Freed from Fear

 This is a sermon based on Psalm 112. Verse 7 of this Psalm speaks about a person is not afraid when he hears evil tidings or bad news. When looking at the Psalm in light of this verse, we notice four qualities about the person who is able to hear or receive bad news yet not be overcome with fear. A video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached can be viewed here.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Analysts tell us there has always been people in every generation that feel as though the conditions in their era is worse than it has ever been before. I know I’ve often made references to the conditions in the world as a reminder that we need to be alert and committed more than ever to serving the Lord and obeying His Word.

Several weeks ago, as we were still conducting our worship services in the parking lot, I preached a sermon on 2 Chron. 7:14 regarding the promise for God’s renewing, healing presence if we humbly seek him, repent of our sins and pray. In my introduction for that sermon I briefly made reference to the drastic changes in our society that had occurred so rapidly. Today, just 17 weeks after preaching that message, there have been even more changes. In addition to the government-sponsored restrictions of our freedoms, we have witnessed the explosion of rioting and violence across our nation.

I hope I am not mistaken in assuming that all of us here today are absolutely appalled at the looting, burning and violence that is taking place around the country. In my opinion, the unrest, division, and turmoil, are strategically planned by instigators behind the scenes in an attempt to disrupt and destroy our current economic/political system and replace it with something different.

Why does this matter? Does it matter only because it threatens our own comfort and selfish interests? NO! It matters because it is based in atheistic philosophies that have no concept of the value of human lives. Therefore, destruction of businesses, livelihoods, property and even the personal lives of individuals is perfectly legitimate if it advances the ultimate goal of overturning the current system. There is much more that could be said about the current affairs of our nation, but I’ve already said enough to point out how our minds and our hearts might become overwhelmed with fear and discouragement.

While thinking about all the turmoil that I’ve just described, I came upon this verse in Ps. 112 and I read, Psalm 112:7 ^(NKJV) He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

Listen to these other translations:

Psalm 112:7 (NIV2011)  They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

Psalm 112:7 (NLT2)  They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.

Psalm 112:7 (HCSB)  He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the LORD.

Psalm 112:7 (AMP)  He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord.

I want to take a look at this Psalm for a while today in order to help us receive fresh inspiration and encouragement in the face of “evil tidings.” Who is this person that will not be afraid of evil tidings? What qualities are given about him in this Psalm?

I.             He fears the Lord, not his circumstances. (v. 1a)

The title of the sermon says, “Freed from fear.” Verse 7 talks about this person having “no fear of bad news.” He does have some fear but it is a different kind of fear.

Psalm 112:1a ^(NKJV)  Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord...

The word for “fear” in the Hebrew is the same word in verse 1 as it is in verse 7. We have said in the past that the word for fear has a variety of meanings that are distinguished by the context.

(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) “In this discussion, biblical usages of yārēʾ are divided into five general categories: 1) the emotion of fear, 2) the intellectual anticipation of evil without emphasis upon the emotional reaction, 3) reverence or awe, 4) righteous behaviour or piety, and 5) formal religious worship. Major OT synonyms include pāḥad, ḥātat, and ḥārad as well as several words referring to shaking or quaking as a result of fear.”

In our series on 1 John we recently spoke about the difference between a paralyzing dread vs. a wholesome reverence and deep respect.

Today's Best Illustrations - Today's Best Illustrations – Volume 5. (Joseph M. Stowell in Moody (Nov./Dec. 1997). Christianity Today, Vol. 42, no. 2.) — “Our evangelical culture tends to take the awesome reality of a transcendent God who is worthy to be feared and downsize Him so He could fit into our "buddy system." The way we talk about Him, the way we pray, and, more strikingly, the way we live shows that we have somehow lost our sense of being appropriately awestruck in the presence of a holy and all-powerful God... “If God were to show up visibly, many of us think we'd run up to Him and high-five Him for the good things He has done.”

God’s Word gives us many examples of how people reacted when confronted by God. Moses; Isaiah; Apostle John (in Rev.) to name a few. All of them responded in awesome, reverential fear.

So we make a choice whom or what we fear – God or man; God or the world; God or the wicked.

II.           He follows God’s will. (v.1b)

Psalm 112:1b ^(NKJV) …Who delights greatly in His commandments.

The next quality we notice about this person who does not fear evil tidings or bad news is the quality of delighting in God’s commandments. The implication is that because he delights in them, he obeys them.

So often we have studied passages in the Scriptures that reveal the necessity to demonstrate our love for God by obeying His commands. Our problem too often is we emphasize some commands while ignoring others. May God help us to be balanced in our obedience. For example, the same God who issued the 10 Commandments issued the Great Commission.

Neglect and disobedience to God’s Word always results in fears, doubts, and shaken faith.

III.          His heart is steadfast. (vv. 7b, 8a)

Psalm 112:7-8 (NKJV) ⁷ … His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. ⁸ His heart is established; He will not be afraid…

v. 7b (KJV) “fixed”; (NKJV) “steadfast”– transl. 85 times as “prepare(d)” and 58 times as “establish(ed)”

(TWOT) The context of a passage will clarify whether the meaning is “prepared” for a purpose, or “fixed” / “established” as a result of being prepared.

There are also references where there is a sense of well-being as a result of being under God’s hand.

v. 8a “established” – a different word than in v. 7; this is the only time it is translated “establish;” other meanings include “lay” or “lean on;” “uphold” or “support;” et. al.

(BDB) sustained, firm.

Looking at the two words together would indicate that this person who is freed from the fear of bad news is one whose heart has been prepared, fixed and supported by the Lord to the end that it is standing firm and fixed.

cf. Isaiah 26:3 ^(NKJV)  You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

IV.          He leads a generous life. (vv. 4, 5, 9)

Before we talk about this last point, let me comment briefly on vv. 2-3.

Psalm 112:2-3 (NKJV) ²  His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. ³  Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.

