ He’s concerned about the whole being. He’s just as concerned about yours and my physical well being, our material well being as the spiritual. They are all part and parcel of our whole makeup. In fact, Paul says in II Thessalonians, chapter 5:

Well, that covers all of it, doesn’t it? All right, so, here we go again. Philippians chapter 4 verse 6.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication (which means asking, but here’s the secret) with (what?) thanksgiving…"

You see, I think this is where a lot a Christian folks are missing the blessings. They are not thankful.

In fact many almost get to the place where they think they deserve it. I don’t care where we are in our spiritual experience we never stop thanking God for everything. Starting with our salvation, our Christian experience, our health, our physical, our material. We should thank Him for everything. Constantly. For every breath of air. For every bite of food. For every comfort. And for us in America, for every what? Luxury.

My I’ve said it before, do you realize that much of what we take for granted in America is luxury to a good portion of the world. And I’m thinking primarily of hot water at the tap! What a luxury that we can just turn the tap and have hot water! My, we learned that lesson while we were down in Haiti. I don’t think in all the ten days we were there we had hot water at all. Oh, you come home and you begin to appreciate it. But those are just things that are all part and parcel of God’s blessings for which we are thankful.

In other words, you pray. You verbalize it. Now God may say, ‘Yes.’ We may have almost an immediate answer. He may in so many words say, ‘not now, but later.’ Or He may say a flat what? ‘No.’ It’s not for you. But regardless and this is what I love, regardless of how you get the answer in verse 6, it’s all answered in verse 7. And what does it say?

"And the peace of God,…"

Now I always make the differential again, back in Romans 5:1 "we have the peace with God," which was our salvation experience. Now the peace with God that comes by faith, in other words, we’re no longer an enemy, we’re now at peace with God.

But this here in Philippians is not peace "with" God; but now we have the "peace of God."

Now let’s just sort of analyze this a minute. Can someone who is not at peace with God ever enjoy the peace of God? No. Because we’re outside of that realm. But as soon as we’ve made peace with God we’re no longer His enemy, we are now His child, now we can cash in on the peace of God. That’s a big difference.

In other words, we can’t comprehend it, we take it by faith and as I’ve said so often, even the work of the cross, we can’t comprehend all that God did at the cross. What little we comprehend is by faith and someday in glory, yes, we’ll probably have a full understanding. But here again, this peace of God, as a result of our leaving it with Him passeth all understanding. And whether He answers ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘later’, this peace –

What a promise! Now I don’t have to go back to John and say, "Well now God you promised that whatever I asked, You’ll do it." That’s absurd. He doesn’t have to do whatever I ask today. But, whatever I asked He has promised that no matter how He deals with it, He will give the peace that passeth all understanding.

Now we’ve been through some economic turmoil and a lot of people have lost their source of income and they’ve gotten in dire straights. Well, I’ve been there, I’ve done that so I can identify with those kind of people, but you know what? The peace of God keeps us through all that.

And if there’s someone out there, a true believer, and you’re in financial straights, don’t despair. God is still on the throne. God is still in control. God will somehow or other bring you through it. And you’ll be the better for it. I don’t care what you’re going through when you look back, you’re going to see that it has strengthened you.

And we’re going to be looking at the same thing in I John in a little bit, with regard to sickness and death. But never forget, that as a believer today we have access to the throne room, we have that access to share our needs with the Almighty and regardless of how He answers, we have the answer – "the peace that passeth all understanding." All right, great big difference. Big difference. Now back to I John again. I think maybe we can finish the little book this afternoon. I John chapter 5, now verse 16. This is a difficult verse. I’ve been wrestling with this one for the last couple of weeks.

"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death…."

Now again I have to even force myself to bring my thinking into line with the Jewish economy. These are Jews that John is dealing with. And they’re still part and parcel of the legal system Mosaic Law. The Temple is still operating. And so we have to take all that into perspective. So, if a Jew here in John’s period of time, was to see a fellow Jew delving into some kind of sin that was not gross enough to bring in God’s judgmental taking of his life, he was to admonish this brother to depart from sin, whatever it was, lest it become a sin unto death.

