1 John 2:15-27Dangers To Avoid

June 21, 2015First Baptist ChurchJackson, Mississippi

USA

What’s the number one thing?

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The glory of God!

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1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

June Memory Verse:Philippians 1:66 being confident of this, that He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

Remember to Pray ForThe COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES

Kendall Smith - ChairmanBeth Aldridge, David Gibbs, Sherye Green, Mike Lowe,

Chris Maddux, Jim Merritt, Jr.,Elizabeth Rich, Eddy Waller

Sunday, June 28, 2015, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

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We have three challenges that the Education Department has placed before us in 2015:

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1.) Memorize the monthly memory verses and know each month we are hiding God’s Word in our heart.

January verse: Romans 10:9 February verse: Ephesians 2:8-9

March verse: Romans 3:23 April verse: I Peter 1:3May verse: 2 Corinthians 9:7

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2.) Share your faith with one person each month and build a relationship with them, so they will not only become a disciple – but a disciple maker themselves.

Luke 19:11-27

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3). Ask Sunday School class members to share how they have seen God at work during the week.

Next weekJune 28, 2015

1 John 4:1-6Is This Of God?

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John MacArthur, Jr.(Born June 19, 1939)

Radio program: Grace to You

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J. Vernon McGee'sThru The Bible

1 John 2:15-29Dangers To Avoid

1 John 2:15-29 NKJV

Do Not Love the World 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Deceptions of the Last Hour18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

19 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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Let Truth Abide in You24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.

27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

The Children of God28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

1 John 2:15-29 NKJV

1 John 2:15 NKJV Do Not Love the World 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

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“The world” in 1 John 2:15 is the whole system that is against God.

1 John 2:16 NKJV16 For all that is in the world—the lustof the flesh, the lust of the eyes(materialism, bling-bling, the world), and the pride of life (the Devil)—is not of the Father but is of the world.

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Three sources of temptation: the WORLD, the FLESH & the DEVIL.

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Matthew 4:3-9 NKJV3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread (lust of the flesh).”

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5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6a and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down (miraculous, bling-bling, worldly lust of the eyes).

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8 Again, the Devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms (domains) of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Matthew 4:3-9 NKJV

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Genesis 3:6a NKJV6a So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), that it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and a tree desirable to make one wise (boastful pride of life), she took of its fruit and ate.

James 3:15 NKJV15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly (the world), sensual (the flesh), demonic (the Devil).

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1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

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Each one of the three sources of temptation attacks a specific area:

Area: Age: Tempted by: Defense:Body Young Flesh Flight

(internal foe)

Soul Mid age World Faith(external foe)

Spirit Elderly Devil Fight(infernal foe)

Area: Age: Tempted by: Defense:Body Young Flesh Flight

2 Tim 2:221 Cor 6:18

2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Corinthians 6:18 NKJV18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Area: Age: Tempted by: Defense:Soul Mid age World Faith

1 John 5:41 John 2:15

1 John 5:4 NKJV4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 2:15 NKJV 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Area: Age: Tempted by: Defense:Spirit Elderly Devil Fight

James 4:7Rev 12:11

James 4:7 NKJV7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Revelation 12:11 NKJV11 And they overcame him (the accuser of our brethren) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Area: Age: Tempted by: Defense:Body Young Flesh Flight

(internal foe)

Soul Mid age World Faith(external foe)

Spirit Elderly Devil Fight(infernal foe)

Area: Tense: Process: Spirit Has been saved Justification

Soul Is being saved Sanctification

Body Will be saved Glorification

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1 John 2:17 NKJV17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:18 NKJVDeceptions of the Last Hour18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

Many antichrists had already appeared in John's day, but there is coming the Antichrist.

What do we mean by antichrist? • This word has been misunderstood

and, as a result, the person who is coming has been misunderstood.

Antichrist is made up of two words: the title Christ and the preposition anti and it is important to see that anti has two meanings. • It can mean "against" so if I am anti-something, that means I am against that thing.

Anti can also mean “instead of, an imitation of” so it can be a substitute, a subterfuge for something.• The question arises, therefore: Is

the Antichrist to be a false Christ or is he an enemy of Christ?

Where does Scripture place the emphasis?

The only things we can derive from this verse is that there is going to be the Antichrist and that there were already many antichrists in John's day.

What was the thing which identified an antichrist?

He was one who denied the deity of Christ.

That is the primary definition of an antichrist which we are given in 1 John 2:22.

This is the emphasis in 1 John, but you will recall that the Lord Jesus said, "...many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:5).

That is antichrist -- instead of Christ, claiming to be Christ.

There are going to be two persons at the end of the age who will fulfill both of these types -- being against Christ and claiming to be Christ.

Scripture presents it that way in Revelation 13.

There we have presented a "wild beast" who comes out of the sea, and Satan is the one who calls him forth. • That is the political ruler, and he is

definitely against Christ. • There is a second beast who comes

out of the land.

He appears to be a lamb, but he is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

He pretends to be Christ who is "...the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), and he will be a religious ruler.

The political ruler will come out of the gentile world, the former Roman Empire. • The religious ruler will possibly

come out of the nation Israel --they would not accept him as their Messiah unless he did.

