Don’t Stop Believing

If something of an estranged passage of Scripture here in First John chapter 5, open with us as we try to figure out how to interpret it. Would you stand with me and take out your Bibles? We stand for the reading of the Scriptures and we sit for the word of the preacher.

We are in the book of First John, which is right near the end of your Bible. If you open to the last book, Revelation, and turn a little bit to the left, you'll find First John. We are in the last chapter, First John chapter 5. By God's grace, we will begin reading where we left off in our study last week, starting with verse 5.

First John chapter 5, verse 5: John says, "Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ—not only by water but by water and blood. It is the Spirit who bears witness because the Spirit is truth.

For there are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree as one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

And this is the testimony that God has given us: eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Father, as we look now to the Scriptures, I pray for wisdom by Your Spirit. You promised that You would give us the Spirit of Truth, who would guide us into all truth and teach us all things.

God, I pray that you would do just that by your Holy Spirit today. Help us to understand the interpretation of this passage, but also understand how and in what ways it applies to us today. That we would not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that our lives would display this week your good and perfect will. Do that work in me, I pray. You'd do that in us, Lord, for your glory. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You may be seated.

Now, I think it's only right to acknowledge at the outset that some of you, as we were reading through that passage of Scripture, may have instantly noticed that there was a portion of Scripture that I may have skipped over. If you are reading from the New King James or the King James Version, you see that there are a few words in between verses 7 and 8. In between where John says, "For there are three that bear witness," and verse 8, where it says, "the Spirit, the water, and the blood," there is a portion of Scripture that I did not read.

In the New King James or the King James Version, which is what I normally read from, this is a challenge for some people to acknowledge. That portion of Scripture, which scholars and theologians for many years have referred to as the "Johannine Comma," is contested by most theologians and scholars as to whether or not it is in John's original writing of this letter. By virtually all accounts, it was not in John's original writing of this letter.

Of course, that causes people to wonder, "Well, then how did they end up being in this passage?" The best scholarly guesses about this is that they came about by a marginal note that some scribe had written in a margin, and eventually it ended up in a manuscript. However, it does not appear in any New Testament documents until the 15th century AD, which is quite a long time after John wrote this.

Now, that's a challenge for some because the doctrine that seems to be given in this contested passage of Scripture is a doctrine that is central to the Christian faith, and that's the doctrine of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity—that God is one God existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—is built up throughout the breadth of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

These words, which are contested, are not a big deal. The value of these words is ultimately not that important. I realize that sometimes this kind of freaks people out. If you have more questions on that, you can text your questions to the phone number up on the screen. We'll talk more about it on the podcast. However, because there's just no real way to see in the manuscript evidence that those words are in the original documents, I'm not going to spend much time talking about them.

There is enough in John's letter to deal with. That's why my intended plan of teaching through this letter in eight weeks turned into 20 weeks. Well, we'll move on.

We have finally come to the last section of John's letter. As I said, I did intend to do this in about eight weeks, and it has taken a lot more than that. This is because, as I started to read through and really meditate upon the five chapters of First John, I found that there was a lot more here that I felt like God would have us look at and dig deep into. This is the first time that I have taught in-depth through First John, and going through the letter, I found that there was a lot that really stuck out to me.

What stands out to me the most in reading this passage, and really in reading things written by Peter and by John, is the transformation that took place in the lives of these two men as they were connected with Jesus. We studied in the last couple of years through First and Second Peter, and now we are coming to the end of First John. We will go on to Second and Third John in the coming weeks, and they are only one chapter each, so it shouldn't take us very long. Though I could probably stretch it into five months, I won't.

In studying through Peter's letters and John's letters, it is fascinating to me to see the transformation that took place in these two individuals. Specifically, I say that because Peter and John were guys who were with Jesus at the very beginning. John became a follower of Jesus; it is believed he was the youngest of Jesus's disciples. He likely became a follower of Jesus when he was about 15 years old. When he writes this letter, some 60 years have transpired, and he has been walking with Jesus for a very long period of time.

