Do you really love God? Do you really know God? Do you really believe in God? Are you born again? How do you know?

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1 Introduction Mirrors don t lie. I have hair growing where I don t want it. I am losing hair where I do want it. I am starting to look my father! Are there distinguishing family features you possess? The same is true of Christians. We have birthmarks or features that the unbeliever does not possess. John reminds us our birthmarks include a love for the truth, a love for God and a love for one another. We have one final set of tests in chapter five. The question we ask and answer is: How do we know we really believe in God? There will be four tests: (1) the test of being born again (vv.1-5); (2) the test of believing the witness about Christ: that he is the Son of God part one (vv.5-6). (3) and part two (vv.5-9); (4) and our final test; a crucial test; the test of living free from sin (vv.16-21). Do you really love God? Do you really know God? Do you really believe in God? Are you born again? How do you know? Do You Believe Jesus is the Christ? (v.1) Do You Love God s Word And Keep God s Commandments? (vv.2-3) Have You Overcome This Present World? (vv.4-5) Do You Believe Jesus is the Christ? (v.1) "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him." (1 John 5:1, NKJV) The Cerinthian Gnostics denied the identity of Jesus and the Christ. That is, they denied that the individual whom the Christian Church knew by the name Jesus was also the Christ. The word Christ is the English spelling of the Greek word christos (χριστος) which means the anointed one. But the predicted Anointed One was to be Godincarnate, virgin-born into the human race. Thus, the incarnation is in view here. But this belief is not a mere intellectual assent to the fact of the incarnation, but a heart acceptance of all that it implied in its purpose; the substitutionary death of the Incarnate One for sinners, thus making a way of salvation in which God could bestow mercy on the basis of justice satisfied. That person, John says, and he uses the perfect tense here, has been born of God and as a result is a child of God. 1 John is not making so much a theological statement as a relational one. If you tell a Father that you hate his child, you can t expect the Father to love you. John once again 1 Wuest, Kenneth S.: Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English Reader. Grand Rapids : Eerdmans, 1997, c1984, S. 1 Jn 5:1 1

2 reminds the reader born again Christians love the Father and John uses the phrase Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. John is appealing to family love and family relationship. The person who believes Jesus is the Christ is born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. We have a common spiritual paternity. God is our Father. We have a common faith: Jesus is our Lord. Love and truth go together. The passage literally reads: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child. Begotten of God means God himself has given you new life, a new nature. It is a package deal. If you want to see just how dangerous I can be mess with my children. We are created in the image of God (Gen.1:26-27). We have certain characteristics patterned after God. We have a cognitive center; a brain that helps us reason, we have a heart to feel with and a will that compels us to make decisions. We speak of personality as the combination of mind, emotion and will. Warren Wiersbe writes: Most people are dissatisfied today because their total personality has never been controlled by something real and meaningful. When a person is born of God through faith in Christ, God s Spirit comes into his life to live forever. As he has fellowship with God in reading and studying the Bible and prayer, the Holy Spirit is able to control his mind, heart, will. And what happens then? A Spirit-controlled mind knows and understands truth. A Spirit-controlled heart feels love. A Spirit-controlled will inclines us to obedience. What does it mean to be born again? People have asked me are you one of the those born-agains? In Barna Research Group studies, born again Christians are not defined on the basis of characterizing themselves as born again but based upon their answers to two questions. The first is have you ever made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today? If the respondent says yes then they are asked a followup question about life after death. One of the seven perspectives a respondent may choose is when I die, I will go to Heaven because I have confessed my sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. Individuals who answer yes to the first question and select this statement as their belief about their own salvation are then categorized as born again (see Born Again Christians; www. barna.org/flexpage.aspx?). The Bible makes it clear that being born again is a spiritual experience that takes place under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. We hear the gospel message, we hear the truth about Jesus Christ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9). For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom.10:10). The righteousness that Paul talks about 2

3 is the righteousness judicially reckoned to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; and so Christians are made righteous by God; they are not made righteous through self-effort. There is another word to describe the born-again experience. It is called regeneration. Being born again describes a spiritual birth. "Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:3-5, NKJV) The new birth is necessary. A person will never see (John 3:3) or enter (John 3:5) the Kingdom of God unless he or she is born again. The new birth is a spiritual birth ; with God as the giver of new life. The spiritual birth is not simply acknowledging the fact that a God exists. It is not simply acknowledging the historical reality of Jesus. It is not the reformation of our character or becoming a good person based on self effort. It is the actual creation of a new life. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV) It is the impartation of a new nature: "by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:4, NKJV) Paul describes this person as a new man. "and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24, NKJV) This new birth takes place by the will of God; "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:18, NKJV) Jesus gives us both the power and the right to be born again; "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13, NKJV) 3

