God Our Refuge - Closet Reflections: September 2023

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Our Confidence Is In Him

I John 3:19-21 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

Have you ever doubted your salvation? You know, that uncertainty that made you think, "Man, am I really saved?" Not that we've doubted that Jesus can save us, but that nagging thought that somehow our salvation didn't take, or stick. Well, John reassures us that the evidence of our salvation is in how we are living for the Lord and how we are loving the brethren. The fact of the matter is that we have an enemy that wants us to think that we are not really saved and that somehow what Jesus did wasn't enough. The devils have a way of putting thoughts in our minds that trigger our emotions. We then start feeling a certain way and that's when doubt creeps in. My friends, if we have put our complete trust and faith in Christ Jesus, and called upon His Name, then we have been indwelt and sealed by His Spirit. That is all the security of salvation that we need. Yes, there will be times that we stumble and feel like we aren't really saved; and the devils are always waiting for the right opportunity to pounce and get us doubting our relationship with God. However, those are the moments when it pays to know the Scriptures and the truths contained within. Just like Jesus used Scripture to push the devil back, we need to know the truth of our salvation and use that scriptural truth to help us stand firm in what we know about who God is in our lives, in Christ Jesus. When our thoughts and feelings condemn us, we can be confident that God and His Word are much greater than our emotions. When we are strong in our confidence of what God has done in our lives, we will have the boldness to approach His throne (in humility of course); knowing that He loves us and will never forsake us, even in our moments of stumbling.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Are We Loving Like Jesus?

I John 3:16-18 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

How can we know that God loves us? How can we know what love is? Well, John makes it very clear in today's verses. We know that God loves us because He paid the ultimate price for us. He laid down His life to pay a price we could not pay for ourselves. He voluntarily shed His Blood, and allowed Himself to be tortured and nailed to a cross. The most wonderful part about this sacrifice was that not only did He lay down His life, but He also took it back up on the third day; thereby defeating death and the grave. He purchased our salvation and now offers us the free gift of eternal life that can only be found and obtained in Him. In doing what He did, He also taught us what true love really is. It is our willingness to lay down our life for one another. I am not talking about taking a bullet for someone else. Some of us are willing to do that for a loved one without question. However, how many of us can lay down our lives by taking up our cross daily and putting the needs of others before our own? How many of us are willing to part with our material things and our money in order to meet the needs of others, as the Lord leads? Are we willing to rearrange our schedules in order to be there for someone else? Are we willing to use the same talents and abilities that we use to make a living to be a blessing to a brother or sister in need, without charging a fee or expecting something in return? If we were to step back and truly ask God to examine our hearts as it pertains to loving others the same way God loves us, what would be revealed? Are we loving the brethren the way that Jesus loves us?

Monday, September 25, 2023

Your Love Will Show Who You Belong To

I John 3:10-15 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Previously, we spoke of how living a life of righteousness shows evidence that we are children of God (not children of the devil), and of course we know that our acceptance before the Father is Christ's righteousness upon us, and not our own righteousness; which is like filthy rags before God. Today, we see that one great evidence that proves that we are children of God is the love we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ. It bears repeating that Jesus told us that the way we love one another is how the world will know we are His. John used Cain as an example of someone who belongs to the devil's family, because he murdered his own brother. Why did he? Because he despised his brother's righteousness; just as the world will despise us when we desire to live a righteous life in Christ. Jesus warned that the world would hate us because it hated Him first. However, we cannot use that as an excuse to hate others, especially those who are members of God's family. In respect to loving each other, Jesus took it a step further and said this in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire." John makes it clear in today's verses that if we hate our brother or sister in Christ, we are guilty of murder. As far as the church is concerned, we are Christ's bride. So, that should cause us to stop and carefully consider that when we hate our brothers or sisters in Christ, we are saying that we hate Jesus' bride, and just maybe we are still living in darkness. If that is so, then we must step back and ask ourselves, are we really in God's family or the devil's?

