The Word Unleashed - Radio

As the apostle John continues to explain why loving God’s people is a sign of true spiritual life, he uses the Lord Jesus Christ as the perfect example of this kind of love. It is Jesus Christ Himself who provides both the definition and the pattern of biblical love. If you want to see what true love for God and His people should look like, Jesus stands as the perfect example of such affection.

In this magnificent chapter the apostle John gives every professing Christian a test to determine whether they are a true Christian. He explains that if you are a professing Christian and you are ruled by an angry, hateful, murderous spirit—especially toward believers—you do not have eternal life in Jesus Christ.

In John chapter 3 the apostle John draws several crucial conclusions about how love, or the absence of love, confirms the true condition of the professing Christian's heart. Those who truly love God and His people can be said to have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life.

The Bible teaches that loving God and loving others is a sign of true salvation. No place is that better explained than in 1 John, chapter 3. In this compelling chapter John gives a specific test that every professing Christian must take in order to determine whether they are truly saved.

First John is essentially a series of tests through which professing Christians can examine themselves to see if they are true Christians. John knew how important that assurance of salvation was in his day, and it is equally important for us today.

In ancient Israel, mustard seeds were recognized as one of the smallest seeds in the area. By all appearances, it was insignificant, but as it grew it became quite large. So it is with Jesus and His spiritual kingdom—it had a small, insignificant run in the first century, but as the Word of God went forth, it would eventually grow into a massive kingdom of Christ's followers.

During Jesus’ earthly life and ministry most people rejected His claim as the Messiah of the Old Testament and the only way of salvation. But rather than concluding that His ministry was a failure, Jesus taught in this parable that His kingdom would continue to steadily grow and that the gospel would continue to advance.

Although the Bible teaches that God is sovereign in salvation, it also teaches that man is responsible for sharing the gospel—or, as Jesus describes in His parable in Mark 4, man is responsible for scattering seed on the ground. This simply means that we as Christians must share the gospel, the Word of God, the seed, with unbelievers and allow God to work in their hearts.

The heart of Jesus’ parables at the end of Mark 4 teach us that God is the one who causes the seed to grow; He causes spiritual growth. Our only job as believers is to faithfully proclaim Jesus Christ and His gospel and then to entrust ourselves to our gracious God, who loves to save sinners.

The Bible teaches that in God’s infinite wisdom He has created and determined what marriage is to be like. Not only has He defined it as a union between one man and one woman, He has said that it is a picture of how Christ loves His church.