Show Me Your Birthmarks
1 John 5:1-5, 13
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INTRO: If I were to ask you if you are sure that you have been born physically, you would think it a foolish question. Yet there are many people who are not sure that they have been born spiritually.
John 3:5-6
[5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
We’ll receive the Lord’s Supper this evening…and we need to begin preparing our hearts…certainly we need to have the assurance of our relationship with the Lord nailed down…we need to KNOW that we are saved…and once we know, we need to be sure we are in RIGHT relationship with Him.
There are certain characteristics that mark those that are of the same family. Many times physical similarities, perhaps color of eyes, hair, size of frame, nose, hands or feet. Sometimes the characteristics are not physical and not so readily detectable. In like manner, those who share the spiritual birth have characteristics that distinguish them from the world…birthmarks if you will. How many of you have a birthmark? [don’t tell us where!] If you don’t have one, you probably know of someone who does…some more prominently than others! [Yeltsin]
The Bible teaches that this experience is definite and that you can know for a certainty that you are a child of God. So, let us look at these three birthmarks of a born again child of God:
I. APPRECIATION OF GOD’S CHILDREN (v. 1).
There are two things stated here about the child of God.
Love for the Father. — In 1 John 4:19 the Bible says we love Him because He first loved us. It is natural for a child of God to love his Father. The more we know about the Father and His love for us, the more we will love Him. We come to know Him through His Word. We’ll come to like Him, and be like Him!
Love for the Family. — Being born again means that you are born into a family. It is a natural thing for family members to love one another. This is one of the precious truths about being a Christian. How is love going to behave? Look at...
1 Cor. 12:26
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
This is the way love behaves itself toward the members of the family of God. Is this love in your heart for the family of God?
ILLUS: Paul and Silas with the Philippian jailer. The jailer had beaten them, then when he saw their faith, and the earthquake, asked how to be saved…awkward! …but when he was born again the Bible says he washed their stripes, put a meal on the table for them and fellowshipped with them! If you are truly born again, the birthmark of love will be evident in your life.
If you’ve truly been saved, you’ll be in church…not out of duty…you’ll WANT to be there! You’ll love what Christ loves [the church]!
If you’ve got any doubt at all, you need to investigate it. And don’t start going to church so you can feel saved…rather, get saved for certain and you’ll WANT to go to church!
Appreciation of God’s Children…
II. APPLICATION OF GOD’S COMMANDMENTS (vv. 2-3).
Two times in these verses we are told that the children of God love Him and keep His commandments.
Desire to Keep God’s Law. — In the Old Testament people were forced to keep the law as a moral responsibility. The Pharisees professed to love the law and they kept it outwardly, but there was no joy and no peace. They did it as a duty. But, when you are born into God’s family, doing God’s law becomes your desire. It is love that turns duty into desire. You WANT to do right!
ILLUS: A young lady got a job typing manuscripts for an author…it was her main duty. Then she fell in love with the author and they were married. What had previously been a duty now became the desire of her heart. She desired to please the one she loved.
That is what happens when we are born again. When the Bible says, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain...” That is not a duty for us. It becomes the desire of our heart not to take His name in vain. [Jeez, Goldarnit, etc.]
When Jesus comes into your life and you are born into God’s family, the duty of the law becomes the deepest desire of your heart.
Some say they can’t understand the law…the Bible…they need to fall in love w/ the Author and get saved! Some feel they won’t be able to keep up w/ it…won’t do it right…but I say today that if you desire to do right God will make it work out, and make it a delight!
Delight to Keep God’s Law. — Jesus said in Matthew 23:3 that the Pharisees made religion a burden. However, Jesus came to teach us that through the new birth it becomes a joy [not grievous] to keep the commandments of God. God’s commandments are not designed to rob us of joy and happiness.
ILLUS: As a child I was given a command not to touch the hot wood stove. That command came from a loving dad who was concerned for me and didn’t want me to have any MORE birthmarks! The commandments of God come from a loving, heavenly Father who knows what is in the future and is concerned for His children.
Appreciation of God’s Children, Application of God’s Commandments…
III. APPROPRIATION OF GOD’S CONQUEST (vv. 4-5).
Three times in these verses John uses the word “overcomes.” That is to let us know that there is a real conflict going on. There is an unseen war that is raging between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. We fight three enemies; the world, the flesh and the devil. John writes these words to inform the children of God that everything necessary for victory has already been given to us.
Initial Conquest of Christ. — Man cannot overcome the world. Adam and Eve learned this, they met Satan in their own strength and were conquered. Jesus Christ came into this world and met Satan head on. Every temptation possible was hurled at the Son of God. Finally, the devil rolled out his biggest weapon, death. But when the dust had cleared and Satan had done his worst, the tomb was empty, Christ had arose and victory is ours.
Continual Conquest of Christ. — This means daily victory over temptations and anxieties. Here’s some Scripture for you:
Romans 8:37 where Paul uses a word to describe our victory…he says, “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”
Then in 1 Corinthians 15:57 the Bible says, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Back to v. 4 in our text [read]
You have victory as you appropriate the victory of Jesus. Notice that it is not by feelings or by fighting but by FAITH! If you’re truly saved you have access to this victory. We don’t all appropriate it at all times.
CONC: Ever been to W. Texas? It’s a wasteland, flat, hot, and the little bit of civilization has to put up w/ a lot!
There was a very poor man down in West Texas in the 1930s who barely made a living on a very poor sheep farm around Odessa and Midland. His name was E. L. Yates and he was so poor that he was contemplating bankruptcy and allowing the bank to repossess his farm. He was constantly worrying about how he could pay his bills and feed his family.
One day a survey crew from an oil company came to him and asked for permission to drill for oil on his property. The contract stated that he was to receive every eighth barrel if any oil was found. At 1,115 feet they hit a gusher. The well produced 80,000 barrels of oil a day! [actual pic!] Wells soon followed that could produce twice that capacity. Even thirty years later government surveys showed wells with a capacity for 125,000 barrels a day. It proved to be one of the richest veins of oil ever found on the North American continent.
Mr. Yates owned it all! When he purchased the land the oil came with it. During all the years of poverty he was rich and didn’t know it. Years passed before Mr Yates possessed what he owned and enjoyed the privileges of ownership. It is the privilege of every Christian to live in victory every day…Sundays and all the days in-between! It is by faith that we should claim what is ours. Are you living every day in His power and victory?
There are five basic categories of people here:
1) Those who know they aren’t saved. Acts 26:28
2) Those who think they are saved, but aren’t. Matthew 7:21-23
3) Those we think are saved, but aren’t. 1 John 2:18-19/Tares of Mt. 13
4) Those who are saved, but don’t act like it. I Cor. 3:1-3
5) Those who are saved, and live it. I Jn. 5:1-5
Sometime when you’re in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace and smoke, smoke and pace. [called that because they just stand there saying, “bye!”]
The difference is caused by the confidence factor. If you knew that in fifteen minutes you would have to stand in judgment before the Holy God and learn your eternal destiny, what would your reaction be? Would you pace the floor? Would you say to yourself, "I don’t know what God’s going to say--will it be ’Welcome home, child,’ or will it be ’Depart from me; I never knew you’?” Bill Hybels
If you’ve never lived the victorious Christian life it’s because you aren’t a Christian! Do you have these 3 birthmarks?
v. 13 invitation.
[outline and other source material: Ed Wood, sermoncentral, Warren Wiersbe, “Be Series”]