The transformation in the lives of Peter and John is amazing because it reveals to us what God can do in a person's life when they truly come in contact with Him. Peter and John were friends when they were younger, living in the area of the world that we know as Israel today, around the Sea of Galilee. They were taking on the trade of their fathers, who were fishermen. Their grandfathers were probably fishermen as well, going back many generations.

John, with his brother James, and Peter, whose given name was Simon, along with his brother Andrew, were all fishermen. At a certain point, a rabbi who was twice John's age came from an area called Nazareth. He approached John, James, Peter, and Andrew and said, "Come, follow me, and I’m going to make you fishers of men." They probably didn't fully understand what that meant, but they forsook everything to follow Jesus. For the next three-plus years, that is exactly what they did. They followed Him, sat at His feet, learned His teachings, and observed His pattern of life.

They witnessed how He rose early in the morning before the sun came up to pray to the Father in heaven. They watched Him heal sick people and even saw Him walk on water, which must have been amazing. Peter and John also witnessed Jesus raise some people from the dead. They saw the very glory of God in and through Jesus, and it radically transformed everything about who they were.

Now, at the end of John's life, his brother James has been dead for probably more than 50 years, and Peter has been dead for more than 20 years. Peter's brother Andrew has also been dead for about the same period of time. John is the last living follower of Jesus who was with Him at the very beginning—the last living apostle. Prior to writing this letter, which was written around the year 92 to 95 AD, John had written the Gospel according to John.

If you have ever read through the New Testament, the last third of the Bible, you know it begins with the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. John was written after Matthew, Mark, and Luke had already been circulated for more than twenty years, and people knew the stories from those Gospels.

Luke writes about the life and ministry of Jesus, and as John nears the end of his life, something compels him to sit down and write an account of Jesus's life. This account is very different from those of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. If you ever read through these Gospels, you will quickly notice that the Gospel of John does not follow the same outline.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they provide a brief synopsis of the life and ministry of Jesus. In contrast, John fills in some gaps; he shares information and stories about Jesus's life and ministry that differ from what Matthew, Mark, and Luke have to say. While it does not conflict with them, it reveals more about Jesus's life and ministry.

One might wonder what stirred John to write this Gospel, especially since Peter, Andrew, James, and the other apostles, including Paul, had already died. After Matthew, Mark, and Luke had been in circulation for over twenty years, what compelled John to write? He provides an answer to this question at the very end of the Gospel of John. In John 20:30-31, he states, "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name."

John constructed the Gospel of John around seven "I am" statements and seven miracles of Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life," "I am the resurrection and the life," "I am the way, the truth, and the life," and "I am the Good Shepherd." He builds this Gospel around these seven "I am" statements and the seven miracles of Jesus, which include turning water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana, healing a man who was lame at the Pool of Bethesda, and giving sight to a blind man who had been born blind.

John emphasizes that Jesus performed many miracles that he did not write about in this book. You may have seen some of those miracles in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. However, the miracles and statements included in John's Gospel were written for a specific purpose: that you would believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that upon trusting in Him, you would have life in His name.

The kind of life that Jesus said He came to give is described in John chapter 10, verse 10. The thief has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly." This abundant life is not just for here and now; it also includes eternal life. That is why Jesus came. John emphasizes that this eternal life is accessible when you trust in Jesus as the Son of God.

Interestingly, John's purpose statement in the Gospel of John is similar to a purpose statement found in the letter of First John. A few minutes ago, we read verses 5 through 13, and the very last verse, First John chapter 5, verse 13, states, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God." In the Gospel of John, he wrote, "These things I have written to you so that you would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." Now, in First John, he reiterates that he is writing to those who believe, affirming that they have read the Gospel and believe in it.

