The Bible Meets Life

The Point You were created for eternal life in Christ. The Passage 1 John 5:6-13 The Bible Meets Life In the past 100 years, the average life expectancy has increased by more than 25 years.1 Americans are living well into their 70s and 80s these days, and based on the volume of ads and infomercials on TV, companies are lined up to sell products or programs to help increase that lifespan even more. Interestingly, the doctors and marketing experts don t all agree! Some tell us to eat more of certain foods, while others tell us not to eat those foods. To be sure, a lot of the advice and products offered are good and can improve our lives. But others are just a way for someone to make a fast buck from our yearning to live longer and look better. But no matter what, these products and programs can only help us so much. Life just doesn t go on indefinitely. Or, does it? We can have life that goes on forever. That is not a claim based on wishful optimism; it is a reality because of who Jesus is and what He has done. The short Book of 1 John points us to a sure hope of eternal life. The Setting First John was written to encourage Christians to remain true to their faith in Jesus Christ. A heretical group had split from the believers church (1 John 2:19) but was still trying to influence them. Among the heretics teachings were denials that Jesus was the Messiah, God s Son (2:22; 4:15; 5:1), Jesus had come in the flesh (4:2-3), and of the atoning nature of Jesus sacrifice that gives eternal life to those who believe in Him (5:6-13). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 27

What does the Bible say? 1 John 5:6-13 (HCSB) Water (vv. 6,8) John used water as a reference to the baptism of Jesus Christ, which marked the beginning of His public ministry. 6 Jesus Christ He is the One who came by water and blood, not Blood (vv. 6,8) John used blood as a reference to Jesus dying on the cross, which marked the close of His public ministry. 7 For there are three that testify: by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept the testimony of men, God s testimony is greater, because it is God s testimony that He has given about His Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn t have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 28 SESSION 2

THE POINT You were created for eternal life in Christ. GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes DISCUSS: Invite your group members Notes to turn their attention to the image at the bottom of page 21 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG). Ask: Where have TIP: This session is a great opportunity to talk about salvation with any group members who aren t yet believers. Use the inside front cover of this Leader Guide for assistance. you been that you d like to stay forever? RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 22): In the past 100 years, the average life expectancy has increased by more than 25 years.1 Americans are living well into their 70s and 80s these days, and based on the volume of ads and infomercials on TV, companies are lined up to sell products or programs to help increase that lifespan even more. To be sure, a lot of the advice and products offered are good and can improve our lives. But others are just a way for someone to make a fast buck from our yearning to live longer and look better. But no matter what, these products and programs can only help us so much. Life just doesn t go on indefinitely. Or, does it? ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): To add interest, bring in magazines ads, product labels, or newspaper ads that promote products or marketing campaigns designed to lengthen or improve our lives. SAY: We can have life that goes on forever. That is not a claim based on wishful optimism; it is a reality because of who Jesus is and what He has done. The short Book of 1 John points us to a sure hope of eternal life. GUIDE: Call the group s attention to The Point on page 22 of the PSG: You were created for eternal life in Christ. PRAY: Transition into the Bible study by praying for a deeper understanding of God and the eternal life He offers us in Christ. 1. http://www.nia.nih.gov/research/publication/global-health-and-aging/living-longer Cut apart Pack Item #4 and have it ready to distribute to your group. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 29

10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE 1 John 5:6-9 Notes 6 Jesus Christ He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by 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, the water, and the blood and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept the testimony of men, God s testimony is greater, because it is God s testimony that He has given about His Son. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud 1 John 5:6-9. SAY: God s desire is for us to live confident in our faith. The apostle John gave us verses 6-9 so that we can believe in something that is absolutely true. ALTERNATE QUESTION: What makes a testimony reliable? DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 24 of the PSG: What do these verses teach us about Jesus? RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 24): John identified three realities that attest to who Jesus is. 1. The water. In John s time some were spreading a false teaching that denied the full humanity and deity of Jesus. The premise of the false teaching was that God came upon the man Jesus after His baptism but left Him before the crucifixion. In other words, the divine Christ only indwelt the human Jesus during His three years of public ministry. John refuted this claim. The water refers to Jesus baptism, the beginning of His earthly ministry (Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:31-37). At Jesus baptism, God proclaimed, This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him! (Matthew 3:17). 2. The blood. The blood refers to Jesus crucifixion, the end of His ministry on earth. John was an eyewitness to Jesus death (John 19:26-27) and he could personally testify how these events Jesus crucifixion and subsequent resurrection point to the truth that Jesus Christ is God s Son. 3. The Spirit. An even greater testimony to the truth that Jesus is God s Son is the testimony of God Himself. God s Holy Spirit spoke through His prophets and through His Word, the Bible, to declare the truth about His Son (John 15:26). 30 SESSION 2 TRANSITION: The next verses explore the rewards that come with faith in Jesus.

