Experience and Evidence of Fellowship with God 1 John 5v1-12

So it's the first book of John, chapter 5, verse 1-12, page 1228 in the Church Bibles.

John 5:1–12

So, 1 John, chapter 5, verse 1-12.

1 John 5:1–12

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves his child as well.

This is how we know that we love the children of God, by loving God and carrying out his commands.

This is love for God, to obey his commands.

And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.

This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Who is it that overcomes the world?

Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ.

He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.

And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

For there are three that testify, the Spirit, the water, and the blood.

And the three are in agreement.

We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater, because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.

Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.

Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he does not believe the testimony God has given about his Son.

And this is the testimony.

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

He who has the Son has life, but he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Amen.

Thanks very much, Stephen.

Well, let's keep our Bibles open as we come to a conclusion in these next couple of weeks in this letter of 1 John.

Let's pray and ask for God's help.

Amen.

Our Father God, we thank you so much for your word.

We thank you for its truth.

And we thank you that it is relevant and speaks to us in our day and in our time.

But Father, we need your help.

We need the help of your Holy Spirit.

And that we, together, would become more and more confident and assured

of the life that we can have from you.

So please help us, we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, this week, if you were listening to the news, a painting by the artist Francis Bacon was sold for $50 million.

There was another one that broke that record as well, but one of his sold for $50 million.

Although he was a very talented and a very successful artist, his view of life was empty and unfulfilled.

This is how he understood life to be.

Man now realizes that he's an accident.

That he is a completely futile being and that he has to play out the game without reason.

He didn't believe in the person of Jesus.

And for him, he had no purpose to life.

He also said this, life has no reasons.

A struggling through the gloom.

And the senseless end of it is the insult of the tomb.

For him, he says, we've come from nowhere and we are going nowhere.

We simply live and we die and that's all there is to life.

But that's not it.

Have a look at verse 11 from our reading.

And this is the testimony.

God has given us eternal life.

The God who created life, the universe.

The God who sustains all of life.

The God who provides us with life has promised us eternal life.

And look where that life is to be found.

Verse 11.

This is the testimony.

God has given us eternal life.

And this life is in his Son.

So we won't find life in ourselves.

We won't find it in other things or in other people.

We find life in the person of Jesus Christ.

It's only when we are in relationship with Jesus.

It's only when we join in and share in the love the Father has for the Son.

And that the Son has for the Father.

That we experience life in all its fullness.

It is life in fellowship with God.

Life is to be found in Jesus.

And if we have Jesus, we have life.

Look at verse 12.

He who has the Son has life.

He who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Now, we must grasp how serious this is.

John has already made it clear in his Gospel.

In John 3 verse 36, he said this.

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.

But whoever rejects the Son will not see life.

For God's wrath remains on him.

You see, to live life without Jesus is to face the terrible reality of an eternal separation from God.

And it's what Jesus calls hell.

It's an eternity without the good gifts from God.

The good things that we all enjoy like friendships, laughter, beauty.

All of these are good gifts from the God who made the universe.

And he gives it to his creation.

But to live life without Jesus is in effect saying,

I want an eternity without God.

Without all the good things that he has to give.

It is an eternity in hell.

So can we see how essential it is that we have Jesus?

Because there is no life to be had.

No true life to be had outside of the person of Jesus.

Look at verse 12 again.

He who has the Son has life.

He who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Now there's two big questions we're going to ask of our text this morning.

The first one is this.

How do I know I have this life?

And the second is, how do I know this life is true?

So how do I know I have this life?

And second, how do I know this life is true?

So the first question, how do I know I have this life?

How do I know I have Jesus?

Well the answer is this.

We know because we have the experience of being born of God.

Look at verse 1 of chapter 5.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.

We get the same phrase a little bit further down in verse 4.

Do you see it there?

For everyone born of God overcomes the world.

You see that little phrase, born of God, is to receive the life of Jesus.

It's to receive the true life from God.

On the 14th of December 1971, at 5.30am, I was born.

