1 John 5:10-12

Introduction

We talked this last week going through vs. 6-9 about the great witness that Jesus Christ has.

Remember, this is not the witness of man, but of God. This witness is so much better, brighter, so much more magnificent that it is a witness that makes us all shut our mouth.

Now, I want you to think to yourself for just a moment - What implications does the recognition of this witness have in our lives? - Does it change the way we do certain things? Does it change the way we think, we way we view the world, the way we act? - Does it change the way we interact with others? - Does it change the way we view Christ? - It should

Because, what does John go on to tell us here about this witness? - Look at vs. 10 -

Verse 10

The one who believes on the Son of God hath this witness in Himself

John very clearly here is indicating the basis of this faith, this belief that we have is rooted in the very testimony of God Himself concerning His Son - and how is this relayed to us?

John is giving it here for us in His very words

Remember our study from this past week in the WCF - part of the internal witness of Holy Scripture is the fact that Christ bore witness to the apostles, and instructed them in all things necessary for salvation.

This witness, from God, by the power and illumination of the Holy Spirit, using John as a vessel (instrument) to bring this witness to His people

This is the witness that must be received, and believed upon.

Now I want you to ask yourself, have you received this witness?

If you think it necessary for any other validation to be given, you end up directly insulting God, in the rejection of His own witness.

Think about what it says here - “He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.”

Something like that would be on par with the Serpent in the garden - “Did God really say”

Hearken back to the words of St. Paul here, Romans 1:20

Romans 1:20 KJV 1900

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Man very clearly is indicated as being without an excuse

Psalm 19:1–3 KJV 1900

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork.

By natural revelation, mankind is condemned

But what we have here is special revelation

Through inspiration - John is telling us the great witness that we have of Christ

And it is not that of man - it is not the testimony of fallible human beings

And it isn’t creation itself - although creation is a witness of God

No, instead, it is the witness from God Himself.

This is the basis of faith for us as believers

There is nothing else that can be substituted for this - no other creed, confession

And again here, I want you to really think. We cannot, at this moment, ask the question, has God really said it? - This is the thought process of the devil himself.

And we must remember, many great men and leaders throughout history have succumbed to this question.

Think of the story of Luther, during the time of the Reformation

He faced a tremendous amount of pressure to conform to the traditions of man that he was convinced went against the Word of God

He was pleading with the Church to turn from the wickedness and corruption that it had given way to - and really, he was faced with this same question - “yes, but has God really said”

Not only is this a good example of the Reg. Principle of Worship, but it is a serious exhortation to us - if he would have succumbed to this question - if he would’ve forsaken the witness of God for the testimony of men - where would the church have ended up? (Note: not questioning God’s sovereignty over it)

Think for a second - we have this witness all throughout Holy Scripture

I’ve mentioned multiple the baptism of Christ - we see the witness of God the Father from heaven - “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”

We see the witness of the Holy Spirit - descending as a dove

We see on the Mountain of Transfiguration the Father says - Matthew 17

Matthew 17 ESV

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Peter says at Pentecost - Acts 2:22

Acts 2:22 KJV 1900

Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you

In many ways and at many times we see God saying - “This is my beloved Son”

If you say he is not, you make God a liar.

The Muslims - They say they believe in Jesus Christ, they say he was a great and mighty prophet “Peace be upon Him”

But they reject this witness, they reject the Sonship of the Word of God - they reject that He is the Divine Logos - they reject that He died on the Cross and was raised from the dead

My friends that is not a rejection of my personal testimony - no matter how convincing my testimony, or your testimony is - that is not what they are rejecting - They are rejecting the witness and testimony of God Himself - they make God out to be a liar

And then we have those who reject any witness of Christ all together and say He was a fool - But what does God say?

The bible says “The fool says in his heart there is no God”

If you reject the witness of Christ, you make yourself out to be a fool.

Do you see that?

Verse 11

What is the prerequisite here for eternal life?

Christ

Christ is the prerequisite - that we have Him - that We believe on Him

Spurgeon talks at this point about how this section of scripture is called a little bible

It contains a condensed version of the entirety of God’s revelation to us

He who has the Son has eternal life

This is what it is all about? All of life is predicated on not only our view but our belief in the person and work of Christ

I mean, truly - think back to when Christ is questioning the disciples about who He is

He first starts off asking about who others say He is

But then, He asks a very pointed and personal question - “Yes, but who do you say that I am?”

And that is the question here right?

