Victory by: #1 of 3 - the Testimony of God

The Testimony Concerning the Son of God

(1 John 5:6-12, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 26, 2017)

[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.

Last Sunday we heard that we have a victory that overcomes the world. How do we win this victory?

Today and for the next two Sundays we are going to explore three answers:

First, We win by the testimony of God.

Second, we win by confident, God-directed, God-empowered, God-received prayer.

Third, we win by the worship of the true and living God.

In short, we overcome by God. God wins through us. This is the victory of faith.

It still may sound confusing—it should since we are talking about God's heavenly power working through regular people. The way to lift the confusion is not necessarily just through more study, but through more living it out over the course of a life.

The Testimony of Water and Blood

Today, what is this testimony of God that is the first powerful tool that God uses in us and through us to win victory over the world system that is so far from godly doctrine, ethics, and communion? John says this tool is all about Jesus Christ, “who came by water and blood.” John insists on this, “not by the water only, but by the water and the blood.” He then talks about three, and we will get to “the Spirit” in one second, but the three that testify are “the Spirit and the water and the blood.” And John says the three agree. Whatever the water is and whatever the blood is, they have a testimony or a truth claim that they speak, and they agree with each other, and they also agree with the Spirit of God.

In John 19:34 the same apostle says that there was a striking display of water and blood immediately after the death of Jesus as the soldier's spear went into our Lord's side. This was testimony of His real death, and people have thought about that and said many things about it. But here, John says something else, since he talks about Jesus' coming and not necessarily His death. “This is He came by water and blood.” Some people have said that the water is a reference to Jesus's baptism by John when there was a voice from heaven that spoke about Him. The same people usually connect the blood to the testimony of His death. That is all good, but the most obvious “coming” of Jesus Christ was His birth, and in every human birth there is water and blood. The birth of Jesus was messy and wonderful, like the safe delivery of any child born of a woman. Jesus was and is a real human being. When water and blood gave a testimony at his real human death, they were repeating a testimony from His birth.

But why even talk about water and blood at all? The symbolic system of cleansing that God established in the Bible for the Jews was full of verses that tell us about an unusual purification from sin and uncleanness that came by water and the blood. Now we must go to the death of the Christ who Himself came by water and blood for humanity, and sing with “Rock of Ages” these powerful words, “let the water and the blood from Thy riven side which flowed be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power.” This is amplified by what John said in 1 John 1:7, “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

The Testimony of the Spirit

More briefly, the testimony of the Spirit is the testimony of God, which comes to us most certainly through the Word of the Scriptures. This is “the testimony of God” and thus greater than the testimony of men. It tells us with certainty the facts of our Savior. Who better to testify concerning the Son of God? People may say all sorts of things about Jesus. What we want to hear about is this: What does God say in the Scriptures? That's the best answer for us.

The Bible agrees with the real birth of Jesus and the real death of Jesus. It not only tells us the plain facts, but it assures us of what it all means for us. This is the testimony of God concerning His Son, and we who believe have this testimony living within our souls. Those who do not believe, that is another story. But for all who do believe, true faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is a sign of the testimony of the Spirit in us.

The Testimony: God Gave Us Eternal Life in His Son

What is the content of this testimony?

1 John 5:11 tells us very clearly: “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

Not only was Jesus Christ a real man, not only was He also the Son of God, not only did He die to cleanse us from all sin, Jesus had victory over death for us. He rose from the dead. This is the most important fact that anyone can know. But don't just know the fact, know what it means for you: eternal life. That life is “in His Son,” the Son of God from before the world began, the Son of God who came by water and blood, the Son of God who died and rose again, the Son of God who reigns in heaven and who lives in us now by the Holy Spirit.

With this testimony of God, you have the Son, and you have eternal life. Without this testimony, you do not have the Son, and therefore you do not have Christian life, and you do not have eternal life. Nothing could be more serious.

It is our privilege to receive, live, and proclaim the testimony regarding Jesus and the church: God has given us eternal life in His Son.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 3 – Many Foes

Gospel Reading—Matthew 6:5-6 – [5] And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. [6] But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

A New Life Beyond "C'est Moi!"

Overcoming the World

(1 John 5:1-5, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 19, 2017)

[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?

As we come to the final chapter of 1 John 5, I am planning four messages to summarize much of what the Apostle wrote in this epistle for the churches of the first century. Today: Overcoming the World, 2/26: The Testimony Concerning the Son of God, 3/5: Life, Death, and Prayer, and 3/12: Jesus is True-Keep Yourselves from Idols.

The World and the Church

Since the fall of mankind, this world has been dying. God is a God of life, and He was not content to leave this world in death. Therefore His grace has been known in a community of faith that is a seed of a new world of resurrection life.

At the center of that new world is Jesus the Son of God. Connected with Him are all who believe in Him. They are the children of God. They love the Father and the Son, and therefore they love the entire family of faith who have all been “begotten” by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the one and only Son, but many others have been begotten by the Father, or “born of God,” by the grace of the Almighty.

Love for God and love for neighbor are the fulfillment of the Law. The defining mark of those who have been born of God will be the sacrificial care that they will show especially to God's household of faith. In this way, a distinction is made manifest between the new world of life in communion with the Resurrection Christ and the old world in communion with death.

