WEBVTT 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:18.079 Hello, my name is James Rathman. 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:20.000 And my name is Bruce Nickley. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:23.760 And this is the Redemption Church Denver Podcast. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:30.719 We're continuing through our study of 1 John, and we arrive at 1 John chapter 4. 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:38.159 So before we get started, I want to, of course, take an opportunity to thank our kind sponsors of the podcast. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:43.679 This episode of the podcast is brought to you by the Men's Night, which is coming up on June 5th. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.960 That's Friday night, June 5th, from 5 to 7 p.m. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:52.560 It's been such a joy moving through the men's nights this year and doing the accompanying challenges. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:09.519 So I think that's awesome. 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:13.760 And then next up, we have a women's night coming up. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:17.840 That is a cooked cookie decorating social. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:21.680 So this is hosted by Liz Carr and Allie Roth. 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:27.120 If you heard Cookie Decorating Social, you might have been able to guess Allie Roth. 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:28.799 So that should be a great time. 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:32.879 That's June 19th from 6 to 9 p.m. 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:36.959 Crazy that we are making June announcements. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:39.760 This year is flying by. 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:45.120 All right, let's jump in, Bruce, to 1 John chapter 4. 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:54.079 And we begin with uh uh John's encouragement to test the spirits. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:58.079 He's sort of guarding the church from deception here. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:04.719 He says, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:08.639 For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:12.879 I guess a question that I want to hit on is what does he mean by spirits? 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:18.560 Where do I go to what what does it mean to test the spirits? 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:22.560 I'm not encountered by many spirits, I don't think. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:25.439 Well, um, actually you are. 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:26.960 Good, good. 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:42.800 Um, I think he's using spirits here in terms of uh um a person, uh a spiritual being um that come um and they come with a message, right? 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:53.599 Um so beware of of those beings out there that have um a false message or that's uh a deceptive one. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:54.400 Yeah. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:03:01.360 Um that can be anything from a worldly philosophy to a religious um cult. 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:02.000 Yep. 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:08.080 Um and um we need to test them, but how do we do that? 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:09.120 Yeah. 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:19.840 There's a uh well, he gives us some litmus tests for testing the spirit, but I want to linger on this on this encouragement just to test the spirits a little longer. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:28.319 So it so I I think that there's uh I I think that there is like a flood of spirits. 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:30.479 We live in like a flood of spirits. 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:53.199 Like I um uh uh I've heard it described that like the uh uh the CIA used to just try and like control the flow of information that uh was happening so that only certain information would get out. 00:03:53.599 --> 00:04:00.159 But now the tactic is you just flood the zone with tons of competing information. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:01.360 It doesn't matter. 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:09.599 Who knows if this is actually the CIA, but yeah, you know, and I think that that's like I feel like that's like what my experience of the world is. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:20.160 It's like flooded with all kinds of possible information, so it almost seems like all the information, no matter what, just seems the same. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:36.240 You know, it's there's uh any information from anywhere as just as credible as any other information, is the way that I think things feel right now, or just as not credible as anywhere else. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:43.360 Um and so I think it can feel like a time where it's very difficult to discern truth. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:44.560 Yeah. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:49.360 Uh difficult to discern just where we are, what's what's what is the truth of the matter. 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:55.680 Yeah, especially after realizing how much we've been lied to in the last five or six years. 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:56.800 Yeah, exactly. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:02.160 And these are these are not um small little white lies. 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:03.279 These are some big ones. 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:10.639 I think this is like um this is probably something that similar to cultural moment. 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:20.399 Like, do you remember when I don't know, like all the lies about Vietnam and things that were it broke so much trust? 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:25.439 Uh I don't know if this moment feels similar. 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:26.399 Yeah. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:30.399 Um you're familiar with Matt Walsh, I'm sure. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:35.120 He's he's done some incredible um research projects. 