“Family Matters”
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A little boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in the car window. Since the little boy was deathly allergic to bee stings he became petrified. His father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it. But as soon as he let it go, the young son became frantic once again as it buzzed by the little boy.
The father sensed his son’s terror. Once again he reached out his hand, but this time he pointed to this hand. There, stuck in his skin was the stinger of the bee. “You see this?” he asked. “You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ve taken the sting for you.”
The Christian does not need to be afraid of death because Christ has taken the sting out of death and sin. O Death where is thy sting.
Salvation that we experience is an amazing thing. Because of what Christ has done, we experience life and life more abundant. Death no has no victory over us. And for us all it is important for us to be reminded of this wonderful thing we experience. Society and our current culture likes to promise hope and purpose through its artificial methods and ideologies, but it in the end it only brings despair. Why because it does not give us what we need and what we need can only be given by God.
What we need is forgiveness. What we need is to know Christ. And what we need is truth to overcome the evil one. Our biggest problem in life is the wrath of God. Our greatest weakness is lack of faith. And we walk around in the dark clueless to this reality because of all the worldly and demonic deceptions. The salvation of the Lord set us free from all this… We’ll look at how today.
1 John 2:12-14
I am writing to you who are God’s children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.
I am writing to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
because you have won your battle with the evil one.
I have written to you who are God’s children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one.
The grass withers the flower fades but the Word of our God stands forever.
Forgiveness of Sins
Knowledge of the Father and the Son
Overcome through the Word
The Gospel
The first thing we are gonna look at today is John’s first exhortation to those who believe and that is that their sins are forgiven. Second, is John’s exhortation to those who believe and especially those who are mature that they know the Father and the Son. Third, we will see how by strength we overcome the evil one and we are strong because of the Word of God.
Thesis: Though sin and the deception of this world bring confusion to what it is that ultimately brings us hope, it is the power of the Spirit and the truth of the Gospel of Jesus that is the power of God for salvation that will truly give us what we need for life and life more abundant.
I. Forgiveness of Sins
- He will remember our sins no more.
A. First things first. The categories of little children, fathers, and young men have been taken to mean just that… children, fathers and young men. But a better understanding of these categories are different maturity levels of those in the faith. Little children are those who just got saved. Young men are those who have been Christians for a time. Fathers are those who have been saved the longest.
B. John Stott writes...But the distinctive content of the message addressed to the three groups favours the view of some ancient Latin commentators such as Augustine that they represent three different stages of spiritual pilgrimage. The dear children are those newborn in Christ. The young men are more developed Christians, strong and victorious in spiritual warfare; while the fathers possess the depth and stability of ripe Christian experience.
But the distinctive content of the message addressed to the three groups favours the view of some ancient Latin commentators such as Augustine that they represent three different stages of spiritual pilgrimage. The dear children are those newborn in Christ. The young men are more developed Christians, strong and victorious in spiritual warfare; while the fathers possess the depth and stability of ripe Christian experience.
C. My intention, however, is not to take anymore time with this but spend more time on the gospel realities of these categories which either way affects them all. First is the forgiveness of sin.
Stott, J. R. W. (1988). The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 19, p. 100). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
I am writing to you who are God’s children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.
D. Forgiveness of sins is truly at the heart of the gospel. Not only that but is an important piece to the apostolic preaching we see in the book of Acts. They preached … He will remember our sins no more.
E. The beautiful thing here is that the phrase Apheontai humin ai harmartiai… “your sins have been forgiven” is in the perfect tense. A past action with continuing effects. So we understand your “sins have been forgiven” like…“your sins have been once and for all forgiven and will never be brought up before God again.” He will remember our sins no more.
F. One day, while I was grieving over some past failures, I received a letter from a friend who told me how she and her granddaughter had been watching a plane skywrite. The little girl was puzzled when the words began disappearing, but suddenly piped up, "Maybe Jesus has an eraser!" In her innocent wisdom I realized that just as skywriting disappears, Jesus wipes away all things I so bitterly regret. No matter how much we mature as Christians, and try desperately to compensate, memories of our own failures can rise up and haunt us. But, with God's forgiveness, they will fade away--Jesus does have an eraser. He will remember our sins no more.
And I will forgive their wickedness,
and I will never again remember their sins.”
Hebrews
G. Moreover, John adds “through Jesus” or “for his name sake” to also make clear that this forgiveness came not because of anything we have done, but because of the work Christ did on the cross. Our sins are forgiven, but not for our sake. They are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. In other words, John is saying, “Your slate is clean, and it will always remain clean because Jesus died in your place all for His name sake.” He will remember our sins no more.
Our sins are forgiven, but not for our sake. They are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. In other words, John is saying, “Your slate is clean, and it will always remain clean because Jesus died in your place.”
H. It is important to get this… My sins are not forgiven for my sake. They are not forgiven for anything I have done or deserved, but because of what Christ has done and earned for me! My contrition, my repentance, my faith could never earn God’s forgiveness. They are the means for receiving that forgiveness, but the forgiveness itself is granted me “for his name’s sake.” God’s forgiveness of our sin must be forever detached from our merit. He will remember our sins no more.
