Jesus Christ ,Misson

B. Test 2: Believing the Testimony About Christ: That He Is the Son of God (Part I), 5:6–8 (5:6–8) Introduction: Do we truly believe in God? There are four tests that will show us. The second test is striking: Do we believe the witness about Christ? There are several witnesses to Christ, strong witnesses. The question arises: Is Jesus the Christ, the true Messiah, the promised Messiah of the Old Testament prophecies? Is Jesus Christ really the Savior of men, the One sent by God to earth to save men and to give them life? Is Jesus Christ really, beyond any question, the Son of God? There are very strong witnesses that emphatically declare, “Yes!” If a person believes these witnesses, then he believes in God. If he does not accept the witnesses to Jesus Christ, then he does not believe in God, not in the true and living God. Whatever god the person believes in, that god is a god of his own imagination. Why do we say this? Because God, the true and living God, loves man—loves him so much that He has sent His Son into the world to save man. And in addition to this glorious demonstration of love, God has given witness after witness that His Son has come into the world. All men are, therefore, without excuse if they reject the witnesses to Jesus Christ. The task of man is to receive the testimony of the witnesses, to believe the testimony about His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. The mission of Jesus Christ (v. 6). 2. The testimony of the Holy Spirit (v. 6). 3. The three witnesses of heaven (v. 7). 4. The three witnesses of earth (v. 8). 1 (5:6) Jesus Christ, Mission: the mission of Jesus Christ. Note how John declares the mission of Christ: “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood” (v. 6). This may seem like a strange way to state the mission of Christ, to say that Jesus “came by water [His baptism] and blood [His death].” But remember what has just been said in verse 5: a person must “believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” Here in verse 6 John is declaring that beyond any question Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was declared to be the Son of God … • by His baptism, by the water • by His death, by the blood Both the water (His baptism) and the blood (His death) declare Him to be the Son of God. Both are extremely important. a. The baptism of Jesus Christ is a great witness to Jesus Christ. It launched His mission upon earth. Two things happened at the baptism that were most unusual. 1) The Spirit of God came upon Christ in the form of a dove. Remember that John the Baptist was to be the forerunner of the Messiah. In order to point to the Messiah, John had to know who the Messiah was and to know beyond any question. Therefore, God told John that He would give him a sign, the sign of a dove. God would cause the Spirit of God to come upon His Son in the form of a dove. By this sign John would know the Messiah. “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (Jn. 1:32–34). Note how emphatic John is. He states the glorious truth as forcefully as he can: “I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” The water, the baptism of Jesus Christ, declares emphatically that Jesus is the Son of God. 2) The voice of God proclaimed Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. ⇒ Matthew testifies that God’s voice called Jesus Christ His Son. “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17). ⇒ Mark testifies that God’s voice called Jesus Christ His Son. “And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mk. 1:11). ⇒ Luke testifies that God’s voice called Jesus Christ His Son. “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased” (Lu. 3:22). b. The blood of Jesus Christ, His death and cross, declares Him to be the Son of God. It is by His death and cross that our sins are forgiven. He bore our sins upon the cross, took our judgment and suffered the punishment for us. This is what He was doing upon the cross. And this is the glorious gospel. Since Jesus Christ took our sins and died for them, sin is removed from us. Christ has taken them off of us. We are free of sin; therefore, we become acceptable to God. Through the death of Jesus Christ, we are able to stand righteous and perfect before God. We are able to stand before God being free of sin, free because Jesus Christ took our sins and bore the judgment for them. Now note: only the Son of God could do this; only the Son of God could die for man’s sins. Why? Because God is perfect; He can accept only perfection. He can accept only the Ideal and Perfect Man. This is the reason God’s Son had to come to earth and live as a Man. He had to come and live a sinless life; He had to secure the perfect and ideal righteousness; He had to become the Ideal and Perfect Man. By becoming such, He could then offer Himself as the perfect Sacrifice for man’s sins. God would accept His sacrifice because it was the sacrifice of the Perfect and Ideal Man. It was the ideal that could cover and stand for every man. This is the point: the blood of Jesus Christ, His cross and death, declare Him to be the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is exactly what witness after witness declares. “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28). “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Ac. 20:28). “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Ro. 5:9). “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (He. 9:14). “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pe. 1:18–19). “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7). “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the firstbegotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Re. 1:5). “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Re. 7:14). “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Ro. 3:24–25). “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro. 5:6). “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Co. 15:3). “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Co. 5:15). “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Ga. 3:13). “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ep. 1:7). “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14). “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Tit. 2:14). “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (He. 9:12–14). “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Re. 5:9). 