“YES, WE KNOW, AND WE OUGHT TO KNOW WE KNOW” 1 John 5 v 18-21
1John 5 v 18 We know that no one who is born of God sins, but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. 1John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1John 5:20 We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding in order that we might 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. 1John 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Christians are not ignorant, and if they are, it is generally their own fault. In today’s passage, John hammers out the things we know as he concludes his letter. If we don’t know these things, then we must do something about it, and go to learn from God, because the things we ought to know in theses verses, are elementary things.
WHAT WE KNOW – CHRISTIANS NOT IN HABITUAL SIN
Verse 18. This verse begins the list of “we know”, or, the list of “we knows”. There are probably 6 of these in these few verses, three “knows” mentioned, and three implied. The first one is, “We know that no one who is born of God sins,” and this truth we have done in earlier messages. The Christian is capable of falling into sin, and that is why we have those precious verses in 1John 1 v 8 – 2 v 2. Verse 18 means habitually sinning; being under the control of sin. No Christian should be in the camp of sin, and if he has wandered there, he needs to depart the place very promptly. No one who has experienced the new birth of God can feel happy about sinning. Sin will smite the new nature, the conscience, if you like.
WHAT WE KNOW – CHRISTIANS ARE KEPT BY GOD – SATAN HAS NO CLAIM
The second thing we should know in verse 18 is that “He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.” The Christian believer is kept, kept very securely if fact, in the hand of the Father and of the Son so that no one can pluck him or her out of the Father’s hand. In this verse the One who does the keeping is the One who is born of God. That is the only-begotten of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten of John 3 v 16, and the One born of the virgin Mary.
The verse ends with “and the evil one does not touch him.” Be absolutely certain of this fact, that Satan has no claim whatsoever over you. You belong to God and the devil can’t lay a finger on you. O, yes, he may oppress you, may buffet you, may organise opposition against you, but he has not the slightest claim on you. We belong to the Lord of Lords.
WHAT WE KNOW – CHRISTIANS ARE OF GOD
Verse 19. There are two things we ought to know from this verse. We know our standing and we know where the world stands. Let us think about our standing. John says, “We know that we are of God.” Do we know that for sure? How can we know that? How do we know that we belong to God?
Surely this verse is touching on what we call assurance. Young Christians may question their salvation and have doubts that they are really saved. Can we think back to the early days of our own faith, and did you ever have the thought, “If the Lord came back, would I be left behind?” Assurance is the steel foundation that holds our belief system in place. Correct? It is also true to say that “Our belief system is the steel foundation that holds assurance in place.”
Well you might say to me, “How can I have this assurance that I do belong to God?” Years ago we used to hear speakers say, “God has said it. I believe it. That settles it.” I suppose that is a good basis, for it relies on what assurance is. Assurance is the fruit of the tree of faith. Plant faith trees in your garden, and the fruit will be your strength. I want to share a verse with you – {{Romans 10 v 17 “Therefore faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”}} Assurance develops from faith. You gain faith from hearing, which means giving attention to, and heeding. Your hearing springs from God’s word, so there we have it. Your assurance is critically locked into the bible. Christians with weak assurance have a weak link to their bibles.
I want to give you another passage – {{John 20 v 6 “Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, and entered the tomb and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, {{John 20:7 and the face cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. John 20:8 The other disciple who had first come to the tomb entered then also and he saw and believed, John 20:9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead.”}} The other disciple was John who saw the empty tomb and believed. They did not understand the scriptures of the Old Testament dealing with resurrection, but the signs of the resurrection were there and John believed them. He then had the assurance of the Lord’s resurrection. This same train of thought is contained in the verse, {{Hebrews 11 v 3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”}} We see the worlds and the undeniable proof of a Creator, and we believe in the Creator. That Hebrews chapter begins with a startling verse – {{Hebrews 11 v 1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”}} Faith is our assurance.
God loved the world so much. Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for the sins of the world. He died for my sins. I have asked Him to come into my life as my Saviour. My life is now in His hands. Now I KNOW I am of God. Do you see how it all comes together?” The Philippian jailor fell before Paul and Silas saying, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The reply was simple, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” That night his household could say, “We know we are of God.” I hope everyone today can say that.
