Life in the Family
1 John 5:11-21
There are some troubling passages in this
section, if taken out of context. We must remember that this is
advice being given to experienced Christians, and thus
there are things which are said to warn of dangers which do not
exist for new Christians.
The Assurance of Eternal Life
(1 John 5:11-13 NIV) And this is the
testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. {12} He who has the Son has life; he who does not have
the Son of God does not have life. {13} I write these things to
you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may
know that you have eternal life.
John continues his theme of "testimony" from our last lesson -
and tells us the purpose of this witness. That purpose is
eternal life.
"Has given"
Note, to begin with, the use of the past
tense, as well as the present tense. John is stating a present
fact, not one which might happen in the future. Many think that
this is simply a promise for future times; John takes it as an
accomplished fact. Why?
First, remember that God is
eternal. If we are his children, then we are like him -
and we should be eternal too. God's eternal nature is
not something which can be contained in time.
This does not mean that we
shall have no troubles in this life; indeed, we are told
that to share the suffering is to share the glory.
We are told, however, that
we are just passing through this world. We're living in
the tent of this body, waiting for our eternal home.
"In His Son"
There is no suggestion, anywhere, that
eternal life is available through anyone other than Jesus. The
statement here is phrased in black and white: Do you have the
Son? This often puzzles readers. They ask, "What about the pygmy
in Africa who's never heard?"
Remember that this is
written to experienced Christians - the presumption is
that you have heard.
Scripture always phrases
this in terms of your reaction to hearing the Good News.
You are saved - or not - depending upon your reaction.
The righteous react with joy.
As to the others - who can
say? Our only word on the subject is this: if they
haven't heard, should we not tell them?
"That you may know"
John makes it his frequent purpose in this
letter to reassure the believer - and phrases it, "that you may
know." Here he wants to assure us - make sure that we know -
that we have eternal life.
This eternal life was God's
purpose from the beginning. Should this come as a
surprise?
Why then the doubt? I think
it is because God has chosen weak and foolish things to
carry the Good News. If He overpowered us, it would
remove doubt - and free will.
So how can I know that I have eternal life?
Go back over this letter, and you will see some of the tests
that John gives:
Do you keep his commands (1
John 2:3-4)?
Do you love the brothers (1
John 3:14)?
Do you believe what the
Spirit reveals (1 John 3:24)?
Do you confess Jesus as Lord
(1 John 4:15) ?
Do you believe Jesus is the
Christ (1 John 5:1)?
If so, you have eternal life. But doubt
continues among us, and therefore we have the duty to encourage
one another in this - and to care for one another in prayer. We
should see this as our duty to intercede for other Christians
that they too may continue to have eternal life.
Praying for Others
(1 John 5:14-17 NIV) This is the confidence
we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to
his will, he hears us. {15} And if we know that he hears
us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.
{16} If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead
to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to
those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that
leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
{17} All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead
to death.
According to His will
Ray Stedman gives us a three part statement
about true and effective prayer. He says that:
Love is always its motive
Truth is always its
expression
Righteousness is always its
goal.
Put more simply, we must pray what is in
God's will. But Ray has a very good summary of what that means.
What puzzles most Christians comes from the statements made here
and elsewhere about the nature of prayer.
We are told we are to boldly
approach God with freedom and confidence, doubting not.
Yet most of us wonder how to do that.
The Scripture promises
results - extravagant results - for those who pray the
way God intends.
But - it is an important
"but" - we are to do this "in his will." Indeed, we are
told that the results of such prayer will show that we
are his disciples.
We see all these promises, with their
conditions, and wonder how it can work. I submit we are trying
to generate the confidence and boldness to go before God,
trusting to blind faith to produce results. We should be
conforming ourselves to his will - and trusting him for the
results. Our problem is not our understanding of God but our
obedience and desire to live in his will.
Sins - deadly and otherwise
John now brings up a concept that has
troubled the church for a long time. He clearly states that
there are some sins that lead to death, and others that do not.
