That You May Know 1 John 5:10-13

I’m one of the luckiest people on the face of the earth. According to a recent flood of e-mail messages I’ve received – I’ve been promised cash from Bill Gates – free merchandise from Nike – a free 7-day trip for two to London – free clothing from the GAP – a free laptop from Apple. I’m also a finalist in a sweepstakes for a $100,000 home makeover. But best of all, I’ve been promised $15,000,000 dollars from a very nice man in Nigeria - simply for helping him set up a bank account here in the United States. All I have to do is to send my bank account information to him – and he’ll wire $15,000,000 into my account within ten days. I was urged not to wait too long because I may miss out on his generous offer. So, I better act quickly – right? I doubt it!

Living as we do today in a world of deceit - it seems harder than ever to be sure that anything is true. On July 1, 2007, Drew Faust became president of Harvard University. In her inaugural speech, she called attention to the crest of the college, which bears the one-word motto of the school - Veritas which is Latin for truth. She pointed out that the motto originally affirmed the school’s quest for eternal truth. But then she went on to announce a new understanding of that quest. She said: “Truth is an aspiration - not a possession. In this, we challenge those who would embrace such certainties. We must commit ourselves to the uncomfortable position of doubt.” Think of it. One of the most- highly regarded intellectual institutions in the world tells us we can’t be certain about anything. What does God’s Word say about this?

Our text of the morning is found in 1 John chapter 5. The apostle John was writing to 2nd and 3rd generation believers - 50 plus years removed from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. A lot had happened in the middle-eastern world in those years. Jerusalem had been sacked the Romans. The Romans desecrated the temple and then destroyed it. Israel remained under the thumb of the Roman Empire. Jews were scattered among the nations - and the early church was misunderstood and persecuted. Most of the apostles had been martyred for their faith - and there were only a few remaining eyewitnesses of the life and death of Jesus. 2

To make matters worse, false teachers had infiltrated the church and were calling into question the central tenets of the Christian faith. They taught that Jesus didn’t really have a body - He just appeared to have a body. They also said that faith isn’t important. They claimed what’s most important is enlightenment—secret truths and mystical experiences. These teachers claimed that divine reality is far too mysterious for anyone to be certain of their standing with God. In view of this - many believers were beginning to doubt their faith.

2,000 years later, we’re prone to the very same doubts. I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that all of us have questioned our faith at one time or another. It’s possible you have read a book recently or heard a speaker or took a class that has caused you to question your faith on an intellectual level –and you ask, “Is this Christianity thing really true?”

The world claims we can’t be certain of anything – but John says that’s not true. Look at verse 13 of today’s text: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

There’s a heartwarming Peanuts cartoon that shows Linus and Lucy staring out a window on a rainy day. Lucy says to Linus, “Look at it rain! What if it floods the whole world!?” Linus answers, “It will never do that. In the 9th chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again – and the sign of His promise is the rainbow.” Lucy (with a big smile on her face) says, “Thank you! You’ve taken a big load off my mind!” Linus responds, “Sound theology has a way of doing that.” Those are very wise words from someone who sucks his thumb and carries a blanket wherever he goes. In a world filled with doubt and uncertainty – we need sound theology that offers us assurance and hope.

How can we be certain we have eternal life? This morning we’re going to look at three foundations upon which our salvation in Jesus Christ rests. Here’s the first foundation:

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1. The Word of God. What does God have to say in His Word about this matter of assurance? In verse 9 of this 5th chapter John says: If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. John is saying that it’s easy for us to put our trust in people. We often give little thought to the truthfulness of what people say and do. How many of us trust a pharmacist we don’t know to give us the right prescription? How many of us trust the mechanic who just put new brakes on our car? How do you know if George Washington really lived? Is it because his picture is on the dollar bill? If I were to say to you that George Washington was a mythical historical figure – you would think I was crazy. Why? Because you believe the testimony of historians who have written about his life. John is saying this: We easily believe the testimony of people we don’t know. So, why do we struggle to believe what God has said?

