god's promise of eternal life

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GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes

GUIDE: Direct the group to look at the picture (PSG,

SESSION 2

GOD’S PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE

p. 26). DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 26): What products or activities

The Point

promise to increase our

You were created for eternal life

lifespan?

in Christ.

GUIDE: Direct attention to

The Bible Meets Life

The Bible Meets Life (PSG,

Possessions can make us happy

p. 27). Note those of us who

… for awhile. Money and power

are getting up in years know

can make us feel secure … for a

the various ways age can take

while. Try as we may with things or

its toll on us. We know we’re

relationships, nothing fully satisfies.

not spring chickens anymore.

However, the life Jesus offers us goes beyond a transient good feeling; the life

But we can also know that this

He offers promises—and delivers—an abundant life that never ends. The brief

life isn’t all we were created

letter of 1 John points us to the wonderful promise of eternal life in Christ.

to enjoy. GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 27): You

The Passage 1 John 5:6-13

were created for eternal

The Setting

life in Christ.

First John was written to encourage Christians to remain true to their faith in

SAY: The life Jesus offers us promises—and delivers—an abundant life that never ends. GUIDE: Comment that the

Jesus Christ. A heretical group had split from the believers’ church (1 John 2:19) but was still trying to influence them. Among the heretics’ teachings were a denial that Jesus was the Messiah, God’s Son (2:22; 4:15; 5:1), Jesus had come in the flesh (4:2-3), and of the atoning nature of Jesus’ sacrifice that gives eternal life to those who believe in Him (5:6-13).

Book of 1 John points us to the wonderful promise of eternal life found only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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S e ss i o n 2

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1 John 5:6-9

STUDY THE BIBLE

6 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

1 John 5:6-9 10 minutes

is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. TIP: The optional introduction

7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in

(see OPTION below, pp. 29-31) to this section

agreement.

summarizes the purpose for

9 If we accept the testimony of men, God’s testimony is

the writing of 1 John and also

greater, because it is God’s testimony that He has given about His Son.

emphasizes the evangelistic thrust of this session. If you prefer to jump immediately

KEY WORDS: Water (vv. 6,8)—John used water as a reference to the baptism of Jesus Christ, which marked the beginning of His public ministry. Blood (vv. 6,8)—John used blood as a reference to Jesus dying on the cross, which marked the close of His public ministry.

into the Scripture passage, begin on page 31 with: “READ: Invite a volunteer to read 1 John 5:6-9.” If you choose the option,

Jesus is God’s Son.

adjust the suggested time

Verse 6. The name Jesus is the first-century variation of the Old Testament name Joshua, which means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.” You may recall that the angel Gabriel told Joseph to name the baby boy “Jesus,” because He would “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Christ is not His given name. Christ is one of His titles. Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Messiah (Christ) means “the Anointed One.” John says that Jesus Christ is the One who came. The Jews of John’s day were excited by the preaching of John the Baptist that the Christ was soon to come. In fact, some even wondered if John the Baptist might be the Messiah (Luke 3:15-18). John the Baptist announced that Jesus was indeed the Christ who came from God. When he saw Jesus, John proclaimed, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” and “He is the Son of God!” (John 1:29b,34b). John the apostle declared that Jesus, the Word who was with God and was God, “became flesh and took up residence among us” (vv. 1,14a). On the evening before His crucifixion, Jesus plainly taught the Eleven, “I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (16:28). © 2015 LifeWay

increments for each section as best fits the schedule for your meeting time. As usual, you will also want to choose the discussion questions that best fit the needs of your group and that will allow you to complete the session in a timely manner.

OPTION: Before reading the Scripture passage, call attention to the bullet points on PSG page 28 to explain the purpose in John’s writing to the church (cont. on p. 30):

S U G G E S T E D U S E | W E E K O F S E P T E M B E R 13

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THE POINT

You were created for eternal life in Christ.

The purpose of the Book of 1 John is • to encourage all believers to adhere to the teachings of the Bible; • to assure all believers they can believe and trust the promises of God; and • to urge all believers to avoid the false doctrines that have become so pervasive.

GUIDE: Direct members to underline this statement on PSG page 28: “God’s desire is for us to live confident in our faith and secure in our future because of Christ and Christ alone.” Then lead the group to say the statement aloud together.

