1 JOHN 5:13-21
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INTRO / TRANSITION
After such great and compelling testimonies that came from the witnesses last week: the water, the blood, the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the redeemed of the LORD…
John finishes us this little note with a great recap of what we can know.
EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW THAT…
CHRISTIANS HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!
CHRISTIANS HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
THIS BRINGS - A comfort in death…Ashlie and I are thinking of a family right now that just said goodbye to a wonderful husband and father of 3…
Trust me, there’s a difference between knowing & hoping things work out.
THIS BRINGS - An abundant life…Knowing what we know about eternity should affect the way we live now.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Q: How does that assurance cause you to live right now?
As a single man or woman?
As a young person?
As a wife or husband?
As a son or daughter?
If we walked out of this place tonight with ETERNITY FOCUSED A LITTLE BETTER IN OUR VIEW…How would that affect our witness…our church?
We have already invested much time in this incredible truth - if we are in Christ, we KNOW we have eternal life - according to the Scriptures.
Here’s another great, rock solid reminder!
CHRISTIANS’ PRAYERS ARE HEARD!
CHRISTIANS’ PRAYERS ARE HEARD!
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
R. A. Torrey said, “Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power. All that God is and all that God has is at the disposal of prayer. But we must use the key. Prayer can do anything that God can do and since God can do anything, prayer is omnipotent.” (The Power of Prayer, 17)
1 John 5.14-15 NOTICE
we ask according to His will
we ask confidently in faith
we know He is a rewarder of those who seek Him
Jesus brings us close to God!
Not only does God hear everything we ask—but God responds (5:14–15).
WE CAN REJOICE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US ETERNAL LIFE…AND HE takes our special requests.
1–3 John—Fellowship in God’s Family Confidence of Answered Prayer (vv. 14, 15)
Some of us are still in the kindergarten or elementary school of prayer. Nobody ever graduates from the University of Prayer.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Prayer is many things (thanksgiving, praise, petition on behalf of others), but prayer is also asking God for specific things.
You’re not going to receive if you do not ask.
Some are confused about prayer.
Some view prayer as trying to get God to give us something that we want.
like wrangling God to get him to do what we want him to do.
“Maybe if I can pray with fancy words God will give me what I want.”
But prayer is not like that at all.
Prayer is not trying to get what you want, but what God wants for us.
True prayer is when we come to God and ask what he wants for our lives.
C. H. Dodd said, “Prayer …is a means by which our desires may be redirected - according to the mind of God - and made into the channels for his will.”7
How do we know if we are praying in accordance with God’s will?
How do we know if we are praying in accordance with God’s will?
1. We have the Bible to show us.
2. We have the Holy Spirit to lead us.
3. We have a willingness to DO the will of God for His glory alone.
As we’re praying God’s will…God shows us one of his priorities in that category - PRAYING FOR OUR BROTHERS/SISTERS IN CHRIST
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.
17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
We are concerned for our straying brother/sister in Christ
We know that God wants us to pray for our sinning brother/sister
“sin not leading to death”
“sin leading to death”
A PRAYER OF INTERCESSION:
“sin leading to death” John’s readers knew what he was talking about, but we are left somewhat in the dark about it.
4 views:
A heinous sin like murder. (But there are murderers that have been forgiven)
Apostasy. (But genuine believers do NOT apostatize.)
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The only people who can commit this are unsaved people - it’s a rejection of Jesus Christ.
Sin leading to physical death as a result of God’s discipline. (John calls this person a “brother” - which almost every time means fellow believer.)
Examples: Ananias & Sapphira in Acts 5.
Corinthian believers who became weak and ill because they were taking the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner
Best summary I can find or come up with:
It seems like this is not so much a specific sin but has to do with ongoing, willful sin that remains unconfessed to the point that God takes drastic action.
Bottom line: we need to pray for one another.
When we sin, we need intercessors praying for us…that we will be quick to repent and confess. We don’t want to sin that sin to death.
Notice a key action here, though…IF ANYONE “SEES” HIS BROTHER.
When we see a brother/sister sin, we should run to God in prayer!
Yes, We can confront them Biblically (Matthew 18)…but we should pray for them like we would want a fellow believer, family member praying for us.
All wrongdoing is sin!
All sin should break our hearts.
Are you open to praying for those you notice breaking the commandments around you?
Are you open to having others pray for you in this way?
(this is why the NT advances the reality of local church in covenant with one another)
Praying this way will keep us from a heart of condemnation and lips of criticism.
Q: What tweaks can you make today, to better pray according to God's will?
Eternal Life
Our Prayers are heard!
CHRISTIANS ARE NOT BOUND BY SIN
CHRISTIANS ARE NOT BOUND BY SIN
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
God’s power working in us and through us can give us victory over sin in our daily life.
5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
A believer’s new man (or “new self”; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) is fundamentally impervious to sin and hence the evil one (cf. 1 John 2:13–14; 3:12), Satan, does not touch him.
24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Alexander Ramsay says, “the enemy of souls cannot lay hold of us: he assaults but cannot seize” (quoted in Vaughan, 1,2,3 John, 134).