Friday, September 22, 2023

Children of God or of Satan?

I John 3:7-10 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

I will say something that usually gets the response, "You're not God! Don't judge me!" Well, you're right. I am not God. However, God's Word makes it very clear that if we are children of God, we will not live in sin. We will desire to live righteously, and will strive to live a life of obedience to God's Word. John's message is a simple message. If we live for righteousness, we belong to God; and if we live sinfully, we belong to the devil. We cannot claim to be born again followers of Jesus and continue to live like the devils. How can we continue in sin, when John tells us that Jesus was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil? We need to understand that even though we are saved by grace and cannot forfeit our salvation, we cannot make light of sin or excuse it in our lives. The Apostle Paul asked if we should continue in sin so that grace abounds, and in the same breath answered, "God forbid!" So I ask us all today, "If we say that we are children of God, would those who observe how we live, how we talk, and how we treat others, agree with us, or would they come to the conclusion that we must really be children of Satan?"

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Attaining the Unattainable

I John 3:4-6 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

These verses of Scripture can cause many of us to scratch our heads. Why, you ask? Because John also wrote early on that when we, the born again believers, sin, we can confess our sins and the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:8-9). So, which is it? Do we sin or do we not sin? In the flesh we do sin. However, before the Father we are completely justified, forgiven, and perfect, 24-7 and 365 days a year. How can this be? Well, because it's not about our righteousness, and it's never been about our righteousness. When we accepted the free gift of eternal life in Christ, we were declared "not guilty" by our Heavenly Father. He no longer sees us, but His Son. We have been washed clean by the Blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit, who cannot sin, indwells us. So stop and think about this for a moment. Jesus, the perfect Son of God has washed us, and now His righteousness had been placed on us so that now it's no longer about our corrupted righteousness. The Holy Spirit, who is also God, lives within us. Our body is His temple. With that combination, we are now perfect before the Father, and nothing or no one can change that. When we stumble, we have One who is our Advocate, and speaks on our behalf. However, let me make something clear. This does not mean that we can just go ahead and live as we desire. A true child of God does not live a sinful lifestyle. We may stumble in sin, but that should be the exception and not the rule. The bottom line is that when we truly belong to God, in Christ, there is never a moment when, in His eyes, we are less than perfect. Praise be to our Savior and Lord who paid the ultimate price for us; a price we could never pay ourselves! As a result, we now have a status before our Heavenly Father that we could never obtain on our own. In Jesus, we have attained the unattainable.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

The Ultimate Blessing

I John 3:1-3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Blessing upon blessing; that is what we have received from the Lord. If we have received His free gift of salvation, by grace, we are blessed beyond what we deserve. Yet, God continues to pour blessings into our lives each and every day. Each day of life, regardless of what that day brings, is a day filled with blessings. We may not see them because we choose to focus on all the negative things and challenges of the day; but that doesn't change the fact that we are blessed. I say all this to point out an important truth that John speaks of in today's verses. One day soon we will be in the presence of Jesus, the One who gave His life in order to pay for our sins. One day, whether we experience physical death or whether we are taken up from here to meet Jesus in the air, we will see the Lord. We will be like Him, and we will see Him as He is. His coming will be sudden and happen at a time, and day, that will be unexpected, like a thief in the night. However, for those of us who are true born again followers of Jesus, this will be the ultimate blessing. This, my friends, is our blessed hope! John says that if this is our hope, then we will strive to live a morally pure life, even as He who saved us is pure.