So, it was a matter of taking concern for a fellow believer in the realm of the Jewish economy. All right, then the next statement is:

In other words, even in the Jewish economy, if a Jew would not refrain from living a life of sin and would not come back into fellowship, God would take His physical life. Now we don’t see that expressed as much in the Jewish Scriptures as we do in the Apostle Paul. All right, let’s go back and see how Paul dealt with it. Come back with me to I Corinthians chapter 11. Now whenever I deal with this, the first thing I’m going to emphasize to all of you here in the studio as well as to everyone out in television, be careful. You have to be so careful that you don’t get the impression that any time someone gets sick or has dire consequences that it’s because they’re in sin.

My goodness, God can bring bad health, God can bring financial disaster for the sole purpose of strengthening our faith. Not because He’s punishing us, but only to strengthen our faith because I’ll tell you what, nothing will increase your faith more than going through dire circumstances and knowing that God never forsook you. So be careful that you don’t say that when someone is suddenly stricken with cancer, or they’ve been stricken with something else – oh they must have sin in their life – don’t ever do that. But it is possible and the person who’s guilty knows what he’s guilty of.

All right, I Corinthians chapter 11 drop down to verse 28, 29 and 30. Now of course these are the verses dealing with the Lord’s table, but it’s going on beyond the behavior at the communion table, it goes right out into the everyday experiences now.

"But let a man examine himself, (in other words, some introspection) and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh condemnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body."

In other words, he’s careless about what the blood, or the cup and the bread, for the broken body, are signifying. Now verse 30.

"For this cause (because someone is careless) many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." (have died)

That’s what the word "sleep" implies. But now again you have to remember that the Corinthian church was a congregation of carnal believers. They had a lot of sin in the congregation and yet they were believers. All right, now let’s go back up to chapter 5, and here we find a rather gross situation, and I’m going to be careful of the language that I use because I know I’ve got a lot of young kids watching the program, and I don’t want to do anything that will embarrass parents. But here we have a case of gross immorality. Such immorality, as Paul says, that even the Romans, the Gentiles, did not practice.

The congregation was "puffed up" and instead of being "mournful" over this hideous sin in their group, they had evidently been making light of it. See what Paul is saying? That if this individual did not come back from that sinful lifestyle, God would take him. And he would still be saved. Oh, I know it’s hard for some people to swallow, but he wouldn’t lose his salvation, but God would take his physical life. All right, read on. Verse 3.

"For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present concerning him who hath so done this deed. 4. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (in other words, in the realm of the spiritual congregation there at Corinth) when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, (in other words, Paul even though not present would be present with them, probably prayerfully that they would be able to handle this) with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5. To deliver such an one (who is practicing this sin, not just falling once he was living in it) for the destruction of the flesh, (his physical life, much like God with Job, told Satan he could touch his flesh but he couldn’t take his life) that the spirit (the soul,) may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

See how plain that is? This man was not going to lose his salvation but they were going to deal drastically with him, if he didn’t repent or come back out of that sinful lifestyle. All right, now then, he comes down to verse 9, and having consort with a believer who is in gross sin that was one thing and that had to be dealt with. And if that individual would not respond then he was under danger of having his life taken as we saw back in I Corinthians 11. But now in order to qualify where we are in this world of rank immorality and wickedness all around us, here’s how we have to face it.

"I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to (keep) company (or have fellowship) with fornicators. 10. Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortionist, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world."

Because if you’re not going to rub elbows with any of those people, in the five days of the work-a-day world, you’d have to "leave the world." Because you cannot avoid it. You’re going to find yourself in the workplace up against, rubbing elbows with these kinds of people, that’s the world we live in. Even then already.

"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a immoral or covetous or an idolater, or a railer or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one not to eat. 12. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge (or deal) with those that are within. 13. But them that are without (the unbeliever) God judgeth (He’s going to take care of them. But what about the believer in this group?) Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person."

