KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS - 1 JOHN 2:3-4

Verses 3-4: By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

The opening phrase ‘by this’ refers to John’s statement: “if we keep His commandments.” He is not referring specifically to the Ten Commandments, but divine directives, “the precepts given to Christians, Christian doctrines and duties.”1 The word ‘if’ again is the determining factor of whether or not we decide to keep His commandments. If we decide to, there will be a positive outcome; if we choose not to keep His commandments, we lose out of the special benefits of our relationship with God.

Next, John says that by keeping His commandments we realize that special benefit—“that we have come to know Him.” The grammar of the Greek is very precise in emphasizing our present status of having arrived at an intimate knowledge of Him. The fact of having come to know Him is described as completed with further development of a continued and ever-growing knowledge.2 Dr. Merrill Tenney illustrates the significance of knowing God.

For the complete fulfillment of our being, we must know God. This, said Jesus, constitutes eternal life.3 Not only is it endless, since the knowledge of God would require an eternity to develop fully, but qualitatively it must exist in an eternal dimension.4

Kenneth Wuest asserts that this is an experiential knowledge “in contrast with and opposed to a mere theoretical knowledge of His Person.”5 And Dr. L.S. Chafer explains the means by which the believer is able to know God:

Fallen man is incapable, apart from divine illumination, of comprehending the sovereign Creator…the saved receive such knowledge of God as they experience, only through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit.6

 But what does it mean to keep His commandments? The word ‘keep’ means to observe, fulfill, pay attention to.7 And the right response of the believer to His commandments is to observe them, not to merely examine or scrutinize them, but to obey them and to follow the instructions given.

His Commandments

What are His commandments? Kenneth Wuest explains that “The precepts (commandments) are those given by our Lord either personally while on earth or through His apostles in the New Testament Books.”8 This means that they are numerous and must be discovered through a careful and thorough study of Scripture.

Note a few example commands from various writers of Scripture:

And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19; cf. Matthew 28:19–20; Luke 5:27)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34; cf. Romans 12:9–10)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18)

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:6–8)

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time (1 Peter 5:5–6)

Now Who is the Liar?

In verse 4, John maintains that the one who claims that they have come to know God and consistently fails to keep His commandments is unequivocally a liar. A liar is someone who knowingly fabricates falsehoods, tells stories or purposely misrepresents facts. Which puts them in the same company with the devil (John 8:44) and the Cretans (Titus 1:12), friends in low places.

And not only is liar their absolute status, but they are utterly devoid of the truth. In the Greek grammar, the presence of the article is used to emphasize the identity9 of the noun it modifies. So, what is the truth? The answer was provided by Jesus Christ:

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

This quote by Our Lord contains two points of Biblical doctrine. The first is that God’s Word, Scripture, is truth. It is absolute truth because it originates from the God of the universe. And the second is that it has a specific purpose for believers: to sanctify them. The word ‘sanctify’ means “to set apart for God and His holy purposes.”10 And that is what His truth is designed to do with believers—to set them apart from their former manner of life (Ephesians 4:22) to become imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1-2) and that their practice of the truth will be evidenced by all (1 John 1:6).

Otherwise, as Dr. Walvoord proclaims of the liar, that "In such a person the truth is not a dynamic, controlling influence. He is seriously out of touch with spiritual reality."11

Are we consistently keeping His commandments? Do we demonstrate a practice of His truth? We must prove ourselves daily that we are faithful believers—that we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

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[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G1785.

[2] Braune, Karl (1867). In Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, New York, NY: Charles Scribner, 9.49.

[3] John 17:3 - “This is eternal life, that they may know You.”

[4] Tenney, Merrill (1979). John, In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Gaebelein, Frank E., Gen. Ed.), Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 9.162.

[5] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English Reader. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 13.113.

[6] Chafer, Lewis Sperry (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 1.179.

[7] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1979). In A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 815.

[8] Wuest, 13.113.

[9] Dana, H.E. & Mantey, Julius R. (1957). A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, Toronto, Ontario: Macmillan Co., p. 140.

[10] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update. Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1714 note.

[11] Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 2.888.

© 2024 David M. Rossi
 

"THAT YOU MAY NOT SIN" - 1 JOHN 2:1-2

Verses 1-2: My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

John addresses his readers in a loving manner: “my little children”—reminiscent of how Our Lord referred to His disciples in John 13:33. This is one of 3 Greek words for ‘children’ that John uses in his epistles; the others will be noted as we continue through the epistle. This one refers to the recipients of this epistle and to all believers in general1 who are his dearly loved spiritual children with whom he desires that they advance and mature in their spiritual lives.

