1 John 5: "Children of God - Living in Victory"
Pastor Robbin Foster
Letters to Friends • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 42:40
0 ratings
· 10 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Children of God: Living in His Victory by Faith
Children of God: Living in His Victory by Faith
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5
This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.
And this is the testimony, that God gave 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.
Children of God: Living in His Victory by Faith
Children of God: Living in His Victory by Faith
NOTES ABOUT THIS LETTER SO FAR: repeating themes, added layers of meaning as John brings them up again.
Our identity as 'having been born of God' - that is being adopted by God and given a new life is our foundation.
Children of God are those who believe in Jesus - that he is the Messiah, the Christ, who was born a flesh and blood, real human being, and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins - for the sins of the whole world.
Children of God believe the truth, because God is light & truth and there is no darkness in him and no unrighteousness, no deceit in him. God’s children recognize the truth, because they abide - or make their home - in God. And God abides in His children, by the Spirit whom he has given them - the Spirit of Truth.
Children of God love their father, because he loved them before they loved him. Because of His love for them, and their love for him, God’s children love one another.
Children of God express their love for their father by obeying his commands - not the Torah of Jewish law, but the commands of Jesus, this is called “walking in the light.”
We’ve heard about this all before - in John’s gospel and in chapters 2, 3 and 4. But now these themes come together in chapter 5 verses 1-6.
Children of God - Born for Victory 1 John 5:1-6
Children of God - Born for Victory 1 John 5:1-6
But now John will add another layer of meaning for the children of God. God’s children are Born for victory. Recognizing our divine birthright leads to an overcoming faith.
Everyone who believes that the Messiah is Jesus has been fathered by God. Everyone who loves the parent loves the child as well. That is how we know that we love the children of God, because we love God and do what he commands.
The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary c. A Combination of the Three Tests (5:1–5)
By John Stott
Verse 1. Neither “is born of God” (NIV), nor ‘is a child of God’ (RSV, NEB) is a very satisfactory translation of ek ton theou gegennētai, whose perfect tense means literally ‘has been born [begotten, RV] of God’. The combination of present tense (ho pisteuōn, believes) and perfect is important. It shows clearly that believing is the consequence, not the cause, of the new birth. Our present, continuing activity of believing is the result, and therefore the evidence, of our past experience of new birth by which we became and remain God’s children. Moreover, belief in Christ is congruous with birth of God just because Christ is Son of God (cf. vv. 1, 5). Clearly the sons of God will manifest the fact that they have been ‘begotten’ of God by recognizing and believing in God’s eternal, ‘only begotten’ or unique Son.
This new birth, which brings us into believing recognition of the eternal Son, also involves us in a loving relationship with the Father and his other children. Whoever has been begotten of God naturally loves him who begat him (this is to be understood in the sentence), and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
Commandments flow out of covenantal relationship. “Because you are my child, you believe that Jesus is born of God. Because you are my child and you believe in my son, you will love one another.”
Obedience is a form of worship - an expression of love and appreciation - not demanded obligation.
This is what loving God means: it means keeping his commandments. His commandments, what’s more, are no trouble, because everything that is fathered by God conquers the world. This is the victory that conquers the world: our faith.
Who is the one who conquers the world? Surely the one who believes that Jesus is God’s son! It was he who came by means of water and blood, Jesus the Messiah, not by water only but by the water and the blood. The spirit is the one who bears witness, because the spirit is the truth.
“Everything that is fathered by God conquers the world,” beginning with Jesus. We can conquer the world and all its temptations and lies, because Jesus won the victory.
I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Early Christian Letters for Everyone: James, Peter, John and Judah 1 John 5:1–12: Faith Wins the Victory
Why, to begin with, does he say ‘everything’ rather than ‘everyone’?
Who is the one who conquers the world? Surely the one who believes that Jesus is God’s son! It was he who came by means of water and blood, Jesus the Messiah, not by water only but by the water and the blood. The spirit is the one who bears witness, because the spirit is the truth.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5
VERSE 5:6
Early Christian Letters for Everyone: James, Peter, John and Judah 1 John 5:1–12: Faith Wins the Victory
The victory that conquers the world is the saving death of Jesus. And those who by faith cling on to the God who is made known personally in and as the Jesus who died on the cross—they share that victory, that conquest of ‘the world’.” (N.T. Wright)
It is the witness of the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Truth - that gives God’s children assurance of their identity and life in him.
Children of God Believe God’s Testimony - 1 John 5:7-12
Children of God Believe God’s Testimony - 1 John 5:7-12
There are three that bear witness, you see, the spirit, the water and the blood, and these three agree together. If we have received human witness, God’s witness is greater. This is the witness of God, the testimony he has borne to his son.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5
VERSE 5:7
All those who believe in the son of God have the witness in themselves, but anyone who does not believe in God has made a liar of him, because they have not believed in the witness which God bore concerning his son.