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:44.800 Um one on the Civil War, one on the civil rights movement, and um one on uh I think the founding of America. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:45.360 Uh-huh. 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:54.319 But one of his refrains in each one of those things, um, what we've been told about those things were were lies. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:54.959 Right. 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:58.959 And he documents how how he can has determined that. 00:05:59.199 --> 00:05:59.519 Yeah. 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:04.000 Um but um which is so disorienting. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:04.240 Yeah. 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:12.879 I mean, these are founding myths that give us our self-identity as citizens or where where we are, how we think the world is progressing or not progressing or whatever. 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:18.319 The in for those to be rocked and to be uncovered as lies, I think is extremely disorienting. 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:33.040 So I think that there's like a um hopefully there's a deep desire to arrive at what the truth is for Christians amidst a world like this. 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:52.800 Um I and I think that what we would want to do is like arrive at some sort of tactic for determining credible sources of information um uh in order to test these things. 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:55.839 And I'm sure that there's some something beneficial there. 00:06:56.079 --> 00:06:59.040 Ultimately it comes down to trust. 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:10.399 You know, there's no surrogate for that, but um but John he like bottom lines this for us uh for how to test the spirits. 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.519 Uh by this you know the spirit of God. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:23.680 Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:30.639 This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:37.839 That's a better that's that's a way to test. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:38.800 Yes. 00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:43.040 Um did Jesus really come in the flesh? 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:58.720 And I think he's hearkening back to the gospel of John, where he wrote, uh, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and in verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and so on. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:05.600 So he's he's saying, if you deny the incarnation of of Jesus, you're not of God. 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:06.000 Yeah. 00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:10.399 That's probably the first big issue to address. 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:11.279 Yeah. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:12.240 Yeah. 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:14.800 And the whole the whole story is in that. 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:22.560 Because it means that the that God the Son took on flesh, dwelt among us, and the and that man is Jesus Christ. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:23.519 Yes. 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:40.159 That is the I don't I don't think we often think of that as the foundational or like sort of the watershed that distinguishes truth from lies. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:49.919 Well, you're dealing both with the fact that he entered the world, but he entered the world as the son of God. 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:55.200 The deity of Christ is is very crucial in this statement as well. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:56.080 Yeah. 00:08:56.320 --> 00:09:08.240 Um if if you if you deny that like many of the cults do, um you should know right off the bat that this is not from God. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:08.639 Yeah. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:11.919 You deny his deity or his coming in the flesh. 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:12.879 Yeah. 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:24.000 I there's uh um I think a lot of the lies and the deceptions that come to us, the denial is not like an explicit denial. 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:42.879 There's even like an allowance for you to believe that in the private religious space of your life, so long as it takes place within the broader framework of what really matters, what's what's really practically helpful. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:10:06.399 Um I think of that in like um like there's a I'm seeing like a lot of trends of people praying, and the reason that they're praying is because there are studies that show the psychological benefits of prayer for like mental health and longevity. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:17.440 And I'm sure there are because it's natural for man to pray, and when we do things that are natural to us, it's healthy. 00:10:18.960 --> 00:11:07.279 Oh, but I I I don't think that that's like like I I think that there's something like a deception in that because it's placing the uh it's it's taking the reality of the incarnation, of who Jesus is, of what who he claimed to be, what what it what his life means, and it's placing that in just the personal space of your own heart that that is just for you and doesn't really affect anything else in the world, uh, really relegating it to the realm of values, and then you can use that value and you can keep that value to yourself so long as when we're dealing in the realm of facts, you don't bring that in. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:12.000 Uh because in the realm of facts, what is prayer? 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:22.720 Well, it's speaking to uh a higher power, and there are testable results of lower blood pressure or something. 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:28.639 That's the reality of prayer, and everything else is just sort of a value that you may be bringing to it. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:31.200 I think that's like a subtle deception. 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:49.759 That's like the way that I think a lot of the deceptions take place now is in where you're because we live in a world where it's like, yeah, you're allowed to for yourself believe that Jesus is incarnate and Son of God, and that's not threatened. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:12:00.159 So long as you believe it uh in such a way where it is not a fact that of the world that's binding on all people. 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:01.039 Yeah. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:14.720 That's that two-story view of truth that uh certainly Francis Schaeffer um pounded on, um, where the the fact value um split right now. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:27.919 Facts are in the lower story and values are in the upper story, and people can take um what he even called an irrational leap of faith into that upper story where you can put anything. 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:28.720 Exactly. 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:33.600 You can put um well, let's take the the fact world. 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:38.879 Biology is part of the fact world, um, sex is part of the fact world. 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:43.279 Um, but up in the upper story, you have gender. 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:44.080 Right. 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:48.720 Um and your gender can be anything that you want it to be, right? 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:54.399 And nobody has the authority or the right to say, that's nuts. 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:55.679 Exactly. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:13:01.519 That's your subjective little truth that is um unassailable. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:14.080 Yeah, so that's why it's so important to recognize that though Jesus determines our values and that they are just as objective as in any other part of the world. 00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:19.519 Um that must be grounded in his word and in the revelation of Jesus. 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:20.000 Yeah. 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:34.399 And I think that we can feel susceptible to all of the deception that we're surrounded by, and feel vulnerable to it, and have a uh perhaps like a desire to outrun it. 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:43.360 Um and then I think John, I love how he sp speaks to that. 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:49.919 He says, Little children, you are from God and have overcome them. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:54.399 For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:01.759 It just makes me think of like the way that we overcome them is by like the faith of a child. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:04.879 It's like a foolishness in the world's eyes. 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:09.039 The way that it's the way that the deceptions of the world are overcome. 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:19.519 Um and that's a uh but we we receive that by faith, that we have overcome them. 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:25.840 And uh how incredible to hear, he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:26.720 Yeah. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:29.840 So that the deceptions don't stand a chance. 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:30.879 Yeah. 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:43.440 But uh it's interesting that uh we've got to be careful about appearances because it in so many ways it doesn't look like um Christians are these great overcomers. 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:44.159 Right. 00:14:44.320 --> 00:15:01.360 Um you know even Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 1, you know, where are the wise men, where are the mighty men, and so on in the world, because God has decided to um use the foolishness of the gospel to save those who believe. 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:02.080 Yep. 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:08.000 And and it like you pointed out, it is by our faith that we we overcome the world. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:17.600 He continues on, he says, They are from the world, therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:22.639 We are from God, whoever knows God listens to us. 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:26.159 Whoever is not from God does not listen to us. 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:29.440 By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:36.159 So before we were talking about who who gets to say that? 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:42.000 Who gets to say whoever is not from God does not listen to us? 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:48.080 Well, you know, we can we can delude ourselves on on this point. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:55.279 Um You know, you sometimes I'm sure you've gotten this criticism um from people saying, Oh, James, you always think you're right. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:56.000 Uh-huh. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:58.559 Uh what's your response to that? 00:15:59.039 --> 00:15:59.679 I do. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:01.919 Yeah, of course I do. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:02.320 Yeah. 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:04.960 Who who wants to deliberately think that they're wrong? 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:05.519 Exactly. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:07.120 I'm always looking out my own eyes. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:12.159 Um and I remember a time when um I really thought this. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:16.000 I was a pretty young pastor at the at the at this point. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:25.519 And I I subtly had the idea that we will have great revival and reformation when everybody agrees with me. 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:26.960 Yeah, totally. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:28.960 Totally. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:35.519 The Lord kind of rooted that out of me over the years. 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:54.080 But these these uh worldly spirits, I mean, that can come in a lot of different forms in all the isms we we are surrounded by uh secularism, humanism, egotism, uh uh autonomism. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:58.399 Um those things the world shouts at us. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:02.000 Um that is the the philosophy of the world. 