I referred to these verses a couple of years ago when I addressed the issue of believing/expecting personal faith in God to result in material prosperity. OT promises for Nation/People of Israel if they would faithfully love, serve and obey the Lord. God would make them into a great nation and provide all they needed. National blessings vs. spiritual blessings.

Whether one experiences abundant prosperity or not, he can be generous. The Bible gives multiple references to the fact that generosity is an attitude and a lifestyle that is not reliant upon the amount of wealth a person has.

Psalm 112:4-5, 9 (NKJV) ⁴  Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. ⁵  A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. ⁹  He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.

Don’t really need to say much here except to point out an observation. By including these verses as part of the description of the person who fears the Lord, but doesn’t fear bad news, it seems to be making this point: rather than being paralyzed and immobilized by the fears of coming evil, this person has been able to keep his focus on the importance of being a source of blessing to others rather than going into hiding.

Conclusion:

What about you? What about me? Are we living in dread and fear of bad news or evil tidings? Are we struggling to remain confident and steadfast in these days of turmoil? If so, it might be an indication that we really have not kept our minds “stayed on Him” as we quoted earlier from Isaiah.

God is the only One who can prepare us and establish our hearts so that we stand up strong in the face of bad reports and evil conditions and continue to do His work until He calls us home.

(Thomas Lane Butts, Tigers in the Dark, quoted in Illustrations Unlimited) Several years ago there was a well-known television circus show that developed a Bengal tiger act. Like the rest of the show, it was done "live" before a large audience. One evening, the tiger trainer went into the cage with several tigers to do a routine performance. The door was locked behind him. The spotlights highlighted the cage, the television cameras moved in close, and the audience watched in suspense as the trainer skillfully put the tigers through their paces. In the middle of the performance, the worst possible fate befell the act: the lights went out! For twenty or thirty long, dark seconds the trainer was locked in with the tigers. In the darkness they could see him, but he could not see them. A whip and a small kitchen chair seemed meager protection under the circumstances, but he survived, and when the lights came on, he calmly finished the performance. In an interview afterward, he was asked how he felt knowing that the tigers could see him but that he could not see them. He first admitted the chilling fear of the situation, but pointed out that the tigers did not know that he could not see them. He said, "I just kept cracking my whip and talking to them until the lights came on. And they never knew I could not see them as well as they could see me."

There are times these days when it seems like we are facing tigers in the dark. We may not be able to see in the dark, neither can we see into the future, but our God can.

Closing Hymn: Be Still My Soul

Blessed Assurance

 This sermon is the 11th and final sermon in a series of messages through the New Testament book of First John. It focuses on the fifth chapter, verses 13-21 which provides assurance of eternal life, assurance of answered prayer, and assurance of divine protection. The video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached can be viewed by clicking here.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

There is a true story of a Civil War Union Soldier named Daniel who was seriously wounded and taken prisoner by the Confederate Army. While recuperating from his wounds, the young POW grew bored and, after finding a New Testament, he began to read it and was convicted.

However, before making a choice to surrender to the Lord, he drifted off to sleep. Soon, a hospital orderly awakened him, saying that another POW was dying and wanted someone to pray with him. Daniel admitted that he wasn’t able to pray with anyone, to which the orderly said, “But I thought you were a Christian. I have seen you reading your Bible.”

Daniel later wrote, “I dropped on my knees and held the boy’s hand in mine. In a few broken words, I confessed my sins and asked Christ to forgive me. I believed right there that He did forgive me. I then prayed and pleaded God’s promises. When I arose from my knees, he was dead. A look of peace had come over his troubled face, and I cannot but believe that God who used him to bring me to the Savior used me to lead him to trust Christ's precious blood and find pardon.” (Robert Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, Book 2)

Both of these soldiers undoubtedly experienced the blessed assurance of forgiveness and pardon that is promised to everyone who confesses their need to Christ and trusts in Him for salvation from sin and hell. That Union Soldier, Daniel Webster Whittle, later wrote a song based on the words of the Apostle Paul: I Know Whom I Have Believed. These are found in 2 Tim. 1 and express the confidence and assurance of an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ as he was coming to the end of his life.

Today, I will finish our series of messages on the book of First John by speaking to you on the subject: Blessed Assurance. In these closing verses of this short, but important letter, John addresses a concern that most people have at some time in their lives – assurance and hope in the face of uncertainty and turmoil.

(The main points of the outline I am using today are borrowed from Dr. Vic Reasoner’s commentary.)

I.             The Assurance of Eternal Life (v. 13)

Assurance, confidence and hope are all intimately connected.

I have pointed out in earlier sermons of this series that the Apostle John uses several important words multiple times throughout this letter because they emphasize themes that he passionately pushes.

Words like: know (40 times); love (46 times) and world (22 times)

So, the word know is one of those words and it expresses John’s passion for assurance in the hearts and minds of his readers. The word is used 7 times in these final 9 verses of the letter. John also uses the word “Confidence” 4 times in the letter.

1 John 5:13 (NKJV)  These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

John declares the purpose for his letter is so the readers would know that they have eternal life. He says he is writing specifically to those who already believe in the name of the Son of God – that is, Jesus. But he wants to assure them that they can know they have eternal life. 

Someone asks, “How can someone know they are saved and have eternal life?” (Reasoner)

John has stated that the source of our confidence is the abiding presence of the Spirit of God. See 3:24 and 4:13.

1 John 3:24 (NKJV)  Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

1 John 4:13 (NKJV)  By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Dr. Reasoner then asks, “How can we know that we still have the Spirit?” The Apostle has repeatedly told us in this letter: it is only by the Spirit that anyone can confess that Jesus (the man) is Christ (the Son of God). It is only by the Spirit that we love the children of God. And, it is only by the Spirit that we love God and keep His commandments and they are not grievous.

Based on these statements of John’s, if a person hasn’t confessed Jesus is the Son of God along with all that means for our salvation, and if they do not actively love the children of God, and they either do not obey His commands or they find obedience to be a drudgery, then they might have reason to doubt they have eternal life.