4 The new birth is a spiritual birth and a definite experience. The new birth results in a changed life. A person does not become born again by changing their life but rather their life is changed by the new birth. The born again person begins to conduct himself or herself in righteous living; by not practicing sin; by loving other believers; by overcoming the world; by possessing the divine seed or nature which expresses itself in love towards God and loves towards each other. A person who loves God will love other believers as well. What is the reason? We share a common spirit. Everyone born by the Spirit into the family of God is to be loved by everyone in the family. Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian; funky fundamentalists; kooky charismatics, whatever denominational label you wear, you are responsible to enlarge your circle of friendship, fellowship, kinship, love. Our brothers and sisters are those who share the life of Jesus Christ, who are born of God, who believe that Jesus is the Christ. Ray Stedman writes: Everyone who believes that Jesus is Lord, his supreme concern and authority in life, the One around whom his life is built, that one is in the family. A person who is born of God loves God. He cannot help but love God. Most mothers love their children. A thirty-six year old mother was discovered to be in the advanced stages of terminal cancer. One doctor advised her to spend her remaining days enjoying herself on a beach in Acapulco. A second physician offered her hope of living two to four years with the grueling side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. She penned these words to her three small children: I ve chosen to try to survive for you. This has some horrible costs, including pain, loss of my good humor, and moods I won t be able to control. But I must try this, if only on the outside chance that I might live one minute longer. And that minute could be the one you might need me when no one else will do. For this I intend to struggle, tooth and nail, so help me God (Cited in Focus on the Family; May 1985). Do You Love God s Word And Keep God s Commandments? (vv.2-3) "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:2-3, NKJV) John repeats the fact people who love God obey God. What are the commands? Love the Lord; love each other. Truth, love and obedience seem to be the ingredients that make up friendship and fellowship with God. John anticipates yet another question: How can I know I really love my brother or my sister? I think I get it! I am supposed to love; 4

5 I am not sure if I really do! Does that mean you have to agree with everyone? Christians annoy each other and offend each other. Does that mean we don t really love each other? Our obedience to God proves we love God. John reminds us we love and obey His commands. Think about what John is saying;...when love is expressed by righteousness than we can be confident that it is really love (Ray Stedman p.340). The word burdensome is the Greek word barys and is linked in its verb form to the word bareo. The word means to weigh down. Some people believe obeying God s commands are a huge burden. They are weighed down by God s commands. They feel the commands of God place to many prohibitions, restrictions, limitations on their fun! Have you ever faced a situation where someone wanted you to lie for them? They claimed if you really love me you will do this or do that. Perhaps you feared losing the relationship, or friendship or their displeasure or anger. The truth is if you love someone, you will be unwilling to lie for them. Lying is harmful and destructive. Does the truth offend? Yes that is why we must be willing to speak the truth in love. Love does not always eliminate offense, but like sugar it helps the medicine go down. Love may seem cruel before it is kind. Sometimes we engage in little white lies. What is a white lie? It is a way of pleasing yourself by avoiding displeasing others. Sometimes we stretch the truth just a little, about the way a person looks (you look fine!) or you say something nice that you think they want to hear. We avoid other people s anger by using white lies. But what we are really doing is loving ourselves, more that we love them. We don t want to be hurt by their reactions, so we avoid telling the truth. The bottom line, we do not love them enough to tell the truth or face the truth. Sometimes we go for days, months, or years, doing things that offend others, or saying things, or refusing to confront problems, thinking we are doing it because we love that person. It is not love, but hate, when we refuse to face the truth. Truth delivers, truth sets us free. We often loose the chance to help people find freedom. We point out other people s faults, we become self-righteous or condescending. How do you know that you are loving the children of God? When you act out of love for God and concern for His commandments. Sometimes it is hard to obey God. How many times have you cringed at the thought of confronting sin, or refusing to participate in the sinful plans of others? If we confront sin, if we refuse to participate in other people s sinful plans, the amazing results are joy and peace. 5

