“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. And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but He who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 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. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”-I John 5:13-15,18-21
I am grateful for these passages this morning…because in this life I forget. I get so caught up in doing that I forget the promises of God. In our sermon series James reminds us also of what we know to be true, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” In fact, the NT often points out what WE KNOW because we are in Christ. I am so grateful for these texts…because I forget what I know and God always wants us to know and live in His revealed will.
John begins in our text this morning with telling us who we are, “I write these things to you (read y’all…all y’all) who believe in the name of the Son of God…”How often during the day do I even think of myself as one who believes in the name of the Son of God? If not then how are you defining yourself? From where does your true identity come from? Does this question even matter to you?
John writes these things not to teach us as much as to remind us of who we are in Christ. WE ARE those who believe in the name of the Son of God… and as such know “things”:
1. We KNOW that we have eternal life. Eternal life…there is no greater reward in this whole existence. Olympic Gold in no way compares with this great gift of God.
2. We KNOW that He hears us in whatever we ask…because He sent His Son to redeem us…because He tells us over and over and over again…we know this, whether we choose to believe it or not is another thing.
3. We also KNOW that we have the requests that we ask of Him. All the things that square with God’s will and more come our way in abundance especially when we wait…but sometimes we forget.
4. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning…because of Christ’s Cross work and His continuous work of intercession along with the intercession of the Holy Spirit, sin no longer controls us….it no longer defines us…we have been made new…we no longer live , but Christ lives in us. And even though we sin in this life…and even though temptation can be hard and strong…it can NEVER conquer us ever again! This is the promise for those who have been granted eternal life. We know this, but all too often we “forget”.
5. We know that we are from God…the Word tells us the WE are HIS creation and His elect children…we are called to be distinct from the world while living in this fallen world. We are from God, but we forget!
6. We know that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one…Jesus himself tells us that the world is OUR enemy because it is God’s enemy. Problem is we have gotten too comfortable in this world so we forget.
7. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding…our Immanuel has come…He has redeemed us with His blood…the blood of the covenant…and He has placed in us His Holy Spirit which gives us all the understanding we need to know and live out God’s will to bring Him glory and be a blessing to those around us. Again given because we have been granted eternal life.
John, lastly, gives us a summary of what he has told us to make it even simpler:
1. That we may know Him who is true.
2. That we may knowwe are in Him who is true…in His Son Jesus Christ.
3. That we may know He is the true God and eternal life.
4. We know all this…so we can keep ourselves from idols!
I am grateful for these passages this morning…because in this life I forget. Let’s meditate on that today!
God Bless y’all today.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
