True Life
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Harry went to his doctor on Thursday to review his test results. The Doctor told him I have good news and bad news.
“Good news is you have 48 hours to live,” he said to Harry. “Bad news is I should have told you on Tuesday.”
People want to have the time of their lives in the time they have left. The question is how? How can you really live? How can you enjoy a full life? How can you have the life?
People want to have the time of their lives in the time they have left. The question is how? How can you really live? How can you enjoy a full life? How can you have life that is truly worth living?
Dave Barry said this. He’s a humor columnist and author, now an older guy, who has gained a lot of wisdom over the years. Some time ago, he wrote a column called, “Things that It Took Me 50 Years to Learn.”
1st, Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2nd, If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”
4th, There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
5th, Never lick a steak knife.
And finally, a person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (Dave Barry, Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn, www.PreachingToday.com)
Ok sounds like really good advice hey.. but I believe we can do better, lets look at the bible together and keep your hands in from verse 1. We are starting to head towards the end of 1 John and here the bible tells us how to have the life and most of all how to “conquer” sin and satan.
says
The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. CSB
It summerises what John has been saying, time and time again. And its the bottom line.
We are going to work through 3 points today:
Where the bible tells us how to have the life.
1. Joyful Obediance (5:1-3)
2. Victory from Faith (5:4-5)
3. The Testimony of the Son (5:6-12)
My first point today is:
1. Joyful Obediance (5:1-3)
1. Joyful Obediance (5:1-3)
says:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden”
The first image of those who conquer are those who practice joyful obedience. John begins with a truth he has established from the beginning of this letter.
“Everyone who believe that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God.”
The false teachers or fake Christians in the church were denying that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.
John is not saying that just by saying that Jesus is true or real but he is saying that it damands a life change, a culture change, heart surgery.
Everyone who loves the Father also loves those who are born of God. This summarizes John’s teaching in .
Everyone who loves the Father also loves those who are born of God. This summarizes John’s teaching in . If we love God, then we will be loving our Christian brothers and sisters. You know you are in a relationship with God when you love one another.
If we love God, then we will be loving our Christian brothers and sisters. You know you are in a relationship with God when you love one another.
Notice how John amplifies this teaching in verse 2. John’s statement is a reversal of what we would expect to read. We would expect to read that we know we have the love of God by loving the children of God.
We would expect to read that we know we have the love of God by loving the children of God.
This has been John’s point to his readers in the fourth chapter. John reverses the statement and shows us how important loving each other truly is.
This is how we know that we are loving the children of God: when we love God and obey his commands.
Just as one cannot love God without loving his children, so also it is impossible to truly love the children of God without loving God also.
We are not going to deny ourselves for the gain of each other if we do not truly love God. To be in a relationship with God means that we will love God.
John describes what loving God looks like: keeping his commands. Loving God is not saying that we love God.
Loving God is not trying to find an experience or emotion toward God. Loving God is doing what he says.
This is quite a thought considering how many people claim to love God but do not do what he says. We cannot declare ourselves to be Christians who love God and not do exactly what he tells us to do.
But notice that loving God is not just obedience. Notice the qualification to our obedience. “His commands are not a burden.”
Can we say this is true in our lives? Do you see the commands of God as not being a burden? God’s commands are good for us. His commands are given for our own best interests.
Obedience is our desire because we love God. If we feel like God’s commands are a burden, then it should identify that there is a problem in our hearts.
Illustration:
Growing up I remember quite clearly that my mum use to make me mow the lawns and tender to the garden, now to me it was more of an obligation or a duty rather than a love, because if I did love garderning then I would have enjoyed doing it, rather than trying to avoid it. I have listened to my mum.
Growing up I remember quite clearly that my mum use to make me mow the lawns and tender to the garden, now to me it was more of an obligation or a duty rather than a love, because if I did love garderning then I would have enjoyed doing it, rather than trying to avoid it. I have listened to my mum.
in the say way It shows that we see God’s commands as a duty rather than a love. It shows that our obedience is not coming from our love for God but coming from a obligation that we think we must observe.
It shows that we see God’s commands as a duty rather than a love. It shows that our obedience is not coming from our love for God but coming from a obligation that we think we must observe. God is not calling for obligation but for love. Conquerors are those who joyful obey the commands of God. They love God and want to be pleasing to God, not to self.
It shows that we see God’s commands as a duty rather than a love. It shows that our obedience is not coming from our love for God but coming from a obligation that we think we must observe. God is not calling for obligation but for love. Conquerors are those who joyful obey the commands of God. They love God and want to be pleasing to God, not to self.
God is not calling for obligation but for love. Conquerors are those who joyfully obey the commands of God. They love God and want to be pleasing to God, not to ourself.
My second point for today is:
2. Victory from Faith (5:4-5)
2. Victory from Faith (5:4-5)
Here is a powerful truth: whatever has been born of God overcomes the world.
Illustration:
John has spent quite a bit of time proving that we are born of God. Those who are walking in the light, loving God, and loving one another are born of God.
Therefore, we have overcome the world because we have been born of God. John zeroes in on exactly why we have overcome the world: our faith.
What are we victorious over? John is not speaking of the world in a physical way, that is, that we are overcoming people who live on the earth. Rather, John has used the term “the world” to describe the sinfulness of the world.
John is not speaking of the world in a physical way, that is, that we are overcoming people who live on the earth. Rather, John has used the term “the world” to describe the sinfulness of the world.
Rather, John has used the term “the world” to describe the sinfulness of the world.
John instructed the Christians in that we cannot love the world or the things in the world because it is sinful.
