Confidently Victorious - 1 John 5:12-21 - June 28, 2009

Sunday School Lesson – Confidently Victorious – June 28, 2009

This is our final lesson in our series entitled “Beyond Doubt.”

Our scripture is 1 John 5:12-21.

The Apostle John has given believers a lot to ponder so they will be equipped to discern between truth and error, live confidentially with the assurance of their salvation and eternal life through CHRIST. Believers know the truth and are anointed or indwelled by the HOLY SPIRIT.

The title of our series is “Beyond Doubt.” Doubt to me can be healthy, provided we seek the truth. I have found that a lot of my spiritual growth has come about as the result of seeking to satisfy a doubt. Believers must be honest with GOD and reveal a doubt or concern to HIM and ask HIM to help them understand the truth. The answer may not come in a flash but it will come because believers know for sure that GOD hears them.

Let’s read 1 John 5:12-13:

12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

I used this scripture in last week’s study. The Gnostics denied that JESUS was the CHRIST or the true Messiah. They denied that JESUS was 100% human and 100% Divine. JESUS’ sinless humanity is vital to a believer’s salvation. GOD demanded that blood from an unblemished lamb be shed. The shed blood of the lamb was a place holder for believers under the law, until JESUS, the perfect sacrifice, gave HIS life to pay the penalty for sin. GOD confirmed that JESUS was the perfect sacrifice by HIS resurrection from the dead. John testified that he and the other disciples were witnesses to all of this including the coming of the HOLY SPIRIT to indwell all believers.

JESUS has life eternal and HE in turn gives eternal life to all who believe in HIM and accept HIM as their SAVIOR. It is CHRIST in a believer that makes a person a Christian and not the church he or she attends or belongs to. John makes salvation plain. Those who have the SON of GOD, JESUS, have eternal life. Have you asked JESUS to forgive you of your sins and to come into your life? If so, you have CHRIST in you and are a Christian. If not, do so now because all humans are one heartbeat away from eternity.

Let’s read 1 John 5:14-17:

Effective Prayer
14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not bring death, he should ask, and God[3] Lit He will give life to him—to those who commit sin that doesn’t bring death. There is sin[4] Or is a sin that brings death. I am not saying he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that does not bring death.

The word “confidence” comes from a Greek word which carries the idea that every person has the right to present his/her case before the judge with boldness. Believers can approach CHRIST with confidence and boldness with the assurance that HE hears us. GOD hearing us is one thing but HIM granting our request is another. An answer can be yes, no or wait. The caveat is “according to HIS will.” I shared an experience I had regarding this very scripture in the study May 31, 2009. I repeat it here:

The LORD brought to my mind an experience I had years ago. I was driving out of town to attend a meeting which the distance would mean an overnight stay somewhere along the way. I was listening to the radio and a preacher was preaching on “Ask and you will receive.” I took issue with what the preacher was saying and began talking to the LORD like, “I have asked and not received. If you listen to this preacher you would think that Christians can just ask whatever and receive it.” When my lecture to the LORD finished, the still small voice of the LORD said, “When you ask according to MY will it will be done.” So I said, “Okay LORD I have to spend the night somewhere on the road tonight. Where do YOU want me to stop? I want to do YOUR will. Whatever YOU ask me to do, I will.” I went to the meeting and when I left the meeting I said LORD, “Where do YOU want me to spend the night? I was in Raleigh, NC and had the choices of staying in Raleigh, Greensboro or driving back to Spartanburg, SC. The LORD clearly said Greensboro. So I drive toward Greensboro. As I got close to Greensboro, the billboards reminded me that the NCAA Tournament was going on. I again asked the LORD where I should stay because rooms would be scarce. HE led me to a certain motel and I asked for a room. The desk clerk looked at me and asked, “Where did you come from? Don’t you know there is no room within fifty (50) miles of Greensboro?” I uttered a prayer and the LORD said in essence, don’t worry you will have a room. The desk clerk said, “If you are willing to wait, I have one room and if the person does not show, you can have that room.” I waited and asked the LORD what HE wanted me to do. I suggested tickets to the NCAA tournament would be nice but HE said I want you to go to church. I asked what church? It was on a Wednesday. I was led to go to the Yellow Pages of the telephone book.