John wants to assure believers that they have the eternal life that Jesus promised. He emphasizes that this life is accessible through trust in Christ. He writes so that they may know they have eternal life and that they would continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. This raises the question: why does he need to write to people so that they would continue to believe? Was there a problem with people no longer continuing to believe in John's day? The answer is apparently yes. There was a counterfeit gospel, a false truth, infiltrating the church through false prophets and teachers, leading people away from trusting in Jesus as the Son of God and understanding His true nature.

If we examine the situation closely, we find that the same issues are occurring 20 centuries later. Therefore, there is a need for a call to those who believe in the name of the Son of God and who have life through His name to continue to believe and to follow after Him. The Gospel of John was written so that you would believe, while the book of First John was written so that you would continue to believe and that you would have the works associated with the life that is promised.

Given by Jesus, your life should prove by your actions that you have received eternal life in Him by faith. This brings us to point number one on our outline: eternal life is received by faith. This is seen throughout the Scriptures. Eternal life is received by faith, and it is revealed by works.

Some people religiously think that they gain a position with God and receive eternal life and the promises of the afterlife by doing good works, but that's not what the New Testament tells us. The Scriptures reveal that we receive eternal life by trusting in Jesus. Once you have the work of God's grace in your life by faith and have received eternal life, it begins to transform the way that you live. This transformation is revealed in the way that we live.

Paul said it like this in Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." He goes on to say, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, that we would walk in them." God gives us new life in Jesus so that we would walk in good works. This theme is seen throughout the whole New Testament: we receive eternal life by grace through faith, and we live out that eternal life by good works afterward.

This concept is found in the earliest writings of the New Testament, and it is also present in one of the very last writings, which is the book of 1 John. It is believed that the very first writing of the New Testament is the book of James. In James 2, an early writing of New Testament theology, James says, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" He emphasizes that we need to have both works and faith.

James continues, "Someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God; you do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

So, early in the theology of the New Testament, James, who was the half-brother of Jesus, highlights the importance of both faith and works.

The passage emphasizes that there needs to be faith commingled with works that follow that faith. John is expressing the same theme here, which is seen throughout the Scriptures. A profession of faith, the declaration "I believe in Jesus," is important. According to Paul in Romans chapter 10, "with the mouth confession is made." This declaration must be followed by the activity of a new life transformed by faith.

James states that faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. True faith in Jesus begets fruit. What is this fruit? It is the evidence that the Spirit of God has brought new life into an individual. Paul tells us in his book to the Galatians, specifically Galatians 5:22, that the fruit of the Spirit is love. John, in this letter, has spent a lot of time developing the concept of what the love of God is and how it manifests in our lives. When God's love becomes a part of my life, it transforms me to love just as I have been loved.

What does that look like? What does the love of God worked out in the people of God look like? We talked about this last week. It is not just a mushy sentimentality or warm and fuzzy feelings; rather, it is a love that is expressed through patience, kindness, and humility. God's love, being worked in and out of us, develops the attributes of His love, which are described by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verses 4 through 7. God wants that love to become a part of my life.

With that as a kind of long introduction, John writes in 1 John 5:5, the text we are focusing on today: "Who is he who overcomes the world?" The answer is, "He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ—not only by water but by water and blood. It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. This passage has been regarded by many commentators and teachers as one of the most perplexing.

Passages from the book of First John present a perplexing and challenging text to understand. What is it that John is saying? This is not a new issue; if you read commentators from 500 years ago, such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Zwingli, you will find that they also faced challenges with this passage. A passage in the Bible can be considered challenging when, upon first reading, you scratch your head and wonder what it means. Additionally, when you look at what commentators say about the passage, you might find that a text consisting of 20 words has 15 pages of commentary in a single source. This clearly indicates that there are significant challenges associated with this passage.

So, what is John saying when he reveals that Jesus is the Son of God, possessing the very nature of God, God incarnate? This is proven by the water, the blood, and the spirit. What exactly does he mean? There are three primary views among commentators regarding what John is discussing here. Some believe that John is referring to the sacraments of baptism and communion. In this interpretation, the water represents baptism, and the blood signifies the sacrament of communion. However, there are challenges with this view.

