Victory - June 24, 2018 sermon

By Pastor Greg...

Johnny asked his friend, Tony, whether he had bought his wife a gift for Valentine's Day.  "Yes, I bought her a belt and a bag," replied Tony.  "That was very kind of you," Johnny added, "I hope she appreciated the thought."  Tony smiled as he replied, "So do I, and hopefully the vacuum cleaner will work better now."

*Sigh* There is always one in the crowd.  Just when a guy begins to think he is changing the world’s impression of men, someone comes along to mess things up.

That’s what Satan has been doing since the beginning.

Throughout the ages, Satan has been corrupting everything God has declared “Good.”  The earth was corrupted because of Satan’s deceit.  Humanity has been corrupted because of Satan’s lies.  He tempted mankind to take their eyes off God, and instead focus on the sensual pleasures in this world; it was Satan’s influence that caused Eve to notice just how tasty the forbidden fruit really looked.  Through Satan’s influence, the people of this world worship anything other than God; they are selfish and greedy, have perverted sexuality, have no regard for the lives of others, and are without compassion.

This is the world according to Satan – a world filled with pain, suffering, and death.  These are the consequences of sin… the “wages of sin.”  Because of sin, death is what we have received, not eternal life.  This world, with all its sadness and sorrow, is the life Satan has offered us.  Oh, don’t get me wrong.  It’s not like he warned us about any of this.  He was not candid about the consequences of our disobedience.  He didn’t inform us what life would be like without God; we had to learn that the hard way.

Of course, not everyone has been deceived by Satan.  Throughout the ages, history has told of men and women who loved the Lord God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.  They were not deceived by his lies; they fought against his corruption.  They lived in this world but were not part of this world.  They resisted Satan because they believed in God’s promises.  They believed that God would make right all the wrongs.  They trusted that God was indeed preparing a place for them.  And even though they were persecuted in horrible ways, they did not waver in their beliefs.

The author of Hebrews reminds us that, “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth” [1] (Hebrews 11:13).  They were people of faith… people of whom the world was not worthy (Hebrews 11:38)

God has promised to end Satan’s influence in this world.  One day, God will remove the Devil from our presence, along with the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and all those who have been seduced by their deceit. When the Lord Jesus returns to this earth, all that is evil and wicked will be taken away.  And then, and then this world will finally be at peace once again.  The Lord Jesus will, “settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will turn their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will never again train for war” [2] (Isaiah 2:4).

When that day finally arrives, all of Heaven will rejoice.

As the Bowls of Wrath are poured out upon the earth, we read that Satan’s religious system (described as a great harlot in Revelation 17), and his political system (described as “Babylon” in Revelation 18) will be destroyed.  This news causes all of Heaven to rejoice (Revelation 19:1-5).  After seven terrible years filled with tribulation and suffering, Jesus will finally return to the earth; He will deliver Israel from her enemies.  Here is that last battle; the “Armageddon” that ends Satan’s rule.

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. ¹² His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. ¹³ He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. ¹⁵ From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. ¹⁶ On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. ¹⁸ Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. ²⁰ And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies”[3] (Revelation 19:11-21).

The fate of this army is already sealed.  It has been written on a scroll long ago and sealed by the hand of God.  And only Jesus is worthy to open this scroll and begin this chain of events that leads to Satan’s defeat.  This is the Lord Jesus making right all that is wrong.Like the saints mentioned in Hebrews 11, we too see these end-time events from a distance.  Maybe we will die before these events occur as well.  But, just like these Old Testament saints, we must remain steadfast in our hope.  We must, “lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. [And] run with endurance the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne”[4] (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Today we cry out “how long;” asking the Lord how much longer it will be until He makes all things new.  But one day, and we don’t know when it will happen, one day, Jesus will open that scroll and begin a chain of events that leads to Satan’s defeat.  And you can be sure that this will happen.  It was written on a scroll long ago.  Satan’s power and dominion over this earth will one day end.  However, in the meantime, those of us who believe in Jesus must "hold tightly to what we have until Jesus comes" (Revelation 2:25).