He explains that the reason for having written “these things” (1:5-10) was: “that you may not sin.” Previously in chapter 1, verse 9, John outlined the simplicity of confession and forgiveness of our sins. This was not intended to be a license to indiscriminately sin with the attitude: “I’ll go ahead and sin because all I’ll need to do is confess and be ‘right’ with God.” This is indicative of a believer who has no intention of advancing in the Christian life—walking in the Light. It is tantamount to playing games with God which will not end well as John mentions in 1 John 5:16. This also disregards the command of Our Lord’s when He forgave sin: “Do not sin anymore” (John 5:14; cf. 8:11). So now John writes to correct this mentality stating a firm prohibition: “that you may not sin.”2

We must remember what Our Lord said about following Him: “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30; cf. 1 John 5:3). Salvation is made ‘easy’ by simply “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31) and so is restoration into fellowship with the Father: confess your sins, with the admonition to ‘sin no more.’

John defines the results of how sin in the believer’s life severs their fellowship with God, causing them to lose their “celestial joy, confidence and peace”3 with the Father. They are now walking in darkness, reverting back to their former life of unbelief, as the Apostle Paul explains:

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way. (Ephesians 4:17–20)

This is what John desires that believers may avoid, for outside of the fellowship relationship with God, the believer grieves4 and quenches5 the Holy Spirit Who empowers them in their moment-by-moment “walk in the Light” (1:7), characterized by John as to “practice the truth” (1:6).

The Intercessory Ministry of Jesus Christ

But John wants us to know that we don’t need to continue to live outside of fellowship with God. For if we should fall into sin we have the ability to confess our sins and seek His faithful forgiveness and cleansing (1:9). And this is because we have an Advocate with the Father, His Son Jesus Christ. So, what is an Advocate? John is the only New Testament writer to use this particular Greek noun. The scholar W.E. Vine explains its historical Greek usage:

It was used in a court of justice to denote a legal assistant, counsel for the defense, an advocate; then, generally, one who pleads another’s cause, an intercessor, advocate.6

This same Greek word is translated ‘Helper’ 4 times in John 14-16, where the Lord Jesus prior to His death promised another Helper—the Holy Spirit, Who also is deity. Our Lord described the Holy Spirit’s special ministry, how “He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26b).

This verse distinguishes Jesus Christ as our “Advocate with the Father” with that of the Holy Spirit’s advocacy. John provides Our Lord’s credentials for being our Advocate when he states that He is literally “the righteous one.” Being our Advocate is Our Lord’s ever present intercessory ministry for all believers. The Apostle Paul stated this twice: “He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27b; cf. 8:34). And the writer of Hebrews declared:

Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25; cf. Hebrews 9:24)

 Why would believers (saints) need an Advocate? Again it is John who reveals this in the book of Revelation. During the Tribulation period there will be a battle in heaven. Michael, the Archangel and his angels will wage war with Satan and his angels; casting out Satan and his angels down to earth (Revelation 12:8-9). The explanation of why Satan is currently in heaven is recorded in the next verse: 

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” (Revelation 12:10; cf. Zechariah 3:1)

Satan is presently today accusing us before God each time we sin, questioning our fidelity to the Father. But as our advocate, Jesus Christ resides silently at the right hand of the Father. For all that is needed to be our advocate is for His presence there as proof of the effectiveness of His finished work on the cross. This is the substance of 1 John 2:2: “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins”—‘propitiation’ means satisfaction.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He satisfied the righteous demands of the Father as the penalty payment for sins: “and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world.” And all that the Father needs to say to our accuser, Satan, is “Paid in full!” The same as what Our Lord spoke on the cross just before He died—one single Greek word translated into the English: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Dr. Ryrie explained the significance of this word:

Receipts for taxes found in the papyri have written across them this single Greek word, which means “paid in full.” The price for our redemption from sin was paid in full by our Lord’s death.7

Question

Does the work accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, the price He paid as our substitute for the penalty of sin and His present day intercession on our behalf cause us to resolve that we “may not sin”? Examine ourselves! For this should be our objective, so that sin will not hinder us from walking in the Light and practicing His truth.

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[1] Vine, W. E. (1996). Collected Writings of W.E. Vine. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1 John 2:1.

[2] The Greek construction of a negative command. Dana, H.E. & Mantey, Julius R. (1957). A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, Toronto, Ontario: Macmillan Co., p. 171.

[3] Chafer, Lewis Sperry (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 2.342.

[4] Ephesians 4:30

[5] 1 Thessalonians 5:19

[6] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.111.

[7] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update. Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1719 note.

© 2024 David M. Rossi
 

THE BELIEVER'S FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, PART 2

Part 1 defined the two aspects of the believer’s present spiritual position in Christ. Additionally, Biblical fellowship and the temporal character of fellowship with God were examined. Part 2 develops how believers are able to maintain their fellowship with God.

