Rev. Ronald C. Purkey,
Pastor
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The following Bible study outline was
prepared by Rev. Ronald C. Purkey for
the Adult Bible Class at Paul’s Chapel where
Rev. Purkey is the teacher.
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SCRIPTURE:
INTRODUCTION: The language of 1 John is not difficult or
technical, but the ideas expressed are profound. For example, the apostle said
that God has been revealed in Christ in order to communicate eternal life to
those who believe. The ideals of purity and love that are held out to the
reader are gifts of God, communicated from His self-revelation in Christ. At
the same time, these ideals are real for believers when they are lived out.
This reality is possible through being born again and through the forgiveness
of sin.
John wrote to bring back the fellowship and joy
that were missing from the church (1:3-4). He sought to help his readers live
in spiritual victory rather than in defeat (2:1). He endeavored to expose the
deceivers among his readers as well as remind the latter about the truth they needed
to embrace (
I. FAITH OVERCOMES THE
WORLD. (1
1.
Love For The Brethren. (5:1-3)
A.
He loves God and the brethren. (5:1)
In the first three verses, we are given the results
of faith. These are, first, the divine birth, then love for God, then love for
fellow believers, and finally obedience to God’s commandments.
First of all, then, we have the divine birth: “Whoever
believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” Belief
here is not a mere intellectual assent to the fact, but rather a surrender of
your life to Jesus as Lord.
If we have been truly born of God, then we will love “Him”. And not only so, we will
love His children as well. It is good to notice here that we are to love all
believers, and not just those of a certain earthly church or denomination.
B.
He obeys God’s Commandments. (5:2)
The fourth result of faith is obedience to God’s “commandments.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His
commandments.” Those who are truly saved will be set apart by a
desire to do the will of God. Our love for God is expressed in willing obedience to His commands. The
Lord Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My
commandments.”
C.
He is happy to do God’s will. (5:3)
When John says that “His commandments are not
grievous”, he does not mean that they are not difficult, but rather
that they are the very things which born again people love to do. When you tell
a mother to take good care of her baby, you are only telling her what she loves
to do. The commandments of the Lord are the things which are best for us,
and the things in which our new nature takes a wholehearted delight.
2. Victory Over The World. (5:4-5)
A.
The Christian is an “overcomeer.” (5:4)
Next we learn the secret of victory over the world. The world system is a
monstrous scheme of temptation, always trying to drag us away from God and from
what is eternal, and seeking to occupy us with what is temporary and sensual.
People of the world are completely taken up with the things of time and sense.
They have become the victims of passing things.
Only the person who “is born of God”
really overcomes the world,
because by faith we are able
to rise above the perishing things of this world and to see things in their
true, eternal perspective.
The person who really overcomes the world is not the great scientist or philosopher or
psychologist, but the simple believer who realizes that the things which are
seen are temporary and that the things which are not seen are eternal. A sight
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ dims the glory of this world.
B. The Christian
overcomes the world. (5:5)
As we have seen, the subject of this section is
faith as a test of eternal life. John has just mentioned that he who overcomes is “he
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God”. He now goes on to
expound the truth concerning the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. FAITH LEADS TO
SALVATION. (1
1. We Are Assured That Jesus Is The Son Of God.
(5:6-8)
A.
The witness of Christ. (5: 6)
John now gives a description of Jesus Christ as he
that came by water and blood. No one knows (now) exactly what
John had in mind when he used these two symbols. One guess seems to fit the
facts best: the “water” is a reference to His baptism or inauguration, where
the Voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son,” and established that
Jesus was the Christ.
a.
More than a mere man.
The “blood” is a common symbol for His
death, where there were also supernatural miracles to cause even the confirmed
and cruel Roman centurion to realize that this man (Jesus) was more than a mere
man (Mt 27:54).
b.
Confirmed by God the Father.
Also, by the Resurrection, the Father confirmed
Jesus as the Son of God (Rom 1:4). It is interesting that John called attention
to “the water and the blood” which came from the side of Jesus on
the cross (John
B.
The witness in heaven. (5:7)
a.
The Trinity in heaven.
The Father, The Word (Jesus
Christ), and the Holy Ghost bear witness in heaven that Jesus Christ is God’s
Son and our Savior..
b. The testimony on earth.
The three witnesses on earth which we are concerned
about and which have a direct bearing on us. That is what needs to be
emphasized.
C. The witness on earth.
(5:8)
a.
The witness then.
What is the agreement which these three witnesses
have? Well, they agree in one purpose, that is, the purpose of presenting Jesus
Christ as the Savior of the world who shed His blood upon
b.
The witness now.
