Let us turn then to God's Word
and I want to direct your attention this morning to words that we
find in the first general epistle of John. The first general epistle
of John chapter 5 and verse 13. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may
know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God." In the first epistle general of John
chapter 5 and verse 13. And our theme is that of eternal
life, which of course lies at the very heart of the text. John
writes, he says that ye may know that you have eternal life. And this life is here quite clearly
seen to be bound up with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because
either side of that clause, that statement concerning eternal
life, we read of those that believe on the name of the Son of God
and then again that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. So the eternal life that is spoken
of at the heart of the text is clearly associated with the belief
in the name of the Son of God. and he is the one spoken of again
here at the end of the epistle at the end of verse 20 John says
this is the true God and eternal life that is his son Jesus Christ
this is the true God and eternal life it is eternal life then
to be those who are believing, those who are trusting in the
name of the Son of God. And first of all, I want to speak
of that knowledge of the Son of God that is here set before
us, that ye may know that you have eternal life. To know that
we have eternal life is to be those who have that saving knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But see, here in the text, He
is twice spoken of as the Son of God. This is the particular
name that John is giving to the Lord Jesus as he writes under
the gracious inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Yes, it's John who
is writing these things. These things have I written unto
you, he says. But John himself is here, one
who's The pen is directed by the Spirit of God Himself. It's part of the Holy Scriptures
that we're reading. It's not so much the Word of
John, but more especially, it is the Word of God. And the nine,
the nine that is given is that of the Son of God. And we know the significance
of that, of course, it's big to us. of the deity of the Lord
Jesus. Did not the Jews in John chapter
5 seek to kill him? They accused him of blasphemy
because he said that God was his father, making himself equal
with God. And here in this chapter we see
that great Trinitarian statement, do we not, in In verse 7, there
are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the words,
and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are
three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and
the blood, and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness
of men, the witness of God is greater, for this is the witness
of God, which He hath testified of His Son." What has God testified
of His Son? It is the truth of His equality.
that He is that One who is One with the Father and One with
the Holy Spirit. What then is it to have this
knowledge of the Son of God? Well, firstly, surely it is to
recognize the truth that as God, He is the One who is the Source
of all life. He is not the Son of God, the
One who is the Creator. of all things. And we have this
stated so many times in the Scriptures, in Ephesians chapter 3 and verse
9, the Apostle Paul speaks of God who created all things by
Jesus Christ. He is the Creator of all things. And again, Paul, when he writes
to the Colossians there, in Colossians chapter 1, at verse 16 says something that
is similar to what he had said to the Ephesians, Colossians
1 and verse 16, were all things created that
are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether
they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all
things were created by him and for him and he is before all
things and by him all things consist is speaking then again
of the Lord Jesus as that one who is the Creator. We go to
the Old Testament, we see exactly the same truth, do we not? He
is set before us there in the 8th chapter of the book of Proverbs,
and we read of Him as that one who is the Wisdom of God, just
as John speaks of Him as the Words of God, So Solomon speaks
in chapter 8 of Proverbs of that one who is the wisdom of God. And what does he say? Verse 27, when he prepared the
heavens I was there. When he set a compass upon the
face of the depth, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened
the fountains of the deep, when He gave to the sea His decree
that the water should not pass His commandment, when He appointed
the foundations of the earth. Then I was by Him, as one brought
up with Him. I was daily His delight, rejoicing
always before Him. how there we see the wisdom of
God, who is the Word of God, who is the Son of God. We see
Him as that One who is there at the creation of all things. Again, in the Psalms, in Psalm
33 and verse 6, we're told, by the Word of the Lord. were the
heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His
mouth." Oh, He is that One who is the Word of God, the three
that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost, and these three are one. And John emphasizes it so clearly,
does he not, in the opening verses of the Gospel. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
All things were made by Him. Without Him was not anything
made, but was made. In Him was life, and the life
was the light of man. Here He is then, set before us
as that One who is truly the source of life. He is the Creator of all things. And he's not only that one who
is the source of life, but in him we have the manifestation.
