“The Same” ( John 1: 2, KJV ) by Carley Evans

“In the beginning, God creates the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

“In the beginning,” writes John, “is the Word, and the Word is with God, and the Word is God.” (John 1:1)

God speaks and the world comes into existence. John confirms the Son of God is the Word. “All things are made by Him, and without Him is not anything made that is made.” (John 1:3)

Paul tells the church at Colosse that the Son of God “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for by Him are all things created.” (Colossians 1:15-16) The author of Hebrews writes the Son of God is “the brightness of [God’s] glory, and the express image of His person.” (Hebrews 1:3) The Son “upholds all things by the Word of His power.” (Hebrews 1:3)

Jesus Himself says, “He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me. And he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me.” (John 12:44-45)

And Jesus tells His disciples and us: “But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sends in My Name, He teaches you all things, and brings all things to your remembrance, whatever I say unto you.” (John 14:26)

“The same is in the beginning with God.” (John 1:2)

The Triune God is indirectly referred to in the Word of God; God implies He is “three persons in One” but never that He is a divided God. God is not three little gods in One. Praise be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Discern By Testing” (Romans 12: 2, ESV) by Carley Evans

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Two angels come to Sodom where they find Lot sitting at the city gate. Lot invites the angels to come to his house where he feeds them “a feast and bakes unleavened bread, and they eat.” (Genesis 19: 3) Before the angels sleep, the entire city — “all the people to the last man surround the house.” (Genesis 19: 4) The entire city desires to engage in some sort of sexual activity with these two angels. Lot is mortified, and even offers his virginal daughters to the city. The city revolts, seeking to enter Lot’s house to take the angels by force. The two angels strike the men, “both small and great” who are at the door with blindness. (Genesis 19: 11)

Then the angels ask Lot to gather together “anyone you have in the city; bring them out of this place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” (Genesis 19: 12 – 13)

Lot attempts to persuade his future sons-in-law to join him in his exodus from Sodom, but they think he is joking.

By dawn, the angels urge Lot to take his wife and his two daughters and leave. Lot does not obey. Instead, “he lingers. So the [angels] seize him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they bring him out and set him outside the city. And as they bring them out, one says, ‘Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” (Genesis 19: 16 – 17)

God asks us not to conform to the world. Lot is not conformed to Sodom. God asks Lot and us to escape, to take as many out of Sodom as we are able, not to bargain with those who are so wicked so as to destroy us along with themselves, not to laugh as did Lot’s sons-in-law, not to linger as did Lot, not to look back as did Lot’s wife.

God commands us to discern by testing what is good and acceptable and perfect in each and every situation.