1Jo 5:09-13 | Eternal Life

1 John 5:9-13

INTRO: Human divisions and Divine divisions are radically different. The world divides men differently that God divides men. SOCIAL and SPIRITUAL….

The world divides horizontally–lower, middle, upper

God divides vertically: The saved and the lost, the haves and the have nots.. .those who have the Son and those who don’t have the Son; those who have life and those who don’t have life.. .and the DIVIDER IS JESUS CHRIST.

This passage: God is testifying to us concerning Jesus Christ, His Son.., if we believe the testimony of men, how more should we believe the testimony of God. And if you reject the testimony, you’re calling God a liar. IN REJECTING CHRIST, YOU CALL GOD A LIAR!

The issue isn’t doctrine, or church, or creed, or conduct, but LIFE AND DEATH. This is a life and death decision. The issue is whether or not you will live!

WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE LIFE HE OFFERS;

I. THIS IS GOD’S LIFE.  

It is called ETERNAL life.

1.    What does that mean? Living forever? MORE THAN THAT. Not everyone wants to live forever. Over 600 people a day commit suicide in the US . The greatest cause of death among teenagers is suicide.

2.    It is not how long you live but HOW YOU LIVE. NOT ADDING YEARS TO LIFE, BUT ADDING LIFE TO YEARS.

3.    It is ETERNAL life, that adjective can be correctly applied to only one noun–GOD. Only He qualifies for the word eternal.

(1)   It is a GOD-KIND of life He offers. Life on a new plane, a new dimension of living.

(2)   II Peter 1:4, partakers of God’s nature. Col. 2:9,10 COMPLETE IN CHRIST. We have been born of God—like produces like…just as my father passed on his nature through my birth, so my Heavenly Father passed on His nature through the spiritual birth.

(3)   This is the fulfillment of our destiny.., what God intended us to be. We are not as God intended. We are sinful, selfish, hateful, envious–THIS IS THE IMAGE OF GOD?

Illustration:  car with a new transmission —still looks the same, same dents, and scratches, same age, but something new has been added within and now runs the way its maker intended.

(4)   You can’t LOSE it. It is eternal. I’m just as eternal as God is. Col. 3:3 says that” Christ is our life.” I have right now all of God I’ll ever have–without the hindrances of the flesh.

Illustration:  You received at your physical birth everything needed to live physical life. It is the same with spiritual birth. Growth is discovering what you received at birth and learning to use it.

II. THIS LIFE IS GOD’S GIFT.  

“God hath given.

1.    If eternal applies only to God, then to earn it we have to become God. Just as easy to become God as it is to save yourself

2.    Romans 6:23–all we can earn is DEATH.

Illustration:  Going up on a down escalator. It makes a little progress but doesn’t alter final destination.

Illustration:  Like throwing flowers on grave. It doesn’t change the death inside, just makes the outside more acceptable.

  III. THIS LIFE IS IN GOD’S SON.  

1.  It is in His Son not in the church, baptism, doctrine Church membership is the trap door the devil is using to drop millions into Hell.

2.  Sign post simply shows the way, won’t take you there. The church is the sign post pointing the way to salvation.

3.  How we receive the Son. Revelation 3:20.

IV. THIS LIFE IS GOD-WITNESSED.

1.  You can know you have it. The word for “know” is a strong word that indicates absolute certainty.

2.    Evidences:

(1)   The witness of Behavior.

(2)   The witness of Brotherhood.

(3)   The witness of Belief– brings the internal witness of the Spirit.

V. THIS LIFE IS RECEIVED BY FAITH.  

Verse 10–believeth into the Son–faith is universal and democratic and available to anyone under any circumstance. Christmas Evans: “I can put a man in a rain barrel, wrap a chain” around it, kick out the knothole and shout through it how to be saved, and he can be saved.”

1Jo 1:24-29 | How Not To Backslide

1 John 1:24-29

INTRO: I John presents the fundamentals for living the victorious Christian life.

John has been dealing with the things that are to be excluded from the believer’s life.., the love of the world, the spirit of antichrist.. THE DANGERS FACING THE BELIEVER IN THE WORLD An ever-present danger…

John pointing to the place of safety, the way to avoid all these things… here are safeguards for times of crisis.

I. THE ABIDING OF THE SAINTS (v. 24)

ABIDE” occurs 6 times in this passage…

“IN YOU” means to settle down, make a home. This is an index finger pointing to the nature of salvation.

