Gary Gleans

The most important information that is available to man through Scripture is how we can be saved and how we can be sure that we are saved.   John has written this book so that we might know this all important information.   Nothing that we know can be more important than this.   These truths must be carefully evaluated in light of our lives. LOVE IS THE EVIDENCE OF SALVATION: When God saves us, the love of Christ is made evident in our hearts.   Love is what moved Christ to die for us and so our salvation will only naturally result in our having a deep love for God and for others.   The love of God will bring about a great desire to obey God.   If our hearts are cold towards God and lack affection for other people we have very good reason to doubt the reality of our salvation.   God saved us by His love so that we can experience His love and then demonstrate that love to others.   Love or the lack thereof can provide valuable information for us to evaluate our relationship with the Lor

We often have a hard time distinguishing between that which is fake and that which is genuine.   Unfortunately there are many who profess to posses faith who really have not been saved from their sin.   This is a very real concern that all men should honestly evaluate in their own hearts.   John writs this book in order to be able to help us test our faith and verify that it is genuine.   Here are a few things that are true about those who have truly been transformed by the Gospel. THEY LISTEN TO THE WORD OF GOD: Believers love the truth and stand up to defend the truth.   God is true and the Word He has revealed is the standard for all truth.   There are many false teachers who are out there trying to pawn off their false teachings as truth, but we are called to test all teachings against the Word of God in the power of the Spirit of God.   True believers who have listened to the Word of God and are sensitive to the Spirit of God will not be led astray by false teachings or false doct

The love of God in Christ has been demonstrated to us in the fact that we have become children of God through faith in the work of Christ on the cross.   As children of God we are expected to bear a family resemblance.   As with any family there are identifying characteristics that distinguish the children of God from those of a different family.   God has saved us so that His character might become evident in our lives.   That work is not completed yet, but one day, when we see Him, we will be transformed into the image of Christ for the glory of God.   The rules that God has established for His family members are few but very important. CHILDREN OF GOD DO NOT PRACTICE SIN: The source of sin is Satan and our own sinful lusts.   Christ died to set us free from our enslavement to sin and give us victory over Satan.   Those who continue to be bound to the practice of sin as a consistent pattern in their lives demonstrate that they are not truly children of God.   Obedience is one of the

One of the greatest blessings that we can have is the assurance of our salvation in Christ.   In a world where there are so many false teachers and pretenders it is very important that we know that we have believed the truth.   As always, the process of determining the truth involves examining evidence.   John lets us know what evidence to examine in order to be assured of the genuine work of God in our lives. OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST: Christ has saved us from sin in order to set us free from the power of sin in our lives.   Obedience to the commands of Christ is the clearest demonstration that we have truly been set free from the power of sin.   There are those who use the grace of God as means of freedom to sin and not freedom from sin.   We can be assured that those who have faith in this false teaching have been deceived and are imposters.   It is God’s will that we be obedient to His Word.   We must walk the way that He walked if we are going to live where He lives.   T

We are all born separated from God because of our sin.   As we go through life we continue to stray further and further from Christ as we walk deeper into sin.   Life apart from Christ is hopeless because it is increasingly infected by sin.   There is a way that fellowship can be restored with God through the sacrifice of Christ.   John is anxious to let us know how this restoration is possible. SEE AND SAY: John begins by letting us know that the message he is about to share is one of which he was an eye witness.   The very person of God was revealed to man in the person of Christ.   The apostles were there with Him; they saw Him, walked with Him, heard Him speak, observed His power and witnessed His glory.   John’s message is not made up or invented by some other man.   It is a message that was revealed to him by God in the person of Christ.   John is now being faithful to say what he saw so that we can have hope.   Fellowship with God can be restored through Christ and John knows th

