The TRUTH, the Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth
Notes
Transcript
The TRUTH, the Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth
The TRUTH, the Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth
19 We know that we are from God, and 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. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
1 Jn 5:19-20
19 We know that we are from God, and 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. He is the true God and eternal life.
Explain the context/ review what the letter has been about.
Contrast and Comparison- Truth vs. Lie, Good vs. Evil, In God vs. In Satan.
THE TRUTH . . .
THE TRUTH . . .
Sincere
Really
Real
Genuine
Authentic
Valid
Proper
Authentic
God is Truth, His Word is Truth, He is the One True God.
There is nothing inauthentic, insincere, invalid, or fake about God, the One true God.
. . . the Whole Truth . . .
. . . the Whole Truth . . .
The Whole Truth:
There are several ways that this could be taken. One such way, is that to know God fully and rightly, we must look at the full counsel of God, All that He has revealed to us through His Word and His creation. Obviously, we are not going to discuss the complete Word of God this morning, or even this year.
Another way to think of this is to consider God in His fullness, as He has described Himself to us in Persons of the Trinity.
God the Father, God the Son/Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. We know that this is the True God, of whom John was speaking in His letter. He references the various persons of the trinity throughout this letter. He says that we have come to know Him and understand Him. I think the apostle Paul does a wonderful job describing how this process takes place in the life of a believer in . John explains that we have come to an understanding of God, but Paul gives us a behind the scenes view of how that happens.
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
Paul, humbly explains not just the process, but also the source of our spiritual understanding. The Spirit of God, has revealed to us the truth about the Father and His crucified Son.
So we see each person of the Trinity involved here. Yet there is one additional aspect or way which I want to mention, the WHOLE TRUTH.
To know and understand God, I believe is to increasingly know and appreciate Him, as exemplified by His character. Our men’s group has been studying the attributes of God. As we are studying this we are being reminded repeatedly of the incredible, unfathomable, glory of God.
The God who is TRUE, is wholly Holy:
The God who is TRUE, is wholly Holy:
Personal, Grace, Good, Patient
Grace, Good, Patient
Good, Patient
Patient
Omnipresent, Eternal & Unchanging, Beauty, Blessed
Eternal & Unchanging, Beauty, Blessed
Beauty
Blessed
Order & Peace, Truth, Just, Omniscient
Truth
Just
Omniscient
Free, Omnipotent, Sovereign, Wrath & Jealousy
Omnipotent
Sovereign
Wrath & Jealousy
God is all of these things, completely, perfectly and uninhibited in any way shape or form. This is something that is difficult for my mind to warp around.
To know - and have been given understanding. These terms are similar and yet have distinguishing qualities in their meaning.
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. He is the true God and eternal life.
To know is one thing, to understand is yet a deeper level of knowledge. It is the act of reasoning with the mind and the conscience, based upon experience and observation. Further yet, is the 2nd use of the term “know” in this verse, which is defined more clearly as the appropriation of information, rather than just a possession of information, that is to personalize it. It is referring to an effectual possession of knowledge, a transforming belief, which is evidenced by the fruit of one’s life or lifestyle.
John’s intent here is to encourage the believers to continue to remember, what they have come to understand, and to not lose sight of the information and transformation, which they have recieved through the revelation of the Holy Spirit of the love of God the Father, demonstrated by the work of Christ, who has granted us Eternal Life!
The importance of this effectual working of the truth is also reiterated in John’s 2nd epistle.
1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. 4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
2 John
Absolute Truth vs. Relative truth (which is indeed a misnomer)
Observe the contrast:
19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
The world is
. . . nothing but the truth.
. . . nothing but the truth.
John not only reminds us that we know and understand the TRUE GOD, and that we are in Him, he ends his letter with an admonition-
John warns us to keep ourselves from Idols:
John warns us to keep ourselves from Idols:
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Idols: Copy, picture, artificially made, self-produced, an unreal supernatural being, phantom likeness, a thing of nought.
Idols: Copy, picture, artificially made, self-produced, an unreal supernatural being, phantom likeness, a thing of nought.
5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”
18 “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols!
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. 8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.
15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
Keeping ourselves from Idols:
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
Notice that this is a command that is different than the second commandment
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
What is an idol? Idols of the heart are equally dangerous and possibly even more dangerous and detrimental than physical idols, because they are able to remain concealed and hidden in our inner being.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9
So as Brad Bigney suggests, in Gospel Treason- Betraying the Gospel with Hidden Idols, we can ask ourselves the following troubleshooting questions.
Am I willing to sin to get this?
Am I willing to sin to get this?
Am I willing to sin if I think I am going to lose this?
Do I turn to this for refuge and comfort instead of going to God?
This is a constant and ongoing temptation, that we must fight against.
“Those who claim to be Christian but do not believe the truth concerning Jesus, do not live a righteous life in obeying God’s commands, and do not love others are in danger of idol worship.”
“This is a an idol because they have created a religion that is false. This is a religion that man has created and not that of the apostolic faith. This is nothing short of idolatry.”
“To embrace a form of Christianity that allows one to deny the truth about Jesus, not live a godly life, or not love others is to create and idol, and that is something all Christians must constantly guard against.” Merkle
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Explain the context/ review what the letter has been about.
Explain the context/ review what the letter has been about.
We are in Christ and in God
We are secure in God through Christ
We can and will be be obedient to God in Christ, if we truly are in Him.
We have knowledge of the True God and therefore we enjoy fellowship with Him, His Son and fellow believers.
Fellowship of Communion-