(Text Only)
Title: John’s Closing
We have finally reached the conclusion of the first of John’s three short epistles. We began this sermon series about 14 months ago, on November 23rd, 2008. I know that for many of you, as was also the case with me, the adaption to John’s language and his writing style was sometimes difficult, particularly coming off of a three year study of Paul’s writing in Romans.
But I also hope that this journey has been beneficial to you, as it has me. As I prepared this final sermon, I looked back at the first passage we studied in first John and the sermon title “Simple, yet Profound” and in that sermon I attempted to explain that John’s language sometimes is difficult because it is so simple, yet the truths he exposes are life changing if we really dig into them.
I hope today is no different.
Let us read.
(read/pray)
- “…does not sin.”
Here is a perfect example of language from John that can be misleading because of its simplicity. But we looked at a similar passage a few months ago from John when he writes in 3:6
“Whoever abides in Him does not sin.”
If you remember what we talked about was that John is not saying that Christians don’t sin, rather the present tense of the Greek suggests behavior that is usual. In both 5:18 and 3:6 John acknowledges, but does not excuse, the possibility of occasional sin, but claims that the “default setting” of a believer is to not sin.
Also we see the statement that “he who has been born of God keeps himself and the wicked one does no touch him.”
This of course, is the idea that we, knowing what sin really is, and being armed with the ability to abstain from it, can “keep ourselves” holy and pure.
This builds into a point we discussed last week in our Sunday School class:
We are justified by faith.
We are not sanctified by faith.
Make no mistake it is work to keep one’s self from sin, but that is work that we are all called to do. Believing in Jesus will not make you act more like Jesus. Acting more like Jesus will.
- “…under the sway…”
Next John brings to light the very sobering thought that this world, and most of it inhabitants have been turned over to the wicked one, Satan. I think this poignant reminder from John should do at least three things to our thinking, and it’s no mistake that John offers this reminder at the conclusion of his letter.
- We are always only a moment from our next sin.
- We should not be shocked at the world, but should feel empathy for them, and that should motivate us to share the truth with them.
- We are not home. (Yet.)
- The real gift
When we look at the last two verses of I John we see John define what being saved has really done to us, and it’s not what you might think.
John says that the Son of God has given us understanding.
And what is this understanding? That we may know Him who is true.
Now, I’m not trying to go out of my way to get all Calvinistic on you this morning, but, looking at what John says here, is it possible that we could know “Him who is true” without God’s gift of understanding? I think not.
I also think that this offers a very valid explanation as to how, all throughout human history, there have been supposed experts on Scripture and Jesus, who said some absolutely ridiculous things.
(The Jesus Seminar: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s…”)
The real gift: That we may understand Him. That we may know the Truth, and that the Truth would set us free from sin, and sin’s penalty. It all begins with understanding.
Close:
I find it at least noteworthy that the final instruction from John to his beloved flock is, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
We know that idols can come in many forms: false Gods, money, power, theological pride…and John desires to remind his people that they are God’s and God’s alone. That he is jealous for them, he wants to be everything to them, he wants every one of their needs to be able to be met by himself.
I wonder sometimes if the reason we carry around idols in our lives is because we either don’t realize, or don’t believe that Christ can truly meet all out needs? Christ said he would, but we sure don’t seem to believe him.
We don’t trust Him as he asks us to, we don’t have faith in Him as he says we ought.
Keep yourselves from idols.