II.           The Assurance of Answered Prayer (vv. 14-17)

The Bible has multiple promises for the people of God who seek Him and call on Him to intervene in their lives for all kinds of reasons. As people of faith who trust in Jesus and the reliability of God’s Word, we believe it is worth the time and effort to pray and to intercede for others. These verses help support that confidence in the value and effectiveness of prayer.

A. Prayers are answered for anything that is God’s will. (vv. 14-15)

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Other passages in the Bible define the conditions for answered prayer, including: faith as a grain of mustard seed (Matt. 17:20); abiding in Christ and His words abiding in us (Jn. 15:7); and we obey Him and do what pleases Him (1 Jn. 3:22). But here, John specifically mentions the need to pray in God’s will.

I have said this before, but if we desire to know what God’s will is, there are a host of passages in the Bible that spell out the things that are God’s will. For example,

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NKJV)  For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

So, when we pray for anything that is God’s will, we have assurance He hears us and will answer.

B. Prayers are answered for fallen brothers/sisters. (vv. 16-17)

In the next two verses John addresses a specific kind of need that is God’s will – the salvation of the lost. In this case he is talking about the case of a “brother” who has sinned.

1 John 5:16-17 (NKJV) If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. 

Dr. Reasoner believes that John is specifically pointing out one exception to the previous point – God answers prayers that are according to His will, except when a believer turns away from the truth and persists in willful defiance of truth. God will not override the will of a person to bring them to saving faith in the first place, neither will He override the will of a person in response to prayers of other believers.

However, I have prayed many times that God will bring whatever circumstances into their lives that will make them willing to repent.

“sin unto death” (KJV) – (sin that leads to death, NKJV) John clearly seems to be talking about spiritual death.

(Walter Kaiser, et. al., Hard Sayings of the Bible) John uses the term life thirteen times, seven of them in this chapter. Since he means spiritual life (eternal life) in every other case in which he uses the term, we would expect that this would also be the meaning here. Likewise the two other places where he uses death (both in 1 John 3:14) refer to spiritual death, not physical death.

John has been concerned with a group of apostates, people who were part of the Christian community and have left. … These are not casual errors or lapses into this or that sin, but a knowing and deliberate turning away from the truth they experienced in the Christian community.…

… While John clearly does not intend Christians to pray for the forgiveness of such people, he words himself carefully so as not to forbid it. The issue is that these people are not repenting or about to repent.

III.          The Assurance of Divine Protection (vv. 18-21)

The third area of assurance provided by the apostle relates to God’s protection of His children.

A. Protection from our spiritual enemy – Satan. (vv. 18-19)

1 John 5:18-19 (NKJV) We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. ¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

John repeats the truth that every person who is born of God, does not willfully continue to sin. He addressed this several times earlier in the letter and we learned that in this sense, John is talking about deliberate, willful sin, stemming from an attitude of lawlessness and defiance.

“is born,” – lit. having been born; perfect tense participle which grammatically means the action took place in the past with the resulting condition continuing into the present.

“the wicked one does not touch him” – lit. does not assault, violate or harm.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:

The reassuring fact is stated in v. 19.

1 John 5:19 (NKJV) We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

The ungodly kingdom of darkness is under the control of the wicked one, but we are not in that situation because we are of God.

B. Protection from error – knowing the truth. (vv. 20-21)

1 John 5:20-21 (NKJV) And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. ²¹  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

God has given us understanding.

“understanding” – pref. “through” and root “mind” or “intelligence.” Meaning ability to reason or think through something.

God has given us the ability to know the Son and the Father who is the source of eternal life.

(Tom Thatcher, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) John’s third statement of what believers “know” summarizes the two major themes of the epistle: the identity of Jesus and the difference between true believers and the [antichrists in the world]. Jesus is the Christ, the Son, and the “true God” in contrast to the false “idols” (v.21) promoted by the Antichrists.

Conclusion:

Throughout this entire letter, John has been clearly marking out the differences between true believers and the false teachers (antichrists). Now, in these final verses of the whole letter, he is providing them with the confident assurance that is grounded in their faith and gives them hope in the present and the future. My question to you today is, “How is your confidence and level of assurance?”

Sometimes our confidence can be shaken because of doubts that have never been answered satisfactorily. On the other hand, John has pointed out in the letter that our confidence or assurance may be shaken or destroyed because we have not been truly born of the Spirit, we have deliberately and willfully disobeyed the Lord, or we have fallen prey to some false teaching.

The answer in all cases is to come to the Lord in humble confession and acknowledge our need for His saving grace. We need to acknowledge the truth about ourselves and the truth about Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Then, we need to put our entire trust and faith in the blood of Jesus to save us and change us.

I believe today’s message on assurance is a good opportunity to invite anyone who is struggling spiritually to come and pray. You may know for sure that you’re not saved, and you want to change that today. Or, you may not know for sure if you’re saved. You lack the confidence or assurance of it, and you wish to pray also. You can come forward and kneel at the altar here in the front while we sing this closing song:

Only Trust Him

Witnesses to the Truth

This is the 10th sermon in a series of messages through the New Testament book of First John. This sermon is based on 1 John 5:6-12 where the Apostle John writes concerning the witness or testimony that confirms the truth about Jesus, the truth about the testimony itself, and the truth about eternal life. The video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached can be viewed by clicking here.

Written Excerpts of the sermon:

Introduction:

If you have ever attended a court trial or participated in one, you know how important it is to have reliable witnesses. There have been many important cases lost because the witnesses were not trustworthy. Often, whenever one side is in danger of losing the case, the lawyers for that side will often do their best to show that the witnesses for the opposing side are not reliable and cannot be trusted.

I was looking online for an example of a court case that involved some unusual witnesses. I came across a story from August 2017 where a woman was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting death of her husband. The news story reported that the only witness to the shooting was the victim’s African grey parrot. Family members reported that in the weeks following the shooting, the parrot kept mimicking the argument between the husband and wife in each one’s tone of voice, including what they felt were the husband’s final words, “Don’t (expletive) shoot!” The news story also reported that the prosecutor considered using the parrot’s squawking as evidence in the murder trial, but the judge ruled that the parrot could not “testify as a witness.” (https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-woman-gets-life-in-prison-for-murder-parrot-allegedly-witnessed)

I’m sure the judge was right. How worrisome would it be to know your life depended on the testimony of a parrot?

