The Believer’s Overcoming Faith

Text: 1 John 5:6-12

Introduction

Many of us have experienced moments of being forgetful (wallet, phone, keys, birthdays, anniversary). I am speaking of things you want to remember. Our physical memory is a beautiful gift of God’s design of humanity. Usually the only opponent to forgetting such things is YOU.

When it comes to living with the ever continuing assurance of being born again, it does NOT rest upon the actual health of your mind, but the power of God’s Spirit.

Let’s be honest, there are no one alive today (or ever) who can alone, by the power of their mind, can maintain confidence they are born of God! Why? Well, the enemy to your assurance is not the weak flesh of man, but rather the prince and power of this world; Satan and his demons!!!

The greatest victory he can claim over God’s children is to shift their mind, heart and body away from living in the reality that they are TRULY AND FOREVER children of God.

Let us assure our hearts again from this beautiful letter. John will be teaching us today about the Believer’s OVERCOMING WITNESS who lives within them.

1) Faith’s Overcoming Object (vv6-8)

Let us recap verse 4-5

John is now building from these verses.

John is having to reaffirm who Jesus was on earth (birth, baptism, death and resurrection) due to the error of the gnostics.

Anytime the claim of Jesus being the only object of victory for ones faith, you better be sure the evil powers in this world will send delusion and heresy.

A. Jesus was TRULY man and TRULY God at all points of His incarnation.

“spirit, and the water, and the blood”

Some very respected scholars (those of who I read and glean from) would estimate that this “water” and “blood” speaks to the “cleansing” and “atoning” work of Jesus.

However, when you take in consideration the overall theme and immediate background of this epistle, you will arrive at the more accurate conclusion.

A background of John combatting this heresy of making a difference between the “man” Jesus and the “divine” Jesus.

The Heresy: Jesus’ spirit descended on the man at His baptism and ascended right before the man’s death.

We are surrounded by an enormous number of heresies today concerning Jesus Christ.

Mormons —

Jehovah Witness —

B. The witnesses of Jesus today

The WATER

Quote: The Lord’s baptism, however, was His means by which He identified Himself with the ruined race, which He had entered by birth and with which He was to be forever linked. No sooner had He taken this act of submission than heaven opened, the Holy Spirit descended in form as a dove and rested upon Him, and the Father proclaimed Jesus to be His Son, the One in whom He was well pleased

Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring the Epistles of John: An Expository Commentary (1 Jn 5:6a). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

This is why EVERY BELIEVER is commanded to follow in baptism!

Jesus announced His person and work.

We announce we have trusted His person and His work.

A believer without baptism is a believer who declares their shame of Jesus Christ.

The Gnostics had no problem with the baptism, but refused to accept that Jesus suffered pain and shame on the cross.

The BLOOD

The life blood of our atonement began at Jesus miraculous conception.

No blood of Mary or Joseph.

1 Peter 1:18-19 “18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

John 12:28 “28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

Calvary: supernatural darkness, the earthquake, temple veil, centurion said, “Truly this was the Son of God”

Jesus DID NOT LOSE the Christ at His death!

Please don’t miss the fact that God has provided a THREEFOLD WITNESS.

Significance: Mosaic law required the evidence of two or three witnesses.

John is STRONGLY IMPLYING that when Jesus came to His baptism, he was Christ. Also, at the point of death, Jesus was the Christ.

The Spirit

John 15:26 “26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

Hebrews 10:14-15 “14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,”

Quote: As Calvin writes, “Whatever signs of divine glory may shine forth in Christ, they would yet be obscure to us and escape our vision, were not the Holy Spirit to open for us the eyes of faith”

Vaughan, C. (2011). 1, 2, 3 John (p. 121). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

The Holy Spirit does not only bear the message of truth, but He Himself IS TRUTH!

Illustration: We know well today of those who are given the truth to tell, but actually deliver a twisted truth.

The Holy Spirit’s nature would never permit such perjury!

We can only accredit this reality to the fact GOD IS HOLY!

2) Faith’s Overcoming Witness (vv9-12)

A. He is a greater witness than man

Most of the we know and info we have received have all come from man.

Examples: History, science, health, archeology, philosophy, trades, techniques, etc.

Contextual examples: religious positions (you too), false doctrines, cults, etc.

Be honest, how many people can you take at face value?

John is stating this profound truth; God’s Spirit has the FINAL AUTHORITY!

The text we preach is a reliable translation from the inspired divine text!

To preach the words of scripture is to preach the words of the Spirit!

To hear the words of scripture is to hear the words of the Spirit!

B. He is the witness of LIFE IN YOU!

(v10) The key that opens the door to our soul for God’s Spirit to come in and dwell within us is OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

Romans 8:16 “16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

Galatians 4:6 “6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

To put is simply, to believe on the Son is synonymous with receiving the Spirit’s witness.

Quote: Spurgeon affirms that this inward witness involves the “wondrous sense of change which comes over the believer,” the “wondrous power which goes with the word of God,” and the “deep feeling of peace which comes to us through believing in Jesus.”

Vaughan, C. (2011). 1, 2, 3 John (pp. 123–124). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

C. He is the witness of warning regarding unbelief

To NOT BELIEVE the gospel record is equal to calling God a liar!

Rev. 21:8 “8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

(v11) “…God hath given to us eternal life”

(v11) “…this life is in the Son.”

Quote: Neil Alexander said, ““Whatever else the ‘Sonless’ man has, he does not have life. That is beyond his grasp”

Quote: He may, by human standards, be a good man, a good neighbor, a good parent, a good citizen; but, by the standard of the Gospel, if he has no saving union with Christ, he does not have eternal life and is not a Christian.

Vaughan, C. (2011). 1, 2, 3 John (p. 125). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

(v12) “He that hath the Son hath life...”

(v12) “…he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Conclusion

Your faith is only as good as it’s object! Does your faith rely only upon Jesus Christ and His gospel?