1.    You must know the nature of salvation before you can live in victory.. .The Christian life must be lived in harmony with its’ nature.

Many schemes of Christian living are contrary to the nature of the Christian life, therefore, they fail.

2.    Salvation is an INWARD EXPERIENCE.. .A man’s life is ruled from within. Jesus said that it is what comes out of a man that defiles and destroys him.

3.    It is a PERMANENT EXPERIENCE… “Continually abide”. It comes to stay, a vital part of you. To remain is the essential thing.

4.    What is it that we are to let live within us? “THAT WHICH YOU HAVE HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING…”

THE WORD OF GOD, THE FACTS OF THE GOSPEL… THE WORD OF GOD IS TO LIVE WITHIN US CONTROLLING US, THE STANDARD OF OUR LIVING, THE CONTROLLING FORCE IN OUR LIVES.

(1) This is the secret of fruitfulness. John 15:5

(2)   This is the secret of answered prayer. John 15:7

(3)   This is the secret of growth. I Peter 2:1,2

(4)   This is the secret of a successful life. Psalm 1:2,3

(5)   This is the secret of a clean life. Psalm 119:9,11

II. THE ANOINTING OF THE SPIRIT (vs. 27)

1.    Unction, anointing, a christening ..possession of the Spirit of truth without measure or limit. (v. 20)

2.    This anointing provides an antiseptic power—preserves from corruption and decay. “NO ONE SHALL DECEIVE YOU.”

3.    He teaches us right from wrong. You can teach an animal tricks but not right from wrong.

Some church members have learned some tricks but not discernment.

The IMPARTATION OF THE SPIRIT teaches us, instructs us in what is true and false.. .THIS IS A PLEA TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPROPRIATE THE ANOINTING OF THE SPIRIT.

   III. THE APPEARING OF THE SAVIOUR (vv. 28, 29)

1.    “Shall appear” Word carries idea of suddenness. Only thing uncertain about His coming is the time.

2.    HAVE CONFIDENCE… Freedom of speech, coming before God’s bar with nothing to hide.

Romans 3:19 Silent because guilty.. .here freedom and openness of speech.

3.    Ashamed FROM Him: Turn away in shame and embarrassment. Not able to look upon His face.

4.    HOW? Verse 29– Practice righteousness.

©Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2003

1Jo 1:01-10 | How To Be Happy Though Saved

1 John 1:1-10

INTRO:  This is how I learned to spot a backslider in the congregation… During a Valentine banquet at another church the pastor told me they were having problems with one couple in the church. I told him I bet I could tell him which couple it was. They were easy to spot.. .they were the only ones not smiling, not enjoying the fellowship.

The Christian life is meant to be one of radiant joy. Jesus in John 15, 16, 17; joy is a fruit of the Spirit; Psa. 51; Psa. 86:6.. .Twice the disciples were criticized because they were happy.

The greatest ad for Christianity is joy. The greatest hindrance is that many people need to learn how to be a Christian and enjoy it.

This is the purpose of John’s writing.

JOY: Perfect tense: full, complete and continuous. Not silliness nor “happiness”, but an artesian spring of joy which nothing on the outside can affect or atrophy.

I. THIS JOY IS SHARING A COMMON LIFE. vs. 3,4

The NEB translates “fellowship” as sharing a common life. THE SOURCE OF THIS JOY IS FELLOWSHIP. Note the sequence of the passage. He’s telling us about the Incarnation that we might get in on the life and thereby have a full and complete joy.

WE SHARE THE LIFE OF THE FATHER. There are two ideas in this word “fellowship”–partaker and partner.

(1)   Partaker of His Life…II Peter 1:4. Illustration: the prodigal son and Father sharing with him. Illustration: Rev. 3:20–”Sup with me…”

The good news of the Gospel is not that we are to IMITATE His Life, but that His life has been IMPARTED to us…  IMPARTATION NOT IMITATION.

(2)   Partner in the Life…a word used of marriage, business partnership–sharing in the work and responsibility. Paul said the Philippians were “partners” with him in the Gospel.

Vs. 3 lays out our part…”We declare unto you…that which we’ve seen and heard.” We are to share with others this life.

Illustration: When Jill told an old friend she had become a Christian, the friend said, “I’m a Christian, too.” But Jill told me, “I don’t believe she is. How could she be and not share it with her friend?”.

