Open the Bible UK Daily

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus is saying the same thing in two different ways. We know that because He makes the same promise: “I will give you rest…You will find rest for your souls.” What do we have to do to find...

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 Notice that there is something for you to do: “Come to me.” Either you will do this, or you won’t, and Jesus says your experience depends on this. Jesus doesn’t say, “Practise spiritual disciplines.” He was speaking to the most religious people in the world whose faith had become a burden. They were doing the...

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises. 2 Peter 1:3-4 For the next four weeks, we are going to look at what Jesus Christ is willing to do for us. Seven times in the Bible, Jesus specifically said He will do somethi...

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 Notice that John uses the word “know.” He’s talking about assurance. So what do we know? We know that we will see Christ “We know that when he appears… we shall see him as he is” (3:2). The Christian life is a life of fai...

He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 Sometimes we fail to recognise the work of the Spirit in our lives because His work in us is not yet complete. Suppose you have a good friend who is a master craftsman. He wants to give you a new kitchen. Your old kitchen is a mess. Nothing is as you would want it to be. There’s no one you would...

The Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 1 John 5:6 Here are two final observations about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 6. The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus “The Spirit is the one who testifies” (5:6). The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus by showing us how much we need Him. “When [the Helper] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness a...

Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 1 John 2:24 Here are two more observations about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 4. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual sight “You have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge” (2:20). This cannot mean that believers know every...

You have been anointed by the Holy One. 1 John 2:20 There is a special ministry of the Holy Spirit to assure us that we are children of God, and here are three observations about His ministry: 1. The Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus “You have been anointed by the Holy One” (2:20). Christians are anointed with the Holy Spirit, and “the Holy One” who sends this anointing is Jesus Christ. He said, “When...

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 1 John 2:19-20 Here were people who had once professed faith, and then they abandoned the faith that they once professed. They left the church...

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:19-20 The normal experience of the Christian life is that our hearts do not condemn us, but sometimes they do. Don’t make the mistake of accepting the verdict of your own heart. Why would you do that when you can appe...

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:19-20 John is writing to Christian believers, and here he speaks about a problem that believers will face: “Whenever our heart condemns us.” Notice, John does not say, “If...” He says, “When...” So this is not an unus...

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. 1 John 3:21 What John describes here is the normal experience of a Christian believer. Our hearts do not condemn us “If our heart does not condemn us...” (3:21). There is no better life than to know that you are forgiven, that God is for you, and that whatever happens, you are only a short distance from your eternal home, wh...

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4 John presents us with three themes—obeying, loving, and believing—and he uses them in three ways: as tests, as directions, and as signs. Tests The evidence that a person knows God is that he or she obeys God’s commands, loves God’s people, and believes in God’s Son. A person who knowingl...

There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 1 John 5:7-9 God testifies that Jesus is His Son through the water, the blood, and the Spirit. The water speaks of the baptism of Jesus When Jesus was baptised, the Sp...

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God… Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. 1 John 4:15, 5:1 John tells us that Jesus is the Christ, and that He is the Son of God. First, Jesus is the Christ “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God” (5:1). The liar denies that Jesus is the Christ, but a person bo...

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. 1 John 2:18 The “antichrist” (singular) is a person who will oppose Christ and all that He stands for. This person will be an embodiment of evil, and he will arise in the future. But even in the first century, there were many antichrists. When John speaks about “antichrists” (plural),...

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. 1 John 3:14 John acknowledges that some relationships will be difficult, but he also reminds us of where love comes from. Some people are hard to love “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers” (3:14). We don’t choose our brothers and sisters. They are given to us. And this is...

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 1 John 2:10 One way assurance grows is by loving God’s people. Here are two kinds of evidence that show whether a person actually loves God’s people: Hatred is evidence of darkness and death “Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness... the darkness has blinded his eyes” (2:11)....

Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. 1 John 2:5 John has been talking the language of law. Now, he is talking the language of love, and the two are joined together. “Whoever keeps his word [his commandments], in him truly the love of God is perfected.” The love of God has a purpose: to reproduce itself in us, that we may love as He first loved us. And the evidence tha...

By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments... Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:3, 6 The way we know that we know God and that we are in Christ is to keep His commandments, or to say it another way, to walk as Jesus walked. Walk in obedience to God’s commands and you will grow in assurance. Walk as Jesus walked...

By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John 2:3 To know God is the reason and purpose for which we were made. Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn. 17:3). But John goes even further. It’s not only that we should know God, but that we should know that we know Him. “By this we know th...

I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you. Ezekiel 7:8 The wrath of God toward sin can be poured out, and when it is poured out it will be spent. This takes us to the heart of what happened at the cross. The divine wrath toward sin was poured out on Jesus. He became the propitiation for our sins. All that was due to sinners was poured out on Jesus at the cross. Now, tr...

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2 A propitiation is a gift or payment to placate the anger of an offended person. The best way to explain this is through an illustration. Meet Neil and Sally. They met at the office and quickly began dating. One night they went to a party. Neil had too much to drink, and while he was driv...

If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1 An advocate is one who is called alongside to help. The word is used for a lawyer defending a client in court. Jesus is our advocate. He speaks in our defence. He advocates for us. What could our defence be? Jesus cannot plead that we have not sinned—clearly, we have. He cannot plead mitigating circumst...

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 John presents us with twin truths: Sin remains in us, and God forgives our sin. How are we to respond to these truths? Here are two dangers. 1. We acquiesce in our sin. We say to ourselves, “Everybody sins. And God loves me as I am. He forgives the sins of everyone who beli...