Other commentators suggest that John is addressing what happened to Jesus when He was on the cross. If you have read the narrative about Jesus' crucifixion, you know that the Romans confirmed His death by piercing His side with a spear, from which blood and water flowed. Perhaps this is what John is referring to in this passage, but this interpretation also seems to conflict with the context.

What does John mean when he discusses these elements in this passage? That is what we will hopefully try to discover. I will not attempt to set straight 400 years of commentary, but it is important to understand what John is doing here. John concluded the last paragraph of verse 5 in First John 5:1-5 by making the point that Jesus is God incarnate; He is God in the flesh, the Son of God.

God is a title that means that this human being, Jesus of Nazareth, who performed miracles, died by Roman crucifixion, and rose from the dead three days later, is the Son of God. This title indicates that this man has the very nature of God. The person who trusts in this belief, who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, is the one who overcomes the world.

It appears that one of the issues the false teachers of John's day were confronting was the question of whether or not Jesus is God in the flesh. To their credit, they did not believe that Jesus was merely a man, which is a common view in the 20th and 21st centuries—that he was just a good man, a good prophet, or a good teacher. These early heretics did not think he was a mere man; they believed he only appeared to be here. They thought he was an apparition, not actually physically present, but rather God appearing in some form.

You might wonder what the problem is with this perspective. John emphasizes this point: only a fully divine Jesus can make us overcomers in this world. This becomes really important because if Jesus was just a man, as the modern view suggests, then he has no power to enable us to overcome the brokenness in this world caused by sin. If he was not a man but merely an apparition, what John and the New Testament writers reveal is that he would not have the power to save us through his death on the cross.

Therefore, he is fully God and fully man. This has been the teaching of the Church for twenty centuries: that Jesus is God incarnate, and only a fully divine Jesus can make us overcomers in this world. This is why John sets out in verses six, seven, and eight of this passage to show that Jesus is the fully divine, incarnate Son of God. He states that Jesus is the one who came by water and by blood.

In 1 John 5:7, it is written, "For there are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree." The Spirit, the water, and the blood agree together.

Jesus is the Son of God; He is God in the flesh. So, what does John mean? I think the most likely interpretation is that this is not dealing with the sacraments of Baptism and Communion, nor is it about Jesus's proof that He was dead on the cross, with the water and the blood coming out. Instead, the blood here refers to Jesus's death on the cross, and the water refers to His baptism.

Why are these two events important? Because they bookend the beginning of Jesus's ministry: His baptism and the finishing work of His ministry here on earth, which is His crucifixion. The Spirit of God proves that Jesus is the Son of God, beginning with His baptism and finishing with His crucifixion on the cross. Throughout His entire time here on earth, the Spirit of God is making this declaration through everything that Jesus said and did—that He is the Son of God.

One way to say it would be this: the Spirit of Truth witnesses to the full divinity of Jesus from the beginning of His ministry at His baptism until the finality of His ministry at His crucifixion. Throughout His entire ministry, which is chronicled for us in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus is declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit.

Let me try to bring this around to what it means and why it's important for us. In 1 John chapter 5, it states, "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He testified of His Son." What is John exactly saying here? John is saying that myself and the other apostles—Peter, James, Bartholomew, Thomas, Andrew, and Paul—we all have made this declaration that Jesus is the Son of God. That is a testimony of humans.

However, John says Jesus has a greater testimony that He is the Son of God than just the vocal witness of people. He has not only the vocal witness of individuals like John and the others, but He also has the actual witness of the Spirit of God. God, who is outside of time and space, is sharing with us and revealing to us that Jesus is the Son of God. This is a far greater witness, and this is important because if Jesus is the Son of God, then He has the power to save us.

He has the ability to make us overcomers in a broken and fallen world that has been marred by sin. God Himself, John asserts, is testifying that Jesus is the fully divine Son of God. One Bible teacher on this topic mentions that the reasonableness of belief rests much upon the validity of the testimony that is given.