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:03.039 Uh yeah. 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:09.839 Uh it's a it's a built on a foundation that um uh God has no place in. 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:10.559 Right. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:19.759 And um so obviously they're not gonna listen to um the apostolic testimony here of the Apostle John. 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:23.839 If you love the world, you're gonna listen to the world. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:44.319 Part of it, I think there should be a cultivation of a this is a this is a delicate thing to say, but a cultivation of a we should try and cultivate a distrust of our intuitions. 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:50.640 I can't I don't want to mean that plainly or just like too broadly, you know. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:57.119 Um because you can't walk around like not trusting anything that you think. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:57.759 Right. 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:00.240 That's no unlivable. 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:00.720 Yeah. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:17.680 But what's why I want to say that is I think like one of the most helpful um uh insights I got from a professor in college is he's and I say this all the time, you're most influenced by the philosophy that you don't know. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:24.640 And that's because it's the philosophy that you don't know is not philosophy. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:27.200 It's just the way things are. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:29.359 It's just the way the world is. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:32.400 So unquestioned, it's just plainly is this way. 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:36.160 And those are the most dangerous things. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:46.160 And when I think of the things that I have thought uh that are like the most plain, that just seemed like so plainly obvious to me. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:57.279 Um that it and then and then sort of discovered their origins of like, oh, you know what, that's why I think that. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:30.799 Like when I when I think of uh the when I think of the narrative that uh there is a magical special thing in me and my participation in society oppresses that, and liberation is uh being able to express this wonderful magic that's in myself. 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:34.319 It's like, man, stories like that, I love stories like that. 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:35.680 Why do I love stories like that? 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:58.000 Why do they well really because it's like I'm I'm a child of Rousseau, who told this story of humanity, and in his telling that story of humanity, down you know, add 400 years, here I am, and that's just the way things are. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:00.240 That is the story of liberation. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:03.039 That is what it means to be a liberated person. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:17.119 Um it it helps to uh so so when something just like registers like that, it's uh it helps to kind of check the intuition. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:22.799 And then it's like, okay, so do I have to learn all of the philosophy in the world in order to not be deceived? 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:23.440 No. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:25.680 No, you don't. 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:46.480 That's not the um uh that's not the strategy that uh uh John gives us, but he does give us this heuristic, which is um they are from the world, therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 00:20:47.279 --> 00:21:03.519 When we see the world listening uh to things that are plainly not of God, we should think, oh man, any agreement that I have with this is almost certainly false. 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:08.880 Uh any appeal that this has for me is just wrong. 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:25.440 Because I have the it doesn't measure up to the the simple standard that I've been given, which is that uh Jesus Christ is Lord, what he says is true, and he came in the flesh, and this is counter to that story. 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:35.680 I think you know, even you ask the question about your not trusting your intuitive thoughts. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:36.720 Yeah. 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:42.960 Um I I remember reading a book by Paul Johnson, was it, that Darwin on trial? 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:43.440 Uh huh. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:47.920 And he pointed out the difference between real science and pseudoscience. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:48.640 Yeah. 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:59.519 And he the major distinction was um real science will have a theory and then it will be subject to testing and evaluation and falsification. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.559 Right. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:08.319 Um if I had a theory on, you know, f quantum physics, you know, I throw it out there. 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:10.160 Now show me where it's wrong. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:14.000 That's how knowledge r is really generated in the scientific realm. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:16.799 But pseudoscience doesn't do that. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:22.960 It it has a theory, but it it says, okay, now how many of you agree with my theory here? 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:23.599 Yeah. 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:24.160 Yeah. 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:29.440 Uh things like global warming and those kind of things are are pseudoscience because that's the way it it runs. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:30.880 We have a consensus here. 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:31.519 Yeah. 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:33.519 Um we'd we've not done any experience. 