A Compelling Conclusion

A Compelling Conclusion (Part 1) # 18

1 John 5: 13-21

After several months of study we have come to the concluding passage of 1st John. We have been encouraged and greatly challenged in our personal walk with the Lord.

John spoke much about our love for the Lord and for one another. There was valuable instruction concerning false doctrine and the spirit of antichrist.

He has provided several marks by which we gain confidence of our relationship with Christ. And how we can know that we are one of God’s Children. Here John concludes his thoughts and offers a final word to the reader.

In these verses We find a final exhortation concerning the Christian life.

In them We find comfort, as well as, a final challenge.

So, Let’s examine these final verse of chapter 5 as John gives us A Compelling Conclusion.

I. The Facts of this Life

(13-15) – Here we discover some certainties, some absolutes within the lives of believers.

Notice:

A. Our Association

(13a) – These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.

Again John emphasizes that he is writing to the believer, to those who have believed on the name of Christ in salvation.

What John had just written about God’s testimony (5:9–12) aims to assure his readers that, despite anything the antichrists have said, believers do indeed possess eternal life.

It may be pointed out, in fact, that the assurance of one’s salvation always rests fundamentally and sufficiently on the direct promises that God makes to that believer. In other words, one’s assurance rests on the testimony of God.

Those to whom John originally wrote lived among the world, with all the difficulties associated with it, but they were not of the world.

They had been set apart in Christ.

Even though they faced much adversity, they were not alone in the journey.

They had the Lord walking with them and they had each other.

John encouraged them to consider all he has shared with them.

He had not written because he had to say something;

he had written because he had something to say.

We are a couple thousand years removed from the time when John penned these words, but the same is true for all who believe in Christ.

I am certainly thankful for the opportunity of receiving salvation in the Lord and I rejoice for those of like faith with whom I share this journey.

B. Our Assurance

(13b) that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John wanted them to be settled in their faith, enjoying assurance of salvation, and be productive for the Lord.

Their faith in Christ, resulting in salvation was not a temporary thing.

Their faith in Him brought eternal life.

There was no need to fear adversity in this life or death at the end of life.

They were secure in Christ.

We too can experience the same comforting assurance.

I am not depending upon my works or abilities to secure eternal life.

I am not looking to the latest trends or modern philosophies.

The world does not embrace my faith, but I am secure in the finished work of Christ.

He rose from the grave triumphant over sin and death.

Because He lives, we have the assurance of a future resurrection.

All the saved inherit eternal life.

2 Corinthians 5:1 KJV 1900

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

In some manuscripts, this part of the verse is missing. But I am glad that God preserved this part through the KJV. It prepares the ground for what is coming next. The discussion about prayer which follows in the next verse, is strengthened here by inviting continued faith in God’s Son on the part of those who already have received eternal life through Him.

Prayer too is an expression of trust in the name of God’s Son

C. Our Appeal

(14) – And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

John assured the believer of the great confidence available in Christ.

The Lord is attentive to the prayers we pray.

We are promised God will hear when we pray according to His will for our lives.

This isn’t something we hope might happen or that we can experience occasionally.

We can confidently pray, knowing the Lord will hear.

He is mindful of us and attentive to our prayers.

D. Our Accommodation

(15) – And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

We are assured that God not only hears a prayer of faith, but He will answer our prayers as well.

This doesn’t imply that God gives everything we ask for;

but that we can have confidence He will supply our needs when we pray according to His will for our lives.

Matthew 7:7–8 KJV 1900

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The key is praying according to the will of God. When we are in His will, our desires will be consistent with His.

Matthew 6:33 KJV 1900

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

II. The Frailty of this Life

(16-17)

– Here we come to a couple verses that have created conversation and debate for centuries.

At first glance it appears John has shifted to a completely different train of thought,

but in reality they tie directly to the previous verses.

John continues to speak of prayer in the lives of believers.

Extending his discussion of prayer, John once again brings together his dual theme.