One day we will rejoice, but today we endure.  We must hold tightly to our faith, and pray for endurance. 

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Heb 11:13). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Is 2:4). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

^[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Re 19:11–21). Carol Stream, IL.

^[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Heb 12:1–2). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

Is There a Man in the House? - June 17, 2018 sermon

By Pastor Greg...

          A man need only be 77 years old to be born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, copy machines, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill; before radar, credit cards, laser beams, ball-point pens or bank machines. When this man was born no one had invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers (clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air), and man hadn't yet walked on the moon, that's for sure.  If his family even had a telephone, all calls came over the 'party line.' There was no FM radio, no tape decks or even 8-track players.  No CDs, videos, electric typewriters, DVDs, yogurt, Personal Computers or guys wearing earrings (unless it was a pirate in a storybook).  He listened to the Big Bands on the 'Victrola' (record player) and Jack Benny on the 'wireless' (radios).
          He would have married before living together. Almost every family had a father and a mother.  He would have called every person older than him 'Sir' or 'Ma'am.'  There was no computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, gay-rights, and group therapy. And he actually believed that a lady needed a husband to have a baby.  His life was governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. In church, in school, and at home, he was taught the difference between right and wrong, and to stand up and take responsibility for his actions.

          Many of us long for the days when life was a bit simpler, especially when the world was a bit safer.   People knew right from wrong back then.  And for those of us old enough to remember party lines, we lament the lack of trust and security in today’s world.  My word, in some schools the students must pass through a security gate before entering.  We send drug-sniffing dogs through our schools and randomly search our children’s backpacks.  Children come to school and kill their classmates.  How did we end up here in a short 77 years?

          Billions of dollars are spent, and countless laws are passed designed to enforce morality.  Tell me, is it really making a difference?  Not really.  And that’s because no nation or government has ever been successful when legislating morality.  Morality is something that needs to be birthed in the heart of a person.  Morality is not a list of rules to be followed.  Not even Israel, with all the laws handed down by God, was successful in obeying those laws.  Morality came when it was written in their hearts.  But apparently Israel forgot its responsibility, and the morality of the nation declined.  The Jewish people in the Old Testament, the nation that God rescued out of slavery, fell into moral decay and into slavery again.  And it apparently happened because those who were supposed to teach God’s Laws had failed.

Our own nation began so well.  There were lofty goal and ideals.  But sadly morality is hard to find today.  And I suspect it is because no one is teaching God’s Laws of right and wrong anymore.  Oh, we are doing a great job at passing laws, but apparently a very poor job at teaching them.  We pass a law that says it is wrong to steal but don’t explain why stealing is wrong.  We are trying to change a behavior instead of changing a heart.  But unless the heart is changed, there will be no true obedience to the law.

What all of this means is that if we want to change our nation, we must first begin by changing the heart of the people.  But that will not happen until someone takes their responsibility seriously; until someone understands that God has assigned the task of Spiritual Leader to a particular group of people in our society.  That responsibility, according to God, belongs to fathers.  It is the father’s responsibility to be the Spiritual Leader in their homes.  But sadly, it is a responsibility many fathers do not take seriously.

          God has commanded that the father be the Spiritual Leader in the home.  He speaks this quite clearly.  Fathers, you are not supposed to, “provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” ^[1] (Ephesians 6:4).  In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 He says,” And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up”. ^[2]  Fathers, if you do this; if you “Direct your children onto the right path, [then] when they are older, they will not leave it” ^[3] (Proverbs 22:6).

          A lot of Christian father’s do an excellent job supporting their children in their activities.  They do a good job providing for their children’s basic needs.  But see, that’s where most father’s stop.  Because when it comes to spiritual things, most fathers are seldom involved.  They’re more worried about soccer practice than with church activities.  By our own example, we tell our children that a Sunday spent in play is far more important than a Sunday spent in worship.  And what’s ironic is that we lament the condition of our society yet never lift a finger to fix the problem!

