Final chapter of 1 John

The Book of 1 John: Stay the Love Course Together

LESSON Five: It’s who you know

 To watch this on video:

https://youtu.be/qdkUJWsKSBg

1. 1. INTRODUCTION 

Thank you to each of you who is joining us in this study of John’s writing which is labelled 1 John. For those on YouTube, if you haven’t yet read this chapter of the book, please pause your playback, read chapter 5, and then re-join us. Thanks. 

Welcome back. 

Today we wrap up our five-week study of this small and powerful letter from the Apostle of Love, the aged Apostle John, who was the youngest of the original 12 disciples whom Yeshua chose back in the days of the Gospels. We have listened to the primary dual declarations of John, God is Light and God is Love. 

2. Faith is the victory

Let’s read this chapter and see what the lines mean.

Verse 1: Whoever believes… John’s continuing thought, in the Gospel that bears his name, in the book of the Revelation and certainly in this first letter of his, is that we should believe. What and what not to believe, that’s significant also, but don’t miss this. FAITH, the summary of our beliefs, is (verse 4) how we win, how we overcome, how we are going to make it. It’s not the academics; it’s not the religious rituals that are salvific. It’s not our yichus (our heritage and our genealogy), but rather how we actively respond, heart to heart, that is, our heart saying “yes” to God’s information and his heart. We respond. And our response is a faith-filled ‘yes’ to the Almighty. 

Paul also linked faith and love with regularity, like in 1 Thes 1 “constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.” (1 Thes. 1.3)

Of course, the most ‘famous’ if we can use that expression is in 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul says, “Now abide three things, faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.”

Then John says a ‘what’ we need to believe. Jesus, Messiah, born of God. In other words, striking at the false teachers who taught that Jesus as the Messiah could not have been physically born. What they meant is that the God-part (modern new age folks use the term “The Christ”) of what Jesus became had nothing corporeal about him. He couldn’t be flesh and blood; he was Spirit, they would insist. So this notion of a birth canal birth of the son of God is outrageous to them. If you believe Jesus AS MESSIAH was born, then you are on the team of real faith. If not… good luck.

Now you may be unclear about what John is saying, since he (and James before him) have been teaching about love of neighbour and particularly real relationships with others as evidence of the new birth. What he is saying in verse 1 is that good works alone is not enough; a person has to believe, and to believe correctly. Faith without works is dead. Works without faith is helpful but equally dead to the doer. Faith with works is alive.

One more comment on verse 1, and that is in human terms, a person who says he loves another must, should, will be known by, the love that person has for the other’s child or children. Psychiatrists regularly report the failures of this in the world of step-children who come along with the new partner, but who the new adult in the family does not love. You love a person? Great. Demonstrate that by loving the children of that person. That’s where rubber meets the proverbial road.

Verses 2 and 3, we see the word ‘commandments’ three times. This word causes many to react with worry and fear. That’s exactly not what John wants for us. He is saying that the commandments are not the 10, not the 613, but the two, and they were given by his Messiah to love God and to love your neighbour. End of story. When you read his word, don’t think mitzvot, don’t think Torah or Talmud. Think of Yeshua. It’s about love, not about worry and fear. 

Remember this from last week:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (4.18)

I’m not afraid of losing my salvation. I’m not afraid of failing God since I know both of us. Me—regularly and dismally self-centered; He—wonderfully full of love and grace. What is my calling? To ponder me or to ponder him? We love because he first loved us. NO FEAR!

When John tells us “This is the love of God to keep his commandments” I have to remember those two real mitzvot. His love is my morning and my evening. His death and resurrection is my October and my April; his peace is my winter and summer, my rainstorm and my sunshine. “Through all kinds of weather, it doesn’t matter at all, just as long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter at all!” I’m with God, and he is the One about whom I dream and think and live and move and have my being. Amen?

I didn’t like the lyric from a praise song back in the 70s, but with kindness today I don’t mind its particular sentiment: “Let’s forget about ourselves and concentrate on him and worship him…” I still believe we need to have self-care which made me wince when we were singing, “forget about ourselves.” However, I get it; ponder God and not you. Ponder the reality of his love and actions of love and you will concentrate on him and that will lead to worship. Hallelujah!

