The Proof of Love, The Promise of Life

Intro

We are nearing the end of our study of 1 John. over the next two weeks we will look at the last chapter. John saved some of the best for last. The truths that we are going to read today are going to reveal to us how we can show that we love God. We have talked a lot about God’s love, we have seen that when God the source of love, shows us his love in action towards us, if we aren’t also led to action, then we never truly experienced his love. Today we will see what those actions are, and how can make sure we have the eternal life given to us through Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:1–5 NIV

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

In this passage John carries over the idea from the last chapter that loving God and loving his children are connected. Now he takes it even further by first reminding us that believing that Jesus is the Christ is how we are made children of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. The idea here is that you cant love God without loving Jesus, as well as our fellow children of God.

1. You Can’t Embrace the Father and Reject His Family.

Jesus is the first born of all God’s children. His sacrifice on the cross is the means by which God’s is able to bring us into his family. Those who believe Jesus is the Christ are born again into God’s family as His children. Jesus and our fellow Christians are God’s family. You can’t say you love him if you don’t care about loving Jesus or fellow Christians.

My kids are probably the most socialized homeschoolers of all time, they are constantly around you all. They have been to Panama City with your students, They play with many of you on Wednesday nights before class. They went with us on mission trip last year to Echoing Hills, I got to watch them serve special needs adults alongside our church members, and they loved it they cant wait to go back. They had a great time at our silent dace party at student night last week. I tell you all that to say this. For those of you with kids im sure you have experienced the same thing. The people that I have gotten the closest to. The friendships that have grown the most are with the people who haven’t just loved me and Alysa in our time here but have loved our kids.

The students who let them sit with them on bus for a few minutes on the way to Panama City, Thomas Costner and Connor Mason who let all the kids throw him in jail on Wednesday nights, Patti Swearingen who has had my kids over for special sleepovers, Anna, Addison, and Addie who always seek out my girls on Sunday Mornings to ask how their week was, Kristen and Lauren Stump who always make them feel special, Julie Corrado who lets them sit with her at football games, Brandi Mason, and Jennifer Clinton who show all our kids so much love each week in Sunday School. Tamara Hallel who is always intentively listening to them talk about their favorite movie of the week is. Chucky and Katee Blalock who are trying to set arranged marriages with our kids. Beth Costner who brought them back mickey ears from Disney, Jim and Katrina Milligan who have had us in their home and let them play with the toys they have for their grandkids, Micheal and Sarah Beth Moore who let them hold baby Charlotte up while she was learning to walk, Ashley Reddick who always encourages their dance “skills, Larry Brown who for years came on Sunday nights just to watch my kids so we could have student night, I could go on and on it would be impossible for me to list every church member who has loved our kids. but the point is you feel a special love from people who love your kids. If you are a parent you’ve experienced that. And if you have been around this church long enough you have definetly experienced it.

in other settings however You have most likely also had people ignore or be dismissive of your kids. Your kid wants to tell them about what happened on a random cartoon that they have never seen and instead of smiling and asking questions pretending to be interested they try to ignore them and are just focused on talking to you.

As a parent who loves your kids you never feel as unloved as when you do when people don’t love your kids.

John in this passage is saying with God it is the same thing. We cant say we love and embrace God while rejecting his family. That doesn’t show him love. If you don’t love Jesus who is one with him and you don’t love other believers who are made in the image of him. How can you say you love him?

If you came up to me and said hey Daniel I love you but I really hate Alysa. Which most likely would be the other way around. I would not feel loved. If you said I love you but I cant stand your kids. Our relationship is not going to go deeper if you don’t also love the things I love most. Your love for God cannot go deeper it cant be a complete love if you hate what he loves. and God’s love for his children is stronger than any fathers love. If you don’t love what he loved so much he died for how can you say you love him? You can’t embrace the father and reject his family.

Most likely you love and believe in the idea of a higher power rather the living God of the Bible. How can we know that we love the family? How can we recognize that we love God? He tells us in verses 2 and 3

1 John 5:2–3 NIV

This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

We know that we actually love the children of God if we love God and keep his commands. and if we are keeping his commands out of the love we have for him they are not burdensome.

