Three Affirmations of True Christianity - 1 John 5: 18-20

1:24Kids, before we get started, kids, I want you to listen to me for just a second. As I walk through this sermon today, I'm going to talk about two ships, ships, you know, sail on the water, right? And I want you to listen for the names of those two ships. They are actually two of perhaps the most glorious ships that have ever sailed, but for two completely different reasons. And so I would like for you to be listening for the names of those ships. And I think some maybe one may be familiar, one may not be so familiar, but I want you to listen and then maybe talk about this over lunch with your parents as to which ship you'd rather be on. Or you can come talk to me, just so that you could show me that you were listening and make me feel good, right?

2:23Two ships. This morning I want to talk to you about true Christianity and really what true Christianity affirms. This book of 1 John is really a book or a letter that distinguishes between true and false Christianity. Christianity has become a very broad term and general term that means a lot of things. And it's almost like one of these big umbrellas that a lot of things fit under the general title of Christianity. Even things that are not Christian at all. In fact, I think many would think of the United States as a Christian nation. And yet, when you really pay attention to the affirmations or the declarations of true Christianity, you'd say, no, the United States is not Christian. Oh, there may be some Christian vestiges, but certainly the characteristic and quality of our society and the philosophy of our government is not Christian, not Christ-like.

3:36John wrote this letter, as we come to the end of this, just to remember that John wrote to affirm the true Christians of his congregations and to expose the false Christians. Look back at chapter 5 and verse 13. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. John writes, so that they may know, to assure those who are believers. He wrote to assure them that they have eternal life. It's one thing to have eternal life, it's another thing to know it. John wrote so that they would know, so that we would know that we have eternal life, that we can distinguish between what is true and false about Christianity.

4:30So that we could have a gauge to even judge and distinguish what's going on in our own lives. Are we of the true sort? Well, John affirmed three bold declarations in our passage this morning. Three bold declarations of the apostolic witness to reassure his readers that they have eternal life. Remember, he's wanting to assure them. He said, I've written these things so that you may know you have eternal life. And then he speaks about prayer in verses 14, 15, 16, and 17. Speaks about this sin that's leading to death. And this may have caused some of them to think, did I commit the sin that led to death? Remember, am I on this trajectory to eternal separation? And so John anticipates this. And in verse 18, he writes again to reassure them. And it's three we knows. You can see this very plainly in the text. We know, verse 18, verse 19, we know. Verse 20, and we know. Three bold declarations that John affirms.

5:46And these are really the affirmations of true Christianity. If you do not affirm these three, you're not a true Christian. In fact, any system That calls itself Christian and doesn't affirm these three bold declarations, it is not true Christianity. And so, I want us to look at these three affirmations of true Christianity to assure us, believers, those believers who are among us, I want to assure you that we have eternal life. That's what John wants to do, and that's what I want to do as well. So, three affirmations of true Christianity. So, first, this thing moves.

6:41There it goes. First, everyone born of God does not continue in sin. First affirmation: everyone born of God does not continue in sin. Look at verse 18. We know, this is something we know, we know for sure. We know, this is what John's saying, we know that no one, no one, not anyone, no one who is born, no one who has been born of God, something that has happened in the past that has continual results, we know that no one who is born of God sins, literally is sinning.

7:29We know. That no one who is born of God is sinning. Speaking of a present, continuous action. Remember what he's just said. He's just talked about the sin leading to death. A sin, this, we talked about it last time. This high-handed, persistent rebellion, this persistent manner of disposition that is contrary, not even listening to the voice of God, this persistence in rebellion. No one, John is saying, we know that no one who is born of God is continuing in sin. This continuing in sin speaks of a continual abiding disposition, a habit, a routine of sinning against God, practicing sin, getting better at excusing sin, justifying sin, blaming others for sin. No one who is born of God continues in this manner.

8:38No one who is born of God is propagating sin in this world. On the contrary, they are walking away from it. Listen, that's what repentance is about. It's turning away from sin. And it's a continual disposition of the new believer to grow in his relationship with God. Listen, if you have sin problems, and I'm talking, if you are continuing in your sin, if you sin without repentance, you are growing in your sin. Listen, even as we grow older, we look back on the sins of our youth, we look back at this, oh, I can't believe I said that. I can't believe I did that. Even as we grow older, we realize there is sin. And as we look back and reflect on our own lives or the sins in our society, we look and there's something within us that says, that's not right.

