Case Closed
Blessed Assurance • Sermon • Submitted
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As always, it is an honor to be here this morning in the presence of the Lord and this body of believers.
Today we are wrapping up our walk through through the book of 1 John. I hope that this series has been as impactful for your understanding of the assurance of salvation as it has been for my own. If you’ve missed any parts of this here is the main point. John wrote this letter to a church facing falling teaching and confusion of the faith so that they may know that they have eternal life. He is saying this is how you know that you have been saved.
I think this is a very important concept to grasp in our time today. Our society has moved to become a pluralistic society. There is not universal truth, but rather relative truth, personal truth. What is true for me may not be true for you. Everyone is right all the time. But despite this movement in our society, it is simply illogical. Two competing truths cannot be true. If I look at the screen there and say that it is a rectangle while Carlo says it is a circle, one of us HAS to be wrong.
If I were to point to this microphone try to tell you that it is a cheeseburger, you would look at me like I’m a mad man. It wouldn’t matter if I told you that it was a cheeseburger TO ME, you would tell me that I am denying the reality of the situation. You would say I’d break my teeth if I tried to take a bite. Relative truth breaks down in the face of concrete facts.
If you’ll stay with me, I’d like to take just a moment to have an argument with myself. So I just said that relative truth breaks down in the face of concrete facts. The skeptic would then say to me, “well Brad, you just disproved Christianity! That Jesus guy might be your truth, but there are countless other religions preaching different things. All that spiritual stuff is relative and thus as you say, it breaks down to be false!”
To the skeptic I would say that I understand where that line of thought is coming from, but what Christianity has that none of those other religions have, is a Risen Savior! Jesus is not in the tomb in which He was laid. The Apostles’ testimonies prove it. When you look at the historical and narrative evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the evidence is overwhelming. Many skeptic unbelievers have taken the task as disproving the resurrection and many have actually become converted believers through that effort. Jesus Christ Lives!
And because Jesus is the One who conquered the grave, we can trust the rest of His Word. We looked last week at how through His life God the Father testified that Jesus truly is the Son of God. Jesus said that He is the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Him. So then we must evaluate our position before God through our relationship with Jesus.
Throughout the book of 1 John we have been confronted with the binary nature of humanity. By that I mean that there are clear, cut-and-dry categories of people. John talked about the children of the devil and the children of God. Those who are in the world vs those who do the will of God. Those who practice sinning vs those who practice righteousness. Those who hate other believers and those who love other believer. Those who fall with the world vs those who overcome the world. Those who deny Jesus vs those who recognize Him as the Christ and the Son of God. We have been wading through all of these categories as we have been working our way through this text. Each of these competing categories can be simplified as the lost and the saved. There is no middle ground here. We see that we are one or other.
While there has been evangelistic emphasis given throughout this series, the main purpose of John’s letter is not to persuade unbelievers to join him in recognizing Jesus as Savior and Lord. The main goal of John’s letter here is for believers to have confidence in their salvation. You do not have to doubt your eternal position. John gives us doctrinal tests to show us which side we are truly on. Those are the tests of love of God and the body of believers, the test of obedience to the Lord and finding His way delight in His way rather than burden, and the test of truth that is knowing that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. These themes have cycled all throughout this letter and we have focussed on these heavily.
In what we are reading today, John is giving his closing remarks to the church. If you would, open your Bibles to 1 John 5. In this conclusion to this series, take this time to truly evaluate you position before the Lord.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
Today, you are being asked and equipped to work out your salvation. That is to know your position before God. I will say from the onset that if you find that you have never truly received the gift of faith and your hope is not in Jesus, it is not too late. God is still working and calling sinners to repentance.
And if you sincerely trust in the Lord as your Savior, but often fight the seeds of doubt that plague your sinful flesh, know this, when you trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life, you are saved and sealed, case closed. Today, you will see the certainties given to you by God.
Walk through this with me.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
This verse is the framing verse of the entire book of 1 John. You may remember in one of the first sermons of this series I gave a SPOILER WARNING and read this verse. All that the Holy Spirit was inspiring John to write is driven by these words: That you may know that you have eternal life.
The book of 1 John was written so that the readers of the day and us here today maya know that we have eternal life.
Folks, this is hope. This isn’t some shilling of prosperity. This is deep truth that no matter what difficulties and catastrophes you face, you can be resolved in the Lord knowing that you have overcome the world.
We often look at:
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
We see athletes using this verse for encouragement on game day. I see people posting this verse after a big win in their life. Maybe its finally purchasing a home, or overcoming a big financial burden, but that’s not the full context. Look with me at the verse before that
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
What we see in Philippians is not someone shouting from the top of Mount Everest in victory, rather in the highs and the lows of life, Paul is secure in sufficiency of the Lord. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me points us to the hope of Jesus and the assurance of eternity that gets us through whatever earthly trial we may face. Paul, earlier in that same letter to Philippians wrote
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
He understands and shows us that when we know that we have eternal life, we live on this side of glory serving the Lord and in eternity we live in the full presence of the Lord. The bumps and bruises along the way pale in comparison to the glory of things to come.