          I’ll tell you what.  If we fathers start being the man of the house that God has demanded, we can rebuild a society where people know right from wrong.  No amount of money or legislation or rules will ever replace the responsibility we fathers have in our own homes.  And that responsibility is to take an active role in introducing our children to the Kingdom of God; to live as a godly example to our families.  I know we lament the condition of our society, but it’s our own fault.  We fathers have been just too preoccupied with our own selfish interests and have delegated our child’s Spiritual instruction to our wives or to a Sunday School teacher while we’re off chasing a Titleist with a 7 iron.  And then we wonder why there is no fear of God in our nation?

          In 77 years we have fallen far as a godly nation.  Laws and legislation will not get it back.  Neither will prayer… unless we begin praying with repentance.  We can be a godly nation filled with godly states whose cities are filled with godly neighborhoods when we fathers first build a godly home.  So, if you really want this nation to become a better place to live, then start teaching what God has commanded.  And start living what you confess to believing.

In 2011 Affirm Films released a movie called Courageous.  It addressed the importance of fatherhood.  The closing scene was quite powerful.

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Eph 6:4). Carol Stream, IL

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Dt 6:6–7). Carol Stream, IL

^[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Pr 22:6). Carol Stream, IL

Satan’s Economic System - June 10, 2018 sermon

By Pastor Greg...

There was a little old lady who would come out every morning on the steps of her front porch, raise her arms to the sky and shout, "Praise the Lord!"  Well, one day an atheist moved into the house next door.  Over time, he became irritated at the little old lady.  So, every morning he would step out onto his front porch and follow with, "There is no Lord!"

Time passes with the two of them carrying on this way every day.  Then one morning in the middle of winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted, "Praise the Lord!  Lord, I have no food, and I am starving.  Please provide for me, oh Lord!"  The next morning, she stepped onto her porch, and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there. "Praise the Lord!" she cried out.  "He has provided groceries for me!"  Well, the atheist jumped out of the hedges and shouted, "There is no Lord.  I bought those groceries!"  The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted, "Praise the Lord!  He has provided me with groceries, and He made the Devil pay for them!”

I chuckle at that story because, unknowingly, the atheist was being used by God.  It’s true!  Here was a faithful woman who brought her need to God, and of all people, a man who didn’t believe in God was being used by God to answer her prayer.

Does it seem troubling to you that many people appear oblivious to the needs of those around them?  Why is that?  Why are some people blind to the obvious struggles people face in life?  I suspect it is caused by the way these people view their possessions.

Consider the story we read in Luke 18.  ¹⁸ Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁹ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. ²⁰ But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’”  ²¹ The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”  ²² When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  ²³ But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. ^[1]

Jesus observed that although this man acted very religious, his wealth had become a stumbling block.  This rich leader could not find eternal life because of his attitude toward money and possessions.  Of course, it wasn’t the money that kept him separated from God; it was his attitude.  His money and possessions had become his source of security; they were his life.  His fear of losing his wealth was greater than his fear of God.  Just think about that for a moment.  This man would rather give up eternal life than the money in his savings account.  Naturally, he would not be inclined to help the poor or the needy; to do so would take away his financial security.

I suspect we are seeing the same thing today.

In God’s economic system it is the needs of others that come first, not the accumulation of wealth.  John the Apostle highlights this attitude when he wrote, “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person” ^[2] (1 John 3:17)?  In contrast, Satan’s economy causes a person to become selfish and greedy; they are stingy and uncompassionate toward the needs of others.  They view money as something to be hoarded and protected.  The more wealth they have, the more secure they feel.  Those who have been seduced by Satan hold their money tightly in their hand while insisting they are merely acting like a “Good Steward.”  But a “Good Steward” does not hide their money away while the needs of others are being neglected.  According to God, a “Good Steward” is someone who uses that wealth for the work of His kingdom (compare the Parable of the Three Servants in Matthew 25:14-30).  God gives His “Well done” to those who use wealth for what is good, not hoard the wealth out of fear.  Satan has corrupted wealth and turned it into something dark and evil.  He has made wealth a stumbling block… something that keeps us away from God.