THE POINT You were created for eternal life in Christ. 1 John 5:6-9 Commentary Jesus is God s Son. Verse 6: The name Jesus is the first-century variation of the Old Testament name Joshua, which means Yahweh saves or Yahweh is salvation. Christ is not His given name, but is one of His titles. Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Messiah (Christ) means the Anointed One. In these verses, John employed the testimony of the water and of the blood to disprove the lies of the deceiving teachers. The apostle asserted that Jesus the Christ came by water and blood. The most likely interpretation is that the water refers to the baptism of Jesus, while the blood refers to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. What does it mean that Jesus came by water? It was necessary for Jesus to experience baptism at the beginning of His public ministry so that He could demonstrate what kind of Christ He came to be. He came to be the servant of the Father. He came to identify with those He came to save. It was necessary so we could receive the testimonies of the Father (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22), the Spirit (see Matthew 3:13 17; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22), and John the Baptist (John 1:29 34). The public ministry of Jesus closed with His crucifixion. What does it mean that He came by blood? In order to be the Christ who saves His people from sin, Jesus had to experience death but not merely death. It was necessary that He suffer death as our substitute, our sin-bearer on the cross. The only One of flesh and blood, who never sinned, paid the price to deliver us sinners from sin and its consequences. Jesus came by blood, once for all to redeem those who put their faith in Him for salvation. The Spirit is the One who testifies. The Holy Spirit testifies for Jesus to unbelievers, bringing conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come (John 16:7 11). The Holy Spirit testifies for Jesus to believers, instructing and bringing assurance to them concerning the truth of Christ Jesus (vv. 12-15). Verse 7: There are three that testify. In Deuteronomy 19:15, two or three witnesses were required for establishing wrongdoing or sin against a person. John used three witnesses to show the validity of his claims about Jesus Christ. Verses 8-9: The Spirit, the water, and the blood testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The testimony of the water (in which the Father testified to His pleasure in His Son) was Jesus baptism. The testimony of the blood was that of the blood Jesus shed on the cross for our salvation (Colossians 1:19-20). The testimony of the water baptism of our Lord, the testimony of the blood of Christ at the crucifixion, and the testimony of the Spirit are all unified. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 31

10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE 1 John 5:10-11 Notes 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud 1 John 5:10-11. RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 25): When we accept who Jesus is and trust in His saving work on the cross, He places that testimony within our hearts. The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The presence of that testimony the internal presence of God s Spirit moves beyond simply a mental understanding and awareness of the truth. It results in life! ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why is it sometimes hard for people to believe faith in Jesus is enough for salvation? DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 25 of the PSG: How is believing in Christ more than an intellectual assertion? DO: Instruct group members to complete the activity on page 26 of the PSG on their own. If time allows, call on volunteers to share their responses. Life Is Good: When you think about the eternal life Christ offers, what captures your attention? Describe, list, or sketch your response. RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 25): The world wrongly believes that money, fame, and power will bring meaning and purpose or at the least, they will temporarily fill the void. These things can never deliver lasting hope. Only Christ can do that. That recognition leads to life eternal life. 32 SESSION 2

THE POINT You were created for eternal life in Christ. 1 John 5:10-11 Commentary Life is found in Jesus. Verse 10: There are two possible responses for those who hear God s testimony. John deals initially with the person who believes God s testimony. Two facts about this person are emphasized. First, because of God s testimony, this person believes in the Son of God. John equates this belief with acceptance of God s testimony about His Son (of the water, the blood, and the Spirit, vv. 7-9). Believes means a lasting, ongoing reliance on Jesus Christ for eternal life. Believes in means that this person does not merely believe the facts about who Jesus is and what He has done. Rather, this person has entered into a trusting relationship with the Lord. Second, the one who believes God s testimony and believes in God s Son, has this testimony within him. The one who believes is indwelled by the Holy Spirit (3:24). The Spirit within bears witness to the truth of God s testimony about His Son (4:13-14). The Spirit works first in a person to convince him or her of the truth of God s testimony about Jesus Christ (John 16:8 11). When a person believes in God s Son, the Spirit indwells that person and reconfirms the truth of God s testimony. The other possible response of a person who hears God s testimony about Jesus Christ is to refuse to believe God. In not believing God s testimony, this person refuses to enter into a trusting relationship with God s Son for the forgiveness of their sins. The person who does this has made God to be a liar. In 1 John 1:10, unbelievers claimed never to have sinned and not to be in need of a savior, thereby making God a liar for His condemnation of their sinfulness and His claim of their need for a savior. In chapter 5, unbelievers called God a liar by rejecting His testimony about His Son. Those who call God a liar remain dead in their sins. Verse 11: The outcome of God s testimony is that God has given eternal life to those who believe His testimony. Given is a key word. God does not pay out salvation in response to one s works. Eternal life is given to those who enter into a saving relationship with His Son through faith. Has given shows that eternal life is a present reality for believers. Eternal life does not begin when a person physically dies. It begins when a person repents and believes in God s Son. Life is found only in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is a dominant truth in John s writings (John 1:1 5,12 13; 3:14 18,36; 5:21 29; 6:40; 10:10,28; 11:25 26; 14:6; 17:3; 1 John 1:1 2; 2:24 25; 4:9; 5:20). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 33

