Bible Study

John 3:36

[36] Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 5:24

[24] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Romans 8:16-17

[16] The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [17] and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

John 6:56-57

[56] Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.

Are You Approaching God Unhindered?

PRAY OVER THIS

“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 1 John 3:22

 

PONDER THIS

How do you get your prayers answered? Begin by having a good conscience—one that is clear before God. What does that do? It gives you a great confidence, and you can come to God and ask in His name for your prayer to be answered. Answered prayer is not for rebels. Answered prayer is not for those whose hearts are filled with hate. The Bible says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18). That’s a prayer promise we don’t like to quote. Here’s an illustration. Have you ever read in 1 Peter 3:7 where Peter told husbands and wives how to dwell together as heirs of the grace of life? Peter went on to say the reason for this was so that their prayers may not be hindered. This is one example of what it looks like to live in such a way that our prayers are not hindered. All of God’s people are called to live this way, whatever their circumstances.

What needs to change for you to live with a clear conscience before God?

How does living with a clear conscience give you the confidence to come before God?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time today to confess before God anything you have held back from Him so that your conscience might be clear, and you might approach Him unhindered.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Forgiven for Jesus’s Sake

For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. (Psalm 25:11)

In knowing what is right, God does not consult any authority higher than himself. His own worth is the ultimate value in the universe. Therefore, for God to do what is right means acting in a way that accords with this ultimate value.

The righteousness of God is the infinite zeal and joy and pleasure that he has in what is supremely valuable, namely, his own perfection and worth. And if he were ever to act contrary to this eternal passion for his own perfections, he would be unrighteous — he would be an idolater.

How shall such a righteous God ever set his affection on sinners like us who have scorned his perfections? But the wonder of the gospel is that in his divine righteousness lies also the very foundation of our salvation.

The infinite regard that the Father has for the Son makes it possible for me, a wicked sinner, to be loved and accepted in the Son, because in his death he vindicated the worth and glory of his Father.

Because of Christ, we can pray with new understanding the prayer of the psalmist, “For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great” (Psalm 25:11). The new understanding is that, because of Christ, instead of only praying, “For your name’s sake, pardon my guilt,” we now pray, “For Jesus’s name’s sake, O God, pardon my guilt.”

First John 2:12 says, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake,” referring to Jesus. Jesus has now atoned for sin and vindicated the Father’s honor so that our “sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.”

God is righteous. He does not sweep sin under the rug. If a sinner goes free, someone dies to vindicate the infinite worth of God’s glory that the sinner defamed. That is what Christ did. Therefore, “For your name’s sake, O Lord” and “For Jesus’s name’s sake” are the same. And that is why we pray with confidence for forgiveness.

John Piper 

Bible Study

Job 36:21

    [21] Take care; do not turn to iniquity,

        for this you have chosen rather than affliction.

John 9:31

[31] We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

James 4:3

[3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Isaiah 59:2

    [2] but your iniquities have made a separation

        between you and your God,

    and your sins have hidden his face from you

        so that he does not hear.

Predestined to Be Like Jesus

PRAY OVER THIS

“…having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will…”

(Ephesians 1:5)

 

PONDER THIS

This verse says that we’re chosen before the world and then predestined to be like the Lord Jesus. Predestination is not saying from eternity that this man will go to Heaven and this other man goes to Hell; predestination says that those who trust the Lord Jesus are going to be like the Lord Jesus. Predestination teaches me on the authority of the Word of God that because He chose me and because I have trusted Him, it is settled forever that I'm going to be like the Lord Jesus Christ and that settles the question of my security. If I am predestined for adoption into the family of God, what can stop it? What can stand in the way? Nothing. I am predestined; I have been chosen to be like the Lord Jesus. God’s plans for me will never be thwarted, no matter the schemes of the devil.

Does it bring you comfort to know God has purposed for all who trust in Him to be made like Jesus?

In what ways has God already made you more like Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out three to five ways you know you need to grow to be more like Jesus. Take these to God, asking Him to make you like His Son in these specific ways.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Jesus Will Trample All Our Enemies

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24)

How far does the reign of Christ extend?

The next verse, 1 Corinthians 15:25 says, “He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” The word all tells us the extent.

So does the word every in verse 24: “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.”

There is no disease, no addiction, no demon, no bad habit, no fault, no vice, no weakness, no temper, no moodiness, no pride, no self-pity, no strife, no jealousy, no perversion, no greed, no laziness that Christ will not overcome as the enemy of his honor.

And the encouragement in that promise is that when you set yourself to do battle with the enemies of your faith and your holiness, you will not fight alone.

Jesus Christ is now, in this age, putting all his enemies under his feet. Every rule and every authority and every power will be conquered.

So, remember that the extent of Christ’s reign reaches to the smallest and biggest enemy of his glory in your life, and in this universe. It will be defeated.

John Piper 

Bible Study

Daniel 7:14

    [14] And to him was given dominion

        and glory and a kingdom,

    that all peoples, nations, and languages

        should serve him;

    his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

        which shall not pass away,

    and his kingdom one

        that shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:27

    [27] And the kingdom and the dominion

        and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven

        shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;

    his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,

        and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’

Ephesians 1:21

[21] far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Colossians 2:8-10

[8] See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. [9] For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, [10] and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.