God Wants to Help All Christians Live in Victory
1 John 4:1-6
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Series: The First Epistle of John
(Prepared January 7, 2024)
MESSAGE:
*The Allies winning World War II was one of the greatest military, political and moral victories of all time. Millions of people were set free, and one of those people was Mrs. Anna Ozdoba. I had the privilege of getting to know Anna after my first mission trip to Ukraine in 1994. I needed someone to translate the letters I had received from Ukraine, and Anna was a close neighbor to one of our church members.
*Miss Anna wound up living in West Monroe for many years after the war, but she was born and raised in Ukraine. When Anna was just 15 years old, she was kidnapped by the Nazis and taken to Germany to work as a slave laborer on a farm. Things were so bad that Anna prayed to die. But one day as Anna prayed, she drifted off to sleep, and in a dream, she saw Jesus sitting next to her. When Anna thought about Jesus and all the suffering He went through for us, she decided that she would never again ask God to take her life.
*Then came the victory! From the prison-farm, Anna could see the building that served as the local Nazi headquarters, with the Swastika flag flying above. Then one day the flag was different. Anna didn't know what it meant, but a friend of hers said, "Don't you know what that is? It's a British flag."
*The war had been won! That day Anna left the farm as a free woman. She walked all the way to Italy. Then somehow, she made her way up to England. I think she met her husband there, and eventually they moved to West Monroe.
*But it made all the difference when Anna realized that the victory had already been won. And Jesus won our eternal victory when He died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead! Now for a while, the battle between good and evil still rages on. But the Lord's final victory is guaranteed. And because His victory is guaranteed, Christians: Our victory is also guaranteed!
*This victory is absolutely sure for everyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ. We have victory in Jesus! And today's Scripture helps us live in His victory. Here's how.
1. FIRST: GOD URGES US TO TEST FOR THE TRUTH.
*In the last verse of chapter 3, John spoke about God's Holy Spirit. It's 1 John 3:24 which says, "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." There John spoke about God's Holy Spirit.
*Now in vs. 1 John gives us a crucial warning about other spirits, evil, lying spirits. And John said, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
*Church: The devil will always try to deceive us. He will always question God’s Word, God’s work, and God’s will for our lives. Here are just a few of the devil's lies: "Jesus Christ didn’t come in the flesh. God doesn’t love you. You don’t need Jesus. It doesn’t matter how you live. Don’t worry about lost people."
*The devil will always question God’s Word, God’s work, and God’s will for your life. But who are the "spirits" John talked about in vs. 1? They certainly include the devil and his fallen angels who are now demons. In John 8:44 Jesus said this to the Christ-rejecting Pharisees, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."
*The devil is the father of lies. And there are many lying, demonic spirits loose in the world today. That's why in Ephesians 6:10-13 Paul said this to all Christians:
10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
*The devil will try to deceive us through his lying spirits. But the lying spirits in vs. 1 also include "false prophets who have gone out into the world." William MacDonald explained that these are people who claim to follow Jesus, but make false prophecies, or preach and teach a false gospel. (1)
*Some of these false prophets are possessed by demons, but not necessarily so. Most are lost people who either haven't heard the truth about Jesus, or have rejected the truth about Jesus Christ. I say this because we human beings also have a spirit. This is deep water, and there are different views on this subject. But the best way I can understand it is that God made us as a trinity. Even as God Himself is a trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are a trinity made up of our soul, body, and spirit.
*You could say, "We are souls who live in a body and have a spirit." In Zechariah 12:1, "Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him." Hebrews 4:12 also tells us that the Word of God is "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit. . ."
*Every person has a spirit. But until we are born again, until we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, our spirits are dead. In Genesis 2:16-17, "The LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.''' But on the day when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they did not die physically. They began to physically die, but they lived on for centuries. It was their spirit that died on the day they sinned. And ever since the Fall in the Garden of Eden, people are born with dead spirits.
*I remember hearing that our spirit is the part of us that can connect us with God, so one way to think of spiritual death is separation. Physical death is separation from our bodies, because our bodies are dead. Spiritual death is separation from God, because our spirits are dead. That's why we must be born again spiritually, and why in John 3:3-6, Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and said:
3. . . "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.''
4. Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?''
5. Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
*Pastor Jay Piper got saved on his wedding day. His bride's mother actually led Jay to the Lord that day. And Jay later said, "My wife went to church to marry one man. But she wound up marrying a different man." Church: That is absolutely true, because when Jay received Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he was born again by the Holy Spirit of God. Praise the Lord! (2)
*But people who have never received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are spiritually dead right now. Zombie movies and TV shows have been popular for years. And there is nothing real about that. But from a spiritual point of view, there really are dead people walking around us today. These are the people going through life without Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
*They are spiritually dead, and most of them don't even know it. But Jesus wants to give them His eternal life, the life that defeats our death forever. This is what Paul was talking about in Ephesians 2:1-5, where he spoke to Christians and said:
1. . . You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2. in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3. among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5. even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).
*This is the eternal life that God wants everyone to have. It's the reason why Jesus died on the cross in the first place. He died for our sins, and our Risen Savior wants everyone to have His eternal life. But the devil wants to deceive people. How does he do it? -- Through lying, demonic spirits, and through deceived human spirits. Church: The devil wants to deceive us too.
2. SO GOD URGES US TO TEST FOR THE TRUTH. THEN HE GIVES US GOOD TOOLS TO TEST FOR THE TRUTH.
[1] THE FIRST TOOL IS: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY SAY.
*Verses 2-3 say:
2. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3. and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
*Guy McGraw explained that "a false message is always wrong about one thing: Jesus Christ. Our North American Mission Board has a two-part test for a cult: Do they have a different Bible? And do they have a different Jesus? What does a different Jesus look like? Maybe just a good man, a great teacher, or an example to follow." Anything less than fully God and fully man is a different Jesus. Anything less than the "only begotten Son of God" is a different Jesus. Anything less than "the way, the truth, and the life" is a different Jesus. Anything less than "the Savior of the world," and "Lord of all" is a different Jesus. (3)
*Again in vs. 2-3 God's Word says:
2. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3. and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
*Jesus Christ has come in the flesh! And Colossians 2:9 tells us that "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Jesus has come in the flesh, and He came, so that He could die on the cross for our sins. Then three days later Jesus rose again from the dead. And He has conquered sin and death forever for everyone who will put their trust in Him. This is the bedrock truth of Christianity. And anybody who denies this truth is a false teacher with an antichrist spirit.
[2] GOD GIVES US GOOD TOOLS TO TEST FOR THE TRUTH: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY SAY, AND PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY ARE WILLING TO HEAR.
*This tool is in vs. 5-6, where John wrote:
5. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
6. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
*Of course this does not mean we give up on these people. I remember someone saying that most people need to hear the Gospel 7 times before they receive Jesus. So, don't give up on people! Keep praying for them and sharing the truth with them in love. Today may be the day the truth of the cross breaks through for them. (4)
*Guy McGraw compared the Gospel to a compass, and said, "A compass is a valuable tool because you can always depend on it to point to 'true north.' You can always know the true direction you are going."
*A Holy Spirit inspired sermon, lesson, or testimony does the same thing spiritually. It will always point us to the truth about life. It will always point us in God's direction. It will always point us to the things of God. And when it comes to salvation, a Holy Spirit inspired message will always provide a true picture of Jesus Christ. A Holy Spirit inspired message will help sinners to be saved. That’s the truth. But what if someone is lost in the woods, and won’t believe the compass? That's a tragic loss for them." But not for anyone who will turn to the Lord, and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. (5)
3. GOD WANTS TO HELP ALL CHRISTIANS LIVE IN VICTORY! SO HE GIVES US GOOD TOOLS TO TEST FOR THE TRUTH. HE ALSO GIVES US HIS ABUNDANT AFFECTION.
*God gives us His abundant affection, and we see several expressions of His affection in these verses. First, in vs. 1 John calls us "beloved." The original word means someone loved with God's own kind of agape love. And John used this term of endearment five times in this brief letter.
