Let us turn to God's Word in
those last two verses that we read earlier in the first epistle
general of John chapter 5 and verses 20 and 21. And we know that the Son of God
is come. and hath given to us an understanding,
that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that
is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God
and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. Amen. In the first epistle general
of John, chapter 5, and verses 20 and 21. We see in the Old Testament how
that idolatry was a great sin in Israel, certainly in the period
previous to the Babylonian exile. They were guilty of wanting to
copy the practice of the nations round about and so they became
an idolatrous people. And it is of course to such as
those that the Prophet is addressing himself in that portion of scripture
that we were reading in Isaiah chapter 40, there at verse 18 he asks to whom then will you
liken God or what likeness will you compare unto him and then
he goes on to speak of the workman making his graven image and though
even the man who is impoverished and cannot make a god of silver
or of gold will choose some hard wood, some tree that will not
rot and find a cunning workman to create for him another image. How they were guilty so many
times of making to themselves gods. Again in chapter 46 of
Isaiah and there at verse 5, to whom Will ye liken me, and
make me equal, and compare me that we may be like? asks God. They lavish gold out of the bag,
and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith, and he
maketh it a god. They fall down, yea, they worship,
they bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in
his place, and he standeth from his place shall he not remove?
Yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save
him out of his trouble." Or the vanity of graven images. And yet that was the situation
in the days of the prophets. Hosea, who was contemporary with
Isaiah, says of the northern kingdom Ephraim is joined to
idols, let him alone. It is a fearful thing, is it
not, to be given over to idolatry, when he who is the only living
and true God has revealed himself. God has revealed himself, of
course, in a very general way in his works. The heavens declare
the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork. And day
unto day uttereth voice, and night unto night showeth knowledge,
says the psalmist. And God's line, that revelation,
has gone out into all the worlds. And men are without any excuse. There is that general revelation
then of His power and His Godhead. But there is also this special
revelation that God has given to us here in Holy Scripture. And here in the words of our
text we read of Him that is true. In verse 20 we have that expression
twice. We know that the Son of God is
come and has given to us an understanding that we may know Him that is
true. and we are in Him that is true
even in His Son Jesus Christ and then this great sentence,
this is the true God and eternal life. John in his writings under
the inspiration of the Spirit in his Gospel and in his epistles
is one, of course, who is answering those who would deny the truth
of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there were those,
as we've said previously, at the end of that apostolic age,
John being the last of the Apostles, to die he was an aged man, and
yet, alas, how quickly grievous heresies had arisen amongst those
who professed the name of Jesus Christ. And John will answer
those who deny the truth of the Lord's deity. Here in chapter
2, in verse 22, who is a liar. But
he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, he is antichrist
that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son,
the same hath not the Father. But he that acknowledgeth the
Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you
which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have
heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall
continue in the Son and in the Father." And again, in that short
second epistle that follows, we have those words in verse
9, "...whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ, ach not God, he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ,
he hath both the Father and the Son." John's great concern then
is to constantly assert the truth of the eternal Sonship of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And here in the words that we
have as our text this evening, these last two verses in this
first epistle, we read of the true God and idols. What a contrast we have in these
verses. We know that the Son of God is
come and has given to us an understanding that we may know Him that is
true and we are in Him that is true even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. Amen. Well, let us come to consider
what is being said here in this part of Holy Scripture. Let us
examine more carefully the words that we've read as our text this
evening. And here we are reminded of the
coming of Christ, the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know says John, we know that
the Son of God is come. How emphatic is this statement? John knew it. John had witnessed
these things, he was familiar with the Lord Jesus, that great
mystery of godliness that we were considering over these recent
days without controversy. says Paul, great is the mystery
of godliness, the mystery of that religion that is real because
it's been wrought of God. God was manifest in the flesh. And what do we see in the Lord
Jesus Christ? We have, of course, that revelation
of God. He is spoken of, is he not, as
the image of the invisible God. Colossians chapter 1 and verse
15. Who is the image of the invisible
God? No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. And John speaks, does he not,
not only of the truth of the deity of the Lord Jesus, that
He is God, the eternal Son of God, but John also, of course,
is very concerned to constantly assert the reality of the Incarnation,
the truth of the human nature of the Lord Jesus. The opening
words of this epistle are so important. that which was from
the beginning says John which we have heard which we have seen
with our eyes which we have handled rather which we have seen with
our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled
of the word of life for 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. That which we have seen
