Da Vinci Code - how should Christians respond?

Okay, so it is out. Da Vinci Code is now in the theaters. While I do not recommend the movie, I did think it would be a good to take a look at what I believe to be a good assessment on what we should see the story, the movement and development is from a Biblical perspective. I really like what Grace to You ministries has to say on this topic. Please read the following:

How Should Christians Respond?

Dan Brown is an author with an agenda. He wants to revive ancient paganism and restore goddess worship to the world’s patriarchal religions. His bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code, is a blatant attempt to overturn the historic record of God’s loving redemption with a tale of sex, intrigue, and conspiracy. To him, Christianity is nothing more than a patriarchal cover-up of the sacred feminine. Brown offers a feminine divinity reminiscent of the Garden of Eden—the same old temptation for a new age. Although Brown has attacked the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ, Christians should not view the revival of paganism as a threat, but rather as an opportunity for the gospel.


Dan Brown’s bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code, is hitting the big screen this summer in a flurry of fanfare and controversy. That spells major success, in the millions, for Sony Pictures, director Ron Howard, and actor Tom Hanks. Dan Brown has already cashed in on the book—putting over $75 million into his bank account. With a chart-busting novel and millions in the bank, Brown is already fighting off the plagiarism hunters, one price of riches and fame.

Christians have a dog in this fight too. At stake is something more valuable than money—the truth about the Bible, the honor of Christ, and the eternal destiny of human souls are at stake. Dan Brown has drawn a line in the sand with his ideas, in the pages of The Da Vinci Code. That’s where Christians must show up in full armor, on the battleground of ideas. “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God” to take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).


Dan Brown Has a Pagan, Feminist Agenda
Dan Brown wants the world’s religions to return to the pre-Christian worship of gods and goddesses. This is a revival of paganism.
In 2004, Dan Brown spoke before the New Hampshire Writer’s Project about his quest to write The Da Vinci Code. That speech clarifies his purpose in writing—it’s more than just a story to him. Brown wants the world and its religions to return to the pre-Christian tolerance of goddess worship. Here’s what he said about the point of the entire novel, a point that he laments many people are missing:

Prior to two thousand years ago, we lived in a world of gods and goddesses. Today we live in a world solely of gods. Women in most cultures have been stripped of their spiritual power, and our male dominated philosophies of absolutism have a long history of violence and bloodshed which continues to this day. I simply wrote a story that explores how and why this shift might have occurred, what it says about our past; and more importantly, what it says about our future. As I said earlier, history is written by the winners. The details are long lost, and in many cases, impossible to know. We can challenge and debunk details forever, but the fact remains in the major religions of the world women remain second class citizens. Why can’t there be women priests? Why is this even an issue?[i][1]

Dan Brown is a self-proclaimed Christian, but not of the Bible-believing variety. He is a cultural Christian, a nominal Christian, who has rejected biblical absolutes and embraced the questioning skepticism of postmodernism.

[I]f you ask three people what it means to be a Christian, you will get three different answers. Some feel it is sufficient simply to be baptized into a Christian church. Others feel you must accept the Bible as immutable, historical fact. Still others require a belief that all those who do not accept Christ as personal savior are doomed to hell. Faith is a continuum. We all fall on that line wherever we may fall, and by attempting to classify, and rigidly classify, ethereal concepts like faith, we end up debating the semantics to the point where we entirely miss the obvious. That is, that we are all trying to decipher life’s big mysteries—Where did we come from? What happens when we die, where are we going? What does all of this mean? And each of us must follow our own path to enlightenment. [ii][2]

Brown is quite willing to debate the issues, but don’t expect him to accept absolutes. He said,

The world is a big place, and now more than ever there is enormous danger in believing we are infallible, that our version of the truth is absolute, that everyone who does not think like we do is wrong, and therefore an enemy. […] Everyone is entitled to believe what they believe. If you find someone’s ideas absurd or offensive, just listen to somebody else. [iii][3]

Dan Brown doesn’t want to get caught up in “debating the semantics,” he prefers to talk in broad concepts. That’s evident in his novel. Though he purports to have based the book on extensive research, the most important part of the book—where he communicates his fundamental thesis—is filled with embarrassing factual errors.