2 (5:6) Holy Spirit: the witness of the Holy Spirit that declares Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. This is what the gospel is—what has happened upon the world scene of human history: ⇒ God Himself has sent His Son into the world to save man from sin and death and condemnation. ⇒ Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, is actually the Son of God. He lived a sinless life—was the Perfect and Ideal Man who could die as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of men. And this He did when He died on the cross. He freed us from sin; therefore, we are now acceptable to God. ⇒ But note: we have to do something. We have to believe in God’s Son. Unless we honor Him by believing in Him, God does not accept us. We still carry our sins and their guilt and condemnation ourselves. This means we stand condemned by God and shall never be allowed to live with Him. This is the glorious gospel. But how can God get men to listen? How can He stir men to believe in Christ? There is only one way. He must put His Spirit upon earth to work within the hearts of men. This is the point of what is now said: “It is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth” (v. 6). Note: the Spirit of God is truth. He bears witness because He is truth. He can do nothing else but declare the truth. Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent into the world to save men; therefore, the Spirit of God must declare the truth. This is exactly what Jesus Christ promised. “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (Jn. 14:17). “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (Jn. 15:26). “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you” (Jn. 16:12–15). “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 Jn. 4:6). How does the Spirit bear witness in the world? Scripture says several ways. ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (Jn. 16:7–11). ⇒ The Holy Spirit testifies by quickening—giving life to—men when they are willing to believe in Christ. “It is the spirit that quickeneth [makes alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (Jn. 6:63). “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Co. 3:6). ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by giving the believer assurance and guaranteeing his salvation. “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Co. 1:22). “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest [guarantee] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ep. 1:13–14). “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ep. 4:30). “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 Jn. 3:24). ⇒ The Holy Spirit testifies by bearing witness with the heart of believers, assuring them that they are children of God. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Ro. 8:16). “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Ga. 4:6). “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 Jn. 3:24). “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (1 Jn. 4:13). “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth” (1 Jn. 5:6). ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by teaching the believer about Christ. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (Jn. 14:26). “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Co. 2:13). ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by living within the believer and making his body a holy temple for God. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Co. 3:16). “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Co. 6:19–20). “That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us” (2 Ti. 1:14). ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by showing believers things to come. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (Jn. 16:13). ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by giving believers the power to witness. “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until he be endued with power from on high” (Lu. 24:49). “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Ac. 1:8). “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but [the spirit] of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Ti. 1:7–8). ⇒ The Holy Spirit testifies by proclaiming the things of God through believers. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Co. 2:12–13). “For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say” (Lu. 12:12). “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (1 Jn. 2:27). ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by leading and guiding the believer. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (Jn. 16:13). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Ro. 8:14). “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death” (Ps. 48:14). “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:24). “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Is. 30:21). ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by choosing believers for special ministry and gifting them for that ministry. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (Jn. 15:16). “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them” (Ac. 13:2). “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1 Co. 12:4–11). ⇒ The Holy Spirit bears witness by quickening (making alive) the mortal bodies of believers at death. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Ro. 8:11). 3 (5:7) Witnessing—The Word—God: the three witnesses of heaven. There are three Persons in heaven who bear witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. a. There is the Father. How does the Father bear witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? There are primarily two ways. 1) The Father is behind everything: the whole plan of redemption is His plan and work. It is His Son who came to earth to make salvation possible. It is also His Spirit who is working upon earth convicting and trying to get men to repent and to trust the Son of God for salvation. The Father is bearing witness to His Son through everything that is happening in the hearts and lives of believers and in the life of the church. 