“There are three that bear witness in earth,” and
these three are right here right now. The Holy Spirit will take the Word of God
and apply it to your heart. He bears record, if you please, and He is a
witness. His witness is that you might come to a saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ.
2.
We Are Assured That Jesus Is The Savior Of All Who Believe. (5:9-12)
A.
The witness of the Father. (5:9)
“For this is
the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.” God today is not giving
out news on every subject. His news is good news, and it is about His Son who
died for us on the cross. That is His message.
B.
The witness within the believer. (
a. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, the Holy
Spirit indwells you.
“He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” If you have trusted Christ
as your Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells you, and He testifies that these
things are true. God’s people have the Holy Spirit indwelling them, and when
they hear the Word of God, they accept it because the Spirit bears witness that
they are hearing the Word of God. This is really wonderful, and it’s the
greatest encouragement in preaching and teaching the Word of God.
b.
If you don’t believe God, you add to your other sins
“He that
believeth not God hath made him a liar.” When you don’t believe God, you add to your other
sins by implying that God is a liar. God says, “Trust Christ, and I’ll save
you.” If you say, “I don’t need Christ to be saved,” then you are calling God a
liar. “Because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his Son.” What is “the record”? John is going to
tell us….
C.
The gospel in
a nutshell. (
What is the record? “This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this
life is in his Son.” Eternal life is to have Christ. It boils down to this
one point. This is the gospel in a nutshell. This is the simplest test that can
be made.
D.
The salvation that saves. (
a.
“He that hath the Son hath life.”
He didn’t say, “He that belongs to the church has
life.” You might say, “I’m a Baptist” or “I’m a Methodist” or “I’m a
Presbyterian” or “I’m a Nazarene” or “I belong to the
b.
What does it mean to be saved?
Then what does it mean to be saved? “He that hath the Son hath life.” The
question is: Do you have Christ? Is He your Savior? Are you trusting Him in
such a way that no one on earth or in heaven can shake your confidence in Him?
c.
If you haven’t come to that point, you haven’t come anywhere at all.
To be saved means you trust Christ, and it means
you have Christ as your Savior. “He that
hath the Son hath life.” He’s our lifeboat. He’s our lifeline. He’s our
only hope. We are lost without Him, but if we have Him, we have life.
d.
Let’s forget about all this “churchianity”.
“And he that hath
not the Son of God hath not life.” Can it be made any clearer than that? Let’s forget
about religion. Let’s forget about all this “churchianity”.
Let’s forget about all this gimmickry that is going on today -- taking little
courses, going through little rituals, all that sort of thing. Forget about it!
The important thing is: Do you have
Christ? Is He your Savior? This is the reason John has emphasized that
Jesus is the Son of God.
Dr. Vernon McGee’s Testimony
I want to say
to you, He is wonderful. He is God manifest in the flesh. He is the only one
who can save us. He is absolutely unique. There is no one else like Him. He’s
the only begotten Son of God. He died upon the cross because He alone could pay
the penalty for our sins. He rose again, and He is living right this moment at
God’s right hand for us. He is the living Christ. – J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible
e.
The only thing that will keep us from coming to Christ is the sin in our life.
The Apostle John has this down right where we can
get it. We can’t miss this. The only thing right now that will keep us from
coming to Christ is the sin in our life that we don’t want to give up. That is
the only thing in the world which will stop us.
CONCLUSION: Even many Christians in the first century had
doubts about what would happen to them after they died. One of Jesus’ closest
disciples, John, had observed false teachers weakening the faith of believers
with distortions about what is really salvation in Christ. Thus, he wrote a
letter assuring them that in Jesus Christ they had eternal life – not just any
kind of life, but eternal fellowship with Christ and their heavenly Father.
What was true for them is true for us as well. We
know this to be true because the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ life testify to this
truth.
Is Jesus Exclusive?
[Dr. Joseph Stowell said:] I once saw Billy Graham’s daughter
Anne Graham Lotz on a popular news talk program. The interviewer asked, “Are
you one of those who believe that Jesus is exclusively the only way to heaven?”
He added, “You know how mad that makes people these days!” Without blinking she
replied, “Jesus is not exclusive. He died so that anyone could come to Him for
salvation.”
What a great response! Christianity is not an exclusive club
limited to an elite few who fit the perfect profile. Everyone is welcome
regardless of color, class, or clout.
In spite of this wonderful reality, Christ’s claim in
The gospel of
Christ is offensive to some, but it is the wonderful truth that God loves us
enough to come and take care of our biggest problem -- sin. And as long as sin
is the problem, the world needs Jesus! -- Joe Stowell, Our Daily Bread,
THOUGHT
TO REMEMBER: “There is no
life apart from the Son.”
PASTOR RONALD PURKEY’S OFFICE
E-Mail: Pastor Ronald Purkey
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