Series: Are You Real? [#11]
CHRIST’S VICTORY…
1 John 5:1-21
Introduction:
Do you like to win? Of course you do! We all like to win. So why do Christians walk around defeated all the time? Does God want us to be beat down with our heads hanging low? Jesus Christ has won the victory!
1 John 5:1-5 (NIV)
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Christ’s victory…
1. Is our victory.
Who is it that overcomes the world? Christians. Our faith in Jesus Christ is our victory.
When the world tells you that you can’t survive the circumstances that you are in, your faith gives you the victory.
When it looks like the devil has completely destroyed your life and anything near you, your faith gives you the victory.
When it looks like all hope is gone, your faith gives you the victory.
Christ’s victory over sin, death, hell, and Satan is your defeat over sin, death, hell, and Satan.
1 John 5:6-12 (NIV)
“This is the one who came by water and blood- Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Christ’s victory…
2. Is God’s testimony.
A testimony is someone’s personal proof- Their witness.
God’s testimony of victory is through 3 things:
Water.
There are several things about Jesus coming by water that I want you to notice.
His coming by water represents:
His physical birth by Mary.
His physical death.
To prove that He was really dead, the Roman soldier pierced His side and water flowed out.
His physical sinless life.
Why would Jesus be baptized? It wasn’t to be saved from sin because He was sinless. Jesus was baptized to show us that He came to represent mankind and to pay the price for our sins. The Father’s voice made it very clear what Jesus was doing and who He was. The witness of the water showed Jesus’ sinless life.
Blood.
Jesus was baptized in blood in order to atone for our sins. He had to shed His blood in order for there to be remission for sin.
The Holy Spirit.
We find that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus when He was baptized in the Jordan. As John the Baptist said, “He baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit”. The first two witnesses are things we can see with our eyes; but this third witness is not. Jesus explained to His apostles that God would send another comforter to them after He left this world.
1 John 5:13-15 (NIV)
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we asked of him.”
Christ’s victory…
3. Is our confidence.
Why do we walk around pouting and making statements like, “I wish that such and such would happen”; when God says, “Ask, and if it is in My will it will happen”? You have not because you ask not!
The key here is finding out what is in God’s will. How do you do that? When you pray, ask the Holy Spirit that is within you to reveal to you what the will of the Father is; and then ask the Father for it.
We can have confidence that when we are in God’s will He is listening to every single word we are saying and He is going to give it to us. Do you want victory over a particular sin? Ask God for it and He will give it to you.
I think some of you like to be down and defeated. If you weren’t then you wouldn’t have anything to complain and whine about. Some of us have to always have drama. Just remember who is getting the focus when we do that.
1 John 5:16-21 (NIV)
“If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also 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 by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Christ’s victory…
4. Is our security.
We have security through Jesus. What is our proof?
We have proof of our security through…
Satan’s attack.
Satan is trying to destroy his enemy. As Christians, we have what Satan can never have- God’s grace and mercy. Satan wants us destroyed, but because of Christ’s victory over him; he can never destroy us.
We have proof of our security through…
The Holy Spirit’s convicting.
The reason we pray for a Christian brother or sister when they are in sin is because the Holy Spirit can get through to them a whole lot quicker than we can. When God deals with us, we know it.
We have proof of our security through…
God’s discipline.
God disciplines those whom He loves. The sin that leads to death here refers to a Christian who has continued to embarrass God through their life and God brings them home.
Conclusion:
As you leave here today, I pray you leave not only knowing that you can have victory through Jesus Christ; but that you can experience that victory today.