and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship
with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son Jesus Christ. How he speaks you see as a man
who had seen and heard and handled those things concerning eternal
life in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and so he pronounces terrible words against
those who would be deniers of the truths of Christ's human
nature. He speaks of such being of the
very spirit of Antichrist. In chapter 4 And verse 2, it
says, "...hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God,
and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already
is it in the world." And again, even when we come to that short
second epistle that follows, as he speaks in verse 9 of 2
John concerning the truth of Christ's deity and the importance
of that, so also in verse 7 he speaks of the truth of Christ's
human nature. Many deceivers have gone out
into the world who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist, he says. Or the
language of John is so strong, is it not? And how important,
friends, it is that we understand that in the person of Jesus Christ
we have the revelation of God. To God in human flesh I see my
thoughts no comfort find, the sacred, just, and holy three
are terrors to my mind." That's the language of Isaac Watts,
the hymn writer. Oh, our God is a consuming fire. When we see God in the face of
the Lord Jesus Christ, oh, what a revelation. He is that one
who has come, of course, to proclaim the Word of God. He
is that teacher come from God. He is that great prophet spoken
of in the Old Testament, spoken of there in the books of Moses
in Deuteronomy chapter 18. Do we not find a promise there
concerning the prophet that was to come like unto Moses and yet
in many ways so much greater than the man Moses? In Deuteronomy
18.15, the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet
from the midst of thee of thy brethren, like unto me. Unto
him ye shall hearken. That is the word of Moses speaking
unto the inspiration of the Spirit, and then God speaks directly
through Moses. I will raise them up a prophet,
he says in verse 18, from among their brethren. like unto thee,
and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto
them all that I shall command him." He is that great prophet
who comes in to speak the Word of God, and we have it recorded,
do we not, in the Gospels, the ministry of the Lord Jesus. Not
only the great miracles, the miracles were in many ways so
secondary to the preaching of Christ. The ministry that he
exercised in the miracles was but a confirmation that he was
truly the Messiah. As Nicodemus says, no man can
do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him. We knew
that this was a teacher come from God. The miracles, remember,
in John are but signs pointing to him, pointing to his authority
as that great preacher, that great teacher. And then there
in John's Gospel we have those great chapters in 14 and 15 and
16 where we see him exercising his prophetic ministry. how God
has now spoken in and through the person and the work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And so Paul says it so plainly
there in the opening part of Hebrews, God, who at sundry times
and in diverse manners spake in time passed unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days 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. For this One, you see, He comes
as that One who will give that full and final revelation of
God, the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person. The earthly life of the Lord
Jesus is the image of the invisible
God. And here in Christ we see the
reality, the reality of God. What does it say here in this
20th verse? We read of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God. and eternal
life. That short sentence at the end
of that 20th verse is continuing to speak of the same subject
as we have spoken of at the end of the previous sentence. His
son Jesus Christ is the one being spoken of as the true gods and
eternal life. And again Look at those words
in the next short second epistle, the end of verse 3. We read of
Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father
in truth and love. He is that One in whom we are
favoured to see God. He says to the Jews, search the
Scriptures. In them you think that you have
eternal life, and these are they that testify of me. How that all Scripture is a revelation,
and in whom does that revelation center? It centers in this person,
the Son of God, the Son of the Father, in truth and in life. He is the eternal words. He is the Word made flesh, is
he not? We see that even when he is born,
in his birth we have the revelation of the true God. Again, it's
the language of Paul in that opening chapter of the Hebrew
Epistle. And there in verse 6 we read
these words, again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the
world, He saith, and let all the angels of God worship Him.
At His birth, at His birth, when He bringeth in the first begotten,
that is the only begotten Son of the Father, who in the fullness
of the time is made of a woman, and made unto the Lord, who comes
into this world, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the
world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him. He is seen to be God even there
when he is born in objects of poverty. And of course he is
seen to be God in the course of his earthly ministry. in the
miracles that he performs. Whilst we say that they are secondary
in the sense that they are a confirmation of his prophetic ministry, yet
they are also a demonstration of his deity, are they not? Concerning
that first of the miracles in the second chapter of John, we
are told this beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee
and manifested forth his glory and his disciples believed on
him." Or they saw the glory, you see, of the Son of God. And so Peter makes the confession,
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. He knew it, because he had seen
it in the course of that ministry that Christ was exercising. The
truth of his Godhood is there in his birth,
it's there in the course of his earthly ministry and it's there
of course when he is raised again from the dead. Romans chapter
1 and verse 4 declared to be the Son of God with power according
to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.
