[PDF]The Giver of Eternal Life 1 John 5:1-12 1 John 5:1-12 1...
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The Giver of Eternal Life 1 John 5:1-12 1 John 5:1-12 1
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6
This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the 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 and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. Introduction A significant portion of our study in 1 John has been focused on how the Christian is to live in this world. John began by telling us of the need to “walk in the light” as “God is light.” This meant that it we were to have fellowship with God, we would have to abandon the darkness of sin in exchange for light of holiness. From here, John moved from the Christian’s relationship to God to their relationship with others. Not only were Christians to love God supremely, they were also supposed to love others as God had loved them. John has repeated this instruction multiple time in various ways throughout the book, leading us to this morning’s passage, which will further refine how Christians are to live as Spirit-filled followers of Jesus in a world that is opposed to their values and beliefs. Furthermore, he takes another opportunity to challenge the false teaching of those who were attempting to lead the church astray. Exposition I.
Christians have been born again for bold obedience. (Vss. 1-5)
In verse 1, John once again provides a test for discerning those who are truly children of God from those who merely claim to be children of God. In this case, it is belief in Christ that is the mark of the one who is a child of God. Note what he says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.” This was particularly important for John’s original audience on account of the false teachers who were claiming to be children of God without believing in Jesus Christ. John makes it clear that this is not the case. One cannot claim to be a child of God while rejecting the Son of God. He continues, stating, “Everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”
From here, John moves on to discuss the relationship between being a child of God and obeying the commands of God, which is our focus at this moment. Those who would claim to be God’s child, who would claim to love Him, will demonstrate their relationship with Him by obeying His commandments. He states this twice in the span of two verses – “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” Now, the difficulty for John’s readers at this point is that God’s commandments do not necessarily comport with the values and ethical standards of their day. With the world exerting such a strong influence on John’s readers, he know he has to encourage and equip them to obey God in a world that does not obey and fear God. So John writes, “And his commandments are not burdensome.” Well John, how are God’s commands “not burdensome?” It sure seems like it is a burden when you consider how much easier it would be for your audience to simply go along with the ethics and values of their day? John, don’t you know what people at work are going to say about your audience if they live according to God’s commandments? I mean, Jesus said that if “you look at a woman with lust in your heart, you have already committed adultery” (Matt. 5:27-30). He also said, if “you hate your brother in your heart, you have already committed murder” (Matt. 5:22-26). I mean, Jesus tells us to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us” (Matt. 5:43-48). How in the world are these commands not a burden, John? They sure seem like a burden, especially in a world that lives and celebrates values contrary to God’s commandments. John realizes that on our own, we are incapable of resisting the temptations of the world and obeying God. But you, that’s the thing, as Christians, we are not alone. John writes, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” You see, when we trusted in Jesus, we were filled with His Holy Spirit (1 John 4:4, 4:13) in order that we might not gratify the desires of the flesh. We are not alone! For greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! On our own, we wouldn’t make it. We wouldn’t be able to resist the temptations of the world. We would be overcome. Yet, through faith in Christ, we are more than conquerors. Faith is the victory, because by faith we embrace Christ who not only defeats the ruler of this world but fills us with the Holy Spirit, which enables us to love and obey God! This is what we were born again for – bold, Spirit-empowered obedience to God! So as the world attempts to wreck our faith and lead us astray, through God’s Spirit we overcome and resist its allure. T.S. – But how do we do this when the stakes are so high? What if our faithfulness to God goes reall y bad in terms of this world? What if I lose my job for being faithful to Christ? What if I lose friends or am rejected by my family for obeying God? What if I lose my life on account of being a Child of God?
II.
Christians have eternal life in Jesus Christ. (Vss. 6-12)
This is where our second point becomes vital. Christians have eternal life in Jesus Christ, which is a two-fold comfort to the Christian who by the Spirit is striving to obey God. First, because we have eternal life in Jesus Christ, the temporal promises of the world lose their luster.
Why would a Christian sacrifice eternal joy on the altar of temporal pleasure? When we think about the promises made to those who believe and obey God, as the old hymn goes, “the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” Secondly, because we have eternal life in Jesus Christ, the temporal threats of the world lose their bite. It is true that we might lose our job for being faithful to God. We might be ridiculed by the world for obeying God. We might be rejected by friends and family for honoring Christ. And we might even lose our life for our refusal to deny the One who sought us and bought us with His redeeming love. But in light of the eternal life that we possess in Christ, what does it really matter? Did not Jesus say in Matthew 19:29, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”? You see, the promise of eternal life as a child of God should change our perspective. It should impact our thinking about things. Yet sadly, we are often so immersed in the things of this world that it is difficult to have a godly perspective about things. So John lifts us above the fog to give us an eternal perspective. The reality of our eternal life in Christ Jesus compels us to resist the temptations of the world – the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, the pride of possessions – by directing our gaze away from its temporal pleasures and to the eternal joys of Christ. And we know that we have this eternal life, because of the testimony that God have given us about Christ. This is John’s point in verses 6-12: Christ was born. Christ lived. Christ died. Christ rose again. The Holy Spirit who is in you testify to this reality, and this Christ who was born, lived, died, and rose again gives eternal life to all who trust in Him, who believe the testimony of God’s Word through the Spirit. Conclusion So John concludes, saying, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” You may be here this morning, feeling as healthy as you have ever felt. You may be here today, thinking that you’ve got your life all together. Everything planned out just like you want it. You may think that you are living “the life.” But John and I say to you this morning – If you do not have the Son of God, if you have not truly believed in Jesus Christ, if you have not turned from the brokenness of this world and your sin to Christ for salvation, you may think you are living the life, but God says, “You do not have life.” Do you want this life, today? You can have it! It is offered to you in Christ. He begs you to come to Him, to overcome the false and deceptive promises of the world and embrace His forgiveness and grace. Would you believe in Him today?
