Live Confidently
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INTRODUCTION:
Good morning everyone, you’ll notice our location has changed we are trying a new setup with the live stream so provide feedback in regards to what went well and what didn’t.
Our passage is 1 John 5:13-21 (turn there)
We are wrapping up the first letter of three of John’ s Epistles. Next week, we will take a break from John’s Epistles to do an Easter message, then pick up with 2 John on the 19th. We should be done with 2nd and 3rd John about middle of May if not sooner. What is to come.... is yet to be decided.
This final portion of 1 John is like a beautiful knotted bow on a gift. It sums up all that John has talked about in his letter and it ends with a simple straight forward command.
We will read the passage in its entirety then we will work our way through it. READ 1 John 5:13-21
Verse 13 is the key verse of the entire letter. 1 John 5:13
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.
When John speaks of “these things” what things are we referring to exactly?
Is it the things he mentions in verses 1-12 of chapter 5?
Or is it the whole letter?
Notice the shift to the first person singular - “I”… first time since 1 John 2:26 that he has done this so it signifies a break from what precedes it.
Also, notice how the whole section from 13-21 reviews the various points of the letter.
Finally, his words here are very similar to what he writes in his Gospel in John 20:31
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
In his Gospel, he uses the same language to refer to the whole book...
Therefore, the context and language here supports the idea that he is referring to the whole letter.
In typical Johannine fashion, John has made a circle once again and has come back to his main point as mentioned in 1 John 1 about the Word of Life
John here in verse 13 is reminding us of the reason he writes...
So… We may know
We may be assured
We may have confidence
That we have eternal life...
But to whom is he specifically addressing? To whom does this confidence and assurance apply to? What is the scope of this assurance?
“To you who believe in the name of the Son of God” This echoes John 1:12
But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children
Not to you - who have good hearts and humble souls...
Not to you - who are morally pure and upright and good citizens
Not to you - who are successful and prosperous
Not to you - who have good intentions and believe in another god like Allah, Buddha, or whomever...
Not to you - who puts their faith in the works of the law or the works of the sacraments and the church…
But to you who believe in the name of the Son of God… for He is the only way, and the only truth, and no one comes to God except through belief in Jesus Christ the Son of God. John 14:6
Belief in the Son of God cannot be any belief of the Son of God, but proper and true belief of who He is… John has spoken on this matter a few times in his letter about the importance of a right understanding of Jesus Christ. As He is plainly and simply presented to us by the Word of God.
If we do not focus on that truth… then what we are preaching, presenting, offering, is another way to eternal life… and we would be guilty of heresy.
John reminds us of the point of his letter while assuring us of the truth that we have eternal life… not as something to come… but as something that we possess right now… this very moment… then continues on to tell us that we can have confidence in three areas...
The first one he speaks of is prayer
Be Confident in Prayer
Be Confident in Prayer
Verse 14.. 1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
Since we have eternal life, because we believe in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ...
We can be assured
We can be confident
That when we ask something of Him… of God… He will hear us...
Not a flippant hearing of our prayer… but this hearing is an acknowledgement and a response to our prayer.
He does not ignore it.
This echoes the confidence we are called to have before God that John has already mentioned in 1 John 2:28 and 1 John 4:17...
And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back.
By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.
It also echoes the truth of prayer that we have from 1 John 3:21-22
Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him.
And that last verse there helps us understand the scope of this confidence as well as the last part of verse 14 which will helps us understand what John writes in verse 15. 1 John 5:15
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.
In verse 15, John says, “since, we know we have this confidence, and He will not ignore us, let us ask with the expectation that we will get what we ask for....”
Sounds great and awesome right? Based off of verse 15 alone, I can see why people might pray prayers like...
“I declare you to be healed...”
“I command God to heal you”
“I beseech God to rid your body of COVID-19 and I declare you well and healthy, for He hears the prayers of those who believe in the name of His Son.”
There’s a problem with those prayers…
One their arrogant… simply put… yet you’ll see them everywhere, especially in the Word of Faith movement, but you’ll see them even among younger Christians… that is “young in faith”.
Second, that’s not what John is saying… the prayer isn’t answered b/c of our faith...
Though our faith gives us confidence and makes a way for us in going before God to make the request
The key distinction of answered prayer is this…
Is it in accordance to the will of God?
John Stott in his commentary, wisely writes:
“Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or for bending His will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to His. It is by prayer that we seek God’s will, embrace it and align ourselves with it. Every true prayer is a variation of the theme “your will be done.” - John Stott
See, even today when you read or hear about people praying often the prayer mentions nothing of God’s will...
