GOD'S WITNESS IS CERTAIN

1 John 5:1-11

1 whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Every time I turn on my computer to look at the email, in case one our daughters has written, I must also wade my way through piles, sometimes a hundred or more, of pure junk. They have one thing in common, most of them are filled with lies. “Lotteries” of many sources none of which I entered, and then there are numerous scams supposedly written by well known persons. I have had personal letters from the Secretary of State, the head of the UN, the presidents of numerous banks, the FBI, the Interpol, Scotland Yard. Email is not where you go to learn truths. Probably all of those have been scams.

But there is one place that you and I will always be told the truth. That is the Bible. God’s book is always true, and there is one who offers great rewards. He has said, “I am the way …”  The vital truth is that “Jesus is the Christ,” and that he alone “is born of God.” His credentials are true. God Himself has spoke, “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him.”  God’s witness is true!  

(1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:2, 1 John 4:15, John 1:3, John 3:3, 1 John 2:29, 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:18, John 8:42)

WE CAN BELIEVE THAT

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

When God speaks, we know it is truth, whether he speaks audibly as he did at Jesus’ baptism, or through the Holy Spirit and the written word. Unlike email, we know the author.

The letter from “The Secretary of State” is probably questionable. There are usually dead give aways. If it is from a government official it will use”gov” in the address. If t is from a bank president, it will not use a free carrier such as yahoo, or gmail. Banks use “secure” email.

(1 John 2:5, 1 John 3:14)

WE CAN KNOW

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

We can know that God loves us, and we can know if another loves him. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  If we love God, Father or Son, we will keep his commandments. We will not question if it is necessary to do this or that. Jesus’ commandments are simple to understand. If Jesus said to do it, it is necessary. And, he has given direct commandments. Trough Peter he told those at Pentecost in Jerusalem, “repent and be baptized.’ There is nothing unclear. We know what “repent” means. It is a direct command. Stop doing this, and do that. Change the kind of life you have been living.

“Be baptized.” This something someone else does to us. It means be washed clean. (Acts 8:38,39) Jesus did not just tell us, but he included through the Spirit an example that is impossible to not understand, both the Greek word used and the illustration.

But, there are other commands. “Do this in remembrance of me,”  “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.” ‘Go ye unto all the world and teach all nations.”

None of them are difficult to understand, we know if we are keeping them.

(John 14:15,  2 John 6, 1 John 2:3,  Matthew 11:30, Matthew 23:4)

OVERCOME THE WORLD

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

We are overcoming the world if we are doing them. The way to increase our faith is through the word, and we know if we are reading it.

(John 1:13, John 3:3, 1 John 2:29, 1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:18, 1 John 2:13, 1 John 4:4)

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

The evidence is that we believe Jesus is the Son of God, evident both to ourselves and to those around us.

( John 4:15, 1 John 5:1)

BE BORN AGAIN

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

This is called a new birth, because of the combination of the water, and the blood of the Lord Jesus shed for us. Just as a birth marks the a new life, so this new birth marks a new life, a life for the Lord Jesus.

(John 19:34, Matthew 3:16, John 15:26, John 16:13-15)

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Just as more than one witness are required to establish a truth in court, there are three witnesses of these facts, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Word he has led through the inspiration of the writer.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthian church, pointed out that the prophecies are fulfilled, even knowledge shall perish. Sometimes, to our embarrassment, but that there is that which when it is to come, at that time, he written word.

(Matthew 18:16)

8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

(John 5:34, John 5:37, John 8:18, Matthew 3:17, John 5:32, John 5:37)

THE GREATEST WITNESS OF ALL

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

None of us would call God a liar.

(Romans 8:16, Galatians 4:6, Revelation 12:17, John 3:18, 1 John 1:10)

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

(John 3:36, 1 John 1:2, 1 John 2:25, 1 John 4:9, 1 John 5:13, 1 John 5:20, John 1:4)

Our eternal salvation can be a known fact, it is up to us!

We don’t hope we are saved, we can KNOW we are saved. Jesus has gone ahead to prepare our real, eternal, home. “I go to prepare a place for you.”

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READ YOUR BIBLE THROUGH THIS YEAR

NOVEMBER

3rd Sunday  -  Lamentations 4, 5,     Hebrews 3,    Psalm 119:153-160

4th  Monday  -  Ezekiel 1, 2, 3,     Hebrews 4,    Proverbs 26:21-28

5th Tuesday  -  Ezekiel 4, 5, 6,     Hebrews 5,    Psalm 119:161-168

6th  Wednesday  -  Ezekiel 7, 8,    Hebrews 6,    Psalm 119:169-176

7th  Thursday  -  Ezekiel 9, 10, 11,    Hebrews 7,    Psalm 120

8th  Friday  -  Ezekiel 12, 13,    Hebrews 8,    Proverbs 27:1-10

9th  Saturday  -  Ezekiel 14, 15,    Hebrews 9:1-14    Psalm 121

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MEMORY VERSE

“He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son”  -  1 John 2:22b

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Joy comes not to him who seeks it for himself, but to him who seeks it for other people.