The manifestation of life. He is that one who reveals to
us the true God who is the source of all life. Look at the language
that is employed by John here in the text. He speaks of the
name. of the Son of God. These things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God. And again, at the end, that ye
may believe on the name of the Son of God. And we know something
of the significance of names as they appear here in Scripture. They are a declaration of a person. The very names that are given
to God's servants are names of the prophets in the Old Testament. So often that name is bound up
with the ministry of the man who bears the name. The most
striking example, of course, is that of the prophet Elijah. who comes and ministers there
in Israel, when the nation is sunk in the most gross idolatry,
they are worshipping Baal, there are multitudes of prophets of
the false god Baal. And suddenly this man appears,
this Tishbite, and his name, Elijah, literally declares, Jehovah
is God. Jehovah is God. Nines in our soul significant
in that they reveal something to us concerning the person who
bears the name. And so here in the text the name
of the Son of God is a revelation. It is the revelation of God. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son which is
in the bosom of the Father he hath revealed him. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who
comes as that one who is the revealer of God. And what is
it that the Lord Jesus reveals? What is it that is manifested
by his coming into this world? It is a manifestation of life. Remember what we're told here
in our text that you may know that you have eternal life. And
this eternal life, as I said, is bound up in the knowledge
of the Son of God. And so John writes at the beginning
of the epistle there in the second verse of chapter 1 says the life
was manifested. He's speaking of Christ, that
which was from the beginning. which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands
have handled, of the Word of Life. He's speaking of Jesus, Jesus
of Nazareth, whom he was so familiar with, he was the beloved disciple. He was there leaning upon the
Lord's bosom at the institution of the Holy Supper. and he says
here you see in the second verse in the opening chapter the life
was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show
unto you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested
unto us all this is that eternal life then that has been manifested
and what is it? it is the antidote of sin, the
antidote of death. What has man's rebellion against
God brought? It has brought death. It has
brought that awful separation from God. But here is that One who has
come, you see, to bring new life, to bring eternal life. Now the
first Adam was told quite plainly concerning the act of disobedience. In the day that thou eatest thereof,
eatest of that forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die. But here is the last Adam. And
what do we read here in verse 11? This is a record that God
hath given to us eternal life. and this life is in His Son. This is the record. This is the
point, the purpose of the New Testament Scriptures. It bears
testimony to that One who has come and has come as the Saviour
of sinners, who has come to bring life where there is nothing but
the deadness of sin. who has come to restore that
communion with God where there was nothing but separation from
God. He is that one then who has manifested
life just as He is the source of all life, the source of our
very physical lives, the creator of all things. So He is the one
who comes to bring that new life, that spiritual life, that eternal
life. He is the image of the invisible
God, is He not? He's spoken of at the opening
of the Hebrew Epistle, that in these last days God has spoken
unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also He made the worlds, who, being the brightness of
His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding
all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty
on high." He speaks previously of how God had spoken in time
past by the prophet, but now, oh what a manifestation, what
a revelation. God has come and God has revealed
Himself and He has made known, has He not, that goodness of
God, that grace of God? John says, the Word was made
flesh and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. Oh, what a manifestation! He's full of grace, He's full
of truth, here we learn something of all the goodness of God as
he manifests that eternal life the source of life the creator
of all things the one who has come into this world to grant
such a revelation of the mercy and the grace and the goodness
of God who has come to bring life where there was nothing
but death And then also with regards to this knowledge of
the Son of God we are to recognize something of the significance
of that life that he brings as the one who is the mediator of
the new covenant. At the end of Romans chapter
6 we're told the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord. the wages of sin is death but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
now observe what the Apostle Paul says there he speaks of
God's gift and that gift is life and that life is in the Lord
Jesus Christ who is the mediator See how Christ himself, in the
course of his ministry, speaks of these things. For example,
in that 5th chapter of the Gospel according to John, and there
at verse 25, John 5, verse 25, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming,
and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God, and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath
life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself,
and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because
He is the Son of Man." Now, when we think of the Lord Jesus Christ
as that One who is the eternal Son of God, who is himself equal
to the Father, who has that eternal life, because it is his in the
Godhead, we are to distinguish that from that life that he comes
to mediate, that life that he comes to minister to men, that
life that God gives the sinners as a gift, and it's that mediatorial
life that he's being spoken of here. And the Lord Jesus prefixes
this statement with the double veril. Here is the most solemn
truth. Verily, verily, the hour is coming,
and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God, and they that hear shall live. This is the ministry that
the Father has given him. As the Father hath life in himself,
so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. and have
given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the
son of man. Here is his ministry as the son
of man. Here is his ministry as that one who has come to this
earth to serve the will of the Father and to minister and to
minister to sinners that new life, that spiritual life. It
is life eternal. Remember the language of Christ.