Well, today I am not going to be talking about the merits of using parrots on the witness stand! Yet, we are going to look at a few verses in John’s epistle which speak about another kind of witness that testifies regarding our faith in Jesus Christ.

Let us turn our attention to the 5^th chapter of First John and verses 6-12 to consider what John has to say about witnesses to the truth.

Last week we looked at verses 1-5 and one of the points of the message was this: “being saved means we believe certain truths.” This point was based on the words “believeth/believes” and “faith” which are found in verses 1, 4 & 5. Now in this next section of Scripture (vv. 6-12) we are expanding the discussion about truth and the witnesses which point to the truth.

John points out that there are witnesses to the truth about Jesus, the truth about the testimony, and the truth about eternal life.

I.             The Truth about Jesus (vv. 6-8)

Explanation of vv. 7b-8a

Before we go any further, I want to address an issue that some may be wondering about. If you have a KJV or NKJV Bible, you will have the entire wording of v. 7 & v. 8. But it might have a footnote indicating there are words included that do not appear in the earliest/oldest manuscripts. If you have a newer translation (NIV, NLT, …) you will notice that part of verse 7 and part of verse 8 are missing. They will probably have a footnote indicating that there are words left out which are found in later manuscript copies. Language scholars tell us that there are no manuscript copies older than about 1,000 A.D. that include the words, so it is believed by all the commentaries I consulted that they were probably marginal notes made by a scribe.

Some have worried that the newer translations are attempting to destroy the doctrine of the Trinity by leaving out these words. However, the doctrine of the Trinity is adequately taught by many other passages in the Bible. As a matter of fact, whenever I have tried to explain the Trinity to anyone, I don't think I have ever used 1 Jn. 5:7 as a "proof text." I have always used multiple other texts to support my explanation. I also read that 1 Jn. 5:7 was not used by any of the church fathers who met in the early church councils to debate and settle the doctrine of the Trinity.

So, John is first of all describing the witness to the truth about Jesus.

A. His identity is confirmed historically (or physically). (vv. 6a, 8b)

1 John 5:6 ^(NKJV) This is He who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood...

1 John 5:8b ^(NKJV) … the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

In these verses, John confirms there are three different sources that witness to the truth – the water, the blood, and the Spirit. Two of the sources are material substances – water and blood.

“This is He” – a reference back to v. 5, Jesus the Son of God. This is the same person who is further identified by the witnesses described.

“water and blood” – Nearly all commentaries I consulted agree that these two words refer to two historical events in the life of Jesus – baptism and crucifixion.

We’ve talked often in this series about the false teaching that was so prevalent – Jesus could not be the divine Son of God because all matter is evil and deity cannot identify with evil. One particular strain of false teaching was promoted by one named Cerinthus.

They held that Jesus was a mere man, born of Joseph and Mary in natural wedlock, upon whom the Christ [i.e. divine nature] descended at the baptism and from whom the Christ departed before the cross. (Stott, TNTC)

(Wm. Barclay) The false teachers believed Jesus was human, and Christ was divine. Jesus became divine at His baptism, but his divinity left him before the cross. Supposedly to “protect God from human pain” and death.

John is saying no, Jesus is the Christ through water (baptism) and blood (cross/crucifixion/death). This is essential for His death to truly provide redemption and propitiation that we talked about in earlier chapters. If He is not divine, then He cannot be without sin and cannot be an appropriate sacrifice for our sins.

(Reasoner) In a sense the water of his historic baptism and the blood of his historic passion are personified and made to be witnesses who continue to speak.

The water and the blood confirm His identity in a physical, historical, and material way.

B. His identity is [also] confirmed spiritually. (vv. 6b, 8b)

1 John 5:6b ^(NKJV) …And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.

1 John 5:8b ^(NKJV) … the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

John goes on to say, “the Spirit bears witness because the Spirit is truth”

(Thatcher, Expositor's) John has already established that every person speaking by God’s Spirit will confess that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (1Jn 4:2), and now he simply reaffirms that assertion in the context of the debate over “water and blood.”

The reason a person is able to confess “Jesus [the] Christ has come in the flesh” is because the Spirit enables them to do so.

(Barclay) When John speaks of the witness of the Spirit he has in mind three things: Spirit descending on Jesus at His baptism; the words of John the Baptist, “He shall baptize with the Spirit…;” and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.

The record of the Gospels affirm that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove at the baptism of Jesus, and at the same time a voice from heaven – “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In his Gospel, John states more than once that the Spirit is a Spirit of truth who will guide us into all truth. Now John contends that the water, the blood and the Spirit all agree that Jesus is in fact the Christ.

II.           The Truth about the Testimony (vv. 9-10)

Secondly, John not only witnesses to the truth about the identity of Jesus, but he witnesses to the truth about the testimony itself. And he affirms that:

A. The testimony is provided by God. (v. 9)

1 John 5:9 ^(NKJV) If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.

“this is the witness of God” – probably a reference back to the Spirit, the water and the blood in v. 6.

“the witness of men” – In everyday life people trust in the word of other people. Back then and even now, people rely on the trustworthiness of other people in making important decisions. God’s witness is greater. What God has to say about His own Son is far more reliable and far more important than what any man has to say. This could have been a reference to the teachers who were considered to be reliable experts about Jesus. John is essentially asking, “Why trust what they are saying?” “Listen to the testimony of God Himself.”

This same principle can be applied to a number of different topics. We are bombarded daily to accept and trust the words of this expert of that expert regarding many issues of life. So often the “experts” completely contradict the Word of God. We would do well to heed the words of the Apostle John and ground our faith and our practice on the Word of God, the One whose testimony is greater than any man’s.

