Peter Barnes | 1 John 5:18-21
SERMON NOTES
KNOWING WHERE WE STAND
Job 19:21-29; 1 John 5:18-21
Martin Luther: ‘Take away assertions, and you take away Christianity.’
1. We know victory over sin.
– 5:18; could be that Christ keeps the Christian (NASB, NIV; note John 17:12) or that the Christian keeps himself (Calvin, NKJV)
– we keep ourselves in 1 Tim.5:22; James 1:27; Jude 21
– Christians do not continue to sin (1 John 3:9); the Evil One does not cling to Christians (same word in John 20:17)
2. We know we belong to God.
– 5:19; God remains sovereign (Ps.115:3) but the whole world is fallen. Hence 2 Cor.4:3-4
3. We know the true God, Jesus Christ.
– 5:20; read 2 Cor.8:9
– faith or understanding comes from Christ (Matt.11:27) and recognises the deity of Christ (John 1:1; 20:28)
– anything else is idolatry (5:21; Col.3:5)