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:40.559 But what I learned was I need to do that with theology. 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:41.200 Yeah. 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:51.359 And my my presuppositions um that I hold very strongly, I need to even allow those things to be falsified. 00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:54.480 And and I I willingly put them out there. 00:22:54.960 --> 00:23:03.359 You know, um, I think that's what happened when I became a reformed um pastor when it came to the five points of Calvinism. 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:05.759 Because I was I was a staunch Arminian. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:06.240 Uh-huh. 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:15.680 And until I allowed those presuppositions to be challenged, I I didn't even see the doctrines of grace in the scriptures. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:16.319 Yeah. 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:16.640 Yeah. 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:23.359 But once once it was challenged, then I said, okay, then the whole Bible was opened up in a wonderful way. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:27.599 I think that ties right into what John's saying when he says, we are from God. 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:29.920 Whoever knows God listens to us. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:33.440 Whatever is not from whoever is not from God does not listen to us. 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:36.160 By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:38.559 The us is the apostles. 00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:44.319 And how we listen to them is the spirit-inspired word that they have written down for us. 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:44.720 Right. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:48.160 So we can we we can be the ones who listen to us. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:49.680 Us is not me. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:50.480 Yeah. 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:53.759 But you do want people to listen to you on Sunday morning. 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:55.440 Yeah, yeah, exactly. 00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:58.960 Insofar as I'm explicating the teaching of the apostles today. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:03.440 There's a um that that's the that's the us. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:05.039 We can't, I think that is true. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:19.200 I think we can participate in that us because these are truths that we can truly receive, we can truly understand, we can truly relay to others, and they are they have the authority of the word of God because they are the his word. 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:21.359 That's what we're explaining. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:21.839 Yeah. 00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:24.160 Um, but that's where the authority is. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:27.119 It's in the word of God, and that's where the division is. 00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:29.440 And man, it happens all the time. 00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:34.640 I wish there are so many things that I wish the word of God didn't speak to. 00:24:35.599 --> 00:25:02.640 Even practically, like as a um, you know, pastor who wants to grow the a church that like makes sense to people in our community, there are things like yeah, it would be great if we could just join arms for and you know, uh hang a rainbow flag, fit in in the community, uh not have to just kind of like go with that, draw close. 00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:09.920 Um I um I I get the draw of that. 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:12.880 I have the draw of that in my flesh. 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:22.000 Um and uh but but in a sense, like foolishly, it's like, yeah, but what does it say? 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:23.200 What's it say? 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:24.000 Right. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:28.160 Uh that's that's the dividing line. 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:32.480 You know, Paul writes to the Thessalonians in this vein of testing. 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:46.799 He says in 519, um, do not quench the spirit, and do not despise prophesying, but test everything, hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:49.680 Um how do we test things? 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:56.480 Well, God gives us a great example with the Bereans in in the book of Acts. 00:25:56.640 --> 00:25:59.920 Uh they heard Paul's teaching, and what did they do? 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:01.359 Search the scriptures. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:04.319 Yeah, they searched the scriptures to see if these things were true. 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:07.279 And that was just the Old Testament scriptures, yeah. 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:13.359 But but he was able to demonstrate that Christ is the Messiah just using the Old Testament, yeah. 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:20.960 Um, but they wanted to make sure because their their their strong presupposition is God's word is true. 00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:21.759 Yeah. 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:31.839 And if we can't find it here, then um it it's not gonna be in accord uh with what we need to understand. 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:33.599 Yeah, that's right. 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:46.960 Well, he continues on, and and part of the uh part of the transition here, I think, is that there's like uh you're uh you're becoming the type of person who can test the spirits. 00:26:47.680 --> 00:27:00.319 Uh you're you're like our um uh our character is upstream, our character, who we are in Christ, informs our ability to discern truth from lies. 00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:06.079 Um and uh almost like not the other way around. 00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:08.640 It's not like you can discern the truth and then you live in it. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:13.599 It's like you're transformed by Christ and then you become the type of person who can discern the truth. 