1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Good morning, friends and faithful listeners. This is 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: Jen with the Bible Explained Podcast. Well howdy everyone, welcome 3 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: to the Bible Explain Podcast on this lovely morning. It 4 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 1: has just been a fantastic week for me because the 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: weather is finally breaking. It is about fifty degrees today 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: and I went and sat out on my porch because 7 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: there's no wind. There's no wind chill. The sun is 8 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: out and it's just like the perfect weather right now. 9 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: No bugs yet, which is fantastic. The birds are chirping, 10 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: I can see the little buds coming in on the trees. 11 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: So spring is in the air and it is just 12 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,919 Speaker 1: my favorite thing ever. Because I don't like winter all 13 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: that much, I try not to complain about it because 14 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: it's just the nature of where I live. But I 15 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: do enjoy some nice warm weather that is for sure. 16 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: Looking forward to that. So tell me what the weather 17 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: is where you guys live. I love hearing from all 18 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: of you, So if you would like to reach out 19 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: and tell me about the weather, or how you found 20 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: the podcast, or even if you have a prayer request, 21 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: you can find my contact information listed in the description 22 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: of this episode. However, before we get into today's episode. 23 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: Here is a message or two from the first sponsor today. Now, 24 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: if you get the chance to read along with me, 25 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: I highly recommend that you do, because we are going 26 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: to be talking actually more so out of the book 27 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: of First John than we are in Hebrews today, interestingly enough, 28 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: because First John lines up very well with the discussion 29 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: for today. So if you get a chance to read 30 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: through this, I do recommend that you do. But later on, 31 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: even if you can't get to your Bible right now, 32 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: maybe try to read through First John tonight if you 33 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: get the chance. But let's read Hebrews for one through 34 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: seven today, and as always, I'll be reading from the web, 35 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: but feel free to grab the version of the Bible 36 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: that you prefer, and let's jump in together. Let's fear 37 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: therefore less. Perhaps any one of you should have seemed 38 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: to come short of a pro promise of entering into 39 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: his rest, For indeed we have had good news preach 40 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: to us, even as they also did. But the word 41 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: they heard didn't profit them, because it wasn't mixed with 42 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: faith by those who heard. For we who have believed, 43 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: do enter into that rest, even as he has said, 44 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: as I swore in my wrath, they will not enter 45 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: into my rest, although the works were finished from the 46 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: foundation of the world. For he has said this somewhere 47 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 1: about the seventh day. God rested on the seventh day 48 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: from all of his works, And in this place again 49 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: they will not enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it 50 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: remains that some should enter into it, and they to 51 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: whom the good news was preached before, failed to enter 52 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: in because of disobedience. He again defines a certain day today, 53 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: saying through David, so long as time afterward, just as 54 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: has been said today, if you will hear his voice, 55 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: don't harden your hearts. The one thing you should remember 56 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: about the Bible is that the verses and page numbers 57 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,080 Speaker 1: in chapter breakdowns all of that was added later on. 58 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: When the author first wrote this letter, it was one 59 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: continual letter. So our passage for today actually lines up 60 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: perfectly with what we talked about on Tuesday in Hebrews 61 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: chapter three. So let's go back to Hebrews three and 62 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 1: read verses twelve through fifteen. It says, beware, brothers, less, 63 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: perhaps there might be in any one of you an 64 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: evil heart of unbelief in falling away from the Living God. 65 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: But exhort one another day by day, so long as 66 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: it is called today, lest any one of you be 67 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become 68 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: partakers of Christ. If we hold the beginning of our 69 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: confidence firm to the end. While it is said today, 70 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts 71 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: as in the rebellion. And on Tuesday, when we discussed 72 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: all that, I mentioned how this verse kind of seems 73 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: like Christians can lose their salvation right because it says, 74 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: you've heard everything that God tells you, you can fall 75 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: away from the Living God, don't be hardened by the 76 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: deceitfulness of sin. All these things kind of sound like 77 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: you could potentially lose your salvation. But what I pointed 78 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: out is that there are too many verses in