1 João 4
Andrew Murray · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 João 4:16
Murray - THE LOVE OF GOD God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them 1 JOHN 4:16 The most wonderful word in heaven is love—for God is love. And the most wonderful word in the inner chamber must be love—for the God who meets us there is love. What is love? It is the deep desire to give itself for the beloved. Love finds its joy in imparting all that it has to make the loved one happy. And the heavenly Father, who offers to meet us in the inner chamber, has no other object than to fill our hearts with His love. All the other attributes of God find in His love their highest glory. The full blessing of the inner chamber is nothing less than a life in the abundant love of God. Because of this, we should approach God with faith in His love. As you set yourself to pray, seek to exercise great and unbounded faith in the love of God. Take time in silence to meditate on the wonderful revelation of God’s love in Christ until you are filled with the spirit of worship and wonder. Take time to believe the precious truth: “He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5). As you pray, be assured of this: Your heavenly Father longs to manifest His love to you. Be deeply convinced that He can and will do it THE LOVE OF GOD God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 JOHN 4:16 The love of God—what an unfathomable mystery! Jesus said: “Only God is good” (Matthew 19:17). The glory of God in heaven is that He wills to do all that is good. That includes the two meanings of the word: good—all that is right and perfect; good—all that makes happiness. The God who wills nothing but good is a God of love. He does not demand His own way. He does not live for Himself but pours out His love on all living creatures. All created things share in this love so that they may be satisfied with that which is good. A characteristic of love is that it “does not demand its own way” (1 Corinthians 13:5). It finds happiness in giving to others. It sacrifices itself wholly for others. God offered Himself to mankind in love in the person of His Son, and the Son offered Himself upon the cross to bring that love to men and women. The everlasting love with which the Father loved the Son is the same love with which the Son loves us. The love of God to His Son, the love of the Son to us, the love with which we love the Son, the love with which we love each other and try to love all men—all is the same eternal, incomprehensible, almighty love of God. Love is the power of the Godhead in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Joseph Stowell - TRUE LOVE (See Strength for the Journey: Day By Day With Jesus - Page 87) GOD IS LOVE. WHOEVER LIVES IN LOVE LIVES IN GOD, AND GOD IN HIM.—1 John 4:16 We love God by giving ourselves willingly to Him, His Word, and His will. “This is love for God: to obey his commands” (1 John 5:3). But loving God is also expressed by extending love toward others. In fact, loving others is the proof of our commitment to Christ ( John 13:34–35). These upward and outward directions of love are brought together in Christ’s command that we are to first love God and then our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:34–40). The opposite of love is not always hate. It is more often self-centeredness rooted in a fear of loss, of being taken advantage of, of being misunderstood, of becoming vulnerable, or of losing control of our own destiny. Fear turns our attention inward. It thrives on self-centeredness—on our concern for our own welfare. When we are fearful, we refuse to surrender to God’s control and are afraid to reach out to others. Yet John reminds us that “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). Love loves in the face of our fears and expels fear from our hearts. When I trust God to protect and prosper me, I have nothing to fear and am free to love. I am free to yield lovingly to God regardless of my circumstances and to unconditionally love others without seeking to protect my own interests. Paul helps us understand how foreign fear is to authentic faith: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). A conscious commitment to true love will dispel fear and help drive out other fear-inspired enemies, such as anger, jealousy, and hatred. A loveless life is often a life that has been victimized by fear. Trust Him to cover your fears and risk an act of love that tells Him how much you love Him. Reach “up” to Him in trust and “out” to others. Start to love today by choosing one concrete way to express your love to God by loving someone you know who is in need. Henry Blackaby - Believing God's Love (Experiencing God Day by Day: Daily Devotional - Page 280) And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.—1 John 4:16 The greatest truth in all of Scripture is this: God is love. Understanding this in its full dimensions will set you free to enjoy all that is yours as a Christian. But you must accept that God loves you. If you grew up experiencing unconditional love in your family, this may not be difficult for you. However, if your early years were void of love, this truth may be hard to accept. God loves you, not because you deserve His love, but because His nature is love. The only way He will ever relate to you is in love. His love for you gives you an inherent worth that nothing can diminish. If you cannot accept the truth that God loves you, you will be limited in how you can relate to Him. When He disciplines you, you will not take it as an expression of His love. Rather, you may resent Him. When God says no to a request that is less than His best for you, you will conclude that He doesn't care about you. Without a clear understanding and acceptance of God's love for you, you will be disoriented to Him and to what He wants to do in your life. If you will accept God's love, however, you will be able to return love to God as well as to others (1 John 4:19). Are you experiencing the profound sense of joy and security that comes from knowing you are dearly loved by God? Being assured of God's love for you sets you free to enjoy the numerous expressions of love He showers upon