But the believer put away from among yourselves that wicked person. And then God will deal with them as according to I Corinthians 11 and consequently amongst the Corinthians who had, like I said, a lot of problems, many of them had already died as a result of their sinful lifestyle, as believers. And that’s why it behooves us to be careful how we live because God is not going to permit a believer to bring reproach to His name. And if he will not turn from it, then we know from Scripture, God will take them.

But now like I said earlier and I’m going to repeat. Don’t ever – don’t ever look at someone who’s going through tough times whether it’s health or anything else and say well they must be living in sin. No. Because usually it’s to increase our faith. Okay, now let’s go back to I John again for a moment. Verse 18. Now this is a verse that’s thrown a lot of curves at people.

"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not;…"

Have you known people who claim to be believers and that they’re so holy that they don’t sin anymore? Sure you have. I have. Ridiculous. There’s no such thing as living in the flesh and being totally above sin. We’re still in the flesh. We still are bombarded with the things of this world. But, what part of us as believers cannot sin? The ‘new man’. The new man cannot sin, it’s Divine, it’s from God Himself. But, we’ve got to remember when we become believers we become a two natured person.

Come back with me to Galatians chapter 5, because again a lot of Christendom does not teach this. But it’s a Pauline doctrine that when we become a born from above individual, we are now a two-natured person. We have the new Divine nature as a result of God’s saving us, but we’re still kept with that old Adamic nature. Oh it’s defeated. We can render it powerless, but it’s still there and here’s where we deal with it the most clearly in Scripture. Here, Paul writing to Gentiles up there in what’s today central Turkey. And they too, were being deluged with the idea of keeping the Mosaic Law along with Paul’s Gospel of Grace. And so this is why the little book of Galatians is written that you’re not under the Law, you don’t have to keep the Ten Commandments hanging over you, but instead we have that empowering of the Holy Spirit within. And the Holy Spirit does what the Law could never do. Verse 16.

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, (that is under His control) and ye will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh."

The Spirit will never direct a believer into a lustful experience. That’s not the Spirit’s domain. Now here’s the reason, verse 17.

"For the flesh (the old nature, the one that we crucified with Christ at the time of our salvation. The old nature) lusteth (or in another portion the word is ‘wareth’) lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other:…"

Now you can’t make it any plainer than that. Those two natures are in a side-by-side and they are so totally opposite that they’re in a constant warfare.

Now you’ve heard me use the illustration on this program more than once. If you’re paddling a canoe up river, and you pull the paddle out of the water and lay it in the canoe, which way are you going to go? Right back down stream. A canoe is something that you have to constantly keep battling the forces of the stream.

All right, the Christian life is the same way. The minute we let down our guard. The minute we go several days without prayer and Bible study, we’re going to see ourselves spinning around and going backwards. It’s a constant warfare. And this is what Paul teaches, see? But now verse 18.

"But if we’re led of the Spirit, (we keep that paddle in the water) ye are not under the law."

Which means, that we’re under a whole new set of circumstances. The Spirit has taken the place of the Law and I’m going to show this in just a minute. And then he goes on and shows the two different lifestyles of those natures. The old sin nature is listed right up there in verse 19, 20, 21 and they are terrible. But then the new nature is listed in 22 and 23,

See? Totally different makeup than the flesh. All right, now in the one minute we have left. Turn back to Romans chapter 7, and this is why the believer is under totally different circumstances than the Jewish believer under nothing more than the Mosaic system. All right, got Romans chapter 7 verse 5 and 6.

"For when we were in the flesh, (Before we experienced the saving power and the Holy Spirit coming within) the motions (or the acts) of sins, which were by the law (in other words, coveting and stealing and so forth. They) did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."

"But now (see, flipside but now since we’re saved,) we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held: that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."

See the difference. Now we’re going to live under the leading of the Holy Spirit, and not under the demands of the letter, or the Mosaic Law. What a difference!

Oh how we appreciate when you write and tell us that you’re praying for us every single day! And again we thank you for your comments. Over and over we hear "don’t change a thing" and, "I feel like I’m sitting there on the back row". And then I guess the third most obvious thing that they write is "I have never understood the Bible before, and now it’s opening up." So we appreciate those comments. We appreciate those letters.

