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1JOHN 5:1-5
LESSON #11
VICTORY AND AN OVERCOMING FAITH
MEMORY VERSE: 1JOHN 5:4
JOHN RETURNS TO TALKING ABOUT LOVE FOR THE THIRD TIME. HOWEVER, THIS TIME HE LINKS LOVEWITH LIFE. IN THE FIRST SECTION OF THE BOOK, WE SAW THAT GOD IS LIGHT. IN THE CENTERSECTION WE SAW THAT GOD IS LOVE, AND NOW WE SEE THAT GOD IS LIFE.
READ 1JO 5:1-5 VICTORY OVER THE WORLD
JOHN TELLS THE BELIEVER HOW TO HAVE VICTORY IN HIS LIFE. THEREFORE, WE CAN ASSUME THATIT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE VICTORY. EVEN THOUGH WE LIVE IN A FALLEN WORLD, WE DO NOT HAVE TOBE CONTROLLED BY AND AT THE MERCY OF THIS WORLD SYSTEM.
THE STARTING POINT TO VICTORY BIRTH
1. GOD IS LIFE EXPRESSED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
2. LIFE BEGINS WITH BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS SAID, “I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE”.
READ JOH 14:6
LIFE BEGINS WITH BIRTH. YOUR VICTORIOUS LIFE BEGAN WITH BEING BORN AGAIN WHEN YOU FIRSTBELIEVED THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD IN THE FLESH, AND WHEN YOU BELIEVED THAT JESUS CAME TODIE ON THE CROSS PERSONALLY FOR YOUR SINS.
IN OTHER WORDS, LIFE BEGINS WITH BELIEVING 2 THINGS:
1. WHO JESUS CHRIST IS. (GOD IN THE FLESH)
2. WHAT JESUS CHRIST DID ON THE CROSS. (DIED FOR YOUR SINS)
IT DOES NOT PRODUCE LIFE IF YOU ONLY BELIEVE #2. YOU MUST ALSO BELIEVE WHO HE IS.
IN JOH 14:6, THE PHRASE “I AM” IS JESUS STATEMENT OF DEITY. THIS IS WHAT GODSAID TO MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH.
LIFE AND LOVE (2)
LOVING GOD
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU LOVE GOD?
TO LOVE GOD MEANS TO TOTALLY GIVE YOURSELF OVER TO HIM .
REMEMBER agape MEANS TO BECOME ONE WITH.
GOD BECOMES ONE WITH YOU WHEN HIS SPIRIT COMES TO LIVE INSIDE OF YOU. HOWEVER, YOU MUSTBECOME ONE WITH HIM. THAT ONLY OCCURS THROUGH SURRENDER…YOU EXCHANGE LIVES WITH HIM. YOUGIVE HIM YOUR LIFE AND HE GIVES YOU HIS LIFE. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
READ GAL 2:20
1. YOU CONTINUALLY OBEY HIS WORD.
YOU DENY YOUR INWARD SELF-CENTERED WAYS.
2. YOU CONTINUALLY TRUST GODS POWER.
THE MOST DIFFICULT PART IS TRUSTING GODS POWER TO FULFILL HIS WILL IN YOUR LIFE.
3. YOU CONTINUALLY WORSHIP AND SERVE HIM.
WORSHIP OCCURS INTERNALLY.
SERVING OCCURS EXTERNALLY.
THEN YOU WILL GET TO THE POINT WHERE JESUS IS NOT ONLY IN YOUR LIFE, BUT JESUS ISYOUR LIFE. THAT IS WHERE JOH 16:13 COMES IN.
WE OVERCOME BECAUSE HE FIGHTS THE BATTLE.
HOW CAN YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN?
ACCORDING TO 1JO 5:2, JOHN SAYS WE CAN KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE ETERNALLIFE.
THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIANS AND SUPPOSEDLY CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS THAT SAY YOU CANNOT KNOWFOR SURE YOU ARE SAVED UNTIL YOU GET TO HEAVEN.
THAT MAY BE TRUE IF YOU BELIEVE IN WORKS AS A MEANS TO SALVATION. THEN YOU WILL NEVERKNOW WHEN YOU HAVE DONE ENOUGH WORKS TO EARN SALVATION. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU AREIN A STATE OF GRACE.
