True Salvation
Notes
Transcript
Intro to 1 John
Intro to 1 John
Book Type: General letter, also called a “epistle,” meaning a general letter. One of the apostle John’s five books. 23rd book of the New Testament.
Author: The apostle John is the traditional author of this book, though the text does not specifically name the author. The author notes an eyewitness relationship with Jesus (1 John 1:1–4). External evidence is found in many early sources. Aside from that the writing style and language is very similar to that of the Gospel of John.
Audience: First John is one of five New Testament books written by the apostle John. The others are the Gospel of John, 2 John, 3 John, and the book of Revelation. This is the first of his three letters in the New Testament. Its recipients were clearly believers, but no specific audience is mentioned. Since John traditionally ministered among churches in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in his later years, this letter was most likely written to one or more of these congregations.
This letter’s audience was clearly dealing with problems related to false teachers. John warns against them throughout this entire writing. John also develops themes of fellowship, Christ-like love, forgiveness of sins, and assurance of salvation. It has been suggested that John’s audience was already well aware of the basics of the gospel message, since these are not included in this letter. Instead, John focuses on specific needs related to the congregation.
There are many connections between 1 John and the Gospel of John.
Date: Unknown. Most likely written around the same time as the Gospel of John and the letters 2 and 3 John; between AD 80–95.
So for today we will be looking at the first 4 verses on the first chapter in the first of John’s 3 letters.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Golf rule situation with Lyndon.
Me reading putts on the green, like to see the very subtle slopes, want to give myself best chance to make the putt, get down low on my hands and even on my knees.
Told that getting onto my knees is against the rules, told that out of genuine care for the integrity of the game, that it prevents damage to the green, not condemning me just wanted to make sure I understood the rule, again integrity of the game.
Threw me off that first round, changed the way I went about my putting routine, actually made my game digress some by losing more strokes on the green.
The problem, that is not an actual rule, he didn’t intentionally mislead me he thought it was, but even in his sincerity it damaged my scores for a week or so till I found the correct ruling and went back to my legal putting routine.
That is my best attempt at painting a picture of what we see John addressing in this letter. We see him addressing some false teachings that were going on at the time and even though these teachings may have been coming from a sincere heart they were sill false and therefore leading to false conversions and people not knowing the true Christ and finding comfort in a false salvation.
This is why the gospel is important. Rightly knowing, understanding and having a correct understanding of the gospel is what keeps us from having a false sense of security in a salvation that isn’t actually a gospel centered salvation and therefor isn’t actually salvation at all.
What the Gospel isn’t.
Back when I found myself doing jail time in Salt Lake County I would go to Good News bible study. It was a solid bible study, only some much could be taught in a 45 minute class every week or two and God in His foreknowledge for my life hadn’t fully opened my eyes to the scriptures yet. But a desire was definitely budding inside me.
A few years later I said that prayer on the the jail cell floor here in Price that you’ve heard me mention before, and I fully believe in that moment that God fully ignited that desire. So know what? Like a hungry kid digging through the cupboard for snacks I was seeking out church services, Christian recovery groups, and all the sermons I could find. This landed me on YouTube a lot.
Now keep in mind I have no clue what the gospel actually is so I’m going down these rabbit holes online and I come across this one dude. He looks pretty cool, he has these killer dreads and the title of the video is Todd White’s testimony of how God saved him from a life of drug addiction. Boom! Right?
That’s what I’m fighting that’s what I need to hear. And man I was sucked in so dang fast. I’m watching all these videos. He’s saying and doing all these amazing things. He’s finding these people on the streets and healing them, he’s bringing them to the Lord and taking care of all of the struggles in their lives by leading them in this prayer. Saying God I am a sinner and my life is a mess and I don’t want this depression anymore so Jesus I’m asking you into my heart and accepting you as my Lord and Savior. Boom right it down! Boen again, names in the Lambs book of life. Done deal!
Or so the person walked away thinking, but wait a minute the was know talk of repent and believe. There was no talk of the ongoing ethics of confession and repentance. There was none of that talk because there was never any mention of sin. He never spoke of the one inherited need that we all have. The fact that we are all sinners and God being a just God cannot just look the other way. He was reading people like a menu and finding their man centered needs. Oh you have depression, anxiety, drug addiction, suicidal tendencies, no big deal we can fix that just repeat after me.
It wasn’t till some time after I started attending this church that I started to hear the actual Gospel that came from the bible itself as the baseline. That the gospel didn’t actually have anything do do with me but that it was the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was, is and always has been all about Him! This bible was never the baseline for any of the other things I was feeding myself.
A gospel message void of biblical truths is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ it’s merely a false gospel. So the we get people saying well the bible is flawed it was written by men and has been changed more time than we know.
I love Voddie Baucham’s explanation of the bible.
“I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and they claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.”
“I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and they claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.”
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
The Eternality of Jesus
He is not a created being, he is not a good teacher, or trustworthy profit, He is God who took on the flesh and has always existed. That which was from the beginning. You want to understand the Gospel understand the nature and person of Jesus Christ. He is co-eternal with the Father. Let’s look to the baseline of where this understanding comes from.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Where jesus looks at the pharisees and says
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
Jesus Christ is co-eternal with the Father.
John is leading out with this because this is something that’s being falsely taught in his area in his time.
We see language like "these things we write to you that your joy may be full" - 1Jo 1:4 "these things I write to you, that you may not sin" - 1Jo 2:1 "these things I have written to you...that you may know that you have eternal life" - 1Jo 5:13 "these things I have written to you...that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" - 1Jo 5:13
While these reasons may state the positive purpose for John's letter, it appears he was also responding to errors prevalent at the time
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
Even if not fully developed in Johns day, there was at least a precursor to Gnosticism.
