Living God's Way in an Ungodly World
In a world that makes up its own rules, it is important for Christians to stay focused on the One who still rules...Jesus Christ. Come and listen to the great Gospel message, learn about the love Jesus Christ has for you, and know what God's word, the Holy Bible, has to say about overcoming the challenges of following Jesus in a world that no longer wants Him.
Living God's Way in an Ungodly World
Such Freedom in Your Spiritual Family
Can love truly transform the way we live in a world that's often far from godly? Join me as I unpack the powerful teachings of 1 John 3:16-24, exploring how Jesus Christ's sacrificial love sets a profound example for all believers. I'll challenge you to consider whether your love for your brothers and sisters in Christ is genuinely lived out through actions and truth, rather than just words. By prioritizing the well-being of others over our own desires and possessions, we can create a ripple effect that transforms our lives and communities.
Our discussion continues with an in-depth look at the importance of walking in love and obedience to God's commandments. Learn how aligning our actions with God's will leads to a more fulfilling relationship with Him and the Christian family. We'll delve into the principles of loving one another and striving to sin less, emphasizing that true faith is demonstrated through active engagement and support within God's family. Finally, I offer an urgent invitation for those who haven't yet accepted Jesus as their Savior, underscoring that faith is a heartfelt commitment, not a mere ritual. Join me for this heartfelt exploration and be inspired to live out your faith in tangible, impactful ways.
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Hello and good day. This is BR Maul and you are listening to Living God's Way in an Ungodly World. It's good to have you here with me. We are in the book of 1 John. We will be ending chapter 3 today, and John has been making it quite clear that love is very important when it comes to being with your brothers and sisters in Christ An important topic, especially in a time where the church has lost a lot of its love. So today I challenge you to really dig your heels into this topic. Ask yourself are you one who is loving your brothers and sisters in the faith, going by what John is telling us? As usual, I'll read God's Word and then I'll back up and break it down for you. If you have any questions or comments about what I am teaching today, you are welcome to get a hold of me at my website, brmaulcom. That's brmaulcom. Click on contact, fill out that information and send it in to me, and there's also a place on the website that you can sign up and you will be sent every week the new teaching. So you don't have to jump on the internet, you can just click on the message in your email and off you go.
B.R.Maul:So 1 John, chapter 3, starting in verse 16,. It reads by this we know love because he laid down his life for us and we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him, beloved and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son, jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. Now, he who keeps his commandments abides in him and he in him. And by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit whom he has given us. Heavenly Father, I ask you to guide my tongue. Let not my own thoughts, let not any of my own narrative escape my lips, and may it only please you, lord, that the teaching comes from you. The Holy Spirit guide me. I also ask, lord, that you open the hearts of all who are listening, those who are seeking answers to know your Son, jesus, and those who are already born again but, like so many of us, are struggling to walk in your way in this ungodly world. We come to you, Lord, and I pray to you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Let's back up then. That was verses 16 through 24.
B.R.Maul:So, going back to verse 16, by this we know love. Yes, we know love, john says because he laid down his life for us. Who's he? Well, jesus, right, because he laid down his life for us. Now, that is love. Think about that, jesus Christ. He laid down his life voluntarily. It was not taken. He laid it down for you and for me, so we may have everlasting life going on. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. That's a pretty big statement. So our Savior and our Lord, jesus Christ, gave everything up for us that we may live with him in eternity.
B.R.Maul:And John is saying and we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, in other words, for one another, those who are born again. Can seem like a pretty high price, but let's take a look at what he is talking about. This isn't taking a bullet for one another it could be in time of war but laying down our lives, giving up, in other words, the life that we, our flesh, would love to. Else in this world seeks Obtaining as much money and as much comfort as possible, as much security, as fleeting as that security is. But that's what our flesh wants. But we lay down our life. We give up, in other words, our own personal desires to make it better for our brethren, brothers and sisters in Christ, verse 17,.