It only mentions our desires, our needs, our will… it is rare for someone to pray for the healing of others struggling with COVID-19 while at the same time submitting the whole situation to God’s will recognizing it might not be in His will to heal people of COVID-19 or even to deliver this nation from COVID-19.
But that wouldn’t be popular to pray… but to pray anything else is unbiblical and a waste of time.
It’s not that we shouldn’t pray for healing and deliverance, we most certainly ought to… but doing so in respect to His will and a focus on eternity, of which is the utmost importance, and most certainly in accordance to the will of the Father. 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
For this is why the Son was sent… the Son wasn’t sent to heal us of our physical illnesses… He was sent to heal us of our spiritual infirmities, and to give us new life through a new relationship with the Father by being reconciled to Him by the blood of the Son on the Cross.
In verse 16 John gives us an example of what we ought to pray about. And I think he uses this example b/c out of all the things to pray for… this situation is certainly within God’s will. 1 John 5:16-17
If anyone sees his fellow Christian committing a sin not resulting in death, he should ask, and God will grant life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death. There is a sin resulting in death. I do not say that he should ask about that. All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death.
Since we have this confidence to go to God with our requests and that He will answer them in accordance to His will… we ought to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ… fellow believers who are straying from the faith.
This also means that if you’re praying for their repentance… you are aware of their sin… and if you care enough to pray that they repent of their sin...
You should care enough to confront them in their sin...
John has spoken a number of times on how we ought to love one another...
This is perhaps one of the greatest ways we can do so...
Praying for our practical needs is fine… but nothing is more precious than our walk with God.
COVID-19 is a serious thing… but not as serious as a brother or sister in Christ watching porn or who is pro-abortion...
Or one who walks in anger continually
Or one who is distant from God b/c of traumatic wounds and injuries from the past...
The physical is temporary… but our relationship with God is eternal and is our main focus.
Now, John does mention this with a statement that is hard to fully understand. He speaks of a sin not resulting in death, and a sin that does result in death.
The person committing the sin resulting in death he says we should not ask about… what’s going on here?
First, this death is most certainly referring to spiritual death. Based on the context of the letter as a whole and how it contrasts that of “eternal life” in the immediate context.
Does this verse speak to lesser and greater sins? Such as venial or mortal sins in Catholic theology? There isn’t enough in this context to support that.
What about the unforgivable sin of Matthew 12:32, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
This is where I think John is going… though he might not be thinking specifically of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, he is thinking of a total rejection of the Gospel.
Notice in verse 16, those who commit sins not leading to death, are brothers, they are believers.
Then when he switches to one who commits sin resulting in death, the person is unnamed… unqualified.
So, is John saying we ought not to pray for those who are lost?
A worthy question, worth of excellent discussions for later today. We could argue if John has in view a certain understanding of election or not… but that would lead us from the thrust of the text, so we will not go there.
At the very least John is speaking to the effectiveness of such a prayer. One could argue that a person who is currently lost and becomes saved… qualifies as a brother or sister in Christ… at least to the foreknowledge of God.
Again, a difficult passage… with some honest ambiguity to it.
Yet the point remains… we ought to pray for those who are in sin, especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ… we have confidence in doing so b/c we possess eternal life and it is in accordance to God’s will.
The second area in our life that we ought to have confidence in is our walk… specifically, our sanctification, the process of being made more righteous.
Be Confident in Your Walk
Be Confident in Your Walk
John goes on in verse 18-19 saying, 1 John 5:18-19
We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Once again, John is reiterating on a point he has made already. This time he echoes 1 John 3:9
Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God.
John makes the statement in verses 18-19 in light of the idea that we will be praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ to not sin and to be walking in the manner as one with eternal life walks. That is, without sin.
Now, John has clarified back in chapter 1 and 2 that anyone who claims to be without sin is a liar, yet we who believe are not to sin, but if we do sin, we have an Advocate, that is Jesus Christ.
And we have spoken further on this issue discerning what John means by all of this, but let us be briefly reminded once again.
It is not that our lives are void of sin, but that the willful practice of unrepentant sin is void.
The one who believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not willfully and knowingly commit acts of transgression and sin against their Lord and Savior… if they do, and they do not desire to repent of the sin… the love of God is not in them John 14.
But this is the confidence that we have in this area...
First, those that are of God
Are born of God
Have God as their Father
Know how to act… it is part of their identity, their DNA...
