1 John 5:13-21, "Certain Knowledge in an Uncertain World"

Karen and I had a residence director in college named Phil. Phil is one of those people that is so comfortable being himself that it’s off-putting for a young man very full of himself but totally insecure. Phil never argued with anyone. If he knew the truth, he was at peace whether or not you accepted it, and if he didn’t know something, he would admit it. He is kind and generous, and he doesn’t change who he is to get anyone to like him. Have you ever known someone like this? How do I become more like that?

John’s letter has been helping us see that the culture Jesus is shaping in the church should be different from the culture in the world around us. The world’s culture is being shaped by insecurity, fear, anger, and hatred. It is desperate for certainty. But what kind of culture could we shape if we had more Phils, people who are certain of who they are, and certain that they know truth, and live in truth, and walk in the light, free from darkness and besetting sins, walk in love, free from self-centeredness, fear and hatred?

John has told us in his letter that these are marks of those who know Jesus, believe in Jesus, abide in Jesus. We have fellowship with God and His children. We are loved, forgiven, and free. John closes his letter by telling us that we can live in certainty when we know God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Six Certainties: “We Know”

that you have eternal life - 13

that He hears us in whatever we ask - 14, 15

that we have the requests we have asked of Him - 15

that everyone born of God does not keep on sinning - 18

that we are from God - 19

that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding - 20

These six certainties come to us when we come to know God, as we abide in Jesus.

1 John 5:20 (ESV)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Let’s look at these six certainties to see how they lead us into knowing God and how they can shape a culture of life and love in our world.

You Have Eternal Life

This is the promise of many religions, fairy tales, and epic searches. From Gilgamesh to Eos and Tithonus to Qin Shi Huang (first emperor of China) to Ponce de Leon to Dr. Strange, the search for eternal life spans all cultures and times. How can we know we have it?

As John says in verse 20, God is the true God and eternal life. John is a Jew, whose God is Yahweh, the Ever-Living One, the one true and living God. He is eternal life. John realized that Jesus is the Son of Yahweh, who shares in His nature. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To know Him is to have eternal life.

John 17:3 ESV

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

When you are certain you have eternal life, you free from fear and self-protection. But eternal life is also a life lived in a new reality. We live by eternal values, perspective, and qualities right now in this world. You are free from the futility that dominates most people’s lives. You are in communion with the eternal God. This communion is like an ongoing conversation.

He Hears Us

There is nothing better than knowing that you’ve been heard. You feel accepted and valued. Consider knowing God hears you. This is a great promise. But John makes this promise conditional.

1 John 5:14 ESV

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

This is a big loophole for God. What if I don’t ask according to His will? Does He hear me? How do I know that I am asking according to His will? Let’s filter this through the end goal, that we would know God truly, we get our answer.

“He who is in ‘fellowship with God, who has received life from the Father, knows that he may address God in confidence. Prayer becomes not only a time for petitioning but of yielding one’s life to the will and work of God. Prayer made in these circumstances is always heard because it is God’s will that is begin done and his intention for humankind that is begin met. ‘When we learn to want what God wants, we have the joy of receiving his answer to our petitions.’ (Marshall, p. 245)” (Glenn Barker, Expositor’s, p. 354)

God is not trying to trick us or withhold anything from us. Like a parent that waits to give what is asked until he hears the “magic words”. His goal is that we would grow in knowing Him. The more we grow in knowing God, the more confident we are that we are asking according to His will in our prayer.

1 John 5:15 ESV

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

We Have the Requests

What requests? Those that are according to His will. What are those? John identifies one particular prayer request that God grants.

1 John 5:16 ESV

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.

When you see a brother or sister commit a sin, what is your first reaction? Do you preach to them, condemn, or criticize them? Do you avoid them, abandon them, and ignore them? John says our first response should be intercession. We are seeking restoration.

[Why shouldn’t I just leave someone’s personal life alone? Our culture values independence and personal autonomy. John’s culture valued community. Our sins are never secret. When we have done wrong, it isn’t a personal problem. The choices we make affect the whole community. We can lead others into sin by our example. We can cause others pain or confusion.

But even the sins we keep secret aren’t a personal issue. Every thought and secret action forms my inner person. When we sin in secret, we are becoming double minded. Our heart becomes divided. And this will affect our relationships. Every sin is community business. If a brother or sister sees you committing a sin and they take you aside and offer to pray for you, submit to their love and mercy and confess your sin humbly, repent and return in faith.]

