Date: 16 March 2025, 9.30 am
Speaker: Ps Daniel Tan Sermon Text: 1 John 5 : 4-21
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TRANSCRIPT
Introduction
Blessed Sunday to all. If you are with us for the first time, either online or in this hall, an especially warm welcome to you. I pray that you will find our worship service meaningful.
There is a management consultant who has developed what is known as the 7 habits of highly effective people. And habit number 2 states that these highly effective people begin with the end in mind.
It means to have a clear vision of your desired destination—and then to proactively pursue that future. And there is no better time than today to decide where you want to be tomorrow.
In Singapore families, I submit, we are all doing that by way of our investment in the tuition industry.
We know what is our desired destination for our children. We need to get that grades, we need to attain that academic competency.
And so, it is reported that families in Singapore spent $1.8 billion on private tuition for their children in 2023 and such expenditure on education services is expected to continue to grow.
From the Stratis Times article:
"There’s this prevalent idea in Singapore that it’s not enough simply to pay attention in class, do your homework diligently, revise regularly, and monitor your own learning in collaboration with your school teachers. So there’s still this perceived need for an external figure, whether paid or not, to provide that coaching."
Statistics have shown that expenditure has increased from $820m in 2008 to $1.8b in 2023.
I’m one of significant contributor to this industry, both as a student receiving tuition and as parents who have sent their children for tuition.
And this $1.8b does not take into account coaching that is done for the non-academic area. Some are doing this for DSAs and also to win championships for personal achievements, which enhances the portfolio too.
Which is more expensive, group tuition or private tuition? Private tuition right?
Do you know that our Sunday School is private tuition of the spiritual kind?
With our small class size, we have individualized attention.
Sunday School is also tuition since the main teachers of Christian Education are parents.
We parents have the whole week to nurture them in the faith and we then get focused support when we have our children attend Sunday School.
Hermonites, our Sunday School is of a private tuition level and it is free.
Begin with the end in mind. We bring our children for tuition because we know how important their future is. Is their eternal future, is our eternal future even more important?
The benefit of this principle of beginning with the end in mind is that it helps us to focus on what is most important. And when that has been decided, many things in the immediate focus will be put into proper perspective.
When what is in front of us, doesn’t help us secure our desired future, that thing will lose its attraction and its hold on us.
With eternity in mind, the author of 1 John, wrote this letter to assure the church in Ephesus that those who have stayed faithful in the fellowship are true believers.
And Ps David helped us see the comforting implication of eternal life so clearly last week. Because of Christ, our resurrection, His return and our reunion is certain.
For John’s first audience, they were facing a church-split and some significant and influential members have left the church.
John is saying, they are the false teachers, they are the ones who have left the authentic faith as handed down by the apostles.
To his first audience, he wants to reassure them, the gift eternal life you have, has been sealed by God for you are following Jesus who has been revealed by God our Heavenly Father.
Because the end in mind is that they all will experience life eternal with God, thus John wants to give them the handles to assure them that they are on the right path.
And if we have been following 1 John, we know that eternal life is found in no one else but Jesus Christ, the son of God.
And this comes out again in today’s passage through the following verses:
1 Jn 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 Jn 5:10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.
1 Jn 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
Incidentally v13 is concise summary of 1 John’s purpose. He wrote for all who already believe in Jesus to be assured that they have eternal life. They are beginning with the end in mind.
So who are those who have eternal life sealed? They are those who are overcomers in the world. They are those whose testimonies are aligned with God and they are those whose prayers, praises and protection proves authentic.
Overcomers in the world
One of the key issues of the false teachers is that they were teaching a Jesus that was different from the apostolic teaching. It was a Jesus that Jesus Himself did not reveal.
1 Jn 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
And so in the first 5 verses of 1 Jn 5, John emphasizes this by bookending who Jesus is. Firstly, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ (v1). He is the promised saviour that the prophets foretold in the Old Testament.
Secondly, Jesus is divine, Jesus is the Son of God (v5). Jesus is thus the God-man.
In between v1 to v5, John then elaborates, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, then this is how you will live. You will love your siblings-in-Christ and you will keep God’s commandments.
Today, because we are looking at v4 onwards, we see that loving our brothers and sisters and following God means we are not like that of the world.
We have overcome it, we are not trapped in its obit and gravitational pull.
Remember that 1 John is a shorthand for John’s Gospel and so when we speak of being an overcomer, we have to remember what Jesus said in John 16:
Jn 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
We become overcomers because we believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God and this is only possible because Jesus is the overcomer.
What does it mean to be an overcomer? Is it that we beat the world at its own game? Does it mean we are healthy, wealthy and famous? No, 1 John 2 tells us what the world is like:
1 Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
And these 3 temptations are exactly what Satan tempted our Lord Jesus at the beginning of His ministry, temptations Jesus passed with flying colors. Thus, He has overcome the world.