Almost down the toilet, my mother told me.

But I survived that.

Now the thing is about my birth, I had no part in that decision.

I did not decide that I would be born on that date and that I would have life.

My birth was my parents' choice and decision.

In the same way, eternal life that I have received from God is God's choice and God's initiative.

It's God's birth of life in me.

And that's what gives me absolute assurance that I have life in Jesus.

Eternal life, life with him, rests not in my choice or my decision,

but in me receiving by faith God's gift of life to me.

This is something that God births in us.

So how do I know I have this life?

How can I be sure that I have been born of God and that I belong to him and that I have the life of Jesus?

Well, we need to look at the experience of our lives.

Three things that we should be experiencing in our lives day to day that tell us that we have this life.

Here's the first one.

We believe that Jesus is the Christ.

First one again.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.

Now Christ, Jesus Christ, that's a title.

It means God's chosen saving king.

So to believe that Jesus is the Christ is simply to entrust your life into the hands of our saviour Jesus.

Because Jesus died for my sins, because Jesus rescues me from the punishment that I deserve,

I will entrust my life into his life.

Rather than run away from Jesus, I will run to Jesus.

And this should be our experience on a day-to-day basis.

Instead of hiding my sin, I will repent of my sin.

I will place my full and total confidence in Jesus Christ, God's saving king.

That is my experience.

That I will be running to him as my saviour every day.

So if I have been born of God, I will believe that Jesus is the Christ.

The second experience that we should have in our life is that we will love the children of God.

Look at verse 2.

This is how we know that we love the children of God.

By loving God and carrying out his commands.

And what's his commands?

Well, have a look back at chapter 3, verse 23.

We know that we love the children of God by loving God and carrying out his commands.

What's his command?

Chapter 3, verse 23.

And this is his command.

To believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, which we've just looked at.

And to love one another as he commanded us.

You see, when we are born, every one of us, we carry with us the DNA of our parents.

So it's quite natural that as I get older, I begin to look more like my father.

Sometimes I'm told I sound like my father.

Something of who he is makes me who I am.

And in the same way, if we are born of God, something of who God is, his character, his very nature,

is being seen and being worked and lived out through us.

Because God is love, those who are born of God will also love.

That is the primary identifying mark that we are his.

So look at chapter 4, verse 7.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

So let's just stop a minute, let's pause and let's think about that.

Let's ask ourselves, are we loving others deliberately and intentionally?

Rather than self-centred, are we becoming self-sacrificing?

Because love means, I will embrace discomfort for the comfort of others.

Love means, I will accept inconvenience in my life for the encouragement of others.

Love means, I will reject me time.

In fact, there is no longer any me time.

It becomes other time.

I will serve others.

Are we deliberately and intentionally moving from self-centred living

to self-sacrificing living?

If we don't desire, if we are not praying for this,

if we are not displaying this kind of love,

then we are not born of God.

So we should experience a running to Jesus, believing in him.

We should experience a love for other people.

And third, we should experience a love to obey God's commands.

Look at verse 3 of chapter 5.

We've talked about loving others.

Well, verse 3, this is love for God.

To obey his commands.

To obey his commands.

Now, parents have commands for their children.

I'm sure all of you, if you have children,

you've got certain rules that you have in your household.

Not to spoil their fun,

but to actually protect their life.

So a parent who sets no boundaries for their child

and lets their child do whatever they like,

if you want to go outside until 10 o'clock at night,

even though you're only six,

that's okay.

For example.

It's not a loving parent.

They are a careless parent.

They set rules and boundaries

and give commands to their children

because they love their children

and they want their children to enjoy life,

to be protected.

And if we are born of God,

we have a Father who has given us commands for our good.

Not to spoil our fun,

but so that we can enjoy life with him

as it should be.

So the things that he calls us to do,

the life he calls us to live,

is for our best and for our good.

In fact, if we are born of God,

God's commands will become to us a delight and a joy.

Look at verse 3 again.

This is love for God,

to obey his commands.