10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE 1 John 5:12-13 Notes 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn t have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud 1 John 5:12-13. RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 27): Since Jesus is the Son of God and He is the only way to eternal life, how do we gain access to eternal life? The answer is wonderfully simple. The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn t have the Son of God does not have life. If you have accepted Jesus Christ into your life, you have life eternal life. DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 26 of the PSG: What are the present and future benefits of accepting God s promises in these verses? RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 27): The eternal life found in Christ doesn t just refer to life that goes on forever. Eternal life speaks of the quality of life as well; and, it s a life far beyond what we can ask or imagine. Eternal life in Christ involves much more than going to heaven when we die. It describes the life believers have not only in heaven, but now in this world in their ongoing, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. ALTERNATE QUESTION: Life is found in Christ. How have you found this to be true? DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 27 of the PSG: What responsibilities do we carry when we accept God s promises in these verses? SAY: Jesus came so that through Him we can have life that is both eternal and abundant. When we know what we believe about Jesus and have committed to follow Him, we can fully enjoy the eternal life He gives. In fact, it s what we were created for. 34 SESSION 2

THE POINT You were created for eternal life in Christ. 1 John 5:12-13 Commentary We experience life when we believe in Jesus. Verse 12: Those who believe God s testimony receive eternal life; they receive the Son who is life. To have the Son, Jesus Christ, is to have eternal life. Believers have the Son living in them (John 14:23; 15:4 6). The contrast is made with those who do not believe in or have the Son of God. The words of God add emphasis to John s previous statement in 1 John 2:23: No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well. One cannot have the Father without having the Son and vice versa. Life is emphasized by the sentence word order in the original Greek: The one who does not have the Son of God, life does not have. Those without the Son are already spiritually dead and by their rejection of the Father s offer of life in the Son will remain in that state. Verse 13: This verse is the climax, not only of the verses we have already considered, but of the entire epistle. Notice that these things is used by John in each of the four purposes he gave for writing the letter (1 John 1:4; 2:1,26; 5:13). These things refers to all the spiritual truths and spiritual arguments utilized by John in this epistle. The primary purpose of these things that John has written is so that believers may know that they have eternal life. The word know is used in the sense that John desires his readers to have confidence and assurance in the truth that through their belief in Jesus Christ they possess eternal life. Eternal life describes much more than going to heaven when we die. Too many people equate eternal life only with life after death. It describes the life believers have not only in heaven, but now in this world in their ongoing, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In 1 John 5:6 13, we have seen that believers can know they have eternal life because they believe God s threefold testimony about His Son. This threefold testimony comes from the water and the blood and the Spirit. Those who believe God s testimony have the Son, in whom life is found. Those who believe God s testimony receive the inner testimony of the indwelling Spirit. Jesus came so that through Him we can have life that is both eternal and abundant. Life lived in obedience to God through Christ brings glory to God and full joy to the believer. Assurance of one s eternal salvation is an essential element for fully enjoying eternal life now. For further reading, check out the article A Reliable Testimony in the Fall 2015 issue of Biblical Illustrator. Previous Biblical Illustrator articles Spirit in John s Writings F 10, John s Use of Witness W 99-00, and Faith Affirmed W 97-98 relate to this lesson and can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at www.lifeway. com/biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles: Bible Studies for Life. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 35

5 minutes LIVE IT OUT SAY: God offers us eternal life. How can we fully experience this? Notes GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 28 of the PSG. ]] Accept Jesus as your Savior. If you have never accepted the gift of eternal life in Jesus, talk to someone in your group or read the inside front cover of this book to discover what s involved in becoming a follower of Jesus. ]] Memorize 1 John 5:11-12. Let this passage serve as a reminder of God s desire for your life with Him. ]] Invest in your relationship with Christ by spending time daily in Bible study and prayer. Relationships grow when we make time for them. Need somewhere to begin? Read one chapter from the Gospel of John each day. After 21 days, you ll have gained a valuable overview of Jesus life and ministry. ENHANCEMENT: Distribute Pack Item #4, 1 John 5:11-12 Memory Verse Cards, and encourage your group members to commit this passage to memory. Wrap It Up SAY: No product, gimmick, or health regime will give what only Jesus can give. We re offered eternal life an ongoing relationship with Christ that will never end. What could be better? 36 SESSION 2