Where's John chapter 5 this morning? Trust me, I know we didn't say
all that there could be said about chapter 1, 2, 3, and 4,
but we're going to start chapter 5 this morning, and I'd like
to start by reading the first five
verses of chapter 5. It said, whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And everyone that loveth
him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this
we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and
keep His commandments. For this is the love of God,
that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not
grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world,
and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our
faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth
that Jesus is the Son of God. And then I'd like to also read
along with this before we look at some other passages. And also
in chapter 5, starting with verse 11, a couple of verses. It says,
And this is the 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. 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." And then in
chapter 4 of 1 John, verse 4, it says, "'Ye are of God, little
children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is
in you than he that is in the world.'" And this chapter 5, as we get into it, and as the
rest of the book from the beginning has, it's quite a list and description
of what comes to us in the new birth and what comes by the working
of God and His people. Because of the faith of Christ
given to us, We are in Him and have been given eternal life,
as it says. It describes the outworkings
and actions of what faith has given us and does do for us. And as all of, we have seen, always and ever when the scripture's
been opened that it has to be revealed of God. It's not a how-to
book or a book. We should spend time in the scriptures. We should be familiar with the
scriptures and know what the books are, how they approach the subject that's talked about.
And as the Lord himself revealed to those two on the road to Emmaus
in all the scriptures concerning himself. So we know what the
main point and the topic of the whole of scriptures is. And we
come to it with that in mind and with those thoughts in mind. But if God doesn't reveal it
to us, we've read passages time and time again, and then somewhere
along the way say, wow. Where'd that one come from? You
need to rub the ink to see if it's dry, you know. And if it's
not revealed to us, we can learn the words of it. We can learn
the words of it, but learning the message of it and what's
being truly said is of God. The things that the book of 1
John has shown us as from the beginning, we're going to look
at a couple of spots later on here in 1 John and others, that these are things that are given
to us. As it says in the first chapter,
go to the first chapter of 1 John, it says, In the first three verses
it says, 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. And these things, verse four,
these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. And
it goes on and speaks of him being the light. And we're going
to look at another passage to deal with that. But it's for
the learning and the admonition and upbuilding of the church
that the scriptures are given. And for the redemption of the
church, of God's people, it's given to all as a warning, but
without God's intervention, the warning is not heeded. It's only
heeded by his own, at his doing. And it's not that we were so intelligent or learned. And as we've read in past, those
that didn't enter into the promised land, they didn't enter in because
of unbelief. They were taught and saw the
same things. They saw the same miracles. And
that bunch, for a lot of years, there were a lot of them there
that could bear testimony and witness to what they saw. It
didn't change the heart necessarily. If God didn't change the heart,
it wasn't changed. And it says those entered in
because of belief that God gave them. But those that entered
in, they died in the wilderness because of unbelief. And God
says they were not going to enter in. They weren't going to enter
in to the promised land. And without his working in the
heart and changing the heart, there still is none that will
enter the promised land. So we're going to look at a few
passages that speak to what is starting here in chapter 5 of
1 John, and it's going on, and these are This is given to the
beloved, as it says from beginning and on through it, that the ones
that God died for, the ones that His love was manifested to us,
that the Christ was in the world, was sacrificed for His people,
for His people's redemption. He was the propitiation of of
our sins, and that's the one that is spoken of here, and the
one that's being borne witness of. In Ephesians chapter 1, and
these are places we've gone through several times, at least looking
in these passages in connection with, I think, 1 John, but in
Ephesians chapter 1, and reading a portion of it,
the first six verses say, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by
the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to
the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from
God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
it with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made
us accepted in the beloved. Again, an opening here to God's
people and why God's people are in the situation they are in
is by His doing, His doing alone and His having a people that
it says chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
his doing, and we spent some time, and Lauren spent this time
not too far back in a couple of passages in a couple of places
here, speaking about the difference between grace and works. And we read a saying from, I
think, Bolderton last week that said, if our faith is based on
Christ and anything alone, It's like building the house all on
sand. There's no foundation to it if it's partly on Christ and
partly on something else. And we've seen that it can't
be partly on Christ. That's like talking to the Galatians. I'm amazed that you so turn from
the gospel to another, which is not a gospel, is not the gospel. And that's the-there's no partial
salvation in Christ plus anything else. And that's what the work
of 1 John is going through. It reiterates that through and
through, that the life is because of Him and putting that in His
people. Verse 17 of Ephesians 1-2, without
reading the whole chapter, which would not have been inappropriate,
but starting with verse 17 of chapter 1 of Ephesians, it says,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him. the eyes of your understanding
being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance
in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power
to us were to believe according to the working of his mighty
power. when he wrought, which he wrought
in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and set him at
his own right hand in the heavenly places. And we're going to stop
at that part. But here again, the exceeding
greatness of his power to us were to believe according to
the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ. Again,
not a how-to book, not a a way to help the spirit out in our
salvation, or any other way you might put that, totally of God's
doing, His working, His mighty power. And as that, I don't have
the bulletin with me, but as that little two-liner in the
inside said, that says that it is, it's all of God where it's
none of God. I don't like, I don't have to
quote it there, but read that inside that two-liner, and it
is saying the same thing, that it's all of God and not of us. In the book of Romans, in the book of Romans, Chapter 4, we're going to look
at a little bit. Romans 4, starting with verse
21. Now, this is speaking about Abraham
up above here in the first part of that, starting with verse
20. And it says, He staggered not
at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what He
had promised He was able to perform. and therefore it was imputed
to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom
it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our
Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised
for our justification." Chapter 5, verse 1. It says, therefore, being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein
we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And that
we stand in that faith, it says here, peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. But up above here in chapter
four, where it says, It says, now unto him it is not
written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for
us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised
up Jesus our Lord from the dead. That his righteousness imputed
to us, it's not, and where it says that, believe on, it's not
the belief that religion as a whole says in belief. Do you believe
what it says? Yeah, I believe what it says. There's not much power
of God doing the work there in what man thinks of what believing
is. Not believing the words of it,
but believing from the heart that only God can cause that.