you each day James Smith - "God is love!" 1 John 4:16 That is, in Christ, God is love. All that God does for His children — is in love! All that He withholds from us — is in love! And all that He requires of us — is in love! His precepts are from love — as much as His promises! His warnings are as much from love — as His invitations! His prohibitions are as much from love — as His permissions! His love uses the rod — as well as gives the kiss! His love withholds — as well as gives! All, all, is done in love! O sweet and blessed representation of Jehovah! How can I be justified in complaining of any of His dealings? In Jesus, all His thoughts, are loving thoughts; all His words, are loving words; and all His works, are loving works. In giving, or withholding — He manifests His love. In afflicting, or restoring — He alike displays His love. Every pain, and every pleasure — is from His love. Every storm, and every sunbeam — is from His love. The fruitful shower, and the destroying hurricane — are ruled and overruled by divine love, for the good of the believer in Jesus. Puritan Readings - God Is Love And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16 The saints peculiarly and eminently have communion with the Father; and this is love—free, undeserved, and eternal love. This the Father peculiarly fixes upon the saints; this they are immediately to eye in Him, to receive of Him, and to make such returns thereof as He is delighted withal. This is the great discovery of the gospel: for whereas the Father, as the fountain of the Deity, is not known any other way but as full of wrath, anger, and indignation against sin, nor can the sons of men have any other thoughts of Him (Rom. 1:18; Isa. 33:13-14; Hab. 1:13; Ps. 5:4-6; Eph. 2:3)—here He is now revealed peculiarly as love, as full of it unto us; the manifestation whereof is the peculiar work of the gospel (Titus 3:4). For we read, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). That the name of God is here taken personally and for the person of the Father, not essentially, is evident from verse 9, where He is distinguished from His only begotten Son whom He sends into the world…there is indeed a twofold divine love, a love of good pleasure and destination and a love of friendship and approbation; both are peculiarly assigned to the Father in an eminent manner. For, we read that God so loved the world (John 3:16); that is, that it was of His good pleasure and purpose; and so also whoever loves Christ will the Father come and love Him (John 14:23 F B
1 João 4:17
Murray - LIKE CHRIST: Not of the World. “These are in the world.” “The world hath hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”—John 17:11, 14, 16. “Even as He is, so are we in this world.”—1 John 4:17. If Jesus was not of the world, why was He in the world? If there was no sympathy between Him and the world, why was it that He lived in it and did not remain in that high and holy and blessed world to which He belonged? The answer is, The Father had sent Him into the world. In these two expressions, “In the world,” “Not of the world,” we find the whole secret of His work as Saviour, of His glory as the God-man. “In the world”; in human nature, because God would show that this nature belonged to Him, and not to the god of this world, that it was most fit to receive the divine life, and in this divine life to reach its highest glory. “In the world”; in fellowship with men, to enter into loving relationship with them, to be seen and known of them, and thus to win them back to the Father. “In the world”; in the struggle with the powers which rule the world, to learn obedience, and so to perfect and sanctify human nature. “Not of the world”; but of heaven, to manifest and bring nigh the life that is in God, and which man had lost, that men might see and long for it. “Not of the world”; witnessing against its sin and departure from God, its impotence to know and please God. “Not of the world”; founding a kingdom entirely heavenly in origin and nature, entirely independent of all that the world holds desirable or necessary, with principles and laws the very opposite of those that rule in the world. “Not of the world”; in order to redeem all who belong to Him, and bring them into that new and heavenly kingdom which He had revealed. “In the world,” “Not of the world.” In these two expressions we have revealed to us the great mystery of the person and work of the Saviour. “Not of the world,” in the power of His divine holiness judging and overcoming it; still in the world, and through His humanity and love seeking and saving all that can be saved. The most entire separation from the world, with the closest fellowship with those in the world; these two extremes meet in Jesus, in His own person He has reconciled them. And it is the calling of the Christian in his life to prove that these two dispositions however much they may seem at variance, can in our life too be united in perfect harmony. In each believer there must be seen a heavenly life shining out through earthly forms. To take one of these two truths and exclusively cultivate it, is not so difficult. So you have those who have taken “Not of the world” as their motto. From the earliest ages, when people thought they must fly to cloisters and deserts to serve God, to our own days, when some seek to show the earnestness of their piety by severity in judging all that is in the world, there have been those who counted this the only true religion. There was separation from sin, but then there was also no fellowship with sinners. The sinner could not feel that he was surrounded with the atmosphere of a tender heavenly love. It was a one-sided and therefore a defective religion. Then there are those who, on the other side, lay stress on “In the world,” and very specially appeal to the words of the apostle, “For then must ye needs go out of the world.” They think that, by showing that religion does not make us unfriendly or unfit to enjoy all that there is to enjoy, they will induce the world to serve God. It has often happened that they have indeed succeeded in making the world very religious, but at too high a price;—religion became very worldly. The true