I went over to the telephone directory and looked through the Yellow Pages. I picked out a church or two but the LORD said “no”. I went across one church and HE said that was it. I went on to others but HE kept leading me back to this one church. I said okay. As I write this I do not recall the name of the church but it was a “street name” Baptist church. I got the room and asked the desk clerk where this church was located. He did not know but pointed me in a general direction.

I drove toward that direction and was praying because it was getting late for a church service. I asked the LORD to help me find the church. HE said, “Look up.” I saw three (3) church steeples and HE said, “Do you see the middle steeple? I said, “Yes.” HE said drive to it. Guess what? That was the church. I said, “LORD I need another thing, which door should I go into?” HE led me to a certain door of the church and as I was walking toward that door, I said, “It would be nice if there is someone who could show me where the Wednesday night service is being held.” I opened the door and a man was leaning on a table at the far end of a long hall. I went up to him and asked him where the Wednesday night service was being held. He said, “I don’t know.” My heart sank for a moment but he quickly said, “But this lady will know because this is the pastor’s wife.” She said, “Come with me.” We sat on the same pew. The pastor’s wife had told me that her husband was out of town and he had asked a deacon to lead the service. I said, “LORD here I am, what do YOU want me to do?” HE said, “I want you to give your testimony.” I went into panic mode.

The deacon had gotten up to speak. He told us that the pastor had asked him to conduct the service. He had his Bible and it had numerous slips of paper marking certain passages of scripture. I said, “LORD, it would be rude for me to jump up and take up this man’s time for me to give my testimony. He had prepared his message but if YOU work it out I will do it.” The deacon said, “I have been working on a message for you for a long time. You can see all these slips of paper but frankly I have nothing to say.” My heart went into panic mode again. He said, “If anyone has anything to say, please say it.” Now, you would think that was an open invitation but I asked the LORD, “I am willing to share my testimony but I want to be asked.” Guess what? HE said, “Done” and the pastor’s wife, who was sitting about six (6) or so feet from me leaned over and touched my arm and said, “Sir, don’t you have something to say.” With that I sprang to my feet and told them what I had just related to you. I gave my testimony.

There were no visible signs of the LORD working in the lives of those who heard me speak. But HE was working in my life and showing me, when a believer asks according to HIS will, it will be done. The LORD is calling believers to do HIS will every day, be obedient and respond.

In verse 15, John used the word “know.” This means to “know for certain that you already have what you have requested.” “To know” is an assurance that GOD has heard and if the request is according to HIS will and purpose, then you already have what you have requested. But it is up to GOD as to when the request is granted. This sounds like a hedge but from GOD’S perspective, the person requesting may not be ready for what is being requested or circumstances may not be ready but in time it will come about. JESUS teaches us about prayer in Luke 11:9-13:

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

GOD will never give a believer something that will harm him/her. That is why we may need to grow spiritually or our circumstances change before HE will grant our request.

Verses 16 and 17 are both interesting and challenging. There are multiple interpretations. What is John writing about?

First, he was writing about believers in verse 16. When a believer sees another believer commit a sin, he or she should pray for him or her. In South Carolina our governor has just revealed that he has been involved in an affair. He is a believer. As fellow believers, our immediate response should be to pray for him, his family and yes even the other woman and her family. Yet our tendency is to ridicule.

