Sermons
That You May Know
Series: Studies in First John9Studies In First John
That You May Know
1 Jn. 5:13-21
Introduction:
1. In these verses John makes his purpose clear.
2. He is not writing to persuade people to come to Christ (cf. Jn. 20:30-31).
3. He is writing to confirm that those who believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God have eternal life.
4. Eternal life is found only through Him. He is the propitiation for our sins (1 Jn. 2:2). His blood cleanses from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7).
5. Those who trust in Him can be sure of their possession of eternal life.
6. But let’s unpack what John says so that our faith in the Son of God is firm, our doubts diminished, and our confidence intensified.
Discussion:
I. We know we have eternal life because we are confident in Him (5:13-15). Our confidence is not in ourselves, in our power or in our performance. This has already proven to be our failure.
A. We believe in the name of the Son of God (5:13).
1. Do you realize the power and the authority associated with being the Son of
God?
a. When Jesus forgave a man’s sins the Pharisees asked, “Who can forgive
sins but God alone?” (Mk. 2:1-12; Lk. 5:17-26).
b. They knew something about the power and authority necessary and they
knew the implication of what Jesus was claiming for Himself.
c. He is claiming to be deity.
d. It is because of His deity that we are forgiven. Heb 9:13-14 says, “If the
blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who
have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more
will the blood of Christ, who through His eternal Spirit offered Himself
without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God?” It is because He is eternal Spirit that His sacrifice is
sufficient to cleanse us.
2. It is “in His name” that we believe.
a. We can take the check to the bank. It is the authority of His name that
makes the payment for our sin.
b. Peter said, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
c. He healed a lame man saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ the
Nazarene—walk!” (Acts 3:6).
d. When questioned, “By what power, or in what name, have you done
this?” (Acts 4:7), he said, “If we are on trial today for a benefit done to a
sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all
of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ
the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—
by this name this man stands before you in good health. He is the
stone, which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the
chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no
other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we
must be saved” (Acts 4:9-12).
3. Do you believe in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God? Did you
confess this at your baptism? Do you believe in His authority to give life
and to forgive your sins?
4. Did you do this at your baptism and then later start trusting in your own
power and performance? Why should you be surprised that you doubt
your eternal life? Our confidence is in Him and in His power and not in
ourselves.
B. Our prayers are indicative of our confidence in Him (5:14-15).
1. We know His graciousness (Lk. 18:1-8). He will bring about justice.
Recently, we watched a movie about Sigmund Freud. Freud was a stanch
unbeliever. The movie was his supposed last interview with C. S. Lewis.
Lewis, was a believer. They argued back and forth about the existence of
God. As the movie unfolded it became clear to me that Freud was arguing
against God because he saw God as unfair allowing war, death, disease,
and the like. But God is in the business of establishing justice, overcoming
death, disease and the like brought about by man’s sin. Freud did not
know the God of the Bible. Freud could not pray.
2. Note Matt. 7:7-11; Lk. 11:9-13.
3. We pray, confident that He hears us and graciously gives what we have
asked, if we ask according to His will.
4. Prayer is founded on our belief in the God of graciousness who has sent
His Son to bring justice and life to our condition.
II. Out of this discussion about prayer John speaks of praying for those committing sin leading to death and praying for those not committing sin leading to death. If we pray for those “not committing sin leading to death”God will give life (5:16-17).
A. What is this sin leading to death and sin NOT leading to death?
“In the Old Testament and Judaism there was a well-recognized difference between two kinds of sin, the unconscious or unwitting sins, for which forgiveness was provided by the annual sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, and deliberate or witting sins, for which the sacrificial ritual provided no forgiveness. The latter could be atoned for only by the death of the sinner. This distinction between sins which could be forgiven and those which led to the death of the sinner may well be part of the key to the problem.
“But what kinds of sin fall into these two categories? Here we turn to the evidence of the Epistle itself. It is plain that theauthor is most concerned about the sins which are incompatible with being a child of God, and these are summed up in denial that Jesus is the Son of God, refusal to obey God’s commands, love of the world, and hatred of one’s brothers. Such sins are characteristic of the person who belongs to the sphere of darkness rather than the sphere of light. This would lead us to the conclusion that by sin that leads to death John means the sins that are incompatible with being a child of God. The person who consciously and deliberately chooses the way that leads to death will surely die. Sin that leads to death is deliberate refusal to believe in Jesus Christ, to follow God’s commands, and to love one’s brothers. It leads to death because it includes a deliberate refusal to believe in the One who alone can give life, Jesus Christ the Son of God. By contrast, sins that do not lead to death are those which are committed unwittingly and which do not involve rejection of God and his way of salvation. The sinner is overcome by temptation against his will; he still wants to love God and his neighbor, he still believes in Jesus Christ, he still longs to be freed from sin.”
Let it be plainly said that if there were no forgiveness for deliberate sins, then we would all be under God’s condemnation, for which of us has not sinned deliberately since our conversion and new birth? Hence, there is always the danger that a person who sins unconsciously or unwittingly may move to the point of sinning deliberately and then of turning his back completely on God and the way of forgiveness. Because of this danger it is essential that Christians should pray for one another lest any of their number should cross the line that leads to open and deliberate rejection of the way of life.
In the case of open refusal to repent and believe, however, the sinner is on the way to death. In such cases, John does not require his readers to pray for the offender. The early church took much more seriously than we do the possibility that a person may sin beyond hope of redemption. It would seem that where a person himself refuses to seek salvation and forgiveness there is not much point in praying for him. Nevertheless, it must be carefully observed that sin which leads to death need not necessarily be sin that inevitably results in death, that John does not absolutely forbid intercession in such cases, and that elsewhere in the New Testament the application of strict discipline and even excommunication always had in mind the possibility of the ultimate repentance of the sinner.
B. See Num. 15:22-31 for this O.T. distinction. Cf. Heb. 10:24-31.
C. Note also Jer. 7:16-20; 11:14-17; 14:11-12.
D. This may explain John’s closing statement in verse 21: “Guard yourselves from
idols.” It is those who reject the Lord who commit sin leading to death. Those
who believe in Him receive life. They may sin but forgiveness is available for
those who trust in Him.
III. Here is what we know . . . (5:18-20).
A. No one born of God sins (5:18). I take this to mean that the one born of God
does not keep on sinning because it is not consistent with who he is.
B. We are of God, but the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (5:19).
(Cf. Eph. 2:2). Yet we are under the power of God (Cf. Eph. 6:10ff; Rom.
1:16) and our faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 Jn. 5:4).
C. The Son of God has come and given us understanding (20).
Conclusion:
1. We can know that we have eternal life. But this knowledge comes by faith in the Son of God. It is by faith, not by sight.
2. We would like it to be by sight. We would like to be able to touch it, to see it, to be able to use our five senses to confirm it and if we can’t do that our tendency is to doubt.
3. As our faith grows we become more and more confident, more and more dependent upon Him and less and less dependent upon ourselves.
4. Rest assured brothers and sisters through Him we are victorious. He is the Son of God. God is gracious! We have eternal life!!
