1 John 2:25 - This Is Eternal Life
The Promise: Eternal Life
Whom is this Promise made to?
1. “Whosoever” – Unlimited Atonement
a. The word “whosoever” is used 110 times in the N.T. and is used with an unrestricted meaning (Jn.3:16; Acts 2:21; 10:43; Rev.22:17).
· And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.' (Acts 2:21 NKJV)
· "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." (Acts 10:43 NKJV)
· For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." (Romans 10:13 NKJV)
· And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17 NKJV)
b. Christ died for the world (Jn.1:29; 3:16; 2Cor.5:19; Heb.2:9; 1Jn.2:2)
· The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 NKJV)
· "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 NKJV)
· Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NKJV)
· But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9 NKJV)
· And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:2 NKJV)
c. Christ died for all (2Cor.5:14; 1Tim.2:6; 4:10; Titus 2:11; Rom.5:5).
· For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; (2 Corinthians 5:14 NKJV)
· For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NKJV)
· For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:10 NKJV)
· For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, (Titus 2:11 NKJV)
d. Christ died for sinners (1Tim.1:15; Rom.5:6-8) all of mankind.
· This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15 NKJV)
· For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 NKJV)
e. Christ died for false teachers (2Peter 2:1-3), “denying the Lord who bought them.”
2. God is not willing that any should perish – 2 Peter 3:9
Condition of the Promise.
1. Whosoever “believes” in Him shall not perish
a. Acknowledge that we are sinners.
· Every person is guilty of sin (Rom.3:23), following his own way instead of God’s (Is.53:6), breaking all of God’s commands (James 2:10), & cannot claim innocence before God (Rom.3:10).
b. Understand the penalty of our sins.
· The wages of sin is death (Rom.6:23), eternal death (Rev.20:11-15).
c. Confess & repent of our sins.
· God is faithful to forgive us when we confess our sins to Him (1Jn.1:9), we must turn from our sin and turn to God.
· Paul declared, "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you… "how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house… repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:18-21 NKJV)
d. Believe that Christ is the only way of salvation.
· Salvation is found only in Jesus (Acts 4:12), & He demonstrated this unconditional love for you by His death (Rom.5:8), & taking the punishment for our sins on the cross to bring us to God (1Pet.3:18).
· Belief in Jesus’ death & resurrection is essential to salvation (Rom.10:9-10).
e. Receive Christ into our lives to obtain forgiveness & eternal life
· We must be spiritually “re-born” (Jn.3:3), this happens by believing in Jesus Christ, God’s Son (Jn.3:16), who is the gate to salvation (Jn.10:9).
· Christ waits for an invitation into our lives (Rev.3:20)
· We receive salvation through faith (Eph.2:8-9), not by our good works.
f. Result is astounding!
· We become a child of God (Jn.1:12), & have been given a “new life” in Jesus (Gal.2:20), having to no longer “fear condemnation” (Rom.8:1), having our inheritance reserved for us in heaven (1Pet.1:3-4).
· This new life comes from God (1Pet.1:23), & God personally guards this salvation (Jn.10:27-28).
· Our assurance is based on faith not by feelings(1Jn.5:13), for it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb.11:6).
· God has placed His Holy Spirit in our hearts (2Cor.1:22 cf. Eph.1:13-14) as proof that we belong to Him.
· We have all the privileges and rights that come from becoming God’s Child (Gal.4:6-7).
The Meaning of Eternal Life
1. Eternal life is a Present Possession, not merely a Future Hope.
a. Eph.1:3 – God has blessed us with every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
b. Eph.2:5-6 - Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:5-6 NKJV).
c. Both passages, the verbs are past tense.
d. Already accomplished reality—We already possess eternal life.
1) Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil.3:20)
Therefore, we must be preoccupied with heavenly things (Col.3:1-3), not with earthly things (1Jn2:15-17),communing with God now, through prayer & the study of the Word of God (2Tim.2:15).
2. Eternal Life is a Quality of Life. It is life in fellowship, communion, & oneness with God.
a. Christ preached “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt.4:17).
b. Christ said “the kingdom of God is within you” (Lk.17:20-21), God governs your life.
c. Heaven is where holiness, joy, peace, love, exist in perfection.
1) The Holy Spirit is producing in us the fruit of the Spirit: ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal.5:22-23).
d. It is life in the Spirit: the more abundant life (Jn.10:10).
e. David described it as, “My cup runneth over” (Ps.23:5)
f. The joy of knowing my sins are forgiven by the judge of the universe!
3. Eternal Life is Being Changed from the inside out.
a. Holy Spirit gives us a new set of holy desires (Ezek.36:26), a hunger for righteousness (Matt.5:6) and a desire for Him.
1) "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV)
b. From that point on God uses everything to move us toward being like Christ (Rom.8:28-29).
c. We are clothed with a perfect righteousness (Isa.61:10; Rom.4:5), giving us a right standing before God without any fear of condemnation (Rom.5:1; 8:1).
1) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1 NKJV)
2) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
d. We have been made “complete in Christ” (Col.2:10), and have been granted all things that pertain to life and Godliness (2Pet.1:3).
e. We have passed from death to life (Jn.5:24), no longer slaves to sin but to righteousness (Rom.6:18).
f. Receiving eternal life instead of the wages of sin (Rom.6:23).