JOHN SAYS YOU CAN KNOW FOR SURE THAT YOU ARE BORN AGAIN:
1. IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS, YOU KNOW THAT EVERYONE THAT HABITUALLYPRACTICES RIGHTEOUSNESS IS BORN OF GOD. (1JO 1:29)
2. IF YOU DO NOT PRACTICE SIN HABITUALLY. (1JO 3:9)
3. IF YOU LOVE TO BE WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS AND ENJOY SHOWING THEM LOVE. (1JO 4:7)
4. IF YOU ARE AN OVERCOMER IN LIFE, YOU KNOW YOU ARE BORN AGAIN. (1JO 5:4)
5. IF YOU KEEP YOURSELF AWAY FROM SATANS DECEPTIONS, YOU WILL KNOW YOU ARE BORNAGAIN. (1JO 4:6 1JO 5:18)
LIFE AND OBEDIENCE
GODS COMMANDS ARE NOT “GRIEVOUS”. THEY ARE NOT BURDENSOME OR HEAVY.(MAT 11:28-30)
LEGALISM WAS HARD TO KEEP. IT BECAME A BURDEN. WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY RULES OFDOS AND DONTS, EVENTUALLY ONE RULE WILL CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER RULE AND THENYOU HAVE A DILEMMA OF WHICH ONE TO KEEP AND WHICH ONE TO BREAK.
KEEPING GODS COMMANDS IS NOT LIKE THAT. WHY?
THEY ONLY BECOME BURDENSOME WHEN WE HAVE A WRONG MOTIVE. IF WE KEEP GODS COMMANDSBECAUSE OF OBLIGATION, IT BECOMES A BURDEN. IF WE KEEP GODS COMMANDS BECAUSE OFLOVE, IT IS A JOY AND PLEASURE.
THE UNSAVED MAN FINDS THE BIBLE INCOMPREHENSIBLE.
THE CARNAL CHRISTIAN FINDS THE BIBLE BURDENSOME.
THE SPIRITUAL CHRISTIAN FINDS THE BIBLE A SOURCE OF JOY AND LOVE.
PSALM 119 IS THE LONGEST PSALM. IT IS ALL ABOUT GODS LAW. OVER AND OVER THEWRITER TELLS US HOW HE REJOICES IN IT (VS. 14, 16, 24, 97, 103, 162, ETC)
THE PRINCIPLE OF OVERCOMING FAITH:
JOHN TELLS US THAT BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS OVERCOME THE WORLD. (4) THEY ARE THE ONES WHOHAVE VICTORY.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW FOR SURE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN, YOU CANSEE THE RESULTS IN HIS LIFE. HE WILL BE THE ONE WHO OVERCOMES.
IF #1 THROUGH #3 ABOVE ARE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR LIFE, #4, OVERCOMING, WILLAUTOMATICALLY RESULT. WHY?
BECAUSE YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT YOUR FAITH WILL GROW IN PROPORTION TO YOUR SURRENDER.
YOU DO NOT OVERCOME THE WORLD BY FIGHTING IT. WE HAVE A BIBLICAL EXAMPLE:
WHEN JOSHUA ENTERED THE PROMISE LAND, THERE WERE 3 MAJOR ENEMIES HE HAD TO OVERCOME.THE FIRST ONE WAS THE CITY OF JERICHO (JOS 6) WHICH REPRESENTS “THE WORLDSYSTEM”. THE SECOND ENEMY WAS THE CITY OF AI WHICH REPRESENTS “THE FLESHNATURE”. THE THIRD ENEMY WAS THE DECEPTIVE GIBEONITE PEOPLE WHICH REPRESENTS”THE DEVIL”. WE HAVE THE SAME 3 ENEMIES.
HOW DID JOSHUA OVERCOME THE CITY OF JERICHO THAT REPRESENTS THE WORLD SYSTEM?
SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
IN THIS SECTION WE HAVE SEEN THE INTERWOVEN ASPECTS OF LOVE, OBEDIENCE, AND TRUTH THATPRODUCE AN OVERCOMING LIFE.
AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANS ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE CORRECTLY WHO JESUS IS (KNOW TRUTH), THEYARE BORN AGAIN. THEY LOVE GOD AND OTHER BELIEVERS (KNOW LOVE). BECAUSE OF THEIR LOVE, THEYOBEY CHRIST (KNOW OBEDIENCE). THEIR TRUTH, LOVE, AND OBEDIENCE INCREASES THEIR FAITH SOTHAT THEY ARE OVERCOMERS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
HOMEWORK
1JOHN 5:6-21
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF 1JO 5:1-5
WE HAVE SEEN THAT THREE ASPECTS OF LIFE ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO BEING AN OVERCOMER TRUTH, LOVE, AND OBEDIENCE.
WHICH OF THESE THREE ASPECTS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE DO YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE MORE BALANCEIN YOUR LIFE? WHY?
HOW WILL YOU CONCENTRATE MORE ON THIS ASPECT OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST THISWEEK?
PREPARATION OF 1JO 5:6-21
READ 1JO 5:6-21
WHAT PROOF DOES JOHN PRESENT THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD?
WHAT DOES VERSE 6 MEAN BY “WATER” AND “BLOOD”?
WHAT ARE THE “WITNESSES” OF GOD THAT JOHN MENTIONS?
WHAT DOES JOHN SAY IS THE KEY TO ANSWERED PRAYER?
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SIN UNTO DEATH? (16-17)
MEMORY VERSE: 1JO 5:13
