The Litmus Test: For Christians
Only
A litmus test is a test in which a single factor
is decisive in proving the presence or absence of something. “I
have eternal life,” many say, but passing the litmus
test determines whether someone has truly believed as
the Scriptures say. That’s why 1 John was written;
its sole purpose was that those who read it could know
whether they had actually received saving faith, for the
Savior and the apostles knew that people could believe
in vain.
The litmus test of the book of 1 John reveals the presence
or absence of the love of God. Paul wrote in Romans 5:5
that “the love of God has been poured out in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit.” The book of 1 John lets
anyone know (who wants to know) whether this has actually
happened in their life, or whether they have only the concept
of love without the power to love. For the apostle
Paul said that in the last days that there would be many
who would have a form of godliness, yet deny the power.
That’s why this little paper may be one of the most
important we will ever read. For it brings out and explains
the Scriptures that help us to know how we can test ourselves
in the light of the Word of God, so we can know for certain
whether we have truly passed out of death and into life.
We all want to know in our hearts and be assured that we
are participating in the same life that the Apostle John
and the other early believers shared?
We didn’t give up hope when we took the test ourselves.
But now we have the assurance of 1 John 3:14,16,23 and
24 because the Spirit bears witness that we are truly loving
one another as He commanded us.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.” John 13:34,35
Oh, that we could all be in verse 35…
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Litmus Test
To
Know Him Is to Love Him
All I knew was that I was completely
enthralled by the Son of God. I wanted to know
Him. I wanted to belong to Him, heart and soul.
And He said I had to deny myself.
What’s
in a Name : The Name Above All Names —Yahshua
I’d much rather call the Son
of God, my Savior, by His true name — the
name His own mother, and foster father, and
all of His friends called Him.
God
Actually Needs Human Beings
God needs friends to help Him bring
about everything that is in His heart.
The
Whole Message of This New Life
The words of the gospel, together
with the life of community (which is the fruit
of that gospel), is the witness of the Body
of Messiah on earth.
The Litmus
Test
1 John 3:14-17
Schism
in Oneness
The disgraceful thing about division
in the Body is that it communicates to the
world that Christ is a useless Savior.
The
Coward & The Conqueror
The Barrier
The Barrier that holds men captive
in the domain of darkness, although invisible,
is every bit as real as was the Berlin Wall.
Instead of concrete and wire, it is woven of
fear, shame, insecurity, intimidation, anxiety,
peer pressure, emotional attachments, pride,
and countless worldly entanglements.
You
Know the Commandments
Wealth:
A Self-Made Prison
Whatever one gives himself to habitually
and compulsively is the object of his love.
The deception of riches ensnares the one who
has a love for it.
Wasn’t
it Only for Him?
Haven’t you heard people say
it? I have. It is one of the main ways preachers,
evangelists, and just ordinary people deal
with the uncomfortable passage in the New Testament
that describes Jesus’ encounter with
the rich young ruler.
What Stands
Between You and the Free Gift?
Eternal life is a free gift. Okay,
that’s clear. But to whom is it given?
According to the Word of God it is available
for all who overcome everything that is set
against the freedom to drink of the water of
life.
Martin
Luther: Did He pass the Litmus Test?
Martin Luther, one of the foremost
Fathers of the Reformation, rejected the Book
of James, calling it “an epistle of straw”.
He could not reconcile his fundamental doctrine
of salvation by faith alone, with James’ clear
teaching that “faith without works is
dead”.
Amazing
Grace
Grace... faith... works... such common
words, but what do they mean? What are the
works that cannot save us, and the works we
are saved to do? And for that matter, what
is salvation anyway?
It
Takes a Community
The beginning of the book of Acts
describes the vibrant life of the first Church
in Jerusalem. What was their way of life, back
when it was “the Way”?
Friends & Enemies
The First Letter of John commands
us “Do not love the world or the things
that are in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1
John 2:15)
What is love? What is the world? What does it mean to love the world? Do you
love the world?
Circle
of Disciples
What does it truly cost to be a true
disciple of the Son of the Living God? Have
you paid the price?
The
Real Down-to-Earth Jesus
Andrew was looking for a real, down
to earth Jesus; the Jesus of the Community
of Acts 2 & 4.
Ed Meets
the Edah
A parable of when a lone bee meets
the hive of honeybeees.
Root
Out of Dry Ground
Like a root out of dry ground, the
Vine has sprouted again and brought forth clusters — communities
of people who love Messiah and who desire nothing
more than to abide in Him and bear the fruit
of His Kingdom.
Three
Eternal Destinies?
Can one honestly say that there is
no difference in the eyes of God between a
child molester and a hard-working farmer who
rises early and goes to bed late, wearing himself
out in his struggle to feed his family?
Printed Version
If you would like a printed copy of The Litmus
Test and/or the You Know the Commandments
papers, please write for your free copy. Send your
request via e-mail
or via postal mail to:
The Litmus Test
323 E. Broadway, Suite
G
Vista, CA 92084
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The Litmus Test