In our world today, some people are seduced by Satan’s counterfeit religious system; a system that entices people to worship false gods or the pleasures of life.  But, Satan has another trap.  This “trap” affects our attitude toward finances and possessions.  It steals our trust.  Satan’s corrupt economic system is a way of living where wealth and possessions become a person’s foundation in life.  In Satan’s economy, there is no room for God.  Those who have been seduced by this corrupt system give birth to self-sufficiency.  They give in to greed, selfishness, and fear.  A person living according to Satan’s economy trusts in their own finances or possessions.  Instead of turning to God in a crisis, they turn to their wealth; it has become their security in life.  They trust in themselves.  And anyone who places their trust in themselves will live their life in fear; fear of not having enough wealth to sustain them and fear of losing that financial foundation.  

This is Satan’s economy; he seduces us into a misplaced trust.  He lies to the unsuspecting, convincing them that their security in life can be found in the things which moth and rust can destroy.  In Satan’s economic system, people “desire extravagant luxury,” and “the merchants of the world grown rich” (Revelation 18:3).   And this system of wealth and luxury sets the standard of living in this world.  Like some temptress, “She boasts in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn” ^[3] (Revelation 18:7).  In other words, Satan deceives us into thinking that we have nothing to fear in life provided we have sufficient wealth.

  But one day, God is going to pass judgment against this corrupt economic system; this way of doing business that lures the unsuspecting away from God.  This is what is judged and destroyed in Revelation 18.  As the Bowls of Wrath are poured out upon the earth, this counterfeit economy is finally destroyed.  This system of wealth that has stolen our trust – this “Babylon” – will ultimately fall.

Don’t get me wrong.  God is not condemning buying and selling.  But He is passing judgment against those who embrace Satan’s counterfeit economy.  Satan has taken an economic system, corrupted it, and used it as a stumbling block.  As we see in the wealthy ruler from Luke 18, possessions and wealth can even keep a religious person separated from God.  It does this because it steals our trust.

Jesus warned that a day was coming when money and possessions would fade away.  And this is what we see happening in Revelation 18.  In a day, it will all be gone (Revelation 18:8).  The whole corrupt financial system will be destroyed.  And people will be terrified; they will weep and cry (Revelation 18:15).  And then what?  What will all their wealth and possessions have gained them in this life?  Jesus warns, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”^[4] (Mark 8:36).  For this reason, a Christian is not to store up treasures on earth, but instead store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).

Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying here.  Money and possessions are not evil.  It is not wrong to earn a wage or sell something for a profit.  Commerce is not sinful.  But, instead of being something good that honors the Lord, we have allowed Satan to deceive us, and suddenly God has been replaced by money, wealth, and possessions; He is no longer Lord of our life.

In Revelation 18 we read that this whole financial foundation that has been corrupted by Satan will one day be destroyed.  Those who stored up treasures on earth will lose everything in a day, but not those who have stored up treasures in Heaven.  “What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

³⁴ “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes”^[5] (Matthew 6:31-34).

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 18:18–23). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Jn 3:17). Carol Stream, IL.

^[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Re 18:7). Carol Stream, IL.

^[4] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Mk 8:36). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[5] Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Mt 6:31–34). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Satan’s Religion - June 3, 2018 sermon

By Pastor Greg...

Blueberry glaze with Raspberry drizzle

          Attempting to lose some weight, a man decides to give up donuts.  He changed his commute to work so he would not pass his favorite donut shop.  But one day, because of traffic, he needed to drive down that old familiar road.  As he approached the place with the good donuts, the man prayed, “Lord, I don’t know why, but fate has brought me down this street once again.  If you are telling me that its okay to eat a donut, then let there be a parking space right in front of the store.”  Well, wouldn’t you know it; on the 8^th trip around the block, there was an empty space.

          Life is all about choices.  We each make choices every day.  Oh sure, the world is filled with distractions; I know countless things in this world compete for our time, attention and money.  But still, we make the decisions; we choose what can invade our lives.  Some of those choices bring us closer to God and some cause us to drift away.