scripture 79 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: that talk about how you cannot lose salvation, like, once 80 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: you believe in Jesus, that is what it is. In fact, 81 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: Jesus himself, I believe in John chapter ten, said that 82 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: the sheep hear my voice, and they know me, and 83 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: I know my sheep, and nobody can ever pluck my 84 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: sheep out of my hand. So once you are saved, 85 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: you are saved, which means that these verses in Hebrews 86 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 1: are not talking about Christians losing their salvation, but it's 87 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: talking about people that go to church, even call themselves Christians, 88 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 1: but they've never taken that leap of faith into truly 89 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: believing in Jesus. And then we also talked about James 90 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: chapter two, where it says that the demons believe God, 91 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: but they don't actually have faith in him, they don't 92 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: have obedience in him. So it's not enough to just 93 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: say that you're a Christian or believe that God exists. 94 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: There has to be a true faith, a true obedience 95 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,559 Speaker 1: behind it. So that's what I'd like to talk about 96 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: today in Hebrews chapter four. So let's read verse one 97 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 1: of Hebrews four. It says, let's fear. Therefore, let's perhaps 98 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: any one of you should seem to have come short 99 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: of a promise of entering into his rest. Verse two, 100 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: For indeed, we have had good news preach to us, 101 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: even as they also did. But the word they heard 102 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: didn't profit them because it wasn't mixed with faith by 103 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: those who heard. So there you go. You have to 104 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: have a true faith behind what you are hearing. You know, 105 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: the people in the Old Testament. In the wilderness, they 106 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: were the children of God. They called themselves God's children, 107 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: they called themselves Israelites. But in the wilderness, even though 108 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: they knew God existed and they could see all of 109 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: the works that God did, in the miracles that He 110 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: had performed for them for forty years, they didn't have 111 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: a real faith in him. They didn't care about him. 112 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: They just wanted what they wanted. And that is who 113 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 1: Hebrews is warning us not to be a person who 114 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: knows God exists, can see his works, but I don't 115 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: actually have a true faith in him. That's why the 116 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: author here warns us. He says, we should fear lest 117 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: perhaps any one of us have come short of a 118 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: promise of entering into his rest. So we need to 119 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: be very careful, and we should fear that perhaps some 120 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: of us are not going to enter into God's rest. Now, 121 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 1: what is God's rest? Well, in the Old Testament, it 122 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: was the promised land. But nowadays we don't have the 123 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 1: promised land that was for the Old Testament people. So 124 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 1: what is the rest he's talking about today. Well, it 125 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: could be referring to heaven itself, but it could also 126 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: be referring to some of the benefits of the Holy Spirit. 127 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: You know, peace and comfort, and joy and love, all 128 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: of those things that give us rest from our daily 129 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: burdens in life. So this rest that the author is 130 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 1: talking about here, we're going to go more into that 131 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,119 Speaker 1: at a later time, but just know that the word 132 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 1: rest could have multiple meanings. But the point is we 133 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: do want that rest, and we should fear that some 134 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: of us might not be able to enter in to 135 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: that rest, or rather come short of the promise of 136 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: entering into the rest. Then in verse two, the author continues, 137 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: for indeed, we have had good news preach to us, 138 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: even as they also did. But the word they heard 139 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: didn't profit them because it wasn't mixed by faith with 140 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: those who heard. So who is they? Who is the 141 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: author talking about? He's talking about the people in the wilderness. 142 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: You know, they had the good news preach to them 143 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: by God himself. You know, the good news of being 144 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: able to go into the Promised Land, the good news 145 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: of the Old Testament laws, the good news of God 146 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: blessing the Israelite nation abundantly. They had all of that 147 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: good news, But it says it didn't profit them because 148 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't mixed with faith by those who heard. They 149 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: heard it, but they didn't truly have faith in any 150 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: of that good news, and that could potentially be some 151 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: of you faithful listeners, or maybe some people that go 152 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: to your church, which is why the author really encourages 153 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: us to consider our salvation. In fact, if you turn 154 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:10,119 Speaker 1: to Philippians, chapter two, verse twelve, here's what Paul says. 155 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: He says, So, then, my beloved, even as you have 156 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now with 157 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: much more in my absence, work out your own salvation 158 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:27,239 Speaker 1: with fear and trembling. We are supposed to work out 159 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: our salvation, it says, with fear and trembling. Now that 160 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: does not mean that we have to work for our salvation, 161 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: like there's nothing we can do to earn salvation. But 162 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: we're supposed to work out our salvation. Meaning understand, what 163 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: Jesus did for us. Salvation is far more than praying 164 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: the sinner's prayer. And that is what drives me absolutely 165 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,559 Speaker 1: crazy sometimes about certain church denominations. In fact, I grew 166 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: up in one where the only thing that mattered was 167 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: the sinner's prayer. If you prayed the sinner's prayer that meant, 168 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: without a shadow of a doubt, you were saved. Some 169 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: churches believe that if you are baptized into the faith, 170 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: that is how you become saved. But it's far more 171 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:16,559 Speaker 1: than that. It's not just praying a prayer or getting baptized. 172 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: They need to truly understand what God actually did for them. 173 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: And how do we understand this on a core level? 174 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: How do we really know if we're saved? Because none 175 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: of this is supposed to make us doubt our salvation, 176 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: but rather give us an assurance of our salvation. So 177 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: doubting your salvation that is something that is of Satan. 178 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: You know, Satan is telling you you can't possibly be 179 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: saved because you did so many bad things in the past, 180 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: or God doesn't love you, or you're not worthy of love, 181 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: or whatever else Satan might be telling you. That is 182 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: not the point of these scriptures. The point rather is 183 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: to give us assurance of our salvation knowing that we 184 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: are in fact a child of God. So how can 185 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: we know that? How can we work out our salvation 186 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: knowing that salvation is far more than being baptized or 187 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: praying a prayer or even just saying you're a Christian, 188 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: or being born into a Christian family, or even believing 189 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: that Jesus exists. How can you have that true assurance 190 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: of salvation. Well, for that, you got to go over 191 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: to the Book of First John and essentially read the 192 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: entire thing. The point of the Book of First John 193 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: is actually laid out in One John five, verse thirteen. 194 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: Here's what John says at the very end of his book. 195 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: He says, these things I have written to you who 196 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: believe in the name of the Son of God, that 197 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: you may know that you have eternal life, and that 198 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: you may continue to believe in the name of the 199 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: Son of God. So that's actually the point of the 200 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 1: Book of First John is to give Christians an assurance 201 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 1: of their salvation. And the entire book kind of lays 202 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: out these bullet points of just like basics that Christians 203 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,679 Speaker 1: need to do or understand in order to have an 204 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: assurance of their salvation. So today I'm actually going to 205 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: go through the entire Book of First John with you, 206 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: starting in chapter one, and go through all of these 207 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: bullet points so that you can have this assurance of 208 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: your salvation. Let's start in First John one, verse six 209 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: here's point one. If we say that we have fellowship 210 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and 211 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: don't tell the truth. But if we walk in the 212 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,239 Speaker 1: light as he is in the light, we have fellowship 213 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, 214 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:39,959 Speaker 1: cleanses us from all sin. So that's the first thing 215 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: that we need to understand. And actually, if you have 216 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: a notebook with you. I've never asked any of you 217 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: guys to do this before, but if this is something 218 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: that is concerning to you, like maybe you have doubts 219 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: about your salvation, it might actually be really good to 220 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: take a notebook and jot down some of these points 221 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: and research them or pray over them, or go back 222 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,319 Speaker 1: to them at a later date or something along those lines. 223 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: So grab a notebook real quick if you can actually 224 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: do that, or maybe you can make little notes in 225 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 1: your Bible or something. Okay, So the first point that 226 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: you have to do in order to have assurance of 227 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: your salvation, it says we have to walk in the 228 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: light and not live in spiritual darkness. It says if 229 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 1: we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk 230 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: in darkness, then we lie and we don't tell the truth. 