All the resurrection Now here we see Him as that one who is
marked out, owned, acknowledged to be the eternal Son of God. The revelation of God, yes, the
reality of God here in the earthly life of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We know that the Son of God is
come. The Son of God is come, in Him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, says Paul
to the Colossians. And he is equal with the Father,
as we said this morning. He is equal in glory with the
Father. Christ's words to Philip make
that abundantly plain, do they not? In Philippians in John chapter
14 and there in verses 8 and 9 we are told how Philip
says to him, Lord show us the Father and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, have I
been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip?
He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. And how sayest thou
then, Show us the Father? He is equal to the Father in
glory. There is no inferiority in the
Godhead. There is no priority, no inferiority. the three persons are co-equal
and co-eternal. And so, in the Lord Jesus Christ,
even in His Son, Jesus Christ, we see the true God and eternal
life. And can we not say, with dear
Joseph's heart, that Christ is God? I can avouch, and for His
people cares, since I have prayed to Him as such, and He has heard
my prayers. He hears our prayers. He's not
only our mediator with the Father, the one through whom we can pray,
He is the one that we can address in our prayers. Even as we see
those in the Gospel addressing prayer to Him, or that Syrophoenician
woman when she cries out to him, Lord, help me. How she worshipped him. And she
worshipped him in that prayer, Lord, help me. Or Simon Peter sinking in the
waves when he cries out, Lord, save me. And he hears their prayers. and He answers their prayers
and He will answer all of our prayers in the earthly life then
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see the revelation of God,
we see the reality of God. There is no further revelation. We have the fullness and the
finality of it in the New Testament Scriptures. And so, friends,
what a wicked, awful blasphemy is that of the religion of the
Mohammedan. It is a wicked blasphemy. It
is a denial of the finality of the revelation that God has given
to us in the person of his only begotten Son. But then not only
do we see the earthly life of Christ spoken of here, we know
that the Son of God is come, But we also read here, do we
not, of that eternal life that is in Christ. We know that the
Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding that we may
know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even
in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. That sentence. Oh, much is contained
in those few words, just eight words, there at the end of this
20th verse. This is the true God and eternal
life. Now as God, we remember that
the Lord Jesus is of course the source of all life. Isn't the
Lord Jesus Christ the Creator? In the opening words of John's
Gospel we see that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was
with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not
anything made that was made. In Him was life. and the life
was the light of men." All things were made by Him. In Him was life, and the life
was the light of men. By the word of the Lord, the
heavens were made by the breath of His mouth. There you see the
psalmist is acknowledging the work of the triune God, the Word
of the Lord, that is God the Son, the breath of His mouth,
that is God the Holy Spirit. All creation is the work of God's
Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Christ is the source of all life,
the Creator. But here John is speaking more
particularly of that spiritual life that is in Christ as the
one who is the mediator of the covenant. In verse 11 we read,
This is a record that God hath given to us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." This isn't
just natural life that is being spoken of in this chapter, it
is something more than natural life, it is that new life, it's
that spiritual life. This is the true God and eternal
life. And how the Lord declares His
truth in the course of His earthly preaching. What does he say? In John chapter 10 and verse
10, I am come that they might have life, he says, and that
they might have it more abundantly. For there is an abundance of
life, there is new life, to those who by nature are dead in trespasses
and in sins. This is the life that Christ
came to mediate to men, to give to men, in that great high priestly
prayer that we were looking at only this morning he says and
this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true
God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. It's life eternal. Not just to know about the Lord
Jesus Christ it is that experimental knowledge that he is speaking
of of course to know him, the reality of his person and the
blessed truth that he is God. It is life eternal to know thee
the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." And what
remarkable words are those that we find in Romans chapter 5 and
verse 10. 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. We are reconciled
to God by His death, we who are of the election of Christ. He
has reconciled those who were alienated and enemies in their
minds, those who were far off from God, they are brought nigh
by the blood of Christ. We are reconciled to God by His
death, but being reconciled was saved by his life. What is that
life? It's that new life, that resurrection life. Thy dead men
shall live, he says, together with my dead body shall they
arise. Well this is that eternal life
then that is being spoken of here at the end of this 20th
verse. This is the true God and eternal
life. Now this eternal life As we look
at the text more particularly, we see this eternal life is evident
in two particular ways here. First of all, it is evident where
there is that union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at what
it says. Here in the middle of the verse,
verse 20, we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given
to us an understanding that we may know Him that is true, and
we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. We are
in Him. We are in Him that is true, even
in His Son Jesus Christ. Now that's union. to be in Him,
His union. And there is, of course, an eternal
union according as He has chosen us, Paul says to the Ephesians,
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world. Oh, there is such
a truth, friends, as the eternal union between Christ and His
Church. how God in the covenant gave
a people to Him from all eternity and they're in Him to all eternity
once in Him, in Him forever thus the eternal covenant stands but
how important it is vitally important that that eternal union is experienced here upon the
earth in time. There is also, you see, an experimental
union. And how do we come to experience
that? It's by faith. It's by faith
that we are those who are found in him. Look at what he says
there in the 15th chapter. of John's Gospel in John chapter
15 in verse 4 he says, Abide in me, that's union. Abide in
me, and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except
it abide in the vine, no more can he except he abide in me.