follower of Jesus must combine both. If he does not clearly show that he is not of the world, and prove the greater blessedness of a heavenly life, how will he convince the world of sin, or prove to her that there is a higher life, or teach her to desire what she does not yet possess? Earnestness, and holiness, and separation from the spirit of the world must characterize him. His heavenly spirit must manifest that he belongs to a kingdom not of this world. An unworldly, an other-worldly, a heavenly spirit must breathe in him. And still he must live as one who is “in the world.” Expressly placed here of God, among those who are of the world, to win their hearts, to acquire influence over them, and to communicate to them of the Spirit which is in him, it must be the great study of his life how he can fulfil this his mission. Not, as the wisdom of the world would teach, by yielding, and complying, and softening down the solemn realities of religion, will he succeed. No, but only by walking in the footsteps of Him who alone can teach how to be in the world and yet not of it. Only by a life of serving and suffering love, in which the Christian distinctly confesses that the glory of God is the aim of his existence, and in which, full of the Holy Spirit, he brings men into direct contact with the warmth and love of the heavenly life, can he be a blessing to the world. Oh, who will teach us the heavenly secret, of uniting every day in our lives what is so difficult to unite,—to be in the world, and not of the world? He can do it who has said: “They are not of the, world, EVEN AS I am not of the world.” That “EVEN AS” has a deeper meaning and power than we know. If we suffer the Holy Spirit to unfold that word to us, we shall understand what it is to be in the world as He was in the world. That “EVEN AS” has its root and strength in a life union. In it we shall discover the divine secret, that the more entirely one is not of the world, the more fit he is to be in the world. The freer the Church is of the spirit and principles of the world, the more influence she will exert in it. The life of the world is self-pleasing and self-exaltation. The life of heaven is holy, self-denying love. The weakness of the life of many Christians who seek to separate themselves from the world, is that they have too much of the spirit of the world. They seek their own happiness and perfection more than ought else. Jesus Christ was not of the world, and had nothing of its spirit; this is why He could love sinners, could win them and save them. The believer is as little of the world as Christ. The Lord says: “Not of the world, EVEN AS I am not of the world.” In his new nature he is born from heaven, has the life and love of heaven in him; his supernatural heavenly life gives him power to be in the world without being of it. The disciple who believes fully in the Christ-likeness of his inner life, will experience the truth of it. He cultivates and gives utterance to the assurance: “EVEN AS Christ, so am I not of the world, because I am in Christ.” He understands that alone in close union with Christ can his separation from the world be maintained; in as far as Christ lives in him can he lead a heavenly life. He sees that the only way to answer to his calling is, on the one side, as crucified to the world to withdraw himself from its power; and, on the other, as living in Christ to go into it and bless it. He lives in heaven and walks on earth. Christians! see here the true imitation of Jesus Christ. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” Then the promise is fulfilled, “I will dwell in them and walk in them.” Then Christ sends you, as the Father sent Him, to be in the world as the place ordained of your Father to glorify Him, and to make known His love. Not so much in the desire to leave earth for heaven, as in the willingness to live the life of heaven here on earth, does a truly unworldly, a heavenly spirit, manifest itself. “Not of the world” is not only separation from and testimony against the world, but is the living manifestation of the spirit, and the love, and the power of the other world, of the heaven to which we long, in its divine work of making this world partaker of its blessedness. O Thou great High Priest! who in Thy high priestly power didst pray for us to the Father, as those who, no more than Thyself, belong to the world, and still must remain in it, let Thy all-prevailing intercession now be effectual in our behalf. The world has still entrance to our hearts, its selfish spirit is still too much within us. Through unbelief the new nature has not always full power. Lord, we beseech of Thee, as fruit of Thy all-powerful intercession, let that word be fully realized in us: “Not of the world, EVEN AS I am not of the world.” In our likeness to Thee is our only power against the world. Lord, we can only be like Thee when we are one with Thee. We can only walk like Thee when we abide in Thee. Blessed Lord, we surrender ourselves to abide in Thee alone. A life entirely given to Thee Thou dost take entire possession of. Let Thy Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, unite us so closely with Thyself that we may always live as not of the world. And let Thy Spirit so make known to us Thy work in the world, that it may be our joy in deep humility and fervent love to exhibit to all what a blessed life there is in the world for those who are not of the world. May the proof that we are not of the world be the tenderness and fervency with which, like Thee, we sacrifice ourselves for those who are in the world. Amen. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). As British writer Guy King stood on a railroad station platform waiting for a train from London, another train pulled into the station from the opposite direction. Members of a soccer team returning from a game in another city got off. News had not yet reached home as to the outcome of the game, so those awaiting the team didn't know if they had won or lost. A small boy wiggled his way through the crowd and asked one of the players the score. As soon as he heard it, he ran excitedly up and down the platform shouting, "We won! We won!" That youngster was brimming with joy because he identified himself with the players. In one sense, their victory was his victory. We too can participate in a great celebration because Jesus won the victory over sin nearly two thousand years ago. He paid sin's penalty by dying on the cross, and He broke its power by rising from the dead. We share in His victory through faith because "as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). He is the conquering Savior before whom no foe can stand. We can thank God "who always leads us in triumph in Christ" (2 Cor 2:14). Victory, not defeat, should be the norm in the Christian life. God sees every believer as being in Christ, whom He raised from the dead and seated "at His right hand . . . , far above all principality and power" (Eph. 1:20—21). Because He is the Victor and we are "in Him," we too can be victorious over sin. —P.R.V. We can be "more than conquerors" when we yield ourselves to the all-conquering Christ. Herbert Lockyer - The Call to Blamelessness Our Lord wore "the white flower of a blameless life," and as He is, so are we in this world. This is why the Bible insists on blamelessness on the part of a Christian. "That ye be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus." I Corinthians 1:8 "Be blameless and harmless." Philippians 2:15 "Holy and unblameable and unreprovable." Colossians 1:22 "How holily, justly and unblameably we behaved." I Thessalonians 2:10 "Be found... without spot, and blameless." II Peter 3:14 "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless." I Thessalonians 5:23 To be blameless means to be without open fault, or allowed guile (Luke 1:6). Is it not consoling to know that the call to such blamelessness carries with it the promise of performance? Paul prayed that the saints at Thessalonica might be preserved blameless unto Christ's coming. But he hurried on to say—"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (I Thessalonians 5:23). God does not leave us to manufacture the blamelessness He calls us to. He graciously supplies it. Because He is faithful to His own promise, He will ultimately present us to Himself—faultless. He will perfect that which concerns us. The good work He commenced, He will consummate. Walking As He Walked - Wade Horton INTRODUCTION: In this life on earth He was our perfect example. His manner of life was simple, sincere, and godly. We should learn of Him and walk in the same way. "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and..." (1 John 2:4). "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not..." (1 John 3:6). "... Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:21, 22). "As he is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). I. IF WE DO NOT WALK AS HE WALKED, WE CANNOT BE HIS DISCIPLES. A. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26). What He is saying is, "You must love them far less than you love Me." B. "And whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (v. 27). C. "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple" (v. 33). II. HOW DID JESUS WALK? WHAT WERE THE PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH HE ACTED? A. The first principle was His aim in life. 1. He tells us Himself, "I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29). The will of the Father was the aim of His whole life. 2. From boyhood, "... wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49), to the last agony in the Garden when He cried out, "Not my will, but thine be done" (Luke 22:42). This is the way to walk as He walked. 3. "Ye [know] how ye ought to walk and to please God" (1 Thessalonians 4:1). Do we really please God? B. His principle of life—He lived and walked by faith. 1. "... and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me" (John 6:57). "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). 2. Though walking in independence and obedience, He could of Himself do nothing. His words and his works were from the Father; as He was instructed, so He acted. 3. Christ said to His followers, "Without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). Nothing truer has ever been spoken. How miserable we would be without His help and His grace! C. His power in life—It was by the Holy Ghost anointing. 1. He was conceived by, anointed by, and led by the Spirit to be tempted (Luke 1:35; 4:18; Matthew 4:1). 2. He came up in the power of the Spirit to His ministry. By the Spirit He cast out demons, by the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, and in the energy of that same Spirit was raised from the dead. 3. "But if the Spirit of him that..." (Romans 8:11). His power in life was by the Spirit. 4. This Spirit is given to all who will accept Him. Then they, too, might live by, walk in, and be led by the Holy Ghost. D. His authority and guide in life—It was always by the Holy Scriptures. 1. He appealed to them, asking, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" (Luke 10:26). 2. When tempted by the devil, three times He said, "It is written" (Matthew 4:1-11). In this we may walk as He walked. May God help us to strive to walk as He walked! E. His practice of prayer—He tells us "that men ought always to pray" (Luke 18:1). 1. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and..." (Matthew 7:6-8). 2. "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself..." (Philippians 2:8). Seven times in Luke we read of Him praying. 3. There were three parables on praying: the Pharisee and the publican, the friend at midnight, and the widow and the unjust judge. 4. "... He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12). He agonized in prayer in the Garden. And He died praying! 5. Let us "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), or never give up praying, so that we may walk with Him. 6. David said, "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice" (Psalm 55:17). (See also Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24.) F. His joy in life—It was to do the will of God. 1. Although He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," He had a joy always before His eyes (Isaiah 53:3). 