231 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: So if we are walking in spiritual darkness, that means 232 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,679 Speaker 1: that we don't actually have a relationship with Jesus. So 233 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: what is spiritual darkness, Well, spiritual darkness would be not 234 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 1: believing the core principles of what the Bible teaches you. 235 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: If you have questions about any of the core principles 236 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:49,079 Speaker 1: about Jesus being God, about Jesus dying for you, about 237 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: Jesus rising again on the third day, about any of 238 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,839 Speaker 1: the other moral principles of the Bible. If you don't 239 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: believe those things, or you believe that the Bible is 240 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: core and is not the truth in some way, or 241 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: that only parts of the Bible are the truth, well 242 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: that would be you walking in spiritual darkness. Because Hebrews 243 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: actually says that the scriptures, all of them, are profitable 244 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: for teaching and are God breathed. So you can't just 245 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: pick and choose different scriptures that you want, because the 246 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: entire Bible is God's word. If it isn't, that means 247 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: that certain parts of the Bible are lying. Or that 248 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: verse from Hebrews where it says that the entire Bible 249 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: is God breathed that versus lying, So either you believe 250 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: that the Bible is the truth, or you believe that 251 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: the Bible has lies in it. And if the Bible 252 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 1: has lies in it, then it is not fully the 253 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 1: truth from God. So you have to work that out first. 254 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: Do you believe in the Bible. Do you believe in 255 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: the spiritual principles that the Bible says? Do you believe 256 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: that the Bible is the truth. And if you do 257 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: believe that the Bible is the truth, then that means 258 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: you are not walking in spiritual darkness. Instead you are 259 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: walking in the light. Like verse seven says here, if 260 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: we walk in the light as He is in the light, 261 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,599 Speaker 1: we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of 262 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. So 263 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: there you go. You have to walk in the light. 264 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: That's the first point. The second point is right here 265 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: in verse eight. If we say that we have no sin, 266 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 267 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: So secondly, we have to understand that all of us 268 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: are sinners. Jen is a sinner. You, faithful listeners are 269 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: all sinners. Every single person on earth that has ever existed, 270 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: except for Jesus himself, is in fact a sinner. We 271 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: cannot escape that reality because if we believe that we 272 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: have no sin, then that means that we don't think 273 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: that Jesus coming down to earth and being our savior 274 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: was actually necessary because we can save ourselves since we 275 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: are supposedly sinless, and Jesus scond means nothing in the end. 276 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: So not only do you have to understand the truth 277 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: of the Bible and that Jesus is who he says 278 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: he is, but you have to also understand your own sin. 279 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: So that is point number two in order to have 280 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: assurance of your salvation. Now, point number three is found 281 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: in the next chapter, first John two, verse three. It says, 282 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: this is how we know that we know him if 283 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: we keep his commandments. One who says I know him 284 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: and doesn't keep his commandments is a liar and the 285 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: truth isn't in him. So not only do we have 286 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: to understand the truth of the Bible, and we also 287 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: have to understand the need for a savior that each 288 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: and every one of us have and that we are sinners, 289 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: we also have to keep God's commandments. That's actually what 290 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: Jesus says. I quote this verse all the time. This 291 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: might be the most quoted verse on this podcast to date. 292 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: If you love me, keep my commandments. That is what 293 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: Jesus told his disciples, his people. He said, Yeah, you 294 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: might say that you love me, but if you don't 295 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: keep my commandments, you're not actually showing me that you 296 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: love me. I mean, you guys all know that old 297 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: saying actions speak louder than words. You can say something, 298 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: but if you don't do the actions based upon what 299 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: you say, then you're kind of just lying. And that's 300 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: sort of what Jesus told all of his people. So 301 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: in order to truly know that you have assurance of salvation, 302 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: you have to keep Jesus's commandments. You have to keep 303 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: the commandments laid out in scripture. So that means you 304 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: have to understand the morality of the Bible and the 305 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: truth of the Bible and actually follow the principles that 306 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: the Bible says to the best of our abilities. Now, 307 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: we're not going to be perfect in this. You know 308 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: what did John say in the last chapter. If you 309 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: say you have no sin, you are deceiving yourself and 310 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: the truth is not in you. So no, we definitely sin, 311 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: and we're not going to be perfect at following the 312 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: principles of the Bible. But we do our best as 313 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: Christians to actually do the things that we claim to believe. 