He Who has the Son has life…and this life is in His Son (1Jn.5:12,11)
1. What Does Scripture say about the word “life”?
a. Life is the opposite of perishing (Jn.3:16,36; 5:24,29; 10:27-28)
b. Life is eternal-forever (Jn.10:10)
c. Life is satisfaction (Jn.6:35)
d. Life is self-denial (Jn.12:25)
e. Life is sowing to the Spirit (Gal..6:8)
f. Life is to live for & magnify Christ (Phil.1:20-21)
g. Life is described as a race (Heb.12:1-4)
h. Life is described as a narrow gate (Matt.7:13-14)
i. Life is being spiritually minded (Rom.8:5-7; 2Cor.10:3-5)
j. Life is found only in Christ (Jn.5:26; 6:27, 40, 47; 11:25-26), who abolished death, and brought life & immorality to light through the gospel (2Tim.1:10).
2. Faithfulness in this “life” determines your rewards in eternity (Lk.16:10-12 cf. 1Cor.4:1-2).
a. Money & possessions are the least trust given to a person.
b. Unfaithfulness in the use of money and possessions disqualifies a person from true heavenly riches.
c. Unfaithfulness disqualifies a person from all he would recieve
The One Who Made the Promise: He Has Promised us
Importance of Consideration
1. Some make promises with no intention to fulfill it.
a. Car dealer on T.V.
b. Politician
c. Info-mercial (supervac)-you get the product by mail and it does not work the same as did on TV.
2. Man makes promises to:
a. Win favors
b. Exert pressure
c. Obligate
3. Some make promises that are as good as fulfillment (Matt.5:33-37; James 5:12)
a. If they say they will do it, you will automatically consider it done.
b. They have good intentions, and they have the ability to back it up.
c. I want to be in this category! We must keep our oaths.
4. Some make great promises, but lack ability to fulfill
In What Category Does Christ Fall?
1. He was not a fraud or a deceiver.
2. He said, “All authority [power] has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” He does not lack ability
3. Numbers 23:19 cf. Titus 1:1-2
Christ’s Right to Make a Promise.
1. He was the Son of God.
2. He died that we might have life (John 12:24)
3. He rose from the dead (1Cor.15:1-4, 12-22)
a. A dead Christ could not save.
b. Hebrews 7:25
How Is This Eternal Life Attained?
Not by being good, righteous, or religious.
1. Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Isa.64:6
2. The Pharisee's were as good as you can become by the law, yet Jesus said that unless your righteousness exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees you would not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
3. Jesus said to them, that they were as white-washed sepulchres they might look good on the outside, but within they were full of dead mens bones.
4. Jesus said that they were of their father the devil.
B. John 17:3 This is eternal life
1. The word know comes from the Greek gnosko which is to know by experience.
2. All men know God intuitively, oidas. The vast majority of Americans declare that they believe in God.
a. Knowing God intuitively [head knowledge] does not bring eternal life.
1) 1John 2:3-5
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
2) 1John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20 NKJV)
Many people are deceived into thinking that they have eternal life.
1. They declare that they know God.
a. Jesus declared that in that day many will come saying, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and do many marvelous things in your name, and He will say to them, depart from Me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.
b. In II Cor.13:5 Paul tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith.
c. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You do search the scriptures for in them you think that you have life, but they testify of Me, but you will not come to Me, that you might have life."
2. This is one issue that you don't want to be deceived about, or mistaken in for it is your eternal destiny that is being determined.
a. In Titus 1:16 Paul said, "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
b. I pray that none of you sit under my ministry resting in a false hope for eternal life.
I want to know you Lord
1. Paul speaking of his old life as a religious man said: (Phil.3:7-10)
2. God said through the prophet (Jeremiah in 9:23-24)
3. The most Important Thing is That You Know the Only True God & Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
a. In John 12:49-50 Jesus said: "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. and I know that His commandment is everlasting life (John 12:49 NKJV)
b. In Isaiah 53:11 the prophet declared:, By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
c. In IIThess.1:8 Paul speaks of: God coming in flaming fire to take vengeance upon those who know not our Lord Jesus Christ.
d. In IJn.4:14 John said: And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:14-15 NKJV)
e. Finally Peter declared in IPet.1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3 NKJV)
4. Do you know God through experience? Have you experienced Jesus Christ in your life? Do you keep His commandments? He that says I know God and does not keep His commandments is a liar.
The Results of this Great Promise
Every Circumstance of life Must Be Considered in its Relationship to this Promise.
1. What seems like a tragedy, not always so when viewed in this light.
a. Kristi losing her job
b. Jacob (Genesis 42:35-36), he did not know about Romans 8:28
c. God sent Joseph ahead (Gen.45:5-8)
d. Joseph brothers meant evil against him but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20)
e. Christ’s Death—man murdered Him but it was God’s eternal plan for salvation (Acts 2:23; 3:12-18).
2. The Present suffering lose their bitterness.
a. Romans 8:18
b. II Corinthians 4:16-18
c. Christ’s own attitude toward cross.
3. What Christ did to make eternity possible (Mark 15:16-20)
a. He endured…for us. How can we thank Him enough!
4. Run to win – 1Cor.9:24-27
a. For the spiritual athlete, the goal is “personal holiness” (v.24-25)
b. Reaching the goal of personal holiness requires “self-control”
c. The ability to say “no” to temptation, to self-indulgence, to distractions.
d. Focus on the enemy within: “myself”
e. Jab my sinful urges & uppercut my wicked passions as if in a boxing match.