Verse 4, faith overcomes the world. Faith is the victory. Faith in what? In the love and power of the crucified. And the word ‘overcome’ here is from the Greek word “NIKE” which along with the swoosh and Michael Jordan himself put that word into our sports minds. Clever, and helps me remember who and what wins. 

I’m reminded of the story of a retreating soldier in the 4^th century BCE in the army of Alexander the Great. The general approached this reluctant military man and asked him his name. “Alexander” was the reply of the young and fearful man. The general replied, “Soldier, either get out there and fight, or change your name!”

Winners fight and win. Our victory is in our faith. 

Remember John told us “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3.8)

Our victory is hiding in the shadow of the Crucified and Victorious Saviour. Verse 5 says, ““Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

1. 3. Belief leads to life

Then we move from faith and love to the end game, the end result of our faith and this teaching sermon from the Apostle John. What’s the point of this? Verses 12 and 13, if you believe in the right Yeshua, then you have eternal life. That’s it. Life that started way back when, into which you were placed by faith and by the acceptance of the community, that faith leads to life. To life eternal. Not a maybe about it. Faith is a victory, the championship has been won, the gold medal is in your family trophy room, the pleasure of God is shown in his smile and his extended arms to you… you don’t need to fear. You have life. 

John loves this thought. He taught it through the words of Yeshua in his Gospel. 

During the story of Nicodemus, the rabbi who came to Yeshua by night, John inserts these words of our Master, citing the Torah’s book of Numbers, chapter 21, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” (John 3.14-15)

Faith leads to life. 

Again John in the Gospel:

“The thief [that’s Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (10.10)

That’s where God wants you to live today and tomorrow. It’s early morning for some of you; it’s midday in New Zealand, and 6 pm for me in Houston Texas. He wants you to live, both positionally, in the realm of heaven, and practically in the realm of earth. Yes, you sit in heavenly places in messiah, and yes you can live victoriously today in Sydney, in Port Macquarie, in Adelaide and here in Texas. 

Back to verse 6, who is this One? As I stated in chapter 1, I’m not impressed with John’s construction of this sermon or this letter. He wanders a bit much for me, but hey, he’s old and I’ll cut him some slack. In fact, a lot of slack. Who is this One? He’s the One who came in water and blood.

There are many interpretations of course, like baptism and communion, or baptism and the spear when water and blood came flowing from the Crucified, but this from Stephen Smalley, 

“The true identity of Jesus, the writer appears to be saying, is only to be discovered by looking at the whole of his life, including its end. He came by water and, triumphantly, in blood; at this point the essential divinity of the human Jesus is most fully revealed and most fully victorious. Such a disclosure also applies to the work of Christ. He came not only with baptismal water, the timeless symbol of cleansing, but also in the actual, historical means for achieving this, the blood which “purifies us from every sin” (1:7; cf 4:10).”

 Here’s another citation

“Brown (109–123) argues instead that an unbalanced reading of John’s Gospel had led the heretically inclined members of the Johannine circle to believe that the human existence of Jesus, while real, was neither limited nor salvifically significant. Thus, the writer of 1 John accompanies statements implying the preexistence of Jesus with others which stress the earthly career of the incarnate Word; and Christ is presented not only as revealer, but also as redeemer. So here Jesus is found to be truly human (baptized in water and crucified in shed blood); but this “human modality” belongs to the one who, as also truly divine, both reveals and conveys eternal life (1:1–2; 5:20).”

These are important stakes to place in the theological trafficway of lessons countering the false teachers along the path. Yeshua ever was (long before his adult baptism) and ever will be (after the spear, but not communion) in his redemption. The water and blood testify about the One. Don’t get him wrong. Don’t get this information wrong or you will be fearful. If you get him right, you will love one another right. Because you will be inspired (the Spirit in you!) because the Spirit is the Truth. Together Son and Spirit testify of the Father’s love. 