I am so thankful that God has provided all the testimony and evidence necessary for our faith to be grounded. We don’t have to stumble through life in spiritual darkness.

B. The testimony is confirmed in our hearts. (v. 10)

1 John 5:10 ^(NKJV) He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

John goes on to say that whoever believes in the Son of God has done so because there is a witness within him that confirms that truth. It is a witness that has been placed there by God and could very well be included in what John said a few verses ago, “The Spirit bears witness because the Spirit is truth.” There is nothing that can substitute for that clear witness of the Spirit in our hearts that something is truth.

A person can choose to go against that testimony that has been confirmed in his heart, but when he does, he actually makes God out to be a liar.

III.          The Truth about Eternal Life (vv. 11-12)

Finally, John witnesses to the truth about eternal life.

A. Eternal life is provided by God. (v. 11)

1 John 5:11 ^(NKJV) And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

“this is the testimony” – same kind of phrase as the middle of v. 9. Then it was referring to what had been said earlier, but here it is referring to what is coming next. (Stott, TNTC)

God is the provider of our redemption. Nothing we did or could do.

“Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan; Oh, the grace that brought it down to man; Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!”

Eternal life – not only in duration, but in quality.

B. Eternal life is only available in the Son. (v. 12)

1 John 5:12 ^(NKJV) He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

(Thatcher, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) To “have life” is John’s typical way to describe salvation.

The Son is eternal, and the life He gives is eternal.

Conclusion:

John has presented further arguments regarding the identity of Jesus Christ and showing how his identity is confirmed by the testimony of historical events, and by the Spirit of God. He has also linked the Son of God with the gift of life that God has provided through the Son.

These are important truths that are foundational to our salvation and our hope. These are important truths that we must propagate and promote so they are not lost.

Just as John contended for the truth against the false teachers of his day, so we must contend for the truth of Jesus Christ and God’s Word in our world/our era.

Let’s close our service by singing the old hymn:

Onward Christian Soldiers

What It Means to Be Saved

 This is the 9th sermon in a series of messages through the New Testament book of First John. This sermon is based on 1 John 5:1-5 where the Apostle John speaks about three different evidences of conversion or saving faith. The video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached can be viewed by clicking here.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Most of you know that I have been doing a series of messages on the NT book of First John. We’ve completed 8 sermons so far, and I think we have 2 or maybe 3 more to go, counting today’s sermon. 

I want to begin by sharing a couple of interesting circumstances leading up to the last two Sundays. Prior to last Sunday, I was thinking I might depart from this series in order to speak specifically about communion, but I discovered that the next section we were ready to discuss in chapter 4 fit very nicely with the theme of communion as we talked about the love of God. This week I again pondered the possibility of departing from First John to preach on a subject that would relate to our baptismal service this afternoon. Again, I was pleased to discover that this first paragraph of chapter 5 goes along very well with baptism because the Apostle John is discussing what Dr. Vic Reasoner calls, “The marks of genuine conversion.” So, that confirms in my mind that our messages and our special observances of our faith (communion and baptism) have all been guided by the Holy Spirit.

The title of the sermon today implies a rather broad topic because there are many themes that could be included in a discussion about what it means to be saved. However, we will be limiting our thoughts to the specific themes John touches on here in the first five verses of chapter 5.

In the Tyndale NT Commentary, John Stott reminds us that John has repeatedly presented three tests for those professing to be Christians. In chapter 2 he describes all three tests in order, obedience (3-6), love (7-11) and belief (18-27). In chapter 3 he treats only obedience (2:28-3:10) and love (11-18), while in chapter 4 only belief (1-6) and love (7-12)… Now, however, in the brief opening paragraph of chapter 5, we meet the three together again. The words ‘believe’ and ‘faith’ occur in verses 1, 4 and 5, [the word] ‘love’ [occurs] in verses 1, 2 and 3, and the need to obey or carry out ‘his commands’ [shows up] in verses 2 and 3.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, I want to speak to you today from verses 1-5 of First John chapter 5 concerning “what it means to be saved.”

I.       Being saved means we genuinely believe certain truths. (vv. 1, 4, & 5)

The reason I said we must “genuinely” believe certain truths is because there is a difference between simple intellectual agreement with some idea vs. being so convinced about the validity of it that I’m willing to act upon it, stake my life on it, make it the ruling principle of my life.

As I stated earlier, the words “believe” and “faith” occur three times – verses 1, 4, and 5.

The Bible clearly tells us that we are “saved by grace through faith.” (Eph. 2:8)

 Faith is an unwavering confidence in the reality of truths we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.)

A. We believe the truth about Jesus. (v. 1a, 5)

1 John 5:1a, 5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God… Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

We believe that the man Jesus is Christ the Messiah.

·         As a man He was perfect; compassionate; and compelling.

·         As Christ/Messiah He was divine, redeemer; and miracle worker.

When we believe, we experience new birth. We believe Jesus is Who He said He was; and Who the Bible says He is – God in the flesh. We believe that He did what He said He would do – shed His blood for the sins of the whole world.

B. We believe the truth about the world. (vv. 4-5)

1 John 5:4-5 (KJV) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

This truth points back to chapters 2 & 3 where John clearly links “the world” with the problem of sin. The false teachers that John was opposing believed it wasn’t possible to be free from sin because we are “in the world” and of the world. However, John makes it clear that whoever sins is of the devil. Now, he addresses the same issue but using the term “world” rather than sin. But the point is the same – the world represents all that is opposed to the will of God and righteousness.

He already affirmed:

1 John 2:15-16 ^(NKJV) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.

So, believing / faith involves knowing what to believe about the world. The desires, values, and morals of this world will always be contrary to God’s desires, values, and morals.

We cannot serve two masters!

C. We believe the truth about victory. (vv. 4-5)

But that is not all John has to say about the world. In these same verses, he is specifically teaching that we can and should be victorious over the world. The false teachers didn’t believe it was possible to live without sin. In fact, they apparently celebrated the fact of sin being in their lives, since they believed all matter was evil – only spirit could be holy or righteous.

