"These Things I've Written..." 1 John 5:18-21

Introduction

We have systematically broken down the book of 1 John for many weeks.

1 John 5:18–21 NASB95

18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

We have systematically broken down the book of 1 John for many weeks.

Why? The Lord has revealed that it is so important that the people of FBC Jayton be certain of who they are.

Soccer for the 1st time in Jayton. It’s difficult for our kids to be certain in doing something that they don’t have a ton of experience in.

As Christians, we can’t handle the darkness in front of us until we are certain of who we are in Jesus.

I’m not here to enlighten you of anything you’ve never heard before. The truth is right in front of us. It’s meat and potatoes. It’s our choice if we eat and allow our bodies to get stronger.

What are 3 things a Christian is certain of today?

1. Christians are certain of who they belong to. (v 18)

What did John mean whenever he said that a person born of God does not sin?

You can read this passage and question your salvation because you worry about the sin in your life.

Even to a disciple like John, people are unable to automatically cease of all sinful behavior after they become believers.

People who are “born again” do not deliberately continue walking in sinful patterns. They trust Christ’s work on the cross that defeated sin’s power.

They also confess their sins to God and receive forgiveness—allowing for God and other believers to help them overcome sin.

John indicates that salvation, or the new birth is far from a religious experience, but a true transformation that has a continuing result.

Sin and the child of God are incompatible. They may occasionally meet but they cannot live together in harmony. God and sin don’t mix.

In spite of all of this, Satan is aggressive through his work in the world.

He was doing everything he could to tear apart the unity of the church. He has in mind to destroy anything and everyone that he possibly can.

He is maliciously active in the world.

Strong and subtle, he is more than a match for him.

The truth of this passage teaches is not that the Christian keeps himself but that Christ keeps him.

The Son of God came to destroy the devil’s work, and if he keeps the Christian, the devil will not be able to harm him.

This is that “deliverance from the evil on” that we pray for at the end of the Lord’s Supper.

As an offensive lineman, I took great pride in keeping my quarterback safe.

When you are born again from this world, you in a place of safety no matter how difficult things are in the world around you.

Your soul is untouchable to the world. You don’t even get to touch it.

God is keeping you at every moment. You are held by God in spite of your decisions. Don’t be afraid to believe this because it is absolutely true. Belonging to God is blessing

You also have an expectation to not only belong to God, but to act like you belong to God.

2. Christians are certain of their identity. (v 19)

“We are of God” - John is explaining the relation of believers to God by the following phrases: To be born or begotten of God, to be of God. Establishing a new life.

The source of our spiritual life and our being is Jesus Christ.

This is a personal and particular application of the generalization of verse 18.

Christians join a family that cannot be broken. It’s actually a kingdom.

John wrote simply that believers understand that through salvation in Jesus Christ, Christians are longer part of the world.

Why do we know this?

Because the world is openly hostile to Jesus and His followers.

The experience of Jesus becomes the paradigm for discipleship:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first”. -

The Christian identity contrasts with everything that the world produces.

The evil one does not ‘touch’ the Christian, but the world is helplessly in his grasp.

People who abide by the values of human societies live under the power of the evil one—the devil.

While Christians are from God, implying a birth and a proceeding forth, and a change of state, the world and all the rest of mankind, remains in the hand of the evil one.

“Lieth” - staying in one place. The believer has been delivered out of the power of the Satan, but the whole world lays helpless and motionless still in it, just as it was; including the wise, great, respectable, and all who are not by vital union in Jesus.

Everyone is of God or under the control of Satan. There is no 3rd category.

Have you ever experienced conviction over something that you have done your whole life? Hank Hill with his buddies in the alley.

A major issue modern day Christians face is letting go of the fact that they don’t belong.

Christians will do things that are sinful that they don’t even enjoy anymore because they would rather the world feel that they belong than to live a life that fully belongs to God.

You don’t belong to the world. Stop letting your face be downcast about this.

What would you rather have? Eternal life or the opposite.

Accept that you don’t belong and live according to the purpose of God.

3. Christians are certain of the truth. (v 20)

John affirms God and His son, who are one.

1 John 1:1–2 NASB95

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—

Believers in Jesus embrace the idea of God as Son in the flesh and live according to His commands.

Jesus is the incarnation of God making Himself accessible to human thought—God opening to man the possibility of correspondence through Jesus Christ.

John provides a summary of Christian privileges in verse 20.

1. Jesus is here… His coming, work, and presence, is to us a living fact.

2. Understanding — Christ’s office is to give the inner spiritual understanding to discern the things of God. “The power and capacity to know and understand.”

3. We know that God is truth which means we know ultimate truth. God is opposed to every kind of false idol or god. Jesus, by virtue of His oneness with God, is also true.

4. Eternal life… The true God has a true life ahead for every believer.

John 17:3 NASB95

3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Our Lord is here at the end of the letter given his full title as he was at the beginning. He is Jesus the man, Christ the Messiah, and God’s eternal Son.

What is an idol? Anything that stands between people and God, whether physical or spiritual.

There was and is a need for people to be on their guard against any even indirect compromise or act of communion with idolatry.

The worship of idols, unreal and dead, is inconsistent and incompatible with that knowledge of the true God.

Going to the beach and leaving your money in your shoe. It’s better to put you money in the hand of someone that is trustworthy. It’s even better to put your money in the hand of someone that you trust more than yourself.

When your faith is in Jesus Christ, you are putting your soul into the best hands possible.

Do you view your salvation this way or is hard to have this much faith?

How many hours do you worry about something that God already took care of?

Today is the day to let it go and grow.