2) The Father bore dynamic witness to Christ when Christ was upon the earth. ⇒ He proclaimed Christ to be His Son at the baptism of Christ. “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17). ⇒ He proclaimed Christ to be His Son by giving Him the Holy Spirit without measure so that Christ could speak the Word of God. “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him” (Jn. 3:34). ⇒ He proclaimed Christ to be His Son by enabling Him to do the very works of God. “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him” (Jn. 10:37–38). ⇒ He proclaimed Christ to be His Son by causing the very glory of God to shine through His person at the transfiguration. “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Mt. 17:5). ⇒ He proclaimed Christ to be His Son by raising Him from the dead. “I go to my Father, and ye see me no more [being raised from the dead]” (Jn. 16:10). “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Ro. 1:4). b. There is the witness of the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Word, of course, refers to Jesus Christ. John declares this in both his Gospel and Epistle. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1 Jn. 1:1). How does Christ as the Word bear witness? What does it mean to say that the Word bears witness in heaven? Remember what a word is: the expression of an idea, a thought, an image in the mind of a person. God had an idea, a thought, an image; that is, He had a message, a word that He wanted to say to the world. But He wanted to say it in person. Therefore, He sent His Son into the world to speak the Word of God. As the Son of God, Jesus Christ had the very nature of God. By nature He was perfect even as God the Father is perfect. He was God the Son sent to earth by God the Father. This means that everything Jesus Christ did was perfect. He was the very embodiment of God Himself. He was the very revelation of God. Jesus Christ was everything that God wanted to say to man; He was the very Word of God. This glorious fact means the most wonderful thing: it means that the Word of God has come to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Everything that Jesus Christ said and did is the very thought and idea of God. Jesus Christ is the very Word that God wanted to say to man. Jesus Christ, the Word of God, bears witness to Himself. We can look at His words and deeds and see that He is the Son of God. We can look at the picture of God—the image, the idea, the expression of God—that Jesus Christ painted, and we can tell that He is the Son of God. All that He said, did, and was is the perfect picture of God. It is the perfect description, the perfect Word of God. The Word, Jesus Christ Himself, bears witness that He is the Son of God. c. There is the Holy Spirit (see note 2, Holy Spirit—1 Jn. 5:6 for discussion). (Note: most scholars and most translations, almost without exception, agree that verse 7 was added by some copyest long after John wrote this epistle. Checking almost any translation of the Scripture will show that most Bibles omit the verse. The verse does not seem to be in any of the authentic Greek manuscripts. William Barclay gives an excellent discussion for the position that omits the verse. Matthew Henry gives an excellent discussion for the position that maintains the verse. Referring to these two commentators will give the two varying positions.) 4 (5:8) Witnessing: the three witnesses upon earth that declare Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. Note that all three of these witnesses agree; they have only one message that they declare—Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Therefore, man must believe that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (1 Jn. 5:5). This is the only way that we can overcome and conquer the sin and death and condemnation of this world. Belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is the only way man can dwell forever with God. a. There is the witness of the Spirit (see note 2, Holy Spirit—1 Jn. 5:6 for discussion). b. There is the witness of the water or baptism of Jesus Christ (see note 1, Jesus Christ, Mission, pt. 1—1 Jn. 5:6 for discussion). c. There is the witness of the blood or cross and death of Jesus Christ (see note above, pt. 2—1 Jn. 5:6 for discussion). C. Test 3: Believing the Testimony About Christ: That He Is the Son of God (Part II), 5:9–15 1. The testimony or witness of God Himself a. God’s testimony is greater than any testimony of man 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. b. God’s testimony lives within the heart of the believer c. God’s testimony is rejected by unbelievers 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. d. God’s testimony is clearly stated 1) God has given us eternal life through His SonDS1 2) He who has the Son has life, & he who does not have the Son does not have life 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 2. The testimony of John a. A person can be assured of eternal life 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. b. A person can be assured of answered prayer 1) If we are in Christ 2) If we ask according to God’s will 3) If we know that God hears prayer 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. C. Test 3: Believing the Testimony About Christ: That He Is the Son of God (Part II), 5:9–15 (5:9–15) Introduction: Do we truly believe in God? We can tell by testing ourselves, by asking this one question: Do we believe the testimonies about Christ? This passage covers two dynamic testimonies. 1. The testimony or witness of God Himself (vv. 9–12). 2. The testimony of John (vv. 13–15). 1 (5:9–12) Witnesses—Eternal Life: the testimony or witness of God. Note four significant points. a. God’s testimony is greater—far greater—than the testimony of men (v. 9). We believe the testimony of men, we accept what they say as true. ⇒ Spouses believe the word of one another. ⇒ Children believe the word of parents and teachers. ⇒ Businessmen believe the word of employers. ⇒ Juries believe the testimony of witnesses.