This is the witness: God has given us the life of the age to come, and this life is in his son. Anyone who has the son has life. Anyone who does not have the son of God does not have life.
Children of God Believe God’s Testimony - 1 John 5:7-12
Children of God Believe God’s Testimony - 1 John 5:7-12
In a three-fold witness, God has provided the evidence we need to recognize and trust the truth about Jesus - that he was fully human, the messiah, and the son of God, divinity in the flesh.
Water: In his baptism Jesus led the way, providing the example for all people who would follow him, confirming his humanity. The witness of the voice and the descent of the dove attest to his oneness with the Father.
Blood: When Jesus died on the cross and his body was pierced, he bled. Again proving the reality that he was a flesh and blood human being. His bodily resurrection attested to his divinity. In this he was also leading the way - making the way for all who would follow him - to new creation life, eternal life.
Spirit: The voice of the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism, on the mountain when he was transfigured, and the tongues of fire that became words of Good News, unlimited by language barriers - The Spirit also consistently witnesses to the identity of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, one with the Father.
Understanding and believing this testimony, Children of God grow confidently in faith.
If we fully accept the truth of Christ's identity and His work as Messiah, the Son of God, we can live boldly, adding the evidence of God’s transforming love in our lives to the historical testimony of the Bible and Jesus-followers who have gone before us.
3. Children of God Boldly Live in Jesus’ Victory - 1 John 5:13-21
3. Children of God Boldly Live in Jesus’ Victory - 1 John 5:13-21
How do God’s children live boldly in his victory? Let’s see what John concludes.
I am writing these things to you so that you may know that you, who believe in the name of the son of God, do indeed have the life of the age to come.
We live out or faith from the position of abiding in Christ, within his presence and with resurrection life within us.
This is the bold confidence we have before him: if we ask for something according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess the requests we have asked from him.
With his love and life within us through the Holy Spirit, we take all our concerns to the Father, asking that he supply what we need according to his will. We pray with confidence that God not only hears us, but he has already provided for us - we trust that we will see the provision, because it is already ours.
We follow Jesus example when we pray as God’s children.
John, 1 John, 2 John, & 3 John Commentary
Cornerstone Bible Commentary:
If anyone sees a brother or sister committing a sin which is not deadly, they should ask, and God will give life to the people who are sinning in a way which is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin; I do not say that one should pray about that.
All sin is unrighteousness, and there is a sin which is not deadly. We know that everyone fathered by God does not go on sinning. The one who was fathered by God keeps them, and the evil one does not touch them.
We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are wandering from the path, getting off center, giving in to temptations.
What does John mean by a sin which is deadly and a sin which is not deadly? He doesn’t explain that in this letter, suggesting that his readers would understand the distinction. Remembering that John wrote this letter to counter the false teaching, which denied the humanity of Jesus, from a group who were once part of their fellowship, but left, completely separating from the church. Perhaps he was recommending that the church should pray for those being deceived by that teaching before they cut themselves off from the truth and the fellowship of the church.
It’s easy to see that repentance of many sins is possible. We can recognize that what we are doing or the direction we are heading is wrong, with consequences that do not provide for abundant life. The Holy Spirit will speak the truth to us.
But if we believe that the voice of the Holy Spirit is the voice of the enemy - if we deny the Holy Spirit - how can we come to a point of repentance?
Let’s pray for one another that we will not be deceived by enemy voices and continue firm in the faith, following the way of Jesus.
We know that we are from God, and the whole world is under the power of the evil one. We know that the son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we should know the truth. And we are in the truth, in his son Jesus the Messiah. This is the true God; this is the life of the age to come. Children, guard yourselves against idols.
Jesus has won the victory, but the enemy refuses to recognize that. The evil one continues to lie and tries to steal what belongs to God. It’s part of the nature of our lives in this world. But it is not the whole. We have the life of the age to come through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We have the witness and the presence of the Holy Spirit. We CAN know the truth. And we can guard ourselves against the influence of the world around us.
We are unlikely to be tempted to carve a statue and worship it. That’s what we tend to picture when we think of idol worship. But those aren’t the idols that are likely to tempt us.
Think about worship in terms of allegiance and obedience. Idol worship for us is more likely to mean giving our allegiance and obedience to something or someone less than God which compromises our allegiance and obedience to God.
Putting a celebrity on a pedestal to the point that we listen to them and believe them more than we believe the Word of God, Jesus - that’s idol worship.
We might be tempted to worship ideals - such as freedom, the concept of holiness, self-sufficiency.
We might be tempted to worship money, wealth or power.
How do we guard against that? Remember the truth of our identity. We are children on God, adopted by the Father, following Jesus, led by the power of the Holy Spirit, who will never deceive us.
Children of God: Living in His Victory by Faith
Children of God: Living in His Victory by Faith
We put our faith into action. We can live confidently and victoriously in our Christian walk. As we embrace and live out our identity as children of God, we will be compelled to demonstrate love and obedience to our in all aspects of our lives.
We’ll find the Victory in Jesus.
