Quote from Forum Archives on March 13, 2003, 3:23 pm

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E-pistle

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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation March 14, 2003

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In This Issue:
"These Things We Know!" (I John 3:1-24)
"Nahum Proclaims God's Verdict" (Nahum 1:1-15)
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These Things We Know!
(I John 3:1-24)

I. Concentration: on what we "know" about Jesus
1. We know that Jesus came to take away our sins, v. 5.
2. We know what true love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, v. 16.
3. We know that He lives in us, by the Spirit He gave, v. 24.
4. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, v. 2.
II. Meditation: on what we "know" about our position as believers
1. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our
fellow Christians, v. 14.
2. We know that we belong to the Truth (Jesus), because we demonstrate
our love by our actions, not merely by our words, v. 19.
3. We know who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil . . .
Satan's children neither do right nor love their fellow human beings, v. 10.
4. We know that no murderer has eternal life, and anyone who hates his brother
is a murderer, v. 15. (See Matthew 5:21-22) (Murder is a forgivable sin, but
unconfessed sin, such as murder, grows out of hate . . . the opposite of love,
which is the only spiritual atmosphere in which God's grace may operate.)
III. Revelation: on the implications of what we "know"
1. God bestowed His love on us, calling us His children, v. 1.
2. Everyone who truly follows Christ purifies himself, to attain the goal of purity, just
as Christ is pure, v. 3.
3. The purpose of Christ being manifested on earth was to destroy the works of the
devil, v. 8.
4. As Christians, we ought to be willing to lay down our lives for others . . . just
as Jesus died for us, v. 16.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Thank God for His overwhelming love toward me and for my blessed position
as one of His beloved children.
2. Repent, confess, and forsake my sins to the Father; receive forgiveness and
cleansing through the blood of Christ; attempt, through the power of the Holy
Spirit, to live a life of purity . . . of sincerity and integrity.
3. Arm myself for spiritual warfare against Satan (Ephesians 6:10-18), knowing if
Satan attacked Jesus, surely I also will be attacked. But through Christ,
I can be victorious . . . able to "destroy the works of the devil."
4. Love my fellow believers . . . more than I love myself . . . being willing to lay
down my life for them.

Nahum Proclaims God's Verdict
(Nahum 1:1-15)

I. Concentration: on the background of this book
1. "Nahum" means "Comforter" or "Full of Comfort."
2. Nahum prophesied the pending fall of Nineveh (the capital of Assyria), which
occurred in 612 B.C. He recounts the fate of the Egyptian city of Thebes
(Nahum 3:8-10) which was destroyed in 663 B.C. Nahum's book came
between these two events, probably shortly before 612 B.C.
3. The savage Assyrians had conquered the kingdom of Israel and carried off
into captivity the ten northern tribes in 722 B.C.
4. Only divine intervention prevented the desecration of Jerusalem by the Assyrians
in 701 B.C. (I Kings 17-19), and this book of Nahum predicts God's judgment
of Nineveh which occurred more than a century after that miraculous event.

II. Meditation: on the contents of this chapter
1. Nahum proclaimed the jealousy of God, vv. 1-6.
2. Nahum presented the gentleness of God, v. 7.
3. Nahum prophesied the judgment of God upon Nineveh, vv. 8-14.
4. Nahum promised the joy of God upon Judah, v. 15.

III. Revelation: on the attributes of the Lord God revealed in this chapter
1. God is jealous, meaning that He demands undivided devotion, and He is holy and
righteous, taking furious, wrathful vengeance upon His enemies, v. 2.
2. God is slow to anger, demonstrating His mercy and patience . . . over a century passed
between the fall of Israel to the Assyrians and the fall of Nineveh to the Babylonians, v. 3.
3. God is almighty, showing His omnipotence in the awe-inspiring forces of nature, vv. 3-5.
4. God is good, providing a stronghold of safety and security for those who trust in Him, v. 7.

IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Worship the Lord God with undivided loyalty, and serve Him with unwavering faithfulness.
2. Thank the Lord for His long-suffering, patience, mercy, and grace in dealing with me.
3. Praise the Lord as I observe with awe and reverence His mighty creative power in the
physical universe and in the spiritual realm.
4. Rest in the peaceful confidence and calm assurance that "God is good . . . all the time!"

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