In 1 Jn 3, we are taught that sin is lawlessness. It means we are rejecting God’s authority and His ways.
So we are warned, do not justify the ways of the world and assume that you can be a Christian and think that you are not sinning.
So to be overcomers in the world, we do not follow that of the world nor do we justify that the desires of the world are godly.
Since it is our faith in Jesus Christ that enables us to be overcomers, it means we did nothing to achieve this victory. It means there is also nothing we can do to achieve this victory.
That’s the wonderful news right!
We can be overcomers by simply placing our trust in a person, our Lord Jesus Christ.
In John’s view, once we do that, we are children of God and not children of the devil. It means by His Spirit, God enables us to live lives of holiness. His Spirit in us, gives us the ability to not indulge in repeated sin.
By our faith in Jesus, the following lyrics will prove true:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
For those of us who are older, you have lived and experienced much of life. You have gone through the experience of the Singapore dream of Car, Career, Condo, Credit Card and Cash.
In the light of eternity, how can today’s passage shed light on your past pursuits? Where are you now putting your security and confidence in?
For those of us who are younger, you have much of life ahead of you. As you seek purpose, and a meaningful future would it be as an overcomer in Christ?
Could I invite you to reflect on the following lyrics:
My Worth Is Not In What I Own
As summer flowers, we fade and die
Fame, youth, and beauty hurry by
But life eternal calls to us
At the cross
I will not boast in wealth or might
Or human wisdom's fleeting light
But I will boast in knowing Christ
At the cross
Testimonies are aligned with God
Begin with the end in mind. Who are those who have eternal life sealed, they are firstly those who are overcomers in Christ. Secondly, they are those whose testimonies are aligned with God the Father.
1 Jn 5:6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Since our faith, our believe in Jesus Christ is what overcomes the world, John wants us to know that it is not some airy-fairy thing.
No, it is not blind faith but grounded in solid testimony.
Our faith in Jesus Christ according to John is backed up by 4 witnesses. By the Spirit and the water and the blood. That’s 3 witnesses and finally behind all these testimonies, stands God the Father.
So what is the testimony of the water and the blood?
Some of us may know that there are a few different understandings.
Some follow Luther and Calvin and see the water and the blood to mean the Christian baptism and the Lord’s supper.
To this view DA Carson, says “there is no place in the ancient world where Holy Communion is referred to simply by the word ‘blood’. The book is concerned with who Jesus is, not how he may or may not make himself known in the rites of the church.”
Another view is that of Augustine in the 4th Century, suggesting that the water and the blood refers to the passage in John 19 when the spear was thrust into Jesus’ side and v34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
To this view DA Carson says that the order is different for in 1 John it is water and blood but in John it is blood and water. Also in 1 John, it is referring to two separate events, thus 2 testimonies, whereas in John 19 it is one event.
And so the most agreeable explanation follows that of Tertullian, a Christian theologian of the 2nd Century, that the water is referencing to Jesus’ own baptism and the blood is to the death of Jesus.
Through Jesus’ baptism, it was revealed who He was to the world. At His death, Jesus died as the Messiah and the Son of God.
Jn 1:32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
Here we see the explicit testimony of the Holy Spirit to the person of Jesus. The man Jesus is also affirmed to be the divine Son of God.
Not only is the testimony explicit, the Holy Spirit works inward as well. His testimony within us enables us to also understand the spiritual significance of the baptism and the death of Jesus.
V9 further says, to add to the agreed testimonies of the Spirit, water and blood, behind it stands the testimony of God the Father.
What has been testified by the Spirit, water and blood is the testimony of God concerning His Son.
Now, in the courts of law, even in our own family discussions, witness testimonies carry great weight. If they were there to experience it, if they saw it happen, we will believe.
And so, Jesus, His person, His ministry, His death and resurrection, who He is and what He has come to do, it is the testimony of God the Father through that of the Spirit, the water and the blood.
When we believe in Jesus as testified in the Gospels by the apostles, we can be certain our testimony is aligned with that of God and when that happens, we can be assured of eternal life.
And v11 reminds us, God gave us eternal life when we put our faith in Christ Jesus. It means we have received a gift, something not earned, something not deserved.
Do note however also a warning. There is nothing here that is neutral. We cannot say, it’s okay for you to believe in the testimony of these 4 witnesses, but I’m unconvinced.
I’m not against it, I’m just not certain yet.
John is telling us, if we do not accept God’s testimony of who Jesus is, we are calling Him a liar. And the consequence is that we are still objects of His wrath and that means as v12 says, we do not have life.
We will spend eternity apart of God.
For those of us who have been a follower of Jesus for a long time and you are wondering if you have been faithful and ‘good enough’ for heaven.