John told believers that there is sin that does “not” lead to death and sin that does lead to death. Most Bible scholars agree that “death”, as used here, refers to spiritual death and not physical death. When a believer sins, it can rob him or her of the intimate relationship with GOD through CHRIST until the sin is confessed. John addressed the confession of sin in 1 John 1:9-10:

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

In the later part of verse 16, John told believers that there is sin that brought death. Here most Bible scholars believe that John, again, was referring to spiritual death but not for a believer but an unbeliever. When a person rejects the wooing of GOD in his or her life so much that he or she has become callous to HIM, there is nothing more GOD can do to woo that person to accept CHRIST as his or her SAVIOR.

A more compelling thought was that John’s readers knew what he was talking about and the rest of us speculate on what he was saying.

John was concerned about Gnosticism. The false prophets had left the true Church and were spreading their false message to all who would listen. John likely had these false prophets in mind because there was nothing else that could be done to lead them to see the truth. This is a sad state indeed for a person to be in because their ultimate doom is spiritual death, which is eternal death. CHRIST is the source of eternal life and there is no other way. The false prophets rejected CHRIST as the true Messiah, therefore, they were committing a sin unto death, unbelief.

Christians are to pray for one another and minister to one another when bad times come into their lives. Christians are to forgive one another as CHRIST has forgiven them.

Let’s read 1 John 5:18-21:

Conclusion
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One[5] Jesus Christ who is born of God keeps him,[6] Other mss read himself [7] Or the one who is born of God keeps himself and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway 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 the true One.[8] Other mss read the true God We are in the true One—that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

This can get confusing. Verse 18, in essence states that believers, all who have been born of GOD, do not sin because the shed blood of CHRIST keeps them white as snow. Yes, believers’ sin but believers also confess their sins, which in turn is proof that they are true believers.

Notice the number of times John used the word “know.” These “know” statements are things believers can be sure of. They are absolutes.

John used the word “touch.” The Greek word for “touch” carries the idea that Satan does not have the ability to harm those who have been born of GOD. This is why it is vital that believers confess their sins because nothing must come between believers and their relationship with GOD. Un-confessed sin can lure a believer outside the protective care of our LORD. When a believer does not confess his/her sin, GOD allows Satan to get his/her attention as a wake-up call. Believers do not lose their salvation but they can lose the joy of their salvation and fellowship with GOD through CHRIST.

Believers know that Satan cannot lay a hand on them because GOD holds them, as well as, CHRIST. JESUS expounded on this in John 10:27-30:

27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”[9] Lit I and the Father—We are one.

Believers not only have the protection of JESUS but they also have the protection of GOD, THE FATHER. Keep in mind that believers have a free will. Believers can remove themselves from the protective care of the FATHER. They will never lose their salvation and eternal life but they can lose the joy of their salvation and the victory of living the abundant life in CHRIST.

Believers know that CHRIST is the real Messiah because HE came in the flesh. HE lived a sinless life, was obedient to GOD, performed signs and wonders, gave HIS life to pay the penalty for sins, was raised from the dead as proof that HE had conquered death, is the source of eternal life and is a believer’s advocate in heaven.

Just as we know that CHRIST is true and real, so is the evil one. Believers know the truth because of the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT WHO confirms the fact that they are GOD’S children. CHRIST is eternal life.

John ends by urging fellow believers not to allow anything to come between them and CHRIST. That is nothing. He is referring to physical objects or artifacts of worship, as well as, any ideologies or theologies that differ from the truth they already know.

This is a message to all believers. Believers must not allow anything to come between them and GOD. Believers must stay connected to the truth by not allowing sin to go un-confessed or anything to come between them and their relationship with CHRIST. Believers must stay in HIS Word, talk with HIM in prayer, fellowship with HIM through relationship and obediently serve HIM. The HOLY SPIRIT equips believers with all truth and confirms truth in the eyes of their hearts through the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT. GOD is light and the HOLY SPIRIT dispels darkness and shines the light of GOD on the things that are hidden so that believers can walk in the light as HE is the light.

Embrace our LORD fully and ask HIM to help you build the most intimate, loving relationship that is possible. It will be an awesome journey.