WHAT WE KNOW – THE WORLD BELONGS TO SATAN
But this verse 19 has a second know in it. “and (we know) the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” What is John saying here?
The evil one here is Satan and John is saying that Satan’s power is in this world. The whole world is affected. The same word for “power” in the Greek can be equally translated as “authority”. Satan’s authority is in this world. Paul said this – {{2Corinthians 4 v 4 “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.”}} However be very certain of the verse also – {{Romans 16 v 20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”}} The expression here, “lies in the power of the evil one” (NASB) or “under the control of the evil one” (NIV) is from p?????? - "pain, laborious trouble") – properly, pain-ridden, emphasising the inevitable agonies (misery) that always go with evil.
We must be very careful here and understand this correctly. There is not a power struggle going on where the God of heaven verses the god of this world. The battle has already been fought. The victory has already been won. We are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ. Satan is a defeated foe, but still has the world in his power. How can that be? Firstly Satan can only operate within the permissible boundaries God allows. He can not go outside those boundaries ever! God is still on the throne. Satan’s domain is actually the atmosphere of this earth – {{Ephesians 2 v 1 “You were dead in your trespasses and sins, Eph 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”}}
The whole world lies in the power of the evil one. He stamps his authority all over it. I will share some of the aspects of that authority – (A). The world’s philosophical systems, the so-called wisdom of this world – humanism, evolution, political correctness, rationalism, philosophy, free-thinkers, psychology (Kant Freud) and now WOKE. (B). Satan owns the godless political systems – authoritarianism, dictatorships, communism, socialism, the left wing, the right wing, even capitalism and democracy. He works through the ALP and the Liberal Party. He certainly feels right at home with the Green Party (Political Parties in Australia but equally, the Democrats and republicans).
(C). What then of the world’s practices? Look at this verse – {{Ephesians 2 v 3 “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”}} Satan is the god of this world; so too are his methods of working, and what are they? This verse tells us – {{1John 2 v 16 “All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”}} The Christian must note carefully the verse before that one – {{1John 2 v 15 “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”}}
(D). Satan even owns the religious world. All the pagan religions, all the occult practices, all the cults, all the Vatican, and much of Christendom, and on and on we could go. The ownership is to a greater or lesser extent.
You could sit down and list 100 things found in this world system quite easily – drugs, the world’s music, all the deeds of the flesh from Galatians 5, the prophetic sins of the last days as found in 2Timothy chapter 3, and the sinful practices of godless man in Romans chapters 1 and 3.
Should the Christian ever be concerned about Satan’s growing power in today’s world? Emphatically, NO! Here is a lovely verse for you – {{John 16 v 33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage. I have overcome the world.”}} and {{1John 5 v 4 “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.}} Satan roams around seeking whom he might devour. Peter said that – {{1Peter 5 v 8 “Be of sober spirit. Be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, 1Pet 5:9 but resist him, firm in your faith.”}} God placed a mark on Cain. The devil has his mark on all those who are in his camp. However the Christian has the mark of God on him and her, the mark of the Holy Spirit. It is the mark of ownership.
WHAT WE KNOW – CHRISTIANS HAVE UNDERSTANDING TO KNOW HIM, THE SON OF GOD
Verse 20. This is an interesting and instructive verse. “We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding in order that we might 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.” I think in this case I will break the verse up into sections. The first of these is [A]. “We know that the Son of God has come”, a statement of personal knowledge from John, but of faith from us. We know this fact by faith, and accept it by faith. Jesus Christ has come to save us, to create for Himself, a Bride of sinless beauty. He came into the world He had created, but His own nation rejected Him and crucified Him, or directly as John wrote it, {{John 1 v 10 “He was in the world and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”}} Paul wrote – {{1Timothy 1 v 15 “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”}} The expression “Son of God” is a favourite one of John’s.
The next expression in verse 20 is so important. [B]. “and has given us understanding”. d?????a (dia-noia), used by John only once, is the capability of knowledge. God has sparked the faculty of knowing in you. This is a great gift. Your spiritual comprehension is enlarged.