1. 4. The confidence of being his

Knowing what you need to know might help you get through school, and knowing who you need to know leads to a comfort and an assurance that goes beyond anything else you can experience in the world. They say, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know!” And in a way that’s the truth. Knowing God is who he claims to be and knowing Yeshua as God’s answer and fullness is so substantial; it’s hard to put this down. Eight times in chapter 5 the word ‘know’ is used, and it’s the culmination of John’s thoughts in this letter, in which he has used the word a total of 39 times!

And remember it’s not academic. It’s personal. Look at verse 20. “That we may know him who is the truth.” 

Almost finally, God answers prayer. And this is a confidence, John writes. The Greek word we translate ‘confidence’ is another compound word

“παρρησία; parrēsia, parrēsias, hē (pan and rēsis; cf. arrēsia silence, katarrēsis accusation, prorrēsis prediction”

This is not exactly the constitutional phrase ‘freedom of speech’ but rather a freedom that is a release from bondage so that we can speak the truth, to our parents, to our children, to our colleagues at work and others. 

 Let me ask you, what is the confidence you have with your Father in heaven? Do you feel comfortable asking him for a loaf of bread? Do you think he will give you a stone instead? Will you ask for good gifts? Will he instead give you the summary of bad things? Not at all. If you know him, you can ask of him things that are consistent with his good nature and his plans for your uncle and your children. That confidence is in knowing who is who in the Kingdom of God. 

Remember, prayer is not about getting things, but about getting to know the Almighty. Prayer is not shopping lists sent to the supplier to fulfil. Prayer is communication with the God who was, and who is, and who will be in his fullness. What’s he thinking? What does he plan to accomplish in the next few months? I want to hear him and get to know him and be with him in the next scene of life. 

And I want others to stay the course, too, so John reminds us about sins that lead to death, and that we should convey our desire to the Lord that all of us should make it to the end. 

Verse 21 stands out in both its simplicity and its challenge. The first commandment is to love God with everything we have, heart, soul, mind and strength. The first two in the Big 10 are God is, and have no other gods, and certainly then make no idols. Idolatry is so easy of a trap into which to fall; God wants his people to love him pre-eminently. He wants you to know him and to love him. Don’t go for idols, whether a moment with a celebrity or a moment of zest due to thievery or adultery, don’t go for the quick fix with heroin or alcohol now that we have passed Freedom Day. 

You want freedom? Little children, guard yourself from idols. Don’t choose a false flag of the wrong nation to honour. Don’t bow to things that don’t satisfy. Their cisterns are broken; their worth limited. You want life? Follow Yeshua and love one another.  

So God wants us to stay the love course together with one another until Messiah returns. Will you join us? Will you be confident in the Lord? God’s promise is eternal life (Chapter 2: 25). Let’s live in that today. 

INVITATION

Dear friends, if you’d like to have the forgiveness and the fellowship about which I spoke, you can do so today. Just now you can pray and find that the God of love extends his life to you in giving you pardon for all your sins. That forgiveness will usher you into the freedoms of knowing the God of love. Isn’t that a wonderful idea?

If you’d like that, please pray and ask God to forgive you your sins and to make you born again. 

Then let us know you have done this, won’t you? Write to us (admin@jewsforjesus.org.au) and tell us you have prayed for the first time. We want to send you some literature and welcome you to the family.  

And if you have any questions, use that same address, ok?

And join us next week as we look specifically at the 2nd letter of John.  It has a Lot to say to us in the 21^st Century, as Covid and all kinds of other topics stay in our conversation.

Until then, Shabbat shalom.

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Bibliography

Smalley, Stephen, 1 John, Word Biblical Commentary Series, Thomas Nelson, Grand Rapids, 1973. 

Weirsbe, Warren, Be Real, Victor Books, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, 1972. 

Also, to see the whole book in one short graphic and wonderful summary, watch this video:

Actual text

1John 5:1   Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.

1John 5:5   Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Yeshua is the Son of God? ⁶ This is the One who came by water and blood, Yeshua the Messiah; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify: ⁸ the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. ⁹ If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. ¹⁰ The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. ¹¹ And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

1John 5:13   These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

1John 5:16   If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

1John 5:18   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. ¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. ²⁰ And we know 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, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

1John 5:21   Little children, guard yourselves from idols.