Title: Jesus the true light.
Text: Jn. 1: 9-11
Key v.9
In our last lesson, we learned about John the Baptist the one who came to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Both, he and Jesus were prophesied by the prophets to come. And we learned about the importance of prophecy on how it strengthens our faith as it authenticates the one true God and validates His Word, the Holy Bible in it’s many fulfillments. Today we continue our study of Jesus as the true light.
v. 9 – He came into the world as the true light, who gives light to everyone.
Question: If Jesus is the true light, then who is the false light?
1.) We must first point out that the true light came to deliver mankind out of the darkness, the enslavement to sin and Satan. Col 1:12-14
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. NKJV
2.) Then we must realize it is Satan our emissary who seeks to keep many enslave in darkness and keep them blind to the truth of Jesus and what happened in Calvary.
2 Cor 4:3,4 - 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. NKJV
Question: What is the gospel according to the Word of God? 1 Cor 15:1-4- 15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to youfirst of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sinsaccording to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third dayaccording to the Scriptures, NKJV
Note: The word gospel means: good news, and the good news is that prophets predicted the Messiah to come, that He would be crucified for the sins of the world, be buried, and rise again the third day according to the scriptures. And it happened just as they predicted it; which proves Jesus is the Messiah!
Question: What scriptures? Ps.22:14-18; Isa.53:5-12; Acts 3:18; 1 Pet.1:11; Ps.16: 10; Acts 2:25-28; 13:35
3.) We must finally realize that Satan and his emissaries can disguise themselves as angels of light.
2 Cor. 11: 12-15}Satan is the master deceiver, and one of his many disguises is to look religious, to sound spiritual, and use the bible to quote from. The Bible must learn to discern the workings of Satan.
Question: What is biblical discernment and why is it important?
In its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong. Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth. In other words, the ability to think with discernment is synonymous with an ability to think biblically.
1 Thess 5:21-22- 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. NKJV
1 John 4:1- 4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. NKJV
Note:According to the New Testament, discernment is not optional for the believer-it is required.
The keyto living an uncompromising life lies in one's ability to exercise discernment in every area of his or her life. For example, failure to distinguish between truth and error leaves the Christian subject to all manner of false teaching. False teaching then leads to an unbiblical mindset, which results in unfruitful and disobedient living-a certain recipe for compromise.
Unfortunately, discernment is an area where most Christians stumble. They exhibit little ability to measure the things they are taught against the infallible standard of God's Word, and they unwittingly engage in all kinds of unbiblical decision-making and behavior.In short, they are not armed to take a decidedly biblical stand against the onslaught of unbiblical thinking and attitudes that face them throughout their day.
Discernment intersects the Christian life at every point. And God's Word provides us with the needed discernment about every issue of life.According to Peter, God "has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3). You see, it is through the "true knowledge of Him," that we have been given everything we need to live a Christian life in this fallen world. And how else do we have true knowledge of God but through the pages of His Word, the Bible? In fact, Peter goes on to say that such knowledge comes through God's granting "to us His precious and magnificent promises" (2 Peter 1:4).
Discernment -- the ability to think biblically about all areas of life -- is indispensable to an uncompromising life.It is incumbent upon the Christian to seize upon the discernment that God has provided for in His precious truth! Without it, Christians are at risk of being "tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). (John MacArthur)