1 John

unto us that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may a fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ and these things right we unto you that your joy may be full chapter 2 verse 15 love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world and the world passeth away in the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever little children it is the last time the last hour and as you have heard that Antichrist shall come even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would have no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us but ye have an unction from the Holy One and ye know all things chapter 3 verse 5 and ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him little children let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous he that committeth sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was the son of man son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil whosoever is born of God does not commit sin and so on first 24 and he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world hereby know we know ye the spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already is in the world chapter 5 down to the end verse 19 and we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness or in the wicked one and we know that the Son of God has come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in a son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life little children keep yourselves from idols a man the Lord bless to us the further reading from his word with what we've been privileged to listen to already this morning when we come to first John we are moving on in time we were in Jude last weekend in Antioch moving on in time about 25 years or thereabouts questions have arisen about how a Christian should live what liberties does he have what license can he take to enjoy the world or go in for the world and indulge the flesh questions about the nature of the Lord Jesus who was Jesus who was the Christ did the Christ come upon Jesus at his baptism or was he always the Christ many questions had arisen so John is writing to counteract these this situation and in this atmosphere he writes his first epistle he is the last surviving apostle who has seen the Lord and as he takes up his pen he is bringing before us what has been manifested from God that's the crux of the issue what has been manifested from God and John will turn his attention to that and will concentrate on that eternal life that which was seen from the beginning now that's not the beginning of Genesis 1 1 creation nor is it the beginning of John 1 1 from all eternity but this beginning he identifies it by telling us it is that which was seen of the Lord and his public ministry verse 1 that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life so John is going to talk to us now about what he really knows what he has experienced himself what he is a witness to and thereby he is establishing his very authority as an apostle one who is fully qualified to give us the original story that's it he was there you see many reinterpretations of the gospel were being given by these Gnostics and they claimed that they had a superior insight they despised that which had been taught and accepted without question until they arrived on the scene but John will call the believers back to the original back to the original back to that which he knows verse number 7 what is the original of chapter 2 listen brethren I write no new commandment on to you but an old commandment which you have from the beginning that old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning love one another love one another your learning your insights calls for change reinterpretations of things are still being given today aren't they what's the answer we need to get back to the original back to the word which you have heard from the beginning other apostles have been martyred by this time but it's remarkable that John has been preserved the very man that reclined upon the breast of the Lord Jesus he is the one that the Spirit of God takes up to give us this message of that which was from the beginning he was as a man fully fitted for the challenge of what the life of Jesus was really all about God had his man is that not what we need today not new methods not reinterpretations of assembly testimony and what how it should function and what what it is but what we need today as has always been the need is men and women raised up by God filled with the Spirit of the Living God able to understand the times and to meet the challenge of the times with the Word of God in hand moving in fellowship with God and with the people of God John was a man that was used of God to call the people of God back to the original now so far as an analysis of the book is concerned we wouldn't have time to go into all that today but you'll know that it's often pointed out that John's thoughts led by the Spirit of God inspired the Spirit of God are revolving around three main themes in this epistle there's a thought of righteousness what is right right behavior in our own world there's the thought of love love one another loving your brother and there's the thought of truth what really is the truth I think it's mr. Gooding that writes and what the Bible teaches and he has a an interesting diagram in there of how that that that cycle revolves three times righteousness love and truth righteousness love and truth righteousness love and truth and he divides up the epistle in that way we're going to suggest a similar way to divide the epistles as far as the ground covered is concerned but looking at it with a different emphasis in chapters 1 & 2 the subject matter seems to be this the life of God that was manifested the life of God that was manifested verse 2 of chapter 1 for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifest unto us chapters 1 & 2 largely when we come to chapter 3 we have that word manifested again in verse 5 and ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sins and again in verse 8 he that committed the sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the work of the devil so in chapter 3 it's the life of the Son of God that is manifested and the children of God bearing character in this world when we come to chapters 4 & 5 we have this person in in verse in chapter 4 verse 9 in this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him so there it's the love of God that is manifested now it's interesting to notice that each one of these sections will end with a warning against that which is false so we come to the end of chapter 1 the first section chapters 1 & 2 and we find that there's a warning against false Christ's false Christ's he speaks about the Antichrist when we come to the end of the of section 2 that is the the end of chapter 3 in the first verses of chapter 4 there is warning against false spirits try the spirits don't believe every spirit and then at the in the last section of the book at the end of chapter 5 you'll notice that there's a warning against false God's little children keep yourselves from idols false Christ's false spirits false God's I notice well that as you think of the problem that's being presented the warning that's being given false Christ's there is a protection for the believer you have an unction from the Holy One an anointing we'll think of that in a moment at the end of the section section where the second section where there is a warning against a false spirits again there is that which is for the protection of the believer that he might be able to discern chapter 3 verse 24 hereby we know that he abideth in us that is the Lord Jesus abideth in us by the Spirit the Holy Spirit which he hath given to us so there is provision from God regarding being able to discern false spirits and then finally when it comes to the warning against the idols and that which is a false God chapter 5 verse 20 notice we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life so there is provision that the believer might be preserved from false gods again we won't have time to look at all of this but let's concentrate for a few moments on the the first section of the the book here where the life of God was manifested for many years now in fact since 1959 scientists have been tuning in radio telescopes to the universe around listening for natural radio signals from outer space it's been called the SETI SETI project the search for extraterrestrial intelligence men have been searching for intelligent life since 1959 some of the best brains in science and in the universities have been tuned into that hoping to find some evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life