2.    WE SHARE IN THE LIFE OF THE FAMILY. “Fellowship WITH US…”

II. THIS JOY IS SUSTAINED BY A CONSISTENT LIFE. 

“Walk” is in the present tense, indicating habitual conduct, that which characterizes the believer.., hence, a consistent life.

A walk is a series of steps.. .one step doth not a walk make. You may take a step, make a decision, but that must develop into a walk.

THE FOLLOW-THROUGH

IT IS A WALK IN THE LIGHT

1.    We are to WALK IN HOLINESS.., light signifies moral purity and perfection. THE CHARACTER OF GOD DETERMINES OUR CONDUCT.

“As He is in the light…” Where’s God? Exactly where He’s always been… in the LIGHT. We need to live where God is.

2.    We are to WALK IN HONESTY… light signifies exposure, nothing hidden, clear and transparent. “What you see is what you are.”

We must live INSIDE OUT. It’s the HIDDEN THINGS that kill. I visited a man in the hospital and said, “You’re looking good!” He replied, “My looks aren’t what’s wrong with me!”

The germs, the virus, the disease that lurks beneath the surface… that’s the deadly, dangerous thing. ARE YOU BEING HONEST…. WITH GOD, WITH OTHERS?

III. THIS JOY IS SAFEGUARDED BY A CLEANSED LIFE. Vs. 8-10

1.  There must be a CONSCIOUSNESS OF SIN.

(1)   Sin as a Principle v. 8.

(2)   Sin as a Practice v.10.

2.    There must be a CONFESSION OF SIN. V. 9

(1)   Continual — “present tense”

(2)   Complete –“sins”, PLURAL, ONE BY ONE.

CONFESS means to say the same thing, agree—agree with God that it is sin. He’s been calling it a sin all the time. Some can’t get       deliverance from sin because they’ve called it everything BUT SIN.

3.    There must be a CLEANSING FROM THE SIN. vs. 7, 8

Some want forgiveness but not cleansing.

Illustration of little boy who falls in the mud and wants mom to forgive him but not bathe him.

The CLEANSING is from the pollution of the sin. Often we know God has forgiven us but we still feel dirty, unfit. We need to understand that god not only forgives, but He cleanses us from any stain we may have incurred from the act.

Note: vs. 7 says, “if we walk in the LIGHT” then the blood of Jesus cleanses us… GOD DOESN’T FORGIVE SIN IN THE   DARK!

©Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2003

1Pe 2:11-13 | Living Holy In An Unholy World

1 Peter 2:11-13

I.  WE ARE TO SEPARATE FROM THE LUSTS OF THE WORLD.  

1. The reason. V.11:

(1)  We are pilgrims and strangers in this world.

(2)  Fleshly lusts war against the soul.

2. The responsibility:  V.12,

“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles . . . they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

II.  WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO THE LAWS OF THE WORLD.

V.13,14 Romans 13:1ff; I Timothy 2:1ff

III. WE ARE TO SILENCE THE LIES OF THE WORLD.

V.15. “For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence (muzzle) the ignorance of foolish men.”

1. For the Lord’s sake. vs. 13

2. It’s the will of God. v. 15

Reasons enough

©Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2001

1Pe 1:13-16 | Called To Be Holy

1 Peter 1:13-16

Duncan Campbell: “A baptism of holiness, a demonstration of godly living is the crying need of our day.”

I. IT IS THE PURPOSE OF OUR CONVERSION—”Ye shall be holy”. vs. 16.

II. IT IS PATTERNED AFTER CHRIST, VS 15, “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves.”

1. The Old Standard Abandoned: vs. 14, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were your in ignorance.”

2. The New Standard Adopted: vv 15,16, “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’”

III. IT IS TO BE PORTRAYED IN ALL CONDUCT. “Be holy yourselves in all your behavior.” vs. 15.

IV. IT IS POSSIBLE THROUGH GOD’S CALL. “Like the Holy One who called you.” v. 15. “Called” always means “the EFFECTIVE call of God.

1. Be Serious. “Gird up your minds for action.” v. 13

2. Be Sober. “Keep sober in spirit.” v.13 — moral alertness

3. Be separated. “Do not be conformed to the former lusts.” v. 14. A

Definite and Daily break with the world.

Robert Murray McCheyne: “The greatest ambition of my life is to be a holy man.”

 

©Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2001