SAY: “You can be confident and secure about where you will spend eternity. Don’t leave today with a doubt in your mind.”

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S e ss i o n 2

Furthermore, the apostle asserted that Jesus the Christ came by water and blood. Some take these words to refer to the blood and water that flowed from the side of Jesus when He was pierced by a Roman soldier’s spear. If that was the reference John was making, he likely would not have reversed the order of water and blood. Some contend these words mean baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The most likely interpretation is that the water does refer to the baptism of Jesus, while the blood refers to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. This interpretation best fits the historical circumstances to which John wrote. In these verses, John was warning his readers about false teachers. We can learn much about these deceivers from the epistle itself (1 John 2:4,18‑25; 3:7; 4:1‑6). The false teachers had once been part of the congregation where John was pastor. The apostle said that the false teachers left the congregation because they were not true believers. He called them liars because they denied that Jesus is the Christ. They denied the Incarnation. Again, John called them liars because they claimed to know the Lord, but refused to obey His commands. The apostle also warned his readers to test the spirits. The false teachers, who denied that Jesus has come in the flesh, were not of the Spirit of God but of the spirit of antichrist. More about these false teachers is available to us from early church history. Late in his ministry John served as pastor of the church at Ephesus. At Ephesus, John was opposed by a group (known today as gnostics) who were espousing an early form of the heresy of gnosticism. Their name was taken from the Greek word for knowledge. They claimed secret knowledge unavailable except through their teaching. In particular, he was opposed by a false teacher named Cerinthus. Cerinthus taught that Jesus was merely a man, the son of Mary and Joseph. He taught that Christ was a heavenly being who descended upon Jesus, the man, at his baptism and departed from Jesus before Jesus died on the cross. He said that it was the Christ on Jesus who enabled Him to do miracles. This false teaching denied both the incarnation and the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ! In verses 6 through 8, John employed the testimony of the water and of the blood to disprove the lies of the deceiving teachers. This is an important lesson because there are many today who deny the facts of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Believers need to know that our salvation is genuine. We can know that we are saved. Like the apostle John, we must © 2015 LifeWay

stand firmly against all teaching that denies the facts about who Jesus is, and what He, the Father, and the Spirit have done to provide salvation for us. What does it mean that Jesus came by water? It was necessary for Jesus to experience baptism at the beginning of His public ministry. It was necessary so that Jesus could demonstrate what kind of Christ He came to be. He came to be the servant of the Father. He came to identify with those He came to save. It was necessary so we could receive the testimonies of the Father, the Spirit, and John the Baptist. The Father testified that He was well pleased with Jesus, His beloved Son (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). The Spirit testified that Jesus is the Christ by descending upon Him (see Matt. 3:13‑17; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). John the Baptist testified that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29‑35). The public ministry of Jesus closed with His crucifixion. What does it mean that He came by blood? In order to be the Christ who saves His people from sin, Jesus had to experience death—but not merely death. It was necessary that He suffer death as our substitute, our sin-bearer on the cross. The only One of flesh and blood, who never sinned, paid the price to deliver us sinners from sin and its consequences. Jesus came by blood, once for all to redeem those who put their faith in Him for salvation. Because Jesus came by blood, we encounter the following testimonies at His crucifixion: supernatural events (three hour darkness, tearing of the curtain of the holy of holies, earthquakes, resurrections), fulfilled prophecies (Ps. 22:1,4‑8,14‑18; Isa. 52:13–53:12), the Roman centurion (“This man really was God’s Son!” [Matt. 27:54]), and the blood itself (see Heb. 12:24). 1 Jesus came not by water only. John emphasized this truth in combating false teachings similar to those of the gnostic Cerinthus and his cohorts. These deceivers would readily agree that Jesus was anointed at His baptism. They would use the same terminology, but with a different meaning than that of John. (False teachers use this ploy today.) The false teachers would have argued that the Spirit of Christ descended upon the man Jesus at His baptism and left him before the crucifixion. They would have denied that Jesus Christ came by blood. However, with his words John emphasized the truth that Jesus was the same Christ both before and after His baptism and that He experienced the crucifixion as well. John emphatically declared that Jesus came by both water and blood.