Satan may grab AT us and tempt us through
doubt,
friends who fall away,
idols,
fleshly enticements,
and worldly allurements,
but because of the power of Christ he cannot get us.
Q: Where are you tempted to “give in" to sin?
Christians have
eternal life
assurance in our prayer life
victory over sin
CHRISTIANS BELONG TO GOD!
CHRISTIANS BELONG TO GOD!
19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
God’s protection keeps all of us from ongoing sin (5:18). Yet despite Jesus’ victory over evil and death, the world is under the power of the evil one (5:19).
In prayer, name some of the evils you see overpowering people in your community.
The old Hymn goes:
Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me;
Not for the years of time alone, but for eternity
3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
WE ARE HIS…BUT THE WORLD IS UNDER THE POWER OF THE EVIL ONE
WE ARE HIS…BUT THE WORLD IS UNDER THE POWER OF THE EVIL ONE
Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Q: What are some of the "evils" of this world overpowering our neighbors...our neighborhood? Name them in prayer.
Have no fear, You BELONG to God…
Have no fear, You are NOT bound by sin
Have no fear, Your Prayers are Heard
Have no fear, You have Eternal LIFE
FINALLY - HAVE NO FEAR!
CHRISTIANS ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF TRUTH
CHRISTIANS ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF TRUTH
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
The Son of God “has given us understanding,” so we no longer need to remain confused or quiet or paralyzed by this needy world (5:20).
We must not just debate the truth, we must know the truth. If we would live free, we must not just know the truth, we must live in truth and we must become people of truth.
Os Guinness
One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of the Father.
The Word is true!
The God of the Bible IS worthy of praise, honor, and worship!
God created all things.
YOU were made BY God!
YOU were made FOR His Pleasure!
Your life matters!
You ARE a Sinner in need of a Savior!
You CANNOT work your way to Heaven!
Jesus Christ came to this earth on a rescue mission from Heaven.
He came as a baby born of a virgin.
He lived a sinless life
Christ died for our sins on the cross for the sins of the whole world.
He rose to life on the third day!
He was seen by hundreds of witnesses.
He ascended to Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
The Holy Spirit is alive and moving in Christ’s Church - the very body of Christ!
You matter to God!
God loves you!
What you do with Jesus matters…
YES - because you might die tonight…
BUT - you just might live to see tomorrow.
There is a Heaven. There is a Hell.
It’s all TRUE!
Every. Word. Inspired by God Himself!
And WE - as children of God WALK IN THE TRUTH, LIVE IN THE TRUTH, KNOW THE TRUTH…
This Book (BIBLE) is sweeter than honey because WE LOVE - THE - AUTHOR - BECAUSE HE - FIRST - LOVED US!
So, let the media and culture continue to lose their minds…change the meaning of words…try to alter reality…
It doesn’t change WHO HE IS and WHO HE’S CALLED US TO BE.
WE DON’T NEED TO COMPROMISE TO ACCOMMODATE.
WE DON’T NEED TO WATER DOWN TO REACH.
Since we KNOW these things…and we’re sure of these things:
We’re sure about ETERNAL LIFE
We’re sure that OUR PRAYERS ARE HEARD
We’re sure that WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES TO SIN!
We’re sure that WE BELONG TO GOD!
We’re sure that WE ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF TRUTH!
John inserts a little warning - it feels quite Old Testament of him in this NT epistle - but he points us to this…
… WE CANNOT ALLOW OTHER THINGS TO SIT ON THE THRONE OF OUR HEARTS…
One final encouragement…command…warning
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John We Can Know What Is True (1 John 5:20–21)
John Calvin said, “Man’s nature … is a perpetual factory of idols”
Merkle writes…
Those who claim to be Christians but
do not believe the truth concerning Jesus,
do not live a righteous life in obeying God’s commands, and
do not love others are in danger of idol worship.
Idolatry is anything you love, enjoy, and pursue more than God, more than Christ, who “is the true God and eternal life.”
Idols say we are true when God says only Christ is true.
Idols promise but can never deliver, whereas God says Christ promises, provides, and delivers.
—
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Pray that you would not exchange cheap substitutes (idols) for the real love meant to be exchanged between you, God, and your brothers and sisters.
CONCLUSION
How should we live and think this week, KNOWING that we have eternal life!
Knowing that God answers prayers that match His will, how can you pray differently this week?
Knowing that we are NOT BOUND by sin, how will you handle temptation this week?
Knowing that WE BELONG TO HIM…and the World doesn’t, what can you pray for your neighbors - those in the grip of evil?
Knowing that we’re on the RIGHT SIDE OF TRUTH, how does that strengthen your confidence to engage others with the Gospel?
All this pain and evil in the world grieves us, but we do not lose hope because “we are from God” (5:19).
There are no substitutions for this hope.
We are all like little children at home in God, where we can hear God and God can hear us.
Guard yourself from worshiping anything less than the God revealed in Jesus, who lived and gave up life to show you how to live and love (paraphrase of 1 John 5:21).