and so far you know what they've come up with that's right nothing nothing you see there to their 2,000 years too late because the life has been manifested and we're not talking about one who merely came from outer space we're not talking about one who has come from deep space but from the highest throne in the universe from the father's side from the very bosom of his father he has come forth into this world and reliable men have seen it and they have recorded it and we have it right here in black and white in her own mother tongue in first John he bears witness to the life that was manifested what a wonderful thing that is the one who came bore bore the very light of God with him for God is light and in him is no darkness at all and the glorious truth of it is this that we have been brought as believers into fellowship with that life in fact he has placed something of that life within our very being and we've been brought into fellowship with the life and with the light of the very presence of God so that our fellowship is with the father and with his son and with one another what a marvelous truth the life has been manifested and we've been brought into fellowship with it and since we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleansed us from all sin so that we are preserved in the very presence of God and the efficacy of that precious blood goes on cleansing from all sin not that we're sinless but the true believer will sin less he doesn't have a license to sin John writes that we sin not but if any man sin there is a way back we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins he has made full atonement for our sins and he's now in the very presence of God and the moment a question arises as to the security of that believer he's right there himself to represent us before the father case is instantly dismissed Jesus Christ the righteous one is right there the propitiation for our sins so that we may have that fellowship renewed as we come again with confession before God conscious of our own failure we make confession freely before him that we might be brought again into the enjoyment of that fellowship which is ours by right as those that are born of God wonderful thing to be saved does not but you know Satan he wouldn't let that alone he will try to rip that apart with his with his IEDs his IEDs his insistent enemy devices right what's that the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh and the pride of possessions his insistent enemy devices in fact all that is in the world the whole world lives in the wicked one and it's his toolbox to rip apart everything that is of God if he can we're not immune to his influence but thank God we're not a grant of his devices here's the Word of God telling us what they are the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of life and all that is in the world but you know that world passeth away and the lust thereof and so we're told to love not the world and if any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him that whole world system is designed to draw away our hearts we've been hearing about our hearts and the importance of them to watch our hearts that world out there is so designed to draw away our affections to draw away our hearts and ultimately that whole world system will be headed up by a man the Antichrist it is the last time there have been many Antichrists but the Antichrist will come and all that will be linked with him will be damned second Thessalonians 2 now we should have no part of that should we we're children of the Living God our place is in the light in fellowship with God thank God who all who are linked with Christ will share in his glory and we will enjoy fellowship with the life in the light for all eternity what a wonderful privilege it is to belong to God but we must live in this world we're not to love it but we're to live in it so the question is this then by what means will the believer be able to be preserved and not be deceived by the deceitfulness of sin and by the deceitfulness of this world the deceitfulness of the enemy of souls himself how can we be preserved how can we know what is true what are we really to go in for John gives the answer in chapter 2 verse 20 he says ye have an unction an anointing from the Holy One from the Lord Jesus and ye know all things interesting let me illustrate it this way when our children were born I was present in the the birth room each time and it was amazing to see for the the first time that little human being you know with the puffy eyes and shut tight and the mouth wide open screaming for all it was worth objecting to the fact that has been brought into such a harsh stark environment as this world is but there there it was with with little hands and it's little feet and the little fingernails and all the faculties outwardly there they were all the parts were present and there were parts too that you couldn't see the heart and the brain and the organs that little child couldn't read couldn't write couldn't draw couldn't sing couldn't play on the computer couldn't do any of those things but you see that little child had human life and if that little child would grow and develop all of these things would fall into place now you and I have an unction from the Holy One what does it mean just this that with the new birth and with everlasting life that we became the possessors of the moment that we were born again we were given something that was able to discern truth a capacity if you will that which would resonate with the truth it came as part and parcel of the new birth of the life able to recognize that which is true but to be effective it needs to be developed it needs to be developed it's not that a person immediately saved instantaneously knows all the truth and knows exactly what is false and what is true no no we have the ability to resonate with what is true but notice notice what how John will present that to us in that little section there particularly in chapter 2 he will emphasize the need to abide notice that word abide abideth and abide right down through that whole section and I take it this is how this is how it must be developed in our experience in verse number six abide in him and walk as he walked why that's that's Christian living isn't it abide in him and walk as he walked Christ first and everything first 10 abide in the light and love your brother Christ first and then others abide in the light and love your brother first 14 let the Word of God abide in you first 24 abide in what you have heard from the beginning abide in the Word let the Word abide in you and then you abide in the Word so you stay in the Word and you let that Word stay in you and then again verse 27 and 28 he speaks again of the anointing the unction the anointing abide is in you and then he goes on to say and now dear children abide in him he abides in you and you abide in him what's that that's communion that's communion so here is the here is the keynote of keynotes of Christian living Christ first Christ first and then others stay in the Word and let that Word stay in you and enjoy communion with God from day to day and as we do that as we abide in him and these things abide in us then there will be developed that capacity within that heart to discern what is true what is right what is real what is of God and thereby we will be preserved in this world now my time is gone just to summarize the lessons of the other two sections very quickly the warning against false spirits we just say this that any teaching which excuses sin or gives license to sin is of the devil and the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil and then as you come to the end of the the book that grand conclusion in those concluding verses we know that the Son of God is come and has given us an understanding that we may know him that is true it's a different word up until then he's been using the word for intuitive knowledge but now he uses a word that's indicating progressive knowledge that we may progressively know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life little children keep yourselves from idols what's an idol an idol is anything that draws away the heart from God takes up our affections away from God it displaces God and it will ultimately put us at a distance from God so far as our lives are concerned but we have to be done with all of that anything that draws away the heart we are to go in for knowing him him that is true this is the true God and eternal life may God help us over the weekend to absorb something of his word absorb something of his truth to take it away with us to live in the good of it and to enjoy communion with him until we hear his voice