314 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: And one of the biggest commandments that we can follow 315 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: to prove that we love God is found right here. 316 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,360 Speaker 1: Jumping down to verse eight again, I write a new 317 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you. 318 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 1: Because the darkness is passing away, and the true light 319 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: already shines. He who says he is in the light 320 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: and hates his brother is in the darkness even until now. 321 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: He who loves his brother remains in the light, and 322 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: there is no occasion for stumbling in him. But he 323 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks 324 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: in the darkness and doesn't know where he is going, 325 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: because the darkness has blinded his eyes. So that now 326 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: is point four of how we can know that we 327 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: are saved is if we love our fellow brothers and sisters. Now, 328 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: the word brothers and sisters here could either be the 329 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 1: family of the church, you know, our fellow Christians essentially, 330 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: But the word brothers here is actually kind of innocuous 331 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: because it could also mean our neighbors. And what did 332 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: Jesus say to the guy who is like, who's my neighbor? 333 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: Who do I actually have to love? Jesus said, well, 334 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: everybody's your neighbor. Essentially, you gotta love everybody. So if 335 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:13,160 Speaker 1: you hate somebody, the love of Christ is not shining 336 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: in you. You are walking in the darkness. So you 337 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: have to remove the hatred from your heart and you 338 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: have to actually love people. That is what Jesus said, 339 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: a new commandment. I give you that you love one another. 340 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: Jesus said, that is actually how the entire law is 341 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,400 Speaker 1: summed up, is love of God first and then also 342 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: love of other people. So you can't have hatred building 343 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: up in your heart. You can be disgusted at people, 344 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: you can have a righteous form of anger over the 345 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: problems that you see in the world. But if it 346 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: crosses over into hatred, then that means that Jesus's light 347 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: is not shining in you. So you have to remove 348 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: that hatred from your body. And how do you do this? Well, 349 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 1: God helps you because that is a prayer within his will. 350 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: Jesus obviously wants you to love people, so if you 351 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 1: pray for more love, He's going to grant you that prayer. 352 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 1: Though it might be very, very hard to do that, 353 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 1: especially if you are very angry or irritated at somebody 354 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: in your life. But still, that is something we have 355 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: to do as Christians. It is part of our walk 356 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: with Jesus. So now in verse twenty two we move 357 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: into point five. Who is the liar? But he who 358 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 1: denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the anti Christ. 359 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: He who denies the Father and the son. Whoever denies 360 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: the son doesn't have the father. He who confesses the 361 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: son has the Father. Also, so if you deny Jesus, 362 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: that Jesus is not Christ, or that Jesus is not God, 363 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 1: he's just a good man, or he's just a good 364 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: prophet or something like that. If you believe that, that 365 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: means you do not have the light of Christ inside 366 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: of you. So so far to recap the five points 367 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: of how to have assurance of salvation. First and foremost, 368 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: you have to not be walking in spiritual darkness. Secondly, 369 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,959 Speaker 1: have to believe that you are a sinner. Thirdly, you 370 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: have to obey God's commandments, and the best commandment you 371 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: can obey. Fourthly is to love your neighbor as yourself. 372 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: And fifth you cannot deny the godhood of Jesus. So 373 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: that brings us to first John three. Jumping to verse ten, 374 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: it says in this the children of God are revealed, 375 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness 376 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: is not of God. Neither is he who doesn't love 377 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: his brother. For this is the message which you have 378 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 379 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 1: Unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed 380 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 1: his brother. Why did he kill him because his deeds 381 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: were evil and his brothers were righteous. So that is 382 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: the sixth point of how you can be assured of 383 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 1: your salvation. Are you living a righteous life? John gives 384 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: an example here of somebody that was righteous and somebody 385 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: that was unrighteous. Cain and Abel talked about way back 386 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 1: in the book of Genesis. Cain killed his brother Abel 387 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: