If saying we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, lies, and do not practice the truth.*
This is a conditional statement, which also defines fellowship as walking in the Light and as practicing truth. How do I practice truth? I learn to walk in fellowship. Jesus walked in truth and if we claim to know Him we must walk as He walked. To walk in truth is to walk in the Light and in this also we see the concept of fellowship, abiding, and practicing truth. Surely, the child of God knows he needs to practice truth as he exists an imperishable seed of truth in a perishable body, where evil lies near. We equate abiding in Jesus to abiding in truth, to practicing truth and to walking in Light and to having fellowship.
according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through our faith in him.*
To abide in the words of Christ is to have fellowship with the Son and the Father, this is that which was eternally purposed in Christ, that we have confidence to approach Him. Practicing truth can be seen as having confidence to approach Him and how do I have such confidence? "through our faith in him" and we know abiding in the word increases faith and transforms by the renewal of the carnal mind thus I have confidence or I accept His will or I can subject my mind to the things of God. All this through abiding in the Word of Life and Spirit of Life. It is not about what we do or do not do, it is not about adhering to laws, rules, regulations, commandments, and principles of the world, but what strengthens is faith that is active in love. There is no greater walking in darkness I can think of, than that hidden under the teachings of God that cause little children to stumble.
in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision strengthens a person, but faith active through love.16
The concept of practicing truth is not a matter of whether one transgresses or not, if one were justified by works of the Law our faith would be void and Jesus would have died in vain. It is about whether we exist in Christ and are learning to walk in truth. Though the child of God exists in Christ, or truth exists in him, the carnal mind must be renewed, thus practicing truth is learned behavior that is achieved through abiding and fellowship. It can be best described as a child abiding in the father's presence learning to walk, he is practicing to walk, so it is not so important that he falls down or not but that he gets back up. Such learning is perfecting in love, truth in love, not in the fear of punishment, not a Father condemning the child for falling down. Though the child is learning to walk, a child of God exists in Christ, righteous, so a father that accuses a child of God of being lawless, unrighteous, and disobedient is at a fundamental level not practicing truth.
To prepare the members for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ until all attain to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to measured stature of the fullness of Christ.*
What is the work of ministry? "to build up the body..." Do we see the purpose of the Church? to build up the child "to mature adulthood, to measured stature of the fullness of Christ." It can be said to grow up children to walk like Jesus. A church that doesn't walk like Jesus is one that doesn't build up its children, one that doesn't practice truth, doesn't walk in the Light, and doesn't abide in love. Do we need visionaries for such a purpose? Why, is not the mission clear? what is needed are those who abide in the words of Christ, not lords but servants of all, the first becoming last to grow up little children in Christ. Though the gift of giving and evangelism is given to the Church it is not a missions organization, not a charity organization, this is not its main purpose. Charity organizations have a mission statement like feeding children in Africa but a Church has the mission of building up its members to the "measured stature of the fullness of Christ." We know what a gift is right? A minister is a servant, given a gift according to grace, to build up the Church. A Church that acts like a charity or mission organization sacrificing growth of its children for good works is at a fundamental level not practicing truth.
in Him existed Life and that Life was the Light of men, the Light shines in darkness...*
Light refers to the Life of men, John writes. Jesus is the Word of Life that created all things in the beginning and is the Light that is Life to men. To walk in Life is to walk in the Light. It is the Word of Life that is a Light unto men, therefore to walk in Light is to abide in the words of Jesus. If we abide in the words of Jesus, then we have fellowship with the Son and the Father, and we receive the promise of Eternal Life.* So we see we must abide in the words of Christ to have fellowship and walk in light thus to practice truth requires one to abide in the Word of Life. Abiding is more than just reading the Bible it is believing that Jesus is the Bread of Life. If one wants to walk as Moses then there is Judaism but don't call it Christianity, "like Christ." If you want to walk as Jesus then abide in His words, walking in Truth, Love, Light, abiding in the Word of Life, being founded in truth, in the word which overcomes the darkness. In this we learn to practice truth, walking as Jesus walked.