This is the overcoming that we are experiencing in Christ. We defeat this evil world and achieve victory through our faith in Jesus.
Through Christ we are able to shift our affections away from the world and to the Lord. We are able to overcome sin.
We are able to overcome Satan. We can be victorious over temptation through our faith in Jesus and what Jesus has done for us.
Remember that John taught this victory back in the chapter 2.
1 John 2:14
“I have written to you, children, because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, God’s word remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one.”
We need to hear these encouraging words. We can overcome the vices, weaknesses, temptations, and sins in which we are entangled.
But we must rely upon this victorious faith but not in ourself but the faith that we have in Christ.
It’s not just saying, “I am going to do better.” “It’s not just trying harder.” we are just going to fail on our own.
Rather, we need to rely upon Jesus for our strength. We need to build our love for him which will move us away from the love of the world.
We need to transfer our affections and passions to God and away from the flesh. This victory is a love for God through faith that joyfully embraces God’s commands.
There is no other way to be victorious in this life and the life to come.
My final point for today is:
The Testimony of the Son (5:6-12)
The Testimony of the Son (5:6-12)
In the final point in our passage, John is going to explain what we have put our faith in.
Since our faith overcomes the world, then we need to know exactly what we must believe to build our lives upon. John is going to give us the foundations for faith, what we need to believe concerning Jesus.
John is going to give us the foundations for faith, what we need to believe concerning Jesus.
Verse 6 states the critical testimony: Jesus Christ came by water and by blood. According to Jewish law as long as there were two or three witnesses than the testimony stands.
“Jesus Christ—he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies,because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that he has given about his Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Verse 6 states the critical testimony: Jesus Christ came by water and by blood. There are number of different ways this has been interpreted. But we must keep in mind the false teaching John is fighting against. John is fighting Gnostic doctrines which declared that Jesus was inhabited by the Son of God at his baptism and then the Son of God left Jesus at his crucifixion. With that in mind, it seems best to understand Jesus Christ coming by water and blood as a reference to his baptism and death. The Son of God who came into the world at the birth of Jesus was the same one who was baptized and received divine approval from the Father. He is the same one who shed his blood on the cross to redeem humanity. The Son of God experienced both.
Verse 6 states the critical testimony: Jesus Christ came by water and by blood. According to Jewish law as long as there were two or three witnesses than the testimony stands.
There are number of different ways this has been interpreted. But we must keep in mind the false teaching John is fighting against.
According to Jewish law as long as there were two or three witnesses than the testimony stands.
According to Jewish law as long as there were two or three witnesses than the testimony stands.
I’ll lay it out simply:
Water: This is referring to Jesus’ baptism. When Jesus was baptised, God said : “This is my beloved Son, whom am well-pleased.”
Blood: Jesus bled when he died on the cross, he died to rescue us from our sins, Only God’s Son could do that.
The Spirit: All Christians have the Holy Spirit with them. The Spirit helps them to know the truth about Jeus and to have Faith in Jesus, the Son of God.
Illustration:
I was pastoring a Youth Group in Croydon and driving home one friday night. I noticed a big guy and girl fighting near Burwood station. They were obviously drunk. I tried to intervene and ended up being punched myself. The police were called to the scene, there were witnesses nearby who saw. A few months later the guy said in court that I had assaulted him. Of course the police and the court wouldn’t believe him as there were witnesses, the police also witnessed them being drunk and the guy had also been on parole from prison. The case was closed and he went back to prison.
John is fighting doctrines which declared that Jesus was inhabited by the Son of God at his baptism and then the Son of God left Jesus at his crucifixion. With that in mind, it seems best to understand Jesus Christ coming by water and blood as a reference to his baptism and death. The Son of God who came into the world at the birth of Jesus was the same one who was baptized and received divine approval from the Father. He is the same one who shed his blood on the cross to redeem humanity. The Son of God experienced both.
John stresses that these are three things that testify to this truth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
I noticed a big guy and girl fighting near Burwood station. They were obviously drunk.
These are three things that testify to this truth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
These are three things that testify to this truth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
These are three things that testify to this truth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
These are three things that testify to this truth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
These three things are in perfect agreement to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The proof is there that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The testimony of God is the greatest thing that we have to know that we are following the right person.
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” ( ESV)
Further, the blood, which refers to Jesus’ death on the cross, testifies to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” ( ESV)
The proof is there that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The testimony of God is the greatest thing that we have to know that we are following the right person.
God has given his testimony about his Son. God cannot lie. God has declared through three important witnesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Therefore, the one who believes in the Son has the testimony of God with him. What is this testimony of God that is so important to have? John states it in
verse 11 says: 11 “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” ( CSB)
God has given us eternal life and that life is only accessed through the Son. To deny the life, baptism, and death of Jesus is to deny eternal life and be separated from God for eternity.
That is the point John makes in verse 10. If we do not believe the testimony of God is saying that God is a liar.
This is an important truth that if we do not accept and live by means that we are declaring God to be a liar.
Jesus is where eternal life is found. If we do not give our lives completely to following Jesus, then we are looking for another savior, another Lord, another King for our lives and are making God a liar. Life is only in his Son. Therefore, as John says in verse 12, the one who has the Son has life.
Life is only in his Son. Therefore, as John says in verse 12, the one who has the Son has life.
Conclusion
There are three things for us that make us conquerors over this world and its sinfulness. (1) We joyfully obey the Lord because we love God. (2) Loving the Lord builds our faith so that we can be victorious over sin and Satan. (3) By having this love for God and believing God’s testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God we have eternal life because life is found in the Son.