How to overcome?
Notes
Transcript
My little children
My little children
23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
10 But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. 11 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” 12 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. 13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
As we have made our way through the first several chapters of 1 John I think one main theme has really stood out, do you remember what that was? We need to walk in the light as Jesus is the light right? I would sum it up as obedience. Remember from the end of chapter 1? John emphasized the difference between saying the right thing actually doing it. Let’s look at that passage beginning in verse 6.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
So remember our dilemma? It is so easy to say the right thing, but we need to make sure we are actually doing it right? How easy is it to say I don’t love money? How easy is it to say you don’t hate anyone? How easy is it to say I love my neighbor? How easy is it to say I love my enemy? How hard is it to actually do it. Remember last week John gave us a stern waning. Look at verses 9-11 of chapter 2
9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
What is the warning? We can say the right thing. I don’t hate my brother. But if we are not careful, we can deceive ourselves can’t we. You can hate your brother and you will be walking in darkness blinded by the evil one. How many people around us who aren’t believers realize they are in darkness? I work with people that believe material posses, or money will make them happy or maybe pleasure will make them happy. I could give lots of examples, but do they realize that in the end all this world has to offer is just vanity? No! because their heart are blinded to it. Are we immuned to the these temptations? No, I think the hardest part is to actually know our own hearts. We can fool ourselves right? How does the prophet Jeremiah describe our hearts?
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 The Revised Standard Version
That is why we need to cry out with the psalmist
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
So you must seek God and ask Him to reveal your heart to you. There are times you don’t even know your own motives. And you need God to help you discern them! Now our text this morning is a transition. After John establishes that we need to actually walk in the Light and if we sin we need to confess our sin and remember we have a high priest and an advocate before the father? Look at verse 1 of chapter 2
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
So where are we in our letter? John is writing to a church who is facing false teaching. Some have come and questioned Jesus’s humanity and deity. John refutes that with what?
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
John says no that isn’t true! I was there, Jesus was God or John says He was from the beginning. That is Jesus was there when God began creating the earth, and moon and the stars. Jesus was not created. So he refutes the first false claim then he goes on to say, I personally heard Jesus’s teaching I didn’t hear it second hand. He says he saw Jesus heal the sick and raise the dead. He saw Jesus have compassion on His enemies. Remember what happened when they arrested Jesus? Peter drew his sword and cut-off the Roman soldiers ear and what did Jesus do? He had compassion on him and healed Him. Finally John says that Jesus was 100% human He wasn’t just a spirit. How can John say that? He touched Him. Then John turns to the false teachers actions. They were saying the right things but they were not doing them.
The last several weeks could have been discouraging as we looked at these warnings. It may have raised doubts in your own heart. It may have raised the question in some of our hearts, Am I walking in the light. My heart can be deceitful, am I loving others with the right motives? Am I serving others with the right motives. Or in the end am I serving others to fulfill my own needs. These can be some tough questions. That’s why we need to ask the Lord. He will reveal to us our motives. But all this talk about are we walking in the Light are we living without habitual sin. The focus can get shifted to us and it can become about our effort. In our passage this morning John gently reminds us of three truths that we need to anchor our souls in overcome the darkness. Let’s look at verse 12 of chapter 2.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
John reminds us that it isn’t about our efforts. Your sins are not forgiven because you are living right. You are forgiven for Jesus’s name sake. It is so important that we get the order right. Look at Ephesians 2 with me
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
My one commentary made an excellent point here. You only repent once for the saving work of forgiveness of sins. And then after you have become an adopted child of the king a joint heir with Jesus, stop and ponder that for a minute. If you place your faith in Jesus you are a joint heir with Jesus, an adopted son or daughter of the king of kings and lord of lords. How awesome is that? Are you a son or daughter of the King? If not don’t leave here this morning without being adopted in to the family! After this first repenting, you are justified before the Father, not because of you works by only by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. It was Jesus’s perfect life that gave Him the right to take your sin upon Himself and die in you place. Paying the price for your sin. Then Jesus cloths you with His righteousness. From that moment forward. When you sin, you are braking fellowship with the Lord and your repentance doesn’t save you again it restores the relationship. Not everyone believes this. Some people believe that every time you sin you loose your salvation until you repent. So if in a moment of road rage on the way home you sin and wreck your car and die. There are some people that believe you will go to hell. That is not what we believe. We believe that once you come to saving faith in Jesus’s finished work on the cross. You sin does’t cause you to loose your salvation, it breaks fellowship and if you are truly saved, you will not want to live in broken fellowship very long.