00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:17.440 Um before that you can't. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:18.079 Right. 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:19.359 You can't discern. 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:29.200 Uh but it the he goes into uh loving one another and how the love of God has been manifest to us in Christ. 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.680 Um whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:38.240 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:40.240 There's probably a lot to be said about that. 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:48.880 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. 00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:57.839 In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:27:59.519 So God is love. 00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:09.039 Uh how is that uh people love to say that. 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.000 I love to say that. 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:13.759 Yeah, we don't like the other part though. 00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:24.160 We don't a lot of modern modernist theologians despise the concept of propitiation because they think that God is a God of love. 00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:24.799 Right. 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:34.960 And they they cannot square the fact that um the father would um pour out his wrath on his innocent son. 00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:37.759 I heard one guy recently said, that's nuts. 00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:41.039 You know, yeah that's not justice. 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:41.599 Right. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:56.480 Um, but it is if you understand that the the sins of his people were laid upon him, and he actually bore the wrath of God in our stead on that cross. 00:28:56.799 --> 00:28:57.839 That is his love. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:01.599 That is, and there's no greater expression of that love. 00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:03.119 He said it himself. 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:05.119 Um greater love is no one than this. 00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:06.240 He lays down his life first. 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:07.359 Exactly. 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:10.160 And he says, I lay it down, no one takes it from me. 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:10.799 Yeah. 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:19.440 Um so rather than it being a contradiction of God's love, it's the greatest expression of his love. 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:22.559 It also shows us how we should think about love. 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:29.839 If God is love, then everything that you see God do in Scripture is love. 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:30.799 Yes. 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:34.960 Whatever he does, he it is love. 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:36.240 Absolutely. 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:51.359 And so the uh, you know, from the creation to the flood where everyone who was alive except for one family was destroyed, was love. 00:29:52.640 --> 00:30:01.440 To the driving out to the conquest of the promised land and the uh uh commanded annihilation of the inhabitants, love. 00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:11.839 You know, it's it's it's uh um I think one of the things uh where people get mixed up is they think they know what love means. 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:15.279 Uh but our love was manifest. 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:18.160 We we you can look and see what love is. 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:24.880 Our love is manifest in Jesus Christ, bearing the sins, uh which is all together in it. 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:28.319 There's the wrath of God against sin, that's love. 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:35.440 There's the graciousness of him, because he's bearing it in his son, giving his son, his only son, whom he loves. 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:42.640 The mercy, because we receive the we don't receive what Jesus did receive. 00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:43.440 That's right. 00:30:43.599 --> 00:30:44.079 Exactly right. 00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:48.079 In the wrath of God, that's what love is. 00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:56.960 And then in this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. 00:30:57.200 --> 00:31:05.519 I think there's so much to say about that, especially you know, with regards to the doctrines of grace or how it is that we receive our salvation. 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:18.640 You know, um uh you may not like to talk about predestination, but nobody seems to mind when I say uh in this is love, not that we loved him, but that he loved us. 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:21.519 You need to think that one through a little bit more. 00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:22.160 Yeah, yeah. 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:25.200 We didn't initiate this relationship. 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:25.680 He did. 00:31:25.920 --> 00:31:26.559 He did. 00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:30.640 Um, and he should he he says he'll do that. 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:33.440 He'll show himself to a people who were not a people. 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:34.160 Yep. 00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:38.160 Um, and that's what he's done with my life. 00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:50.960 Um, I mean, I would the last thing when he started working in my life was me even thinking about God until he brought me pretty low and there was no el nowhere else to look but up. 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:51.599 Yeah. 00:31:51.759 --> 00:32:01.519 Um I uh I think we were asked a question in the lesson plan for this week about Genesis twenty-two. 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:02.160 Uh-huh. 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:04.640 And the first instance of love in scripture. 