Breathing in the Spirit
1 John 5:1-5
February 17, 2024
Story about snorkeling off the Florida Keys
Coral Reef
Couldn’t see people / boat
only saw coral
Hard to breathe with a snorkel
(TELL YOUR OWN STORY ABOUT STRUGGLING TO BREATHE)
Has something like that ever happened to you? Maybe it was a panic attack, or the result of anxiety, or you received some devastating news and you couldn’t catch your breath. Possibly it was a medical situation which caused it.
You’re hyperventilating and it feels like there’s no recovery. You’re exhaling, more than you’re inhaling, you’re releasing more carbon dioxide than taking in oxygen. It’s scary when that’s happening.
Well, today I want to talk about this sense of anxiety we can go through when it comes to our faith.
But first, I want to give you a lesson on your body, your lungs imparticular. Each day we take 20,000 breaths, about 7.5 million breaths each year. On top of that, we have about 480 million alveoli in our lungs? This is all done by an organ that resembles a sponge, with a thin lacy structure, the alveoli, which is under constant stress from being in direct contact with pollutants, bacteria and viruses.
That silly word, ALVEOLI, are tiny sacks on the surface of your lungs, which absorb the oxygen you inhale. Just like a catcher’s mitt, they catch the oxygen. But here’s the challenge: alveoli can only bring in to the extent that they let go.
We receive O2 in proportion to releasing CO2. This is challenging because our lifestyles — — our busy schedules, stress, sitting all day, lifting heavy objects, with little exercise - - - - means we don’t exhale deeply. This means yesterday’s CO2 often sits in the bottom half of our lungs. This can be toxic. There’s a metaphor I’m hoping you’re going to see. I hope!!
Ultimately, we must learn to exhale.
We’ve been talking about getting serious about our relationship with God and as we continue our series, I want to cover 2 bases today. Since Lent started on Wednesday, I want to kind of combine a Lent thought, along with how we can free ourselves to be serious about God, without experiencing guilt.
As Augustine wrote - - - - We must empty ourselves of all that fills us so that we may be filled with what we are empty of.
For me this means, I need to empty myself of all the “stuff” that gets in the way of my relationship with God. It’s not that everything is bad. It’s not. There are some things in the world which are good, but it’s a matter of how much we let them in.
Do they become our focus? is that our driving force? Are we consumed by them?
As I’ve thought about this and our struggles at times to move forward in our relationship with God, sometimes our own self-condemnation, lack of self-esteem, abuse from others, just a sense of personal dysfunction . . . gets in our way. And what I believe we need is to allow the Holy Spirit to fill those holes in our hearts, spirits and minds.
It’s not from the world, it’s from God. Yet, the Holy Spirit, and that’s an entirely different sermon series, is not our enemy. Yes, the Spirit may convict you of your sinfulness. But I think that’s a good thing, because, if we’re willing, that helps us make course corrections.
The Spirit has been sent to us, so that we would not feel alone. The Spirit is our intercessor, our comforter, our counselor, our God. So, as opposed to Eastern mysticism which tells us to empty ourselves and wait to be filled, by whatever comes, which can be bad . . . . .
Instead, as a Christ - follower, I want to let go of what’s not good and at the same time fill myself with the power of the Holy Spirit.
As I’ve been reading and wrestling with growing in holiness and becoming more holy, I said last week, it’s not about following a bunch of rules in order to be obedient, it’s about a love relationship we have with God, which leads us to want to become more holy, more like God.
I want to read you a passage from 1 John 5. It jumped out at me as I was reading the Bible this year, and it’s about what we’ve been talking about. Listen to the words of John - - - -
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes* the world. And this is the victory+ that has overcome* the world—our faith.
5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? - 1 John 5:1-5
For few minutes I want to focus on the middle 3 verses, 2-4.
John explained that evidence of our love of one another is when we demonstrate our love of God and obey His commandments. He tells us - - - -
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments.
It’s similar to what we saw with Psalm 119 a few weeks ago. Every verse of that psalm basically refers to God’s law, commands, precepts, statues or rules. Over and over again, we’re reminded to follow these and we will bring honor to God.
Sometimes it’s easier to love God, than to follow His commandments. I don’t always like being told what I can’t do and what I must do. Or what I shouldn’t do. That can sound rather limiting and like God is my taskmaster.
But I really don’t believe that’s what John has in mind. He’s talking about loving the brothers and sisters within the church. The best way to show that love is through our relationship with Jesus. The commandments are not meant to be limiting, but they are to help us know how we are to act towards one another.
A simple test would be to ask if it’s OK to gossip about one another?
Is it OK to have an affair?
Is it acceptable to steal from your employer?
Is it OK if we don’t forgive one another?
Is it OK to ignore those who are in need?
We can go on and on with question after question. Because we believe we have been called to live in a certain way if we seek to honor and glorify God. We want to please Him, but also I want to live my life in such a way that I’m able to make a difference through the power and strength that God pours into me.