The Da Vinci Code Is Blatantly Anti-Christian
Dan Brown wants to overturn the historic record of God’s loving redemption with a tale of sex, intrigue, and conspiracy. He wants you to see Christianity as a patriarchal cover-up of the sacred feminine.

For his “Christian” readers who have grown up hearing the Bible’s truth claims, Brown knows he has his work cut out for him. He faces the rather large task of turning Christianity on its head and restoring the sacred feminine to the world. The crucial scene for his purpose has the protagonists, Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu, learning secret “truths” from historian Sir Leigh Teabing. There in Teabing’s library, Brown unfolds his central thesis through the character Teabing.

Ready?

Teabing tells the uninitiated Sophie that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers. At the crucifixion, Mary was pregnant with the child of their union. Aided by Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus’ uncle, she fled to France to give birth to a daughter named Sarah. That’s important because Jesus and Mary Magdalene were both of royal lineage (he says Mary was of the tribe of Benjamin). The royal bloodline continued to advance quietly for a few hundred years until it intermarried with French royal blood, creating the Merovingian bloodline.

According to Teabing, the emperor Constantine and the “founders” of Christianity knew about Jesus, Mary, and the royal offspring. To maintain the positions of power afforded by a patriarchal church and state, Constantine suppressed the “truth” about the royal couple, smeared Mary’s reputation by calling her a whore, and foisted the myth of Jesus’ divinity upon the world.

The Brown/Teabing thesis asserts that Constantine canonized the myth of Jesus’ divinity in the Bible. At the Council of Nicea, Constantine and a group of bishops voted on which books would be included in the canon. Afterward Constantine tried to suppress and destroy the rest, thereby safeguarding the precious patriarchy for the good of the Roman Empire.

The wild tale continues with an indictment of organized Christianity. Church leaders, secret societies, and ignorant masses have allegedly continued through the centuries as co-conspirators in perpetuating the divine Jesus myth. They thus uphold patriarchy and suppress the rightful role of the goddess and the veneration of the sacred feminine. The founders of Christianity and its leaders have always known the “truth” and have been relentless in silencing anyone who seeks to uncover the truth.

Teabing praises enlightened souls like Leonardo Da Vinci who had the courage to question and challenge the system. Da Vinci and others encoded their works of art with clues to discovering the ancient secrets about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the royal bloodline. In the spirit of Da Vinci, enlightened and courageous souls of today can use his clues, supported by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi, to uncover the insidious conspiracy, educate the ignorant masses, and restore the long-suppressed worship of the goddess.


The Da Vinci Code Retells the Tale of an Ancient Liar
Dan Brown offers a feminine divinity reminiscent of the Garden of Eden—the same old temptation for a new age.

That’s quite a tale, but it’s not at all new. As Dan Brown says, “I am not the first person to tell the story of Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail. This idea is centuries old. I am one in a long line of people who has offered up this alternative history.” He’s right. In fact, the line of people offering up “alternative history” began with Satan.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan seduced Eve with an “alternative history” that cast doubt on God’s character and Word. Into a perfect world of truth and absolutes, Satan asked the first question: “Indeed, has God said…?” He then told her a new tale; interestingly, it was also a story about the divine feminine. Satan told Eve, “God knows that in the day you eat from [the forbidden tree] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). Eve ate that fruit, as did Adam, and every human being since has had their eyes opened to the guilt, shame, pain, and death that results from sin.

The fundamental premise of Dan Brown’s novel is rooted in sinful skepticism. He encourages the reader to question the truth, to question Christ’s claims, to question the Bible. Brown tells a story in which Jesus is not who He said He is and God’s Word is not to be trusted. He then fills the authority vacuum with his ridiculous fable about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the Holy Grail, and the sacred feminine.