Again there in John's Gospel as he comes to pray to the Father
in that 17th chapter, the great high priestly prayer, he speaks
of this life. He says, It is life eternal to
know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast
sent. I have glorified Thee on the
earth. I have finished the work that Thou gavest me to do. And
that work that was given to him to do involves the giving of
eternal life to those who of themselves are dead in trespasses
and in sins. And it is that life to know him
who is the true revealer of God. Again he says, I am come that
they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. This is the life, friends, that
is being spoken of here in our text this morning, that ye may
know that ye have eternal life. How can you know, how can I know
that we have this life? Well, it is that life that is
mediated by the Lord Jesus. It is only known in those who
believe, who believe on the name of the Son of God. that they
may believe on the name of the Son of God." Oh, we read that beautiful passage in the
11th chapter of John's Gospel concerning Christ's friend Lazarus,
whom he raises again from the dead. And remember those words
of the Lord that he speaks to the sister of Lazarus. I am the resurrection and the
life. He that believeth on me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this? All that
question, that solemn question that the Lord puts at the end
of that tremendous statement, believest thou this? Do we believe
it? Do we believe that He is the
resurrection and the life? That those who believe in Him,
though they were dead, yet shall they live. He is that One who
comes then to mediate life, to minister life to those who are
dead in trespasses and in sins. And that's the condition of us
all by nature, isn't it? Isn't that what we're told there
in those familiar words? At the beginning of Ephesians
chapter 2, you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in
the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others. But God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love, wherewith He loved us even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. by grace
you are saved. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who
brings that quickening. It is the Lord Jesus who ministers
that new life. And how so? Why, He Himself has
come, has He not? And He has borne that eternal
death. that was the sinner's dessert.
We've spoken recently of those three aspects of death. When Adam is told the consequence
of his disobedience here in Genesis chapter 2, in the day that thou
eatest thereof thou shalt surely die, said God. Dying thou shalt die. There was
an immediate death. He was spiritually dead. As a
transgressor, dead in trespasses and sin, And then, as we see
in Genesis 5, there came the hour of his physical death. When
the body returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit of
God who gave it. And then we said there is also
that eternal death that comes to those who know not the Saviour
of sinners, who have not partaken of that newness of life that
Christ came to minister. I am come that they might have
life, and that they might have it more abundantly, He says.
But those who know not Him, they must suffer an eternal death. But now Christ Himself has come,
and for His people, for those that the Father had given to
Him in the eternal covenant. Oh, has He not tasted that death? Has he not suffered what was
there just desert, born in his own person that punishment? When
he cries there in agonies upon the cross, my God, my God, why
hast thou forgiven her? And he does it when his people
are in that state of enmity, when they're in that state of
alienation. Paul says, If when we were enemies we were reconciled
to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we
shall be saved by His life. He has reconciled the sinner
by His dying, much more shall we be saved by His life, that
newness of life, you see. Because I live, Christ says,
ye shall live also. What does He communicate? He
gives that resurrection life. What is that saving faith that
He's exercised? It's according to the working
of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead. Oh, the Lord Jesus is that one
then who is truly the source of all life, He is the creator
of all things. but here in the gospel he has
come to manifest that new life there is such a revelation of
God and the goodness and the grace of God in him and he is
that one who mediates that life who ministers that life to sinners
these things have I written unto you that believe on the name
of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. But having sought to say something
then of that knowledge that we must have of the Son of God I
want in the second place to say something with regards to the
necessity of that ministry of the Holy Spirit Himself. Now
the Spirit is not spoken of in our text but surely the Spirit
is here in this 13th verse The Holy Spirit is the one who
is the inspirer of Scripture, is he not? And what does John
say? These things have I written unto you. He reminds us of the
language that we have there in his Gospel at the end of chapter
20. In John chapter 20 and verse 31 he writes these are written, that ye might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
ye might have life through his name." Now, the truth in many
respects that's declared there in the Gospel at the end of chapter
20 in John is the same truth as we have here in this text
this morning in 1 John 5.13. There in the Gospel he says,
these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his
name. And here, these things have I
written unto you that believe on the
name of the Son of God, and that ye might know that ye have eternal
life. But all this writing Isn't John one of those holy
men of God who spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God?