All right, now we’re going right into II John this afternoon and probably go through both of these little epistles of II and III John but since we have been picking up so many new listeners these last several weeks, I’m going to go back and just give a little quick review of these Jewish epistles for the sake of those who haven’t heard us explain, because I might as well just tell you right up front, there have always been two views concerning these Jewish epistles of James and Peter and John.

One was that they were indeed written to Jewish congregations or synagogues in that period of time at which the point was written and preparing them for the Tribulation to come. The most traditional view I would say is that these are written to Jewish congregations who will reappear at the beginning of the Tribulation and so it is written to them as future mode.

Well, I’m not going to be anti-traditional just to be anti-traditional. I’m not going to refute either one of those but I’m going to take both of them. I think they were originally written to a group of Jewish synagogue congregations, contemporary with the time it was written, preparing them for the horrors of the Tribulation and the testings that are right out in front of them. But if they could survive that, Christ would be returning and bringing in the Kingdom. So these letters were written to Jewish believers who were looking for the King and the Kingdom, in short order.

Now, the King didn’t come. And the whole Jewish program was interrupted by the Church Age, these past 1900 years. But here we are, as I pointed out when we started several months ago, in the book of James, that these scenarios have once again surfaced and today, we’re almost right back to where they were when they were written.

And that is that we now have a reappearance of the Babylonian Empire. We just dealt with them in Iraq. Iran is the next prophecy told of in Daniel chapter 9 and 2 and so forth, and that was the Mede and Persian Empire. That’s Iran. They’re in the news every day lately. And the third one of course was the Greek Empire, but the part of the Greek Empire that controlled Jerusalem and defiled the Temple were the Syrian element. And so we’ve got Syria in the news everyday. Then the fourth kingdom that ruled and reigned while Christ of course had His earthly ministry, was the Roman. And so now we also see all the beginnings of the Roman Empire arising in Europe, with the European Union.

In fact, I just read an interesting little anecdote the other day and I have to always believe what people write with a fair heart, and that is here a few weeks ago President Bush was entertaining the then President of the European Union. Now you remember they rotate that position, or have so far, but the gentleman who was President of the European Union at that was also the Premier of Italy and his name was Romano Prodi, if I’m not mistaken. Well anyway, they were having lunch in the White House and Romano was bragging about how the European Union was expanding. It wouldn’t be long they’d be 24-25 nations, and their eastern border would be going clear out to the Caucasian Mountains and President Bush smiled and he says "Romano, sounds to me like it’s the Roman Empire!" The president was exactly right. And so this is what’s happening, this whole European Union in its expansion geographically, is coming right back to the old borders of the Ancient Roman Empire.

And so all these empires now suddenly are in our every day news, the Babylonian, which is Baghdad. The Medes and Persians, which is Iran. The Greek Empire which was predominately the part of Syria that controlled Jerusalem and then of course the Roman Empire as we see it reviving in Western Europe. So when I say that all these little Jewish epistles, James and Peter and John and Jude and also the book of Revelation at that time to Jewish believers; they were called synagogues, at least in James little epistle, in view of the coming pressures of the Tribulation, but oh if they could just go through that the King would be returning and setting up the one thousand year Kingdom Age, which is still going to happen we feel in the not too distant future.

Now when that was set aside, it didn’t throw everything out the window, it was all just postponed and like I said a moment ago here we are now 1900 and some years later and the whole scenario is once again appropriate that these little Jewish epistles are written to Jewish believers who are now being prepared for the oncoming Tribulation.

All right, now then guess we can start the little epistle of II John, remembering now that these are written to Jewish believers. Now that doesn’t mean we here in the Church Age can’t take some good things out of it. Of course, we can. It’s just like the four Gospels were written primarily to Israel, but we can certainly take things out of the four Gospels that are appropriate for us. Now granted these Jewish epistles are not the place where we build our doctrine for salvation because our Gospel of salvation is not in there. And as I’ve been pointing out this last several programs, you cannot find our Gospel of salvation in these Jewish epistles. There’s nothing in here that says that we’re saved by faith and faith alone in the fact that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead. It’s not in here!