Brown is not just writing a good piece of fiction—he’s on a spiritual quest. He isn’t an honest seeker either; he is committed to disbelieving the Bible and Jesus’ claims of divinity. In the words of his fictional Teabing, “The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book.” [iv][4]

Dan Brown’s disbelief about the Bible is a product of his commitment to historical skepticism. In his speech at the New Hampshire Writer’s Project, he said,

First, when we read and interpret history, we are not interpreting the historical events themselves. We are interpreting written accounts of those events. In essence, we are interpreting people’s interpretations. And second, since the beginning of recorded time, history has always been written by the winners—those societies and belief systems that conquered and survived. Despite the obvious bias in this accounting method, we still measure the historical accuracy of a given concept by examining how well it concurs with our existing historical record. I should add that many historians now believe that in engaging the historical accuracy of concepts we should first ask ourselves a far deeper question: How historically accurate is history itself? In most cases we’ll never know the answer but that should not stop us from asking the questions. [v][5]

But the Bible is not merely a product of man. “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Though written by men, the Bible is God’s Word. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Dan Brown has moved beyond harmless fiction to challenge the Word of God and redefine Jesus according to his own idolatrous, blasphemous image. He has questioned God, cast doubt on His Word, and dismissed the sovereign claims of Christ.

Far-fetched tales with fanciful, conspiratorial claims have circulated for years. The general public dismissed them as such because they never gave much credence to something as unscientific as religion. Today, however, the climate is different. Cold, rational secularism has given birth to a nebulous, undefined spirituality. Dan Brown, a spokesman for that new spirituality, says, “What I have finally come to accept is that science and religion are partners. They are simply two different languages attempting to tell the same story. Both are manifestations of man’s quest to understand the divine. While science dwells on the answers, religion savors the questions.” [vi][6]


Christians Should Use The Da Vinci Code As an Opportunity for the Gospel
Even though Dan Brown has attacked the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ, Christians should not view the revival of paganism as a threat, but rather as an opportunity for the gospel.

The Da Vinci Code—novel, movie, media sensation—enters into a post-Christian climate. Whether it’s Dan Brown, Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, proponents of the divine feminine, secularists, and neo-pagans, non-Christians are co-conspirators in a cosmic rebellion against God. Nevertheless, they are our mission field. Were it not for the wondrous grace of God, you would be among them.

As you encounter people influenced by The Da Vinci Code, remember what the Bible says about the unbelievers, and have compassion. “[T]he god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). They are “futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart [is] darkened” (Romans 1:21). They are “dead in [their] trespasses and sins”; they walk “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience”; and they are “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

How should you respond? With zeal for the truth of Christ and the authority of God’s Word, you must defend the integrity, the veracity, and the authority of the Bible. Don’t worry; it’s not hard. Brown’s “extensive research” failed to produce accuracy on the simplest details of the Bible and church history. Take a little of your time to Read Albert Mohler’s commentary (http://albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-04-12) and James White’s analysis (http://www.aomin.org/tdvc.html). Prepare yourself to give an answer to those exposed to the book, the movie, or the media coverage.

Your commitment to see God honored in the culture should be manifest first of all in your testimony about Christ, “who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). In a spirit of gentleness, correct those who deny Jesus’ claims on their life (2 Timothy 2:24-26) and call them to repentance and the obedience of faith.

The current popularity of The Da Vinci Code is your opportunity to talk with friends and family, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers about the topics Dan Brown has raised in his story. Embrace the challenge of The Da Vinci Code with compassion for hell-bound sinners, and seize this time as an evangelistic opportunity for the Kingdom of God.