because Abel was doing the right thing in front of 388 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: God and Cain was doing an evil thing, and Cain, 389 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: out of his jealousy that Abel had a good relationship 390 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 1: with God, actually killed Able for this, even though God 391 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: had come to Cain before that and was like, hey, Cain, 392 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: you know, if you do the right thing, you're also 393 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,680 Speaker 1: going to have a good relationship with me. But Cain 394 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 1: did not listen to the words of God and instead 395 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and anger. So 396 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: the point is, if you have any glaring sins in 397 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 1: your life that you are just constantly living out without 398 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:39,719 Speaker 1: any care over what the Bible says, then that shows 399 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: that you are not living in the light of Jesus. 400 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 1: A person who is a child of God is not 401 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:49,199 Speaker 1: going to want to remain in these sinful tendencies that 402 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: they have. That's not to say you're not going to sin. 403 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: You know, I already talked about that. You can't say 404 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: that you are without sin, even if you become a 405 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 1: Christian just does not happen. But if you are living 406 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: in a sin without any guilty conscience of that sin, 407 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: then that means it kind of goes back to point one, 408 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:10,479 Speaker 1: you're living in spiritual darkness because a person that is 409 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: a Christian is going to have a guilty conscience. They're 410 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: going to have the Holy Spirit telling them like, hey, 411 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: you're doing something wrong. You should not be living in 412 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: this sin. So point one in point three actually kind 413 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: of correlate with each other actually, but essentially point six 414 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 1: is that you have to have a conscience over sin 415 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: and not be wanting to live in that sin, but 416 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: wanting to do righteousness. So now moving to first John four, 417 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 1: here's the point from this one, verse thirteen. By this 418 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,880 Speaker 1: we know that we remain in Him and he in us, 419 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 1: because He has given us of his spirit. We have 420 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: seen and testified that the Father has sent the Son 421 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: as the savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus 422 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: is the Son of God God remains in him and 423 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:59,919 Speaker 1: he in God. So now that is point seven. We 424 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: we have the Holy Spirit living within us. We know 425 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: that we are a child of God. And how do 426 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: you know that you have the Holy Spirit living in you? Well, 427 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: if you can outwardly confess that Jesus is Lord, if 428 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:14,239 Speaker 1: you can say, without a shadow of doubt, Jesus is 429 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,959 Speaker 1: my Lord to somebody who asks you, then you know 430 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: you have the Holy Spirit living in you, which takes 431 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,200 Speaker 1: me to a verse in Onese Corinthians twelve, verse three. 432 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: It says, therefore I make known to you that no 433 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,719 Speaker 1: man speaking by God's spirit, says Jesus is a cursed 434 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: and no one can say Jesus is Lord, but by 435 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. So if you can say Jesus is 436 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: my Lord and believe it, then you know that you 437 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: have assurance of salvation. So that is point number seven 438 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 1: and actually the last point I was presenting for you guys, 439 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: because if you move into the last chapter of First John, 440 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 1: which is First John five, basically John summarizes how to 441 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: have assurance of salvation essentially in verses one through three. 442 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: So here's the summary. Whoever believes that Jesus is the 443 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father 444 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,400 Speaker 1: also loves the child who is born of him. By 445 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,879 Speaker 1: this we know that we love the children of God 446 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 1: when we love God and keep his commandments. For this 447 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:17,199 Speaker 1: is loving God that we keep his commandments, and his 448 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: commandments are not grievous. For whatever is born of God 449 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome 450 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 1: the world your faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, 451 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: but he who believes that Jesus is the son of God. 452 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,680 Speaker 1: So there you go. That is the summary of how 453 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: we can know we have salvation if we believe that 454 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: Jesus is the Messiah. We have been born of God. 455 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 1: Is what it says. It says, whoever loves the Father 456 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 1: also loves the child who are born of him. So 457 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: that means other Christians other fellow children of God. If 458 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,679 Speaker 1: we love God, we're also going to love our fellow 459 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: Christians verse two. By this, we know we love the 460 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 1: children of God when we love God and keep his commandments. 