I John 5 Handout Last week Jerri took us through chapter 4. We learned that there are two spirits in the world: spirit of truth and spirit of error. John warned his readers against false teachers, and how we must closely examine (test) every spiritual message we encounter with what is revealed in scripture. We also learned about agape love God s love doing what is best for us. In this chapter, John focuses our attention on not only the victory we have in Christ, but also on Christ himself. We are going to see how an overcoming faith is one that is centered in a correct understanding of who Christ is. John identifies three spiritual birthmarks every Christian has in verses 1-5: 1 st Birthmark is Love. Verse 1-2 The first part of verse 1 is one of the clearest statements in Scripture of what a person has to do to be saved. What is it? The second part of verse 1 says that whoever loves the Father will love the child born of Him. Who are we talking about here? If I say I love God then I must also truly love my brothers (I John 3:10) Verse 2 - How do we know we love the children of God? Remember what we read last week in I John 4:20: If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. True love for God equates to true love for our brothers. The two are intertwined. 2 nd Birthmark is Obedience: Verse 3 How do we show our love of God? The fundamental proof of our love for God and man is obedience to the Word of God. Those who understand the true identity of Christ those who love God and all His children, who obey His commands these are people who have been born of God. 1
What are we told about His commandments at the end of verse 3? A true believer in Christ is not oppressed with God s word. If we have such divine power on our side, the command to love cannot be a burden. Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. The reason why God s commandments aren t heavy is the power that comes with the new birth from God. What power do we have within us to obey God s commandments? God s commandments are not oppressive because the Holy Spirit enables us to obey God. 3 rd Birthmark is Faith: Verses 4-5 - We are told and this is the victory that has overcome the world what is it? Overcome =nika = present tense verb - conquer; prevail; to win victory over. It indicates ongoing action. The believer continues to conquer the world. Victory= nike = victory in battle; victory over opponents; generally having the upper hand. Those born of God are depicted as conquerors. Faith in Jesus is the key to our victory. This faith is not just a simple belief in Jesus but is evidenced by an abiding obedience and love for God s truth. Verse 5 We are told the one who overcomes the world. Who is it? Last week we read in I John 4:4: You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them (false teachers), because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. I Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Every Christian has overcome the world by his or her initial faith in Jesus Christ. To continue to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil we need to continue to exercise faith in God. 2
The question that John is fighting to answer is whose voice, whose witness and testimony do we obey? Remember what s going on all around them false teaching. What did we learn last week about false teachers? What do we have to do? Test the spirits. How do we do that? Hold everything up against the Word of God. Anything that is against Christ is false teaching. Verse 6 We are told Jesus Christ came by what? Who are we told testifies? Why? There are several views on what this verse means, but the view that is held by the majority of interpreters sees water and blood as summing up the totality of Jesus incarnational ministry on earth. Jesus baptism (water) and crucifixion (blood) frame his ministry. It is thought that John is correcting the false teaching of a man named Cerinthus and other Gnostics who claimed that the Spirit came on Jesus at His baptism, but then left Him before His death. John seems to be referring to this teaching in this verse. There was thought that God couldn t actually have died because He can t touch humanity. Basically these teachers are denying the incarnation and leaving us in our sin. The true identity of Jesus is only to be discovered by looking at the whole of His life, including its end. John is wrestling with heresy that demoted the cross. John insists that the testimony of water and the blood upholds a full incarnation. The idea here is that the water and the blood were clearly manifest during his appearing on earth, and that they were remarkable testimonials in some way to his character and work. In this verse, John fixes the attention on a fact so impressive and remarkable in his view as to be worthy of special remark, that he came by water and blood Verses 7-8 We are told there are three that testify. Testify = marturountes = to bear witness, give evidence Who are they? 1. 2. 3. Three give testimony to man s eternal heavenly existence through the nearness of Christ to man. That which testifies of man s eternal existence is the Spirit (which is truth), water (baptism), and the blood of Christ (the atonement for man s sins). Here in verse 7, the Spirit is explicitly added to the water and the blood. We are told what about these three? The Holy Spirit gives evidence and testimony that Jesus is the Son of God because he is truth. And remember we were told back in I John 2:21 that there is no lie in truth. The Holy Spirit is an additional witness. He testified to the identity of Jesus as God s Son at His baptism (Matthew 3:17) 3
