This Is Eternal Life (1)

Knowing The Father and The Son Through The Holy Spirit!

John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they may know YOU, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom YOU have sent!

1 John 5:8 . . . It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth!

The Apostle John penned his letters to the Christian community when he was old and advanced in age. He was the last of the Apostles to still be living, so his written words carried tremendous authority.

There was a well-known heresy that was beginning to have influence on the Christian community. This heresy has been re-branded and is having influence on the Christian community today.

This heresy has a form of godliness but denies the true power of God. This heresy rejects absolute Truth but embraces subjective truth (my truth may not be your truth, your truth may not be my truth, but it’s still truth).

Objective Truth becomes distorted by twisting the meaning and application of specific passages of Scripture to embrace moral relativism by teaching human experience determines what each person’s truth is.

1 Corinthians 2:10 For to US God revealed (them) through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God!

While it is extremely important to experience what you know, what you know must be grounded in objective truth!

As the last living Apostle, John’s words were important then and they are just as relevant and important today!

I want us to explore two main thoughts today:

I. The PURPOSE John RECORDS in his letter!

John was concerned with four major things:

A. The ABSENCE of JOY among Believers!

1:4 These things we write, so that our JOY may be made complete!

B. The PREVALENCE of SIN among Believers!

2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you, so that you may not sin!

C. The DISTORTION of TRUTH among Believers!

2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you!

D. The TORMENT of DOUBT among Believers!

5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life!

Why do some Believers doubt their eternal security in Christ?

You might not remember the circumstances around your new birth salvation experience!

You might not know what God’s word teaches about salvation!

You might have been in or you might be in a season of sin in your lifestyle!

You might not know about the deceptive power of Satan in your soul!

You might not have been saved by grace through faith!

II. The PROOF John REVEALS in his letter!

John reveals three dimensions of proof:

A. Jesus is ETERNAL in John’s MIND!

1:1 What was from the beginning . . .

What beginning was John referring to?

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth!

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God 2 He was in the beginning with God!

B. Jesus is HISTORICAL in John’s TIME!

1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life!

1:2 and the Life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you, the eternal Life!

C. Jesus is PERSONAL in John’s LIFE!

1:3 what we have seen and heard, we proclaim to you also, SO THAT you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ!

It is at this point that John writes These Things we write, SO THAT our JOY may be made complete!

The Joy of the Lord is our strength and the Joy of the Lord is not dependent upon good circumstances.

The need for your circumstances to be good, or your doctors report to be positive, or your promotion to come through at work for you to feel good is not JOY, that is HAPPINESS!

Our JOY can be made COMPLETE, rich or full when we know and embrace

Jesus as being ETERNAL in our MIND, HISTORICAL in John’s TIME and PERSONAL in our LIFE!

John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they may know YOU, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom YOU have sent!

Do you have and do you experience ETERNAL LIFE? The only way for this to happen is by KNOWING the FATHER and The SON through the HOLY SPIRIT!

1 Corinthians 2:10 For to US God revealed (them) through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God!