Fellowship Restored

The good news is that by confession of sin the believer can be restored to the Inner Realm of Fellowship with God. The Apostle John explains the method to be employed,

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

This is an often misunderstood and abused principle. Some have construed this to be a license to sin; that it makes it easy for the believer to take advantage of God’s provision of grace by purposefully sinning knowing that all they needed to do was to confess and be cleansed. However, the context of 1 John 1:5-10 dispels this notion, teaching that the Divine intention is for the believer to be determined to consistently “walk in the Light.” In addition, John states that he is “writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1) and not to give them permission to intentionally sin. Even when Our Lord forgave sins, He conveyed to the sinner that He intended that they “do not sin anymore” (John 5:14; cf. John 8:11; Psalm 4:4). This means that the highest aim of the believer in their advance to spiritual maturity should be to persistently be walking in the Light—continuously in fellowship with God. This can be accomplished with the help of God’s grace to sin no more and to avoid the occasion of sin.

Just as the gospel is uncomplicated so that even a child can believe in Jesus Christ and be eternally saved (Acts 16:31), confession of sin(s) is not complicated. The Greek word confess literally means “to speak the same thing...admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction.”1 This implies admitting to God that our sin is the same thing (sin) that He has commanded us not to commit. Consequently, it is imperative that we know His commands and what sins to avoid, thus necessitating the knowledge of His Word. A child can be taught by parents, but an adult must learn by an intense study of Scripture.

It is important to observe the Biblical procedure for confession of sin. David outlines this in his Psalm:

I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not hide;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;

And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. (Psalm 32:5)

We confess our sins silently and only to God for forgiveness—never to anyone else and never publically. David reminds us of this important fact that a human mediator is unnecessary:

Against You, You only, I have sinned

And done what is evil in Your sight,

So that You are justified when You speak

And blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:4)

Eternally Loved

 The fact that God makes available to the believer a means to be restored to fellowship expresses His eternal love for His own. The Apostle John conveyed this love when he wrote that Our Lord “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1b). Dr. Ryrie explains that the phase to the end means literally “to the fullest extent.”2 The degree of this fullest extent is contained in the Biblical promise regarding the believer’s security in Christ as the writer of Hebrews declared:

For He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5b)

The two synonyms used, desert and forsake, each have different shades of meaning.  Desert means “to dismiss, leave, neglect,”3 while forsake implies to “abandon, leave in straits, or helpless.”4 Our God ensures our eternal relationship in spite of our unfaithfulness.5 The fact that He neither deserts nor forsakes us is evidenced by His actively seeking our return to fellowship.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:20-21)

Verse 20 is often misconstrued as a call for salvation, but instead it is a call for believers to return and enjoy full fellowship with Him.6 What should be emphasized is the Lord’s gracious offer to dine with Him. In the ancient world to dine with a dignitary was considered “a sign of intimacy and committed the guest and host to friendly relations.”7 J. Vernon McGee remarks that “this speaks of fellowship, of feeding on the Word of God, and of coming to know Jesus Christ better.”8

And finally, Dr. Walvoord’s perceptive insight concerning the prospect of our ultimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ should be noted:

With Christ on the outside, there can be no fellowship or genuine wealth. With Christ on the inside, there is wonderful fellowship and sharing of the marvelous grace of God. This was an appeal to Christians rather than to non-Christians. This raises the important question concerning the extent of one’s intimate fellowship with Christ. To those who respond, Christ promises to give the right to sit with Him on His throne and share His victory. [emphasis his]9

Conclusion

The true significance of man’s existence from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden was to have fellowship with his Creator. Paradise has been lost, but God has devised a means for the believer in this age to have fellowship with Him. The Apostle John defined how this is possible:

But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

It is impossible to truly understand fellowship with God apart from the knowledge that our present spiritual position is in Christ. This is all a product of God’s Divine plan, for which Our Lord prayed to the Father:

That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:21)

For the believer to reside in Christ, it is the Divine objective that this should be a vibrant union, a meaningful fellowship; one that the world will be able to witness and therefore believe that the Father sent Jesus Christ to provide salvation for all mankind.

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[1] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.120.

[2] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1707 note.

[3] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G447.

[4] Vine, 2.252.

[5] cf. 2 Timothy 2:13a: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful.”

[6] Ryrie, p. 2019 note.

[7] Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, Revelation 3:20.

[8] McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible Commentary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 5.925.

[9] Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Eds.). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 2.942.

© 2024 David M. Rossi

THE BELIEVER'S FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, PART 1

In the Apostle John’s first epistle, he references that “indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Fellowship is an essential aspect of the believer’s present spiritual position. Therefore, the importance of this concept of fellowship with God cannot be overstated and needs to be understood completely as we progress through John's first epistle.

Aspects of Our Present Spiritual Position “in Christ”

Examining the chart below, we should note the specific details of the believer’s present position as being in Christ. For demonstration only, the main circle bounded by solid yellow represents the entirety of the believer’s relational sphere with God. It is solid because once inside there is never the possibility for the believer to ever be outside of this eternal relationship.