Have you ever told a person something that was absolutely true – yet they said, “I don’t believe you.” If that has happened to you – you may have felt insulted. Why? Because they’re insinuating that you’re a liar. And that’s what John goes on to say in the latter part of verse 10: Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. But many of us would say, “I’m not calling God a liar! It’s not God – it’s me. I’m struggling to believe.” But John says, “No – you’re calling God a liar – because you don’t believe what He has said.” Salvation isn’t a matter what we think or feel, it’s a matter of what God says! John is pleading, “Believe God’s testimony!”

And what is God’s testimony? Look at verses 11-12: And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. What is eternal life? Eternal life isn’t just an infinite measure of time – it’s a Person that we need to know - Jesus! Eternal life isn’t something we will receive in the sweet by-and-by – it’s something we possess now if we’re in Christ! John says: Whoever has the Son has life!

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You may remember the old Dairy Producers commercial of a man immobilized in a body cast in a hospital room. Someone gives him a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies and leaves the room. The poor fellow glances over and sees a pitcher of ice cold milk on his table– and suddenly, he’s in torment – because he can’t move to get it. The familiar slogan asks, “Got milk?” John is asking in verse 12, “Got Jesus?”

Please pardon my horrific grammar – but if you got Jesus you have much more than eternal life. God’s Word promises that all of our sins are forgiven. Acts 10:43 says: To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

Not only do we have forgiveness – we’re also free from condemnation. Jesus said these words in John 5:24: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

And we’re not only set free from condemnation – we are justified (declared righteous) by God. Paul writes in Romans chapter 5: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only are we forgiven - and liberated from condemnation – and justified - we’re also children of God. Jesus said in the first chapter of John’s gospel: To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Jesus said these words in John 6:37: All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. Later, in John chapter 10 - Jesus said: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. Who is Jesus talking about? Those of us who 5 follow Him. Jesus isn’t talking about how we become His followers. He’s talking about the result of being a follower. Our Lord says both He and the Father will keep us secure. Look at the passage again. We’re in the grip of Jesus. And then Jesus says that both we and He are in the Father’s hand. We’re protected by a double wall of security. That is a secure firewall if I’ve ever heard of one!

The testimony of God’s Word tells us we can be certain we have eternal life – not only because God has told us so – but also because of a second foundational truth:

2. The Work of Christ. Look again at verses 11-12: And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

God’s Word tells us that our salvation has been made possible through Christ’s atonement – not by our good works. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. Paul says that salvation is the gift of God - not the reward of God – based on something we’ve done! He also wrote these words in Titus 3:5-6: He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.

I was in a men’s Bible study a few years ago when this subject came up. One fellow asked, “What about people who never professed Christ – someone like Gandhi who lived a moral, upright life and selflessly served humanity. Surely, God took notice of what he did?” I said, “If salvation was given to us on that basis – maybe so. But salvation is a gift that God gives to us by His grace through our faith in Jesus Christ.” I share this incident with you to illustrate how easy it is – even having been in church for years – to default to the idea that God has a huge scale in heaven upon which he weighs our good deeds and our bad deeds. And when our day is done, if the good we do outweighs the 6 bad – God will reward us by letting us into heaven. That’s not what the Bible teaches!

In Hebrews 10:14 we read: By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. What is this one offering that the writer of Hebrews is talking about? He’s talking about Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for our sins. And our relationship with Christ lasts how long? Look at the passage again: forever.

In times of emergency, one of our nation's most urgent needs is an ample blood supply. In order to be prepared to meet such a need, our country's blood supply must constantly be replenished. The Red Cross has 34 blood-service regions in the United States and Puerto Rico. Recently, a retired school superintendent by the name of Jim Parker and his wife, Linda made a 17-month tour visiting all of these 34 regional centers in order to donate blood. They spent 156 days on the road and drove 78,422 miles. The Red Cross estimates that blood donations given by Jim and Linda Parker will help save 130 lives. The Parker’s did this, not only to save lives – but to also to inspire others to donate blood - thereby saving even more lives.