So that you have actually two persons who will together fulfill this term antichrist. • They are coming at the end of the age,

and both of them can be called Antichrist -- one against Christ and the other instead of Christ.

1 John 2:19 NKJV19 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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

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Only those who remain faithful to the Lord and His Word, and give evidence of the fruits of righteousness by the indwelling power and presence of the Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 4:6) are truly saved.

This is very solemn.

John says that some who had made a profession of being Christians in that day had all the outward trappings of being Christians.

They bore the Christian name, and they identified themselves with some local assembly, some church.

They were baptized, immersed, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

They took the bread and the cup at the communion service.

Even at the first communion service, there was a traitor, Judas Iscariot, and he was one who was identified with the group of faithful disciples.

Luke 22:20-22 NKJV20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

21 But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

Luke 22:20-22 NKJV

We read in John 6:70, Jesus answered them, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a demon?"

Judas was never anything else although he looked like an apostle, he acted like an apostle, and he had power to perform miracles.

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He went out with the others, and they were not able to identify him as being a phony, but he was.

John says that the way you can tell whether or not one is really a child of God is that eventually a man will show his true colors and will leave the assembly of God if he is not a child of God.

He will withdraw from the Christians, the body of believers, and he will go right back into the world.

1 John 2:20 NKJV20 But you have an anointing (unction) from the Holy One, and you know all things.

We have an anointing, and that is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit indwells every real believer and is able to reveal to him all things.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV9 But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV

We have Someone dwelling in us Who can reveal to us these things which are in the Word of God.

We have an anointing, and every person can have the assurance of his salvation.

If you really want to do business with God, if you really want to get right down to the nitty-gritty with Him, come to Him, ask for light, ask for guidance, and ask for His assurance.

1 John 2:20b NKJV20b "And you know all things."

John means that all the things that you should know as a child of God are potentially yours to know. • This does not mean that you have suddenly

been given a Ph.D. degree in spiritual things.

It does mean that by the Holy Spirit you can study the Word of God, and then through the experiences which God sends to you, you have the possibility of growing in these matters.

"You have an anointing, an unction, from the Holy One, and you know all things."

That's potential -- it is up to you whether you are going to learn or not.

1 John 2:21 NKJV21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

This is to warn us concerning false teachers in our day.

John is saying that we have the truth, that “no lie is of the truth” so we should be able to tell a lie when we hear one.

1 John 2:22 NKJV22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

There is coming a man who is Satan's man, and he is the liar and a liar is one who does not tell the truth.

John gives us now the definition of antichrist. 22b “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?”

This will be the embodiment of the Antichrist, but there are many antichrists.

There were some in John's day; there have been some down to our day, and there are many today. Who are they?

They are easy to recognize -- they are those who deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, those who deny that Jesus the man is the Christ, the Messiah, the One Who is God, the One Whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the One Who is pictured in the Old Testament and to deny that is being antichrist.

We have many systems in the world today which deny Him, they are against Christ, they also imitate Him and try to take His place.

All of the cults and "isms" today have also denied His deity. • John has identified antichrist for us as

the one who denies the Father and the Son and now he will make it clear in verse 23 that you cannot deny the Son without denying the Father.

The deity of Christ is essential to your salvation because if He is not God, the man who died on the Cross over 2,000 years ago cannot be your Savior -- in fact, He could not even be His own Savior.

None of us as human beings can die for the other.

It was necessary for God to become a man in order that you and I might have redemption.

Therefore, John says in verse 23.

1 John 2:23 NKJV23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

When you say that you believe in God and deny the deity of Christ, you really do not believe in God, certainly not the God of the Bible. • The God of the Bible is the One

Who sent His Son into the world to die for our sins.

And since the Son is God, He alone is the One Who could make a satisfactory sacrifice to God for our sins.

Had he been anyone else other than God, He Himself would have been a sinner.

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We need to emphasize this very important verse.

1 John 2:24 NKJVLet Truth Abide in You24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

That which they had heard from the beginning when the apostles began to preach the Gospel.

In his Gospel John wrote, 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).

How tremendous that is!

John 1:18 NKJV18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

He has "declared“, Jesus exegeted God, and has led God out to where we can know about Him because God became a man.

That is the only way you and I could know about Him - we can now know about God.

The important thing in this whole section of Scripture is with the Father and with the Son.

The emphasis here is not so much upon having life in Christ through faith in Him, but the emphasis is upon having communion and enjoying that fellowship with Them which is so essential.

1 John 2:25-26 NKJV25 And this is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive(seduce) you.

Seduce means "to lead astray, to lead from the truth."

Seduce is a good word here because it applies in exactly the same way in both the physical and spiritual realms: one is led to commit spiritual adultery when led away from the truth.

Now, in verse 27, John is going to say to them, "You know Him as your Savior -- hold on to that -- but now you also want to have communionwith Him and the Father, and to have fellowship with Him and the Father and with other believers."

1 John 2:27 NKJV27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

"Anointing" is the Greek word charisma which means "to smear on"; it means to take an ointment and smear it on.

But what does this mean for us today as believers?

