EquipU Online Library

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…” (1 John 5:13)

Have you asked Jesus to be your Savior from sin? Do you ever wonder whether you have really believed on Him? Do you know that you have eternal life with Him in heaven when you die someday? Some people spend a large part of their lives doubting and wondering whether they are really saved.

God does not want you to live in doubt. One of the books in His Word is written just so that true believers can know that they are saved. The book of 1 John gives us some tests to see whether we have really come to know God. Here are some questions you can ask yourself: Do I obey God’s Word? (1 John 2:3). Do I love other Christians? (1 John 2:9-10). Do I have a hatred for worldly things – wrong desires, pride, selfish pleasure? (1 John 2:15). Do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 2:22-23). Do I have consistent habits of sin in my life, or do I give up sin with God’s help? (1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:9).

Believe God’s Word when He says that all those who call upon His name in faith will be saved (Romans 10:13). That includes you! Pray about these questions from 1 John, and ask God to show you whether they are true in your life. Remember, God wants you to know that you belong to Him. He wants you to love Him and serve Him with joy and peace in your heart.

God wants us to know that we are truly saved.

My Response:
» Do I have any doubts about whether I truly know God?
» Does my life pass the “tests” of true believers in 1 John?

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)*

What is an idol? You have probably heard about them in missionary stories, and you’ve read about them in the Bible. An idol is a piece of wood or stone shaped like a person or an animal, and people worship it. Right?

That is one kind of idol. But there are other kinds, too. An idol is anything that we love more than God. An idol could be a person, an object, a hobby, a goal, or a desire. God commands us to love Him first. And first means most. God wants to be our highest love.

If we really knew and understood our God, we would have no trouble loving Him most. He is so worthy of our love. He is mightier, wiser, kinder, and more beautiful than any being we can imagine. His love for us is deeper and stronger than we can even begin to understand. He is perfectly holy, and yet He is merciful and forgiving. No one else could ever come close to being like Him. He is, as His Word says, “altogether lovely.”

It is only when we take our eyes off our God that other things seem more important to us. What is taking first place in your heart?

God wants and deserves to be our highest love.

My Response:
» Who or what is in first place in my heart?
» Do I need to ask God to help me get rid of an idol so that I can love Him most?

*NOTE: The audio recording lists the passage as Matthew 23:37-38, however, the correct passage is Matthew 22:37-38.

“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)

When was the last time you used the word immutable in a sentence? It probably wasn’t recently! But can you guess what immutable means?

If you guessed not changing, you’re right. If something is immutable, it is the same all the time. Of course, human beings (including you) are not immutable. Sometimes you do right, and sometimes you do wrong. You grow and you change. Your looks and likes change.

But God doesn’t change. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Think of it:

» The same God who created the universe listens to your prayers.
» The same God who protected Noah on the ark protects you.
» The same God who gave Moses the power to part the Red Sea gives you strength.
» The same God who gave Solomon wisdom gives you wisdom.

You know that the Bible is full of wonderful stories – true stories of battles and courage and love. And God weaves all these stories together to make one magnificent story of deliverance. But did you know that the same God who wrote these stories wants you to be part of His wonderful story?

God is not a myth (a character who existed in a pretend world). God is real; He really is the same God who has always been. And He is the God who will always be. Count on it: God will always be God. He is immutable.

If God did everything He said He did in the Bible, what do you think He wants to do for you? Maybe you should ask Him about it.

God never changes.

My Response:
» Am I depending on the same powerful God that Noah depended on, the same God that Moses and Solomon depended on?
» Am I depending on God to help me as much as He helped them?

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” (Psalm 23:1-2)

One spring afternoon, a tourist named Peter was riding a bus through the countryside in Scotland. Up and down the steep green hills, woolly sheep and their little lambs grazed. Many of the lambs were playing. Peter smiled as he watched them leaping and kicking the air with their tiny hooves.

Another passenger on the bus pointed out a circle of large, weathered stones on the side of a hill. “Look, a sheepfold!” he said. A kind shepherd had built that sheepfold long ago. He wanted his lambs to have a safe place to sleep at night, a place where he could watch over them.

God’s Word tells us that He is our Shepherd. Every person who places his trust in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is one of His sheep. Our good Shepherd cares for us always. He watches over us day and night. He promises to give us everything that we really need to be happy and content. What more could a sheep want?

God is our Shepherd Who cares for us and gives us everything that we need.

My Response:
» Am I discontent, or am I trusting God to take good care of me?