God loves us and has equipped you and I to do more than we can imagine. He’s empowered us to love others, to go beyond what we think we can do, because that same Spirit I mentioned earlier gives me that power and strength and courage.
Yet, sometimes, we might claim we don’t like His laws, they’re too cumbersome and demeaning and create extra problems for us. Yet, John tells us something most of us don’t catch - - - -
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
It’s pretty similar to verse 2. We show our love for God by keeping His commandments. But then He adds this - - -
And His commandments are not burdensome.
Oh my!! Do you hear that? God’s commandments are not meant to be burdensome! That means they are not meant to weigh us down, to be painful, or to press us down with oppressive force. They’re not meant to cause a person to be unable to function (to enjoy / unhindered free movement).
That’s great news! But we don’t look at it that way. Instead, we struggle to breathe under the mighty hand of God. We see all the things we’re not supposed to do and we push back. It’s like we’re in the middle of that coral reef and feeling lost, like we can’t breathe because God is burdening us with all of His do’s and don’ts.
But God seeks to free us. He doesn’t want us to be robots, programmed to do right and not to do wrong. He doesn’t want us to love Him and worship Him because we’re afraid we’re going to be destryoned by Him. It’s really the opposite.
God wants us to love Him, because we’ve experienced His grace and mercy. His love has been extended to us in Jesus. It’s John 3:16-17, again and again and again. It’s Jesus telling us - - - -
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. - John 3:16-17
It’s a reminder for us that God sent His Son, not to condemn us. Not to say, like many of us have been told “you’re no good! You’re worthless! I’m sorry I had you!” That’s not the motivation of God.
When we actually believe this, it frees us to worship Him with greater power and hope. That can happen because I believe He’s for me! He’s not against me. God wants me to succeed. God wants me to have faith in Him. That’s what John was leading to in the next verse in 1 John 5:4 - - - -
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes* the world. And this is the victory+ that has overcome* the world — our faith. - 1 John 5
This is so cool what God has done for us! We’ve overcome the world and we have the power to overcome the world and have victory through Christ. And it’s all predicated on one thing . . . FAITH! Believe in who Jesus Christ is and you have the victory.
That doesn’t mean life will go as you plan. We’re going to get sick, we’re going to struggle with marriages and with kids, we’re going to lose jobs, we’re going to make wrong decisions, we’re going to have stresses and trials and temptations. That’s all going to happen. God promises to be there in those moments. He has not left you to fend for yourself. He’s there.
But we can overcome by trusting in Him. By believing in the God whom we have not seen, yet trusting in the power of His presence, through Jesus and through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
This verse uses 1 word 3 different times. When you look at verse 4, we see a familiar word, it’s NIKE!
4 For everyone who has been born of God OVERCOMES the world. And this is the VICTORY that has OVERCOME the world — our faith. - 1 John 5
We are overcomers. We’ve overcome the world because of our faith in Jesus and that leads us to be victorious.
The word overcome literally means to conquer, it’s a verb which implies a battle was fought for victory. And life can be a battle.
We trust that Christ is the ultimate victor, even when He died, He was going to be victorious because of the power of the resurrection. So, overcomers are victorious. And we’re considered overcomers, and we have the victory in Jesus, and it takes faith on our parts.
Again, it doesn’t mean a perfect home and job and no struggles. But it means the greatest overcomer, Jesus, is going to be with you. Even when life gets tough, He’s not going to bail out on you, He’s not going to fail you, He’s not going to pick someone over you, because you messed up again. He’s going to stick with you, because you’re His child.
You’re holy, you’re holy, you’re holy! Repeat that to yourself! Believe it, even in spite of your sinfulness. God called you and chose you to be adopted into His family. Never to be turned away again, never to be rejected. You’re His kid, with all the rights and privileges of a child of God. You have an inheritance in Christ, because of your faith that will never fade, never perish, never rust, but one that will last forever.
So, when the going gets tough and it’s hard to breathe, when it feels like we’ve been sucker punched in the solar plex and we’re down on our knees, and more CO2 is going out than coming in, know that you are still victorious.
You will overcome, you overcome because of the faith you have in God and the assurances, the promises that God has this plan, which often doesn’t make sense to us in the present, and sometimes, doesn’t make sense in the future, but we trust, we have faith in Him that the end result will be good.
So, if we’re serious about God, or if we’re working our way there, we have this assurance, this hope which will not fail us, because of who we are in Christ. Because of our faith, we find that we will be overcomers, victorious in Jesus.
We learn that His commandments, His laws and statutes are not meant to be burdensome, but to be life giving and sustaining.
We don’t have to fight for air, because Jesus is our promise. It’s what Paul said in Romans 8 ----
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 gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ah, that’s a great hope to have. Nothing in all creation will be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus your Lord.
I want us to end by saying . . . and I want you say it. Say it loudly, say it like you mean it. Say it with faith in Jesus. Ready?
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate ME from the love of God in Christ Jesus MY Lord.
Let’s pray
