The Marks of a Believer
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The Marks of a Believer
The Marks of a Believer
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
What are the characteristics of a believer?
Are there signs we should look for ?
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
elaborate here
There are marks of a fan
There are marks of a runner - habits
There are marks of a father
Marks of a Beliver
I Keeping His Commandments
I Keeping His Commandments
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 john 2
John is about to give the true marks of those who are in the Christian fellowship. The first is obedience.
We can have assurance concerning our relationship with God if our life is characterized by a loving desire to do His will.
These verses are doubtless aimed at the Gnostics who professed to have a superior knowledge of God, but who showed little interest in keeping the commandments of the Lord. John shows that such knowledge is hollow and worthless.
Do not act what we say .....
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
illustration - gossip, slander etc …
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
John describes the believer’s obedience in a threefold way—keeping
(v. 5); walking as He walked (v. 6). There is a definite progress in thought. To keep His commandments is to obey the teachings of the Lord Jesus as found in the NT. To keep His word means not only obedience to what is written, but a desire to do what we know would please Him. To walk as He walked is the full expression of God’s standard for His people; it means to live as Jesus lived.
His commandments (v. 3);
keeping His word(v. 5);
walking as He walked (v. 6). There is a definite progress in thought. To keep His commandments is to obey the teachings of the Lord Jesus as found in the NT.
To keep His word means not only obedience to what is written, but a desire to do what we know would please Him.
To walk as He walked is the full expression of God’s standard for His people; it means to live as Jesus lived.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
They say they know him but ....
2:4 John does not imply that the Christian life consists in faultless obedience to the will of God, but rather that the Christian habitually desires to keep His commandments and to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. John is looking at the over-all tenor of a person’s life.
It is “a relationship to God, in which the one knowing is determined in his existence (and thus also in his ‘walking,’ his conduct) by God” (Bultmann, p. 25).
To claim to know God and at the same time to be disobedient to his commandments is, the author asserts, to lie and be devoid of all truth.
If someone says he knows God but does not keep His commandments, then it is clear that he is not telling the truth.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
perfected - made complete .....
The term “made complete” (teleioō) carries with it the idea of continuous growth and development. It describes both state and process. As obedience is practiced, so also God’s love matures in us.[1]
God love is completed when we change behavior and are obedient.
when we keep His word, then the love of God is perfected in us.
2:5 On the other hand, when we keep His word, then the love of God is perfected in us. The love of God does not refer to our love for God, but rather to His love for us. The thought is that God’s love toward us has been brought to its goal when we keep His word. It accomplishes its aim and reaches its end in producing obedience to Him.
The love of God does not refer to our love for God, but rather to His love for us. The thought is that God’s love toward us has been brought to its goal when we keep His word. It accomplishes its aim and reaches its end in producing obedience to Him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
2:6 Therefore, whoever says he abides in Him should walk just as the Lord Jesus walked. His life, as set forth in the Gospels, is our pattern and guide.
It is not a life which we can live in our own strength or energy, but is only possible in the power of the Holy Spirit.
19 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? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
19 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?
1 cor 6.19-20
Our responsibility is to turn our lives over to Him unreservedly, and allow Him to live His life in and through us.[1]
2:6 Therefore, whoever says he abides in Him should walk just as the Lord Jesus walked. His life, as set forth in the Gospels, is our pattern and guide. It is not a life which we can live in our own strength or energy, but is only possible in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our responsibility is to turn our lives over to Him unreservedly, and allow Him to live His life in and through us.[1]
We have a pattern....
It there to follow
Freedom challenge there was a leader to follow the cones to follow etc.....
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
II Loving Your Brother
II Loving Your Brother
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
I john 2.
old commandment is what is reference in the OT
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
2:7 Another important mark of true believers is love for the brethren.
John says that this is not a new commandment which he is writing, but an old commandment which they had had from the beginning. In other words, the Lord Jesus had taught His disciples to love one another from the very beginning of His earthly ministry.
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
matt 22.
Such was the old commandment, and such was the great commandment—love God supremely, love all men sincerely.
All the other laws are expositions of these two rudimentary and revolutionary principles. If everyone loved God and other people like that, we would not need the countless laws that tie us up in knots to this day[1]
The Gnostics were always parading their teachings as being new. But the apostle urges his readers to test everything by the teaching of the Lord Jesus when He was here on earth. There is always the danger of drifting away from that which was in the beginning. John says, “Get back to the beginning, and you will know what is true.”
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
Its not new there is a sense in which it is also new. When the Lord Jesus was here, He not only taught His disciples to love one another, but He gave them a living example of what He meant.
2:8 Yet this commandment is not only an old commandment, but there is a sense in which it is also new. When the Lord Jesus was here, He not only taught His disciples to love one another, but He gave them a living example of what He meant. His life was characterized by love for others. The commandment was thus true in Him when He was here on earth. But now there is a sense in which the Old Commandment is new. In this dispensation, it is not only true in the Lord Jesus, but in believers also. These Christians had formerly been heathens, living in hatred and passion. Now they illustrated and embodied the great law of love in their lives.
are you an example of loving brethren?
H
His life was characterized by love for others. The commandment was thus true in Him when He was here on earth. But now there is a sense in which the Old Commandment is new. In this dispensation, it is not only true in the Lord Jesus, but in believers also. These Christians had formerly been heathens, living in hatred and passion. Now they illustrated and embodied the great law of love in their lives.
Thus the darkness is passing away whenever men receive the light of the gospel.
The darkness has not all vanished because many have not come to Christ, but Christ, the true light, is already shining, and whenever sinners turn to Him they are saved, and henceforth love their fellow believers.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1john 2.9-11
The Gnostics had a deep hatred for those who were true to God’s word.
This proved that they were in darkness and walked in darkness, and that they did not know where they were going, because the darkness had blinded their eyes.
Hate blinds and will lead to torment ......
lack of forgiveness
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Are you caring the marks of:
keeping the commandments
Loving your brother