John is boldly proclaiming that being born of God and believing in Jesus as the divine Son of God makes it possible to live victoriously over the world. We should never allow ourselves to buy into the idea that it just isn’t possible to be victorious over sin and the world. 

II.     Being saved means we sincerely love God and others. (vv. 1b, 2)

1 John 5:1-2 (KJV) Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

The words, “born of God;" "begat" (begot); and "begotten” – all derive from the same Greek word.

When we are born of God, there is a love for God that is born in us that we’ve never known before. When we are born of God, we not only love God, but we also love the one who is “begotten of Him.” Because of John’s repeated argument about Jesus being the Son of God and being the Christ, it is somewhat natural to think of the phrase “begotten of Him” as referring to Jesus. For example Jn. 3:16 speaks of God giving his "only begotten Son."

However, most commentary authors believe that the phrase ties with the previous use of the word “born.” (Born of God) Therefore, it is probably speaking of others who are similarly born of God – our spiritual brothers and sisters. Being saved means we have been placed in a great big family of God’s children.

Just like faith and believing, love is another theme that John has repeatedly emphasized in this letter. Apparently, the lack of love was a real problem among those recipients of the letter. This has always been a typical problem when false teaching is present in Christian circles. Those teaching the errors can be prone to unkindness, and those defending the truth can also become unkind and disparaging.

We have already stated in previous messages, love is an action word. The kind of love the Bible is talking about is not some emotion and it is not just kind words. It certainly includes emotion and kind words, but it is far more than that. Does anyone get the impression I truly love God by watching my life? Your life? Is there evidence in my daily life that I love God? When people watch my life, do they learn that I love people?

John is clearly advocating for a life that portrays love for God and for others. This is the same message he gave in chapter four.

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

III.    Being saved means we carefully obey God’s commands. (v. 3)

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

For the Apostle John, love and obedience cannot be separated. Jesus Himself emphasized the need to show love by obedience.

John 14:15 (NKJV)  "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

But, He also emphasized the fact that loving Him wasn’t about carrying around “heavy burdens,” but it was learning that his “yoke is easy” and his “burden is light.”

Matthew 23:4 (NKJV)  For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Matthew 11:30 (NKJV)  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

So many times I’ve heard and seen those who refuse to follow Christ because “He requires too much,” but the cost of rejecting Him turns out to be far greater than what it would have been.

Jesus’ yoke and burden is light – mainly because of His power and grace that is provided to help us each and every day.

Conclusion:

We’ve been talking about what it means to be saved.

When we turn away from our sins and place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, then we are born of God; born again.

Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:17 – Therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away and behold all things are become new.

Luke 10:20 ^(NKJV) Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

It is a blessed privilege to know that our names are written in the book of Life!

Our closing song today is a testimony song about God saving us from our life of unbelief and rebellion and making us His children and putting our names in the book of life.

A New Name in Glory

God Is Love

This is the 8th sermon in a series of messages through the New Testament book of First John. This sermon is based on 1 John 4:7-21 and presents John's message regarding the topic of love. John declares the eternal truth, "God is love." Then he describes other aspects of love that logically follow from that eternal truth. The theme of this message was very appropriate for the celebration of communion which was conducted at the end of the sermon. The video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached can be viewed by clicking here.

Written Excerpts:

1 John 4:8 (NKJV)  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Introduction:

A modern fable about love: (I shared this about 7 years ago for an Advent Candle reading.)

A prince wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day while running an errand in the local village for his father, he passed through a poor section. As he glanced out the windows of the carriage, his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden. During the ensuing days he often passed by the young lady and soon fell in love.

But he had a problem. How would he seek her hand? He could order her to marry him. But even a prince wants his bride to marry him freely and voluntarily and not through coercion. He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her front door in a carriage drawn by six horses. But if he did this, he would never be certain that the maiden loved him or was simply overwhelmed with all of the splendor.

The prince came up with another solution. He gave up his kingly robe and he moved into the village in the garb of a peasant. He lived among the people, shared their interests and concerns, and talked their language. Of course, he spent as much time with the maiden as possible. In time the maiden grew to love him, because of who he was and because he loved her first.

Just like the prince in the fable, Jesus came into our world, spoke our language, experienced our pain, joy and sorrows, then willingly gave up His life so our souls could be saved.

1 John 4:9 ^(NKJV) In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

The second sermon I preached in this series, looking at the verses in chapter one, we talked about a verse that said, “God is light.” I mentioned how light is provided as a description of who God is – His essential nature. Now, in chapter four, the verses we want to cover today include a statement, “God is Love.” Love is also a description of who God is.

(Pulpit Commentary) As [the phrase] "God is Light" sums up the Being of God intellectually considered, so [the phrase] "God is Love" sums up the [Being of God morally]. 

Let us look at John’s message in this chapter to acquire a fresh reminder of God’s love and what it implies for Christian believers. As we do this, my outline for the message will not follow the order of the verses as I have often done before, but will be presented in a more logical order using verses where they logically fit into the discussion about love.

I.              Statement of fact: God is Love. (vv. 8b, 16b)

Several years ago, I preached a series of messages on the proper concepts of God. God’s love is one of his attributes that we discussed.

I said…

A. Love is what God IS, not something He HAS.

In Scripture God declares, “Be holy for I am holy.”

1 John (4:8, 16) says God is love. “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love…. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

Some theologians have stated that the core of God’s nature is holy-love and everything else springs from that absolutely perfect balance of holiness and love.

(S. Guthrie, Christian Doctrine) “He is not sometimes loving and sometimes unloving. He does not love some people and hate others. He is love, and everything He does, always, with everyone, is loving, because His very nature is love.”

B. God’s love is universal. (Jn. 3:16)

C. God’s love is unconditional. (Rom. 5:8)

D. God’s love is costly. (1 Jn. 4:9-10)

E. God’s love is jealous. Exodus 34:14 for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Nazarene theologian, H. Orton Wiley, says one of the qualities of love is the desire to possess the object of love.