Trev Carpenter
www.btmcallen.com

What is Expected of a Pastor in Today's Church

Recently people have asked me what is expected of a pastor in today’s church. Surprisingly, it is the same as it was 2,000 years ago, at least quality wise. Read along as one of my pastor-mentors explains what a biblical pastor does throughout the week.

One of Jesus' favorite metaphors for spiritual leadership, one He often used to describe Himself, was that of a shepherd—a person who tends God’s flock. A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects—responsibilities that belong to every church leader. In fact, the word pastor means shepherd.
Peter wrote these words to elders who would have been familiar with sheep and shepherding:
I exhort the elders among you ... shepherd the flock of God ... exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory (1 Peter 5:1-4).
To give you a more complete picture of your pastor's role, here's a look at the nature of sheep, the task of shepherds, and how they compare to the pastor's role among the church. Note the principles of church leadership it contains—they determine what should fill your pastor’s schedule.
Shepherds Are Rescuers
A sheep can be totally lost within a few miles of its home. With no sense of direction and no instinct for finding the fold, a lost sheep usually will walk around in a state of confusion, unrest, and even panic. It needs a shepherd to bring it home.
And so when Jesus saw the crowds, lost, spiritually disoriented, and confused, He likened them to sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). The prophet Isaiah described lost people as those who, like sheep, have gone astray—each one turning to his own way (Isaiah 53:6).
Like lost sheep, lost people need a rescuer—a shepherd—to lead them to the safety of the fold. A pastor does that by pointing the lost toward Jesus, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11).
Shepherds Are Feeders
Sheep spend most of their lives eating and drinking, but they are indiscriminate about their diet. They don't know the difference between poisonous and non-poisonous plants. Therefore the shepherd must carefully guard their diet and provide them with pasture rich with nutrients.
In His encounter with him described in John 21, Jesus drove home to Peter the importance of feeding the sheep. Twice in His command to Peter, Jesus used the Greek term bosko, which means "I feed" (vv. 15, 17).
The pastor's goal is not to please the sheep, but to feed them—not to tickle their ears, but to nourish their souls. He is not to offer merely light snacks of spiritual milk, but the substantial meat of biblical truth. Those who fail to feed the flock are unfit to be shepherds (cf. Jeremiah 23:1–4; Ezekiel 34:2–10).
Shepherds Are Leaders
Peter challenged his fellow elders to "shepherd the flock of God among you" by "exercising oversight" (1 Peter 5:2). God entrusted them with the authority and responsibility of leading the flock. Pastors are accountable for how they lead, and the flock for how they follow (Hebrews 13:17).
Besides teaching, the pastor exercises oversight of the flock by the example of his life. Being a pastor requires getting in among the sheep. It is not leadership from above so much as leadership from within. An effective pastor does not herd his sheep from the rear but leads them from the front. They see him and imitate his actions.
The most important asset of spiritual leadership is the power of an exemplary life. First Timothy 4:16 instructs a church leader to, "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you."
Shepherds Are Protectors
Sheep are almost entirely defenseless—they can’t kick, scratch, bite, jump, or run. When attacked by a predator, they huddle together rather than running away. That makes them easy prey. Sheep need a protective shepherd in order to survive.
Christians need similar protection from error and those who spread it. Pastors guard their spiritual sheep from going astray and defend them against the savage wolves that would ravage them. Paul admonished the pastors at Ephesus to stay alert and to protect the churches under their care:
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them (Acts 20:28-30).
Shepherds Are Comforters
Sheep lack a self-preservation instinct. They are so humble and meek that if you mistreat them, they are easily crushed in spirit and can simply give up and die. The shepherd must know his sheep's individual temperaments and take care not to inflict excessive stress. Accordingly, a faithful pastor adjusts his counsel to fit the need of the person to whom he ministers. He must "admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with all" (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
The Good Shepherd and His Undershepherds
Jesus is the perfect example of a loving shepherd. He epitomizes everything that a spiritual leader should be. Peter called Him the "Chief Shepherd" (1 Peter 5:4). He is our great Rescuer, Leader, Guardian, Protector, and Comforter.
Church leaders are undershepherds who guard the flock under the Chief Shepherd’s watchful eye (Acts 20:28). Theirs is a full-time responsibility because they minister to people who, like sheep, often are vulnerable, defenseless, undiscerning, and prone to stray.
Shepherding the flock of God is an enormous task, but to faithful pastors it brings the rich reward of the unfading crown of glory, which will be awarded by the Chief Shepherd Himself at His appearing (1 Peter 5:4).
If your pastor is faithfully carrying out the duties required in his job title, remember to follow this admonition of Scripture:
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17).