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Stand Firm in Christ Jesus

As children of God, we must not forget that this world we live in is not Christ-friendly. When we call upon Jesus as Savior and are adopted into God's family, the world will hate us. John tells us that the world doesn't know us because it does not know Him. Jesus said that this world will hate us because it hated Him first (John 15:18). He reminds us that we are in the world, but not of the world, because in Christ we have been taken out of the world. Because of this, many of us will experience persecution for sharing Jesus and living for Him. However, today I want to remind us all of Jesus' words regarding persecution; "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in Heaven." (Matthew 5:10-12). As God's children, let us always remember that regardless of how much persecution we experience in this world; in the end, when we are finally with Him, our Heavenly Father will reward us for remaining steadfast in Christ Jesus. "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (I Corinthians 15:58)

Thursday, September 14, 2023

The Undeserved Right

How much does God love us? He loves us so much that He has given us the undeserved privilege of being called children of God! Stop and think about that for a moment. If that does not overwhelm and excite us, we need to stop and immediately check our pulse! God sent His only begotten Son to suffer a cruel death to pay for OUR sins. Praise the Lord that in rising from the dead He defeated both sin and death. When we became born again believers, we were given the undeserved right, not only to be called God's children, but given the right to BE God's children (John 1:12)! If the Lord did nothing else for us at all after that, we would be more blessed than anyone who had all the wealth, riches, power and prestige this world has to offer. In other words, there is NOTHING that equals the blessing of being a child of God. How often do we complain to God about what we don't have? How often do we complain to God about what He chooses not to give us; when in reality He has already given us far more than we deserve? I would encourage us today to put aside our shopping list of requests and simply stop, give God praise and thank our Heavenly Father for the right He has given us, in Christ Jesus, to be His children, and be called His children. Can there be any greater love? Simply put...NO!

Monday, September 11, 2023

Confidence or Shame?

I John 2:28-29 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

I'm going to get straight to the point on this one. Far too many people want to proclaim salvation by grace, and get upset when they are told, or read, that there are works that go along with our salvation. I am not talking about works done in order to be saved. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, we can do to earn eternal life. God told us in the Book of Isaiah that all our works of righteousness are like filthy rags to Him. However, we are told in Ephesians that we were created unto good works, even before we were born. James tells us that without works, our faith is a dead faith. Jesus told us that if we love Him, the evidence of that love is clearly seen in our obedience to His commandments (love God and love people). That means that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The righteousness that makes us acceptable to the Father is not our righteousness, but Jesus' righteousness imputed on us. We live a righteous life when we live a life of obedience to God's Word. Note that I did not say a perfect life. Only Jesus lived a perfect life. We can strive to live a life that honors God by the way we live it out for His glory, and how we love and treat others. The Christian life is not a stagnant life that leans on grace and then does whatever it wants. No, the Christian life is one lived with the anticipation that Jesus could return at any moment; and therefore we want to live it in such a way that if He returned right this very moment we would not be ashamed of what we would be caught doing when that trumpet sounds. So, my question to all of us is this, "If Jesus came back for His church today, would we have confidence in the way we are living or would we be ashamed?"

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Recognize and Reject Them

I John 2:24-27 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Days of deception...the times we are living in, and it's only going to get worse. John made it clear in the previous verses that whoever denies that Jesus is Messiah and Savior does not have the Father nor the Son. He warned about antichrists, those false teachers who deny the deity of Jesus, and add other things to salvation; thereby denying salvation by faith and grace alone. John admonishes us to hold on to that foundational truth and not allow ourselves to be swayed or pulled away from the truth by every wind of doctrine. My friends, even though today we have many good resources to help us study the Bible, the greatest resource we have is the indwelling Spirit of God, and God's Holy Word, the Bible. The Holy Spirit is the most trustworthy Teacher we have been given. He illuminates the Word and helps us to dig through God's Word as we compare Scripture with Scripture. We must not be lazy about our study of God's truth. John tells us to allow the truth of the Word to stand firm in us, as we stand firm on the truth we have studied and found in the Living Word. Only then will we be able to recognize those wolves in sheep's clothing who sometimes creep in amongst us. Brothers and sisters, be students of the Word, live out the Word, be diligent to know the truth, and reject those false teachers and antichrist who only seek glory for themselves; and who are leading others on the path to eternal destruction. Always be ready to recognize them and reject them; we, ourselves, knowing the truth and speaking the truth in love.

