WOW! This is the last message in this series on 1 John! I can think of no better way to close it than with a sermon titled, "Certainties of Christian Belief."
In these last 9 verses of John's letter, the word "know" is used seven times, and the word "confidence" is used once. I think the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us something. You can know for certain, these things about the Christian Life:
1. You can know you will inherit eternal life, being at peace with God.
2. You can know your prayers are heard by God, and will be answered.
3. You can know anyone born of God will not continue in sin.
4. You can know you are God's child and the world is under the Devil's control.
5. You can know Jesus has come to bring understanding, that you may know Him.
Five guarantees, if you will, for every Christian throughout history. You don't have to wonder, hope, question, or try figuring out where you stand with God. You can have confidence in approaching God because through belief in Jesus you are His child. No good father refuses entry of his children.
There is one confusing part about this paragraph (vv. 16-17). However, this week, I made sense of it. This discussion about sin being forgiven or not being forgiven is actually an example of the limitations of our prayers. We cannot ask for something against the Will of God and expect Him to perform it. Prayer is about lifting our will up to God's Will. We change, not Him. The example here is this: even if you pray for a person who is sinning, if that sin is unforgivable, than there is no use praying, because God will not hear you.
You may ask, out of surprise, what sin might this be? Of course, there is a variety of opinions on this issue. My opinion is that this reference to unforgivable sin finds its root in Jesus' dialogue with the Pharisees about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (slandering the Work of God) (Matt. 12:22-32). An utter disregard for God's grace, mercy and power is not forgivable. Remember, this is only an example, not the point of the chapter. The point of the chapter is that you can approach God with confidence and make your requests known to Him. He will hear you, and will answer you.
How exciting!
1 John: live like Jesus lived, love like Jesus loved, and trust like Jesus trusted.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
GIVE ME THE BOTTOM LINE - 1 John 5:1-12
John writes in these verses about the water and blood of Jesus (v. 7). Over the years, there has been a variety of opinions about what John was referring to in mentioning these symbols. Here are the three common views for Bible Scholars:
1. Some say the water and blood represents the two ordinances of the Church. The water baptism of believers, and the sharing of Communion (or The Lord's Table). These are the only two commands given by our Lord Jesus to the Church.
2. Some say the water and blood imagery points to a confirmation of the Lord Jesus' death on the cross. The soldiers at the crucifixion pierced Jesus' side with a spear and blood and water flowed, which was proof he was dead.
3. Some say the water and blood is John confirming Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God at his baptism and at his death on the Cross, which was a specific false teaching being addressed by John throughout his letter.
Of course, each of these views on the surface seem true and make good sense. Really there is nothing wrong with believing the water and blood referred to by John represents the two Ordinances of the Church (as in view 1). However, the context does not support this explanation. To teach about the Ordinances of the Church you need to go to other places in the New Testament, like 1 Corinthians 11. It is clear from the context of John's letter that he is addressing the miracles of Jesus being both God and man. He is confronting the false teachers' explanation that Jesus became God at water baptism and God left him at the Cross. This, of course, represents the third test - you must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God - only in Him does one have eternal life.
Jesus is at the center of the of the gospel story. "He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."
1. Some say the water and blood represents the two ordinances of the Church. The water baptism of believers, and the sharing of Communion (or The Lord's Table). These are the only two commands given by our Lord Jesus to the Church.
2. Some say the water and blood imagery points to a confirmation of the Lord Jesus' death on the cross. The soldiers at the crucifixion pierced Jesus' side with a spear and blood and water flowed, which was proof he was dead.
3. Some say the water and blood is John confirming Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God at his baptism and at his death on the Cross, which was a specific false teaching being addressed by John throughout his letter.
Of course, each of these views on the surface seem true and make good sense. Really there is nothing wrong with believing the water and blood referred to by John represents the two Ordinances of the Church (as in view 1). However, the context does not support this explanation. To teach about the Ordinances of the Church you need to go to other places in the New Testament, like 1 Corinthians 11. It is clear from the context of John's letter that he is addressing the miracles of Jesus being both God and man. He is confronting the false teachers' explanation that Jesus became God at water baptism and God left him at the Cross. This, of course, represents the third test - you must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God - only in Him does one have eternal life.
Jesus is at the center of the of the gospel story. "He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."
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