Which is which?
The Roman Catholic church
picked out seven and declared that these must be the
ones. The criteria seem a little vague, but their
reputation is solidly established.
Some make the distinction
(Stedman, for example) that this passage is talking only
of sins which lead to physical death. This can be
made as an argument - but if so, it seems out of context
in a discussion of eternal life.
Others argue (I think
rightly) that this is speaking of what Christ called
"blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" - the unforgivable
sin.
This last sin is easily seen: the Old
Testament refers to one who does this as one who "sins
defiantly." Christ brings the issue up only with regard to the
Pharisees. The point is relatively clear: to deny the purpose of
the Holy Spirit in your life (to convict the world of sin and
judgment) is to become unforgivable - for if there is no
repentance, there is no forgiveness.
(As a side note, the Greek here does not
support the notion that you pray for forgiveness for them
while they are sinning and unrepentant. Rather, the
intention is that you pray after the sin, and implied in that is
repentance).
Praying for a brother
It is amazing that we miss this. We are
willing - indeed, commanded - to pray for the repentance of a
brother and rejoice when it occurs - and then we forget to pray
for the forgiveness of that brother. But consider: is this not
just simply another example of doing unto others as you would
have them do to you? If you have sinned, would you not want
those who stand in favor with God to pray for your forgiveness?
Go, and do likewise.
Continue
(1 John 5:18-21 NIV) We know that anyone born
of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God
keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. {19} We know
that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under
the control of the evil one. {20} We know also that the Son of
God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know
him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son
Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. {21} Dear
children, keep yourselves from idols.
(One should note that the phrase "continue to
sin" represents a continuous tense in the Greek language,
something which does not exist in English).
Kept by God
How is it that we can say that Christians -
real Christians - do not continue to sin? We are not speaking of
occasional lapses, but continuous action here.
Christ tells us that we are
"born again." The phrase is apt for experienced
Christians. He tells the sinner to repent; he tells the
righteous to be born again. Why? So that we might be
like our Father in heaven - who does not change, and
does not sin.
In so doing, we are "kept
safe" - just what one would expect from a loving Father
who cares for his children.
We are also "given
understanding" - through the Scriptures and the Spirit -
so that our safety is not something which cannot be
understood. Rather, it is made clear to us.
The Great Divide
John explicitly tells us that the world is
divided: those who follow the way of the world, those who follow
the way of God. We like the idea that we can - at least for now
- sit on the fence. The problem is, there is no fence. We
are in the world but not of the world. We are mingled in it, but
not a part of it - so there is no fence, just separation
(holiness). In this we must realize two things:
First, the "evil one" is not
a figment of someone's overactive imagination. Satan is
very real - but he has no hold on the righteous. He is a
liar and would have you think otherwise - but in
reality, he is the one who is condemned completely.
The world is his - he is its
prince. Remember how in the wilderness he offered Jesus
all the kingdoms of the world? They are his to offer. He
works his will by blinding the unbelievers (have you
ever wondered how other people could be so mistaken
about Christians?) and by working through those who are
disobedient to righteousness. But make no mistake - he
is the driving spirit behind this world's wickedness and
hatred of Christ.
So what shall we do about this? John gives us
one final word of warning, a warning to experienced Christians.
Keep yourself from idols
"Little children" - it is his favorite term
of endearment for the believers he loves. He tells us simply to
keep ourselves from idols. In his day, idols were publicly
known, and we know that they were driven by the demons of Satan.
For this we must keep our sense of separation from the world.
But the concept is still the same today.
What is an idol today? The same as then -
anything you value or worship as higher than God. It may even be
a good thing - for the good is often the enemy of the best.
Whatever keeps you from holding God as the highest, that is an
idol - whether it be money or sex, power and prestige or simply
your own pride. Cling to God and shun evil, children. Let
nothing come between you and God, lest it come between you and
the life eternal you have been given in Christ.
