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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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FINAL
EVIDENCES AND CONLUSION (1 John 5:14-21) Grace
Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor
Daryl Hilbert I. OUTLINE FULL JOY OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD A. ENJOYING
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD (CH 1) B. REMAINING IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD (CH 2) C. DISCERNING FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD (Ch 3, 4,
5) II. CONCLUSION: FINAL
EVIDENCE (5:14-21) A. Final
Evidence of Answered Prayer (5:14-15) 1. The
true believer has seen bona fide answers to his prayers. In fact, as a child
of God, he has “confidence” (parręsía
- freedom of speech, judgment, or worry) that God answers his prayers. 2. The believer grows in his understanding
of the word, which reveals God’s will. As the believer understands more and
more of what is God’s will, his prayers are in accordance with God’s will.
John says that if we ask anything according to God’s will, He will hear us. 3. If God hears our prayers then He will
answer our prayers. God always hears our prayers, but this refers to hearing
us in the sense that our prayers are in agreement with His will. 4. Prayer is not twisting God’s arm to get
what we want. Rather, prayer is aligning our hearts with God’s will. B. Final
Evidence of Sin unto to Death (5:16-17) 1. Next,
John tells us what to do if we see a brother sin. A believer should pray for
a sinning brother and seek his restoration with God (Ga 6:1). 2. One of the reasons why a believer should
pray is that if a believer’s sin is serious enough and if unrepented, God can
and will bring discipline. In fact, God’s discipline could be unto death. An
unrepentant believer could become cause for the Lord to bring physical death.
The believer will be saved, but he will have a premature removal from this
life. 3. John refers to serious and unrepented sin
as “sin leading to death” or lit. “sin toward death” (hamartía
prós thánatou). This does not refer to one particular sin,
but rather a serious sin that is flagrantly and habitually committed. 4. The New Testament has several examples of
sin that leads to death. a) For
example, Ananias and Sapphira were dealt with in such means when they lied to
the Holy Spirit (Ac 5:1-11). b) Another example is partaking of a sinful
lifestyle and partaking of the Lord’s table. Paul says to the Corinthians, “for this reason many among you are weak and sick, and
a number sleep” (1Co 11:30). “Sleep” is a Christian
metaphor for death. 5. John
rightly says, “all unrighteousness is sin” and not all sin will provoke God’s
discipline to the magnitude of death (17). a) But
left unconfessed and undealt with, serious sin could lead to death. b) The remedy is to judge ourselves (1Co
11:31), confess and repent of our sin
(1Jn 1:9; 2Co 7:9), prayer (1Jn 5:16-17; Ja 5:14-16), and church discipline
(1Co 5:5 cp. 2Co 2:7). . C. Final
Evidence Victory Over Sin and the Evil One
(5:18-19) 1. A
true believer may struggle with sin but he will not live a habitual lifestyle
of sin (18). a) One
reason is that if he is a true believer, the Lord may discipline and take him
home. b) John’s reason is that one who is born of
God will not want to sin. Furthermore, God keeps (tęréō - hold
back, reserve) him from falling into sin and away from the influence of
the evil one. c) God keeps the evil one (Satan - Ep
6:16; 1Jn 2:14) from touching (háptō
- take hold of, Jn 20:17)
the believer because he is a child of God and because Jesus prayed for him
(Jn 17:15). 2. Another
reason why John says the evil one does not lay hold of the believer is
because the believer is no longer under the power of the evil one (19). This
is not the case for the unbeliever. In fact, the whole unbelieving world lies
under the power of the evil one. D. Final
Evidence Understanding the True God (20-21) 1. The
believer, because he has the Holy Spirit, has spiritual understanding of his
salvation in Christ (20). a) The
Holy Spirit has enlightened the believer’s mind so that he has spiritual
perception (understanding - diánoia, cp Mk 12:30) about the
truth. b) He has spiritual understanding regarding (1) knowing
the true God (1Jn 2:14). (2) knowing he is in Christ (1Jn 4:13). (3) knowing he has eternal life (1Jn 5:13). 2. John’s
final admonition begins with a final expression of affection, “little
children.” Such a term portrays fatherly concern and instruction. a) He
commands his children to guard themselves from idols. b) An idol is anything that takes our
devotion and worship from God. This may also include false teachers and their
teaching. c) A final evidence of a true believer is
not that he will not experience struggles. However, in the midst of those
struggles, his devotion toward the Lord will ever increase. E. Summary
of the Evidences of Salvation 1. A relationship and
fellowship with Jesus Christ (1:1-4) 2. Walking in the light of God’s Word
(1:5-8) 3. Awareness and acknowledgment of sin
(1:9-10) 4. Spiritual growth in the Christian life
(2:1-14) 5. Love and Obedience to God’s Word (2:3;
2:14) 6. Movement away from worldliness (2:15-19) 7. Discernment about the truth and false
teachers (2:20-29; 4:1-6) 8. Familial relationships with God and His
children (3:1-18) 9. Love for God and His children (2:8-10;
3:11-8; 4:7-21) 10. Assurance of God’s love and salvation
(3:20-21; 4:17-18) 11. Saving and growing faith (5:1-13) 12. Victory over sin (2:1; 3:4-9; 5:18) 13. Victory over the evil one (2:13-14; 3:12;
5:18-19) 14. Wholehearted commitment to God (5:20-21) F. Applications of the
Evidences of Salvation 1. Be sure of your own
salvation. 2. Be a fruit inspector of those who claim
to be believers. 3. Test the spirits of Christians and
teachers. 4. Realize there is a counterfeit program in
existence. 5. Be strong in the Word. |
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