the one claiming to abide in God, is bound to walk as Jesus walked, even so.*
To abide is to have fellowship and is to practice truth and is to walk as Jesus walked. Abide is a state that begins and continues, so we see that we build endurance as we learn to walk, we fall down but as we lay there our heavenly Father says get back up my son, that is not who you are, you can walk! We learn to walk by abiding and practicing truth, this concept we see in the principle of Liberty, looking intently into truth, not staying down, but getting back up, enduring in truth. And even the one who has learned endurance sometimes falls down, but such a one gets back up as these are "bound to walk as Jesus walked, even so." The idea is also of abiding in faith, hope, and love, seen in Abraham who was 100 years old and Sarah was barren but he did not turn back but was strengthened in faith being fully convinced that what God said he would do. A boy who has been strengthened in faith being fully convinced has become a free man who has learned to practice truth.
bound to walk as Jesus walked, even so.*
This word for bound means "to owe, be in debt; be bound by oath; be obligated, ought, must." It speaks of being indebted and to being bound in covenant "in Christ." The Church is bound to Christ like a husband is bound to his wife; loving, nurturing, and caring for her. The one claiming to abide in God is bound to walk as Christ. This word walk means "to walk, to live, to conduct one's life, to accompany, follow." To follow Jesus one must be bound in covenant, attached to the Vine, then one must remain abiding in His words, in which we see the reasonable service, being transformed into His image, even so to walk as Jesus walked in fellowship with the Father.
But the one hating his brother exist in darkness, he walks in the darkness not knowing where he is going, because darkness blinds his eyes.*
Jesus walked in Love. A disciple walks as Jesus walked and the world will know we are his disciples not because we evangelize, not because we do charity work, but because we walk in love for one another. A Church that doesn't walk like Jesus doesn't love like Jesus, thus it is not profitable, not a witness, and is at such a fundamental level walking in darkness. "But whoever keeps His word, truly in this person the love of God is perfected, in knowing that we exist in Him, the one claiming to abide in God ought to walk just as Jesus walked."* To love one another is a command, and if we loved Jesus we would obey Him and he commands us to love one another thus one can't sacrifice loving and say it is for Jesus, no, such is a lie, walking in darkness. This is such a fundamental truth that no matter what the Church does in the name of Jesus if it doesn't love like Jesus it says it doesn't know Jesus nor practice the truth. To practice truth is to walk in love as Jesus walked.
Yea, if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.*
To abide is to have fellowship and is to walk in the Light and is to practice truth. Walking in Light is as abiding, a state of existing "in Christ" or abiding in the Vine and it is continuing to walk in Light, which is practicing truth. The one in Christ learns to walk, practicing truth, and he can not continue to walk in sin, to practice sin. A core truth is one "exists" in Christ, either in the Spirit or one exists in the flesh. If one exists in the flesh he is defined by sin as it is his nature, likewise, the one in Christ is a partaker of God's divine nature and exists in Christ. The same concept we see in righteousness, the one in Christ exists righteous, if one is not in Christ one exists unrighteous, lawless, disobedient.
There is no condemnation, the one in Christ, for the Spirit of Life in Christ has set you free from the principle of sin and death.*
To practice truth is to walk in Liberty. Why is there no condemnation in Christ? because "we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." Walking in Liberty begins with existing in Him, a new creation. If I exist in Him, I exist as a Righteous child of God, the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin. Why would a child of God be condemned? because there exists a spirit of fear and because they do not know their identity in Christ. Truth and Spirit exist in a child of God, they exist no longer in the flesh. This is a core understanding in Paul's and John's writings, existing is being born of God. It is also a profound truth, as John writes, "if saying that we have no sin, we mislead ourselves and the truth exists not in us."* If I exist in truth, in Christ, then I also know I exist as a new creation, the Spirit testifying that I am a child of God, but also moaning for this reason, as creation moans for Liberty so do I because I am in a corrupt body. To not know this weakness and that evil wars against me through it, is to say truth doesn't exist in me. And in this is our hope that one day we will be Liberated from this bondage into the glorious Liberty of the child of God.