2. God’s Commands can’t Burden a Heart full of God’s Love

If our hearts have been filled with the love of God. Our love back to him is not an emotional experience, it is a moral commitment. God showed us His love with action by sending Jesus to die for us. Now we show our love as action by putting our faith in him for salvation and obeying his commands.

When we obey out of love it is not burden that weighs us down. That doesn’t mean that God’s laws are not demanding, but it does mean that God’s laws are not oppressive or crushing. They are not a horrible weight that there is no way we can bear it. God’s moral standards are high, But God gives us grace to help us live up to that standard and forgiveness when we fall short.

Followers of Christ practice love prompted obedience.

I do not keep my marriage vows because I am obligated to. I keep my marriage vows because I love my wife and want to honor her. Even if she goes to Disney without me.

It is the love of God that John has spoken about through this whole book that strengthens believers to obey. Remember Jesus called out the pharisees for making up laws. saying they were tying heavy loads and putting them on men’s shoulders.

Jesus does not weigh down his people with meaningless laws that do affect the heart. He gives commands that reveal the heart of God and direct our hearts towards God.

Many people do not place their faith in Jesus because they don’t want to obey his commands. That may be you today you don’t want to go all in with Jesus because you think you will have to follow a bunch of rules. and that sounds like a burden. and you dont want to commit to something you dont think you can live up to and be a hypocrate. We have to do lots of things in our lives that feel like burdens.when you experience the love of God

Following God’s commands is not one of them. In fact it is the opposite. when we keep his commands because of the love we have for him we get more freedom. and we receive victory over the world like it talks about in verses 4 and 5. following God’s commands in response to his love for us frees us from being bound by our own sinful desires that we cant control on our own.

What do you think feels more freeing. Being a slave to a desire that you know feels good for a moment but is hurting you long term. and no amount of willpower can get you to stop even though you want to. Or following the commands from a loving God that are designed to make your heart like God’s which allows you to be free from yourself and experience true victory?

The choice is clear God’s commands aren’t a burden, they set us free when follow them because we love God and his family.

1 John 5:6–12 NIV

This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

At first glance you look at these verse and you are like what is going on. Theres water, blood, and spirit testifying. What does that mean? In Jewish law you had to have three eyewitness accounts for something to be proven true. John is saying the water, Jesus’ baptism when Jesus’ ministry began with God saying from heaven here is my Son who I am well pleased, Then his blood shed on the cross that caused darkness at 3 in the afternoon, earthquakes, and the temple veil being torn. signs from God of who Jesus is. and then the Holy Spirit who speaks through the word convincing hearts of individuals.

These three things The water, the blood, and the Spirit proclaim the same thing. What do they proclaim?

3. To Have Jesus is to Have Life

The water, the blood, the spirit they come to gether to say To have Jesus is to have life. God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. Believing in Jesus as the Son of God is to accept God’s testimony about His son. You believe Jesus is who God says he is, and you receive life. Jesus isn’t just a way to have a better life. He is life itself. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the source of all life. To be in relationship with them is to experience true life.

When he says whoever has the son has life. It is in present tense meaning we don’t believe and then wait around and then get to experience eternal life when we die. The life have in Jesus starts now. When we believe the testimony of the father about who his son is we receive it now. The full and and abundant life that Jesus promised us starts now. We live the full and abundant life when we love the father, love his family, and follow his commands that turn our hearts to be more like His. We experience the life God wants us to live, the best that he’s given us when we become more like Him. We experience better life when we are connected to and living like the source of life in Jesus.

That is all incredible, but if to have Jesus is to have life, then John finishes this section by pointing out whoever does not have Jesus does not have life.

Without Jesus there is no eternal life. Without Jesus there is no abundant life, without Jesus there is no freedom from sin, without Jesus God’s commands do feel like a burden, Without Jesus we cant love the rest of God’s family. Without Jesus we can do nothing. Without Jesus we are dead.

Conclusion

If you are hear today and you refuse to believe God’s testimony on who Jesus is. You are dead. But it doesn’t have to stay that way you can experience true life and it can happen today.

Before you are given that chance we are going to celebrate the new life that Jesus has given us by stopping to remember how it is we are able to receive it. Through his body being broken, and his blood being spilled so that you and I may live.

1 Corinthians 11:23–25 CSB

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”