Remember how Peter there at the end of the opening chapter in
the second epistle speaks of the ministry of the prophets
in the Old Testament? They were those holy men and
they spake moved by the Spirit of God and the strength of the
verb that he uses to move. It's that word that's also used
in Acts 27 and verses 15 and 17 concerning that terrible storm,
Europodon, that the Apostle Paul experiences as he's traveling
across the Mediterranean, going to Rome, and they're caught up
in this tremendous storm and the mariners they cannot do anything
they just have to commit the vessel to the wind and to the
waves and there in verses 15 and 17 of Acts 27 we're told
about how to leave the vessel to drive and it's driven along
It's in the hands of the elements, and the mariners have no control
of the vessel at all. Well, it's the same word, the
same word that Peter uses. Those men, those holy men, they
were driven by the Spirit, they were born along by the Spirit
of God, they were not speaking their own words. They were speaking
the words of God, and so too with regards to these apostles
in the New Testament. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, says the Apostle Paul. And so when John writes, these
things have I written unto you. It's not so much the writing
of John, it's the Spirit. The Holy Spirit himself is the
inspirer of the Scriptures. He is the inspirer of these words
that we consider as our text this morning, if this is but
the opinion of John. Oh friends, what is that to us?
Good man that John might be. We want not the words of a man,
we want to know that we're considering that that is truly the Word of
God. And here we see the Holy Spirit who is the author of the
Scriptures. Now we need that the Spirit who
first inspired the writing of the Apostle might come and write
these precious truths in all of our hearts to grant to us
that gracious application of the truth. What is it to come
together and to hear God's words in the reading or to read God's
word for ourselves? What is it? What is it to come
to a service and to not only have God's word read but God's
word preached? We don't come just to have our
minds in form. I trust that we come that we
might find some real spiritual sustenance for our souls, that
there might be that blessed application of the truth. And that is the
ministry of the Spirit. He is the inspirer of the Scriptures
in the first place, but He must also come and He must apply the
words. And the Holy Spirit, of course,
is that one who is the giver of new life. That she may know
that she have eternal life. From whence does eternal life
come? Does it not come by the ministry of the Spirit? The Lord
Jesus says, it is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh, profiteth
nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. Oh, it's those words of
the Lord Jesus then when they come in the hand of the Spirit,
when the Spirit Himself takes the words and applies the words,
they are spirit and they are life. Now, we see it of course
so clearly throughout the ministry of the Lord Jesus. We are told
At the end of the third chapter in John, as of God, give us not
the Spirit by measure unto him. Now, he is clearly the Christ,
he is that one who is anointed. How is he anointed? He is anointed
by God with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit descended upon him
that he is baptizing. And so he tells us here in that
verse at the end of the third chapter in John. He whom God hath sent speaketh
the words of God. For God giveth not the Spirit
by measure unto him. Well, we need the Spirit then
to come and to apply the words to clothe the words of God with
such an authority. In the course of Christ's earthly
ministry the disciples were very much aware of that. At the end
of the 6th chapter in John where we see those sad diminishing,
so many departing, so many leaving Christ. Read through John chapter
6, a remarkable chapter. the multitudes at the beginning
when he performs a miracle feeding the 5,000 they want to take him
and make him king but then in the course of his ministry throughout
that chapter how he winnows them, he speaks of God's sovereignty how that no man can come to him
except he be given to him of the Father how his ministry is
such an offense to the people and at the end they've got a
wife and it seems that even the twelve might depart from him
but Peter, old Peter, bold Peter, impetuous Peter to whom shall
we go he says thou hast the words of eternal
life and we are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of God He had the words of eternal life.
This is what we need, is it not? To know what it is to receive
those words, the words of eternal life. Again, in chapter 5 of John,
and verse 24, He says, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that
sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life. He that heareth my words
and believeth on him that sent me." How are we to believe on
His words? Only by that gracious ministry
of the Spirit. Again we have it here in verse
12 of our chapter this morning, "...he that hath the Son hath
life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Now
the Spirit must come, and come as the Spirit of Christ, that
is His ministry, is it not, in the Gospel? When He, the Spirit
of Truth, is come, says, Christ, He will guide you into all truth.