So, who is giving the testimony that Jesus is the Son of God? Not just people; John says God Himself testifies that Jesus is God incarnate. Point number three on your outline is that God, by His Spirit, has testified that Jesus is divine. This is important because only a fully divine Jesus can make us overcomers in this world.

This begs the question: when and how did God Himself testify that Jesus is God incarnate? I can think of at least five ways in which God reveals that Jesus is more than just a human being; He is God in the flesh.

The first way is through the baptism of Jesus. If you've ever read through the Gospels, you know that a couple of them begin with Jesus being baptized by an individual named John the Baptist. In Matthew chapter 3, when we read about the baptism of Jesus, it says that when He came up out of the water, the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. I want to emphasize "like a dove" because we often see pictures of a dove sitting on His shoulder. In reality, the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, fluttering over and landing on Him.

More importantly, a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This is God the Father's endorsement that this is God incarnate. That's the first way in which Jesus is revealed to be the Son of God by God Himself.

The second way happens also in the Gospel of Matthew, specifically in chapter 17. John, along with his brother James and their friend Peter, is taken with Jesus up onto a mountaintop somewhere in Israel, probably in the northern part of the nation. While they are there, John, James, and Peter do what they do best.

Jesus is praying, and they fell asleep. None of you have ever fallen asleep when you're praying, but Peter, James, and John did. So, if you have, you're in good company. They fall asleep, and the Gospel of Luke tells us that they are kind of woken up because Jesus is in their midst. Matthew chapter 17 also shows this; He is transfigured before them. All of a sudden, He is glorified in their presence, and apparently, He is shining brightly. There are two individuals standing there with Him: Moses and Elijah, who are conversing with Him.

Peter, who is the spokesman of the group, sees this whole thing and speaks up. He says, "It is so good for us to be here." He doesn't know what to say, so he has to say something, which is normally not the best time to speak. He continues, "Let us build three tents and stay here." In the middle of this, the Scriptures say that a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him." Those last two words, "Hear Him," are kind of like a divine "shut up, Peter." That's basically what God is saying: "Just close your mouth for a moment."

This is the second time that God Himself declares Jesus to be the Son of God. The third way in which God reveals that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is God in the flesh here upon the earth, is through Jesus's miracles. I already shared with you the theme verse or the purpose statement of the Gospel of John, John chapter 20, verses 30 and 31. These signs are written, these miracles are written about so that you would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The miracles prove the true nature of Jesus.

Jesus Himself also makes that declaration in the Gospel of John. In John chapter 5, verse 36, Jesus says, "I have a greater witness than John's." Now, what's happening there in John chapter 5 is that there is a group of skeptics who are challenging Jesus's testimony about who He is. They are talking about the witness of John the Baptist, who had said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" about Jesus. So, we have the vocal declaration of a human being that Jesus is the Lamb of God. In John chapter 5, verse 36, He says, "I have a better testimony than John the Baptist's testimony."

Okay, what is it, Jesus?

The works which the Father has given me to finish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father has sent me. At the baptism of Jesus, we have God saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." At the Transfiguration of Jesus, the same declaration is made: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The very works, the miracles that Jesus performed, declare Jesus to be the Son of God.

In the same passage in John 5, Jesus tells us that the Scriptures, the Old Testament Scriptures, reveal that Jesus is the Christ. Through what? Through the law and the prophets; they all point to Him being the Christ. In John chapter 5, verse 39, Jesus says to the skeptics, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, but these are they which testify of me." So, God testifies that Jesus is God incarnate at the baptism, on the Mount of Transfiguration, through the miracles that Jesus performed, and through the prophetic Scripture of the Old Testament.

Fifth and finally, Jesus is declared to be the Son of God through the resurrection. The resurrection is probably the greatest proof that Jesus is who He claimed to be, that He is God in the flesh. He prophesied and predicted that He would be crucified, that He would be lifted up, and He told His disciples at least three times, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, "I will be delivered up and killed, crucified, and the third day I will rise again."