Who do you say he is?

Do you say he is a prophet, or a good teacher?

Do you say He is someone who gives a good example of how we should live our lives?

Or do you repeat the great confession of Peter? “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”

Jesus Christ, with this question, is making the whole of human destiny depend upon mans relation and confession to Him

And back to our verse here, that is exactly what John is doing

If you have been given eternal life it is only because you are in the Son

To deny the Son is also to deny the Father. I lose everything if I deny the doctrine of the Son. It is the eternal Father who has planned salvation; it is the Son who came and worked out that plan; and it is God the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to it and who makes it real and actual in us all. Walking with God, 139

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)

The one who is in the Son, is in the Son because he has believed on this witness

And again, listen to this quote by Spurgeon

Take care that thy faith is of the right kind—that it is not a mere belief of doctrine, but a simple faith, depending on Christ, and on Christ alone.

Charles Spurgeon

It is only by this faith, as Spurgeon puts it, a simple faith, or we can hearken back to the words of Christ - a “Childlike” faith - it is only by this that God imparts to us eternal life

Verse 12

To the one that has this witness - this one, is the one that receives this witness - this one is the one that not only receives it as an intellectual, mechanical assent to some truth, but trusts in this witness

And the one who trusts in this witness, is the one that hath the Son

And then what does he go on to say?

“He that hath not the Son of God hath not life”

This is the cold hard reality of those who are outside of Christ?

Have you ever truly thought about it? How many people you pass every single day - that if they were to drop dead and that very second, they would spend eternity in hell and perdition

Do we believe that witness?

When I pastored a country church, a farmer didn’t like the sermons I preached on hell. He said, “Preach about the meek and lowly Jesus.” I said, “That’s where I got my information about hell.”

Havner, Vance

The meek and lowly Jesus is only meek and lowly to those who of a contrite heart and spirit

Those who are outside of Christ - those who hath not the Son of God hath not life - - - — - - - — - -

- - — - - - - - - - - — - - - - - — - - - - — - -

They are headed to this place, which the bible says is a place:

Of black darkness

of weeping and gnashing of teeth

of a lake that burns with fire and sulfur

A place with everlasting chains

of excruciating misery where the worm never dies

A place of agonizing thirst that can never be quenched

It is a place of God’s perfect justice to the sinner

And truly, I would argue the worst part of it all - it is a place where you do not get to experience the joy and glory of the Lord eternally

All of the pain, the agony, the suffering of the world pales in comparison to not being able to enjoy God forever

The “pains of hell” are not the greatest part of hell. The “loss of heaven” is the weightiest woe of hell.

John Chrysostom

What are we doing about this?

Do we believe this witness?

Pray - - - - - -

Application

As we begin to close here today - 2 things I believe are evident from this portion of scripture

1st

We must never substitute our inner testimony for the Word of God

We see here in the text that John is not attesting to his own testimony

Instead - He is calling us to accept the precious truths that God has provided for us in His word

And very clearly He is telling us that if we trust in the witness of God - it is in that - through this faith in His testimony - that we have eternal life

If you have not done this I plead with you now to do so - because if not, we see the second thing that is here

2nd

The unbeliever is lost because of unbelief.

It is because of our sins that we are judged, and rightfully so, but all of those other sins are not what make us lost

The chief sin is the reason we are lost

And that is a denial of the testimony of God

That Christ was the Son of God

That He lived a life that was free from sin and corruption

That He suffered and was buried and the third day He rose again

That He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father

I mean, think about when the Spirit of God came into the world to convict of sin - what did He begin by convicting?

He began with the most glaring and most egregious sin of all “Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me” John 16:9 -

Truly, if you are in this state I pray that God would cut you to your very bone - not just to wound but to kill - to kill your former self - so that Christ could come and make you alive

Truly I plead with you to accept the witness of God - to believe on the Son of God

The last thing I will say

We are living as sons and daughters of God - who have been given newness of life - and yet we still live in this world among the dead

Christians we must take great care in this life not to become entangled with the corruption of the dead

But, it is inevitable that we must live in this fallen world until the Lord call us home

While you’re at the school - while you’re with family - while you’re at work - you will be forced to encounter those who are dead

We must be diligent in prayer for those situations - that the Lord would give unction and power - that He would give a concise articulation of the gospel - that He would teach us what to say

We must pray

That the Holy Spirit would save them!

That they would believe on the Son of God

That they would accept the great witness of our Lord