He shall not speak of Himself, He shall take of mine, and shall
reveal it unto you. And how does the Spirit grant
that revelation to us? It is when He comes in all the
gracious quickening heat. when he comes in that great work
of regeneration as we see in John chapter 3, how the sinner
has to be born again. He has to be born from above,
he has to be born of the Spirit. There must be that communication
of a new life to that one who by nature is dead in trespasses
and in sins. Lord is the Spirit you see, the
Spirit of Christ. who is the giver of life, the
giver of that new life. And then also we observe this,
it is the Spirit who is the giver of faith. I say the Holy Spirit
is here in our text. He is the one who is the inspirer
of the Scriptures. He is the one who gives that
new life. that divine life, that spiritual
life, and he is the one who is the giver of faith. Now look
at the language again. At the end of the verse he says
that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God. Now there in that last
clause we have what is often referred to as the inner clause. Literally, in order that you
may believe on the name of the Son of God. These things have
I written unto you, that believe on the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life, and in order that
you may believe on the name of the Son of God. how is it that
we can believe? we cannot of ourselves believe
it's an impossibility we cannot believe we're full of unbelief and to say that to that poor
sinner who is under such a sense of his conviction and has such
a feeling of his impotence to say to that poor sinner, well
it's your duty to do this, your duty to do that, your duty to
do the other. It's been said it's like coming
to a dying man and striking that man dead, he can do nothing.
Oh our God, you see, when he deals with us he turns us to
destruction, brings us to the end of ourselves. Have we been there friends? We
want to believe, we can't believe. We have to learn that faith is
the gift of God, that faith is the work of God. No man, says
Paul, no man can say that Jesus Christ is Lord but by the Holy
Ghost. You cannot even say that Jesus
Christ is Lord silently, you can say it naturally. We can
strut out the words and there are multitudes who make a decision,
a commitment, they call it whatever. Not saving faith, because they
say it. No man can say that Jesus Christ
is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of His. It is the Holy Spirit, friends,
who gives faith. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath everlasting life." Why does he believe? Because
he has received that gift of everlasting life. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life,
says Christ. It is the evidence of life where
there is that true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's all
to this end, you see, in order that you may believe on the name
of the Son of God. It is that faith that is the
gift of God. That faith that is of the operation
of God. But notice something more here.
John says, these things are written unto you that believe on the
name of the Son of God that ye may know. That ye may know that
she have eternal life and that she may believe on the name of
the Son of God. What does the Spirit give? He
gives an assurance of faith. And that's what we should desire,
you know. All we should desire that we might have that assurance.
This was Paul, was it not? Paul's determination that I may
know Him, he says. All he wants to know He doesn't
want uncertainty, he doesn't want doubts that I may know him
and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings
being made conformable unto his death. Now, mark the order there
in Philippians 3.10. Historically, the order, of course,
would be sufferings and death and then resurrection. But that's
not the order, is it? as I may know him, he says, and
the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering
being made conformable unto his death. It's a different order.
It's not suffering and death and then resurrection. It begins
with the power of his resurrection and really what we have there
in Philippians 3.10 we might say is the experimental order.
That's how it has to be in our experience. We have to begin
there, you see, with the power of His resurrection. Oh, it's
that gracious work of God, it's that inward work of God. It's
that experimental knowledge of God. He that believeth on the
Son of God, we are told in verse 10, hath the witness in himself. He that believes not God has
made him a liar because he believes not the record that God gave
of his son. He is the inward witness. He
that believes has the witness in himself. What is the witness?
It's the witness of the Spirit. It's that gracious work of God,
the Holy Spirit. Not only ministering faith, but
ministering also that blessed assurance to know to know the power of Christ's resurrection
and the fellowship of Christ's sufferings and to be made conformable
unto his death to know that ye have eternal life oh God grant
that we might not be those left with any uncertainty those
who truly know the truth and know the truth as it is in the
Lord Jesus Christ and see that eternal life is altogether bound
up with faith in Him and that we might be those who are favoured
to have such a faith in Him and so to know the pardon of our
sins at peace with God and that precious gift of the Holy Ghost,
even that new life which is in Christ Jesus. These things have
I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God,
that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God. The Lord be pleased to
bless His Word to us for His name's sake.