This is the new life Paul speaks of in Romans 6:4, 2 Cor 5:17, and Gal 2:20
Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!
I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Second… that God protects His children.
The evil one, Satan, his demons, and all that he represents and controls cannot harm us.
Not in regard to our relationship with the Father
Or in regard to our eternity…
We are secure in Christ… forever. John 10:28-29
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand.
Therefore, we ought to walk confidently in accordance to God’s will, His commands...
while recognizing that the world we live in is a world that resides in the power of the evil one.
We abide in God… but everyone else abides in the ways of the evil one. They are enslaved to him.
This means that neutrality is not an option. Which is something Jesus affirms in the Gospels… one example is Luke 11:23
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Again, a good heart does not make one godly.
Nor should we be surprised when the world believes and teaches some thing that goes against the Word of God.
Do not get swept up with the current of this world… it is powerful and it will carry you far away from the truth.
The devil has been playing this game since Genesis 3… Did God really say?
Spurgeon spoke of it in the 19th century saying,
“Some think that the old gospel cannot be right because everybody says it is out of date and wrong. That is one reason for being the more sure that it is right, for the world lies in the wicked one, and its judgment is under his sway. What are multitudes when they are all under the influence of the father of lies? The grandest majority in the world is a minority of one when that man is on God’s side.” - C.H. Spurgeon
It was true in the 1800s and still true today… perhaps it becomes more true with passing year.
Our walk, our life of righteousness, and how we live should be done confidently recognizing that the world will hate it and do what it can to lead us astray from it.
So, the final area of which we ought to be confident in is tied closely to our walk.. that’s the area of our knowledge.
In fact, the two are so closely related we should be careful when we distinguish the two. For rightful knowledge of God will — not maybe or ought to — but will lead to right behavior.
Be Confident in Your Knowledge
Be Confident in Your Knowledge
Verses 20-21 1 John 5:20-21
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
John gets back to the root of our confidence which is the knowledge of the Son of God.
Who by the way, has given us insight to know Him.
The Son of God did not come and take on flesh and die on the cross to be a mystery to be figured out.
Nor did He do all that so that only a select view with keen insight or with a special understanding of the “secret arts” could know Him.
He especially didn’t come so that you would think there is more to Him than what the Word of God says of Him. Or that He has more to reveal to you that He has already revealed.
This verse is not about receiving special or private revelation from Him.
It’s about Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to teach us, to guide us, to illuminate the Scriptures for us.
Not to go off into our own private times and write books that contradict Scripture or speak for God… books like “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young, or When Godly People Do Ungodly Things by Beth Moore, where she explicitly writes in the introduction that if she did not write the words of that book the rocks in her yard would cry out.
The Word of God is sufficient. It is authoritative.... all of it and we can know what we need to know from it. We have this confidence. And this last final verse is why I mention heretical books and why I name false teachers…
John ends his epistle with a short and straight forward command. 1 John 5:21
Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
We are to guard ourselves. There is no condition here.
In fact, it is the first true command in the Greek since 1 John 4:1-2.
Jesus’ beloved disciple is explicitly telling us…
You know the Son of God
You know how to walk
You know how to pray
You know Him… in whom eternal life and truth is found.
So/therefore, keep yourself, guard yourself — from idols!
John is not speaking of statues here… he is speaking specifically here of false teachers… to the original audience it would be those teaching a different Christ… a different truth.
An idol can be anything that substitutes as God...
Anything that grabs our affections from Him...
Whether it be celebrity preachers...
Or celebrities themselves...
Or the government or political idea or party...
It could be ourselves… anytime our eyes drift downward to gaze at our navels instead of upward to God we are engaging in idolatry...
Idolatry is Satan’s top MO...
“Did God really say?” is the doorway to idolatry… to pursue some other source of truth and satisfaction apart from God is idolatry.
To whom is water from the spring of life given to freely? Those who are thirsty. Those who are not being satisfied by the ways of the world… but those who recognize their need for true satisfaction and acknowledge this world has nothing to offer that can satisfy.
Now, some think this is an odd way for John to end his letter… it’s not very uplifting isn’t it?
No doxology, or quick reminder of who we are as we wait for the Lord’s Day… just a simple command to keep away from people who will lead you astray.
But when we look at the NT as a whole this shouldn’t be too surprising… the placement is a bit unusual...
But the emphasis and the point is not...