And he can only by, we're gonna read that passage that we know
so well about grace and faith a little later, but the only
way that belief or faith comes to us is by God's action. It's
not worked up. I read having to deal with one
of the commentaries dealing with 1 John there, and I think it
was Gil, I think, that said it, was talking about it. He said,
there are those that believe that in what it says about the
Messiah, They believed the writings and the works of that and what
the words say of that. He said, there's a lot of the
Jewish people in the wilderness. They believed the words of it,
but just didn't mean anything to them. And it says, they didn't
truly believe in the Messiah as God put him forth as the one
that was their whole righteousness. By nature, they didn't come to
that conclusion. And it's only of God that reveals
that to his people. That belief is given to us. It is not worked up. We can know and memorize passages
after passages and not understand the meaning of it if it's not
revealed to us. There are a lot of people in
religion that know the words of it and will agree to you,
but they don't understand and don't truly believe that it wasn't
given to them of God. The Pharisees in Christ's day,
they said they were looking for the Messiah, but when the Messiah
was there, by proofs, it says infallible proofs among them,
They didn't believe it. He was throwing their religion
out and said, righteousness does not come by this. And they were
pretty well built on righteousness coming by works. And they didn't
want to hear the other. Not only did they not want to
hear the other, they wanted to kill him. sought to several times before
it was the Lord's time to go to the cross for his people.
But it is the words and understanding the English language isn't belief,
isn't faith. It says, faith cometh by hearing
and the hearing by the word of God. But God uses that word to
to change hearts. They use that word to change
people and take out the stony heart, as we've seen, and put
in the heart of flesh. And then in the second chapter
of Ephesians, while we're here, while we were there, Ephesians Ephesians chapter 2, and just
reading a couple parts of it here. And I'm gonna start with verse
one of chapter two and reading down several verses here. Again,
we turn to this passage fairly often, but I think it applies
to what we're seeing here in 1 John 2. It says, and 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 lusts 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 His mercy, for His great love wherewith
He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us, together with Christ, by grace are ye saved, and hath
raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus. that in the ages to come he might
show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God, not of
works lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. And a couple of thoughts particularly
in here, but that it says, we were by nature the children of
wrath as others. We were dead in our sins until
he revealed himself to us, till he gave us and granted us the new
birth. And it says, desiring the flesh and of the mind, looked like others, just like
others, living the others, the same kind of mind in us as others. And it says here, when we were
dead in sins, quickened us together with Christ and raised us up
together and sit in heavenly places in Him. And it doesn't
say, while you were striving to square things with God, God
came along and thought that you were doing good, and so that
was the start of things. No. We were like Paul. Paul had no desire for the true
God or the Messiah, the true Messiah that was there. He was
going about killing or having killed people that of that way,
that were bringing forth the gospel. And that gospel was crosswise
to what Paul thought by nature in his religion. But when we
were dead, He raised us up, it says, and then the part that
we love so much and read a lot, by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. We are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus. It says, under good works, which
God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them. And that
fitting together with the scripture we read that before the foundation
of the world, he had a people. He had a people that this was
coming about in, that he was going to raise up his people
in the appropriate time and day for them. And then the part that
a lot of people will read these words of it, by grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the
gift of God. And that's the sole source. That's the sole source of it
is Him and not us. And as I said before, while we're
in our sins, He did this. He did this while we were yet
in our sins. And then in chapter three, when we're right here,
chapter three of Ephesians, reading from verse 17 and down
a bit. It says, that Christ may dwell
in your hearts by faith, that ye be rooted and grounded in
love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth
and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the
fullness of God. Now to him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according
to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. And in this part here,
it says, that Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith, that ye be rooted and grounded in love. And this,
that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, is not a, again,
it's not a worked up, that we have a faith, it's a faith given
to us, or we would not have a true faith. It has to be given of
God. And then, turn to the book of
James, if you would, The book of James. James 1. In v. 17-18. It says, every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father
of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of
his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should
be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. And here, as we speak
about there, about by faith are you saved through
grace, And that, not of yourself, it is the gift of God. Here speaking,
and it says, every good gift and perfect gift is from above,
and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variable,
neither shadow or turning. Every good gift, and truly the
pinnacle of good gift is that, what he just, we saw there in
Ephesians that, the faith that God gives is,
there could be no greater gift than that. The belief in that,
and not only the faith and belief in that, but belief in the one
that that's speaking of, speaking of our Lord himself. And that,