Trev Carpenter
www.btmcallen.com

Deeper Discoveries from May 7th, 2006

Here are some deeper discoveries from this past Sunday’s sermon. I thought you all might find these findings interesting.

“Another fold” (from verse 16 of chapter 10)
This is a brief sermon that I love from Pastor John Piper on this subject

John 10:16: A Basis For Hopeful Evangelism
1. "I Have Other Sheep Not Of This Fold"
Start with these words: "I have other sheep that are not of this fold." Christ has people in the world besides those already converted—other people besides us. There will always be people who argue that the doctrine of God's sovereignty over the will of man makes local evangelism and foreign missions unnecessary. If God chooses his sheep before they believe, why evangelize the lost in Minneapolis? But the fact is, the sovereignty of God over the wills of men doesn't make evangelism unnecessary; it makes it hopeful.
John Alexander, a former president of Inter-Varsity said in a message at Urbana 67, "At the beginning of my missionary career I said that if predestination were true I could not be a missionary. Now after 20 years of struggling with the hardness of the human heart, I say I could never be a missionary unless I believed in the doctrine of predestination." It gives hope that Christ most certainly has a people among the nations. "I have other sheep."
There are numerous motives for pressing on in evangelism in Minneapolis and among the nations—for persevering and pleading and preaching and praying for the lost. One of them is the confidence that God has other sheep, and they will respond. It was precisely this truth that encouraged the apostle Paul when he was downcast in Corinth.
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:9-10)
"I have other sheep that are not of this fold." It is a promise full of hope for those who dream about pressing on in evangelism here and about new fields of missionary labor.
2. Gathering The Scattered Children Of God
Here's another evidence of this hope-filled purpose of Christ to gather other sheep into his fold. Look at John 11:51-52. Caiaphas, the high priest, has given a prophecy which John now interprets like this:
He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
Christ died to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. These scattered children are identical with the "other sheep that are not of this fold." Which means that world evangelization, for the apostle John, is the ingathering of the children of God—that is the finding and saving of the "other sheep" that are not of this fold.
The mission of world evangelization is as sure as the death of Christ is effective. John 11:52 says Jesus died to gather into one the scattered children of God. John 10:15 says, Jesus laid down his life for the sheep (including those that are not of this fold). So the evangelistic mission of the church can no more fail than the death of Christ can fail. Gathering in the sheep of God is as positive and sure as the blood of Christ is precious to the Father.
3. "They Will Hear My Voice"—Through You!
Another encouragement in John 10:16 that our evangelism will not be in vain is that the Lord himself has promised to bring his lost sheep home. He promises to do it. "I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also; they will hear my voice." HE will bring them. They will hear HIS voice. But how? How today, when Jesus is not physically here?
The answer is: through your word. As the Father sent the Son to seek and to save the lost, so the Son sends his people. The key verse is found in Jesus' prayer in John l7:20, "I do not pray for these [his disciples] only but also for those who believe in me through their word." "Through their word!"
This is the text that everyone has to deal with who would say, "Well, if Christ calls his own sheep and if Christ gathers the children of God, and if the sheep and the children are already chosen, then we don't need to evangelize." That response is mere human presumption. It's not logical and its not Biblical. The simple fact is Jesus uses us to call his sheep and gather God's children.
Just as Jesus called his sheep with his own lips in Palestine, so he still calls them today with our lips, and in the gospel they hear his voice and follow him (cf. 1 John 4:6). He does it. But not without us!
This is the wonder of the gospel. When it is spoken truthfully in the power of the Spirit it is not merely the word of man. It is the word of God! (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
In other words even today it is just as true as it was in Jesus day, "My sheep hear MY voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). It is Christ who calls in the gospel. Christ gathers. We are only ambassadors speaking in his stead. So we can take heart: all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the Son of God and he declares, "I must bring in my other sheep." He will do it. "I am God almighty, be fruitful and multiply."
4. "They Will Hear My Voice"
Which implies one brief, final word of confidence from the text: if he brings them they will come! Verse 16: "I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and THEY WILL HEED MY VOICE." None of Christ's sheep finally reject his word. He allows some of his sheep to resist the word for a long time. But never do they reject it finally.
My purpose this morning has been mainly to give encouragement and hope to press on confidently in the great work of personal evangelism and missions, but I close with a word to those who are not yet believing. If you say, after a word like this, how shall I know if I am one of Christ's sheep, or one of the children of God scattered abroad, the answer is: Do you hear the voice of your Shepherd? I speak on behalf of the Son of God this morning:
Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest; I lay down my life for all who come; I welcome all how come; I give you eternal life and you shall never perish, and no one shall snatch you out of my hand.