And his commands are not burdensome.

How many times have we ever heard rules

not being a burden?

We tend to think of rules

and God's commands to us as a burden.

But if you are obeying God

because it's a duty to perform,

if we obey God because we're doing it

because we fear him punishing us,

then we've completely misunderstood.

We don't have the life of God.

Children of God obey not to earn acceptance,

but because we have acceptance.

We obey not to gain life,

but because we have already received life in Jesus.

Our obedience to God is an expression,

it's an overflow to say,

thank you so much for the life that you have given me.

And I want to enjoy the life that you have given me.

You see, if we understand that God's commands

bring joy and happiness to his children,

then obedience will be a pleasure and a delight.

So think through that with me for a moment.

As we read God's word,

because that's where we will hear his voice,

and that's where we will hear his commands,

as we read it,

and it challenges us.

Do we go,

don't want to do that?

Don't like that?

Or do we stop and go,

this is a pleasure and a delight.

Because I am his child,

this is good for me,

and this is right for me.

If we are born of God,

we will be obeying God.

That will be our experience.

Now if we believe Jesus is the Christ,

if we love the children of God,

if we obey God's commands,

that experience tells me

that I have been born of God

and that I have eternal life from God.

In fact, it means,

as he tells us in verse 4,

he explains it in another way.

He says,

you've overcome the world.

The same thing,

but in another way.

Look at verse 4.

For everyone born of God

overcomes the world.

This is the victory

that has overcome the world,

even our faith.

Now we've seen this already

in 1 John,

that when he talks about the world,

he's talking about people

who are in opposition to God.

So the world

is those who reject

and ignore God's Son,

Jesus Christ.

But if we've been born of God,

it means we've overcome the world.

Instead of rejecting Jesus,

we now entrust our life to Jesus.

Instead of loving self,

we now love others.

Instead of disobeying God,

we now want to obey God.

This is the experience

of being born again.

It's a complete transformation of life.

We're not any longer

like the world.

We're not the same as the world.

We don't blend into the world.

We stand out as different

from the world

because we have overcome the world.

And it's all,

verse 4,

the end of verse 4,

by faith,

by our trust in Jesus Christ.

As it says in verse 5,

who is it that overcomes the world?

Only he who believes

that Jesus is the Son of God.

So how do I know I have this life?

How do I know I have the gift

of eternal life

and Jesus living within me?

Answer,

I have the experience

of being born again.

The second big question

that we're going to ask of this text,

and we'll be a bit quicker

through this section,

is how do I know I have

that this life that I have is true?

How do I know that this life

is true?

Well, answer,

we have the evidence

of God's testimony.

You see,

the life that is found in Jesus

is not made up.

This isn't a fairy tale.

It's true.

It's not a legend or lies.

He wants us to know

that this is true

and we can depend upon it.

So let's look at the evidence

that he gives us.

Look at verse 6.

This is the one

who came by water

and blood,

Jesus Christ.

He did not come by water only,

but by water and blood.

And it is the Spirit

who testifies

because the Spirit

is the truth.

Wait, I'm sure

you're scratching your head

as I did

the first few times

I read this.

What's all this about?

Water,

blood,

spirit?

How is that evidence?

Well, look at verse 7.

For there are three

that testify,

the Spirit,

the water,

and the blood.

And the three

are in agreement.

Now I think the best way

to help us through this

is if we could imagine

a court scene.

And the question

that is being asked

is this,

how do we know

that the life of Jesus

is true?

Where's the evidence

that Jesus is true?

And the life

that he has promised

to give us

is real.

Well, three witnesses

are called to the stand.

The water,

the blood,

and the Spirit.

And so what we're called

to do is to listen

to their story,

to examine their story,

and as we listen,

you will see

that this is true,

the life of Jesus

is true.

So the first witness

to take the stand

is water,

the voice

of the Father.

Look at verse 6 again.

This is the one

who came by water

and blood,

Jesus Christ.

What's that referring to?

Well, remember,

the public ministry

of Jesus

started with

his baptism.