2. He only rejoiced in the will of God. "I delight to do thy will, O my God" (Psalm 40:8). He "rejoiced in the Spirit" (Luke 10:21). CONCLUSION: His joy was in saving sinners, in bringing many sons to glory. So, we may "rejoice in the Lord" with the joy of faith, seeing the unseen eternal thing. Praise His wonderful name Adrian Rogers - Our Identification With Christ MAIN SCRIPTURE TEXT: 1 JOHN 4:17 Take your Bibles tonight and turn if you will please to 1 John 4. I want to talk to you about something very, very important for our Bible study tonight. And really, if God writes this upon your heart, it will be a great, great blessing to you. 1 John 4:17. Now here's the subject. It is not a catchy title, but it is an important subject. As a matter of fact, I'm going to read you something that's going to be very concise. But a greater truth has never, ever been told in fewer words. The subject is Our Identification with Christ. Our Identification with Christ. Now listen to 1 John 4:17, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment..." Now here's the statement that I said no greater truth has been said in fewer words. "... because as he is, so are we in this world." The last part of that verse is what I'm baring down on. "As He is..." as Jesus is, "so are we in this world." Now that is the doctrine of that identification with Jesus Christ. In a Christian Jesus lives, walks, talks, breathes, and acts in the flesh. "As He is so are we." Now this could be called union with Christ, but if you understand it, you'll have Christmas and Easter and Pentecost 365 days a year. Now the first thing I want to lay on your heart is this, that identification with Christ is a powerful truth. Now you see Christianity is this, that Jesus Christ identified Himself with us. That's what Christmas is all about. He became as we are that we might become as He is. Now I'm going to give you a number of Scriptures, and tonight we're going to do something a little different then we normally do. Normally we take one passage of Scripture and go right through it. But tonight, we're going to go all over the Bible, so you get out a slip of paper and I'm going to give you a number of Scriptures because we're coming at it from a lot of different angles. First of all, look if you will in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Here's what it says, "For He (that is God the Father) hath made Him (that is Jesus) to be sin for us." That is He is becoming like we are. "He hath made Him to be sin for us." He didn't make Him to be a sinner. He was not a sinner. But He made Him to be sin for us that "we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Now there are two little phrases there, "for us," "in Him." "He hath made Him to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." "He for us" "We in Him." That's called identification with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let me show you how that works out. For example, we are identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death. This time, turn to Romans 5:8, "For God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." That is, He died as our substitute. That is, His death had my name on it. When Jesus died, He died for me, therefore, I died with Him. I may have told you before, the late, great Dr. Robert G. Lee, former pastor of this church, went to Israel. He was standing at the foot of Calvary, and the guide was lecturing, and he said, "Have any of you ever been here before?" It was Dr. Lee's first trip to the Holy Land, but he lifted his hand. And the guide said, "When were you here?" He said, "two thousand years ago." And he was! Were you there when they crucified our Lord? You were there and you died there on that cross because His death was for you, Christ died for us. He became the son of Man so that we might become sons of God. He took our sins so that we might take His innocence. He became guilty that we might be acquitted. He took our despair that we might be filled with joy. He took our shame that we might have His glory. He endured the pangs of hell that we might know the joys of heaven. We are identified with Him in death, but number two, we are identified with Him in His resurrection. Now in Romans 6, look in verse 4, "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death (That's His death) That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life." Jesus Christ had a life that the grave could not hold. I'm not merely with Jesus on the cross. I have walked out of that empty tomb with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now there is a supernatural life for every believer because we are identified with the Lord Jesus Christ in His resurrection. That means if Jesus was raised for you, you're buried with Him, you're raised with Him, you have now resurrection life. You're not awaiting the resurrection only, you have resurrection now. Number 3, you are united with Jesus Christ in His death, you're united, identified with Jesus Christ in His burial and resurrection, and you are also therefore ipso facto, united with Jesus, identified with Jesus in His victory. This time, go back to 1 John 4 and look in verse 4. John is talking about the victorious resurrection life that you and I should live, and he says, "Ye are of God little children and have over them..." Who is the them? The malevolent wicked forces of Satan. "... and have overcome them, for greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." Now when Jesus died on that cross, He won a victory. He said "Now is the prince of this world cast out." "Now is the judgment of this world." Now His victory is my victory. If Jesus has victory, I have victory. Because He has won, I have won. Now I've said identification with Christ is a very powerful truth. It's a very powerful truth. And now secondly, listen. Identification with Christ, and we're going to get practical now, is a very present and practical truth. Now what does it mean to you? That as "He is so are we in this world." What does that mean to you tomorrow when you go to work? What does that mean to you after a prayer meeting, if you go out to a restaurant or go home. Well let me tell you some things that are true about Jesus and therefore, are true about you. Remember again 1 John 4:17, "As He is so are we..." now