How many lives can the blood of Jesus Christ save – past, present and future? A staggering number that only God could possibly know - but what we do know is this: Christ’s blood is able to save all who will believe. Peter said in Acts 4:12: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

3. The Witness of the Holy Spirit. When we talk about the Word of God and the Work of Christ as being foundational to the assurance of our salvation – we’re talking about that which is historical and objective. But when we talk about the Witness of the Holy Spirit – we enter the realm of the subjective and experiential. The Holy Spirit works and speaks within us. The Bible says the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. The Spirit of God also comforts us with the assurance of God’s love and presence – and He convinces us of truth.

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If you look back to verses 6-8 – you’ll notice that John talks about the work of Jesus Christ and the Witness of the Holy Spirit. I’ll not take the time to read that passage – just glance at it in your Bible. John says that Jesus came by water – which is a reference to His baptism and His sinless life. Jesus also came by blood – which represents His atoning work on the cross. John says that the Spirit testifies in our hearts about who Jesus is and what He did to save us! When the Spirit of God convinces us that we’re saved by God’s grace through faith in what Jesus did for us – that is joy and freedom!

The Holy Spirit not only gives us inward assurance – the Holy Spirit does something else. In the book of Ephesians, Paul describes what happens to us when we hear the gospel and believe. In Ephesians 1:13 he writes: In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. What is this seal that Paul is talking about? In biblical times, when an official document was drafted, it was folded or rolled up in a scroll and was sealed with hot wax. The hot wax was then embossed with the seal of the person who wrote the document. This identified and authenticated who the document was from. Paul is saying that God has put His seal on us – marking us as His very own. And later, in chapter 4 verse 30, Paul says that we are sealed until the day of redemption. Nothing and no one has the power to break that seal!

I’ve shared before that I was about six months into my pastoral ministry before this actually sank into my heart. I had read all of the verses. I studied theology until I didn’t have enough brains left to have a headache. I could present a well-reasoned case for the eternal security of the believer – but that wasn’t something that lived deep- down in my heart as a settled conviction. I lived with the fear that I might do something bad enough that God would throw me on the scrap heap. I can remember an autumn day walking on a country road near our farmhouse agonizing over this. I prayed, “Lord, I’m tired of this fear of ‘now I have it – now I don’t’ salvation. I will never be good enough or worthy enough. I believe that I am saved by your grace and will be kept by your grace.” I would be lying if I told you that I was instantly 8 flooded with peace and came down off that mountain road glowing like Moses. That didn’t happen. I can’t tell you when or how – but those doubts eventually faded away and I no longer have them. And I now understand what Paul said in Romans 8:16: The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Whitney Houston was one the most-awarded female recording artists of all time. She seemed to have it all, but she struggled with insecurity. She felt like she could never measure up. When Kevin Costner asked her to star in the film The Bodyguard – he shares what happened on the first day of filming. Costner said: “Whitney was scared. The biggest pop star in the world wasn't sure if she was good enough. She didn't think she looked right. She could only see her flaws. I held her hand and told her that she looked beautiful - but I could still feel her doubt.”

When the filming began, Whitney said only four lines and then had to stop. Costner took her back to the dressing room so he could show her what he had seen. He said: “I turned her around so she could see herself in the mirror and she gasped. All of the caked makeup on Whitney's face was melting and she was devastated. She asked if anyone had seen - I said I didn't think so.” Costner concluded: “Despite her success and worldwide fame, Whitney constantly asked, ‘Am I good enough?’”

We can live the Christian life without fear - because we’re not saved by being good enough. We are sealed, secure and kept safe by God’s mighty power.

Do you remember Linus and Lucy looking out at the stormy world? Resting in the promises of God’s Word takes a huge load off our minds. Linus was so right, “Sound theology has a way of doing that.”