1 John 5_18_21

Sins (1x) verb - ἁμαρτάνω hamartanō = missing the mark of God standards, trespass [This has to be the Idea of habitual sin, “does not keep on willfully sinning”

No one who is born of God practices sin 1 John 3:9

We know that no one born of God sins Vs. 18

Can this be a warning against continuing in sin from verses 16-17?

Keeps (1x) verb - τηρέω tērĕō = to Guard from loss or injury (Jesus keeps the one born of God and he shall not be lost)

Touch (1x) verb - ἅπτομαι (haptomai) = the littler meaning is to set on fire, kindle, light… Harm! (The devil does not harm the one who is in Christ Jesus)

We are (2x) verb - εἰμί (eimi)

We are of God

We are in God

Lies (1x) verb - κεῖμαι (keimai) (literal meaning is to lie outstretched) (it is the implication of having been established) I think the original language is “lies in evil one.”

Come (1x) verb - ἥκω (hēkō)

Given (1x) verb - δίδωμι (didōmi) bestow, grant *See Luke 24:45!!!

God alone is God, and He alone deserves our worship!

Exegesis

John the apostle writes this letter so that we can have certainty of basic Christian truths. After all the Christian does not necessarily choose between good and bad but truth and un truth. In this epistle John use οἶδα which translates “we know” six (6) times. This term is used to tell his audience that as Christians we possess the knowledge which is true. Unlike those who had infiltrated the church (The Early Gnostics) as well as those who had departed.

What is it that John while under inspiration of God tells his reader we know? By grace through faith “We know that when He appears we will be like Him,” glorified and made perfect. “We know that we have passed from death into life, we have been born again and Jesus suffered our death. “We know that God hears us when we pray according to His will,” therefore we have confidence in prayer and are called to a ministry of intercessory prayer. Now, in this text “we know” three more things because John the apostle tells us under divine inspiration.

1) “We know” the Christian does not sin. This does not mean that the Christian never sins because it is not until Jesus appears that we will be like Him (3:2), but that the one who had been born again does not continue in his habitually sinful lifestyle that he lead before salvation. John uses the word born twice (2x) in verse eighteen (18), γεννάω gĕnnaō which means to procreate. In the first instance John is speaking of the spiritual rebirth (or regeneration) of a man by faith. This man by grace through faith has passed from the life he once lived and entered into the new life of faith. Thus he has been born of God. This rebirth involves a radical change, the old has passed and the new has come (see 2 Cor. 5:17). Spiritual rebirth is necessary to seeing the kingdom of God, Jesus teaches told Nicodemus, “unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3),” Have you been born again?

John second use of “born’ in this verse is referring to the only begotten of God, Jesus. The KJV leads one to believe that the born again believer keeps himself from sin and the evil one. I believe that the Christian does has a responsibility to keep sin out of His life however it is near impossible without the power of God. We must remember that much of this letter focuses on certainty of salvation; though the believer may sin at times he belongs to God and Jesus keeps him. Keep (τηρέω tērĕō) literally means to Guard from loss or injury. Because the Christian is kept by Jesus, Satan cannot touch him. The use of Touch ἅπτομαι (haptomai) in verse eighteen (18) tells the Child of God that though Satan wishes to harm him he cannot. In the original language touch means to set on fire. The wicked enemy of God and the prince of this world is a powerful foe but the begotten of God is omnipotent, meaning He is all powerful. The day will come when Satan will rise up against God and Jesus will defeat Him by the words of His mouth. Jesus keeps us from sin by His power and keeps us untouched by Satan though the world around us lies under his influence.

Satan is a formidable foe and it is his goal to take as many humans with him into the pits of hell as possible. His desire was to sift the disciples of Jesus like wheat. But we must remember that he is not omnipotent, his power is limited by the one and only creator of the entire world. Satan must have God’s permission to attack a child of God, do you remember Job, God said “have you considered my servant Job?” If God gives permission to attack us how much more will he give us power to overcome the attack? God has promised through the apostle Paul that he will never permit us to be tempted beyond our strength. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.(1 Cor. 10:13). This leads us to the second use of “we know.”

2) John uses “we know” again in verse nineteen (19) this time he tells his readers we know we are of God. It is very important to John that his audience knows they are children of God because they are set apart from the rest of the world. Though the world around them is practicing sinfulness the Child of God does not and will be protected by the mighty hand of God and preserved by His power. By grace through faith in Jesus we are sealed by the only begotten of God.

3) The third use of “we know” is found in verse twenty (20), we know the Son of God has come. God has promised this world a savior since the very moment of the fall, in Jesus God has kept that promise and declared to the world truth as the promise keeping God. In John’s Gospel he tells us that Jesus is full of grace and truth. To know Jesus is to know truth to know truth is to know Jesus.

The world around us make search for truth but will not find it, by grace through faith Jesus gives us spiritual eyes to know truth, Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures Luke 24:45.

John ends this letter by telling his audience not to worship idols! God alone is God, and He alone deserves our worship!

1 John 5:18-21 “The Conclusion”

John was driving home late one night when he picked up a hitchhiker. As they rode along, he began to be suspicious of his passenger. John checked to see if his wallet was safe in the pocket of his coat that was on the seat between them, but it wasn’t there! So he slammed on the brakes, ordered the hitchhiker out, and said, “Hand over the wallet immediately!”

The frightened hitchhiker handed over a billfold, and John drove off. When he arrived home, he started to tell his wife about the experience, but she interrupted him, saying, “Before I forget, John, do you know that you left your wallet at home this morning?”

Often time’s men come to the wrong conclusion, but here in our text John concludes in great certainty. He sums up the situation with which he writes and tells his audience three (3) times that “we know” certain things. This has been a theme throughout this letter, to “know we are children of God” by grace through faith and to “know that we have fellowship with God” by grace through faith.

CPS: The term “know: in this text means ‘We possess the knowledge which is true” and this morning I’m going to give you three practical points of application that we can draw from John conclusion.

But before I dive in, let me ask you a very practical question. What do they call a pineapple upside down cake in Australia? A pineapple cake! As I read through this letter and as I read John conclusion I am reminded of how upside down the world is compared to the kingdom of God. They are polar opposites, great contrast, perhaps today you will notice what I am saying.

The Christian doesn’t practice sin though the world around him is sinful

The one born of God doesn’t sin Vs. 18a

Doesn’t practice sin, a Habitual violator of God’s moral standard

The one born of God is protected from loss and harm. Vs. 18b

Jesus keeps the believer from loss and harm. Touch = set on fire, kindle, light… Harm!

The one born of God is not of this world. Vs. 19

1 Cor. 10:13

Job

The Christian has knowledge of truth though the world around him doesn’t understand

The Son of God has come

The Son of God has gives us understanding

Spiritual eyes Luke 24:45

The Son of God is the True God

John 1:14

John 17:3

Rev. 3:7

The Christian worships the Lord alone though the world around him worships empty idols.

Idols of Ephesus

Idols of today

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