*Then in vs. 4, John said: "You are of God, little children." In other words Christians: We belong to God! And John calls Christians "little children" 9 times in this letter. It was a term of affection and love from the old apostle to those believers. But it is also the reality for everyone who knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, because we are God's born-again children.
*We were born again by the Holy Spirit when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But we were also adopted by the Holy Spirit into the Family of God. The Apostle Paul spoke about this great truth in Romans 8:14-16 where he said: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
*Think about the kind of love on display when families choose to adopt children. That's a taste of the kind of love God has for all of us! We are children of God! And we have a loving Father in Heaven! Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-11:
7. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10. Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
4. GOD WANTS TO HELP ALL CHRISTIANS LIVE IN VICTORY! SO HE GIVES US HIS ABUNDANT AFFECTION. AND HE CONFIRMS THAT WE ARE CONQUERORS.
*We see this truth in the first part of vs. 4 where John said, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them..." God confirms that we have already conquered our spiritual enemies. We have already overcome the lying spirits and false prophets John warned us about here. How did we win the victory? By listening to God's Word, by following the leadership of God's Holy Spirit, by receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. That's how we won the victory, and we have overcome them.
*But of course, we are not in Heaven yet. There are still more battles to be won, and we can win them because the most important battle was already won on a hill outside Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ won the battle when He died on the cross for our sins. Now our risen Lord is our Champion and King. And we have victory in Jesus.
*We can overcome, because Jesus has already overcome! And this victory is absolutely sure for anyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ. Our victory is so sure that in Romans 8:31-37 Paul could write these words to all Christians:
31. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33. Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36. As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.''
37. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
*Because of the love of Jesus Christ, we aren't just conquerors. We are MORE THAN CONQUERORS! We have the super victory over anything and everything the world can throw at us! We have victory in Jesus! And today's Scripture helps us see how God gives us the victory to His people.
5. GOD CONFIRMS THAT WE ARE CONQUERORS. THEN HE STRESSES THE STRENGTH OF HIS SPIRIT IN US.
*Again in vs. 4 John said, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Amazing strength is available to us as Christians, because the Holy Spirit is living in us! We have the spiritual strength to do anything and everything God want us to do!
*A few of you may remember Paul Anderson from the 1970s. At the time, Paul Anderson was the strongest man in the world. In 1956, Paul had won the Olympic gold medal for weight lifting. He only stood 5'9" tall, but Paul weighed 375 pounds! His massive body allowed him to lift weights his competitors couldn't even imagine. One of Paul's feats was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. It was his back lift of over 6,000 pounds!
*Paul Anderson was a very devoted Christian who put on shows to support the boys' homes he ran in Georgia. He did things like lift a table holding 20 of the biggest people from the audience. Paul also drove nails through two boards with only a handkerchief protecting his palm.
*Then he would proclaim: "If I, the strongest man in the world, can't get through one day without Jesus Christ? What about you?" (6)
*Where did Paul Anderson get his spiritual strength? Church: It came from above, and it lived in Him by the Holy Spirit of God. Now the same strength lives in us! The same strength lives in every Christian today, "because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
CONCLUSION:
*Thank God for the victory we have in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! And if you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, put your trust in our crucified and risen Savior. Call on Jesus to save you now, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Adapted from BELIEVER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY by William MacDonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers - Nashville - Copyright 1995 - "The Need to Discern Between Truth and Error" - 1 John 4:1-6 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
(2) Adapted from Cross & Crown Sermons - "If Apostle Paul Were My Dad" by James McCullen - Acts 26:11-29
(3) Sources:
-Adapted from Sermon Central sermon "Beware of False Prophets" by Guy McGraw - 1 John 4:1-6
-Scriptures: John 4:42; Acts 10:36
(4) Original source unknown
(5) Adapted from Sermon Central sermon "Beware of False Prophets" by Guy McGraw - 1 John 4:1-6
(6) Sources:
-Adapted from Moody, November 1994, p. 6 - Source: Dynamic Preaching, fifth Sunday in May 2001
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Anderson_(weightlifter)
