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1JOHN 5:6-21
LESSON #12
KNOWING THAT JESUS IS GOD
MEMORY VERSE: 1JO 5:13
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SAID THERE WAS NOTHING CERTAIN BUT DEATH AND TAXES. JOHN WOULD NOTAGREE WITH HIM. JOHN SAID WE CAN BE CERTAIN ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE SAVED. IN FACTJOHN SAYS THERE ARE 5 THINGS WE CAN BE SURE ABOUT.
READ 1JO 5:6-21 THE FIVE CERTAINTIES
1. JESUS IS GOD (5:6-10)
WHAT PROOF DOES JOHN PRESENT THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD?
THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT JESUS NEVER SAID HE WAS GOD. THEY ARE WRONG. JESUSDID SAY HE WAS GOD. MAT 26:63-65 THE HIGH PRIEST WAS UPSET BECAUSE JESUS SAID HE WAS GOD.JOHN 10:24-33
THE JEWS WERE ABOUT TO STONE HIM BECAUSE HE SAID HE WAS GOD.
EVERY TIME IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN THAT JESUS USED THE PHRASE “I AM” (THE DOOR,THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIGHT, THE RESURRECTION, ETC.), HE WAS SAYING HE IS GOD. DESPITETHESE PROOFS IN THE GOSPELS, JOHN GIVES PROOF HERE IN 1JOHN THAT JESUS IS GOD (8):
THE LAW DEMANDED 3 WITNESSES TO DETERMINE IF SOMETHING WAS TRUE. (DEU 19:15)
THERE ARE 3 WITNESSES THAT JESUS IS GOD: THE WATER, THE BLOOD, AND THE SPIRIT.
THE WITNESS OF THE WATER AND THE BLOOD:
THERE ARE VARYING INTERPRETATIONS AS TO WHAT JOHN MEANT BY THE WATER AND THE BLOOD.
#1. THIS REFERS TO THE WATER AND THE BLOOD THAT CAME FROM JESUS SIDE WHEN THESOLDIER PIERCED HIM WITH A SPEAR ON THE CROSS VERIFYING JESUS DEATH.
#2. THE WATER REFERS TO JESUS BAPTISM WHEN GOD SAID “THIS IS MY BELOVED SONIN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” (MAT 3:13-17)
THE BLOOD REFERS TO JESUS DEATH ON THE CROSS WHEN GOD SAID, “I HAVE BOTHGLORIFIED (MY NAME) AND WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN.” (JOH 12:28)
I PREFER INTERPRETATION #2 BECAUSE JOHN IS ARGUING AGAINST THE GNOSTIC DOCTRINE THATSAID JESUS WAS DIVINE ONLY FROM THE TIME OF HIS BAPTISM UNTIL HE WENT TO THE CROSS. JOHNWAS CONCERNED ABOUT PROVING THAT JESUS WAS ALWAYS DIVINE FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLDAND INCLUDING WHILE HE HUNG ON THE CROSS.
THE HOLY SPIRITS WITNESS:
THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ALWAYS TO POINT TO AND ELEVATE JESUS CHRIST. (JOH 15:26JOH 16:14)
HOW DO WE COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS GOD?
BY THE WATER, THE BLOOD, AND THE SPIRIT.
A. THE CLEANSING NATURE OF THE WORD OF GOD WASHES US AS IT REVEALS SIN TO US GUIDING USTO JESUS.
B. THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST IS REVEALED TO US AS THE MEANS OF CLEANSING FROM SIN.
C. THE HOLY SPIRIT APPLIES THIS CLEANSING TO OUR HEARTS AND LIVES AS WE CONFESS OURSINS AND RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST.
NOTICE THAT VS. 10 SAYS THAT IF YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS YOU HAVE THE WITNESS WITHINYOURSELF. THAT MEANS YOU HAVE THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
ONLY GOD CAN FORGIVE SIN. WHEN WE EXPERIENCE THIS FORGIVENESS, WE KNOW THATJESUS IS GOD.
THERE ARE THE HEAVENLY “WITNESSES”
IN VERSE 7, HEAVENLY WITNESSES ARE MENTIONED: THE FATHER, THE WORD, AND THE HOLYSPIRIT. ALMOST ALL SCHOLARS AGREE THAT THIS VERSE WAS NOT ORIGINALLY PART OF JOHNSLETTER. IT DOES NOT APPEAR IN ANY GREEK MANUSCRIPT BEFORE THE 4TH CENTURY.PROBABLY IT WAS ADDED AS A NOTE IN THE MARGIN BY SOME SCRIBE. WHETHER BY JOHN OR BY ASCRIBE, VERSE 7 NEITHER ADDS ANYTHING OR TAKES AWAY ANYTHING FROM JOHNS MESSAGE.
