Sermon Tone Analysis

The apostle John certainly thought knowledge was important.

He was vitally concerned that his “little children” (v.

21) know a number of things to be true because they had come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.

In fact, a quick survey of this five-chapter letter reveals at least the following things we can know:

1.

We can know that we know God (2:3, 13, 14; 4:7).

2. We can know that we are in God (2:5).

3. We can know that it is the last hour (2:18).

4. We can know the truth (2:21; 3:19).

5. We can know that Jesus is righteous (2:29).

6.

We can know that we will be like Jesus (3:2).

7. We can know that Jesus came to take away sins (3:5).

8.

We can know that Jesus is sinless (3:5).

9. We can know that we have passed out of death into life (3:14).

10.

We can know that no murderer has eternal life (3:15).

11.

We can know love (3:16; 4:16).

12.

We can know that God abides in us (3:24; 4:13).

13.

We can know the Spirit of God (4:2).

14.

We can know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception (4:6).

15.

We can know that we love God’s children (5:2).

16.

We can know that we have eternal life (5:13).

It is clear from 1 John alone that the child of God can know and be certain of quite a lot!

In this final section of 1 John (vv.

14–21), things we can know continue to dominate the conversation.

Seven times the word “know” appears.

Christianity is not an “I hope so” or “I think so” faith.

It is an “I know so” faith because what has been revealed in the Bible was given to us by God, a God who speaks and a God who speaks only truth.

As John brings his letter to close, what is it, in particular, that God wants every child of His to know?

I.

We Can Know That We Have Eternal Life - 1 John 5:13

In a real sense, the entire letter of 1 John has been pointing to this verse.

On five prior occasions, John has given his reasons for writing.

Summing up all these reasons for writing 1 John goes like this:

I am writing because you are true believers, but there are deceivers in your midst, and I want you to be rock-solid confident in your present possession of eternal life as regenerate children of God, so that you are not drawn away after sin.

And if this letter has that effect my joy will be complete.

So at the heart of his reason for writing is the desire to help them know they are born again—that they now have new spiritual life.

Eternal life.

(“Everyone Who Has Been Born of God”)

The apostle John tells us it is possible to have eternal life, the very life of God, and yet have doubts.

However, he does not want us to have doubts.

He wants us to have assurance.

Therefore he provides multiple tests throughout the book (“these things” in verse 13 refers specifically to 5:1–12, but in general the phrase refers to the entire book) revolving around the three themes of belief, obedience, and love.

Those who believe Jesus is the Son of God, pursue obedience, and love others can be assured they have eternal life right now.

Today!

Forever!

Don’t doubt because of an ignorance of God’s Word and His promises.

Don’t doubt because of a faulty theology (e.g., eternal life is something I can lose or forfeit).

Don’t doubt because of disobedience.

Don’t doubt because of hate.

Flee to Jesus!

He is the Word of life (1:1).

He is eternal life (1:2).

In this fleeing we must remember: Feelings come and go, and feelings can be deceiving.

My confidence is in the Son of God; no one else is worth believing.

Jesus said in John 10:28–29

I will take Jesus at His word.

I can know I have eternal life.

With the assurance of eternal life comes another confidence: answered prayer.

II.

We Can Know That God Answers Prayer - 1 John 5:14-17

R. A. Torrey said,

Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power.

All that God is and all that God has is at the disposal of prayer.

But we must use the key.

Prayer can do anything that God can do and since God can do anything, prayer is omnipotent.

(The Power of Prayer, 17)

John addressed prayer in 1 John 3:22.

There he informed us that God answers our prayers when we are

(1) keeping His commands and

(2) doing those things that please Him.

John now adds a third requirement:

(3) we must ask “according to his will” (v.

14).

With these three keys in place, John says we can be confident toward God as we pray.

We can know He hears us as we ask, and we can “know that we have what we have asked Him for” (vv.

14–15).

We might ask why anyone would want something contrary to God’s will.

It is right to pray according to God’s will, and it is wise to pray according to God’s will.

He knows what is best, and He wants what is best: His glory and our good.

God wants to give you what you would want God to give you if you were wise enough to want it.

Now, God’s will may be different from what you want, but I believe this: it will always be better than what you want.

Romans 12:2 tells us God’s will is “good, pleasing, and perfect.”

I want what God wants for me.

I want God’s will.

In verses 16 and 17 John gets specific regarding prayer.

Verses 14–15 were about petitions.

Verses 16–17 are about intercession.

First, John addresses a brother who is “sinning a sin” not leading to death.

Then he addresses someone whose sin “brings death.”

The crucial question is this: Is John speaking of physical death or spiritual death?

Further, does he have a Christian in view in both instances or is the second situation that of an unbeliever?

There is no place for dogmatism in interpreting this verse, but lets consider the following.

John has spiritual death in mind and two different persons in view.

So his argument is that brothers and sisters in Christ can fall into sin, but their salvation and spiritual death is not at stake because they have Christ as their atonement and advocate and they believe in Him for eternal life.

If you see them in sin, don’t talk first to others about them, which is gossip.

Talk first to God about them.

Pray for their restoration because this is always God’s will.

Pray to the Lord and He will give life; He will restore the joy and vitality of their salvation since their sins do not and cannot lead to spiritual death.

Then John addresses a sin that he says leads to death.

He does not say the one committing this sin is a brother.

Of this sin John says, “I am not saying he should pray about that.”

Note, he does not command us not to pray, but it is clear he is doubtful that it will do any good.

Now the question which confronts us is this: “What is the sin that leads to death?”