We Know…TRUTH
1st John 5
When we study 1st John we realize that it has a different objective than the Gospel of John.
Let’s look at the 2 small words that changes the object.
John 20:30-31 (Have Eternal Life) 1st John 5:13 (Know We Have Eternal Life)
Chapters 1 & 2 deals with our Fellowship and Chapters 3 through 5 deals with our sonship.
The Epistle of 1st John has presented many tests to determine the validity of our fellowship and our sonship with God. Chapter 3 gave us 5 motives for Obeying the Lord: God’s Love, Christ’s return, the cross, the new nature, the witness of the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 4 gave us 5 motives for Loving the Lord and they are the same as above.
Now in Chapter 5 we determine our sonship by the test of learning-Truth.
John gives us in this chapter five “Certainties so that we may “know” that we are sons of God.
This way “WE KNOW” that we are saved.
Read 1st John 5:1-5
1. We know what a Christian is.
Acts: 11:26…and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
God’s Word tells us and Jesus brings it to light that to be in Christ we must be…”Born Again.” John 1:12,13; 3:3-7; 1st Peter 1:3-5; 18-21
Now that we’re born again we should have birthmarks. What’s a birthmark? A mark that you have on you’re body somewhere when you are born. How long do they last? Usually all your life.
1st John shows us 5 Birthmarks we should have after receiving Christ as Savior.
1. practice righteousness 2:29
2. does not practice sin 3:9
3. loves other Christians 4:7
4. overcomes the world 5:3
5. keeps himself from satan 5:18
Read 1st John 5:6-13
2. We know who Jesus is.
We know who Jesus is because of the Witness of :
a. the Water (Baptism) 5. reasons for Jesus to be baptized.
1.”to fulfill all righteousness” this indicated that Jesus was consecrated by God.
2. here John announced the arrival of the Messiah and the beginning of his ministry
3. Jesus completely identified with man’s sin and failure, becoming our substitute.
4. His baptism was an example to his followers.
5. We are introduced to the Trinity.
b. the blood (Crucifixion)
c. the Spirit (God) Romans 8:14-17
Read 1st John 5:14,15
3. We know how to pray with Confidence.
If we know God’s will, we can pray with boldness; if we pray with boldness we will pray in the Holy Spirit. How do we know God’s will? By knowing his Word we can know God’s will. How do we pray in the Holy Spirit? By being bold, because we know we are in God’s will!
See JUDE 17-21.
Dr. Steven Cook says, “many prayers of Christians are actually sickening to God.”
Prayer is more than words: it’s searching the Word, allowing the Spirit to speak to us and then yielding to God’s will. There’s a price for maturity.
Read 1st John 5:18,19
4. We know how a Christian should Act.
True Christians do not practice sin. People in todays churches are more concerned with being accepted by each other than by being acceptable to God.
JUDE 21 says- “maintain yourselves in the love of God.” - that’s how a Christian should act. A Christian should practice love.
Read 1st John 5:20,21
5. We know the TRUTH
How do we know the truth? The Spirit within us bears witness to the Word of Truth.
See 1st John 2:27
In the last verse John states “little children, keep yourselves from idols? Why?
True Christians have turned to God from idols (other Gods) to serve the living and true God.
Idols are dead, Christ is alive.
Idols are false, Christ is Truth.
When “things” take God’s place we are guilty of idolatry.
True Christians know the truth…Jesus is the Christ, Christ is alive and He lives on the inside of us…right now. How do we know? Because we have the witness of the Holy Spirit in tune with our spirit. We have the Bible, God’s Word, so that we may know that we have eternal life.
1. We know who we are
2. We know who Jesus is.
3. We know how to pray.
4. We know how to act.
5. We know the Truth. (…and the truth is…Jesus is Lord )
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani “My god, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” “It is finished”
…has set us free! …and when the Son sets us free, we are free indeed!
