Bible Study - No Doubt (4) - Sure of Victory - 1 John 3:19-4:4 - September 26, 2021

Bible Study – No Doubt (4) – Sure of Victory – September 26, 2021

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled, “No Doubt: Six Things We Can Know for Sure.”

Our focus scripture is 1 John 3:19-4:4.

Because JESUS is victorious, HIS people are victorious.

We read in Numbers 31: ¹¹ and took away all the spoils of war and the captives, both people and animals. 

When an enemy was defeated in the Old Testament, the spoils of war went to the victor. JESUS has defeated Satan and won the battle for the souls of all who have lived or will live upon earth and have or will place their faith in JESUS. Spirit-born people are eternally secure I when they place their faith in JESUS The CHRIST.

The key is JESUS. JESUS in you makes you a Christian and not what religious institution you become a member. True Christianity is a relationship and not a religion. We make Christianity a religion by following certain institutional rituals. These rituals are not bad but they must be put into proper perspective. JESUS was GOD’S only Son and HE willingly came to earth to live as 100% human. HE was born of the virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and she conceived JESUS. If HE stumped HIS toes, they hurt or stuck a splinter in HIS hand, it hurt and bled. HE lived a sinless life in order that HE could give HIS sinless life to pay in full for the sins of all who place their faith in HIM. HE fulfilled the Law and that is why HE had to die upon the cross and shed HIS blood for our sins. In Hebrews 9:22:
According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Why did JESUS do this? It was because HE loved all who will place their faith in HIM. That includes you!

The Apostle John was a disciple of JESUS and wrote First John to confirm that all Spirit-born people are secure in JESUS upon earth and in eternity. Let’s explore!

The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:1-8:

4 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope^[a] at your calling— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

⁷ Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ For it says:

When he ascended on high,
he (JESUS) took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.^[b]

We read in 1 John 5:4:

⁴ because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.

In whom do you place your faith? Is it JESUS? If it is JESUS, then rejoice. It is not just believing that JESUS lived upon earth but that as recorded in Romans 10:8-10 - On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.^[f] This is the message of faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. Faith, belief and confession that JESUS raised HIM from the physically dead.

Ground zero is CHRIST in you through your faith in JESUS. The battle is between truth and deception, walking in the light or being tricked into being diverted into looking at the deceptions of darkness (Satan). CHRIST in us is the hope of Glory and our walk with JESUS ministers to fellow people who live in a world in darkness.

Let’s consider the young boy who was possessed by an unclean spirit in Mark 9. The disciples of JESUS could not cast it out.

JESUS and three of HIS disciples were coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration, when JESUS encountered this situation. HIS disciples, who were waiting for them, could not cast out this unclean spirit controlling the young boy.

We read in Mark 9 - ²¹ “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father.

“From childhood,” he said. ²² “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

²³ Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’?^[a] Everything is possible for the one who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

JESUS’ disciples could not cast the unclean spirit (deaf and mute) out of the young boy. What did this mean? It meant that it was a learning experience. Any time we experience unbelief, it allows the opportunity for us to learn. But how do we look at such an experience? Satan will surely take advantage of every opportunity to make us doubt GOD/JESUS. GOD desires for us to learn from the experience. How do we do that?

There are times when we need to ask JESUS to help our unbelief. We must be honest with JESUS. HE loves for us to be transparent with HIM. JESUS immediately commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man’s son. This demonstration helped the man’s unbelief and gave him assurance that JESUS has command over the spirit world. It gave JESUS’ disciples an opportunity to learn why they failed.

As Spirit-born people, the power of JESUS resides in us and we have authority over the spirit world. But only in the name of JESUS.

Satan’s desire is to defeat us as Christians. GOD’S desire for Christians is for us to live knowing that we are victorious in this life upon earth. We who know the truth are to share the Good News with those with whom we encounter, as the Holy Spirit prompts us. We share the Good News that CHRIST in you is the hope of glory and is your power and protector. Christians are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s read 1 John 3:19-22:

¹⁹ This is how we will know (with absolute certainty) that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him ²⁰ whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.

²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight. 