That's where,

if you like,

Jesus was fully

and truly

introduced

to the world.

So have a look with me

back at Mark's Gospel,

chapter 1.

Keep your finger

in 1 John 5

and go back

to Mark's Gospel,

chapter 1.

Mark 1,

Mark 1:9–11

verse 9 to 11.

So it's saying

that Jesus came

by water.

He was introduced

to the world

through his baptism.

Mark 1,

Mark 1:9

verse 9.

At that time,

Jesus came

from Nazareth

and Galilee.

You all there?

Mark 1,

Mark 1:9

verse 9.

Let's read again.

At that time,

Jesus came

from Nazareth

and Galilee

and was baptized

by John

in the Jordan.

As Jesus

was coming up

out of the water,

he saw heaven

being torn open

and the Spirit

descending on him

like a dove.

and the voice

came from heaven,

you are my Son

whom I love.

With you

I am well pleased.

The Father declares

from heaven

in an audible voice,

he declares to us all

who Jesus is.

You are my Son

whom I love.

With you

I am well pleased.

A clear identification

of who Jesus is.

To be identified

as the Son

was to be a position

of absolute power

and supreme authority.

This was Jesus,

the God-man

coming to earth

and beginning

his public ministry.

The one who came

to give life.

So the testimony

of water

is to say,

listen to the voice

of the Father.

God himself

speaking

about who Jesus is.

Listen to his voice

and you will know

that it is true.

The second witness

to take the stand

is the blood.

The work of the Son.

Go back to

1 John chapter 5.

1 John 5 · chapter mention

We read there

in verse 6,

1 John chapter 5

1 John 5:6

verse 6,

this is the one

who came by water

and blood

Jesus Christ.

He did not come

by water only

but by water

and blood.

Blood

always

refers to

the death

of Jesus,

his sacrifice

on the cross

because that was

the very

mission of Jesus.

The reason

Jesus came,

the primary reason

was that he would

die

on the cross.

So in 1 John

1 John 1:7

chapter 1

verse 7,

we're reminded

of what the blood

achieves for us,

what his death

achieves for us.

1 John chapter 1

1 John 1:7

verse 7,

but if we walk

in the light

as he is in the light,

sorry,

I'm rushing ahead

of you there.

1 John chapter 1

1 John 1:7

verse 7,

if we walk in the light

as he is in the light,

we have fellowship

with one another

and the blood

of Jesus,

his son

purifies us

from all sin.

Or chapter 2

verse 2,

he is the atoning

sacrifice

for our sins

and not only

for ours

but also

for the sins

of the whole world.

The blood

of Jesus,

his death

on the cross

was not like

any other death.

It was unique

in the history

of the world.

It is the means

by which we can

be forgiven.

It's the means

by which we can

come in

and enjoy life

with God.

And how do we know

that's all true?

Well,

because we know

that three days later

Jesus rose

from the grave

proving

that his blood,

his death

on the cross

was the way

in which sins

would be dealt

with forever.

So the blood

comes and he

takes the stand

and it's as if

he's saying,

look,

at Jesus

on the cross.

Look at the work

of the Son

and you will know

that this Jesus

is true.

The third witness

to take the stand

is the Spirit.

The Spirit of truth.

We read in verse 6,

the end of verse 6

of chapter 5,

and it is the Spirit

who testifies

because the Spirit

is the truth.

You see,

the Spirit of God

takes what is true

about Jesus

and applies it

to our hearts.

Have a look with me

back,

just one more reference.

Again,

keep your finger there

in 1 John 5

and go to

John's Gospel

chapter 15.

This tells us

something about

the role

and the ministry

of the Holy Spirit.

John's Gospel

chapter 15

and verse 26.

John 15

John 15:26

verse 26.

John 15

John 15:26

verse 26.

When the

counsellor

comes

whom I will

send to you

from the Father.

And who's

that counsellor?

He is the Spirit

of Truth

who goes out

from the Father.

He will testify

about me.

He will speak

about me.