The water of Jesus baptism gave witness to His true humanity and His identification with humankind. The blood of Jesus crucifixion gave witness to His complete obedience to His Father. The testimony of eyewitnesses and prophets, as well as that of historical events, affirmed the divine and human character of Jesus Christ. Verse 9 What John seems to be urging his readers to see here is if we can believe the witness of a human being, how much more should I accept the witness of deity? It is God s divine authority that rests behind the testimony of the water and the blood. It is God s Spirit that is affirming truths about the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Father, the Word (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit bear witness to the deity and soul saving power of Jesus. Verse 10-12 The one who believes in the Son of God has what? To abide in Jesus is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and to understand that eternal life is through Him alone. God s witness is exclusively and exhaustively about His Son. Therefore, the test for whether or not we accept God s testimony rests here: Do we embrace the truth about Jesus Christ? Do we agree with the apostles eyewitness? The one who does not believe God has what? Because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. The one who rejects the soul-saving power of Jesus through baptism and blood has rejected the witness of the godhead and therefore makes God a liar. To reject the truth about Jesus, to reject the water and the blood, is to stand in opposition to God and contradict His testimony. According to verse 11, what is the testimony? 1. 2. Verse 12 goes on to say that he who has the Son has the life, and he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. The life that is now had by true believers is the hope of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:24). Eternal life is inseparable from the person of Jesus Christ ( this life is in His Son ). Christ and eternal life, together, are one gift given by God. Verse 13 John says he wrote these things to you who believe. Believe is a present tense verb in Greek indicating ongoing action. The one who keeps on believing is the one who keeps on in obedience (2:29, 5:1). 4
John again gives a reason why he wrote these things. What does he say here? Some think these things is referring to the material preceding this verse, meaning what John had just written about God s testimony. Others think this is referring to the entire epistle. Either way John is strengthening his followers resolve and to reassure them of their place with God and the promises that come with those who hold fast to the faith. The commitment that John entreats them to cling to is to believe in the name of the Son of God. In trusting themselves to the Son of God, they are granted eternal life as well as the confidence of having that life. In the next two verses (14-15) John states a general principle, which has both a promise and a qualification. Verse 14-15 Verse 14 starts with this is the confidence which we have before Him. The Greek word for confidence is parresia which literally means freedom of speech. It can also be translated boldness or openness. before Him has the sense of being in His presence. What is the promise we get at the end of this verse? What is the qualification? John raised the subject of prayer back in 3:21-23. There he urged that successful prayer must be interwoven to a life that glorifies God, that conforms to God s desires and that thereby pleases Him. Now John adds that prayer must conform to God s will. Prayer in line with God s will is the key to believers getting what they ask. Prayer in line with God s will is for the benefit of God s kingdom. We ask, and He hears. The point of asking is not to get whatever we want. Listen to what Oswald Chambers said: The point of asking is that you may get to know God better. Five things about this prayer promise: 1. We should have confidence when we approach God in prayer ( this is the confidence which we have ) Our confidence is never in ourselves, but in Christ. 2. We come into His presence when we pray ( which we have before Him ). Prayer is coming before God and humbling ourselves in His presence. 3. We should come confidently into His presence and ask. We need to ask with pure motives, that our requests would further God s purposes and bring Him glory. 5
4. If we ask anything, according to His will, He hears us. Our heavenly Father knows the cry of His children. He hears our prayers. 5. we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. John didn t write we shall have the requests but we know that we have the requests. The verb tense in the original language is in the present tense. The idea is that we may not see the answer to a prayer immediately, but we have inner confidence that God hears and has answered the prayer. How do we pray according to God s will so that He hears us? How do we know God s will? We know God s will because God s Holy Spirit reveals God s will in God s word. We pray in obedience to God s commands. We need to ask ourselves does what I m asking for reflect God s character, nature and desires? The one who believes in the name of Jesus Christ has assurance in approaching God in prayer. Requests that are made in accordance to God s will are heard by Him and a believer can be certain of receiving answers to them. Verse 16-17 John explains that prayer should extend to the needs of others. This clarifies further what loving your brother involves. The general subject of verse 16 is prayer for a sinning Christian. Consider the passage in its context remember everything we have read so far. The born again believer receives answers to prayer, loves the brethren, prays and intercedes for fellow believers. Compassion and care demands that we pray for each other when we fall into sin. Intercessory prayer becomes a vital part of the life of the individual and the church. Compassion is the biblical alternative to blame. Seeing a brother in sin often makes us feel the need to judge or blame them. The Bible s instructions are to fight that feeling and ask God to help you feel compassion for them. Let s break down these verses if anyone sees his brother - Who is brother referring to? committing a sin not leading to death - the audience obviously understood what John had in mind because he doesn t elaborate. We know that all sin ultimately leads to death, but Jesus death on the cross took care of that. His death allows those who believe in Him to have eternal life. The expression here not leading to death should be understood in the sense not punished by death. he shall ask and God will give him life - What is this saying we should do? he shall ask and God will give him life - What does this verse say we should do? Ask - PRAY pray for God to give life to them (restore them). Before we speak to a brother about their sin, we need to speak to God. Prayer is essential in the restoration process. 6