And this is the confidence having approaching Him, that if asking according to His will, he hears us.*
How do we ask according to God's will? we see the answer in this same verse because we have the confidence to approach Him. So we see how to have answered prayer, and we also see in this how to practice truth, to have fellowship with Him, "If saying we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."* Any teaching that keeps God's children enslaved, whether to fear, condemnation, or the authority of men, does not build up children in faith to boldly approach God but causes little children to stumble. Indwells God's Spirit within His children and the young person has learned to walk, and practice truth, because they are founded, knowing their identity in Him, "if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin."
Therefore, leaving the elementary teachings of Christ, enduring on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.*
What is repentance from dead works? it is to repent of a work justification mindest that severs from Christ and falls from Grace, like the Galatians. Practicing truth begins with receiving by faith the gift of righteousness, according to grace. It is according to grace because my justification is by the blood of Jesus, not by works. If I don't understand this then at a fundamental level I do not practice truth which is to walk in darkness. To walk one must at first crawl and learn to stand, being built up in faith, rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, abiding in His love, and in His words, this is truth in love or faith active in love. "God is Light and exists no darkness in Him."* If we say we exist "in Christ," or that we abide in Christ, and have fellowship with Him then we walk in the Light as Jesus is in the Light. This perfection is in Love, thus "enduring on to perfection" is abiding in truth and love.
I write to you children for that your sins are forgiven on account of His name. I write to you fathers because you know the One from the beginning. I write to young men for that you conquer the evil one. I write to you children because you know the Father, I write to you father because you know the one from the beginning. I write to you young men because you are strong, the word of God abides in you and you conquer the evil one.*
The child exists in Christ, he knows the Father and is founded in truth and love, whereby faith is active in love. The young person learns to abide in the words of Jesus, he is walking in Light overcoming darkness, learning to practice truth, he is strong learning to walk as Jesus walked. The mature know Him who is from the beginning, these continue, remain in the Word of Life, abiding in Him who was in the beginning life, Jesus. These have learned to practice truth, and these who are first, great in the kingdom of God, become the last building up children in Christ. Walking in truth is walking in love, and in fellowship, and is abiding in the Word and the Spirit of Life, and it is practicing truth.
No Longer Slaves
This is a conditional statement, which also defines fellowship as walking in the Light and as practicing truth. How do I practice truth? I learn to walk in fellowship. Jesus walked in truth and if we claim to know Him we must walk as He walked. To walk in truth is to walk in the Light and in this also we see the concept of fellowship, abiding, and practicing truth. Surely, the child of God knows he needs to practice truth as he exists an imperishable seed of truth in a perishable body, where evil lies near. We equate abiding in Jesus to abiding in truth, to practicing truth and to walking in Light and to having fellowship.according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through our faith in him.*
To abide in the words of Christ is to have fellowship with the Son and the Father, this is that which was eternally purposed in Christ, that we have confidence to approach Him. Practicing truth can be seen as having confidence to approach Him and how do I have such confidence? "through our faith in him" and we know abiding in the word increases faith and transforms by the renewal of the carnal mind thus I have confidence or I accept His will or I can subject my mind to the things of God. All this through abiding in the Word of Life and Spirit of Life. It is not about what we do or do not do, it is not about adhering to laws, rules, regulations, commandments, and principles of the world, but what strengthens is faith that is active in love. There is no greater walking in darkness I can think of, than that hidden under the teachings of God that cause little children to stumble.
in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision strengthens a person, but faith active through love.16
The concept of practicing truth is not a matter of whether one transgresses or not, if one were justified by works of the Law our faith would be void and Jesus would have died in vain. It is about whether we exist in Christ and are learning to walk in truth. Though the child of God exists in Christ, or truth exists in him, the carnal mind must be renewed, thus practicing truth is learned behavior that is achieved through abiding and fellowship. It can be best described as a child abiding in the father's presence learning to walk, he is practicing to walk, so it is not so important that he falls down or not but that he gets back up. Such learning is perfecting in love, truth in love, not in the fear of punishment, not a Father condemning the child for falling down. Though the child is learning to walk, a child of God exists in Christ, righteous, so a father that accuses a child of God of being lawless, unrighteous, and disobedient is at a fundamental level not practicing truth.