And I just reminded someone a little bit ago before the program started, I remember several years ago a gentleman came up and he said, "Les, you’re always telling us to be just as aware of what is not in the Scripture as what is." Absolutely! Because we’ve been programmed by tradition to just think that a lot of this stuff is in here, and it’s not. And that’s where the Lord gives us discretion to determine, "is it in the Book?" Or is it just something that man has dreamed up? A good way to check it out is for us today in the Church Age, the epistles of Paul should be used for our Church Age doctrines, including our beautiful salvation doctrine.

All right so now in the second epistle of John, written by the Apostle John, who wrote the gospel account of John, and who was one of the Twelve, who also writes the book of Revelation. This little epistle is just a little short personal letter written evidently to a rather well-to-do lady who was very instrumental in helping John in his ministry. Now when he speaks of himself there in verse one ‘the elder.’ Well naturally because of his past experience, the three years with Christ, he and the Twelve have been ministering to the Jews in these intervening years and I’m going to say that these little epistles were probably written someplace in the ‘50’s’ - 50 to 58 AD. Somewhere in there. And so now he calls himself "The elder". Appropriately so.

Now I have said over the years and I can still repeat it that almost, and you’ve got to use some common sense, but almost without exception, you can substitute the word "truth" with the name of Jesus Christ and never, and never change the meaning of the verse, because Jesus Christ is Truth. And Truth is Jesus Christ. And so it just fits so beautifully. Even here.

II John 1:1a

"The elder (speaking of himself) unto the elect lady (a believing Jewish lady, who no doubt was quite well to do) and her children, whom I love in truth (or Jesus Christ;)…"

See how that doesn’t affect the meaning one bit? Because if you’re in Truth, you’re in Christ. And Paul will say the same thing. All these things are resting upon our position in Christ as believers. Now reading on.

"…and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; (or all who have known Jesus Christ. That’s what sets us apart) 2. For the truth’s sake (for the Lord’s sake, for Jesus’ sake) which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us forever."

Now you see how that does not conflict with Scripture in any way shape or form. We have always been taught throughout the New Testament that when we’re ‘in Christ’ we are also in Truth and visa versa and it’s setting us up for eternity. Not just for the few years here, but we have eternal life!

"Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, (and again) in truth and in love."

All right now I’m going to be dealing with this word love in just a couple of verses, so we’ll move on down to it. Verse 4.

"I rejoice greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, (they were verily in Jesus Himself) as we have received a commandment from the Father."

Now here it comes.

"And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee,…"

Nothing is all that different so far as John is concerned. He’s come out of Christ’s earthly ministry having walked with Him and served with Him for those three years. He has now been no doubt, working hand in glove with Peter and the others since Pentecost. And so now at this point in time, like I say, probably in the A. D. 50’s somewhere, nothing has changed. Not so far as these Jewish believers are concerned.

Now for us today, maybe this is a good place to stop. Now for us today, look how Paul puts it. This is what I like to do, I like to just compare, compare, compare. Come back with me to Philippians chapter 1. Now this is Paul writing to Gentiles. And no doubt there were always a few Jews in these Gentile congregations, I won’t take that away at all. But now look what Paul writes to the Philippian church. We’ll look at verses 8, 9 but the word we’re looking for is in verse 10.

"For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels (or very innermost parts) of Jesus Christ. 9. And this I pray, that you love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; (or discernment. Now here’s the verse. All of this to bring us to the place) 10. That ye may approve things that are (now the King James has the word) excellent (which is unfortunate. The better translation is different. And look what that does) that you may approve things that are different."

Well what’s so different? Well now to the Gentile world salvation is offered by faith and faith alone, with no connection to Temple worship. No connection to the heavy hand of the Law; it’s all of Grace. And so it was totally different. That’s Paul. Read it again,

"That ye may approve (and accept and rest on things) that are different;…"

Not the same mundane doctrines and teachings that Israel has enjoyed for now 3000 years, but things that are totally different.