listen to this next phrase, "in this world." Now many of us say "Well, I'm going to heaven. Then when I get to heaven, I'm going to be like Jesus," but that's not what our verse says. Our verse says, "as He is so are we in this world." May I say, in Memphis, Tennessee? May I say, you, if you're saved, or to be identified with Jesus in this world, here and now. Let's see how that works out. For example, His wisdom is our wisdom. Put down 1 Corinthians 1:30. "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus Who of God is made unto us wisdom." "Who of God is made unto us wisdom." Most of us say we need wisdom. Well if you have Jesus, you don't need wisdom, you have wisdom. You say, "Well if I have it, how come I don't have it?" Because you have not laid hold on that which is your birthright. Jesus is made unto you wisdom. Does He have wisdom? (Yes) "As He is so are we in this world." That seems almost too good to be true, and so we want to fall back on our own wisdom rather than with the Apostle James, claiming the wisdom that God has unqualifiedly promised to those of us who love Him and trust Him. I read something many years ago about a man who, out west, discovered some very rich gold mines. He became fabulously wealthy. He moved to New York. He had a very fine, intelligent son, and he sent his son off to engineering and mining school, cause that was the family legacy: mining. One day when the son graduated with honors, he came into his father's office and put his diploma on the desk, and said, "Father, I have graduated with honors. I want to go to work for the company. I would like for you to give me your finest mine so that I can go and work it." The father said, "Son, that's my plan for you, but I think first of all, even though you've been to school, I think it would be better son if you were to put on a pair of overalls and go down and work in the mines and get some hands-on experience." He said, "Dad, we have learned things in mining school and engineering school that you've never even thought of. I can handle it. Give me one of your best mines." The father gave to this boy the superintendency of a very fine gold mine, but it was kind of dangerous. It was backed up against a lake and this young man went out there and he fired the superintendent. The old man had been working there for years. And he fired some of the other works and brought in some of his young turks, college grads, engineering students, to work the mine to show his dad how it could really be done. But water began to seep into the mine. It had to be shored up intricately, and they tried, but the water kept seeping in. The boy wired his father back to New York and said, "Dad we've got a problem here... what do you suggest?" The father never answered. After a while, they did some more shoring, they did some more patching but the water kept seeping in. The boy sent a second telegram and then a third, and finally, in desperation, he said, "Dad, if you don't tell me what to do we're going to lose this gold mine." His dad sent back a wire this time and said, "Shove your diploma in that hole." There are times when we think we know our Heavenly Father, I believe also. We fail to come to God and ask God for the wisdom that He has given. "As He is so are we in this world." Jesus Christ will give you wisdom. I have prayed for wisdom over and over again, not praying because I thought that God would not give it, but because I know God will give wisdom. Mark, you know how many times we meet in prayer together and we'll bow our heads and pray, "Oh God, give us wisdom to know what to do," and thank God for the wisdom that He gives. But not only is His wisdom our wisdom, ladies and gentleman, His joy is our joy. Now you need joy? You already have it. You say, "If I have it, why don't I have it?" Because you haven't realized what you have. Listen to John 15:11, "These things have I spoken unto you that My joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." "As He is..." He is the Christ of abounding joy. Do you have joy? If you don't have joy, you're living beneath your privileges. For the Bible commands us, "Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice." How can I do that? Because "As He is" so am I in this world. His joy is my joy. Now it's joy that transcends whatever happens. It's not mere happiness. Happiness depends, as you've heard me say, upon happenstance. But joy doesn't depend upon happenstance. It's rooted in the Lord Jesus. As He is so are we in this world. Now I want to say something else. Not only is His wisdom our wisdom. Not only is His joy our joy. But friend, His sorrow is our sorrow. Now, the Christian life is not a giddy life. We're not to be going around like uproarious, backslapping morons all the time with never a serious thought. If you live in this world, if you are as Jesus is, you'll know a broken heart. That's not antithetical to joy. As a matter of fact, the joy that we have doesn't take away from the pain. Sometimes it helps us to bare the pain. Philippians 3:10, "that I may know Him" (this is the prayer of the Apostle Paul)... "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings." Have you ever prayed for sufferings? Paul did. Paul said, "Jesus, I want to know the fellowship, the richest, purest, deepest fellowship perhaps I person can have, and that is to suffer with You." Did you know that when you are walking in the Spirit that His sorrow will be your sorrow? Do you know that what breaks the heart of Jesus will break your heart? Someone described the modern church as a dry-eyed church in a hell-bent world. Many times we get our entertainment from that which breaks His heart. Watching frivolous, foolish, and sinful things and laughing at them. As He is so are we in this world. And I can tell you that the heart of our Savior is broken over the sins of this world. Do you have a broken heart? I have to ask myself that question. I have to ask myself that question before I come to the pulpit and preach a message like this: "Adrian, do you really believe what you're preaching, or are you just saying it?" His joy is our joy. His sorrow is our sorrow. I want to say something else. As He is so are we in this world. His