To prepare the members for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ until all attain to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to measured stature of the fullness of Christ.*
What is the work of ministry? "to build up the body..." Do we see the purpose of the Church? to build up the child "to mature adulthood, to measured stature of the fullness of Christ." It can be said to grow up children to walk like Jesus. A church that doesn't walk like Jesus is one that doesn't build up its children, one that doesn't practice truth, doesn't walk in the Light, and doesn't abide in love. Do we need visionaries for such a purpose? Why, is not the mission clear? what is needed are those who abide in the words of Christ, not lords but servants of all, the first becoming last to grow up little children in Christ. Though the gift of giving and evangelism is given to the Church it is not a missions organization, not a charity organization, this is not its main purpose. Charity organizations have a mission statement like feeding children in Africa but a Church has the mission of building up its members to the "measured stature of the fullness of Christ." We know what a gift is right? A minister is a servant, given a gift according to grace, to build up the Church. A Church that acts like a charity or mission organization sacrificing growth of its children for good works is at a fundamental level not practicing truth.
in Him existed Life and that Life was the Light of men, the Light shines in darkness...*
Light refers to the Life of men, John writes. Jesus is the Word of Life that created all things in the beginning and is the Light that is Life to men. To walk in Life is to walk in the Light. It is the Word of Life that is a Light unto men, therefore to walk in Light is to abide in the words of Jesus. If we abide in the words of Jesus, then we have fellowship with the Son and the Father, and we receive the promise of Eternal Life.* So we see we must abide in the words of Christ to have fellowship and walk in light thus to practice truth requires one to abide in the Word of Life. Abiding is more than just reading the Bible it is believing that Jesus is the Bread of Life. If one wants to walk as Moses then there is Judaism but don't call it Christianity, "like Christ." If you want to walk as Jesus then abide in His words, walking in Truth, Love, Light, abiding in the Word of Life, being founded in truth, in the word which overcomes the darkness. In this we learn to practice truth, walking as Jesus walked.
To abide is to have fellowship and is to practice truth and is to walk as Jesus walked. Abide is a state that begins and continues, so we see that we build endurance as we learn to walk, we fall down but as we lay there our heavenly Father says get back up my son, that is not who you are, you can walk! We learn to walk by abiding and practicing truth, this concept we see in the principle of Liberty, looking intently into truth, not staying down, but getting back up, enduring in truth. And even the one who has learned endurance sometimes falls down, but such a one gets back up as these are "bound to walk as Jesus walked, even so." The idea is also of abiding in faith, hope, and love, seen in Abraham who was 100 years old and Sarah was barren but he did not turn back but was strengthened in faith being fully convinced that what God said he would do. A boy who has been strengthened in faith being fully convinced has become a free man who has learned to practice truth.
bound to walk as Jesus walked, even so.*
This word for bound means "to owe, be in debt; be bound by oath; be obligated, ought, must." It speaks of being indebted and to being bound in covenant "in Christ." The Church is bound to Christ like a husband is bound to his wife; loving, nurturing, and caring for her. The one claiming to abide in God is bound to walk as Christ. This word walk means "to walk, to live, to conduct one's life, to accompany, follow." To follow Jesus one must be bound in covenant, attached to the Vine, then one must remain abiding in His words, in which we see the reasonable service, being transformed into His image, even so to walk as Jesus walked in fellowship with the Father.
But the one hating his brother exist in darkness, he walks in the darkness not knowing where he is going, because darkness blinds his eyes.*
Jesus walked in Love. A disciple walks as Jesus walked and the world will know we are his disciples not because we evangelize, not because we do charity work, but because we walk in love for one another. A Church that doesn't walk like Jesus doesn't love like Jesus, thus it is not profitable, not a witness, and is at such a fundamental level walking in darkness. "But whoever keeps His word, truly in this person the love of God is perfected, in knowing that we exist in Him, the one claiming to abide in God ought to walk just as Jesus walked."* To love one another is a command, and if we loved Jesus we would obey Him and he commands us to love one another thus one can't sacrifice loving and say it is for Jesus, no, such is a lie, walking in darkness. This is such a fundamental truth that no matter what the Church does in the name of Jesus if it doesn't love like Jesus it says it doesn't know Jesus nor practice the truth. To practice truth is to walk in love as Jesus walked.