2. BELIEVERS HAVE ETERNAL LIFE (5:11-13)
THE GOSPEL IN A NUTSHELL:
IF YOU HAVE JESUS, YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. IF YOU DONT HAVE JESUS, YOU DO NOT HAVEETERNAL LIFE.
JOHNS PURPOSE FOR WRITING THIS LETTER:
JOHN WANTS BELIEVERS TO KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE BORN AGAIN AND HAVE ETERNALLIFE.
THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE ASKS YOU HOW YOU KNOW YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, YOU CAN SAY,”BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS I DO IN 1 JOHN 5:12.
3. GOD ANSWERS PRAYER (5:14-15)
WHAT DOES JOHN SAY IS THE KEY TO ANSWERED PRAYER?
4. CHRISTIANS DO NOT HABITUALLY PRACTICE SIN (5:16-19)
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD THE CHRISTIAN BROTHER WHO SINS:
PRAY FOR HIM UNLESS THERE IS A SIN UNTO DEATH.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PRAY FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST THAT THEY WILLWALK FREE FROM SIN. HOWEVER, WE ARE TOLD NOT TO PRAY FOR A CHRISTIAN WHO IS LIVING IN ASIN THAT LEADS TO DEATH. WHY NOT?
IF A SIN LEADS TO DEATH, IT IS GOD WHO IS CHASTISING THE PERSON AND IT IS GODSWILL THAT THE PERSON SUFFER THE CHASTISEMENT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SIN UNTO DEATH? (16-17)
IDENTIFYING THE SIN UNTO DEATH IS VERY DIFFICULT AND VERY CONTROVERSIAL.
#1. SOME SAY THAT “DEATH” HERE MEANS “SPIRITUAL” DEATH OR ETERNALSEPARATION FROM GOD IN HELL.
#2. OTHERS SAY THAT “DEATH” HERE MEANS “PHYSICAL” DEATH.
BECAUSE JOHN IS TALKING ABOUT CHRISTIANS AND THEIR LIFESTYLE OF NOT PRACTICING HABITUALSIN, I PREFER INTERPRETATION #2.
WE HAVE SOME BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF THE LOSS OF PHYSICAL LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN BECAUSE OF ALIFESTYLE OF HABITUAL SIN:
A. ACT 5:1-11 ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA
B. 1COR 11:30 MIS-USE OF COMMUNION
C. 1COR 5:1-5 SIN OF INCEST IN THE CHURCH
OBVIOUSLY, THE SIN UNTO DEATH IS NOT SOME SPECIFIC SIN, NOR IS IT JUST ANY SIN. IF ITWERE JUST ANY SIN, NONE OF US WOULD BE LEFT LIVING ON THIS EARTH. BECAUSE OF THE CONTEXTOF THIS LETTER, IT WOULD SEEM TO BE A GENERAL CATEGORY OF HABITUALLY LIVING IN SIN, AND ANUNWILLINGNESS TO REPENT OF IT. THEREFORE, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN SAY THROUGH JOHN THAT THECHRISTIAN WILL NOT HABITUALLY PRACTICE SIN BECAUSE THE LORD WILL REMOVE HIM FROM THISEARTHLY LIFE IF HE PERSISTS IN IT WITHOUT REPENTANCE.
THE CHRISTIANS DEFENSE AGAINST THE WORLD SYSTEM (18-19)
A. GUARD YOURSELF FROM THE ATTACKS OF SATAN.
B. THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE WHOLE WORLD IS PUT TO SLEEP BY SATAN.
IN VERSE 19, THE PHRASE “LIETH IN WICKEDNESS” MEANS TO BE ASLEEP IN THE ARMSOF THE WICKED ONE, SATAN.
5. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE REAL LIFE (5:20-21)
A. TRUE WISDOM COMES FROM EXPERIENCING GOD.
B. THE TRUE GOD IS JESUS CHRIST TO WHOM YOU COMMIT YOUR LIFE.
C. THE CHRISTIAN WILL AVOID IDOLS WHICH ARE FALSE BY CHOOSING TO FOLLOW THE REAL, TRUEGOD, JESUS CHRIST.
CHRISTIANS CHOOSE NOT ONLY BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, THEY CHOOSE BETWEEN TRUE AND FALSE.
HOMEWORK
1JOHN REVIEW
2JOHN PREVIEW
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF 1JO 5:6-21
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT JESUS CHRIST THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW BEFORE?
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW BEFORE?
HOW WILL THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE?
PREPARATION FOR 1JO REVIEW AND 2JO PREVIEW:
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU LEARNED IN THE WHOLE BOOK OF 1JOHN?
READ 2JOHN
FOR WHAT GOOD THINGS DOES JOHN COMMEND THIS CHURCH?
WHAT CHURCH PROBLEMS DOES JOHN DISCUSS IN THIS BOOK?
MEMORY VERSE: 2JOHN 10