Now, it's one thing to say to people, "I'm going to raise from the dead." A lot of people can say, "I'm going to raise from the dead." Those are just words. But when you back it up and actually rise from the dead, then you kind of go, "Oh wait, there's something about this guy that's a little bit different than the other people that I've come in contact with before." This risen Jesus was seen by more than 500 people; they all saw Him after His resurrection. Romans chapter 1, verse 4, says that Jesus is declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness, how? By the resurrection from the dead.

Now, why does all this matter? You're in First John; look at verse 10 of chapter 5. He who believes in the Son of God has the...

Witness in himself, John has been building this for a while. When you believe in the Son of God, you trust in Him. God works in you, and you begin to see that work in and through you by the power and presence of the Spirit of God, through the fruit of the Spirit, which is love.

He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself. God works in that person and transforms them. However, he who does not believe God, who does not believe the testimony that God has made that Jesus is the Son of God, has made God a liar. What John says is that if God, at least five times, declares that Jesus is God, and you say He is not God, you are saying God is a liar. I want to suggest to you that this is not a good plan.

He who does not believe God has made God a liar because he has refused or not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. This is the testimony that we have: verse 11 states that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

This matters because, point number four on your outline, the presence or absence of faith has significant consequences. Whether or not I believe that Jesus is who the Scriptures and God reveal Him to be has significant consequences. The person who believes has the presence of faith and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit witnesses in and through them, and they also have eternal life in Christ.

On the other hand, the person who does not believe has the absence of faith, effectively proclaiming that God is a liar. God, who cannot lie, as Paul writes in Titus chapter 1, verse 2, has promised eternal life only through Jesus.

To drive this point home a little more, John continues in 1 John 5:12: "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

At the beginning of John's Gospel, he wrote in John chapter 1, verse 12: "As many..."

As many have received Jesus, God gave them the right to be called the children of God, to those who believe in His name. John says you receive Jesus by trusting in Jesus, the Son of God. When you receive Jesus by trusting in Him, God declares you to be His child, and you are born again, not by the will of the flesh, but by the will of God. God makes you a new creation through the new birth when you trust in Jesus and receive Him. He reveals this transformation in us by His Spirit working through us.

However, the person who does not receive Jesus does not believe in Him. They do not have this new birth; they do not have life. Once again, we come back to what John has been doing throughout these five chapters. He is establishing a very clear contrast—a stark contrast. I have called it before: there is life and there is death, there is light and there is darkness, there is being born by the Spirit of God, and there is being of the Antichrist. He says there are only two options; there is a very clear contrast.

Why does he give these very pointed words in stark contrast? It is so that we can know where we are at. Are we of the light and in the life, being born again by the Spirit of God, or are we of darkness and walking in death, not born of the Spirit of God? He wants us to be able to know that we have eternal life and that we would continue to trust in God and maintain our faith in Him.

Point number five: assurance of life belongs to those who trust in the Son of God and don't stop believing. Some of you may already have a song looping in your head. Assurance of life belongs to those who trust in the Son of God and don't stop believing. Those last three words are a challenge to people because they imply that some have stopped believing. But that's exactly what John said in 1 John 5:13: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God." Why? So that you may...

Know that you have eternal life and that you would continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. What does this imply? It implies that some don't continue, and that makes us uncomfortable. Some people ask, "Is there really a danger? Is that really a problem?" Apparently, it was a problem 20 centuries ago when John wrote this letter, or else he would not have written it. I want to suggest to you that it's still a problem today.

Why is it still a problem today? I've received a number of emails and text messages from people asking, "What do you think about the whole thing going around in the news about this guy named Joshua Harris and Marty Sampson?" Some of you may not know anything about this, but in the last month, two fairly prominent Christian individuals in Christian leadership circles have come out on social media. Joshua Harris, who you may not know by name, is someone under 40 likely recognizes because you probably read his book, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye," back in the late 90s or early 2000s. He rose to prominence when he wrote this book and then became a Christian pastor.