Paul speaks with such hope because he knows that he has eternal life. Christian, you too, can speak with such hope because you should know that you have eternal life.
That hope is sourced from nothing else than Jesus Christ. You will not find hope in your self. John says that this messed of assurance is only for those who believe in the name of the Son of God
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
We are only saved through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Its all about Him. You want proper perspective in this world? You want to know the meaning of life? You find that in Jesus Christ. Through Christ we are reconciled to the Father and give thanks through Him. Part of my memory verses with my men’s group is In whatever you do, in word of deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Our lives are meant to glorify and give thanks to the Lord and we do that through living in response to the grace we have received through Jesus’ perfect atonement for our sins of the cross.
Jesus puts everything into its proper perspective. When He is Lord of our lives, our Savior, we KNOW that we have eternal life because He promised us such. Yes, this ugly flesh will peak its head and we still struggle with sin and temptation, but when we have faith in Christ we are driven to follow Him and glorify God in the name of Jesus.
If you want assurance of eternal life, ask your self this, do you have the God-given desire to honor the Lord. Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins and conquered death on your behalf? Is Jesus the Lord of your life, the one who sets the foundation for all that you do? If you say yes, then you too should KNOW that you have eternal life. When you believe in Jesus you are saved, sealed, and secure. You have eternal life.
But eternal life is not the only Christian certainty from faith in Jesus Christ. look at the next two verses.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Answered prayer is another Christian certainty.
We must look at these verses carefully. Recently I was browsing the internet and I came across a blog by an atheist. They said that they could prove that Jesus was a liar and thus all of Christianity was a sham. There big point in the blog was that the Bible tells us that God answers the prayers of His believers, but he could demonstrate that that is not true. He said that Christian believers could pray right now that he would be saved and become a Christian. The mere fact that he did not convert proves that God doesn’t answer every prayer. Before we continue let me say that we should indeed be praying for that individual. I don’t know their name or even where they are from, but I pray that they WILL come to repentance and see the truthfulness of the gospel.
However, whether that happens or not does not prove the Scriptures wrong. Look back at verse 14. It says that if we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL He hears us. Christians are not told that if we pray hard enough for a Lamborghini that we can persuade God to conform to our wills. That is the whole problem with the prosperity, health and wealth gospel. No where are we told that if we pray enough, do enough, serve enough, that we will be able to finally get God to give us what we want. If that is your perspective on prayer than you have exchanged the Lord of all Creation for a cosmic Santa Claus.
One commentary quoted George Mueller who said,
Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John We Can Know that God Answers Prayer (1 John 5:14–17)
“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness” (quoted in Be Real, 179). Therefore nothing we ask for lies beyond the power of God except that which lies beyond His will, His purpose, His plan.
Pray is not intended to persuade God, rather it is the means through which we cry out to God remembering that He is in sovereign control. God answers EVERY prayer, it is just that the answer to that prayer might very well be no! Remember the Lord’s Prayer
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
This is Jesus modeling for us how we should pray. We see Adoration for the Lord! Lord Your name wis greatly revered! YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done. Lord, I have daily needs, I rely on you for providence. Forgive my sins against you as I show that forgiveness to others. Lord help me overcome temptation into sins that dishonor you, take me away from the evil that profanes your name.
In prayer we are giving God our burdens with the understanding that the world doesn’t revolve around us but the universe most definitely revolves around Him!
God hears our prayers, He answers them in the ways that our compatible with His Will, His sovereign plan. When we pray we know that whatever the answer is to our specific request is, it is congruent with His great plan of redemption.
Christians, your prayers are heard and they are answered in accordance to the Will of the Lord. We trust that whatever the answer is, it is for His glory!
In the next two verses, John illustrates a specific instance of praying in the will of God.
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
We’re going to get into defining what this means in a moment, but first I want to point out something that I saw in Spurgeon’s commentary on this verse. Look at the first few words here. If any one sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death. What is the response the believer should have in the situation. If we see another brother or sister in some sort of sin, what should our response be? Should it be to put it out there on facebook? Should it be to go home and call all our friends and tell them about it? Spurgeon asked, “should [we] run all over the place and tell everybody about it? No!” When we see one of our brothers or sisters in something that they should not be doing, our first response should not be gossip. Our response is first to the Lord. We sincerely pray for them. You lift up intercessory prayer and ask for God to bring them to repentance. If it goes further from there, you follow the steps show in Matthew 18, you talk to them. You show them the err. But it is not our duty to make ourselves feel good by airing the dirty laundry of others out for everyone to see. When we see another Christian in sin, we pray for them and with them.