I am the vine, the other branch is he that abideth in me and
I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye
can do nothing always by their fruit ye know them yourself are
we those friends who are truly are we those who are really in
the Lord Jesus Christ that experimental union by faith he says In verse
21, little children, keep yourselves from idols. Keep yourselves from
idols. Can we say again with the hymn
writer, long time I after idols ran, but now my God's a martyred
man. Is that true of us? Have we turned
from all our idols? We began by speaking of the idolatry
of Israel in the Old Testament. Those chapters in Isaiah chapters
40 and 46 are the prophet as God's mouthpiece is rebuking
them for the folly of their idolatrous ways, making themselves gods
of silver and of gold. We might not make gods of silver
and gold, but friends, we are guilty of idolatry. We have our
idols. We read of covetousness, which
is idolatry. When we desire a thing, or we
desire it, we want it, we long after it, we yearn for it. It
so captivates us. We're making an idol of it, are
we not? We can make idols of all sorts of things, make idols
of our own families, of our own children. There's temptation
all around us, you see. We put anything in the place
of God. That's an idol, is it not? covetousness which is idolatry. And then those very solemn words
in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 19 we read of those whose
end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is
in their shame, who mind earthly things. Are we those who mind
earthly things, the things of this world, So captivate us, we're so taken
up with these things, the things that are seen, they're but transitory,
they're passing. And yet, you see, we read of
some whose God is their beloved. All they want to do is to feed
their natural desires. It's idolatry. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols, says John. And what John says here in this
last verse is much the same as what we find Paul saying, is
it not? In 1 Corinthians 10 and verse
14, Paul writes, Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. Paul, we're to fly from it. We're
to turn away from it. Even when God is dealing with
the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, and we see it, as
I say, in the ministry of Isaiah, the folly of their idolatry,
and Hosea was contemporary with him. We refer to those words
in Hosea, he from his joy to idols, let him alone. What a
terrible thing when God leads us to ourselves and our own desires
and our own devices. But God dealt with Israel. And
God will always deal with his people. He dealt with Israel.
They were taken into exile. They were removed from Jerusalem. They made an idol of the temple,
you know. Oh, the temple of the Lord. The temple of the Lord.