9:38Even as we look back at our own sins, and even though we know we've been forgiven, and we look back, we agree with God that our sins are not right. Lord, it shouldn't be this way. There's a remorse in my heart. I don't want to continue in this. This is what Jeff has been preaching about, right, in Romans, affirming that the law is good, that God's righteous standard is good. And so, even when I find myself having broken the law of God, I myself can affirm that the law is good, and that's the standard that we need, not only for my life, but for the whole world.

10:22Such people are not increasing in sin, they're walking away from sin, and sin has its expiration. Date. We're not continuing in sin, therefore we're not going to experience eternal separation from God. We're not committing sin. If you're a believer, in Christ, if you have the habit of repenting and turning away from your sin, that is the disposition of somebody who has been born of God. How can John be so sure? Notice he makes this bold statement: no one who is born of God sins. Then he goes on to explain why. But he who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. He who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. Now, there is an interpretive issue there. If you're reading the King James, you read something like the one born, speaking of the believer, the one who is born of God keeps himself.

11:37But I think the, and that's certainly a biblical concept. You look back at chapter 3 and verse 3: everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself, just as he is pure. So there is this responsibility of each of us to remain in him, to stay in him, to keep his commandments. Look at what it says in chapter 3. 3 in verse 24, the one who keeps his commandment abides in him, and he in him.

12:08And so there is this biblical concept that we are to abide, we are to keep, we are to remain. But the New American Standard and the ESV, I believe, have it right. The one born of God is not referring to the believer keeping himself, but the one born of God is referring to Christ, the one who was born of God, speaking of his incarnation. And there are several reasons why I think this is preferred. Number one, there's a verb change. There's a verb change that you really don't see in the English, but there's a verb change that accompanies a subject change.

12:57Wouldn't change the verb if they had said the same. They're speaking about the same subject. But it also flows with the sequence of thought. Think about the sequence of thought here. The evil one cannot touch this one. Why can't he touch this one? Because God keeps his own. Why does God keep his own? Because they are his own. They are born of him. And certainly, as you look in the larger context, Of John's writings, you recognize that Jesus has said this over and over and even prayed for it, right? This concept that Jesus prayed that the Father would keep his disciples from the evil one. Jesus said in chapter 17 and verse 12 of John that he had been keeping them from the evil one, and now he's praying that the Father would keep them from the evil one.

14:04But it's interesting in John chapter 10, verses 24 and 25. You remember the Jews are saying, Look, if you're the Christ, tell us plainly. Just let's quit all the small things. Just if you're the Christ, tell us plainly. And Jesus said, I did tell you, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. Yes, I told you that I am. The works that I do testify who I am. I am the Son of God. What I do, only God can do.

14:39And then he goes on to say this in chapter 10 and 27. He says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish. And no one will snatch them. Them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. It's interesting what Jesus is saying here. He's saying something to the effect that I have an interest in humanity. They will bear my Father's image. They will bear the image of God.

15:32They are mine. The Father has given them into my hand. And no one's going to take them out of my hand. And he says, and they are in the Father's hand. They are in my hand. No one can take them from the Father's hand. No one can take them from my hand because they're mine. That is why. That is why. God keeps them. And the evil one does not touch him. Remember, y'all played the game Capture the Flag. You know, usually it's at night. Usually someone gets hurt, or several people get hurt. It's night. You're running around in the darkness trying to steal your opponent's flag and get it across. You've been there, right? Many of you? Well, you can think about what.

16:30It's happening on a spiritual level. It's like a game of capture the flag. And what the spiritual, the nature of spiritual battle is capturing and keeping the hearts and minds of humanity. That's really what's happening on a spiritual level. There is the great enemy who seeks to capture and keep the hearts and minds of humanity. And then there is Christ Himself who came to seek and save that which is lost and keep them. And what that means, what does it mean to be kept? To keep their minds and hearts, keep them from a sinful disposition, a sinful inclination from believing the lies, preferring the lies, and walking in them. That's what it means to be taken captive. If you love your sin, if you excuse your sin, you are captive.

17:34I don't want you to ever feel comfortable about sin. Listen, kids, if you've lied to your parents, you go home today and you confess that. You are captive. Confess. Husbands, if you've lied to your wives, wives, if you've lied to your husband, friends, if you've lied to, walk away from your sin. Have nothing. To do with it, do not be captive. But look at this promise. The evil one does not touch him, does not touch, is not holding. What this means is not under the dominating influence of the evil one. The evil one does not hold such a one who is born of God. That is why such a one who is born of God does not continue in sin. John is not talking about sinless perfection here. He's already made that very clear. He says, look, if we sin, we have an advocate, right? If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive. John has already explained all that. We have a sacrifice for our sins.