friends are our friends. Now listen, Matthew 25:40, right it down if you don't want to turn to it, "and the king shall answer and say unto them (and the king here represents Jesus)... verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you've done it unto me." When you do something for one of the brothers of Jesus it's just like you've done it unto Jesus because His friends are our friends. If you love Jesus, you're going to love what Jesus loves. And if you don't love the brethren, certain conclusions are in order. The late great Vance Havner, many of you don't know who Vance Havner was. He was a Baptist preacher from North Carolina full of wisdom. Here's what he said, "When I see a bird that looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, paddles in water like a duck, and prefers the company of ducks, I conclude it must be a duck." When you see people who live like the world, dress like the world, act like the world, and prefer the company of the world rather than the company of God's people, they're of the world. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, you're going to love what Jesus loves and Jesus loves the Church. He loves the brethren. His friends are our friends. As He is so are we in this world. I'll tell you something else. His enemies are our enemies. There's no way that you can be a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and not make some enemies. Let me give you a Scripture. Put it down, John 15:18-20. Jesus said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." A man is known by the enemies he has. Every now and then, somebody will say something like this, one of the precious little ladies in our church starts to say, "Pastor Rogers, we love you so much. Everybody loves you." I say, "Ha, ha, ha." Everybody doesn't love me. And that doesn't break my heart. I don't expect to be loved by everybody, nor should you. We cannot be popular with the world that crucified our Lord. If His friends are our friends, His enemies are our enemies. That doesn't mean we're not to love our enemies. Jesus loved His enemies. He prayed for those who crucified Him. I don't mean that your filled with hate and spite, but they are enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ. Paul said, "I tell you, weeping, that they are enemies." Next, listen carefully, as He is so are we in this world. His purpose is our purpose. His purpose is our purpose. Look if you will in the Gospel of John 20:21 or at least jot it down on your paper. Listen to it, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." His purpose is our purpose. "As My Father has sent me, even so, send I you." A year or so ago, I had the privilege of preaching in the white house in the east room. The national Day of prayer. And the president was there. And I couldn't speak long, but I told a story. I shared this with you shortly after that time, but I want to remind you of it. I had been reading the Houston Chronicle, and on the front of the Houston Chronicle was an unusual picture. It was a picture of a grown woman who had her ear on the chest of a grown man. And there was a caption underneath it that told what that was all about. That man had received a heart transplant and the heart that was beating in his chest was the heart of this woman's son. And she was listening by putting her ear to his chest to her son's heart beating. And when I read that, I said, "Would to God that He could put His ear on my chest and hear the heartbeat of His Son." Friend, I want to tell you something. If God Almighty puts His ear to your chest, and Jesus is in there, you're going to have a heartbeat for missions, and for soul winning because He said "as my Father hath sent me so sent I you." And why was He sent? Luke 19:10, "for the son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost." His purpose must be our purpose. You say, "But Pastor Rogers, I don't have what it takes!" What I'm trying to tell you is you do have what it takes because not only is his purpose our purpose, His authority is our authority. That's what the Great Commission is all about. Look at Matthew 28. You know that by heart. Beginning in verse 18, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power (that is all authority, that's what the word literally means) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore..." Now catch the therefore. See, I have all this authority. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and do it all by yourself." No. "And lo, I am with you..." "I am with you." The one who has this authority. "I am with you always even unto the end of the age" or "the world." Did Jesus have authority over the devil? Then do you have authority over the devil? Yes. That's the whole thing. "Greater is He that's in you then he that's in the world." Remember when I told you in the introduction that His death had my name on it. When He died I died with Him. His resurrection had my name on it. When He rose, I rose with Him. His victory had my name on it. When He won the victory, so do I. Therefore, His authority is given to us and Jesus said to the seventy when He sent them out, "I give you authority over all the power of the enemy." The devil hopes that we never learn this truth. We don't have to be beat up by this devil. We don't have to take it. "Greater is He that's in you then he that is in the world." You say, "What about when a Christian gets killed, murdered, martyred." It doesn't mean the devil has won. It means the devil has lost. That's his blunder. "They overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death." Satan is not winning, he's losing. We have authority over all the power of the devil. His authority is our authority. One of Southern Baptist's premiere missionaries was Bertha Smith. How many of you remember Bertha Smith, let me see your hands. About twenty percent of you. Miss Bertha we used to call her. She spoke in her from this platform. I believe from this platform. I know down at the old church. Don't know how long Miss Bertha's been in the glory, but I know she's straightened heaven out since she's been up there. Quite a gal. Miss Bertha told about a Miss Mitchell from California. Miss Mitchell was from