461 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: And then he also says his commandments are not grievous. So, 462 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 1: I mean a lot of times people look at Christianity 463 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: and they're like, there's nothing good going on in Christianity 464 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: because you just have to deny yourself and submit to God. 465 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: And God is mean and his commandments are really hard. 466 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 1: But John here says that his commandments are not grievous, 467 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: which means they are not overly difficult. They are a 468 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: burden in some ways. I mean, even Jesus said, come 469 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,439 Speaker 1: to me. You know, my yoke is easy and my 470 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: burden is light. There is a yoke and there is 471 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:35,200 Speaker 1: a burden when it comes to Christianity, but the things 472 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: of the world are a far bigger yoke and a 473 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,400 Speaker 1: far bigger burden that we have to deal with. In fact, 474 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: one of the things I like to listen to while 475 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:48,440 Speaker 1: I'm cleaning, other than music and audiobooks and podcasts and everything, 476 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 1: I like to listen to people's testimonies. I follow this 477 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,199 Speaker 1: one page on YouTube called De la Fe Testimonies, and 478 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,879 Speaker 1: they basically do hour and a half long testimonies of 479 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 1: all sorts of people from all different backgrounds. People that 480 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: were Jehovah's witnesses, people that were Mormons, people that were 481 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,439 Speaker 1: in the New Age, or witches or atheists. I mean, 482 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: they get all sorts of different backgrounds of people, and 483 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:17,439 Speaker 1: these testimonies are just amazing because the one thing that 484 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: is consistent with all of them is I was in 485 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: misery before I met Jesus, and now my life is 486 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: so much easier. I have this joy and this light 487 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 1: inside of me. So Jesus doesn't place burdens on our backs. 488 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 1: He takes burdens from us. His commands are not grievous. 489 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:38,200 Speaker 1: And that is something I can say in my personal 490 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: life as well. Before I was really living the Christian life, 491 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,120 Speaker 1: I was so much more miserable and so much more 492 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: depressed than I am now. So if you're kind of 493 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: dipping your toes into faith and haven't fully taken that step, 494 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: I really encourage you to do so, because, as Hebrews said, 495 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 1: going back to our chapter four, today God gives us 496 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: rest take that step into the faith and enter into 497 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: that rest. It's really funny how that came all the 498 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: way back around to Hebrews chapter four. I had no 499 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 1: clue how I was going to end this episode, and 500 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:18,639 Speaker 1: then all of a sudden, I'm talking about rest, and 501 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 1: then Hebrews four pops back into my brain where it's like, 502 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: oh yeah, Hebrews four was talking about entering into God's rest. 503 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: That is so funny. So just things like that where 504 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 1: I believe so deeply that the Bible is connected with 505 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 1: itself and it's the truth. I mean, I just believe 506 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: it so wholeheartedly. Faithful listeners, I hope you enjoyed today's episode. 507 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 1: Before we say goodbye, here's another word from a sponsor. Obviously, 508 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:45,639 Speaker 1: we did not finish talking about Hebrews four because this 509 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,359 Speaker 1: episode is already getting quite long, and I'm not going 510 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: to take all of your guys as time today, So 511 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: we'll talk about the rest of Hebrews four one through 512 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 1: seven on Tuesday instead of discussing it today. So I 513 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: hope you guys tune in on Tuesday for another episode 514 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:02,200 Speaker 1: from Hebrews. And I hope you all have been loving 515 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 1: the Book of Hebrews as much as I have been 516 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:06,439 Speaker 1: so far. This has been my favorite book of the 517 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: New Testament. I actually went back and listened to an 518 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: episode I did from Ephesians last year, and in Ephesians, 519 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: I was like, this is definitely my favorite book of 520 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 1: the Bible. Yeah, maybe they're all my favorite. I don't know, 521 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: but I've been loving the Book of Hebrews as well. 522 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,639 Speaker 1: All right, faithful listeners, I'll see all of you guys 523 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:28,120 Speaker 1: on Monday, hopefully as we finish up second Chronicles. We're 524 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: only a couple chapters away from the end, and then 525 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 1: we'll be moving into season eleven of this podcast. So 526 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 1: faithful listeners, have a fantastic and wonderful weekend. If I 527 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: don't see you guys tomorrow on the Bible Explained on 528 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: Fridays link in description if you want access to that podcast. 529 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: I'll see all of you guys on Monday, six am 530 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: or whenever you choose to wake up, Happy listening, and 531 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: God bless. I just want to take a second to 532 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,479 Speaker 1: thank the team at Life Audio for their partnership with 533 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: me on the I Will Explain podcast. In fact, if 534 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: you go to life audio dot com, you will find 535 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 1: dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've 536 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 1: got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.