A brief history of Hanukah (from verse 22 of chapter 10)

First celebrated on December 25, 165 B.C., the Feast of lights continued for eight days, commemorating that restoration of the temple after its desecration by Antiochus Epiphanies. Like its sister Feast of Tabernacles, this festival was filled with great pomp and joy. It was a bright spot in the winter season and in the winter of spiritual rejection portrayed in chapter 10 of John’s gospel.


Trev Carpenter
www.btmcallen.com

Who I Am In Christ

To obtain the list of Scripture and the "I am" list, please visit:

www.ficm.org/whoiam.htm

Pastor Trevor's Notes from 04-30-06

Jesus Is Who God Says He Is

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg-or…the Devil…or… (Our) Lord and God.

1 John 5: 1-15

Main Idea: We can be assured of our salvation. Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God is born again. Jesus’ baptism and crucifixion and the testimony of the Spirit agree that eternal life is in Jesus.

We Prove Our Love with Obedient Faith (1-5)
The true Christian overcomes the world by his faith and demonstrates his salvation by obeying God’s commands-and they are not burdensome.
Deeper Discovery: Faith (4)
In a birth:
i. Conception takes place (5)
ii. Continuation is involved (6)
iii. Character is produced
iv. Completion transpires
v. Commencement occurs
vi. Certainty is expected
Jesus Give Us Eternal Life (6-12)
Jesus’ baptism, his crucifixion, and the Holy Spirit-all three of these testify that Jesus is the Son of God. God’s testimony is greater than human testimony, so anyone who does not accept it makes God a liar. The testimony is this: eternal life is in Jesus.
Deeper Discovery: Blood (6)
Believers are Assured of Eternal Life (13-15)
You can be assured of eternal life, and with that assurance, have confidence with God in prayer.
Children of God Do Not Make a Lifestyle of Sin (16-21)
Pray for a brother who sins. No one who is born of God makes a lifestyle of sin. Jesus has come so that we may be saved by God, from God.
Birthmarks of a Believer
Commandment Test
Companion Test
Confidence Test
Principles:
God cares about our obedience.
Love is manifested by obedience.
Whoever has the love and Spirit of Jesus has eternal life.
We may be confident in God’s prayer.
Christians should look out for one another.
Applications:
Trust God and obey His commandments.
Rest in the assurance of eternal life that God gives you.
Pray in confidence that God hears you.
If you see a brother sin pray first for him/her.


Trev Carpenter
www.btmcallen.com