However, just a few weeks ago, he posted on Instagram that after kissing dating goodbye, he was now kissing his marriage goodbye. He and his wife were separating and getting a divorce. A couple of days after that, he put up another post on Instagram stating that by all measures he has, he is no longer a Christian. He has gone through a deconversion, so he stopped believing. You might say that's not possible, but apparently, it is. Joshua Harris, who was a pastor and evangelist who led people to faith, says by his own account that he is no longer a Christian.

Marty Sampson, who has been a worship leader with Hillsong for a number of years and sings many of the songs we use in our own church, also came out on Instagram about two weeks ago and stated that he is no longer a Christian. What has happened here? I want to suggest that these two individuals, from two entirely different camps of Christianity—one from a really strong Reformed tradition and the other from a far more charismatic Holy Spirit tradition—have both walked away from the faith.

How does this happen? I want to suggest that it has to do with their view of God and their understanding of theology. For Joshua Harris, his understanding of theology made very little room for the challenges that we face in this world because he believed in a very strong...

Fatalistic determinism as it relates to God suggests that God predetermines everything. Therefore, if God predetermines everything, then God predetermined the death of every child and the rape of every individual. When you start to confront this idea, you are shaken because you don't have enough ballast in the storm.

Another individual came from a place that did not hold Scripture in high regard. As a result, he could not stand against the challenges of a materialistic, progressive mindset that brings many questions to the faith. He couldn't defend the faith, and in the midst of this, neither one had enough ballast to handle even a small wind.

This reminds me of something I saw last year. My wife and I were in Stockholm, Sweden, where I had taught at a conference. Afterwards, a group of friends suggested a few things we should see in the city. One of those was a museum in central Stockholm called the Vasa Museum.

There is an unbelievable ship in dry dock—a 172-foot, three-masted wooden ship from 1628. It is beautiful, and you look at this massive structure in amazement. The story behind this ship is fascinating. Built in 1628, it had a crew of 445 people and sixty-four guns. It launched on August 10, 1628, but three hours into its maiden voyage, it sank in the harbor of Stockholm while the king and his entourage watched. It sank in a 5-knot wind because it did not have enough ballast; it lacked sufficient weight in the body of the ship to hold it in the water. In that 5-knot wind, it listed and took on water through its gun ports, leading to its sinking.

In the mid-20th century, the ship was brought up from the bottom of the ocean and placed in dry dock for public viewing. It is truly amazing. I want to suggest to you that Joshua Harris and Marty Sampson did not have enough ballast to withstand the winds of challenge and difficulty.

So, I don't care what your theology is regarding whether or not you can lose your salvation; that is not the issue today. The issue is that John says, "Don't stop."

Believing is essential, and we need to add to our faith so that we draw near to Christ. The winds we encounter in this life should drive us closer to Him, not cause us to sink. Those are the two options we face. We can have discussions all day long, and this debate has been ongoing for 400 years about whether one can lose their salvation or not. I know this for sure: you are eternally secure as you abide in Christ and draw near to Him.

John's intent was to encourage us to draw near to Jesus. That was his final word just before he died. Why? Because the church he pastored was in Ephesus. Jesus wrote a letter to them, given to them by John in the Book of Revelation. This church had many doctrinal strengths, but they had left their first love. He urged them to repent and return to that first love.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? Lord, in the finality of this moment, I think it's only right to pray for Joshua Harrison and for Marty Sampson. The story is not over, and we believe, God, that You are still actively working, seeking to draw people to Yourself, even those who go through challenging times and don’t know how to navigate the storms of this life.

I pray, God, that You would draw them with Your loving-kindness, not through the challenges on Twitter and Instagram from well-meaning Christians yelling at them. Instead, may Your loving-kindness draw them and many others to Yourself. We thank You, God, that You loved us when we were unlovely, and You desire that our love, Your love, would pour through us. God, do a work in us of Your grace. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.