servant for Christ

Esau was considered a profane person. The profanity involves far mort than one's speech, it is a quality of one's life. The author sees this quality exemplified in Esau even though he was not a vile man. In fact, he was less of a crook than his brother Jacob. The author accurately focuses on the one area that revealed Esau as profane--the selling of his birthright. To "profane" is to regard something as unhallowed, to treat something sacred as common. Being totally concerned with his temporary and material needs, Esau gave them priority over his rights as the first born son and his responsibilities as heir to the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant. The result in Esau's life was that afterward, when he wanted the blessing, he was rejected. He repented with tears, but is was too late. Jacob thought more of the birthright than during what was right.

We need teachers in the church to help us grow in the word, to help equip us for God's ministry tha He has for our lives. The Holy Spirit's teaching will lead us into a deep understanding of God, His word,and ministry.

It means we are to stay true to God and His word, do not loose hope, or doubt. We have to abide in the original teaching of Christ and the apostles. Someone that is abiding will be reading, studying God's word, praying, and seeking His face. Standing strong and firm in God. Someone that is not abiding will be doubting His word, not taking it seriously, not trusting in God. Will be separated from God. It is so important for us to study and hold fast to the Word of God. Our very souls and eternal destiny depend on it.

The believer has received an anointing from Christ, namely the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit we know "all things," the truth. The Holy Spirit will help lead us into truth. As we abide in Christ and read the Word of God, the Holy Spirit helps us to understand its redemptive truth. All believers may study and know God's truth and learn from each other through mutual teaching and exhorting. We have two safeguards against doctrinal error-Biblical revelation and the Holy Spirit. We do not need those that teach extrabiblical doctrine. We have the Holy Spirit. That is the meaning of John's words, "ye need not that any man teach you".

The anointing that John is talking about is that the believer has received an anointing from Christ, which is the Holy Spirit. The anointing is connected to the Holy Spirit in the Bible because of his presence and power. Yes, I think every christian has the anointing. It is up to us how we use that anointing. If we choose to follow Christ, obey His word, live according to his word, the Holy Spirit will guide and teach un in the way of truth. We will know that we have the power through the Holy Spirit to defeat the devil.

The antichrist that John expects is the one who will come toward the end of the age to rule the world and th lead a great rebellion against Christ and the New Testament faith. The difference is the antichrist in the church are those professed believers who love the world and its sinful pleasures and distort the gospel and its message of the cross, placing themselves against Christ and His righteousness. We can see it today because of the division in the church. christians are not willing to give up the world entirely and follow God with their whole heart.

Hello Sue, my name is Carolyn and welcome to the Bible study. I have done several of these studies with Pastor Ralph, and it has been amazing at how the Lord has revealed Himself. As you do this study, let the Lord reveal Himself to you the way he wants. Give Him your heart and mind totally. I pray that God will open His word to you in a way that you have never experienced before. God bless you richly as you study and draw closer to God.

The sins that are covered are the desires of the body, any and every desire of man in his rebellion against God. The **** of the eyes, the pride of life which is pride in riches, boasting in our wealth or circunstance, appearing to be important. Sometimes it is difficult for us to discern because we think we are doing nothing wrong. Worldliness is so harmful because it pulls us away from God, from his truth and love.

The world John is talking about is the evil desire and sin that is so much a part of human existence. Turning away from God and godly values. The love of the world that seep us from God is when our mind is consumed by the world and we become selfish. We no longer have God's love.

John takes time to encourage them because he assures them of their steadfastness in the true faith. He encourages them by telling them that their sins are forgiven, that they have known Jesus, they have overcome the devil, because they are strong, they anve known the Father, and the word of ?God abides in them.

Hate and unforgiveness blind us spiritually because we cannot see God's love. We do not have God's love because love is God. We come to the light by forgiveness.

We can be serious about obeying Christ by knowing God's love is keeping His word. Love is following Christ in his way, by being obedient. Legalism is a strict set of rules by men. We can be serious about obedience and love by keeping God's commandments.

The assurance that John gives us is of forgiveness that lies in the blood of Jesus Christ and His heavenly ministry as advocate. This comforts us because we know that Christ is interceding for us before God on our behalf. It should make us to want to avoid sin because Jesus took on Himself the punishment for our sins and satisfied God's righteous judgment against sin. Christ paid the price for us.

I would define confessiion as an acknowledgement of guilt and sin. Confessing our sins is important because it opens the door for God's forgiving and cleansing light to purify our hearts. If we stop confessing our sins, we are loosing our relationship with God. We are denying him. The promises are that God will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Forgiveness is by and reconciliation with God, cleansing is removal of guilt and the destruction of the power of sin in order to live lives of holiness.