In essence, we who walk in the light of CHRIST, please GOD. The indwelling Holy Spirit is our guide through this world. The Holy Spirit resides in their hearts of the Spirit-born and sets off alarms when they are not walking in the light, as JESUS is the light. This takes place at the core of a Christian’s essence or their heart. The heart is not that which pumps blood but that inner core where truth resides. We, as humans, can fool each other but in the core of our being, we know the truth. Keep reading it gets better ----

Let’s read 1 John 3:23-24:

²³ Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us is based upon the Spirit he has given us.

There is only one way to Heaven and that is through faith in JESUS. When we are Spirit-born, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and HE prompts us to love one another. This is confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Let’s read 1 John 4:1-4:

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

² This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not confess Jesus^[a] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.

⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you (JESUS) is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan).

Discerning truth from error or deception can be tested and should be tested. 

The Apostle John challenges those who are Spirit-born to challenge/test every spirit. Those Spirit-born can get notions and think that the Holy Spirit is speaking to them. John tells us to test the spirits. How?

² This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not confess Jesus^[a] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.

I read a book, years ago, written by a pastor whose family got into seances.  As a young boy, his sister died and his dad sought to contact her through a median. The young boy attended these seances. His grandmother attended these gatherings, as well. Some gatherings were where a spirit was contacted. At one such gathering, his grandmother let him attend the séance with her. At this gathering, his grandmother asked a question from the Bible. When the spirit responded to the question, he heard his grandmother say under her breath, “That is not correct.” Normally if you challenged a spirit, it would rebuke you but this spirit went right on.

This young man thought, “maybe I should get a Bible and read what is in it and I will ask a Biblical question, if given the opportunity.” So, he bought or found a Bible. Thinking that it was like most books, it would have a beginning and an end. He began at the beginning and got bored. He then flipped to the back of the Bible to see how it ended. He got tangled up in Revelation. He happened to flip back to this scripture in 1 John 4. Aha, he thought, I will test the spirit the next time I have an opportunity.

He waited and finally, the opportunity came. He could ask the spirit three (3) questions. (I loaned my book to someone and that was the last time I saw it. If this person reads this, I ask them to return it to me because it is out of print.)

Anyway, the questions went something like this:

Did JESUS live upon earth? The spirit said, yes, Jesus lived upon earth as a prophet.

Is JESUS the Son of GOD? Yes, Jesus is a son of god. Notice, “a son: not the SON.

Did JESUS come in the flesh and live a sinless life upon earth and shed HIS blood to atone for the sins of those who place their faith in JESUS?

When he said that, the medium was catapulted across the room and the room was as if a storm had hit it. This young man ran out of the room and ran home and kneeled beside his bed and said something like “JESUS, I don’t know who you are but I want you to come into my life.” And JESUS came into his life and ultimately this young boy became a pastor. He said for many years his services were disrupted by those being led by Satan to disrupt his service.

Seems this pastor, pastored a Presbyterian church.

The point being, the Spirit world is real and seeks to challenge, confuse and deceive those who seek JESUS. Once those who ask JESUS to forgive them for their sins and for JESUS to come into their hearts and become Spirit-born, then Satan’s mission changes from keeping them from becoming Spirit-born to disrupting their relationship with JESUS.

This is why Christians must know the truth and know they are eternally secure in JESUS. Spiritual victory has been won by JESUS!!!

We read in Acts 17:10-11:

¹⁰ As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined^[a] the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

The Christians in Berea tested what was being preached against the scripture. That is exactly what every Christian must do. Test what you are hearing against the truth of GOD’S Word, the Bible.

How do we know we are secure? JESUS prayed for us before HE ascended into Heaven and still prays for us while HE is in Heaven.

We read in John 17:20-23:

²⁰ “I (JESUS) pray not only for these (HIS disciples and followers then), but also for those who believe in me through their word. ²¹ May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be^[e] in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. ²² I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you (GOD) have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

Christians must keep in mind the scripture from 1 John 4:4:

⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you (JESUS) is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan).

JESUS conquered Satan and so has every Spirit-born person. Live Victorious!!!  Blessings!!!