See, the flow of the NT, often goes like this…
Preach the Gospel, the good news of eternal life, and the truth of God, then defend the Gospel and the reality of living a life that is eternal while exposing the lies that seek to distract and lead astray
Think about how Paul left the elders in Ephesus as recorded in Acts 20...
Recall his final words to them… it was a warning about false teachers.... not just any false teachers… but those there in front of him, who were weeping over Paul’s leaving… some of them would be the false teachers… the wolves looking to devour God’s sheep.
This was Paul’s greatest concern… false teaching. It wasn’t about tickling their ears and telling them how awesome they are…
Look at Paul’s final charge to Timothy shortly before his death… in 2 Tim 4:2-5.
Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction. For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths.You, however, be self-controlled in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry.
The whole letter of Jude is about false teaching… look at Jude 3, the key verse of the letter.
Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
1 Peter and especially 2 Peter deal with false teaching...
The Gospels… Jesus is regularly dealing with those who twist and pervert Scripture and He does not hold back in how He feels about them… we saw that clearly when we went through the Gospel of Matthew.
So, why do we today have such a weak stomach for rebuking those who are leading others to Hell?
Do we not possess eternal life through the Son of God, Jesus Christ?
Do we not have confidence to pray to God on all things according to His will?
And can we not know God’s will for which He has given us insight by knowing Him through His Son as we abide in Him as we walk in faithful obedience to His commandments?
Then why can we not with confidence keep ourselves and others from idols?
Look, I’m not saying we look for a heretic under every stone or preoccupy ourselves with the activity.
But God is clear… we are to be diligent in the activity.
And we need to recognize that when we proclaim the truth, it will inherently expose what is not true.
But beyond the obvious of keeping ourselves from the idols of false teaching… how else are we to do this?
Before sitting down at night and binge watching or binge reading… have you heard from God?
Have your kids?
You need to go to His Word… you need to eat the veggies before the cake. Or you will over eat on cake and your body will be worst off b/c of it… and you need to model that responsibility and disciple for your kids and hold them accountable as well.
Has God heard from you?
Has He heard from your kids?
You need to pray… your kids need to pray… not flippantly… correct your kids if they are treating prayer like a fun game of imagination or treating God like a genie.
Be careful in thinking it’s cute… cuteness can be an idol. Remember where we live, this world which resides in the evil one… cute ideas can be damning… if Satan can look like an angel of light… then a cute idea can lead a child to Hell.
When children complain about school, whether it is home school or public school what do we tell them?
Doesn’t matter, you still have to do it… why? B/c it’s important.
So, if we don’t at the least give God, His Word, and His Church, the same attention what does that say about our faith? What does it look like?
Especially, if we prioritize other things in our lives as well, such as sports, concerts, various forms of entertainment, and so forth… guard yourselves from idols.
We have to understand that we naturally drift into unholiness, we drift into idolatry. If we do nothing that is where we go.
We do not naturally want to read God’s Word...
Gravity naturally pulls our noses down to our navels...
It takes effort to keep our eyes focused on Him… rather than ourselves.
It takes effort to eat healthy rather than unhealthy… and it’s easier to eat healthy for the rest of your day if you start your day that way…
That’s why I think it is best and wise to begin your day by filling yourself with His Word and going to Him in prayer...
I know that what has been said here might sound harsh or stern… but it is true.
And in a world where there is so much panic… and so much pain and suffering it is truth that we need.
I think of a friend whose dad, who was a friend of mine as well, who died earlier this week of a freak accident… and another friend who found out her cancer beyond treatment and is now in hospice. Yet b/c of COVID-19, the husband has to get a waiver to see her, and her children have gotten one visit so far to see her and say goodbye… and they might not get anymore… in times of pain and suffering feelings cannot help us… but the truth can.
Heartfelt sermons and warm fuzzies not rooted in the truth will not see you through those days, through those pains… but Jesus Christ will… b/c if you deny yourself, in other words, get over yourself, and believe in the name of the Son of God, you will have eternal life and you will know what is true from what is false.
If you struggle to identify what is false in life, you should worry that you do not know what is true.
But if you recognize the world for it is and you believe on the name of Jesus Christ then you and I, we have great confidence. We have a great hope.
Despite the uncertainty of things… despite the pain of life… despite the tears we shed… despite what God may give us or what He might take away from us...
One day He will return… and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes… no more pain, no more sorrow.... therefore… live confidently, go to Him in prayer, seek His will in all things, look out for your brothers and sisters in all things, be confident of your knowledge of Him… and in doing so keep yourself from idols and anyone or anything that may pull your affections or your time or your energy from Him.