II.             God is the source of love. (vv. 7b, 10, 19)

The fact that we love God and love others and the reason why we ought to love God and others is linked to the fact that God loved us first. The implication is: we couldn’t love Him or anyone else if it wasn’t for His love.

Romans 5:5 ^(KJV) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

If God is love, then He is the source of all other love.

III.           Love is manifested in multiple ways.

Genuine love is active. Love is not simply philosophical. When love is present, something is going to happen, whether we’re talking about God or about us.

A. God manifested His love by giving His Son. (vv. 9-10, 14)

God’s love was revealed, manifested, and demonstrated by the sending of His own Son into our world. And, the reason? So He could be the propitiation for our sins. Back in chapter 2 we discussed the meaning of propitiation.

“propitiation” – a Gk. word that means to satisfy the judgment and wrath of deity. It is sometimes translated “atoning sacrifice.”

Some scholars believed the word needed to be translated as “atoning sacrifice” because they believed the emphasis needed to be directed away from the normal pagan aspect of satisfying the wrath of a deity to emphasize the aspect of covering of our sins. But both concepts (satisfying of judgment/wrath and the covering of sins) are important. The Bible is clear that God's wrath is directed toward all sin.

B. We manifest His love by loving others. (vv. 11-12, 20-21)

I could have said “we manifest OUR love by loving others” but I truly believe it is more accurate to say “We manifest HIS love…” The outflow of God’s love in us produces a natural outflow of His love through us to others. His love motivates us and moves us to act in loving ways when we normally wouldn’t have.

IV.           Love produces other results.

(Stott, TNTC) The belief and love, which John has been urging upon his readers, are now assumed, and deductions are drawn from them… The divine-human person of Jesus Christ, God’s love for us, and our love for God and neighbor cannot be separated. The theology which robs Christ of his Godhead, thereby robs God of the glory of his love, and robs us of the one belief that can generate a mature love within us.

A. Love produces spiritual fellowship. (vv. 13, 15, 16)

Three times (vv. 13, 15, 16) John emphasizes the concept of God abiding in us and we abide in God.

(Stott, TNTC) This, then, is the sequence of thought: we know that we live in God and God in us ‘because he has given us of his Spirit’ (v. 13), and we know he has given us of his Spirit because we have come to ‘acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God’ (v. 15), and to live ‘in love’ (v. 16).

B. Love produces confidence in the day of judgment. (vv. 17-18)

“confidence” (KJV – boldness) openly, freely, without reserve/fear.

cf. 1 John 2:28 ^(NKJV) And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

These two words, confidence and ashamed, are opposites.

(Stott, TNTC) Our confidence (like our obedience in 1 Jn. 2:5) is a sign that our love has been made complete. It is grounded upon the fact that in this world we are like him (sc. Christ).

(Pulpit Commentary) "Herein has love reached its perfection among us Christians, i.e., in the Church, that we have confidence in the day of judgment." This is the perfection of love to have no fear. The ὅτι, introduces the reason for this confidence: its basis is our likeness to Christ. especially in being united to the Father.

(Tom Thatcher, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) “Fear” is not used here in the healthy sense of a respect and awe toward God, but rather in the negative sense of concern over God’s impending wrath.

We were just talking about this on Wednesday night. In Matthew Jesus says…

Matthew 10:28 ^(KJV) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The word fear can mean torment type or reverence type, according to the context. Seems like John is saying that when God’s love is perfected in our hearts, then the consequence will be confidence and openness when we stand before Christ, rather than shame and fear.

Conclusion:

This passage in John’s epistle is an excellent passage to be studying on a day we celebrate Communion. As we prepare to share the sacrament of Communion, let us dwell on the truth of God’s love that was so deep, so real and so passionate that He sent his only Son to earth to die.

That love, when we have received it and understood it, will produce genuine love in our hearts towards others, especially towards our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.

Before we share communion, let us sing this great hymn:

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Godly Discernment

This is the seventh sermon in a series of messages through the New Testament book of First John. The sermon examines verses 1-6 of chapter four and covers the theme of discernment as the Apostle John urges his readers to test every spirit to see if they are of God. Spiritual or godly discernment is a necessary quality for every Christian believer to acquire. If you would like to view a video recording of the entire worship service in which this sermon was preached, please click here.

Written Excerpts:

1 John 4:6 ^(NKJV) We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Introduction:

We’ve been going through the book of First John with a series of messages and today we are ready to begin chapter four. We will be looking at the first six verses today where John expresses the need for God’s children to exercise spiritual discernment.

A couple of stories illustrating the importance of discernment:

An elderly woman stood on a very busy street corner in rush hour traffic. She was fearful, confused, and therefore hesitant to cross by herself. Finally, a gentleman came up to her and asked if he could cross the street with her. Grateful and very relieved, she took his arm and stepped into the busy intersection. As they proceeded, she grew progressively alarmed as he zigzagged randomly across the street, to the blare of horns and screech of locked brakes. Finally, after reaching their destination, she turned to the gentleman and complained, "You almost got us killed! You walk like you're blind." "I am," he replied. "That's why I asked if I could cross with you." (from a sermon by Ron Thomas, Garland TX)

This humorous story illustrates the need for using discernment and judgment when you pick someone to help you cross a busy street.

This next story is a more serious one.

Some of you may [have heard about] the film, A Beautiful Mind, named after the book with the same title. The book is based on the life of John Nash… a brilliant mathematician and professor at Princeton University… The core conflict in the movie was this: John Nash also suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. That is, Nash would see characters and hear voices that did not exist. When he listened to the voices, they became destructive to his life. They could turn him into an egomaniac by making him feel like he was the center of the universe or they could also prey upon his deepest fears and make him suspicious of his loved ones.

Treating this condition is extremely difficult, because the voices heard and the people seen are as real to patients suffering from this disorder as actual people. You have to convince the person that their own faculties of sight and sound are impaired, that they cannot trust them, and have to resist the urge to engage them. Eventually Nash would regain much of his ability to function in the “real” world, largely through new medicines that cut down on the intensity of delusional episodes. As helpful as the medicine was, it did not completely eliminate the voices.