We often say that the future in uncertain.   In many cases that is true since we do not have the ability to predict many events of our lives, our “short term” future is very unsure.   However, the Bible reveals several truths to us concerning the long term future about which we can be very sure.   We do not need to worry about either the long or short term future because we know Who is really in charge.   However, since we live in a time when false teachings run wild in the world and the church, there are a few truths that we must keep in mind. REMEMBER THE FLOOD: God has promised to judge the world, but those who promote false teachings choose to ignore that fact or even go so far as to deny it.   They point to the fact that people have been warning about the judgment of God for a long time but nothing has happened.   Peter attributes the delay in judgment to the grace and patience of God and His desire to see men come to repentance.   However, he also reminds us to remember that God

False teachers have always been a problem and will always be a problem until we reach heaven’s shores.   We must learn to beware of them and know how to deal with them without becoming anxious and worried about them.   We must always remember that God is in control and that we can trust Him no matter how difficult things may become.   But, we must also be on the alert so we are not lead astray by their teachings.   Peter warns us of some very important truths concerning false teachers. THE DISTRACTION OF FALSE TEACHERS: The goal of false teaching is to lead others astray.   Sometimes they come from within the group and sometimes they come from the outside but one thing we can be sure of is that they will come.   Satan wants to do all that He can to distract us from the truth of God’s Word and from the priority of God’s work as well as the fulfilling of God’s will.   They usually show up with a wonderful wrapping that looks and sounds good, but it is really just the skin of truth stuffe

Peter’s desire for his readers is that they be firm in their faith and know how to stand up against false teachings and live lives of obedience to God.   It is easy for us to become discouraged by suffering or be disobedient to God because of the influence of those who are out to destroy our faith.   Peter lets us know the keys to standing firm in the face of the foes of our faith. BE OBEDIENT TO THE WILL OF GOD: God wants us to grow in our faith so that we will be sanctified and mature.   This is the will of God for our lives.    He wants the image of Christ to be evident in our thoughts and actions.   In Christ we find that we have all the resources we need in order to be like Christ.   We have the power of God available to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.   For that reason, we have been given all that is necessary for live and godliness.   We also have the promises of God that has made us partakers of His divine nature, so all of His resources for godliness are fully avai

In order to help us face the testing and trials of life, God has placed us within a body of believers where we are to help each other be strong.   We must never think that we are capable of living the life God wants us to live by ourselves.   The lamb who wanders away from the flock is easy prey for the predators that want to destroy it.   When we isolate ourselves from the body of Christ, we are much more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.   We must learn to fulfill our function in the body of Christ that we may strive together to stand firm in the face of suffering. LEAD BY EXAMPLE: Leaders have a key role to play in the protection of the flock.   They are called shepherds because they are responsible to meet the needs of the flock and protect the flock.   Leaders must exercise their duty out of love for God and love for the members of the body.   Power can be an intoxicating thing and those who lead often become corrupted by the power they wield.   They use their position to ga

We can have hope in the face of suffering because we know that the return of Christ is near.   Even though Christ’s return may not occur in our life time, it should still be a constant source of hope to us as we know that His return is certain and closer today than it was yesterday.   However, while we anticipate His return and subsequent judgment, there are a few things that we should be doing. EXEMPLIFY THE WILL OF GOD WITH HOLINESS: Our sufferings in the world should be a motivation to live a life that is separated from sin.   It should be obvious to those who are suffering that sin has dreadful consequences and that knowledge should cause us to try to avoid complicating things further with our own sin.   Those who are without Christ and, in many cases, are the source of our persecution should be challenged by our commitment to walk in a way that is pleasing to God.   We must never sink to the level of sinfulness with which we are surrounded.   God has called us to shine as lights i

Peter continues to give practical and sound instructions to believers concerning their relationship to one another as well as their relationship with God.   The Lord has certain expectations concerning His children as He know what is best for us and what will ultimately bring us the greatest amount of joy as well as what will bring Him glory.   These instructions may seem difficult and we may be tempted to see them as harsh regulations but the reality is that they are for our good. WIVES MUST BE SUBMISSIVE TO THEIR HUSBANDS: The subject of submission has come up on several occasions in this book.   We must submit to God, ministers, bosses and now husbands.   It is important that we note that this submission is specifically stated to include even unbelieving husbands.   Women are called to make the glory of the Gospel a higher priority than their own pride within the relationship of marriage.   God desires that all of us be far more concerned about the condition of our hearts than we ar

