Epistle for March 28, 2003
Posted by: info <info@...>
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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation March 28, 2003
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In This Issue:
"The Victory That Overcomes the World" (I John 5:1-21)
"Nahum Promises God's Victory" (Nahum 3:1-19)
PIAC Degree Program Change
The Victory That Overcomes the World
(I John 5:1-21)
I. Concentration: on the faith that overcomes
1. Overcoming faith starts with a personal belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, v. 1.
2. Overcoming faith includes not only receiving God's love through Christ, but also
loving others, vv. 1-2.
3. Overcoming faith includes knowing and obeying God's will and His commandments, v. 3.
4. Overcoming faith is triumphant in this world through the finished work of Christ, vv. 4-6.
II. Meditation on the "witnesses" of God's truth
1. Three witnesses in heaven, v. 7:
(1) The Father
(2) The Word (Jesus Christ, John 1:1)
(3) The Holy Spirit
These three are one . . . the Trinity.
2. Three witnesses on earth, v. 8:
(1) The Spirit: Who indwells believers on earth.
(2) The water: baptism which testifies of saving faith.
(3) The blood: Christ's blood applied to sinful souls to bring
forgiveness and cleansing.
These three agree as one.
III. Revelation: on John's reassuring possibilities
1. IF we receive the witness of man, the witness of God is greater, v. 9.
2. IF we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, v. 14.
3. IF we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we have asked of Him, v. 15.
4. IF a Christian prays in intercession for another believer, God will hear and answer
that petition, unless the back-slider already has committed "the sin leading to death"
. . . has sinned away his day of grace, v. 16.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Establish my faith upon the infallible witnesses provided by God.
2. In intercessory prayer, first seek to know what God's will is concerning the person,
situation, or circumstance.
3. Believe, with unshakable faith, that God will and does answer all my prayers which are
according to His revealed will to me.
4. Rather than criticizing or condemning a believer who has fallen into sin, pray for God
to restore that person to full spiritual fellowship.
Nahum Promises God's Victory
(Nahum 3:1-19)
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. God's judgment may seem overly harsh, but this chapter shows that He is justified in His
condemnation of Assyria.
2. Nineveh was a "bloody city," v. 3, a city guilty of shedding the innocent blood of many
other nations.
3. Nineveh was a city known for deceit, falsehood, theft, drunkenness, and sexual
debauchery, vv. 1, 4.
4. Such vice was an offence to God, so His verdict of judgment was inevitable, vv. 2-3, 5-7.
5. Like No Amon, an Egyptian city that fell despite numerous allies and strong defenses,
Nineveh could not escape divine judgment, vv. 8-13.
6. All efforts to survive proved futile, vv. 14-15; troops scattered, leaders perished, and the
people fled to the mountains, vv. 16-18.
7. God's judgment fell on Nineveh, and the nations which Assyria once victimized so
mercilessly, rejoiced and celebrated in response to the news, v. 19.
II. Meditation and Revelation: on the spiritual implications seen here
1. Sin is serious in the sight of God; though His mercy and patience may cause Him to withhold
judgment for a time, God ultimately will announce a day of reckoning.
2. When God's righteous judgment is unleashed, no human power can withstand its force;
God's dominion extends over all the universe, and He sits on the throne to judge all individuals
and nations.
3. Nahum calls us to serious self-examination, and he warns against the subtle sin of believing
that life can be lived apart from the will and ways of God.
4. Nahum cautions us about becoming overly smug and complacent in our faith . . . for Assyria,
once used as God's instrument (Isaiah 10:5-6), became the object of His wrath:
"Behold, I am against you," 2:13.
III. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Repent: self-examination (in the light of the spiritual implications discussed above) should lead
me into wholehearted and sincere repentance.
2. Receive God's grace: His judgment against the sinful is offset by His mercy and comfort available
to those who come to Him in humble faith and complete devotion.
3. Rejoice: God's goodness and justice shall prevail, though circumstances may seem contradictory;
victory is mine in Jesus!
4. Renew my evangelistic fervor: persons in sin will suffer the wrath of God in hell; I must reach
out to them with the saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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