Sermon Tone Analysis

1 John 5:1-5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2001

Niagara Crowd’s Mental Assent

 

A huge crowd was watching the famous tightrope walker, Blondin, cross Niagara Falls one day in 1860.

He crossed it numerous times — a 1,000 foot trip, 160 feet above the raging waters.

He asked the crowd if they believed he could take another person across.

All assented.

Then he approached one man and asked him to get on his back and go with him.

The man refused!

Mental assent or even verbal assent is not real belief.

God has provided eternal life through Jesus Christ, but for this to do us any good we must give more than just mental assent.

We must believe in Jesus Christ with all our hearts.

/But how do we know for sure that Jesus Christ can save us from our sins?

/

 

In chapter 5 John talks about life, eternal life.

He expounds the truth first stated in chapter 1 that Jesus Christ is eternal Life.

If we would receive eternal life we must believe in Him.

John tells us why we can have confidence in the Savior.

In the first 5 verses he shares the testimony of the saved.

In verses 6-8 he shares the testimony of the Spirit, and in verses 9-13 he shares the testimony of the Father.

All these testimonies declare that Jesus Christ, God's Son saves sinful man.

Today we will see three reasons why we can have confidence in Jesus Christ.

/Firstly,/ */A/* */New Life Through Faith In Christ,/* /Secondly,/ */A New Love Through Keeping His Commands,/*/ Thirdly,/ */A New Liberty Overcoming The World./*

 

/Firstly,/     A New Life Through Faith In Christ

 

/a.

We Believe In Jesus Christ/

 

*1 John 5:1a: */Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, /

 

/Have you ever heard people say, it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere?

/That statement is a lie.

It does matter what we believe.

In fact it's a matter of life and death!

Adam and Eve believed the Serpent's lie and they died as a result.

John tells us that those who believe the truth are born again from the dead.

The truth we must believe in is Jesus Christ! /What do we have to believe about Jesus?/

That He is the Christ, God's appointed Messiah.

Put simply, we must believe that Jesus was sent by God to die for our sins.

Peter gave such a testimony in *Matthew 16:15-16:* /Jesus said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God./

 

/b.

We Are Born Again/

 

*1 John 5:1a: */Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,/

 

*The first result of believing in Christ is new life, God's life!*

This statement of John's is one of the clearest regarding salvation.

Through faith in Jesus Christ we are born into God's family.

We become His own precious children.

The moment a sinner believes in Christ he passes from death unto life.

*John 1:12: */But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:/ The theme running all the way through John's Gospel is faith in Jesus Christ.

*John 20:30-31: */And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written *that you may believe* that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and *that believing you may have life in His name.*

/This is a major theme of the New Testament.

Caterpillars & Butterflies

 

/Have you ever noticed how ugly and awkward a caterpillar is?/

They crawl around on the ground and never accomplish anything.

They are continually driven by an insatiable appetite.

In fact all they do is eat.

However this all changes after they spin a cocoon and become transformed.

After their transformation they are beautiful and graceful.

They soar in the skies on beautiful wings.

This is what it is like for mankind.

In God's sight our sinful state is both ugly and offensive.

We can't accomplish anything worth while because we are driven by a sinful appetite.

It requires a new birth to make us beautiful in God's sight.

Only Jesus Christ can make us new from the inside out; but we must be born again!

Application

 

*/Firstly,/* John says those who believe in Jesus receive new life.

/Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?

Do you believe God sent Him to die for your sins?

Have you been born again?/

 

/Secondly,/ A New Love Through Keeping His Commands/ /

/ /

/a.

We Love God/

/ /

*1 John 5:1b: */and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

/

 

*The second result of believing in Christ is a new love, God's love!*

As soon as we believe we also begin to love our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

/Why shouldn't we?/

The Father loves us and gave His Son to save us.

Christ freely gave to meet our great need.

God gave us life, new life.

He brought us into His family as one of His own precious children.

All of this fills our hearts with love and appreciation for God.

He alone has removed the enmity between us and Himself.

Yes we have every reason to love Him.

We Too Love Him

 

An aged countryman visited London for the first time.

In a great art gallery, he looked at different paintings.

He was especially impressed with a picture of Christ dying on the cross.

As he gazed fixedly upon it, a deeper love for the Savior flooded his heart.

With great feeling, he cried, /Bless Him!

I love Him!

I love Him!/

Those standing nearby heard him.

They saw tears glistening on his elderly face as he stood completely oblivious of the presence of others.

Four of them came close to him and said, /We, too, love Him, brother./

Though strangers to each other, they were drawn together in love and adoration for the Savior.

/ /

/b.

We Love God's Children/

/ /

*1 John 5:2: */By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments./

/ /

This verse is presented back the front./

How can we know that we love God and keep His commands?

/*When we love His children*.

It's impossible to love God's children unless we first love God.

It's only devotion to Him that motivates us to love our brother.

Again John sums up all of the commandments with the commandment to love God and our brother.