1 John 5:1-13: Faith that Overcomes

Introduction

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ghost-haunting-this-south-carolina-town-might-have-an-earthly-explanation-scientist-says-180985975/ - We want answers - Can we overcome the fear of the darkness of night? You can when you know the truth…

Can we overcome a dark world, a world ridden by sin and death? And, can we overcome our own insecurities, doubts, worries, anxieties, and sinfulness? Yes - when you know the truth and walk in the truth.

1 John 5:13 - John wrote these words so that you might believe in Jesus and know you have eternal life.

Maybe this morning, you walk into this room with doubts and questions about your relationship with God. “If I struggle with the same sins, am I really saved?” “Why don’t I feel as passionate about God as I used to?” “Why don’t I see more fruit in my life?” “If I don’t always love others well, does that mean my faith isn’t real?” “Why don’t I always feel God’s presence?” “Can I lose my salvation if I mess up too badly?”

If you are struggling with any of these questions, this passage is for you. As we begin to conclude this letter John wants to reassure us in our faith. He wants us to know that we are saved. He wants us to know that we have a faith that overcomes our doubts, our sins, our worries, our inadequacies, etc.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you don’t have to wrestle with doubts about your salvation. Instead, you can rest in what Christ has done.

I want to show you from this text two characteristics of a faith that overcomes.

A faith that overcomes is never passive.

vs. 1 - John loves to talk about how believers of Jesus are born again. John 3:3 - the famous conversation with Nicodemus. You cannot enter the Kingdom of God unless you are born again. 1 John 3:9 - Everyone who is born of God does not sin.

What does it mean to be born again? Being born again isn’t merely a churchy phrase. It’s God raising your life from the dead and giving you brand new life with purpose.

The new birth is of God - John 1:13 - believers born not of blood or will of flesh, but of God.

The new birth requires faith - God opened your eyes to your need for salvation and you responded by believing in the person and work of Christ (John 3:16).

The new birth gives you a new identity - born into a a new family - God as your father - not the enemy (1 John 3:8). BUT - a Son of God - (Galatians 4:7).

The new birth gives you a new nature - 2 Corinthians 5:17 - new desires - you want to live for your Father.

How do you know if you’ve been born again? (vs. 2) This is what John has been helping us to understand. You can know if you have been born again because there’s evidence in your life: you believe, you love, you obey. In these verses, John brings all three of these pieces of evidence together.

Genuine salvation is NOT passive. It’s active. Works do not save us, but genuine faith is always accompanied by works (James 3) or fruit.

vs. 3 - Living out your faith - obeying God is not a burden because obedience flows out of your new nature. In our new nature, we desire to live in God’s will because the Gospel transforms. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy. We might struggle with the old self, but the Spirit lives within us transforming our desires.

vs. 4 - This is the kind of faith (new birth) that conquers the world - a transforming faith - a faith that is confident in what Jesus has done. Real saving faith conquers the world. The more you walk in transforming faith, the more you’re assured that you have overcome the world.

Conquers the world? We’re not of this world. This world cannot take away what Christ has done in us. We belong to a different Kingdom - our enemy has been defeated, and we await the return of Christ.

A faith that conquers the world is not a passive faith. John’s made this clear throughout the entire letter.

Many who claim Christ settle for a passive faith:

a faith that claims Christ but does not obey Christ. Active faith obeys when its costly.

A faith that consumes from the church. Overcoming faith loves sacrificially without expectation of anything in return.

A faith that gives up when trials come - easily swayed by the world because there are no roots. Overcoming faith endures because of hope in Christ.

A faith that lives as if everything depends on your efforts instead of relying on the Spirit.

Passive faith might profess Christ with the lips but little evidence of real transformation.

How can you live out an overcoming faith?

Look back - Have you been born again? What’s the evidence? What’s the evidence right now that you are walking in new life?

Look in - Do you see sin ruling instead of Jesus ruling? Confess Jesus as Lord, or confess areas in your life that are not consistent with new life. Confess and repent. The Christian life is a life of continual evaluation and confession (1 John 1:9).

