1 John 5:1-3 - Keeping God's Commandments - The Warning and Blessing
Keeping God’s Commandments
Believing That Jesus Is the Christ.
1. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of Him (v.1)
A) The Result of Believing—Whoever Believes Will
1) Not parish but have everlasting life (John 3:15-16) & is not condemned (3:18)
2) Not abide in darkness (John 12:46)
3) Have forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43)
B) To Believe Means You Will Receive Him (John 1:12-13)
1) Jesus Asked Peter, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man am?
(a) Peter’s reply (Matthew 16:13-17)
(b) John 6:60-69 – Many of His disciples could not understand Jesus’ saying and they did not walk with Jesus anymore. Then Jesus turned to the twelve and said, “Do you want to go away?”
1. You have the words to eternal life
2. We believe and know that you are the Christ the Son of the Living God
(c) Demons even believe the right things about Jesus & Tremble (James 2:19). They Believe
1. He is the Holy One (Luke 4:31-37)
2. He is the Christ the Son of God (Luke 4:40-41)
3. He is the Son of the Most High God (Luke 8:28)
(d) Demons even fell down before Him whenever they saw Him (Mark 3:6-12).
1. Jesus always rebuked demons for their testimonies about Him. He would not receive the witness of evil spirits. He did not deny that He was the Son of God, but chose to control the time and manner of being revealed as such.
2. He wanted His teaching and actions, not the impure words of demons, to proclaim who He was & Paul did the same (Acts 16:16–1).
C) Whoever Does Not Believe
1) Many think they need to see a sign and then they will believe (Mark 15:24-32)
(a) Not so, this man believed in Jesus Christ & entered Paradise (Luke 22:32-43)
2) Is a liar & an antichrist (1 John 2:22-23)
3) Is condemned already (John 3:18)
4) Shall not see life & the wrath of God abides on you (John 3:36)
(a) Romans 2:5 says you are treasuring up for yourself wrath for the day of wrath
5) Will be condemned (Mark 16:16) to eternal punishment (Revelation 20:15)
2. The Gospel Offer Goes Out To All (Matthew 22:2-14)
By This We Know We Love the Children of God (v.2)
1. When we love God and Keep His commandments
1) Everything in Creation—except man—obeys the will of God (ps.148:8). In the book of Jonah, the winds, waves even a fish obey God, but Jonah did not.
2) This is what God requires of us (Deuteronomy 10:12-16)
3) God shows His mercy to those who love Him & obey Him (Exodus 20:6)
4) It is conditional (Daniel 9:4) cf. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
5) Notice how in all of these passages that love was tied in with keeping His commandments.
6) Jesus Himself walked in obedience to the Father.
But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do (John 14:31 NKJV)
If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15 NKJV)
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him…"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. (John 14:21-24 NKJV)
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. (John 15:10 NKJV)
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. (John 15:14 NKJV)
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. (2 John 1:6 NKJV)
(a) So if I walk as He walked (1 John 2:6), I am going to be seeking to please the Father.
1. As obedient children, God is calling us to a life of Holiness (1 Peter 1:13-19 v.2)
2. His Commandments Are Not Burdensome (v.3)
A) This Speaks Of An Obedience Motivated By Love
1) In the Old Testament the commandments of God were imposed on the children of Israel as a matter of strict duty. They were required to obey them.
2) In the New Testament the Pharisees went to great extremes to keep the outward letter of the law. Religion to them was largely a matter of external duty or responsibility (Matthew 23:4)
3) When love comes into the picture, however, one’s duty to obey the law is transformed into a desire to obey the law. Love lightens burdens (Matthew 11:28-30).
4) Jacob had to work for seven years to win the woman he loved, but the Bible tells us that “they seemed unto him a few days, for the love he had to her” (Gen. 29:20).
5) When you meet Christ and are born into the family of God, because you love Him, you desire to obey Him and do everything God wants you to do.
1. When John says that His commandments are not burdensome, he does not mean that they are not difficult, but rather that they are the very things which born again people love to do.
2. When you tell a mother to take good care of her baby, you are only telling her what she loves to do. The commandments of the Lord are the things which are best for us, and the things in which our new nature takes a wholehearted delight (Psalm 119:6).
The Warning & Blessing (Psalm 19:7-11)
God’s universal love is revealed not only in grace and His great compassion, but also in His admonition to repent. God is constantly warning the reprobate of their impending fate, and pleading with them to turn away from sin.
q Nothing demonstrates God’s love more than the various warnings throughout the pages of Scripture, urging sinners to flee from the wrath to come.
v The Apostle Paul defined his ministry as that of proclaiming Christ and warning “every man and teaching every man with all wisdom” (Col. 1:28).
v After exhorting the Thessalonian church to maintain sexual purity, Paul added, “The Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you” (1 Thess. 4:6).
v Paul also warned the Ephesian Elders night and day for 3 Years (Acts 20:25-31) and said “therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.”
v Responding to the nation's unbelief (Jer.6:10), the Prophet Jeremiah identifies himself with the Lord in speaking of the people's dullness to his word. In fact, they regard it with contempt. To warn them further is useless; their ears are "closed" (arlah, "uncircumcised").
The Warning (Ezekiel 33:1-9 cf. 3:16-21)
WATCHMAN means – To look out, peer into the distance, spy, keep watch; to scope something out, especially in order to see approaching danger, and to warn those who are endangered.
q Often it is translated “watchmen,” referring to the king’s guards (1 Sam. 14:16) or to those who look out from a tower in the city wall (2 Kin. 9:17-18). In Proverbs 31:27, the ideal woman “watches over” the ways of her household.
q In other instances, it is spiritual watchmen, or prophets, who look out, see danger, and report to the people. (See Is. 52:8; Jer. 6:17; Ezek. 33:2-7.) Unfaithfulness in the discharge of duty of, punished by death, Ezek. 33:6; Matt. 28:14; Acts 12:19.
q “his blood will I require at thy hand,” If the prophet does not warn the wicked man, as God has commanded him, he renders himself guilty of a deadly sin, for which God will take vengeance on him as on the murderer for the shedding of blood. An awfully solemn statement for all ministers of the word.
1) Ezekiel 18:19-32; Matthew 3:7
The Blessing & Reward of Keeping God’s Commands.
THE OBEDIENT ARE BLESSED (Psalm 119:1-3)
Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:16-17 NKJV)
BEING NEAR TO GOD (Mark 3:31-35 Luke 8:19). Jesus is not dishonoring his family (vv. 19-20) but honoring those who obey God (v. 21).
q Most Christians would probably say that we come closest to him through prayer and reading the Bible. But Jesus says that the way to be close to him--even as close as his own family--is through being receptive to ("hearing") God's word and then doing it.
q Hours of praying and reading the Bible will not bring disobedient Christians as close to the Lord as doing his truth brings even the simplest believer.
ENTRANCE INTO HIS KINGDOM (Matthew 7:21, 24-25)
q This does not mean salvation by works, but demonstrates those who are saved will be obedient.
q You will stand on the rock during the storms of life & on judgment day (v.24,25)
Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death (John 8:51)
q Revelation 22:12-14