"…that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;"

Which of course, is when He will come to take the Body of Christ unto Himself. All right, so there’s a difference in terminology again between John writing to these Jewish believers, who are just an extension of Christ’s earthly ministry, an extension of Pentecost in these intervening years. They have been trusting that Jesus was the Messiah and that He’s still going to return and give them the King and the Kingdom. So nothing has really changed. And Paul never teaches that. Now back to II John.

"And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, (nothing has really changed) but that which we had from the beginning, (from the very onset of John the Baptist and then the introduction of Christ and His earthly ministry) that we love one another."

Now you have to realize that John is really the apostle who is constantly hammering home the love of God. Now let me put it this way. God is Love. The reverse of that doesn’t make sense. Love is not God. See the big difference? God is Love. Love is not necessarily God. And so here’s where we have to even watch our wording that God is Love. He is Love supreme.

And I always like to remind folks and as well as myself, when did this outpouring of the love of God toward the human race begin? Well, when He created Adam. He had the angelic hosts. Millions of them. But did they ever return love? No. They’re not that kind of a being. And so the whole purpose of creating the human race was to have a creature that He could extend that love and then give them the prerogative to what? Return it. That’s the whole purpose of the human race, is that He could have a created being that He could show His love; He could extend His love and then have every right to expect love returned. But not forced. It’s not a forced love. We love Him because He first loved us. And so John is probably the strongest writer of Scripture to prove the point that God is Love.

Now it isn’t that Paul misses it. Now come back with me to Romans. Again we’ll compare Scripture. Paul also speaks of the love of Christ. And I think the first one with a real impact is Romans 5:8.

"But God (Not man. Not angels, but) God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, (God loves the sinful human race) Christ died for us."

Why did He die? Because He loved us. Why did He create us? Because He wanted a creature He could love. And that creature rebelled and so He moves heaven and earth, you might say, to set the stage that fallen man can still respond to God’s extended love. And this is the whole purpose of God and man, that He loved us and He expects love in return.

All right, let me take you to another one over in II Corinthians chapter 5. Here we another beautiful portion, and let’s just jump in at verse 14.

"For the love of Christ (see how Paul is pointing that out?) constraineth us; (it drives us) because we thus judge, if one died for all, (that is for the whole human race) then were all dead."

The whole human race. And then you get to Romans 3.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

But, whom did God love? Fallen man. Whom did God love? The sinner. Now He hates the sin. But He loves the sinner.

All right, and so it’s constant throughout Scripture how that the love of God is the expression of His very person as the Creator of everything. All right, in the couple of minutes we have left, let’s drop back into II John once again, verse 6, now you want to compare how close and beautifully this is to John’s Gospel. This is John’s Gospel, this isn’t Paul, this is the same as the Gospel of John.

"And this is love, (so far as the Jew’s relationship with God was concerned) that we walk after his commandment…."

Now I’m not going to be so narrow as to say, all he’s talking about here are the Ten. But you see, on the Ten Commandments were based, well actually Judaism had how many? Six hundred and thirteen. I’ve been going through them lately. And they’re all based on little statements back in Leviticus and so forth, but the whole system of commandments was not just the Ten but everything that rested on the Ten amounted to really 613 commandments. All right, and this is what John is encouraging these Jewish believers to still hang on to. They were still going by the Law and the commandments as God had given them to the Nation. And so it’s totally separated from Paul’s relationship with Christ.

"…This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."

And so, all the way through Christ’s earthly ministry, why did he perform miracle after miracle after miracle? Well preeminently of course to prove who He was. But, what was the immediate result of all of His miracles? Oh, it was His compassion poured out on those poor benighted souls, whether they were hungry physically, or whether they were sick, or whether they were blind and in love He would solve the problem. And love was epitomized constantly see? And then He put the crowning effect of love is, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Well you see if the world could do that we wouldn’t have all these problems. But the world out there knows nothing of the love of God. All the world knows is "me." But love says, "you." In fact I was thinking sometime, while I was preparing all this, it’s been a long time since I have spoken this on the program. But several years ago, I think I used it a few times in a row. What is the best definition of love? Remember? "Seeking the other man’s highest good." That’s true love. And isn’t that exactly what God does? God is constantly concerned about what’s best for us.