          In matters of God, we need to be aware that our adversary, the Satan, is continually trying to lure us away from the Father.  Satan did this with Adam and Eve.  In Genesis 3 he gets Eve to take her eyes off God and focus on herself.  She followed Satan’s gaze as he looked at the forbidden fruit.  He distracted her for a moment, and, “she saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious”^[1] (Genesis 3:6).  Satan didn’t force her to take the fruit, but he did get her to look at it.  And in the end, Eve and Adam both made a choice to disobey God.

Satan has been quite successful in luring people away from God.  In our Bible, we discover that not only were people drawn away from the Lord but so were cities and entire nations.  One of the first cities to defy God was founded by a man named Nimrod.  According to Genesis 10, he built many of the cites found in modern-day Syria and Iraq.  In one particular city, the people decided to create a massive tower that reached to the heavens.  It would become a monument to Men in defiance of God.  But it was here God reached down and confused their language.  The city became known as Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9).

This city of Babylon was the birthplace of many false religions; most of the religious cults found in the Old Testament trace their heritage back to Nimrod and the cities he founded.^[2]  And its influence can be seen down through the ages.  In fact, every generation has seen a nation or a city whose lifestyle "insulted" God, and whose influence lured the unsuspecting away from God.  Perhaps this would explain why the Angels of Heaven refer to this satanic influence as “Babylon.”

This is the false religion of Satan; it tempts us to lay down our faith and pick up our lusts.  The harlot whispers in our ear, “Go ahead.  It will make you happy.  God wants you to be happy.”

As humanity draws closer and closer to the End Times mentioned in Revelation, a time will come when Satan will no longer merely influence the world but will actually control the world.  While the Church is still present on the earth, Satan has been seducing the world like some prostitute – a harlot – that lures people away from God.  But once the Spirit is withdrawn, the true nature of the Devil will be revealed; his false religious system will control people, kings and kingdoms, and the nations of this world.  However, a day will come when Satan’s counterfeit kingdom will be judged, and the first part of the kingdom to be condemned is his false religious system (see Revelation 17).

John uses some pretty wild metaphors here, but it basically describes Satan’s false religious system… his distractions that lure humanity away from God.  God views this as a harlot… a prostitute.  In the end times, this influence will originate out of a city (or perhaps a nation) that had ceased to exist but will miraculously reorganize and regain world domination.  Scholars suggest this is a revival of the old Roman empire.  This religious system will promote immorality – those behaviors and actions that God has declared as sinful – and it will attack Christians who hold fast to God’s teachings.  This “harlot” (Satan’s religious system) will persecute and murder God’s holy people.

I understand that a day is coming when Satan’s influence will be seen, but I believe it can be felt right now.  I believe Satan is working right now to distract unsuspecting Christians, causing them to take their eyes off Jesus.  Under Satan's influence, there are cities or nations who entice us to give up our walk of faith and give in to the pleasures of the world.  In our world today, there is a “Babylon;” a nation or city which promotes a way of life contrary to the Lord’s teachings.  Even today the harlot whispers in our ear, “Go ahead.  It will make you happy.  God wants you to be happy.”  This religious system tempts us to look for things in the world that might fill the emptiness in our soul.  It shows us the things we don’t have or the pleasures we have not experienced.  It promises to make us happy if we work long and hard to acquire “things.”  In its deceit, it tells us we are busy; that we have no spare time to give to God.  Working through a city or a nation, the Satan lures our eyes off God and points to the world.

The same man who wrote these revelations from God also wrote, ¹⁵ “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you. ¹⁶ The world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever” ^[3] (1 John 2:15-17).

We must be aware that Satan is attempting to lure us away from the Lord.  He does the same to you and me as he did with Adam and Eve; he points to the things of this earth; he has been doing this since the very beginning.  For this reason, the Apostle Paul encourages us to, “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” ^[4] (Colossians 3:1-2).  Satan points to the world and asks us to make a choice, but the choice is up to us.  We either choose to follow Jesus or the ways of the world. 

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ge 3:6). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 613). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Jn 2:15–17). Carol Stream, IL.

^[4] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Col 3:1–2). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.