An Introduction to I John & the Critical Theory of our Society

Max Fernandez

Certainty: Absolute truths that bring joyful assurance. • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

1 John 1:1–4

1 John 1:1–2:6

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Series: Certainty - absolute truths that bring joyful assurance.

Title: An introduction to I John & the Critical Theory of our Society

Text: I John 1:1-2:6

Kid’s Pause: Children, how you do you know that something or someone is real when you cannot see him?

Kid’s Statement: The book of I John answers how you know Jesus is the real, true God.

Here are some foundational verses to help us understand the book of I John.

I John 1:4, 2:1, 2:26, 5:13

1 John 1:4 KJV 1900

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

1 John 2:1 KJV 1900

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1 John 2:26 KJV 1900

26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

1 John 5:13 KJV 1900

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

There is no complete jubilation without God’s self-revelation.

There is no complete jubilation without fellowship with God self-revelation in Jesus Christ.

There is complete jubilation without believing universal, absolute truths about Jesus Christ.

There is complete jubilation without assurance that the universal truths are true.

Summary: Our joy is incomplete without assurance about the complete truth about Jesus.

Illustration:

$450,000 is a lot of money, especially during a pandemic, but that is what one school district in Virginia will spend on the name changes of three schools. [https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-school-district-450g-name-changes-coronavirus-pandemic]

This is one of dozens of stories over the last year where there are attempts to right wrongs of the past.

Please listen to what I say and not what you think I am saying. Our world, especially we in the West, battle with post-modern theory.

My own words: “Postmodernism is a worldview (way of seeing the world) that is skeptical of all absolute truth claims or access to absolute truth.”

According to Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay in their book “Cynical Theories” they say,

“Postmodernism is characterized politically by its intense focus on power as the guiding and structuring force of society…a focus which is codependent on the denial of objective reality.”

This way of thinking rejects the scientific method as the means to determine what is real, and it develops into what has been called Critical Theory.

In other words: you cannot know what is 100% true and your upbringing, background, influences keep you from even accessing what is 100% true.

This develops into what is called Postmodernism Applied. PA is how you take a theory and put action to it. Hence, you have not just protests but protests which tear down statues and historical monuments that represent, in their perspective, oppression.

All of this is based on the postmodern worldview - nothing can really be known for certain.

This kind of reasoning shows a deep need within mankind: a need to feel valued, a need to feel heard, a need to feel complete, a way to feel whole, glad, joyful, complete -- a way to be certain that I am meaningful to me.

So, if we want to see change in our own lives and change in the lives of an unbelieving world, we cannot merely react to the symptoms of a problem. The heart issue must be exposed.

The problem is that we Christians have sold Christianity quite short. We get emotionally angry about things we see in the news, but we don’t see that our inability to make clear, absolute claims about Jesus and prove those claims is part of the problem.

But if I am a believer in Jesus Christ, what kind of belief is necessary? When a culture is relativizing truth (explain), can I really be certain about Jesus? If I am not certain about Jesus, how can I be certain about God? How can I be certain about eternal life? How can I be certain about anything? If not certainty, what hope is there? If hopeless, then why not live in what Christianity calls immoral? Why not live for myself since life is really pointless in the end?

How can we be sure that God has indeed manifested himself?

How can we be sure that we are in fellowship with the Father through Christ?

How can we be sure that these written truths about Christ are absolute?

How can we be sure that these truths about Jesus Christ are absolutely true?

Thesis:

There are absolute truths that produce joyful assurance, and it is imperative that we examine ourselves as to whether we are really saved, whether we are presently finding assurance in these truths, and whether we are increasingly growing in these assuring truths.

(1) Are you really saved?

The epistle of I John will present 100% absolute, universal truths about God and Jesus Christ that must be believed.

The epistle of I John will also present proofs that you can look at to ensure that you are truly a believer.

I John 5:13 has often been used wrong. Let me explain.

1 John 5:13 KJV 1900

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Usually this verse is used after we have taken someone through the Romans road. We tell the person who just prayed that they do not have to worry about their salvation any more because of this verse, but notice the details of this verse. John has written this entire letter with this purpose in mind. John did not write this verse with Romans or the plan of salvation or the prayer of the unbeliever in mind.

So, to be honest with I John 5:13, if someone want to know if they have eternal life, they need to know what John said in I John 1-5.

Application:

Make a list of the things John writes to these people so that they know they have eternal life.

Others need to be saved today.

Kid’s Pause: Children, you can only have eternal life when you believe in the Jesus Christ of the Bible. Jesus wants to save you and for you to be assured of your salvation.

(2) Are you living with assurance?

I John 2:3-5, 3:19, 3:24, 4:13

1 John 2:3–5 KJV 1900

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.

1 John 3:19 KJV 1900

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

1 John 3:24 KJV 1900

24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1 John 4:13 KJV 1900

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

The Lord wants his people to live with assurance of eternal life, but it must be assurance based on the truth of Jesus Christ.

Quote:

"For postmodernists, Theory refers to a specific set of beliefs, which posit that the world and our ability to gather knowledge about it work in accordance to the postmodern knowledge and political principle.” - Pluckrose & Lindsay (47).

Theory gives way to new disciplines which have come to be known loosely as “Social Justice scholarship.” This is one of the reasons I do not like to use this terminology thought I agree with the words themselves, I don’t agree with what they represent in our culture.

In our culture, these words mean are based on a teaching that there is no real objective knowledge or reality.

The problem though is how Christians are thinking and responding.

Illustration: Let me use an illustration to help us understand. Let’s imagine that the Apostle John were to give a response to Christians today, who are living in a culture that is rejecting the objective truth, including that of Jesus Christ. What would he say? Let me tell you want he would not say, and then tell you what he is still saying. He would now say, “Well, our founding fathers, 200 years ago wrote these documents about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” I don’t think that John would root his argument in that. I believe John would say, “Well, 2000 years ago God made himself known to us. This Person is Jesus Christ, and let me tell you how I know this is the true God and this is absolutely true.”

Christians today in the West need to return back to the truth of Jesus Christ if you will have assurance of in life.

Application:

Some are living with assurance in the wrong thing, and when that thing is rocked, so is your assurance.

Some have lived with assurance in your Christian tradition rather than in Jesus Christ. Because of this, your completeness of joyful assurance is only found when you are in a church that is meeting your traditions.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.

I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Kid’s Pause: Children, some of you are worried about the country because you have seen your parents worried about the country. You can be confident in Jesus, His will, and you don’t have to be worried.

(3) Are you increasing in belief of these assuring truths?

One of the final things that the letter of John will do is help us increase in assurance of these truths.

(i) He will present the truth and the anti-truth. Example: I John 1:5-6

John 1:5–6 KJV 1900

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

(ii) He will be repetitive and cyclical - I John 2:12-14

1 John 2:12–14 KJV 1900

12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Application:

We must increasingly know and believe what we believe about Jesus.

Kid’s Pause: Children, getting to know and obey Jesus is a life-long wonderful trip. Never stop growing in love and never stop following Him.

We must learn to rightly articulate what we believe about Jesus.

We must have confidence, based on clear truth, for living our Christian lives.

Conclusion:

All you heard today was about the letter of I John. The did not answer the question of the...

Kid’s Pause: Children, how you do you know that something or someone is real when you cannot see him?

All I told you was that the letter of I John will answer that.

Children, if you will read 1/2 a chapter of I John every day this week, you will have almost the entire book done by the end of the week.