© 2015 LifeWay

GUIDE: State that you will be available at the end of the session to talk privately with anyone in the group who wants to know more about how to be sure that he or she can live eternally in the presence of Christ. (End of optional introduction).

READ: Invite a volunteer to read 1 John 5:6-9.

DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 29): What do these verses teach us about Jesus? (Alternate: What makes a testimony reliable?)

GUIDE: Explain that John was counteracting the false teaching of some who declared that Jesus was not the Son of God. Direct attention to the KEY WORDS (p. 29; PSG, p. 28). Use the Bible commentary 1 to help explain why “water

and blood” are so essential to our understanding of who Jesus is.

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THE POINT

You were created for eternal life in Christ.

GUIDE: Call attention to the last part of verse 6: “And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.“ Use the Bible commentary 2 to help the group understand the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing who Jesus is.

TRANSITION: Explain that God wants us to know with total assurance and confidence who Jesus is and that life is found in Jesus, and only in Him.

The Spirit is the One who testifies. On the evening before His crucifixion, Jesus taught the apostles (minus Judas Iscariot) that the Holy Spirit would be sent so that “He will testify about Me” (John 15:26b). The Holy Spirit testifies for Jesus to unbelievers, bringing conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come (16:7‑11). The Holy Spirit testifies for Jesus to believers, instructing and bringing assurance to them concerning the truth of Christ Jesus (vv. 12-15). That evening, Jesus referred to the Spirit several times as the Spirit of truth (14:17; 15:26; 16:13). The Holy Spirit guides believers into all truth (16:13). Just as Jesus revealed to us who the Father truly is, the Holy Spirit reveals to us who Jesus really is. 2

Verse 7. There are three that testify. In Deuteronomy 19:15, two or three witnesses were required for establishing wrongdoing or sin against a person. John used three witnesses to show the validity of his claims about Jesus Christ. For the use of two or three witnesses by Jesus, see Matthew 18:15‑20; John 5:31‑39; 8:12‑18. Verse 8. The Spirit, the water, and the blood testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The testimony of the water (in which the Father testified to His pleasure in His Son) was Jesus’ baptism. The testimony of the blood was that of the blood Jesus shed on the cross for our salvation (Col. 1:19-20). The testimony of the water baptism of our Lord, the testimony of the blood of Christ at the crucifixion, and the testimony of the Spirit are all unified. Verse 9. People accept testimony from others, particularly when there are two or more witnesses. How much more then we should accept the testimony of God. Not only should we accept God’s testimony because it is impossible for God to lie (see Heb. 6:17‑18), but also because God has given this testimony about His Son. The tense of has given means that while God first gave this testimony nearly 2000 years ago, His testimony remains true today and will be so forever.

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S e ss i o n 2

© 2015 LifeWay

1 John 5:10-11

STUDY THE BIBLE

10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has this

testimony within him. The one who does not believe God

1 John 5:10-11 10 minutes

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,

READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses 10-11.

and this life is in His Son. GUIDE: Focus on

Life is found in Jesus.

verse 10. Remind the group

Verse 10. There are two possible responses for those who hear God’s testimony. John deals initially with the person who believes God’s testimony. Two facts about this person are emphasized. First, because of God’s testimony, this person believes in the Son of God. John equates this belief with acceptance of God’s testimony about His Son (of the water, the blood, and the Spirit, vv. 7-9). Believes means a lasting, ongoing reliance on Jesus Christ for eternal life. Believes in means that this person does not merely believe the facts about who Jesus is and what He has done. Rather, this one has entered into a trusting relationship with the Lord. Second, the one who believes God’s testimony and believes in God’s Son, has this testimony within him. The one who believes is indwelled by the Holy Spirit (3:24). The Spirit within bears witness to the truth of God’s testimony about His Son (4:13-14). The Spirit works first in a person to convince him or her of the truth of God’s testimony about Jesus Christ (John 16:8‑11). When a person believes in God’s Son, the Spirit indwells that person and reconfirms the truth of God’s testimony. The other possible response of a person who hears God’s testimony about Jesus Christ is to refuse to believe God. In not believing God’s testimony, this person refuses to enter into a trusting relationship with God’s Son for the forgiveness of their sins. The person who does this has made God to be a liar. In 1 John 1:10, unbelievers claimed never to have sinned and not to be in need of a savior, thereby making God a liar for His condemnation of their sinfulness and His claim of their need for a savior. In chapter five, unbelievers called God a liar by rejecting His testimony about His Son. Those who call God a liar remain dead in their sins.

testimony” referenced in

that “this testimony” is “God’s

© 2015 LifeWay

verse 9. Clarify that the one who believes God’s testimony and believes in God’s Son is indwelled by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit reconfirms the truth of God’s testimony.

DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 32): How is believing in Christ more than an intellectual assertion?

SUMMARIZE: Believes means a lasting, ongoing reliance on Jesus Christ for eternal life. Believes in means the person does not merely believe the facts about who Jesus is and what He has done. Rather, this one has entered into a trusting relationship with the Lord.

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THE POINT

You were created for eternal life in Christ.

GUIDE: Note that in our religiously pluralistic culture, it has become very unpopular to suggest that faith in Jesus is the only way to receive eternal life. Some people are drawn to Jesus, but they believe faith in Him is not enough. DISCUSS: Question #4

Verse 11. The outcome of God’s testimony is that God has given eternal life to those who believe His testimony. Given is a key word. God does not pay out salvation in response to one’s works. Eternal life is given to those who enter into a saving relationship with His Son through faith. Has given shows that eternal life is a present reality for believers. Eternal life does not begin when a person physically dies. It begins when a person repents and believes in God’s Son. Life is found only in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is a dominant truth in John’s writings (John 1:1‑5,12‑13; 3:14‑18,36; 5:21‑29; 6:40; 10:10,28; 11:25‑26; 14:6; 17:3; 1 John 1:1‑2; 2:24‑25; 4:9; 5:20).

(PSG, p. 32): Why is it sometimes hard for people to believe faith in Jesus is enough for salvation? (Alternate: When did you first realize the truth of verse 11?)

1 John 5:12-13 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t

have the Son of God does not have life. TRANSITION: “Life is found

13 I have written these things to you who believe in the

in Jesus, but we don’t have to

name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have

wait until we die to experience

eternal life.

that eternal kind of life. We can experience it now.”

STUDY THE BIBLE 1 John 5:12-13 10 minutes READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses 12-13.

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We experience life when we believe in Jesus. Verse 12. Those who believe God’s testimony receive eternal life; they receive the Son who is life. To have the Son, Jesus Christ, is to have eternal life. Believers have the Son living in them (John 14:23; 15:4‑6). The contrast is made with those who do not believe in or have the Son of God. The words of God add emphasis to John’s previous statement in 1 John 2:23: “No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.” One cannot have the Father without having the Son and vice versa. Life is emphasized by the sentence word order in the original Greek: The one who does not have the Son of God, life does not have. Those without the Son are already spiritually dead and by their rejection of the Father’s offer of life in the Son will remain in that state. © 2015 LifeWay

Verse 13. This verse is the climax, not only of the verses we have already considered, but of the entire epistle. Notice that these things is used by John in each of the four purposes he gave for writing the letter (1 John 1:4; 2:1,26; 5:13). These things refers to all the spiritual truths and spiritual arguments utilized by John in this epistle. The primary purpose of these things that John has written is so that believers may know that you have eternal life. 3 The word know is used in the sense that John desires his readers to have confidence and assurance in the truth that through their belief in Jesus Christ they possess eternal life. Eternal life describes much more than going to heaven when we die. Too many people equate eternal life only with life after death. It describes the life believers have not only in heaven, but now in this world in their ongoing, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In 1 John 5:6‑13, we have seen that believers can know they have eternal life because they believe God’s threefold testimony about His Son. This threefold testimony comes from the water and the blood and the Spirit. Those who believe God’s testimony have the Son, in whom life is found. Those who believe God’s testimony receive the inner testimony of the indwelling Spirit. Jesus came so that through Him we can have life that is both eternal and abundant. Life lived in obedience to God through Christ brings glory to God and full joy to the believer. Assurance of one’s eternal salvation is an essential element for fully enjoying eternal life now. We must show believers how to gain assurance of salvation and testify to unbelievers how they can be given eternal life.