McLaren has written, ”John says that one issue of that Incarnation and permanent presence of the Lord Christ with us, is that “He has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true.” Now, I do not suppose that he means that any absolutely new faculty is conferred upon men, but that new direction is given to old ones, and dormant powers are awakened. Just as in the miracles of our Lord, the blind men had eyes, but it needed the touch of His finger before the sight came to them, so man, that was made in the image of God, which he has not altogether lost by any wandering, has therein - lying dormant and oppressed - the capacity of knowing Him who regenerated us, but he needs the controlling hand of the Christ Himself, in order that the blind eyes may be capable of seeing and the slumbering power of perception be awakened.”
What sort of steward would you be if you neglected this gracious ability the Lord has granted you, in the understanding ability He gave to you, when you were saved? You must use that, and study and meditate to realise the full potential of that in you.
[C]. The third expression in verse 20 is the result of the understanding God gave to us. “in order that we might know Him who is true”. This reason is that we might truly know the true God. I ask myself; you ask yourself, “How well do I know my Saviour - not know “about” Him, but “KNOW” Him?” Enter into the depths of your Lord. I know no other way to do that, than through bible study, prayer, meditating on the bible passage, and reading excellent commentaries, and doing research. God has given you the “capability of knowledge”, this special gift, so do not neglect this gift given to you. Paul wrote of what he wanted to know – {{Philippians 3 v 10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”}} May I say, that was largely the secret of Paul’s strong and effectual relationship with the Lord. THAT-I-MAY-KNOW-HIM.
[D]. The fourth expression in verse 20 is “and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ”. This is no great new revelation in John’s writings, but a frequent reminder and emphasis on what our standing is. We are in Christ; the Lord is true; we are in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Those truths echo all the time from John’s writings.
[E]. Verse 20 concludes with This is the true God and eternal life. The two facts are married. It is the true God we are talking about, not man’s pop stars, philosophers, celebrities, or the wisdom of humanism, and it all connects with eternal (everlasting) life that is found in God. God is eternal life. It refers to the eternal life belonging to God. {{John 5 v 36 – “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” 1 John 1 v 2 “the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.”}}
CHRISTIANS, HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IDOLS!
Verse 21. 5 v 21 “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” What is an idol? An idol is that which substitutes for God. It may be a pagan carving or construction, or a priority or practice that takes God’s place. This world is full of idols – money! Pop idols of music and gaming, sporting heroes, even the new car. God will not countenance anything that replaces Him. This can even apply to Christians if you have divided loyalties. Even a new church building can become an idol.
F B Meyer said, “If believers have come to the true God through Christ, they have to take care that they do not lose this eternal and highest good by giving themselves up to any vain idol.“ How easy it is to become entrapped in those things you once despised and rejected. For those to whom John was writing, e?d??a meant the pagan idols they were so used to all around them at the shrines and altars. One would not have expected these Christians to have returned to full idolatry like a sow returning to her vomit. However the danger of compromise was always lurking. They may not have participated in pagan feasts such as in offerings to the idols or gods, but they may have been present. Is that any better a state to be in?
This last verse to the epistle may have been the last words John ever wrote – the order of John’s letters is not known. It is a powerful verse. The “Little children” is a tender word of strong affection, and John calls on them to guard themselves. I won’t confuse you with the Greek but the meaning is - [once for all time, be on your guard and have nothing to do with this matter’]. The use of the reflexive pronoun instead of the middle voice intensifies the command to personal care and exertion. In other words it is a very forceful command that takes great care and diligence. Don’t be like so many in the churches who sleep. The heart is a citadel, and it must be guarded against insidious assailants from without. It is the same attitude as in the pastoral role of guarding the sheep.
The idols John refers to is wide and inclusive. The word itself can better understood as images. These are physical and mental and can be applied to that which causes a crisis. Putting all that together we can apply the word to –
1. Heathen and pagan gods and images.
2. The depiction of relics and images in a church such as those that apply to Mary.
3. False teachers who distort the true gospel such as we see in modern day errors. (Ephesus had this false man Cerenthus).
4. That which takes our attention off Christ – our own idols – celebrities, idolisation of football or sport or entertainment or gaming.
My fellow Christians, and speaker included, let us take extreme care to guard against everything which occupies the place due to God. The coming of the Lord is near. Let us be profitable servants, not lazy lay-abouts. May the Lord’s grace be ours always. Amen.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