Back in the Old Testament, by the command of God, the Israelite priests were anointed with oil. • That anointing indicated in a

physical way that they were specially endued by the Holy Spirit to perform a certain function.

That is what the anointing here means for us today.

"But the anointing which ye have received of Him" -- when you are saved, one of the things which the Spirit of God does for you is that He anoints you.

He anoints you to understand divine truth which you could not understand before.

One of the Holy Spirit's ministries is to teach us.

John 14:26 NKJV26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV9 But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 NKJV13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them,because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 NKJV

• This is the anointing of the Holy Spirit for a believer.

Get into the Word of God and study it and the anointing of God’s Holy Spirit will open your eyes and you will see the Lord Jesus in a new way.

That enlightenment is what we need so desperately today.

Hear, read, study, memorize and meditate on God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you to the point that you stand on your two feet as far as the Word of God is concerned and be ready to do what Peter challenged us to do in 1 Peter 3:15.

1 Peter 3:15 NKJV15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Ask the Spirit of God to teach you and to lead you, He won’t turn you down! If you don't understand something the first time, get down on your knees and say, "Lord, I miss the point. I don't understand this. Make it real to me. I want this to be real to me." .

Matthew 24:24 NKJV24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

But it will not be possible to deceive the elect.

The Antichrist will not deceive the elect who are left on the earth when he comes and today no antichrist will deceive them.

God's little children are going to follow the pattern the Lord Jesus spoke of when He said, "My sheep hear my voice..." (John 10:27).

God's children are not going to follow a false shepherd.

They hear His voice, and the Spirit of God can be their Teacher and this should be a great comfort to us.

We need to test every teacher we hear -- it would be well if you tested Joe Young and me.

Ask the Holy Spirit, “Are they teaching the truth of God? Make it real to my heart, too. I want to know for myself whether it is true or not."

Acts 17:11 NKJV11 These Bereans were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

1 John 2:28 NKJVThe Children of God28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Abide translates a form of the verb meno, which means “to stay” or “to remain.”

Neither Christ nor John referred to some mystical, elitist spiritual experience.

To abide in the Lord Jesus is to live in fellowship with Him.

To abide in Him means to have communion with Him.

They commanded believers to persevere daily and sustain their faith in the Gospel and in the Christ of the Gospel.

Such abiding precludes clinging to a habitual pattern of sin.

In order to do that, believers must: 1) continue to love and obey the

Scripture, 2) submit to the direction of the Holy

Spirit, and 3) remain committed to the truth

they first received.

As noted earlier, a crucial aspect of Christian hope is that it will culminate when Jesus Christ comes again, which gives believers strong incentive for godly living (Colossians 3:4; 1 Tim 6:14; 2 Tim 4:8; 2 Peter 3:14).

Confidence translates a Greek word (parresian) that means “outspokenness” or “freedom of speech.”

Elsewhere in the New Testament it refers to believers' boldness in approaching God (Heb 4:16; 10:19; 1 John 3:21; 5:14). • In this verse it indicates an assurance

derived from a holy life of abiding in Christ (Eph 5:27; Col 1:22; 1 Thess 3).

When He appears, faithful saints will have confidence and not shrink away from Him. • The appearance of Christ refers

especially to the gathering of the church at the rapture (John 14:1-6; 1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thess 4:13-18) and the activities that will follow at Christ's judgment seat (1 Cor 4:5; 2 Cor 5:9-10).

A Christian ought to live in the light of the imminent coming of Christ.

If you tell me today that He is not coming for another ten years then I do not need to worry about today, and I can be a little careless in my living.

You and I need to be living all the time in the light of His imminent return.

A great many people are talking about the coming of Christ, and they get very excited about it; but it certainly is going to be embarrassing for them because they will not have any confidence and they are going to be ashamed before Him.

Why?

Because of their lives.

The Lord Jesus says, Revelation 22:12 NKJV12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

Many people will look around for their reward, and they will find that they haven't got any.

Paul wrote in1 Corinthians 3:13-15 NLKV13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 NLKV

It is very important to have a life that commends the Gospel.

John is saying here the same thing that Peter said: False doctrine and false living go together; true doctrine and true living go together.

There is nothing that will affect your life as much as the knowledge that you are going to stand in the presence of Christ and give an account of your works. • Every believer will stand before the

judgment seat of Christ.

Paul wrote in2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NKJV9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The issue of salvation has already been settled because we are His children and in His presence. • It is not a question of whether you

are saved or lost; it is a question of whether or not you are going to get any reward or recognition.

There will be some folk who will not get any recognition.

The Rapture is not going to be such a thrilling event for a great many believers because of the lives they lived down here.

1 Timothy 4:8 NKJV8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

John 3:16 NKJV16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 14:6 NKJV6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Romans 3:23 NKJV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23a NKJV23a For the wages of sin is death,

•Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died

in this life to pay the penalty for our sins. • The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second

death explained in Revelation 21:8.

Revelation 21:8 NKJV8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Romans 6:23b NKJV23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 NKJV8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Revelation 21:7 NKJV7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

•Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to accept Jesus as our Savior.

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13 NKJV13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/