Yea, if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.*
To abide is to have fellowship and is to walk in the Light and is to practice truth. Walking in Light is as abiding, a state of existing "in Christ" or abiding in the Vine and it is continuing to walk in Light, which is practicing truth. The one in Christ learns to walk, practicing truth, and he can not continue to walk in sin, to practice sin. A core truth is one "exists" in Christ, either in the Spirit or one exists in the flesh. If one exists in the flesh he is defined by sin as it is his nature, likewise, the one in Christ is a partaker of God's divine nature and exists in Christ. The same concept we see in righteousness, the one in Christ exists righteous, if one is not in Christ one exists unrighteous, lawless, disobedient.
There is no condemnation, the one in Christ, for the Spirit of Life in Christ has set you free from the principle of sin and death.*
To practice truth is to walk in Liberty. Why is there no condemnation in Christ? because "we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." Walking in Liberty begins with existing in Him, a new creation. If I exist in Him, I exist as a Righteous child of God, the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin. Why would a child of God be condemned? because there exists a spirit of fear and because they do not know their identity in Christ. Truth and Spirit exist in a child of God, they exist no longer in the flesh. This is a core understanding in Paul's and John's writings, existing is being born of God. It is also a profound truth, as John writes, "if saying that we have no sin, we mislead ourselves and the truth exists not in us."* If I exist in truth, in Christ, then I also know I exist as a new creation, the Spirit testifying that I am a child of God, but also moaning for this reason, as creation moans for Liberty so do I because I am in a corrupt body. To not know this weakness and that evil wars against me through it, is to say truth doesn't exist in me. And in this is our hope that one day we will be Liberated from this bondage into the glorious Liberty of the child of God.
And this is the confidence having approaching Him, that if asking according to His will, he hears us.*
How do we ask according to God's will? we see the answer in this same verse because we have the confidence to approach Him. So we see how to have answered prayer, and we also see in this how to practice truth, to have fellowship with Him, "If saying we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."* Any teaching that keeps God's children enslaved, whether to fear, condemnation, or the authority of men, does not build up children in faith to boldly approach God but causes little children to stumble. Indwells God's Spirit within His children and the young person has learned to walk, and practice truth, because they are founded, knowing their identity in Him, "if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin."
Therefore, leaving the elementary teachings of Christ, enduring on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.*
What is repentance from dead works? it is to repent of a work justification mindest that severs from Christ and falls from Grace, like the Galatians. Practicing truth begins with receiving by faith the gift of righteousness, according to grace. It is according to grace because my justification is by the blood of Jesus, not by works. If I don't understand this then at a fundamental level I do not practice truth which is to walk in darkness. To walk one must at first crawl and learn to stand, being built up in faith, rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, abiding in His love, and in His words, this is truth in love or faith active in love. "God is Light and exists no darkness in Him."* If we say we exist "in Christ," or that we abide in Christ, and have fellowship with Him then we walk in the Light as Jesus is in the Light. This perfection is in Love, thus "enduring on to perfection" is abiding in truth and love.
I write to you children for that your sins are forgiven on account of His name. I write to you fathers because you know the One from the beginning. I write to young men for that you conquer the evil one. I write to you children because you know the Father, I write to you father because you know the one from the beginning. I write to you young men because you are strong, the word of God abides in you and you conquer the evil one.*
The child exists in Christ, he knows the Father and is founded in truth and love, whereby faith is active in love. The young person learns to abide in the words of Jesus, he is walking in Light overcoming darkness, learning to practice truth, he is strong learning to walk as Jesus walked. The mature know Him who is from the beginning, these continue, remain in the Word of Life, abiding in Him who was in the beginning life, Jesus. These have learned to practice truth, and these who are first, great in the kingdom of God, become the last building up children in Christ. Walking in truth is walking in love, and in fellowship, and is abiding in the Word and the Spirit of Life, and it is practicing truth.
No Longer Slaves