Those who later came to be called Gnostics claimed to have a superior knowledge (the Greek word for knowledge is gnosis). A fundamental presupposition was that all matter was evil. Therefore they believed that God did not create or have anything to do with the material universe (rather, it was created by a demi-god). Also, that Christ could not have come in the flesh.
One branch of Gnosticism, Docetism (dokein, "to seem"), taught that Jesus only seemed to be physical. Cerinthus, taught that "Jesus" was physical, but that the "Christ" came upon Him at his baptism, and then left before His death, so that the "Christ-spirit" never suffered.
The Gnostics application to everyday living took two different directions. Since all matter was considered evil, some taught one should abstain altogether from anything that would satisfy the flesh. Others claimed it did not matter what one did in the flesh it was evil anyway, and to have "full knowledge" it was proper to explore everything.
John’s purpose therefore appears to be two-fold:
Assure Christians that they have eternal life. Counter those who denied that Jesus had come in the flesh.
The Humanity of Jesus
So as we saw the other belief he was battling with the gnostics was the humanity of Jesus some claimed he was just a spirit.
You want to know the difference between those teachings and the things we see in the bible?
Look at those first two verses again.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands.
These are countless testimonies of people who saw, heard and even touched Jesus in the flesh. Before and after his resurrection and in groups of large numbers of people.
All of these things we see being taught today by these wolves in sheep's clothing are new revelation. New revelation that don’t quite fit scripture, but God revealed them to me. Off in a forest, or alone in a room, or in a dream. Nothing that anyone else can confirm. I heard God speak to me audibly… but nobody else heard it.
But look at the biblical evidence we have of his humanity.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This verse highlights the incarnation of Jesus where he took on human flesh.
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
This verse speaks to Jesus humbling himself and taking on human form to serve humanity.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
This one is important because without taking on the sin nature of an earthly body which was passed down through Adam. Because without taking on sin he would not have overcome sin.
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
Then here we see John point out that acknowledging Jesus’ physical manifestation is essential to understanding his identity as the Son of God.
Thes things are so important to understand because one can’t be wrong about Jesus and be right with God. It doesn’t matter how sincere you are.
Two backpacks, one has a sheet, one has a parachute. I can be 100% sincere in believing that both have parachutes but it’s not my sincerity that will save me. It’s only the pack with a parachute. It’s not the sincerity with which we love Jesus if we’re loving the wrong Jesus and not understand the person and work of the Jesus of the bible.
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
In these verses we see the importance of rightly proclaiming the Gospel, rightly defining the Jesus of the bible and the importance of a right response to the Gospel.
That which we have seen and heard we proclaim to you- Right proclamation of the Gospel.
So that you may too have fellowship with us- Right response to the Gospel.
Because on those things hinge fellowship with God, and fellowship with God means avoiding eternal separation from God.
So why is it important to have a right understanding of the Gospel? One that is based on a right understand of the deity and humanity of the Jesus of the bible? Because without it lost souls are condemned to that eternal separation from God.
So now look at his last sentence from verse 4
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Why would this bring us complete joy?
It brings us complete joy because it means the Gospel is saturating people lives and they are being saved and redeemed and are no longer condemned to eternal separation from God.
We should want this more than any other thing in out lives!
But sometimes the reality is for some of us is that we are more concerned with...
How will our joy ever be complete if lost souls are being condemned to hell?
So this correct understanding isn’t a crown that we put on our heads and look down on others because we got it all figured out. It’s not a crown that we put on our head because we spend Sunday mornings in church and other’s are out there doing different things on a Sunday morning.
It’s an understanding we put on because we know without right understanding and right response of the Gospel lost souls are being condemned.
I pray that God would give me the attitude that’s present here and 1st John 1:4 and that my joy is not complete just looking down my nose at other people because they don't go where I go on Sunday’s. My joy is only complete when the gospel penetrates the hearts and lives of lost sinners and rescues them from where they're headed now and puts them on a new path. And redeems their life, redeems their future, redeems their family! That's what we're about. That's what we gotta be about and if your joy can be made complete without that then you don't understand the gospel. Because once we understand the gospel our joy is never complete unless and until the gospel is having its full impact and full effect in here and it's full impact and full effect out there.
Only at the point or redemption for lost souls is our joy complete. Only at the point of redemption. Do we always get it? No, but that's God's business not ours.
We just proclaim, and we continue to proclaim, and we proclaim, and proclaim and proclaim again. And some of the people to whom we need to proclaim our individuals who think they're among us because they've heard a perversion of the gospel. They've heard a man centered, emotionally and spiritually manipulative Jesus exists to make you happy version of the gospel.
But what they need to hear is that the God of this universe created this world and everything in it. He owns it. He runs it and He reigns supreme over it and that means you got a problem. And your problem is your sin. And God addresses your problem.
How? Because that King, that Master wrapped himself in flesh and entered into history as a man. He entered into history as a man and revealed himself to men so that they could record for us the fact that number one he kept the whole law and was righteous. And therefore he can impute righteousness to those who place their faith in him.
And number two, he died for sin once for all. The just for the unjust. In order he might bring us back to God, and because of his active and passive obedience he pays the penalty that we owe. And he can impute to us righteousness and then and only then can you and I stand forgiven before a holy and just and righteous God when we repent of our sin and place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And not before. That's what we proclaim. Amen?
Amen