19:01Our sin doesn't permanently separate us from God because we have an appropriate, sufficient, atoning sacrifice. We have an advocate who is also the sacrifice. And so in this life, even though we may sin, we're not continuing in sin. We're walking away from it. We're kept from the dominant. Influence of the evil one does not touch him. God has put boundaries upon what Satan can do to us. He can maybe buff it, but he cannot ever bring us under his dominating influence ever again.

20:01Because the Son keeps us, because the Father keeps us, and no one can separate us from him. He is greater. So the new birth has continuing results. Our hope for eternal life is not based in our ability to stay, but upon his ability to keep. And so we stay. You know why we stay? Because he keeps. And so we stay. So, bold affirmation. Everyone who is born of God does not continue in sin. Are you growing in sin? Be done with it. Cry out to God today.

20:57But if you are a believer, understand. Sin in your life has certainly a shelf life. And one day you will put on a new body, a new place, where sin will not even tempt. Until then, we have sufficient sacrifice. We're not under his influence anymore. Second, affirmation of true Christianity. There are only two people groups in the world today. There are only two people groups in the world today. Look back at verse 19. We know, here's the second, we know, we know that we are of a God and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

21:57What a bold statement, right? John makes a bold statement about the exclusiveness of true Christianity. There are only two people groups. Spiritually speaking, there are only two. In God's economy, there are only two. There are those who belong to the community of God and those who belong to the community of the evil one. All of us in this room are in one category or the other. Look back at verse 19. We know that we are of God. That's the first, the community of God. Those who are out of God, those who are from God, those who have their being out of, originating from God. This is what happens in the new birth, right? The one who is born of God isn't continuing in sin, because the one who is born of God is kept and is in the community of God, which has an eternal dimension to it.

23:07Second, it's the community of the evil one. Look back. There are those who belong to the evil one. We know. We know that we are of God, and we know that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. The whole world, contrary to those who are out of God or come from God, out of God, there are those who are literally in the evil one. There are those who are of God, and then there are those who are in the evil one.

23:45In the evil one. You know, a good example of somebody who's in the evil one is just a few verses back in chapter 3, verse 12. Cain. Cain. Not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. That's an example of somebody who was taken captive, who belonged to the evil one. He was captivated to his dominating influence over his life. You remember early on in Genesis, where God confronts Cain. He says, Cain, sins crouching at your door, and its desire is to have you, to hold you, to bring you under submission of his dominating influence.

24:44Years ago, I saw this documentary about Africa and some of the wildlife. I saw this one documentary about this pride of lions that attacked all this family of baboons, killed the parents, ate them up. And then, a little bit later, there was a little orphan baboon baby. And it was playing around, and one of the lions came over and sort of made friends with it, did make friends with it, got to where this little baby baboon trusted the lion. And they're saying, This is an incredible example of what happens in nature. This is incredible. All these pictures. Of how this little baby baboon really got to trust this lioness, lay down and slept with the lioness, played with the lioness, and then they don't show you what happens later, right?

25:46Devoured. Lunch for a better time. That's the picture of lying in the clutches of the evil one, taken captive. The whole world has been taken captive to do the will of the evil one. That's what John is saying. Two people groups: those captive to do the will of God, and those captive to do the will of the evil one. And not only captive to do his will, but to also suffer his judgment. Captive to do his will, and captive to suffer the same fate as the evil one. Only two people groups.

26:41John is saying that the Christians know who the world's ruler is. We know why people do evil things. They are taken captive. We can understand what's going on in our world today because there is an evil one and he has. Taken captive the whole world. Every Christless system, every Christless individual is under his power, resting. And they were going to suffer his fate. You know, one of the most glorious ships, at least from earthly standards, that ever sailed was the Tell Me Titanic. Thank you, right? One of the most glorious ships, at least by earthly standards, right?

27:38You know what scares me? I want a confession here, and I think I've said this before: water. I don't know what it is, but I studied water. I'm a hydrologist by trade, but there is an immense power in water. Even as I read Genesis and I read the Spirit of God over the surface of the deep, the deep, the vastness, the size of it. Now, I've been on a, I have been on a choppy sea. I've never been on an angry sea. But even as I'm out there on a little boat in a big ocean, in a choppy sea, and the waves, I mean, the vastness of it, the size of it, I realize how small I am, and there is a strange reverence.