Allen, D. L. (2013). 1–3 John: Fellowship in God’s Family. (R. K. Hughes, Ed.) (pp. 87–88). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
I. We have got to see that our salvation did not come by anything we ever did. And this means that we could never lose it because of anything we ever do. Our life and future glory depend not on our work, but on the mighty work of Christ and Christ alone. Our salvation depends on Christ and Christ alone. He will remember our sins no more.
II. Knowledge of the Father and the Son
- The surpassingly great thing.
A. We know the Lord. More specifically, we find that the more we mature in the faith, the more we know Christ. What an amazing thing it is. What an amazing thing it is to know Christ Jesus.
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
Phi
B. Everything is a loss. Everything is worthless when compared to the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus. As Christians we have the tremendous blessing of this being the case in our lives. Embrace it. Everything is a loss and everything is worthless when you compare it to knowing Christ.
C. After Mark Twain had made his triumphant tour through Europe, where he was honored by great universities and kings, his daughter said: "Daddy, I guess pretty soon you will know everybody except God."
D. We live in a time where it is all about who you know. I am a big proponent of networking. Networking is the way the world operates in many ways. It is not about what you know it is about who you know. When it comes to jobs, positions, promotions, opportunities. Having lots of friends and lots of connections is great, but what a sad thing to know everybody except God.
E. This is what John make clear. Not only are they forgiven of their sins, but they and especially the mature in Christ, experienced something surpassingly great and something that when compared to everything, everything is considered worthless. Knowing Christ Jesus.
III. Overcome through the Word
- Strong because of the Word of God.
A. The Word of God will make you strong. How strong? Strong enough to overcome the evil one. John says they, specifically the young men, overcame the evil one because they are strong. But when we read both verses together we get the sense that they overcame the evil one because they are strong, but they are strong because of the Word of God.
“I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
B. How is this possible? Its like working out. Like lifting weights can make you stronger and help you build muscles. Studying the Word of the Lord will make us spiritually stronger to overcome the evil one. How so?
C. The ultimate weapon of the evil one and the world is deception. Lies, lies and even more lies. It is the truth of the Word of God that will expose the lies and overcome the obstacles.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ”
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”
Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
D. So you see how the Word of the Lord gives us power to overcome the evil one. It was not superhuman strength, laser beams from the eyes of Christ or the power to control minds. Just the Word of the Lord… what we all have within reach. It does bring us power to overcome.
Gaylord Kambarami, the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Zimbabwe, tried to give a New Testament to a very belligerent man. The man insisted he would roll the pages and use them to make cigarettes. Mr. Kambarami said, “I understand that, but at least promise to read the page of the New Testament before you smoke it.” The man agreed, and the two went their separate ways.
Gaylord Kambarami, the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Zimbabwe, tried to give a New Testament to a very belligerent man. The man insisted he would roll the pages and use them to make cigarettes. Mr. Kambarami said, “I understand that, but at least promise to read the page of the New Testament before you smoke it.” The man agreed, and the two went their separate ways.
Fifteen years later, the two men met at a convention in Zimbabwe. The Scripture-smoking pagan had been saved and was now a full-time evangelist. He told the audience, “I smoked Matthew, and I smoked Mark, and I smoked Luke. But when I got to , couldn’t smoke anymore. My life was changed from that moment.”
Isaiah
J.
IV. The Gospel
- The Good News from the Word of God
J.
A. What an amazing thing we have. Amazing from the Word of God made clear to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are saved, we are forgiven of our sins, we get a surpassingly great thing that compared to everything, everything is worthless: to know Christ, and we are strengthened by the Word of God so much so that we will overcome the evil one. What a reminder of what we have in Christ.
B. But let us also be reminded of why we needed to be saved in the first place. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And the wages of sin is death. Yes because of our sin the wrath of God was coming for us. Oh what a terrible thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God. We had sinned against the living God rebelling against his law… could there ever be forgiveness for the things we have done?
C. The deceptions of this world and the evil one continues to be abundant in our land today. These deceptions clouded our hearts and minds in sin and the effects of sin in this world. We were lost and did not think we were. We needed light and the strength of truth to overcome the evil one.
D. Not only is it important to know Christ… it is just as important to be known by Him as well.
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
E. Yes we may say we know Christ, but does He know us? The scary thing about this passage of scripture is that some of them think they are Christians. They thing they are in Christ but they are not. Christian have you check to make your calling and election sure? If there is one thing clear in this passage…those who are cast away do not have a clear understanding of the Gospel of Jesus. Get the gospel right lest you too are cast away not known by Christ.
F. We are not save by what we do, but what we believe.
They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
G. The news is great. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures … The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance… Jesus cam into this world to seek and save ...
H. The promises continue… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart… All who call upon the name of the Lord.
H. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance...
“your sins have been once and for all forgiven and will never be brought up before God again.”
forgiveness is the fundamental experience of the Christian life and the condition of fellowship with God.
Allen, D. L. (2013). 1–3 John: Fellowship in God’s Family. (R. K. Hughes, Ed.) (p. 87). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
Allen, D. L. (2013). 1–3 John: Fellowship in God’s Family. (R. K. Hughes, Ed.) (p. 87). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