GUIDE: Identify some either/ or, black-and-white statements such as: • You’re either dead or alive. • A woman is either pregnant or she’s not. • You’re either inside or outside. Note the black-and-white statement John made in verse 12. State our participation in the eternal life Jesus offers is an all-or-nothing proposition. It is not possible to have some of His life. We either have it or we don’t. Use the Bible commentary 3 to explain John’s use of the

word know (v. 13) to emphasize we can have assurance that we possess eternal life.

DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 34): What difference can assurance of eternal life make in our daily lives? (Alternate: How can we more fully embrace the assurance of our salvation?)

DO: Invite volunteers to share their responses to the activity, “The Eternal Kind of Life” (PSG, p. 34).

© 2015 LifeWay

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THE POINT

You were created for eternal life in Christ.

occurrences of pneuma are in John

We deserve death, but

3:5-8. Detailing Jesus’ encounter

through the cross of Christ,

with Nicodemus, John pictured

God offers forgiveness

the Holy Spirit as the medium of

and eternal life to all who

regeneration. This same emphasis

repent and turn to Him. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, “Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All,“ on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ.

ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/MIKE RUTHERFORD

SHARING THE GOOD NEWS

occurs later when Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the One who gives life (John 6:63) and as the source of life within (7:37-38). Also John 7:39 indicates the Spirit had not yet been received because Hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee, the traditional site of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus later promised His followers that the Holy Spirit would remind them of the things He had taught.

Jesus had not experienced His glorification through His death and resurrection (20:22). Finally, pneuma is in John 3:34 where Jesus said the Father ‘gives the Spirit without measure,’ a theme

The following excerpt is from the

echoed in John 14–16.”

Remind group members that

article, “‘Spirit’ in John’s Writings”

page 2 in the PSG offers

(Fall 2010), which relates to this

Read the article “A Reliable

guidance in how to become a

session and can be purchased at

Testimony” in the Fall 2015 issue.

Christian. Encourage believers

www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator.

Previous articles, “John’s Use of

to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ.

‘Witness’” (Win. 1999-00), and “Pneuma, meaning ‘wind,’ ‘breath,’

“Faith Affirmed” (Win. 1997-98),

or ‘spirit,’ occurs 31 times in John’s

relate to this session and can be

Gospel, 1 John, and Revelation

purchased at www.lifeway.com/

referring to the Holy Spirit. Our

biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles:

first encounter with the Holy Spirit

Bible Studies for Life.

in John’s Gospel is in 1:32-33. In this passage John the Baptist gave his personal testimony of watching the Holy Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and resting on Jesus after His baptism. The next

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S e ss i o n 2

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LIVE IT OUT How has the knowledge that God created you for eternal life in Christ affected you? How do you think your knowledge might affect those around you? Do you sense God’s eternal life at work in you right now? Or do you tend to think of eternal life as something still to come? Consider which of these applications God is leading you to accomplish this week.

>> Turn to Jesus. If you have never received the gift

of eternal life in Jesus, do so now. Talk to a trusted Christian friend, or read the article on page 2 to discover how you can start living the transformed, eternal kind of life today.

LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes DO: Emphasize The Point: You were created for eternal life in Christ. GUIDE: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 35; see text to the left). Encourage each group member to commit to follow through this week with at least

>> Live for Jesus. If you tend to think of eternal life only

in the future tense, remember that God is still working in the present to transform you into the image of Christ. Note this week how your love for God and your love for others impact your attitudes and actions. Submit each morning to God’s desires for you. Confess your desire to live the eternal kind of life in the present.

>> Share Jesus. List the names of at least three people you know personally who have never received eternal life. Take a day to pray over the list. Then choose at least one name. Begin praying for this person’s salvation. Ask God to provide you an opportunity to begin a conversation that He can use to draw this person to Himself.

one of the applications.

Wrap It Up GUIDE: Urge group members not to leave today without knowing for sure that they have eternal life. Offer to speak privately following the session with anyone who wants to know more about how to experience the eternal life Jesus offers. PRAY: “Father, thank you for the life we have by grace through faith in Jesus. Thank you for saving us to live this eternal life with joy. Strengthen us to share it with others. Amen.” (ENHANCEMENT: Following the prayer, lead the group in a time of praise by saying or singing together the hymn chorus printed on Pack Item 2: “Saved, Saved.”)

© 2015 LifeWay

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