28:30That comes over me. Even when I'm flying over one of the oceans, for some strange reason, I feel better about turbulence over land than I do over sea. I'm not afraid of death. I know who I believe, but there's something about going down in the water that's just like the vastness of it. And when I get over land, okay, okay, great. If it goes down, we just hit something hard. I don't know why I get this strange sense. And it has to do with water of that big magnitude.

29:11Just kind of, I don't know, it makes me revere, respect. Well, picture this Titanic leaving, going to shore, going to sail on its maiden voyage across the North Atlantic, right? The darkness, the vastness of the ocean, right? The coldness, the darkness. And yet, it's even some said that even God Himself couldn't sink this ship, right? And didn't make it on a second voyage. All of those who were on that ship were on a glorified excursion. The bottom of the sea.

30:03Imagine the icy, cold waters of the North Atlantic deep. But there's something that frightens me on such a greater level, and that is the eternal deep of God's wrath. The eternal deep, far more frightening than the watery deep. And it's like what John is saying: is here: this whole world is captive on a ship that is going down. Only two people: those who are out of God, been born out of God, and those who are in the evil one.

31:03It's not a division that is based on the presence or absence of melatonin in your skin, but the presence or absence of the Spirit of God. That's the division that God makes. But believer, you are not in the grip of the evil one. If you are born of Him, You are not in his grip. Therefore, be assured, you have eternal life. You're blessed along with Jesus. Let's move along. Three affirmations of true Christianity. You want to advance it?

31:54Three affirmations of true Christianity. The third, Jesus Christ is the true God and the eternal life. Look back at verse 20. We come to the third, we know. And we know 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. In His Son, Jesus Christ, this is the true God and eternal life. John makes three statements here that boldly declares biblical Christianity to be the only system that understands the true God, understands the real God.

32:40It's only biblical Christianity that understands what God is like and what He has done for His people. And it is only biblical Christianity that connects us to Him. All others are false under the grip of the evil one. Exclusive. No wonder. Some parts of the country, you know, parts of the world, this message isn't welcomed, right? It makes three statements. Number one, the Son of God has come. God the Son is the very essence of God, the very manifestation of God, and the delight of God the Father. He is the essence, the manifestation, and the delight of God the Father. That is God the Son. He came to destroy the works of the devil, as John has already said in chapter 3 and verse 8. But he has come to give us a mind to know God. Look at what he says. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true. To give us mind, that word for understanding is to give us a mind to know God.

33:59That's what he's talking about. Give us understanding, give us insight, give us a mind. Look, you'll never be able to escape being in the evil one unless you have a mind to have a relationship with God. And you cannot have a mind to have a relationship with God unless, unless you're given understanding. And that's the work of the Son of God. This mindset comes from God through his Son. Second affirmation John makes here, or second, I'm sorry, second statement he makes here in this section is that the Son of God is Jesus Christ. Look at what he says. So that we may know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son, Jesus Christ.

34:58Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But then look what John says: this third statement, third bold statement, that Jesus Christ is the true God. This, this one, is the true God and eternal life. This one is. The name of the real God is Jesus Christ. Now, some would argue that this is a reference to God and not to Jesus. No, there's several reasons why it's not good to go that route. Number one, this, the nearest antecedent, is Jesus Christ, His Son, Jesus Christ, this one. So, unless there's reason, you would not say this is the one who is true. This one refers to Jesus Christ.

36:01And it also would be redundant to say that we may know him who is true, the true God, or basically the true one, is literal, the true one, we are in the true one, and God is the true one. No, that's not what John's leading to, right? It is he's making a distinction here. Jesus Christ, this is the true God, this is eternal life, this is the eternal life, the life that is existing from the very beginning, right?

36:37Something Jesus said: I am the life. I am the very life of God, the eternal. You see, the false teachers claimed fellowship with God was based upon some kind of superior knowledge about the subject of God. And what John is saying, no, it's based upon a spiritual union with God that comes from being born by God. Union with Him only comes from Him. And by the way, in the early centuries of the great Orthodox debates, the early centuries where they were debating these issues about the deity of Christ, the early church fathers understood this to be a reference to Jesus Christ as the true God. They used this verse vigorously. In their debates to show and prove Jesus' godness or his deity. Now, throughout the point of this is, John is making this high statement: Jesus is the true God, the manifestation of the essence of God Himself in humanity.