There are two aspects of being in Christ: The inner realm of fellowship and the outer realm of carnality. Throughout the believer’s life we occupy either aspect, but never at the same time. This follows the teachings of John that we either “walk in the Light”—the inner realm of fellowship (1 John 1:7); or we “walk in darkness”—in carnality marked by sin (1 John 1:6). The inner realm of fellowship has a permeated line, indicating that this aspect of the believer’s fellowship with God is temporal—transitory.

Fellowship with God

The meaning of the Greek word for fellowship is that of “an association involving close mutual relations and involvement.”1 Our fellowship with God is much greater than sitting around and singing hymns or walking about pseudo-piously with eyes looking towards heaven. It is intended to be a solemn, intimate and vibrant relationship that involves our participation of commonly shared interests and as imitators of God’s characteristics—specifically His love and righteousness (Ephesians 5:1-5). It is a supernatural life which requires that believers are to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. R.B. Thieme, Jr. rightly states this, that “In the Church Age, to be ‘in fellowship’ is to be filled with the Holy Spirit”2 (Ephesians 5:18b).

The Holy Spirit is the Agent of the Godhead sent by Jesus Christ for the believer (John 16:7). He is designated as our “Helper” and has specialized ministries exclusively for believers in the Church Age. Here are a few of the His many ministries: He is the provider of the new birth in Christ (John 3:3-6); He is to guide us in the teaching of God’s absolute truth (John 16:13; 2 Timothy 3:16); He provides a variety of individual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11); His sealing is “the believer’s guarantee of the security of his salvation”3; He indwells the believer eternally and provides empowerment for us to be Christ’s witnesses (John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:16); and “by one Spirit we were baptized into one body” the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The inner realm represents the place of our fellowship with God. Consistently residing in this place of fellowship should be the objective of every believer. This requires that the believer be filled with the Holy Spirit in order that they “walk as children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8) by their holy living.

Temporal Aspect of Fellowship

Residing in the inner realm of fellowship means a life devoid of sinfulness. It is the reason that our fellowship is a temporal aspect, because sin severs the believer’s fellowship with God. For we have been called to holy living: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:1). In contrast, the New Testament writers provide numerous examples of what constitutes sinfulness:

But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:3–5)

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. (1 Peter 2:1)

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

Nevertheless, it is inevitable that the believer will sin and when that occurs they are no longer “walking in the Light” but instead they are walking in darkness and dwell in the Outer Realm of Carnality. Paul characterized these believers as unspiritual, men of flesh (carnal) “infants in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). Elsewhere he is emphatic that those who are carnal and unspiritual “cannot please God” (Romans 8:8; cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:1). Paul does explain how we can please God:

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9–10)

In Our Lord’s discourse of the “Vine and the Branches” in John 15:1-16, He further described what pleases God and that our fellowship should glorify Him: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples...and that your fruit would remain” (John 15:8, 16). Our Lord’s desire is that our fruit bearing would not be “a mere spurt, but permanent growth.”4 The believers' exhibition of the fruit of Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) ensures that they are pleasing Him by keeping His commandments (John 13:35), abiding in His love (John 15:9-10) and witnessing so that others might believe in Jesus Christ (John 17:20). Thus, “as we bear ‘much fruit’ the Father is glorified in us.”5

However, it should be noted that Our Lord mentions in His discourse that “every branch in Me [in Christ] that does not bear fruit, He takes away” (John 15:2a). This in no way implies loss of salvation, but instead it depicts being removed from the Inner Realm of Fellowship and consequently residing in the Outer Realm of Carnality. Concerning the Greek word for ‘takes away,’ Dr. Ryrie asserts that “The word may mean this literally (as ‘Remove’ in 11:39) and would therefore be a reference to the physical death of fruitless Christians (1 Cor. 11:30).”6 The Apostle John warned that "there is a sin leading to death" (1 John 5:16). 

The writer to the Hebrews, quoting Proverbs 3:11-12, cautions that there is the real potential of Divine discipline for a believer continually dwelling in the Outer Realm of Carnality:

And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

 “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;

For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,

 And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:5–8)

When Continued in Part 2:

It will be explained how the believer can be restored to the Inner Realm of Fellowship and how they are to maintain their fellowship with God.

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[1] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1.445.

[2] Thieme, R.B., Jr. (2022). Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary, Houston, TX: R.B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, p. 99.

[3] Ryrie, Charles C. (1995). The Ryrie Study Bible: Expanded Edition, Chicago, IL: Moody Press, p. 1877 note.

[4] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 5.261.

[5] Scofield, C. I. (2002). The Scofield Study Bible, New King James Version, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, p. 1478, note.

[6] Ryrie, p. 1710 note.