The second truth John reminds us of is in verse 13
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
He reminds us of the truth that if you have faith in Jesus Christ, “you know him who is from the beginning.” What does that mean? I think there is a very important distinction here this morning. How many people know Chip Ingram? Any one who attends Wednesday nights knows him right? We have listened to him teach for seven lessons so we know him right?. If he walked through the door right now you would recognize him. So does that mean we know him? No of course not, I know about Chip but I don’t know him. What is the difference? What is the difference to know about someone and to actually know them? When we know about someone we have facts about them but how do we genuinely get to know them? We have to spend time with them. Look at what James says about the demons and God.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
The demons know about God and shudder but they didn’t know God. What do I mean by that? If they would have truly know God in the beginning, they would have never rebelled. See they doubted the goodness of God. If you truly know Him, you would not doubt His goodness. Now I am not saying you don’t struggle with why God allows evil or difficulty or trials in your life, but when you do doubt you turn to Him and you trust in His character. That is the only way you can respond in difficulty and trails with faith if you truly know Him.
The third and final truth John encourages us of is in verse 14
14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
If you notice, John actually repeats himself on the second and third truths. I believe this is to provide emphasis. John first tells us in verse 13 that we have overcome the evil one if we have genuine faith. I think when he repeats the promise in verse 14 he gives us the key to overcome the evil one. John says, “You are strong and the Word of God abides in you” Did you catch the key? The word of God must abide in us, that is how we overcome the evil one. Just like Jesus did in the desert when He was tempted right? Jesus didn’t call down legions of angels to defeat Satan. Did He? NO! How did he resist temptation? How did He overcome? Are struggling this morning to walk in the Light? First, if you haven’t already put your faith and trust in Him who is from the beginning. Can you believe that the creator of the universe wants a relationship with you this morning and don’t leave here without Him. How foolish are we when we try to replace our need for relationship with our creator with other things. We will get more into that next time we are together. But once you put your faith in Him how you get to know Him and overcome the evil one? Only by prayer and the Word right? The same weapons Jesus used to defeat Satan is available to you. Will you use it? I want to close with the power of four.
Have you ever heard of the power of 4? Let me read to you from their website:
Have you ever heard of the power of 4? Let me read to you from their website:
Research plays a key role in our mission to help people grow spiritually. We work with researchers at the Center for Bible Engagement (CBE) to find out how people best connect with Scripture and what difference it makes in their lives.
The Center for Bible Engagement seeks to answer the question: Why do so many people own Bibles but so few read them? The CBE goes beyond simple Bible usage statistics to consider attitudes and behaviors that significantly impact spiritual growth and a person's relationship with God. The primary goal of the CBE is to develop tools and resources that will engage people with God's Word.
Since its inception in 2003, the CBE has become the major world center addressing Bible engagement and spiritual growth. Our researchers have surveyed more than 400,000 people around the world about their spiritual lives. Today the CBE is led by Dr. Arnie Cole & Dr. Pamela Ovwigho. Browse in-depth research findings below.
Research plays a key role in our mission to help people grow spiritually. We work with researchers at the Center for Bible Engagement (CBE) to find out how people best connect with Scripture and what difference it makes in their lives.
The Center for Bible Engagement seeks to answer the question: Why do so many people own Bibles but so few read them? The CBE goes beyond simple Bible usage statistics to consider attitudes and behaviors that significantly impact spiritual growth and a person's relationship with God. The primary goal of the CBE is to develop tools and resources that will engage people with God's Word.
Since its inception in 2003, the CBE has become the major world center addressing Bible engagement and spiritual growth. Our researchers have surveyed more than 400,000 people around the world about their spiritual lives. Today the CBE is led by Dr. Arnie Cole & Dr. Pamela Ovwigho. Browse in-depth research findings below.
Like sheep we have all gone astray and how awesome is it that our good shepherd Jesus left the 99 on the hillside to come for you? If you want to know Him and you want to overcome, there is no substitute for prayer and Bible reading. Like the Center for Bible Engagement said, If you do not engage scripture four or more times a week you are doomed to look just like the world. In doing so you profane the name of Jesus. May we repent of this this morning. If you have no desire to engage The Lord in His Word, cry out to Him this morning. Like the father of the demon possessed boy’s father. Cry out to GOD TO HELP your unbelief and He will for His name’s sake… Let us pray.