The problems we are called to face in life must be met with biblical actions that will help us to be able to stand up under these difficulties.   God intends for these experiences to make us stronger and better prepared to serve Him with all of our hearts.   Unfortunately, there are many times when these trials cause us to become discouraged and even disobedient.   Peter gives us so great direction as to how we can avoid the latter and experience the former. WE MUST SEEK THE SCRIPTURES: When the waves of worry begin to wash over our hearts and minds amidst the seas of suffering to which we have been called; we must anchor our souls in the Scriptures.   The longing desire of our hearts must be for the Word of God to guide, comfort and direct us.   Several times a day we all become very passionate about food.   Babies will fuss and cry until they are fed.   As adults we have learned to control these actions but we still manage to make sure that food finds its way into our mouths.   We sh

One of man’s greatest needs is for hope.   We live in a society of hopelessness because men have turned away from God who is our only source of true and enduring hope.   The book of First Peter says much about suffering, so it is vital that the book begin by inspiring us to have hope.   Our faithfulness will falter if we lose hope, so we must seek to understand and develop biblical hope in our lives.   Here is a quick look at some of the benefits of hope. HOPE CAUSES US TO REJOICE IN SUFFERING: Suffering in and of itself is not a reason for rejoicing, but when suffering in coupled with hope the natural result is rejoicing.   Satan tries to make us focus of the present circumstances when we suffer.   We are tempted to interpret our future according to our current discomfort and that causes despair and hopelessness.   God calls us to respond to our current circumstances in light of what He has revealed about the future.   God has told us that He is in the process of making us like Jesus.

Sorry that this chapter is out of order.   I wrote it in sequence and thought it had been posted, but it appears I forgot to do so. Taming our tongues is a very hard thing to do, but it is of vital importance that we learn to do just that.   Though the tongue is one of the smallest members of our body, it wields a power far beyond its size.   It provides a window into our very hearts and is one of the clearest indicators of our spiritual maturity.   The tongue can be a source of tremendous blessing or in can be an instrument of blasphemy.   There is much that we can evaluate about ourselves and those who are around us by paying close attention to how we use our tongues. OUR WORDS REVEAL OUR WAYS: James advises us to exercise the ministry of teaching with fear and trembling because of the many words that teachers must use.   Since every word that we say will be judged; teaching is a very dangerous profession.   The truth is that our words are only a demonstration of the ways of our hear

Sooner or later everyone faces suffering.   James teaches us that it is far better to suffer sooner than later.   Those who suffer now will face comfort in eternity, whereas those who suffer later will never find relief from their suffering for it will be everlasting.   The problem is that we do not like to suffer now and we end up valuing our comfort over the character that God wants to build in our lives.   God wants us to know that comfort is a very passing thing while the rewards for obedience are forever and ever.   We must change our views of suffering. PROSPERITY RESULTS IN ETERNAL SUFFERING: One of man’s greatest goals in this world is to attain prosperity.   The problem is not really with prosperity in and of itself.   The problem is with what we do in order to attain prosperity.   Many times compromises with character are made in order to achieve the prosperity that is so desired.   The money that is made through sinful means will soon be all burned up, but the consequences o

Our walk with Christ is one that is full of things that we must strive to do and things that we must avoid doing.   These are not things that we do in order to gain merit with God but they are things that we do or avoid doing so that our lives will work according to the way that God has planned for us to do.   It makes a lot of sense to order our lives according to the pattern that our creator has designed. GOD WANTS US TO BE SEPARATE FROM SIN: Sin so often promises pleasures but in the end it causes heartache and pain.   God has created us to be holy as He is holy.   We often deceive ourselves into believing that our pleasure is the most important thing to us and we are willing to sin against God and others in order to achieve whatever we want.   When we seek our own satisfaction as our highest goal and believe that we can attain our own satisfaction through our own efforts we will sin.   God asks us to trust Him and simply ask Him to accomplish His will in our lives.   This is the tr