B.R.Maul:But whoever has this world's goods, in other words physical, material possessions, and sees his brother in need so I have something and you need it and shuts up his heart from him, so I decide well, I don't care, even though I have what you need, I'm going to shut up my heart towards you and tell myself I don't care and I will look the other way. How does the love of God abide in him? Easy one to answer Either the love of God abides in him and I'm struggling, thinking, oh, I really should have helped them. Or, if I am not having any consequence whatsoever, I better question my salvation. I better question if I really am a child of God, because it should drive me crazy, as the Holy Spirit convicts me that I have whatever it is that you need. But I'm looking the other way.
B.R.Maul:How different, beloved, would this world be if, as Christians, we lived according to our Savior's guidelines here, that we just love one another, we put each other first and foremost, before our own personal desires, our own selfish ways. This world would be completely different. It would still have sin, so there would still be many problems. But for those who are born again and we were looking out for one another, the way the Holy Spirit is telling us through the penmanship of John, that none of us would be in need, and I argue that our personal wants and desires would deplete. We wouldn't be needing to fulfill those, because the blessings that are poured upon those who walk in the ways of the Lord is abundant. And suddenly physical possessions become really irrelevant. We suddenly find ourselves not only not needing them but realizing they were just wants and not even wanting them. And that's a good thing. That is an absolute good thing.
B.R.Maul:Verse 18,. I like how John says my little children, because we can behave that way, can we not? We can behave like little children that get so caught up in what's mine, mine, mine, mine, not healthy. We want to try to stay away from that. So John says my little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. I love this verse.
B.R.Maul:He's not saying don't just say that you love somebody. Telling them you love them means nothing. That's not what John is saying. When we are sincere and we offer up our love for our family, that really gives the other reassurance. But what he's saying is yeah, don't stop there. Don't just say you love them in your word, but show them your love in deed and in truth. Mean it, be truthful about it. There's nothing worse than somebody who is forcing themselves to do something good and you can see the agonizing pain in them than when somebody, out of just truth in their heart, does something good. That is beautiful. So talk is cheap. John is saying Talk is very cheap when it is all by itself Verse 19,.
B.R.Maul:And by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him. We can know in our hearts, we can know that we are being truthful with our actions. We don't have to pretend. We can be confident in what the Lord has taught us, that he will indeed take care of us. We don't have to store money and food and supplies and hoard things. We don't need to build more barns, but by relying on him, which, when we rely on Jesus, remember he works through us to do his will. And so, as we are seeing the needs of our brothers and sisters in the faith met, at the same time Jesus is seeing to it that our needs are being met. It's beautiful how that works. It is absolutely wonderful and amazing how that works.
B.R.Maul:Verse 20, for if our heart condemns us, god is greater than our heart and knows all things. Verse 20,. We may go to the Lord and pray to the Lord and just not feel confident, and we may not feel confident that we are doing what we can to better his kingdom. We may question ourselves, we may question others around us, we may even question him, but God is greater than our heart and knows all things, and he knows our heart and knows all things and he knows our heart. So even though our heart may condemn us, he can see through that. Verse 21, beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. So that's why the verse before that would mean to me that we don't have the confidence before our Lord and God. But when our heart does not condemn us, we do have confidence toward God and we approach him with confidence in knowing. Now, circumstances can affect that, without a doubt, but the longer a person is walking with their Savior, the more they learn to rely on the Savior and know that he will follow through. Of course, we never get to perfection. That's not going to happen until we're glorified. But we strive to get there through sanctification.
B.R.Maul:Right Verse 22,. And whatever we ask, we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight, be used in a very negative way, making it sound like, if you're not receiving what it is that you are praying for, that there's probably something wrong with you or wrong with your faith. Because if you are good with God, whatever you pray for, then you'll receive. You want that brand new car and if you're good with God, then if you pray right, you'll receive it. Or you can always just write a check, send it in to some radio ministry or TV evangelist that is promising you that he or she will pray for you and that you'll get it. But let's not do that. So let me read this again, verse 22,.
B.R.Maul:And whatever we ask, we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Now did you catch that? We receive what we ask of him because we are following his will. At this point, our will has been bent to His will, so we are asking for the same thing that he wants for us, for our loved ones, for whoever or whatever it is we are praying for. We are asking because it is in His will. We should know, as mature Christians, that we can't ask something of God, our Father, that is against his will and expect him to answer that.
