"These Things I've Written..." (1 John 5:5-12)

Introduction

The world has been taken to court…

Why?

Man, who God created in His image to honor Him sinned and lives in disobedience.

The world we live in today sees it the other way around.

We live in a world of division.

Opinions are now treated as fact by the world. Especially opinions about Jesus Christ.

We (the church), must decide.... What is THE ultimate truth?

We have been taught through Johns epistle that the ultimate truth is found in believing that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Faith is what we have been searching for? Our faith is the weapon that will lead us through this dark and difficult road of life.

Why is faith so conquering?

Faith in God is credible in the court.

Why is faith in God credible?

1 John 5:5–12 NASB95

5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

1. There is Heavenly Representation in the life of Jesus Christ. (5-6)

Faith is found in the man/woman that believes.

At the moment of belief, man is absorbed into being one with Jesus Himself.

Mans identity finds a new address for their life in Heaven.

Why?

Water

Matthew 3:13–17 NASB95

13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15 But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

In , we read where John the Baptist baptized Jesus with water in the Jordan River.

It was here that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus and declared His purpose to fulfill all righteousness.

Today, people are baptized by the hundreds in the Jordan River. It is a special place, but not because of the water. Jesus, through the water was inaugurated publicly as the messiah.

Blood

In the Jewish faith and many other faiths for that matter, blood must be brought before God for the forgiveness of sin.

A priest, anointed by god would kill the animal brought by the sinner and kill it at the door of the temple, collect its blood, and carry it himself into the holy place of the temple to God.

Through obedient sacrifice, God would provide a ritual cleansing over that particular sin.

Effective, but burdensome and expensive.

In Jesus Christ, He didn’t bring the blood of a calf or goat. He was crucified on this earth, and through His own blood, sacrificed Himself, too our sins into the most Holy place and covered them fully in Himself.

Two historical facts point to the major reality that Jesus was not simply a man.

Two sacraments

Baptism - Bringing in the word of God through man in Jesus.

Lords Supper - Purification and salvation.

He is the Christ and He came by blood as well as water.

This is why Jesus commanded the church to participate in baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We are to remind ourselves of the water and the blood.

With man:

Water is just water.

John the Baptist could only baptize with water.

Blood is just blood.

The priest could offer a sacrifice for mans present sin, but not future.

When we claim our faith in Jesus, there was water that began the work of God and blood that finished it for the sake of all mankind to be forgiven of sin.

The Holy Spirit is in place to open the eyes of the the sinner. The reality of this should tell us that God provided plenty for you and I to have faith in what He is doing right now. We don’t have to question everything in fear. We can see that God did it all the way that it was supposed to be and He’s not done redeeming the world back to Himself.

2. There are credible witnesses to Jesus’ testimony. (7-9)

According to John, there are 3 witnesses that testify about the true humanity of Jesua and His crucifixion.

Two are three witnesses were required to offer an adequate testimony under Mosaic law.

On earth, the context requires three witnesses.

John used this to explain the message to His Jewish audience.

The witnesses are the Holy Spirit, the water, and the blood.

They all agree in their testimony of Jesus.

Sacramental grace in baptism.

The atoning result of the blood.

Internal witness of the Spirit.

All three witnesses verify that Jesus is the messiah who came to take sin away from the world.

When one of our children testify that someone mistreated them, I’ve been around long enough to not take the story seriously until I’ve learned that story from several credible witnesses.

People have a choice between two testimonies.

Which proof is more valid?

If we will accept the witnesses of men who tell the truth, how much more ought we to accept the witness of God the Father?

He didn’t just make all things happen for people to just believe blindly without reason.

The witness of Jesus is divine and ought to be humbly recieved by man.

3. True Faith Offers a Strong Result. (10-12)

The burden of proof stands against those who deny that Jesus came in the flesh. They are disputing with God, who only speaks truth.

Having faith in God offers the highest credibility.

John writes that the gap is wide betwen belief and disbelief.

Belief provides a covering and offers a path to high places with God.

Guilt that resulted in punishment is cleared offering eternal life.

Disbelief offers you nothing and forfeits the possibility of receiving any further testimony from God because you rejected the 1st and made Him out to be liar.

There is nothing left to clear your guilt.

John forgets the unbeliever in 11-12 and explains the blessing granted to the believer who receives and responds.

Eternal life in Heaven.

Eternal life that starts on Earth.

Free gift which God gives to those who believe in His Son, and the gift of life itself. True fellowship with God.

Making fajitas with Tricia. “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”

3 Important truths are taught in these verses about eternal life.

It is not a prize which we have earned or could earn but an undeserved gift.

It is found in Christ, so that, in order to give us life, God both gave and gives His Son.

This gift of life in Christ is a present possession.

Can be recieved and enjoyed here and now.

The end of verse 12 offers a warning…

Unbelievers will know at length as the suffer Hell how serious it was not to have Jesus.

Does knowing that reality give us as believers a responsibility?