Faith and Love

A Christian who truly loves his brothers and sisters cannot be indiffrent to their spiritual needs.

Let’s look a bit closer at the conviction in life.

We see:

A. The Responsibility

(16a) – If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.

We are well aware that all commit sin.

As long as we live in this body of flesh we will be prone to sin and failure in regard to God’s holy standard.

Walking close to the Lord, in fellowship with Him, greatly reduces our tendency to sin, but the fact remains: we all sin.

John speaks of seeing a brother sin a sin which is not unto death and the responsibility that we have to pray for such a one.

(We will look closer at the sin unto death in a moment.)

We must sense the great need we have to pray for one another.

I will not be judged by others actions and neither will you,

but we are obligated to pray for one another.

If we see a brother engaged in willful sin, we have a responsibility to pray for him, crying out to God on his behalf.

I think we are well aware of the need and importance of prayer for others, but we certainly need to be reminded.

There is a tremendous need for those who will pray in our day.

Many tend to gossip about others who are engaged in open sin.

There is plenty of condemnation being offered today, but I fear we are weak in our praying.

We are not instructed to make sure the community knows of the failure of a brother.

We are not expected to publicly condemn them.

We are expected to pray for them and desire their restoration.

Galatians 6:1 KJV 1900

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Here the word restore literally speaks of “setting a broken bone.”

It isn’t amputated and cast aside, but set so that it can mend and become useful again.

We are expected to pray for repentance and forgiveness for those who have sinned and missed the mark.

B. The Reality

(16-17) – If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. [17] All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

John offers interesting insight in this passage. He clearly defines all unrighteousness as sin.

Anything we engage in, whether in thought, word, or deed, contrary to the Lord and His righteousness is sin.

However, John speaks of sin unto death and sin that is not unto death.

Now we know that death is the end result of sin.

Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death, but what is John speaking of here?

Apparently those in John’s day were very familiar with what he had in mind because he doesn’t define the particular aspects of such sin.

Because we do not have an absolute definition of which sin John is referring, it would not be wise for us to be dogmatic here.

There are a couple of circumstances that would fit biblically.

First of all, John could be referring to those who deny the Lord in salvation, rejecting His grace and forgiveness through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus described this in: Mat.12:31-32 – Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. [32] And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

This is what we refer to as the unpardonable sin. Rejecting the gracious offer of salvation from our Lord and His finished work on Calvary cannot be forgiven and will result in eternal death. This does not imply that we should not pray for the lost or try to reach them, but it does confirm that God will not overlook the rejection of His Son in salvation. Once someone passes through the gates of death, their eternal destiny is forever settled. Our prayers cannot alter that.

I dont believe this is what John is speaking of, due to the fact that John appears to be referring to believers.

The other possibility involves those who are genuinely born again, living in habitual, unrepentant sin.

We do not like to think in these terms,

but it is possible to cross the line with sin and fill an early grave.

We know this can happen through biblical confirmation.

We know the end result of the sin of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5: 1-11.

They lied concerning money that had received and sought to be deceptive to the church.

This resulted in an untimely death for them both.

Paul spoke of those who were sick, and some had even died, because of their casual attitude toward the Lord’s Supper, continually observing such a solemn remembrance while engaged in gross sin.

It is possible to engage in unrepentant sin for so long that God calls a believer home through a premature death.

When one has crossed the line with God, there is no need to pray for a different outcome.

Again I want to emphasize that John is not discouraging prayer.

We are not God and we will never know when the last opportunity is presented to a lost soul or when a believer has crossed the line with God.

We must continually pray for those around us.

Clearly we ought to be burdened for the needs of the lost.

As long as there is breath in their bodies, there is the possibility of salvation.

The same is true for the believer who has wandered in sin.

As long as they are living, there is opportunity for repentance and restoration of fellowship.

One thing is absolutely certain: all unrighteousness is sin.

This passage reveals a stern warning regarding sin.

God is not pleased with sin.

He cannot condone sin nor have fellowship with it at all.

He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for sin.