6 Have You Overcome This Present World? (vv.4-5) "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4-5, NKJV) For whatever is born of God born again believers blood bought Christ confessing cross bearing disciples will have certain characteristics. What are the birthmarks the characteristics of born again Christians? They believe the truth, they obey God s Word, they demonstrate love. Anyone who possesses these three things are born of God. The person who believes the truth, obeys the Word, demonstrates love will have the power from God to have victory. Victory is the result of faith. We must define the word faith. Faith is belief, trust, confidence that God is who He says He is, and can do what He say He can do. The more you love God, the more you trust God. Isn t that true in any friendship, relationship? The more you trust them, the more you love them. Love and faith are two sides of the same coin. Faith that does not lead to love is meaningless. Love that is not based on faith is powerless (David Jackman p.134). Faith is not theatrics. What does it mean to overcome the world? We have victory over this world. Overcome is one of John s favorite words. 1 John 2:13-14 he makes reference to overcoming the devil. He uses the word overcome seven times in the book of Revelation to describe believers and the blessings they receive. This is not some special class of super anointed, Spirit filled, super Christian. This seems to be your garden variety Christian. All Christians are given the title Overcomer. The story is told of a soldier in the army of Alexander the Great. He was accused of acting like a coward in the heat of battle. When he should have been pressing forward, he was lagging behind. When Alexander approached him, the great General asked; What is your name? The man replied, Sir, my name is Alexander. The General looked him straight in the eye and said, get in there and fight or change your name! What is our name? We are Christians. We are children of the light, we carry the title Overcomer. Alexander s name became synonymous with courage. Our name carries the assurance of victory. John does not offer glib advice. He simply told the Christians they would overcome. The word overcome is used here in a verb form that means a continuous victory in the midst of a continuous struggle. Overcome in Greek is to achieve victory. That victory would come as the Christian received situational strength for each new attack from the world. The word victory is used two further times in the passage to drive home the point. 6

7 This is the victory that overcomes the world. Here victory and overcome are two different forms of the same root, nikao: the victory, nike, which overcomes nikesasa. The tense that is used now conveys the meaning of a single victory (Lloyd Oglive). He goes on and states: An exciting insight is inherent in the study of these words. The victory of Christ over Satan, death, and sin is a single victory in time and for all time. Our acceptance of Christ as Savior and Lord makes his victory our own. We have overcome the world, once and for all, because we believe in Christ and will now live forever. The Greek word Nike (neekay) was taken from the goddess who personified victory. For the Christian, maturing love leads to victory. Our ability to overcome is based on our position in Christ. When you trusted Jesus as Savior, when the Holy Spirit came to live inside you, you were made a permanent member of the body of Christ; your old live was buried and your new life was raised from a state of deadness. In Christ, you are seated in heavenly places. In his book Forever Triumphant, F. J. Huegel told a story that came out of World War II. After General Jonathan Wainwright was captured by the Japanese, he was held prisoner in a Manchurian concentration camp. Cruelly treated, he became a broken, crushed, hopeless, starving man. Finally the Japanese surrendered and the war ended. A United States Army Colonel was sent to the camp to announce personally to the General that Japan had been defeated and that he was free and in command. After Wainwright heard the news, he returned to his quarters and was confronted by some guards who began to mistreat him as they had done in the past. Wainwright, however, with the news of the allied victory still fresh in his mind, declared with authority; No, I am in command here! These are my orders. Huegel observed that from that moment on, General Wainwright was in control. Huegel made this application: Have you been informed of the victory of your Savior in the greatest conflict of the ages? Then rise up to assert your rights. Never again go under when the enemy comes to oppress. Claim the victory in Jesus name. Huegel observed; We must learn to stand on resurrection ground, reckoning dead the old-creation life over which Satan has power, and living in the new creation which Satan has no power whatever. As we mature, as we grow in Christ we want to show love to others, to know Scripture and obey its truths. Our efforts are the outworking sign of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We simply believe in His life working in us. Our faith in Jesus Christ overcomes the world. We overcome. We are despised and persecuted. We are mocked and ridiculed. But God has called us to a life marked by truth, righteousness, faith, love and obedience to Christ. When we are living that way, the world cannot trap us or deceive us or defeat us. An enthusiastic believer in Christ, Dan Richards lost his battle with cancer. But his life demonstrated that even though the physical body may be destroyed by disease, the spirit remains triumphant. This poem was distributed at his memorial service: 7

8 Cancer is so limited... It cannot cripple love, It cannot shatter hope, It cannot corrode faith, It cannot eat away peace, It cannot destroy confidence, It cannot kill friendship, It cannot shut out memories, It cannot silence courage, It cannot invade the soul, It cannot reduce eternal life, It cannot quench the Spirit, It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection. 8