37:58And so, if you are in relationship with Him, guess what? Be assured you have eternal life. He is the eternal life, He is the true God. You see how John is assuring His three affirmations are three assurances, how He further assures the believers, you're not heading towards eternal death, you have eternal life. Number one, because everyone who is born of God does not continue in sin. There are only two people groups. You're not under the clutches of the evil one.

38:39You are in union with the true God and the eternal life, the very life itself. Be assured, if you are in Christ, you have eternal life. I wanted us to look at these affirmations this morning to assure us, believers. That we have eternal life, and I want you to be assured. And yet, if you are an unbeliever today, I want to frightfully warn you: flee your sin, you're captive on a ship that is going down into the eternal deep. But the good news is, Christ came.

39:33I mean, why did God send Himself to us? Why did God send Himself to us? Why did a man show up on earth that performed all the miracles that He did? He wants your attention, He wants all of our attentions. Why did God testify centuries in advance that He was coming? Why did He go to the cross? Why did He rise again? Why did He say the things that He said so that you would listen to Him, so that you would have a mind to know God and get off of this ship that's going to the eternal deep?

40:16Good news. That's why God sent Himself. Well, we've all heard of the Titanic, right? Well, there. That was a time, this other ship mentioned was glorious from a whole nother set of standards. During the years that the Titanic was built in that era, it was a time of intense competition between transatlantic shipping companies. There was the race to have the grandest, the biggest, the fastest. Well, one particular shipping company opted to dispense with being the grandest and the fastest and set their sights on more humble enterprises. The Carpathia was commissioned not primarily to serve the rich first class, but the second class, the third class, and immigrant travelers. It was more modest in appearance than its leading competitors.

41:31And yet, for many, I'm sure it was the most glorious ship that they had ever laid eyes on. The Carpathia. Have you heard of the Carpathia? Some of you might have. We don't talk about it as much anymore. But on the night of April 14th, 1912, the Carpathia was the first to receive the distress signal from the Titanic. The captain Ordered the ship to turn around and set course for the coordinates of the distress signal. The Carpathia arrived to the scene about an hour and a half after the Titanic had sunk. And for the next several hours, rescuers onboarded the 705 survivors of the Titanic who were floating around on these lifeboats. No other ship in the vicinity.

42:32I'm sure those people, when they saw the Carpathia, it was the most glorious ship they had ever seen. The captain and the crew and the passengers acted heroically. They provided blankets, probably not the first-class kind, coffee, food, clothes. Many of the passengers even gave up their own accommodations. They offered words and prayers of comfort. And it was the humble Carpathia that had become the talk of the world. And although those who had participated in the rescue effort didn't ask for them, they were awarded with many honors. Imagine the gratitude of the survivors. The captain was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Honor by President Taft. He was knighted by King George.

43:38Which ship would you rather be on? The Titanic or the Carpathia? Why did God send himself to us? Why did he entrust the truth of his coming to his apostles? Why did his apostles in turn entrust the truths of the Christ of Scripture to the church? Why do we meet here today? Why are we here? I can tell you, to continue to celebrate, to celebrate the true God who has come and to continue to boldly declare the truths of Christianity, the true Christianity.

44:28God wants people to have a mind to listen to him, and he has left his church with the truth to proclaim so that people will come to know him and escape the eternal deep of God's wrath. What a blessing. What a blessing that we are not under the dominating influence of the evil one. We are not expecting the ultimate judgment of the evil one, but there are many. Who are and so I want to close this today. What ship are you on?

45:20We're going to close out this book next week. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we recognize that you are the true God, that you came and walked among us to get our attention because we are in a desperate situation, incarcerated on a vessel destined for eternal separation from you. And Father, you came to open the deaf ears, the blind eyes, so that we might truly know what God is like, that we might truly hear Him calling us into a relationship with Him. Thank you for the truth of the gospel. Thank you for these eternal words. Let us, as a church, never to be ashamed of them. And never cease to boldly proclaim them, for they are true.

46:38And soon, human history will conclude as we know it. And what a celebration there will be amongst all the living of the glorious work that you accomplished through your people who stood fast on the truth. Father, I pray this morning that you would call every individual here that doesn't know you into a relationship with them. Father, let them know your forgiveness, your healing hand, your goodness, and help us all who have been walking with you for many years to take comfort in these truths. We know we have eternal life. Now let us go from here living the eternal kind of life. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.