He will never wink at sin or overlook it.

Sin must be atoned.

As believers it is dangerous to dabble in sin.

May we pray for those who are engaged in sin and strive to keep short accounts with our own sin!

Conclusion:

I had genuinely hoped to complete our study today, but the context of the passage would not allow it. Hopefully we will conclude 1st John when we meet again. Our time today has brought a sense of great comfort, as well as, a sobering conviction. I rejoice for all I have in Christ. I am certain of my salvation and I know I am secure in Him. I am reminded though of the seriousness of sin and how it grieves our Lord. As Christians we must seek to live upright before the Lord, avoiding sin at all costs. We are obligated to pray for those who have stumbled and fallen or are bound in sin.

Are there needs in your life? Is there sin that needs to be confessed? Are you burdened about the condition of another? Has the Spirit revealed your need for salvation? These are all serious and deserve our full attention. Whatever the need is, we must seek the Lord. He alone provided atonement for sin, and He alone can save and pardon!

A Compelling Conclusion (Part 2 of # 18)

1 John 5: 13-21

As we continue to consider the closing words of John in his first epistle, we are mindful of the many difficulties and obstacles the early church faced. John has dealt with false doctrine, the spirit of antichrist, personal sin, and the great need to love one another as well as the Lord. He knew living a life pleasing to the Lord, while possessing an attitude of love, would be quite difficult within the confines of their society. The only way to overcome and enjoy a triumphant Christian life was to rest in the strength and provision of Christ. 1 John 4:4 – Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 5:4 – For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Times have changed, but the difficulties we face share many similarities with those of John’s day. The same holds true for the modern church. If we are to overcome and live pleasing unto the Lord, being productive in the journey, we too must abide in Christ. He is the source of our salvation and the source of our strength. We can overcome in Him.

In our last study this morning, we began to examine the aspects of life John discusses while considering: A Compelling Conclusion.

We looked at:

I. The Facts of this Life (13-15)

II. The Frailty of this Life (16-17)

Finally we discover:

III. The Faith in His Life

(18-21) – Here John offers a final exhortation as a reminder of the many benefits we enjoy while being in Christ. There is great confidence in Him. He speaks of:

A. Our Character

(18) – We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

There is no doubt John is speaking to the church, to those who are born again in Christ.

He deals with the great need for upright character in our lives.

Many would look at this verse and claim John reveals the possibility of sinless perfection.

He refers to those who are born of God not engaging in sin.

The key is considering what he has said within the entire context.

We keep ourselves from the world, and in doing so, the enemy loses his ability to tempt and mislead us.

This is speaking of the desire and habit of continual sin.

Those who are in Christ are not perfect, in that they never sin, but they no longer enjoy sin or purposely seek an opportunity to sin.

As we consider this exhortation, we must also recognize the great need for sanctification.

Those who are begotten of God are to keep themselves (refraining from the lusts and desires of the flesh.)

This is an element of Christian character that is little discussed in our day.

We are bought with a price, and no longer our own.

We belong to the Lord and are obligated to live in a way that pleases Him.

James reminds us we are to remain unspotted from the world.

Also John mentions those who keep themselves from the desires of the flesh, avoiding sin at all costs, are not touched by the wicked one.

That is not to say we will never be tempted or face trials and adversity brought about by the devil,

but he will not have dominion over our lives.

His attempts to lure us away will be ineffective as we walk in close communion with the Lord.

B. Our Comprehension

(19) – And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

This relates directly to our character and how we live our lives before the world, but it also reveals the need for continual awareness.

We live among a world that does not share our faith.

The majority today are not living in order to please the Lord.

They are living to satisfy the flesh.

The world is consumed with wickedness.

You don’t have to look far, even within our little town, to spot the detrimental impact of sin.

As long as men are on the earth and Satan is on the prowl, sin and wickedness will remain, but we do not have to be ignorant of it or taken by surprise.

We must be vigilant in our watch, walking close with the Lord, and constant in prayer.