B.R.Maul:People who pray for a divorce, people who pray misery on somebody else, somebody who's praying for money and their motive behind it, is not sincere In their prayer. They may try to make it sound sincere, but it's not sincere because he knows our hearts. Proverbs 17, verse 3,. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. He puts our hearts to the test, not our words, not our thoughts, but our hearts. That's how he sanctifies us, makes us stronger and more Christ-like, and that is also how he tests us and reveals to us when our heart is not right.
B.R.Maul:So when a Christian is living a life that he wants what God wants, whatever we ask, we receive from God Because that's what God wants. And again why? Because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight Doesn't mean we're sinless. Remember that Keeping his commandments and doing those things that are pleasing in his sight does not mean being sinless. It does mean sinning less and doing everything possible to, yes, follow those commandments because they are meant to keep us out of trouble, to keep us in his joy, and doing those things that please him. Why? Because it should please us. And when his children are living that lifestyle, they are doing things because it is in his will and in their will, because it brings them joy. That's when you know that you are in his will, that's when you know you are walking with the Lord, that you are in his will, that's when you know you are walking with the Lord.
B.R.Maul:Now, verse 23,. And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his son, jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. So there you go. There's keeping his commandments. Sums it up right there, believe on the name of his son, jesus, and love one another. Notice, it's not just loving Jesus he doesn't say that but that we should believe on the name of his son, jesus Christ. That's part of that formula right For being born again. We must believe on the name of Jesus Christ With our mouth, confess the Lord Jesus, in other words, that Jesus is our Lord. He is the one who is over us. We are under him. We look to him for guidance. We are under him. We look to him for guidance. We look to him for all hope and for all answers. That is believing on his name and in our heart, believing that the heavenly father raised Jesus from the grave and that Jesus conquered death and his blood, being sinless, being the perfect lamb of God with no blemish, has washed all your sins away. But his commandment doesn't stop there. We should believe on the name of his Son, jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment, as he commanded us.
B.R.Maul:If you do not love God's people, then you do not love God. These are not my words, beloved. These are words of God himself, that the love of God is not in a person if they are not loving somebody else. To sit and have a conversation and tell other people I love Jesus and then turn around and rip somebody else apart, to gossip, to cheat, to do whatever it is that a person continues to do. That is out of the concept of love, just means the love of the Father is not in them. And what John has been telling us over the last few lessons is just that that we can't just say we love one another and then do nothing for one another. I'm going to turn just for a moment. You can go back on my website If you click on James. There's tabs in there.
B.R.Maul:I've already taught on the book of James, but James is also known for telling his brothers and sisters in the faith that we can't just sit around and talk about love, that we need to show it. So I point to the book of James, chapter 2, in verse 14. It reads what does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body. What does it profit? In other words, what good are you doing? Verse 17,. Thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. There you have it, the famous verses of James, that faith without works is dead, faith without works is dead.
B.R.Maul:So we really are seeing over these weeks, as we are reading God's Word and the book of John, that we need to embrace this whole concept of loving one another. And what does that look like? Let's think about this for a moment, because we are to love one another. Can we love people that we see for one hour a week, maybe an hour and a half? If you're one of those that stays after and actually has coffee and cookies after the service? Can you really love somebody that way? Now you may have your reasoning for that and I encourage you to text me or email me. You can text me on the Text Us Now tab. That's not on my website, that would be at whatever directory you are on. Because I'd really like to know, because I would say we can't do that, we can't do that. People that we are close to, people that we love and care for, we give them our time and we want their time. Now you might be able to get oh, so-and-so needs this or so-and-so needs that, and be able to run over to them and offer a helping hand. So, yes, sure, that's possible and that happens. But I would still say that's not really loving them If you're not taking the time to find out what is going on in each other's lives.
B.R.Maul:And that's why, over and over in my teachings, I make it very clear that, yes, we need our one-on-one time with the Lord. Be in his word every single day. That is the only way you are going to grow in your walk and pray to the Lord every single day. Let him guide you in your choices. Let him guide you in what it is that you are doing in life, whatever that may be. But then come together with a group of Christians, a group who are born again, not just somebody who is in name, only a Christian. There are plenty of those and that's a topic for another time. So I caution you to be careful with that.