that, every good and perfect gift from
us above, it says. And we have a lot of gifts that
we come to mind, but that indeed, without that gift that God gives
of faith, the rest of them really don't have a standing or much
of a meaning to it, if they're other physical blessing. But it says we're blessed with
all spiritual blessings in Him. And that is indeed the greatest
gift that we could have. In the book of Hebrews, while
we're nearby here, in chapter 12, And one of the I think a key-not that they're
not all key passages or key places, but here the first couple of
verses of chapter 12, right after we see all the ones that listed
by faith, that they lived by faith that God had given them,
it says, Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with
so great a cloud of witnesses, Let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily doth beset us. Let us run with patience
the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of God. And it's verse 3, for consider
him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be wearied and faint in your minds. And here, particularly
verse 2, as it said, looking to Jesus the author and finisher
of our faith. Again, faith has no root. or
ground or beginning in ourselves. It is all rooted and grounded
in God himself. And here, as it says, Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith. He's the author of it,
the beginner of it and the finisher of it. And indeed, that saying that he said on the cross
there when he said, it is finished. It is the finisher of our faith
and finish of our salvation and our redemption. Indeed, the only
one to look to that we can say that of. Turn to the book of Colossians.
If you would join me in the book of Colossians. Colossians in the first chapter. Starting with verse 1 of Colossians,
speaking to, it says, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God, and Timotheus our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren
in Christ which are at Colossae. Grace be unto you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God
and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love
which you have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up
for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the
truth of the gospel. which is come unto you, as it
is unto all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also
in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of
God in truth." Here, speaking to God's people, and it says
here, The hope which is, verse 5, laid
up for you in heaven, where have you heard before in the word
of the truth of the gospel? And again, here it's saying and
not saying that you've heard the words of Him and agree to
the words of Him, but it says here, where you have heard before
in the word of the truth of the gospel, and that's by His doing
and His revealing that to us of His redemption for His people.
And then in verse 12 of the same chapter, it says, giving thanks
to the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom
of his dear Son. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. who is the image of
the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by Him
were all things created that are in heaven and earth, that
are visible and invisible, whether it 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." In verse 18, particularly, He
is the head of the body, the church. who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, in all things he might have the
preeminence, for it pleased the Father that in him should all
fullness dwell. And have made, verse 20, made
peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all
things to himself, By him I say, whether they be things in earth
or in heaven, and you that were sometime alienated and enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in
the body of his flesh through death to present you wholly and
unblameable and unreprovable in His sight." In verse 23, "'If
ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, be not moved away
from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul,
am a minister.'" But here, speaking of this, that he is the head,
the firstborn, and having made peace to the blood of his cross,
to reconcile all things to himself, us particularly to himself. And
that it says, sometime alienated in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled to the body of his flesh through
death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in His sight." And this is all from the working of here, and
it says, if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and
if we be of the faith, If we be of the faith that God has
granted and given, that gift, we are in that, and that is not
an, if you continue in the faith, it's gonna be since you are continuing
the faith. It's not a possibility. The song
doesn't say revive us again and again and again. It's once he
has done that, and that song isn't referring to Salvation has said that God continues
to give us sight to see and ears to hear. But hearing it speakable,
speaking of this, that we are grounded and settled, and that's
what 1 John is speaking to. One more time in 1 John, and
let's do that for just a minute. In chapter 5, And I'd like to look at verse
20 in chapter 5. And I know we've got a few weeks
to get to verse 20. It says, verse 20, And we know
that the Son of God is come, and hath 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. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. And here it says, He has given
us an understanding that we may know Him. It's not someone else
can't give us that knowledge of knowing Him. Only He can do
that, that gift that He gives to us. And it says, in His Son
Jesus Christ, this is the true God and eternal life. And that's
what the whole of the scriptures basically boils down to that.
He that hath the Son hath life. He who hath not had the Son hath
not life. That is not only our hope, that
is what the gospel is, and that is what it speaks about those
who believe that Jesus is the Christ, as we start out in Chapter
5. So that it holds forth the gospel, and it holds forth the
gospel that God uses to bring in His people and bring about
the new birth. So we've got... If you look at
chapter five before we're done, and verse four, it says, and this
will close, verse four of chapter five says, whatsoever is born
of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. And that, again, the faith
of God. And with that, we'll pick this
up at a different time. Thank you.