1 Peter 5:8–10 KJV 1900

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

C. Our Champion

(20a) – And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true.

John reminds us of the gracious coming of Christ our Lord to provide for our salvation.

While in sin we were enslaved to the lusts of the flesh;

we were condemned before God,

and faced the eternal consequence of our sin.

Christ came and provided the means of reconciliation to God and forgiveness of sin.

That alone is enough to rejoice in, but the Lord’s benefits are many.

After coming to Christ in salvation,

He enlightens our minds and understanding.

We no longer live void of truth and wisdom in this life.

We are not alone in the journey, forced to deal with the assaults of the enemy within mere human ability.

He provides strength and guidance through the Holy Spirit.

We begin to look at life from a spiritual perspective, rather than from a physical or social point of view.

Life is difficult, but we have a source of strength and provision in the Lord.

Also we discover the gracious benefit of being able to the know him that is true, none other than the Lord Himself.

As we walk with the Lord, growing in grace and wisdom, we learn more of Him.

I can’t describe the joy I felt the moment I was saved, but my understanding of it all was quite limited at that time.

There is much I still cannot comprehend, but my understanding of the doctrines of grace and the Lord I serve are much deeper than before.

I enjoy a closer relationship with Christ today than I did the moment I was saved.

The more I learn of Him, the more I love Him, and the deeper our relationship becomes!

D. Our Conversion

(20b) – and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

As John closes his letter, he wants to remind the believer yet again of their relationship with the Lord.

All the saved are in Christ and enjoy the abundance He provides.

We can rest in the assurance of eternal life in heaven with God the Father and His Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

I am still amazed and the grace of God bestowed on sinners such as we are.

I know I was undeserving of any of His mercies and yet He loved me enough to provide the way of salvation.

It isn’t available only to me, but it was freely given and I rejoice in that.

I am secure in Christ the Lord regardless of what I face or endure in this life.

I may go by the rapture or through death, but either way I will spend the endless age with the Lord.

What a gracious, loving Lord we serve.

All the saved will have the privilege of offering worship to Him while we enjoy His eternal presence in heaven! John 14:1-3

John 14:1–3 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

E. Our Challenge

(21) – Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Context must always be considered when reading and applying Scripture.

We know there were many false doctrines being promoted in John’s day, as well as many idolatrous religions.

The people would have been exposed to such idolatry and John knew there was the possibility of corruption.

The key he seeks to emphasize is spiritual purity.

They were not to allow anything to have superiority over Christ in their lives.

Society may have embraced such idols, but they were expected to refrain from idol worship and the sin that accompanies such activity.

Our society isn’t filled with idols made of wood or stone like those of John’s day or even like other parts of our world, but we too must guard against idolatry.

Anything we allow to come between us and the Lord is viewed as an idol.

If we place more emphasis on other people, activities, or even ideals, we have created an idol that is being worshipped.

I know we don’t like to think in those terms, but it is true nonetheless.

We must guard our hearts against anything that seeks the place reserved for the Lord.

Conclusion:

I have really enjoyed our time moving through the first epistle of John. It has been an enlightening journey. We have found great encouragement and many exhortations to live our lives pleasing to the Lord. We are in the midst of difficult days and they will continue to get worse. If we are to overcome, we must be walking with the Lord. Our lives must be lived in light of His holy standard, keeping sin confessed, and engaging in continual prayer.

Love has been a major theme and I hope we all sense the need for love in our day. We will never reach the lost, encourage one another, or serve the Lord apart from love. I suppose our church does as good a job with that as anyone else, but we are not to measure our lives by the standards of the world or in comparison to others. Is our love what it should be when measured by the Word of God? No doubt there is plenty of room for improvement.

This epistle was written to challenge and strengthen the believer. John spoke much concerning a personal relationship with Christ, even providing marks by which we can know we are saved. Do you know Christ as your Savior? Are you confident of your salvation? If not you can be. Christ came to save and He wants all to be confident of their salvation. Seek Him as He leads!