B.R.Maul:But you need to come together with born-again believers and you need to know one another. You need to love one another, know one another's hurts, because James also tells us that you come together, you confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed. That's how our Lord and Savior heals us. That's how he works in our lives is through one another. I don't know why he has chosen to do that. He could be a God that we just only go straight to him every time we have aches and pains, we have troubles in our lives and he just says, oh, just come directly to me and I'll take care of everything. And we see angels coming and going from heaven and helping out those who are born again. He could have chosen to do that. There's many other ways too, but he has chosen to work through us and I think it's because it gives us the honor of participating in healing one another, in helping one another, in talking and loving one another, talking to one another. So there is a beautiful blessing that comes with that Verse 24,. Now he who keeps his commandments abides in him, and him is capital H, and so that would be God. Now, he, or the person who keeps God's commandments abides in God and he in him. So God in that person. That's remarkable. That truly is remarkable.
B.R.Maul:Every time I think about this concept and it's mentioned throughout the New Testament about God abiding in us. It's amazing. Being born again is an incredible concept because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, the believer, and our spirit, which is born. So we are born again because it was dead before. That works together with the Holy Spirit and we're connected directly to God. It's amazing and that's why we are told that even our bodies are a temple to the Lord.
B.R.Maul:I say it often that we don't go to church. We are the church and I'm not advocating that we don't need to go worship. Not at all. Yes, we need to worship with one another. That may be in a building called a church, it could be in someone's garage, their backyard, in a house, in the back of a restaurant, wherever, because wherever we are the believers, wherever God's children come together, we are the church, and amen to that. It is absolutely amazing.
B.R.Maul:He who keeps his commandments, that person, that brother or that sister in the faith, who keeps his commandments, the Holy Father's commandments, abides in him, and God himself abides in him or her. Powerful. That is powerful, beloved, and by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit capital S the Holy Spirit whom he has given us. So we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We're never alone as a child of God. It's remarkable.
B.R.Maul:So if you don't have a small group of born-again believers to come together, start looking. It's important. I understand. Things come up in life. People move, major things happen in our lives that change the course of where we were once going. Things happen and that can sometimes shake our world as we know it and you may find yourself in a place where you don't know who the Christians are.
B.R.Maul:I hate to say it but it's true, because there are many false Christians out there, because there are many false Christians out there, there are many who even believe they are Christian but they're not. And this is all biblical. Jesus even said many will come to me on that day and say Lord, lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not do all these great works in your name? And he will say depart from me. I never knew you. So be careful.
B.R.Maul:Just by walking in a building that has a cross on it or in the title somewhere it says church or has the name Jesus on it, does not make it a church. Remember, it is the believers that make up the church and I encourage you to find a healthy group of born-again believers, ones who have been in the Word for a while, those that you can walk with and grow with. In Proverbs it says he who walks with wise men shall be wise. Put yourself among those who know the Lord, and you can see that, because it will show in their life Somebody who calls themselves a Christian beloved. But they talk like the world, they walk like the world, they act like the world. Well, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Now, with that said, I'm not advising you to go out and just point at people and say oh, you say you're a Christian, you're not a Christian, because there is a lot of believers out there that haven't been given the guidance that those who are listening to this podcast, for example, on a weekly basis, are getting the education of knowing how to identify ourselves as a Christian, how to identify others as Christians.
B.R.Maul:We can never know for sure one of another's eternity, but we are told that we can know each other by our fruit. We need one another. We certainly need other sheep. We need each other. We have to be in a group where we can influence others and they, in their love, influence us. Does that make sense? I hope it does, because with every passing day we are getting closer to the day, and that's the tribulation coming. The rapture of the church first, and then the tribulation that can happen any moment, any day, any week.
B.R.Maul:So stay strong, my brothers and sisters. For those of you who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior, I say do it now, don't wait. You never know when your time is up. No magical prayer. As I've said before and I'll say it again, you must just confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and in your heart believe he was raised from the dead and you will be saved. If you have any questions about that as well, get on my website, brmaulcom, go to contact and just ask me your question. I'd be happy to help you out, and until next time, god bless.