John says there is another kind of sin: “sin that leads to death”. We should understand what this means. Using the context of John’s letter as our guide, he has warned us of denying/renunciation of Jesus Christ, hate for a brother, refusing the testimony of God. Making a habit of sinning in these ways denies God’s offer of eternal life in Jesus and will only result in death. For anyone committing a sin that leads to death, we are asking for God to grant them repentance and faith. Life will follow.

But for a brother who isn’t living in rebellion to God, but simply makes a wrong choice, we pray for them that God will give that one life. God restores that one. How many Christians have been left unrestored because the church, because we, have not prayed for them?

Everyone Born of God Does Not Keep Sinning

Here’s the result of God granting the request we bring about a brother or sister who commits sin. He will grant them the grace to be restored. He will bring them back. He will give them life. Verse 17 is a great promise.

1 John 5:17 ESV

All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

Committing a sin does not derail your relationship with God. He isn’t waiting with His hammer to pound you down every time you make a mistake. He doesn’t cut you off when you’ve done something wrong. What does He do?

1 John 5:18 ESV

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Jesus protects you. He won’t let the evil one overcome you. He will overcome sin in your life. He has paid for it, and He will release you from its power.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Your identity has been changed from “child of wrath” to “child of God”, from “sinner” to “saint.” Don’t forget the power you have to overcome sin that would beset you, because the Spirit of Christ is in you (see Romans 8:9-17).

We Are From God

Understanding your identity is crucial to living with certainty. Your identity in God is a security for you.

1 John 5:19 ESV

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

You now live in enemy territory. You won’t belong in our culture anymore. But you will also not be overcome.

Colossians 1:13–14 ESV

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

So, maybe the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. But if we have been granted a transfer to a kingdom of love. You are an ambassador for Christ, appealing with people to be reconciled to God. Jesus said the gates of hell would not stand against His church. He is working through us. Here is what He can do...

The Son of God Has Come and Has Given Us Understanding

1 John 5:20 ESV

If you want to know God, you can come to know Him in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the true representation of everything we need to know of God. Jesus came to give us understanding of God. Knowing God is eternal life. A present tense reality that is shaped by the presence of the Eternal One in my life right now. Your life will be transformed from hopeless to hopeful. From despairing to joy-filled. From defeated to victorious. From enslaved to free. From fear-oriented to love-oriented. How? by knowing God.

But this promise also comes with a condition. Only if I...

1 John 5:21 ESV

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Where did this come from? Idolatry might seem like a sermon all its own. But the explanation is very simple.

“Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security.” (What is idolatry? | The New City Catechism)

Idols rob me of being totally satisfied in God. But they satisfy me in other ways. Ultimately, we all worship the idol of self. This manifests in different ways. I place my hope in a comfortable future, resting in my accomplishments. Or I find my happiness in a peaceful family that all desire to live near me and pay homage to me as the center of their world. Or I find my significance in a career that is meaningful and appreciated by others, and provides me a comfortable retirement. Or I find my security in acquiring material goods and friends that will always agree with me. What’s yours?

But the problem with idolatry is the uncertainty. Have I done enough, accomplished enough? Will my friends and family really love and care for me? How will I know that I have become a success? There is no rest, no satisfaction, no peace in idolatry.

John is offering us certainty. Knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ provides certainty: that we have eternal life, that God hears us and shapes our desires to His will, victory over besetting sin, a new identity that comes from the one who is true. As I abide by faith in Jesus Christ, I am in Him who is true. I need never fear or hate or seek my satisfaction in sins that take more than they give. I can rest in love and I am freed to love. Imagine a culture shaped by people so certain of their acceptance and identity in the true God that they overcame darkness, hatred, and fear with love. What would that look like?

Questions for Discussion

What is something from last week’s passage you were able to apply this week? What did you find helpful?

How would your life be different if you were always certain you have knowledge of truth?

Which of the six certainties John writes in 5:13-21 stand out to you and why?

What do we learn about believers in Jesus from this passage?

What do we learn about God from this passage?

How can our church seek restoration for sinners?

In verse 18, what is the way John says we overcome sin, as those “born of God”? What does this teach us about Jesus?

What else do we learn about Jesus in this passage?

What are the idols of our time, and how do they keep us from knowing God?

What is one way you will respond to this passage this week?

Who is someone you could share this passage with this week?

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