The comfort today is that because of the objective truth of the testimony of God the Father, the Spirit, the water and the blood, that is the sole condition for entrance into heaven.
Our salvation is secure due to our faith in Jesus Christ.
For those of us who have just started our journey with Jesus, know that you will experience ups and downs in your relationship with Him.
Some seasons you will feel close to Him and in other times, its as if you are wandering by yourself in a desert.
Your faith is not based on your emotions, nor how close you feel to Jesus. It is based on the objective truth of Jesus Christ.
Our salvation is secure due to our faith in Jesus Christ.
Therefore it is important that we know whom we have placed our faith in. Is it Jesus of the bible or the Jesus of our own making.
Salvation that gives us eternal life could be thus liken to that of the Singapore citizenship.
Once you have it, it’s for life. You don’t have to do anything to earn it daily.
As believers who put our faith in Jesus of the Gospels, we are now citizens of heaven. Not just in the future, but now already.
Prayer, Praise and Protection of authentic believers
Who are those who have eternal life sealed? Firstly they are those who are overcomers in the world. Secondly they are those whose testimonies are aligned with God.
And now, finally they are those whose prayers, praises and protection prove authentic.
1 Jn 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. 18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 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. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
As mentioned in the beginning v13 is the summarized reason why John wrote this letter – to those who are believers that they may be assured that they have eternal life.
And since we know that those who love God and also love their siblings-in-Christ, there is a very practical implication for our prayer life.
Firstly, because we are children of God, we have confidence to approach Him in our prayers.
Confidence that we can enter into His presence and confidence that he will hear us and answer us.
The basis is that we are His children and as His children, this is how we behave
1 Jn 2:5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Because we walk in the light, we thus follow His commandments. We therefore in prayer will ask according to His will.
Secondly, we love others because God first loved us (4:19), our prayers will be for our siblings-in-Christ that they too will persevere in walking in the light.
Here let me side track a bit to discuss the issue of sin that leads to death and sin that does not lead to death.
We know that John has been speaking about eternal life and so death here would be the opposite of that. It’s not just physical death but eternal separation from God.
Also John has said, believers will continue to sin but will not persist in sinning and will confess it.
Finally the context is that there were false teachers and they have led people astray who have abandoned the faith.
So, sin that leads to death would be those who persist in lawlessness, who have abandoned the apostolic faith, who have rejected Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. People whom John says are children of the devil.
Sin that does not lead to death would be those committed by believers.
So John says, be your brothers keeper, if he is in sin, intercede for him. Pray that he will turn back in repentance. This is loving your siblings-in-Christ.
God will hear and will answer such prayers for He desires that His children walk in the light.
The praise of those whose eternity is sealed by God will be authentic as well.
John says refrain from idolatry. Idolatry is anything that takes the place of God in our lives.
That means our praise must be authentic, we must worship God and God alone. It means we worship Jesus of the bible and not Jesus that we would like to have.
It means we hate what Jesus hates and not justify it.
It means we love others as how Jesus loves us and not only when it suits our emotional state.
Doesn’t these lyrics ring true of our challenges today:
Revive Us
Idols have captured our land
We worship the works of our hands
Lord for too long we have built
Houses on sand
Teach us to number our days
Cause us to walk in your ways
Boldly proclaiming your praise
Until you come
Revive us, O Lord
Send forth your Spirit
Unsheathe your sword
And break through our chains
By the power of your word
Revive us, revive us, revive us, O Lord
Finally, we have the assurance that authentic believes are protected by God v18.
What blessed assurance, eternal life is well and truly sealed for believers. God is our guarantee that we will experience it for He will protect us.
God will protect us from persistent sin, God will protect us from lawlessness, God will protect us from hating our siblings-in-Christ. God will protect us from scams about Jesus.
Conclusion
There was uncertainty about the object of their faith, there was fear that they may lose their hope of eternal life. 1 John was written to assure them that if they stay true to the apostolic truth, they can be assured.
And when they stay true to the apostolic truth, it will be seen in the way they live and the way they love.
Today for some of us, our crisis of faith may not be due to doctrinal issues, but due to the deep challenges in life. The future seems so uncertain, God seem so absent.
I pray that the assurance from God’s word in 1 John be a comfort that He holds you in the palm of His hand.
The writer of this hymn lost his children to a shipwreck and his business to a fire. Yet he wrote:
When peace like a river attended my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul
For those of us who are in our golden years, when we know that our earthy past is much longer than our earthly future, because of 1 John, may we look forward with hope.
May this stanza be reflective of our heart’s confidence.
And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know
He lives!
For the Yet-believer in our midst, I pray that you will consider this wonderful assurance of eternal life found in Christ Jesus. May you be open to know Jesus the Christ who is the Son of God.
The assurance is that in Christ, we will all be standing on Solid Ground, both now and into eternity.
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