Look up - How often do you actually ask God to help you put on the new self? He will point out areas of sin, but also areas where you need to grow. He will help you grow as you put yourself in a position to experience growth. E.g., through the spiritual disciplines. An undisciplined life is a straying life.

Look ahead - In those areas where the Spirit reveals you need to take steps of faith, take them.

A faith that overcomes is never uncertain.

Our faith is certain because it’s rooted in the certainty of the Gospel.

Who is the one who conquers (vs. 5) - the one who believes… Believes what? What the Scripture bears witness to.

vs. 6 - Jesus came by water and blood. Water likely a reference to baptism. The baptism of Jesus inaugurated His ministry. At His baptism, the Father spoke, “This is my beloved Son…” The baptism of Jesus testifies to who Jesus is and what He came to do. He is the Son of God who came to identify with sinners by being among us, loving us, living for us, and ultimately dying for us. The baptism of Jesus is a preview of what He came to do. When you are baptized you are identifying with the One who identifies with you.

Blood - a reference to the crucifixion - on the cross, the beloved Son of God identified with sinners by dying in our place the death that we deserve only the rise again from the dead three days later.

The Spirit - The Spirit points us to the truth of Jesus. The Spirit opens our eyes to our need for the One who lived, died, and rose again for us (John 14-15). The Spirit moved the Gospel writers to write down eyewitness accounts of Jesus so we can read for ourselves the historical account of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

These three witnesses testify to Jesus (Deuteronomy 19:15). John using OT reference to strengthen his argument.

The testimony of the Spirit (God) is greater than human testimony (vs. 9) God Himself has shown us that we can trust His plan for our redemption. If you believe in God, this testimony is within you (vs. 10). You know the truth, and the truth reassures your heart.

The one who does not believe makes God a liar in his own heart, because the evidence is there, and the one who does not believe rejects the evidence (vs. 10).

vs. 11-13 - The testimony of God - eternal life is found in Christ, in believing in Him and allowing that belief to transform you. If you have the Son, you have life. John writes to assure us so that we can know we have eternal life.

John wants us to have certainty - he wants us to look at our lives for evidence of our faith, but ultimately, He wants us to look to Jesus as the object of our faith.

John is screaming to us: Look what Jesus has done for you. On those days you don’t feel saved, or doubt your salvation, run to the truthful of the water, the blood, and Spirit that testify that eternal life is found in faith in Christ. Remember the work of salvation.

Whenever you don’t “feel” saved, or have doubts about your salvation, remember:

Your failures don’t cancel God’s promises to you.

Your fears don’t negate God’s victory in your life.

Your weakness doesn’t nullify Christ’s strength in you.

Your inconsistencies don’t undermine your salvation.

Your questions don’t override God’s truth.

Your past doesn’t disqualify you from eternal life.

Your struggles don’t diminish God’s love for you.

Your temptations don’t remove you from God’s family.

Your unfaithfulness doesn’t erase God’s faithfulness.

Your doubts don’t make God a liar.

Your obedience—or lack thereof—doesn’t earn or lose eternal life.

Your insecurities don’t affect your identity in Christ.

Remember: no repentance is evidence of no salvation, but struggling in your faith is NOT evidence of no salvation. Struggling with faith is different than rejecting faith.

When you feel uncertain in your faith:

Look for evidence of the Spirit’s work. Because if you’re a follower of Jesus is there. E.g., conviction, growth in a specific area of your life, where your character has developed, when you’ve shared the Gospel, etc.

Combat feelings of uncertainty with moments of devotion. Why Scripture memory is so important. Ask God to bring verses to mind to help you in that moment. Begin to praise God. Begin to thank God for the Gospel.

This morning, if you are not a follower of Jesus, you can have certainty of eternal life if you place your faith in the One who lived, died, and rose again for you. Repent of your sins and turn to Him by faith.