Bible Study: The True Elect 12.22.10

King James Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: The True Elect
For: Wednesday December 22, 2010
Chapters: The Books of 2,3 John and Jude
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-december-22

Details of Today's Chapters: II John, stand up for the truth, love and live in the truth, false teachers lead to evil ways and are not welcome. III John, work for the truth, walk in the truth, be hospitable to all, and have a good personal report. Jude, contend for the faith, warning against falling away from the truth, and and teach what believers should do to remain in the truth and faithful.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
Truth, there is nothing like it in the world, the word truth is defined as the true or actual state of a matter, the actual existence. The Bible says, “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies...The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” - Psalm 25:9,10,14. To be meek means to be humble, to realize that you just can not do everything on your own. We all have weaknesses, the strongest man alive has a weakness, but when he humbles himself before God has the strength to move mountains. Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” - Mark 11:23.

A covenant is an agreement, a truth between you and God alone, no one can break that covenant, except you. When you humbly bowed your head and put your faith in Jesus Christ to save you from a burning hell you made a covenant with God. God's promise, eternal life and heaven, your promise is trusting in Him to fulfill His promise. While many people call themselves Christians, the truth is, only a majority of them are actually Christians. A Christian is someone who makes a covenant with God to allow Him to come into their lives, not just save them from hell, but to make a difference in their lives. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:20,21.

The Books of II John, III John, and Jude are the twenty-fourth, fifth, and sixth books of the New Testament and sixty-third, fourth, and fifth books of the Bible. The Book of II John was an epistle (letter) written by the Apostle John to the elect lady and her children. The purpose of this letter was to caution believers to be faithful to sound doctrine and to warn against false teachers. What we are to learn from the letter is that we must guard ourselves against false teachers who cause us to lose the spiritual qualities we have developed and who make us partakers of their evil. “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” - II John 10,11. In his brief letter the Apostle John reminds Christians that they are the elect, the selected few that are chosen by God Himself to represent the church. “The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.” - II John 1-5.

The elect lady is the Church of Christ, the Church is always addressed in the feminine gender because she is called the bride of Christ. Her children are the men, women, and children who make up the body of the Church. While anyone can get saved, God chooses specific people to represent Him in the Christ. Why? To love one another. John is quoting what Jesus said while He was walking on earth in the flesh. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” - John 13:34. What Jesus means by this is to show brotherly kindness to all, by doing so it shows the world who true Christians are and that it is a wonderful thing to know the Lord. Praise God!

The Book of III John was also written by the Apostle John was addressed to a man named Gaius. It is written to both him and the church with which he was connected and cautions him against siding with Diotrephes, who was a turbulent spirit, but recommends Demetrius as a man of excellent character. The truths of the letter are applicable to all believers. The purpose of this letter was to commend Gaius and Demetrius for their Christian testimony and to reprove the unchristian behavior of Diotrephes. What we are to learn from the book is that our lives are examples of what others follow, whether it be good or evil. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” - III John 4. Whether we are Christian's or not we set an example for others, if we are doing things that are immoral and or malicious others will mimic us and do them also. It is important that we as the elect children remain moral and set a good example for others to mimic. “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” - III John 11.

The Book of Jude was written by Jude (the brother of James and another earthly brother of Jesus by Mary and Joseph) and it was written to all Christians, although the specific audience at the time were members of churches in Palestine and/or Asia. The purpose of the letter was to warn against false teachers and what we are to learn from the letter is that we must always be alert for false teachers who divert believers from the truth of God's Word. “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” - Jude 21. Jude expresses the importance of holding on to the truths of God's Word and being careful not to let people get around them who will corrupt their way of thinking. Jude addresses the issue of bringing false doctrine into the Church. “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Jude 4.

Every time we start a new book I go to last years message that I wrote to get the book info from it, I happened to read through a message I wrote one day and saw something I quoted from another site I used when ever I got stuck trying to explain a verse. It was something that was completely opposite of what God teaches in His Word. That is when I discovered that that site was corrupting people, he knew just enough to make you think he knew what he was talking about, I hate to think of the numerous amount of people who believe that garbage, but pray they figure it out as I did. The only way I was able to even figure out that he was destroying God's Word was by continuing to read it for myself. God reveals everything a little at a time so we learn the truth. The only way to know the truth is to know Christ, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” - John 14:6.


Be blessed, enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.

Merry Christmas, Praise God, Jesus is the reason for the season.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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