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Is It Uncomfortable?

I John 2:20-23 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Here is another "truth bomb" from the Apostle John. We who truly know Jesus know the truth. As born again believers, we have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He is the One who illuminates the Word of God to us so that we can interpret and understand the Bible, God's truth. We are reminded that we can believe in God; but if we deny Jesus, John makes it clear that we deny both the Father and the Son, and we are liars. We cannot claim to know God the Father, and have a relationship with Him, if we don't have Jesus the Son. We can only be accepted by the Father through His Son who made a way when He died in our place as payment for our sins. There have been many times that I have had conversations with people about God, but suddenly the conversation became uncomfortable for them when I mentioned the Name of Jesus. If the Name of Christ makes you uncomfortable, you may want to step back and consider whether you truly know, and have a relationship with, Jesus.

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Keep Looking Up

I John 2:18-19 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

Here's a very sad truth. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is actually a Christian. That title was once used to mock followers of Jesus (Acts 11). It meant to be a "little Christ". Today it is thrown around by anyone who claims to believe in God or who claims to be religious. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing to believe in God. However, that does not make us Christians. James tells us that the devils believe and they tremble. To be a true follower of Christ means to trust in what Jesus did on the cross. He gave His life as the Sacrifice for our sins. He rose from the dead. Now when we repent and confess our sins, believe that Jesus did what He did, is who the Bible says He is, and call upon His Name by faith; only then can we truly claim that we are Christians. Our salvation is by faith alone. John warns that in these last days there will be some who will fall away, but they were never really Christians at all. The fact that they fell away, and no longer follow after Jesus, is evidence that they did not truly believe and were not really trusting in Christ for eternal life. John issued another warning that many Christians are either ignorant about or just don't understand. In these last days there will be many false teachers. Some will even claim that they are Jesus Himself. Those who are not true followers of Christ will fall away and follow these antichrists. My friends, do yourself a favor and be students of God's Word so that you aren't deceived. Look around and see the sign of the times. Our world is quickly being set up for the one Antichrist who will one day rule using the system that is currently being established; a one world government, one world bank, and one world religion. This is something that will not be stopped. God tells us this will happen. For us who know Jesus and are true followers, this should be an encouragement. Why, you ask? Because it means that the Lord's return to get His church is closer than ever! So don't be surprised when you see "Christians" fall away, and see more and more false teachers rise up. Don't be surprised when you see a new one world order developing; for that is what will be needed for the Antichrist to rule. Instead, realize the urgency of sharing the Gospel and keep looking up, because any day now Jesus will return and we who are true born again Christians will meet Him in the air to be with Him forevermore!

Saturday, September 2, 2023

What Will We Choose?

I John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

"Do not love the world." To love the world means to find contentment with it. It means to be entertained by it, and hold it in a place of priority in our lives. To love the world and the things of this world means to put it before all else and everyone else, including God. John warns us about the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Why does he do this? Because these were the very things that caused the fall of man. When Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, he used these three. She looked at it with a desire to taste it (lust of the flesh). She desired to gain what she felt she was being deprived from and deserved (lust of the eyes); and wanted to be something she wasn't. She wanted to be like God (pride of life). Sadly, she believed the devil's lies and didn't realize that she and Adam were already created in God's image. When we love the world and what it offers, we end up pleasing the flesh, and sin against God. We seek after riches and material gain, and abandon our relationship with God. We start to believe that we don't really need God, as long as we have plenty of money and material things. We become prideful and arrogant as we gain more wealth, status, and prestige in society, even if that prestige is in our own little circle of influence. John clearly tells us that none of this is of the Father. Far too often many of God's people are trading eternal gain and reward for things that will not last. All that we gain in this world can disappear in the blink of an eye. When we are gone, it all stays behind. We cannot serve both God and riches. We must choose whether we will live a life having a love affair with the world or with God. I pray that we choose God.