Jump over

to chapter 16

verse 13.

But when He,

the Spirit

of Truth,

comes,

He will guide

you into

all truth.

He will not

speak on His

own.

He will speak

only what He

hears and He

will tell you

what is yet

to come.

He will bring

glory to me

by taking

what is mine

and making

it known

to you.

Do you see

the work

of the Spirit?

The Spirit

of God

takes the

truth about

Jesus

and He

puts it

into our

hearts

to convince

us and

to reassure

us that

Jesus is

true.

The Spirit

acts like

the final

concluding piece

of the evidence.

He takes

everything that

has been

said about

Jesus

and He

drives it

deep into

our hearts.

He testifies

to us

that this

is true.

So the

testimony is

listen to

the voice

of the

Father

speaking at

Jesus'

baptism.

Look at

the work

of the

Son of

Jesus

on the

cross.

Learn

from the

truth of

the Spirit

and you

will know

that this

is true.

So we

have heard

the evidence,

the water,

the blood

and the

Spirit

taken

together

they show

us that

this life

is true.

Verse 9,

1 John

1 John 5:9

chapter 5

verse 9,

we accept

man's

testimony

but God's

testimony

is greater

because it

is the

testimony

of God

which He

has given

about His

Son.

Yes,

man's

testimony

is important.

That's how

he started

off the

letter,

talking about

the eyewitness

accounts.

Man's

testimony

is important.

What we

experience

about Jesus

is vital

but,

verse 9,

God's

testimony

is greater.

It's like

God calls

Himself

to the

witness stand.

God puts

Himself

on trial

and God

gives the

evidence.

You see,

just think

about the

whole story

of Jesus.

Nobody

could ever

make this

up.

Nobody

could ever

invent a

story or

create a

philosophy

that matches

the truth

about Jesus.

No one

could ever

come up

with the

idea of

God,

Father,

Son,

and Spirit

giving

testimony

to us.

This is

not something

that just

suddenly comes

up in our

imagination.

This is

the very

revelation

of God.

Jesus

is not

our idea.

He is

God's

Son.

God

Himself

come to

earth and

God has

given

testimony

about it.

So,

don't believe

it because

I say it.

don't believe

it because

it sounds

like a

nice story.

Believe it

because God

has said

it.

Verse 10,

anyone who

believes in

the Son of

God has

this testimony

in his

heart.

Anyone who

does not

believe God

has made

him out to

be a liar

because he

has not

believed the

testimony God

has given

about his

Son.

there is

no greater

word to

have than

the word

of God

to our

lives.

So,

how do I

know about

the eternal

life in

Jesus?

I have

the experience

of being

born again.

How do I

know this

life in

Jesus is

true?

I have

the evidence

of God's

testimony.

We can be

absolutely

sure and

fully

convinced

of the

life that

we have.

Let's pray

together.

Amen.

Our

Father God,

we recognize

that we

go into

a world

that is

opposed to

you,

a world

that does

not believe

that Jesus

is the

life,

a world

that will

shirk their

shoulders and

turn away

from truth.

So,

would you

please encourage

us from what

we've heard

that we can

go with

absolute

confidence

and complete

assurance

that this

life is

real and

that this

life is

true.

And we

pray that

you would

give us

opportunity

to show

how it

is true,

to point

out the

evidence

so that

others may

be convinced

and turned

towards you.

and we

pray that

even in

our own

lives,

that as

we believe

in Jesus,

as we

love others

and as we

obey his

commands,

that even

through these

very actions,

people would

see that

you are

real and

that the

life that

you have

come to

give is

true.

Father,

encourage us

and build

us up in

our faith,

we pray,

giving us

courage to

speak of

you and

to live

for you.

We pray

this in

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

We're

going to

sing together

a great

hymn as

we've been

thinking about

the life of

Jesus in

Christ alone

my hope

is found.

He is my

light,

my strength

and my

song.

Here,

in the

love of

Christ,

I stand.

Let's

stand together

then as

we sing.