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DECEMBER 4
with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. we have fellowship with one another, and the
4 And these things we write to you that your joy blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us
may be full. from all sin.
5 This is the message which we have heard 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our-
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from Him and declare to you, that God is light selves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess
and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
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we have fellowship with Him, and walk in sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, a liar, and His word is not in us.
DAY 3: Contrast how the lives of true believers and false teachers differ.
In 1 John 1:7,a genuine Christian walks habitually in the light (truth and holiness),not in dark-
ness (falsehood and sin).Their walk also results in cleansing from sin as the Lord continually forgives
His own.Since those walking in the light share in the character of God,they will be habitually char-
acterized by His holiness (3 John 11), indicating their true fellowship with Him (James 1:27). A gen-
uine Christian does not walk in darkness but only in the light (2 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:8; Col. 1:12,13).
Not only did the false teachers walk in darkness (v. 8), but they went so far as to deny totally
the existence of a sin nature in their lives.If someone never admits to being a sinner, salvation can-
not result. Not only did the false teachers make false claims to fellowship and disregard sin (v. 6),
they are also characterized by deceit regarding sinlessness (Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:23).
In the lives of genuine believers, a continual confession of sin is an indication of genuine sal-
vation (v.9).While the false teachers would not admit their sin,the genuine Christian admitted and
forsook it (Ps. 32:3–5; Prov. 28:13).The term “confess”means to say the same thing about sin as God
does—to acknowledge His perspective about sin. While v. 7 is from God’s perspective, v. 9 is from
the Christian’s perspective. Confession of sin characterizes genuine Christians, and God continually
cleanses those who are confessing (v. 7). Rather than focusing on confession for every single sin as
necessary, John has especially in mind here a settled recognition and acknowledgment that one is
a sinner in need of cleansing and forgiveness (Eph. 4:32; Col. 2:13).

but she shall not retain the power of her au-
December 4 thority, and neither he nor his authority shall
stand; but she shall be given up, with those
who brought her, and with him who begot her,
and with him who strengthened her in those
Daniel 11:1–12:13
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times. But from a branch of her roots one shall
“Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, arise in his place, who shall come with an
11 I, even I, stood up to confirm and strength- army, enter the fortress of the king of the
en him.) And now I will tell you the truth: North, and deal with them and prevail. And he
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Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt,
and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; with their princes and their precious articles of
by his strength, through his riches, he shall
stir up all against the realm of Greece. Then a
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mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with
great dominion, and do according to his will.
4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be 11:2–45 As in 8:3–26,this prophecy sweeps all
broken up and divided toward the four winds the way from the history of spiritual conflict in
of heaven, but not among his posterity nor Israel (11:2–35) to the Tribulation (vv. 36–42)
according to his dominion with which he when Michael aids in fully delivering Israel
ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even (12:1). The detail of this history is so minute
for others besides these. and accurate, so confirmed by history, that
5 “Also the king of the South shall become unbelieving critics have, without evidence,
strong, as well as one of his princes; and he insisted that it was actually written 400 years
shall gain power over him and have dominion. later than Daniel,after it had happened,which
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His dominion shall be a great dominion. And at would make the prophet a deceiver. The
the end of some years they shall join forces, for prophecy actually looks ahead from Daniel to
the daughter of the king of the South shall go the final Antichrist.
to the king of the North to make an agreement;

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