He’s not sitting up there – I think some people have got the whole wrong idea. They think God is sitting up there just waiting until somebody messes up and then He can swat them like a fly. No! That’s not God. He’s love and He’s just waiting to seek their highest good. But why is lost mankind not experiencing God’s love? Let’s go back for a moment to Romans chapter 8. I just had to point this out to someone on the phone last night. And this is the Word of God. This is what we have to trust. Romans 8, let’s just start at verse 5. I don’t like to use just one verse if I can help it.

"For they that are after the flesh (in other words, they’ve never experienced salvation, they are still under the nature of Old Adam) they do mind the things of the flesh; (we’re speaking of materialism. The lusts of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life.) but they that are after the Spirit (they mind) the things of the Spirit."

Here we have two totally different concepts. The things of the flesh. And the things of the Spirit. Now verse 6.

"For to be carnally (or fleshly) minded is death;…" (spiritual death.)

Many times their horrendous lifestyle will even precipitate physically death, but we’re talking primarily here about the spiritual death, they’re going to be separated from God for all eternity.

"For to be carnally (or fleshly) minded is death; (spiritual death) but to be spiritually minded (to now have experienced salvation and the indwelling Holy Spirit) is life (not just physically life but eternal life) and peace."

Now you go back to Romans chapter 5. Don’t look it up. But Romans 5 verse 1 says what?

We have that peace that comes by faith! All right, so here it is, now verse 7, this is the verse I wanted you to see.

"Because the carnal (the fleshly, the lost person, his) mind is (what?) enmity against God,…"

Enmity! How much do you normally do for an enemy? Well, nothing. All he’s out to do is to destroy you. To defeat you. He’s your enemy! And that’s what the unsaved person is so far as God is concerned, but He loves him anyway. But that unsaved, unregenerated person is an enemy of God. Consequently,

Why? Because they’re enemies. Now back in the times when Russia was our mortal political enemy, how many Americans would have bent over backwards to help the Russian government? Well, not a one, if we have any patriotism at all because they were our mortal enemy. They wanted us wiped off the face of the earth. All right, now that’s mankind’s attitude toward God. They don’t want anything to do with Him, but yet His love is always being "commended toward us even yet while we were sinners" and consequently, out of love, "Christ died for us."

All right, let’s come back again to II John. I don’t want to go into verse 7 because that’s a whole new line of thought so we’ll just come back to verse 6 again.

"And this is love, (this is what God is manifesting toward even these Jewish believers) that we walk after His commandments, (which at that time were still resting on the Ten but all the other 613 were part and parcel of it) This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it."

All right, you know by now this is an informal Bible study. We do not try to preach at you but rather we just simply want to teach the Word in such a way that the ordinary person can read it and study it and understand it. I’m always reminded of, I think it was, Tyndale who made the statement he wanted to get the Word of God in the hands of every plowboy in England. Well what does that tell you? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist. You don’t have to be a PhD or seminary graduate to understand the Word of God. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit.

Fortunately, I’m never asked well how can you do what you’re doing without the seminary degree, because I think people understand that God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the wise. And that’s all we are, are just a weak lump of clay that God has seen fit to use, and through our teachings many are being saved, and learning how to study the Word of God.

All right, back into our study then, II John and we finished the first six verses in the last lesson.

"For many deceivers…."

What does that tell you? Look out! Look out, because from day one Satan has been promoting deception confusion and false teaching. In fact you can take it all the way back to when Israel came out of Egypt and was prepared to go into the Promised Land where the Canaanites have been living for 400 years and what was the first thing God had to warn them? Don’t get involved with their religion. Don’t fall for their gods and goddesses. And it’s been Israel’s plague all the way up through the Old Testament that they were constantly being bombarded with either unbelief and unconcern or the false religions that were all around them.

Well, then we come into Christ’s earthly ministry and it’s the same thing, this constant warning. But before I go back and start picking these up in Matthew, let’s finish verse 7 where John writes to thes