The end of verse 16 says there is a sin leading to death Here are some thoughts: *John might be speaking of specific sins. According to the law of Moses, certain sins were punishable by death. Others required repentance, a sacrifice and restitution. *It could be a mortal sin allegedly sins that killed the soul; Venial sin things that can be pardoned. *Some think this verse is teaching that some sins bring swift judgment by God and result in the premature physical death of the sinner (Acts 5:1-11 Ananias and Saphira). *Others think this is referring to apostasy believers who walk away from the faith and deny Jesus and His claims. Apostasy includes the idea that a person may have intellectually been persuaded by the claims of Christ but somehow change their mind. *Some suggest this sin leading to death is persistent sin that remains unconfessed. We need to take this passage at face value. When John says if anyone sees a brother caught up in a sin, pray and ask God to restore them. Many Christians fail to realize that sinning always leads to some type of dying, even among Christians. Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Although it is true that no Christian will even experience the second death (eternal separation from God), we do experience physical and spiritual (loss of fellowship) consequences of our sinning. The end of verse 16 says I do not say that he should make request for this. Some think this verse is saying that we shouldn t pray for those committing sin leading to death. I don t think that s what this is saying. As always, we need to be praying for God s will to be done. I do think that God could impress upon us to stop praying a particular prayer for someone because what we are praying is so foreign to the will of God that He asks us to stop. Verse 17 We are told that all unrighteousness is what? There is sin not leading to death there is distinct differences in sin in regard to consequence. There are certain sins that have immediate consequences, and certain sins that might be deferred for a little time or a long time. So how do we live free from sin? We abandon the things that are unrighteous, and we embrace the things that are righteous. We embrace goodness. Verse 18-21 we know that no one who is born of God sins As the letter comes to a close, John reaffirms a very important principle he talked about earlier. Anyone born of God is a person whose true, inward nature is inherently sinless because we have the Holy Spirit in us. 7
For the one who is born of God: Sin is incompatible with the law of God (I John 3:4) Sin is incompatible with the work of Christ (I John 3:5) Sin is incompatible with the work of the Holy Spirit (I Peter 1:3) It goes on to say but He who was born of God keeps him. And what? Notice the pronouns in this sentence. The first He is capitalized showing us what? This is referring to Jesus. The second he is lowercase which means that is talking about us. the evil one does not touch him (lay hold of or fasten his grip on). We are no longer under his control because we have been rescued. Satan can tempt and harass us, but he can never reclaim us. John is seeking to reinforce to his readers that they are different from the world that Satan so desperately seeks to control. Verse 19 says we know we are what? Even though we live in the world, we are not part of it (John 15:19). Our true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) What does it say about the world? The world is hostile to God and believers (John 15:18-19). It takes its cue from its ruler, Satan, the enemy of God and His people. There is no middle ground. Everyone is part of God s kingdom or of Satan s. James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Verse 20 starts with and we know that the Son of God has come. What are we told He has given us? Why? Who is? And we are in Him who is true in His son Jesus Christ. What are we told at the end of verse 20? In these closing verses John bring this epistle full circle. John began with the coming of the Word of Life (1:1-4). Now he closes with the certainty that the Son of God has come. The present tense of the word come indicates that Jesus has come and is still present. The Christian faith is rooted in the practical truth that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. 8
We end the chapter with verse 21. We are given a warning. What is it? These last words of the book of I John reflect the significance of worshiping God exclusively. It is thought that John is writing this book while he is in Ephesus which was the center of worship of the goddess Artemis (Diana). In these closing sentences, John summarize the heart of his concern. He assures his readers that they have eternal life. His primary purpose in writing has been to offer pastoral encouragement, to instill confidence and hope by reminding his readers of their fellowship with God and with each other that they now enjoy. He has comforted them with the thought that, despite the defection of some members of the community, his readers can be assured of inheriting eternal life. Therefore, he urges them to stand fast and to remain loyal in their commitment to God. 9