Birthmarks of a Believer
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Tonight, we enter the fifth and final chapter of John’s first epistle. Consistent with previous teaching, John continues to deal with love, a subject he has spoken of at length. We have considered much concerning our love for the Lord and our love for one another. This is a genuine characteristic that manifests itself in the lives of believers.
John declared that faith, love, and victory come from the same source. Faith in the Lord Jesus will result in true love and true life.
The Bible has a lot to say about faith.
We know that it is impossible to please God without faith, Hebrews 11:6.
We also know that faith plays a significant role in salvation. Eph. 2:8—For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
As we journey through life we must walk by faith rather than by sight, 2 Cor. 5:7.
This passage deals with the characteristics of love and faith within our lives. If we are all we should be, living according to God’s desire and pleasing Him, we will exhibit both love and faith.
These are some birthmarks of a believer…And that is the subject of tonight’s message...
The first birthmark of a believer is--
Believing
Believing
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
It is believing in a PERSON, “that Jesus is the Christ”
It is not just saying I believe that there was a person called Jesus; that He lived on the earth. That is not believing for Salvation: to believe that Jesus is the Christ is to believe that He is the anointed and appointed Messiah, the only Saviour of mankind...
It’s believing Matthew 1:21 which says,
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
It’s believing John 14:6 which says,
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
It’s believing Acts 4:12 which says,
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
It is believing PERSONALLY,
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
It’s not just believing with your Head, but with your Heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Have you Personally received Him?
Paul told that jailer in...
Acts 16:31 (KJV)
...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Some people say yes, I believed way back yonder as a child or teenager. In other words, they have a time and place. But the time and place is of no value if you are not believing now—“believeth”. When you are “born of God” your life is changed forever,
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The first birthmark of a believer is...Believing; you cannot be a believer without believing…
The second birthmark of a believer is...
Belonging
Belonging
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
How do you know you belong, not just believe, but belong?
How do we know we love God PERSONALLY? We love God’s PEOPLE...
1 John 5:1 (KJV)
...every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
We love the FATHER...
We love the FAMILY...
We cannot love the children of God without love for the Lord and His word and we cannot love God and His word without loving God’s children. The two go hand in hand. They work together like spokes in a wheel.
Kenneth Wuest wrote, “Love on the part of a saint for his brother in Christ is shown when that saint observes the commandments of God, for obedience to the commandments puts that saint in right relationship to his brother Christian, which relationship results in his acting in a loving manner toward that Christian.”
John is exhorting the children of God to give evidence of their love by obedience to His word. When we love God we will obey His word. When we obey His word we will love His children. When we love the Lord and obey the Lord we have assurance from the Lord.
Do you love the people of God?
I am so glad I am a Part of the Family of God. Some people say about a church, “I don’t feel like I belong”.
One of the biggest things I see when looking for ideas on Church invites is the phrase, “A place to belong...”
People are looking to belong…In Christ is the only place to belong!
Do you love the Father? Do you love the Family?
If you say yes, you belong.
I am going to stay with the church! I love the Father and the Family and I need the love of the Father and the Family.
The first birthmark here is Believing
The second birthmark here is Belonging
The third birthmark we find is...
Behaving
Behaving
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Children of God OBEY the WORD, vs. 3.
Because we know Jesus and love Jesus we are able to obey Jesus.
This is not found in and of ourselves, but in a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus. Do you want to know what love for God looks like? John says that when we keep His commandments then we truly love him. Obedience is not an option just as love is not.
God expects our obedience and He deserves our obedience. We can talk until we are blue in the face about love for God and Jesus, but if we do not obey the commands of God we show we do not love God.
Warren Wiersbe wrote, “We show our love to God, not by empty words but by willing works. We are not slaves obeying a master; we are children obeying a Father.”
And the Bible tells us here that his commandments are not grievous...
This is a Biblical fact for the born again Christian. God’s commands are not a burden and are not grievous to keep.
John Phillips wrote, “God does not ask us to do things that are unreasonable or to strive after goals unobtainable.”
The key is loving God and knowing God on a personal level. We have ability to keep His commands because we have His Spirit within.
As Christians we ought to delight in the Lord’s commands and get joy and pleasure out of pleasing the Lord.
We are talking about birthmarks—
I. Believing
II. Belonging
III. Behaving
Blessing
Blessing
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
John states a biblical fact about the every Christian. Every Christian is born of God and everyone born of God overcomes the world.
Notice, verse 5 says,
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
What do we find here? Faith!
Faith, that is the key. Faith focused on none other than the Son of God who so gloriously overcame the world. Hebrews 11 is the great New Testament Chapter on faith that overcomes…
Abel – who overcame the PRIDE of this world.
Enoch – who overcame the PROGRESS of this world.
Noah – who overcame the POLLUTION of this world.
Abraham – who overcame the PROSPECTS of this world.
Sarah – who overcame the PARALYSIS of this world.
Isaac – who overcame the PASSIONS of this world.
Jacob – who overcame the PERSPECTIVE of the world.
The parents of Moses – who overcame the PRINCE of this world.
Rahab – who overcame the PUNISHMENT of this world.
Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Faith is the key! Do you have these birthmarks?
BELIEVING
BELONGING
BEHAVING
BLESSING