"We Are in Him who is True"

“...We are in Him who is true...”

1 John 5:18-21

1 John 5:18-21 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Deeds of the child of God (18)

“We know that whoever is born of God does not sin”

Am I truly born of God? Jn. 1:13; 3:5; 1 Jn. 4:6

John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

1 John 4:6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

It is plain that those who have been born of God can indeed sin again. 2 Peter 1:9

2 Peter 1:9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

If we are born of God, we must have a mindset to NOT SIN. 1 Jn. 2:1; James 1:18

1 John 2:1 KJV “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not....”

James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

We cannot claim Him as our Father and have a lifestyle of sin.

“but he who has been born of God keeps himself” 1 Jn. 2:29; 3:3,9; 1 Pet. 1:23

1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

1 John 3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

1 Peter 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

God empowers us through His Word to know what is the right way. We need only read, understand, AND apply in order to “keep” His word. Ps. 17:4; 119:101; Prov. 4:23

Psalm 17:4 Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

Psalm 119:101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

This is not a light thing! It does not come easily! James 1:27

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

“and the wicked one does not touch him.”

Remember - for us to be protected, we must be living In Him! Jn. 15:4; Acts 11:23; Matt. 22:13

John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Acts 11:23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

“continue” KJV “cleave unto the Lord” - GLUED to Him! Same word used in the marriage bond.

If I have left the Lord, I have left my only protection against the spiritual darkness. Our friends and family who are lost are lost to this terrible darkness.

Matthew 22:13 NKJV - "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

“weeping and gnashing of teeth” - 7 times in the NT. “used to denote extreme anguish and utter despair of men consigned to eternal punishment in hell”

Many might respond, “but God loves me no matter what”. Right. The question is, then... Are you IN His love? Jude 21,24

Jude 1:21, 24 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ... Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

We will NOT keep ourselves and be defended against the wicked one by just “doing the best we can with what we have” - we must have God protecting us!

Distinction of the child of God (19)

“We know that we are of God” 1 Jn. 4:4-5; Rom. 8:16; 1 Jn. 2:19; 2 Tim. 1:12

1 John 4:4-5 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.

How do we know? The Spirit has shown us the truth, and we therefore live by it.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Whomever left (1 Jn. 2:19) did not follow the truth, and thus the Spirit bears witness that they are NOT of God.

1 Jn. 2:19 “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.”

Because we are of God, we can trust that He can guard us from the spiritual evils of the world. Nothing and no one can take our salvation away except ourselves.

2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

“and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” Jn. 14:30; 15:18-19; James 4:4; Gal. 1:4; Eph. 2:2

John 14:30 "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

For this reason, we must remember that we are to be DIFFERENT.

James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

If we trust in God, He can deliver us from this evil world. This means tying ourselves to Him completely!

Galatians 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Dedication of the child of God (20-21)

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding” Lk. 24:45; Eph. 1:17-19

Luke 24:45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

The Apostles were given this full understanding, culminating ultimately with the Spirit baptizing them on Pentecost (Acts 2). This truth was carried forth to the world.

Ephesians 1:17-19 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

“that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.” Lk. 21:15; Acts 7:57

Luke 21:15 "for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

The Apostles were given the full truth by the Spirit. That truth would obliterate all opposition.

No one could stand against it. The enemies of God cannot withstand it today.

Acts 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;

“This is the true God and eternal life.” Jn. 17:3,25; 1 Tim. 3:16

John 17:3, 25 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ... "O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” Gen. 3:4-5; Ex. 20:3-4; 1 Cor. 10:7,14; 2 Cor. 6:16-17

Idolatry is NOT just physical elements; we speak of the idols that can be built within the mind.

Genesis 3:4-5 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Physical idolatry was easily understood and clearly seen. It can still be clearly seen today when we idolize movie/music/sports stars, devote all of ourselves to any form of media (TV show/Video Game/etc.), or exalt the importance of our family or friends over God.

Exodus 20:3,4 “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

1 Corinthians 10:7, 14 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

2 Corinthians 6:16-17 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore“Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

Jesus, “Verily, Verily” - “Most Assuredly” - “Amen, Amen” - 25 Times in the Gospel of John.