When we continue to willfully to do what we know is wrong, we are living in sin, walking in sin. We cannot have fellowship with God. It involves self-deception because we are lying to ourselves and to everybody else. When we walk in the light, we are to live free from bondage to sin, to make true communion between believers possible. Jesus' violent death on the cross, which is what blood signifies, is the initial antidote for and ultimate defense against sin's presence and power. We are to believe the truth of God as revealed in HIs Word and to make a sincere and sustained effort by His grace to follow it in word and deed. To get back, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. which is the ongoing work of sanctification within the believer and the continual cleansing through the blood of Christ for our inadvertant sins. This continual cleansing allows us to have intimate fellowship with God.

I think it is so often on surface level because we don't have a close association, a mutual acceptance of and submission to the verities of Christian faith. We can have fellowship at a deeper level in Christ by sharing in personal knowledge of and heart felt obedience to God through Jesus Christ. I think for me, I would like to help everyone to get ahold of who God is. To help them receive what I have so they can have the fellowship that I have with Christ. To help them realize who they are in Christ. To help them to see that they can take God at His word, that we have continual cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ so we can have intimate fellowship with Christ. Those who have fellowship with God experience God's grace and live a life of holiness in the presence of God.

It points out the seriousness of not believing God's word. The Word of God determines who will enter into God's rest. It is a sharp sword that cuts into our innermost being in order to discern whether out thoughts and motives are spiritual or fleshly. It has two edges, either cutting to save our lives or judging us unto eternal death. Our response to God's word should be to dray near to Jesus as our high priest. The Word of God has the power to sustain creation. The Word of God also releases grace, power, and revelation by which believers grow in their faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. The Word of God is likewise the sword that God has given us whereby we may fight Satan. The Word of God has the power to judge us. The thoughts and intents of the heart. In other words. those who choose to ignore God's word will one day experience it as a word of condemnation. There is nothing that we can hide from God. We must continually expose ourselves to God's word so we can hear it, seek to understand it, praise God, love it, let it be our joy and delight, accept what the word says, hide it deep in our hearts, trust it, place our hope in its promises, we must obey what it commands, and live according to it.

God's promised rest is not onlyu earthly, but heavenly as well. For believers, ther remains an eternal rest in heaven. Entering this final rest means ceasing from the labors, sufferings, and persecution common to our lives on this earth. Participating in God's own rest, and experiencing unending joy, delight, love, and fellowship with God and other redeemed saints. It will be a seventh day without end. We have to make every effort because of the glorious blessing that awaits us at our heavenly home. I think the difference is with apostasy from Christ is that people do not take Him at face valus. They do not believe with a true heart. As for Christitans, we confess our sin, repent with a true and believing heart, knowing that our sins are forgiven, and we can have a relationship with God.

Our faith is important in our relationship to God is because without faith we are no believing God, thus we are sinning against God. We are departing from the truth. Sin tricks us by the deceit and pleasureness it offers. We think this one little thing will be ok, the next one may be a little bigger, until it has consumed us and we have hardened our hearts against God. We are not listening to the Holy Spirit. Christian fellowship is emportant because it helps us to build our faith, make it strong, to encourage and lift up one another. To exhort one another with the truths that will strenghten our faith in Christ. The continuance in our faith is a test of the reality of one's faith in Christ.

He is exhorting the readers to hold on to Christ because that is the only way we are part of His household. We must continue in our faith because the believers security in Christ is maintained only as we cooperate with God's grace by persevering in fatih and holiness unto the end of our earthly existence. This truth was emphasized by Chirst. If we don't, the reassurance of salvation for church members 3ho willfully sin, so prevalent in some circles today, will find no place in God's household.

Because those whom Jesus came to redeem are flesh and blood, He also had to take on humanity. For only as a true human being could He qualify to redeem the human race from Satan's power. Christ died to destroy Satan's control and power over those who believe and to deliver them from the fear of death by promising eternal life with God.

To bring sons and daughters to glory is for Christ to lead un in our salvation. What was perfected was Jesus role as captain or leader, one who goes before to make a way for others to follow. His obedience and death on the cross qualified Him to be the perfect representative of fallen humainity and to suffer in their place. The implication for our lives is that we are to follow Jesus, become like Him, to pick up our cross.

Jesus tasted death for everyone when He bore the punishment of the sins of all mankind. It is dependent on God's grace because we could not do it ourselves. It is not by anything we do. The implication for me is that Christ was willing to take all of my sins upon Him, to involve me in His life so I can have eternal life.

Jesus suffered in temptation, persecution, humiliation, and death for all people. We are to suffer like Christ did. We will go through the same as He did, because there is nothing that we experience that He has not been through. Yes, suffering has a value, a great value, the value of eternal life in heaven with our Father and Savior. When we live to avoid the suffering, we are going to miss out with Christ. We will miss our relationship with Him, and our eternal life with Him.