Over time, Nash learned how to test the voices, to figure out whether or not they were real. In other words, Nash learned the art of discernment. He learned how to sift the unhealthy voices and listen to the healthy ones. In the movie version of the story he says this toward the end: “I’m not so different from you. We all hear voices. We just have to decide which ones we are going to listen to.” (www.thepastorsworkshop.com)

John is writing to a group of Christian believers who needed to develop and utilize the gift of discernment with regards to what they had been hearing about Jesus. They needed to learn how to sort through the many “voices” teaching false ideas about Jesus and not only discover the truth, but cling to it and promote it.

Let us turn our attention to these verses to see what God has to teach us regarding Godly discernment.

I.           The meaning of discernment.

Ps. 119:66 ^(NKJV) Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.

(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.) The primary meaning of the root [for the word “judgment”] is "to try, or to evaluate, with the tongue, normally with a view to consumption if the flavor is suitable."

(Sinclair Ferguson, Ligonier Ministries) But what is this discernment? … It is the ability to make discriminating judgments, to distinguish between, and recognize the moral implications of, different situations and courses of action. It includes the ability to “weigh up” and assess the moral and spiritual status of individuals, groups, and even movements. Thus, while warning us against judgmentalism [Matt. 7:1], Jesus urges us to be discerning and discriminating, lest we cast our pearls before pigs (Matt. 7:6). [Then later, in verse 15, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.]

A remarkable example of such discernment is described in John 2:24–25: “Jesus would not entrust himself to them … for he knew what was in a man” (NIV).

“Do not judge” means do not condemn or pass sentence on someone. But a holy sense of judgment is necessary to exercise discernment.

(Sinclair Ferguson, Ligonier Ministries) … True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong; it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient. And, yes, it means distinguishing between the good and the better, and even between the better and the best.

(Charles Spurgeon, www.thepastorsworkshop.com) Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.

II.          Discernment is necessary to avoid serious error. (v. 1)

1 John 4:1 ^(NKJV)  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

John starts this section with an urgent command to his readers regarding the necessity of exercising discernment.

Two of the verbs he uses are in the imperative form, indicating a command. They are: “believe not,” and “test” (or “try” in KJV). He commands Christians to not believe all spirits they encounter, but rather, he commands them to try them or test them. The root word for “test” means to watch. It would seem to carry the idea to examine closely.

On one hand, DO NOT believe, accept, or fall for everything that comes before you with claims of godliness, faith, goodness and right. And, on the other hand, DO put everything to the test. Watch it closely. Examine it! Why? Because false prophets (teachers) have gone out into the world. People who are teaching error are all around us.

2 Cor. 11:13-15 ^(NKJV) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

I just read in my daily devotions the other day in the Book of Acts where Luke writes concerning the people of Berea who were more noble than the people of Thessalonica because they searched the scriptures to see if Paul and Silas were preaching the truth.

As we have stated repeatedly in the earlier chapters of this letter, John is standing against some of the teaching that has been gaining popularity. It is the early stages of Gnosticism. (Spirit = good; matter = evil) They claimed the man Jesus could not be the Christ/Messiah or divine because deity (spirit/good) cannot become humanity (flesh/bad).

If there is ever a time when this message is needed it is today. we are living in a time when there are so many false teachers and peddlers of lies and deceit. This is not only true in the world, but it is also true in the church world. I know I’ve said this so many times lately, but we are literally living in a time when you don’t know if you can believe anything you hear or read these days. 

III.        Standards are necessary for exercising discernment. (vv. 2-3)

1 John 4:2-3 ^(NKJV) By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³  and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

John is laying down some standards they could use for discerning the difference between truth and error. The specific “standards” he provides relate directly to the heresy that was growing in their generation.

Reminder: Gnosticism said that Jesus could not be the divine Son of God, because of his humanity – living in the fleshly, material world.

So, in their day and time, the way they could discern truth from error was to pay attention to what the teacher said about Jesus. If the teacher/prophet/spirit proclaimed that Jesus Christ (the Anointed One/Messiah) was come in the flesh, then they were of the truth and of God. If the teacher/ prophet/ spirit proclaimed that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh, then they were not of God and in fact, were the spirit of anti-Christ.

(William Barclay, p.93) St. Augustine said that in all the pagan philosophers he could find parallels for everything in the NT except for one saying – “The Word became flesh.”

He also affirms that this spirit of anti-Christ was already present in the world at that time, in his day. There has always been a spirit of anti-Christ in the world. 

The Apostle Paul has similar words in his letter to the Corinthians.

1 Cor. 12:3 ^(NKJV) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

IV.        Spiritual identity facilitates discernment. (vv. 4-6)

1 John 4:4-6 ^(NKJV) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ⁵  They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. ⁶  We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

People who are true children of God have a different viewpoint of truth than the children of the world because they have a different spirit inside them – the Holy Spirit. Children of the world and children of God speak what they know by whom they follow. The children of God speak God’s Word and God’s truth. Children of the world speak whatever the world knows, and whatever the world approves of.

Gnosticism was undoubtedly viewed as the latest, most brilliant thinking of the day. It was contemporary and novel and exciting. But, John reminds them that, as children of God, they are different from the world. They have a different, higher source of knowledge and truth. Because they are children of God, they have overcome the world because the power of God in them is far greater than the power of evil in the world.

My, how we desperately need to catch a new vision of this truth! May the Lord help us to realize our “birthright” and our inner source of power, so we not only can survive in days of opposition, but we can thrive and overcome them!

Conclusion:

We have been trying to describe how important it is for believers to exercise spiritual or godly discernment in our everyday lives. I have said many times that discernment is a gift of the spirit which some people have received a greater amount of than others. But discernment is also a skill that is developed with use.

We need God’s help to teach us His Word and His nature so thoroughly that we will not be deceived and led astray by the winds of false teaching and error. We truly need Him to open our spiritual eyes.

Closing Song: Open My Eyes That I May See