Faith can be a very dangerous thing.   It is impossible to please God without faith, but there are many kinds of faith that do not please God.   Unfortunately, there are many who have these counterfeit faiths that think God will be pleased with them.   The sad truth is that God does not know them and they continue to be lost in their sins.   This chapter points out two of these useless faiths. FAKE FAITH: A fake faith is a faith that exercises personal favoritism based on a person’s wealth.   It seeks to use faith as a means of self promotion and power.   God hates hypocrisy as it undermines the basic principles of His Word.   A true faith is a faith that exercises unconditional love that does not seek to benefit oneself; rather it strives to serve others out of humility.   When we treat the rich differently than we treat the poor within the context of the church or any of our personal relationships, we reveal that we are seeking our own self interest and not the interests of our Lord.

James is a wonderfully practical book that just cuts straight to the heart of so many issues.   His teaching is simple to understand but very difficult to practice since it goes against our natural “bent” towards sin.   We do not just naturally rejoice in suffering or poverty, but that is exactly what James tells us that God wants us to do.   These are the basic truths that God wants us to learn and obey in our relationship with Him. PLEAD FOR GOD’S WISDOM: There is no doubt that in order for us to be able to obey the teachings of this book that we will need to have God’s wisdom.   We need to be able to see the events and circumstances of our lives from God’s perspective and not our own; that is what wisdom is all about.   We are not naturally wise, but God has graciously provided access to His wisdom through prayer that is offered in faith.   We must believe that God wants us to have His wisdom and we must want His wisdom when we pray.   It does no good to pray for God’s wisdom if, in

The final words of any author are always of great significance.   The author of Hebrews is no exception.   There are several exhortations that we will all do well to follow and remember as we strive to follow the Lord in this sinful world.   Several of these exhortations I will not touch on here, but I would encourage you to go through this chapter slowly and look at the sound advice that we encounter here.   I would just like to sum up these teachings in three quick phrases. LOVE YOUR BROTHERS: The very essence of our life in Christ is to love others.   This can be especially difficult to do in times of hardship and suffering like these readers were facing.   It is easy when we are suffering to become self absorbed.   We often begin to feel sorry for ourselves and expect others to care for us instead of striving to love and serve others.   We must remember that no matter what we might be facing, we are called to love one another.   We must be hospitable, care for those who are sufferi

Those who have gone before us in the walk of faith have set an example that we should be eager and willing to follow.   It will not be an easy walk but it will definitely be a worthy walk.   Regret is one of the worst feeling in the world because there is very little we can do to go back and change what we have done or the way we have lived.   In Christ, we can experience forgiveness and by His grace move forward but nevertheless regret is a part of choosing sin.   The life of faith a life without regret and it is worth following with all of our hearts.   This chapter calls us to pursue this life and tells us how to go about it. DILIGENCE FOR GOD: In light of the lives of those who blazed the trail of faith for us, we must be very diligent to follow closely in their path.   This life of diligence involves putting off the sins of our lives that only serve to weigh us down, working to complete that which God has called us to do, and then setting our hopes on that which is eternal.   The

This is the great chapter of faith.   We have a list of amazing men and women who God chose to empower through faith to accomplish great things in the expanse of His Kingdom and for the glory of His name.   There is no way in this post that we will be able to cover the content of these amazing lives.   Rather, I would like to concentrate on some of the different things we learn about faith from this beautiful chapter of Scripture. THE DEFINITION OF FAITH: We have a saying that says “seeing is believing.”   Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.   Scripture teaches that seeing is just the opposite of believing.   It takes no faith at all to believe that which we see.   But when we believe in that which we have never seen, that by very definition is faith.   None of us have seen Christ nor heaven just as none of the Old Testament saints that are named in this passage had never seen Christ or heaven.   They believed in He who would come and we believe in He who has come and wh