Los Angeles and she went as a missionary to India. She had great glowing ambitions to be a missionary and when she got over there she found herself very much unhappy. She went to live, first of all, with an older missionary couple, and she didn't get along with them. She was unhappy in the place where she was put. Number two, she had extreme difficult with the language. It was difficult for her to learn the Telugu or whatever it was. Number three, she was overcome with being homesick. Number four, she began to loathe the sight of the Indian people. She just did not like them and then on top of all of that, she came down with amoebic dysentery. I mean, it was just everything. Five great big problems. She just decided she would come back home and told the mission board she needed to come back home. But then she was reading in her devotions from Joshua 10 about a victory that God had given Joshua. And there were five kings in a cave. And Joshua said to his captains, "Bring those five kings out. Roll the stone away from that cave," and they had them captured in the cave and brought them out. And then he said, "put them down on the ground." And the he said to his captains, "You come and you put your heel on the neck of these kings." One by one they went down and one by one the captains came and put their heels on the necks of those kings and then here's what Joshua said in Joshua 10:25, "And Joshua said unto them, Fear not nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage, for thus shall the Lord do to all of your enemies against whom you fight." When that missionary read these things, she took those five great problems that she had and she wrote them on a piece of paper. She wrote down the fact she didn't like where she was staying. And then she wrote down the fact that she was having difficulty with the language. She wrote down the fact that she did not like the Indian people. She wrote down the fact that she was homesick. She wrote down the fact that she had dysentery, and she wrote it down. And then she put those pieces of paper on the ground and Miss Bertha said she went and put her heel on each one of them and said, "I claim victory over you. I claim victory over you. I claim victory over you." If Jesus has the victory, I do. You know what happened? She began to love where she was staying. You know what happened? She got a language teacher and learned the language and began to be proficient. Loved the Indian people. A young man saw her, fell in love with her, got married, and they became missionaries together and moved out of there. Her body got healed and she gained the victory by realizing that the authority that Jesus Christ had was her authority and she began to live in that authority. And now last of all, not only is His authority our authority, but His future is our future. As He is so are we in this world. Colossians 3:4. That's the last Scripture I'm going to give you. Colossians 3:4, "When Christ Who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Think about it. Can you imagine being with Jesus in glory? I mean, is that true or not true? How many of you believe it's true? I hope you believe it. But how many of us has that dawned on? Now Jesus can come at any moment. He's going to appear in glory. And there we are. Appearing with Jesus in glory. When Jesus, Who is our life shall appear, then ye shall appear with Him in glory. Praise God, when we took Jesus as the heavenly bridegroom it was not till death do us part, Amen? He came to a cradle and a cross. He's coming to a coronation. He became one with us that we might become one with Him. We are identified with Him. Now this all begins when you receive Jesus Christ as your lord and Savior. But it only continues as you believe and trust Him for it and act on it. Bow your heads in prayer. Heads are bowed and eyes are closed. I'm going to ask you to pray a prayer tonight. Would you pray, "God, help me to understand this truth. Lord, help me to believe it and live by it. Lord, I'm tired of living as a second-class Christian. I'm tired of living beneath my privileges. And Lord I want that resurrection life. I want, Lord, your wisdom to be my wisdom. I want your friends to be my friends. Your enemies to be my enemies. I want your purpose to be my purpose and your authority, my authority. Teach me this truth. And let's pray for just a moment. And Lord God, I pray for my own heart that I will not preach beyond what I believe that Lord God, I pray that You would help me to live according to what I believe and preach. And Lord help us all to understand the incredible power that we have because You identified Yourself with us that we might, Lord, be identified with You. Harry
1 João 4:18
Murray - CHRISTIAN WORK REQUIRES LOVE There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear. 1 JOHN 4:18 KJV Love is the only power in which Christians really can do their work. Love is a fire that will burn through every difficulty. You may be a shy, hesitating person who cannot speak well, but love can burn through everything. A lady had been asked to speak at a rescue mission where there were a number of poor women. As she entered, she saw a woman sitting outside in deplorable condition and asked, “Who is that?” The female supervisor answered, “She has been into the house thirty or forty times, and she has always gone away again. Nothing can be done with her. We have been waiting for you, and you have only an hour for your speech.” The lady replied, “No, this is of more importance.” She went outside where the woman was sitting and said, “My sister, what is the matter?” “I am not your sister” was the reply. Then the lady laid her hand on her and said, “Yes, I am your sister, and I love you.” She so spoke until the heart of the poor woman was touched. The conversation lasted some time, and those inside were waiting patiently. Ultimately the lady brought the woman into the room. She would not sit on a chair but sat down on a stool beside the speaker’s seat. And that love touched the woman’s heart. She had found one who really loved her, and that love gave access to the love of Jesus. I plead that God would begin with us now and baptize us with heavenly love! Alexander