00:32:05.440 --> 00:32:10.559 Yeah, of um Abraham offering up Isaac on the altar. 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:14.160 And he had to take your son, your only son, whom you love. 00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:15.440 Whom you love. 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:22.400 Um and he had raised the knife and was ready to plunge it into his heart. 00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:32.480 And Paul points out they was fully persuaded that God could raise the dead because the promise was uh for Isaac and it was going to go to Isaac. 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:32.880 Right. 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:36.640 So he had to be alive, so um He must be able to raise the dead. 00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:57.519 Um but I I I heard a sermon recently by Tom uh Tim Keller on um on that passage, and it brought out a very simple thing that God saved Abraham's son because he was going to give his own son. 00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:58.319 Yeah. 00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:11.359 And you know, all those pictures and those types of uh Christ that that we see in the sacrifices uh all pointed to the one sacrifice that he would ultimately give. 00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:12.079 Yeah. 00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:14.079 Um I couldn't imagine. 00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:19.839 Could you imagine being asked by God to kill JT? 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:20.559 No. 00:33:21.200 --> 00:33:23.279 Uh wow. 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:24.000 Yeah. 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:28.079 Yeah, that's a that's a that's a tester of faith right there. 00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:29.839 Yeah, that's insane. 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:30.640 Yeah. 00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:38.960 So he uh so we can we can look and see how the love of God is manifest. 00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:41.279 Like how do you know what God's love is? 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:42.400 Jesus Christ. 00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:42.880 Yeah. 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:43.599 Yes. 00:33:43.839 --> 00:33:45.279 Jesus Christ laying his life down. 00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:46.559 Yeah, it's manifest. 00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:48.400 Him being the propitiation. 00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:49.680 That's what love is. 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:50.319 Yeah. 00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:58.160 And in in um 2 John, we it was pointed out in one of the questions where we were to follow love. 00:33:58.480 --> 00:33:59.039 Yeah. 00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:04.480 And um I couldn't help but think of, well, Jesus said, you know, follow me. 00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:05.359 Yeah. 00:34:05.680 --> 00:34:06.160 Yeah. 00:34:07.039 --> 00:34:13.119 And there's a way, you know, if anyone wishes to come after me, yeah, he must deny himself and take up his cross. 00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:14.559 Yeah, and follow me. 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:14.880 Yeah. 00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:19.519 I remember reading through when I was coming out of this pit in college of despair. 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:30.079 I was reading through the gospels, and I think it was after I read John 8 that I go, wouldn't it be an amazing thing to follow someone like this? 00:34:30.400 --> 00:34:31.039 Yeah. 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:36.159 And I had no clue at the time that, you know, you really can. 00:34:36.400 --> 00:34:36.719 Yeah. 00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:48.639 And it wasn't but a few days later or weeks later that um I realized, because of what he did on the cross for me, um, that I can now follow him. 00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:50.239 Wow. 00:34:54.159 --> 00:35:04.559 He turns this vision of of God's love that's manifest to us into um uh this command. 00:35:04.639 --> 00:35:10.000 Uh we if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:12.559 Why ought we to love one another? 00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:14.480 Because God so loved us. 00:35:14.639 --> 00:35:14.960 Yeah. 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:17.360 And we ought to be like God. 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:21.920 In that sense, we ought to act how He acts uh toward one another. 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:23.280 We ought to love one another. 00:35:23.440 --> 00:35:24.000 Yeah. 00:35:24.320 --> 00:35:35.920 That's a um a necessary consequence of knowing God is that you um you're commanded to love one another. 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:45.519 Um that is the oughtness of uh the Christian ethic at its core, that we love one another as he has loved us. 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:57.519 And we pointed out before that you know the Old Testament standard for uh love was love God supremely with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, but then also love your neighbor as yourself. 00:35:57.679 --> 00:35:58.320 Yeah. 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:08.719 Um, well, that's a pretty high standard, but when you come to the New Testament, Jesus kicks it up several notches when he says, You love as I have loved you. 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:09.360 Yeah. 00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:14.639 We have the example of perfect love in human flesh. 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:20.480 Yeah, and so follow him, follow his example. 00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:25.920 That that is part of the Christian life, following the example that Christ set for us. 00:36:27.599 --> 00:36:34.800 He says in verse 12, he says, No one has ever seen God. 00:36:35.199 --> 00:36:42.000 If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. 00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:57.199 So there's we'll we'll get to this later, but I guess I'll touch on it now because it's more central in the last couple of verses. 00:36:57.440 --> 00:37:05.360