But verse 17 is interesting. It says there is a sin that leads to death; John says we do not have to pray for that. There are multiple interpretations of this verse. Some suggest that this is referring to the “unpardonable sin” that is blaspheme of the Holy Spirit. Complete rejection of the Lord. MacArthur notes, “John did not forbid prayer for such, people, since it is impossible to know who they are. The apostle merely stated that prayer for them will not be answered; God has already made the final decision about their future.”
Other interpretations of this verse suggest that the sin that leads to death is not any one particular sin, but any sin that leads to a physical death. We are told in Scripture that after death comes judgment, whatever the position of that person is before God is fixed.
Whichever interpretation, the basic point is that there are instances in which what we pray will not fit in line with the will of God and thus it will not be granted. Nonetheless, we trust in the Lord and pray without ceasing. Spurgeon notes,
“John does not in such a case forbid our prayers, neither does he encourage them, but I take it that he gives us a permit to pray on. We do not know for certain that the most guilty person has indeed passed the boundary of mercy, and therefore we may intercede with hope. If we have a horrible dread upon us that possibly our erring relative is beyond hope, if we are not commanded to pray, we are certainly not forbidden. It is always best to err on the safe side, if it is erring at all. We may still go to God, even with a forlorn hope, and cry to Him in the extremity of our distress.”
Those who believe in the name of the Son of God know that they have eternal life, they know that God hears their prayers, and now in the next verse we see that Christians are victorious.
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
Christians are given the certainty of victory. This verse says that those who are born of God do not keep on sinning. We have been given the ability to glorify God in what we do. Those who are not God’s children sin even in their pragmatism. What do I mean by that? We read in Isaiah that our good deeds are like filthy rags. If you don’t know the Lord even your best intended actions are in service to something else. It might be so that you look good to others, it may be to gain the affections of someone else, if you are of another faith it could be to serve another god. Whatever it is, if you don’t really know that Lord then you are not working for the Lord you are working for something else. The first commandment is Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. So when we don’t know the Lord all that we do is serving something and that something isn’t God. It’s an offense to have another god above the God of the Universe.
But when we come to saving faith, we are brought out of sin. We are empowered to produce fruit that glorifies the Lord. Remember that verse I mentioned from Colossians 3. In whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him. When we live fore Jesus we are giving thanks to God and pursuing righteousness for His glory! We have been enabled to truly make something of eternal significance in our lives and its not centered around us, its centered around the Lord!
God protects us, the evil one does not touch us. MacArthur notes, “Because the believer belongs to God, Satan must operate within God’s sovereignty and cannot function beyond what God allows, as in the example of Job. While Satan may persecute, tempt, test, and accuse the believer, God protects his children and places definite limit’s on Satan’s influence or power.” Remember the verse from a few weeks ago
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
In Christ believers are certain of their eternal life, answered prayers, and victory. But there is more:
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
In Christ believers are assured that they belong to God. The ESV says from God in this verse but many other translations use “OF” God. We are born into the family of God. We have been brought into the fold. This broken world is no longer our home and we are looking forward to much better inheritance. This world lies in the power of the evil one, but another spoiler alert, this earth aint gonna last forever! There will be a new Heaven and a New Earth in which all of the children of God will enjoy.
But in this verse we are once again reminded of the binary reality. There are those who are of God who will enjoy these assurances and there are those who are not. Those who are not live under the power of evil one.
So we have the Christian certainties of eternal life, answered prayer, victory, and belonging to God.
Finally we see this:
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. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives, we are given the certainty that He truly is God and eternal life.
Because we know that Jesus is the true Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, God incarnate, we have no business wasting our time idols.
John tells us that the Son of God has come and given us this understanding. That means that Jesus Christ, that God-incarnate one, actually factually came this earth. He did those wonderful miracles seen in the gospels. He taught what we needed to know. He died where we should have died. And He defeated death assuring us of our own resurrection. The absolute FACT that Jesus is who was written of and did what is recorded in Scripture is all the certainty we need.
All of the certainties we talked about this morning hinge on Jesus. God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. When our faith is Him, we may KNOW that we have eternal life. We can be certain God hears our prayers. We are assured of victory. We absolutely belong to God. And We are assured in the rock solid truth that Jesus is Fully-God Fully-Man who died for our sins and rose again giving all those who believe in Him this assurances.
So the only question that remains is do you believe? Have you seen the evidence of love, obedience, and truth in your life? Do you truly desire to delight in the way of the Lord?
I can tell you there is nothing better. But ultimately, I can’t convince you of this. But the Holy Spirit is still at work in the hearts of men, convicting them of truth.
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Jesus laid down His life to pay the debt of sin. There is no other way to attain or evenly truly understand the certainties I spoke about today, but through Him. If you are really understanding that for the first time today, we’d ask that you come forward during this next hymn of response. There is nothing better than being restore to God the father and assured not by your own doing, but by the perfect work of Jesus Christ.