The temple of the Lord are these. That was their cry. Oh, we're
saved. We can make an idol, you see,
of religion in a wrong sense. We can make an idol of ourselves,
our own profession of faith even. How evil a thing idolatry is. But God dealt with the children
of Israel and He took them into exile and He weaned them all
together from their idolatrous ways. After they are restored
we don't read really anything much more about their idolatrous
ways. God so dealt with them in the
way of chastenings that they were delivered. And so there
in Hosea at the end in chapter 14 and verse 8 we read these
words, What have I to do anymore with idols? What a blessing when
God delivers us from idols. Again, When Paul writes to the
Thessalonians, he reminds them, ye turn to God from idols. Ye
turn to God from idols, to serve the living and the true God. Oh yes, there is such a truth
as the eternal union. And yet you know, strange as
it is, those who are chosen in Christ, from before the foundation
of the world, Where does the Lord discover His people? Why
they're dead in trespasses and sins, they're given over to idolatry. They must come then to experience
the reality of that union, that eternal union must become an
experimental union. We must be those who are truly
in Him. We are in Him that is true. And how are we in Him? Because
He is pleased to come into us. As Paul says to the Galatians,
when he pleased God to reveal His Son in man, or when he pleased
God to reveal His Son in man, when Christ is in us, the hope
of glory, then we know that we're in Him. all this eternal life
you see it's evident, is it not? it's evident in that real union
with the Lord Jesus Christ that living the life of faith, that
forsaking all our idols and seeking Him and only Him but I said two
things the other evidence of eternal life is that we have
an understanding and that understanding comes from the Lord Jesus Christ
we know that the Son of God is come and has given us an understanding
that we may know Him. How can we know Him? We can only
know Him as He is pleased to give us an understanding. Left to ourselves, we would never
know Him, we'd have no understanding of these things. Our real religion, you see, it's
a revelation, it's the work of God. It's that light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now, how do we come to this knowledge,
to this understanding? Three things I mentioned. First
of all, there has to be that hearing of the voice of Christ.
That hearing of the voice of Christ. as John says there, at
the beginning of this epistle, that which was from the beginning,
which we have heard. And then again at verse 3, that
which we have seen and heard. John heard. He heard Christ's
voice. He heard it of course in a natural
sense. He was favoured to live in the days when Christ was there
upon the earth. But he didn't just hear Christ's
voice in a natural sense. He heard that effectual call
of grace, did he not? He was one of those, the sheep
of Christ. My sheep hear my voice, says
the Lord. And I know them and they follow
me. And I give unto them everlasting life. John became a follower,
he heard the voice. When Christ called His disciples,
follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Oh, are we those
who have heard the voice? Are we those who are the followers
of the Lord Jesus? We follow Him as that One who
is our Good Shepherd, who leads us in the green pastures beside
the still waters. Are we those who desire to follow
Him? Where do we hear His voice? We
hear His voice here in Scripture, of course. How shall they believe
in Him of whom they have not heard? Thou shall they hear without
a preacher, we read in Romans chapter 10. How the Lord comes
and He speaks, He addresses us. Has He not appointed the ministry
of the Word, that His voice might be heard? It's not the voice
of the preacher that we want, it's the voice of the Lord. as
he is pleased to come. There is that hearing. If we
would have an understanding we must hear him, but not only to
hear, to see. And now John emphasizes that
there at the beginning of the epistle, which we have seen with
our eyes, he says, which we have looked upon. There's an emphasis
there on the seeing. We have seen, he says, we have
looked upon and the verb, the particular verb that he uses
to look upon as a certain intensity it is to behold a thing not just
to look at a thing but to look into a thing which we have seen
with our eyes which we have looked upon how John you see looked
upon him we beheld his glory says John There in that great
opening chapter of his gospel, we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Oh yes, the law was given by
Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, we saw it. Oh
friends, are we those who are looking, looking unto Jesus? the author and finisher of our
faith. You want faith? Look unto Jesus. He's the author of faith. He's
the only one who can give us faith. Look, look and leave it. We are to be those then if we
would have an understanding who hear Him, who see Him and behold
Him with the eye of faith. But then John also speaks of
this handling. which we have, which our hands
have handled, he says, there in the opening verse of the epistle,
which our hands have handled of the word of life. Now John
was very intimate with the Lord, John was there leaning upon the
Lord's bosom when Christ instituted the Holy Supper that we are presently
to celebrate, John was there Leaning upon the Lord's bosom.
He knew the reality, you see, of that human nature. That was
a real man. Our hands have handled of the
words of life. O friends, are we those who know
anything of that intimacy? Who is this that cometh up from
the wilderness? Says the Song of Solomon. Who is this that cometh up from
the wilderness leaning? upon her beloved. Are we those
who desire to lean upon the Lord Jesus Christ? That's faith, is
it not? To be leaning upon Him, to be casting all our cares upon
Him, to be trusting in Him. And as we come now to the table,
or do we desire that we might really hear and see and handle
these things? and to know the reality of the
Lord Himself there in the midst as He's pleased to come and to
and to sop with us or to have an understanding where
does the understanding come from? it comes from Him we know that
the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding to
what end? that we may know Him that is
true, and we are in Him that is true even in His Son Jesus
Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. Amen.