We are a part of the new resurrection life, and we overcome the dying world. We have a distinctive communion with God and one another, an historic system of ethics, and a set of core Christian doctrines that we believe. In contrast to these three (communion, ethics, and doctrine) which define historic Christianity, the world of death has a false communion, a false ethical system, and a false doctrine, all of which lead to death.

Our Doctrine and Their Doctrine

Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, the second person of the Triune Godhead, is at the center of our faith.

What about their doctrine? Continuing with the Camelot theme from last Sunday, their song of faith would be the one sung by the french knight, Lancelot, “C'est Moi!” He insists that a kinght of the round table must be invincible, daily performing impossible deeds, with a remarkable soul, a heart and mind as pure as morning dew, and on and on. He then asks and answers the key question: “But where in the world, is there in the world, a man so untouched and pure?” His answer: “C'est Moi!” Or as the Scriptures put it, describing the doctrine of this world without the true God, “I am, and there is no one else, no one besides me.” (Isaiah 47: 8, 10, Zephaniah 2:15)

Our Ethics and Their Ethics

Our ethical absolutes are “His commandments” which are summarized for us in the law of love and in The Ten Commandments. We are called to the love of the cross as the fulfillment of all Law. The Law of the Old Covenant, including all of its ceremonial provisions of approaching a holy God through the blood of an acceptable sacrifice has now been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. What was once an unbearable burden (Matthew 23:4, Acts 15:10) is now said to be “not burdensome” since the Lord who fulfilled the Law of love is working in us and through us.

What about their ethics? It is simply the outworking of their central doctrine of “C'est Moi!” I must be me, and you must not be allowed to stop me from being me, or discourage me in my mission to be me, or even bring any distressing thoughts or emotions before me.

Our Fellowship and Their Fellowship

Our fellowship is the communal life of those who have been “born of God” and who believe that “Jesus is the Christ, ... the Son of God.” We have fellowship with God and with one another.

What about their fellowship? Their fellowship is with those who will hold to “C'est Moi!” Those who would threaten their doctrine and ethics may be hated. But we are called to love our enemies.

Here's the good news: Love wins. The love that comes from God and works through those who have been born of God, wins. It overcomes the world. But the Word must be heard and believed.

We are people of Christian faith, Christian ethics, and Christian fellowship. This sets us apart from the world. A spiritual war that began in Genesis 3 will not be won by imitating the world's rebellion against the Almighty or by trying to convince those who do not obey the gospel that we are not really as bad as they think we are. We will only defeat darkness by the love of God. The Lord Himself will make us shine as His people of Light and as true followers of Christ Jesus, the Son of God, without our having to boast or brag in order to bring attention to ourselves.

Two examples:

1. Ram and Asha, our friends and Christmas-card buddies who are retiring with their family to the hometown of their fathers in order to build up the church there.
2. Marjorie, the dying Christian woman that Bill Spead and I went to see yesterday. Our weapons of warfare: hymns, Scripture readings, prayers, presence. Her testimony: “I am just so grateful for so many things in my life and especially for my family and friends who have been with me through trials. All glory to God.” Yes, indeed! “To God Be the Glory” is truly a better song for the dying saint than “C'est Moi!”

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 2 – Kiss the Son

Gospel Reading—Matthew 6:1-4 – [1] Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. [2] Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. [3] But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

How to Handle the Bride of a King

I Love God

(1 John 4:20-21, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 12, 2017)

[20] If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar;

for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen

cannot love God whom he has not seen.

[21] And this commandment we have from him:

whoever loves God must also love his brother.

The Unseen God

In the history of ancient Israel we read of the rebellion of that generation that saw so many miracles of God in Egypt. The Lord delivered them out of slavery through His mighty power and made a distinction between the Egyptians, who were their enemies, and God's chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet an entire generation died in the wilderness, a great host of people who had also demanded that Aaron make for them an image of God that they could see.

The golden calf incident became a distressing touchstone of unbelief for God's nation. They preferred a powerless image to the invisible God who spoke His Word to them. His commandment in Exodus 20 would define their worship as very different from that of the nations of the earth, “[4] You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. [5] You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, ...” He is the God they could not see.

The Brother We See

This invisible God has created a visible world. He has shown great care for the creatures of the earth and especially for His beloved chosen people who are part of His family. Through the only-begotten Son of God we in “the visible church” have all been counted as “brothers” and as children of God. We see one another and we understand at least something of the needs that we each have if we are paying attention. Who are the brothers? They include,

...The elderly woman with some dementia who no longer remembers why she should still be alive,

...The young father who has never been taught what it means to be a man and wonders how to do this sacred task that is set before him,

...The tired couple who feel pulled in too many directions and who are trying to recapture some solid feeling of love for God, love from God, and love for each other,

...The young single woman who wonders how her life could be turning out so differently from that of her parents, and finally

...The two little boys who have not yet learned that the following conversation is socially unacceptable in serious Christian circles:

Boy 1: “Do you like church?”

Boy 2: “No.”

Boy 1: “Me neither.”

All these men, women, boys, and girls are a part of the group that John calls “brothers” here. Some, like the last two little ones just mentioned, may have not yet expressed adult faith publicly, but we look for them to make a sincere commitment of trust in Christ and to surrender to His Word. All are part of the community that is defined by the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray. The all have learned to call God, “Father.” When they are at their best, they approach Him with their petitions as one might talk to the greatest of all rulers who is also the closest of very near relations—one whose love has been proven by life and death. What should we do with them all, these “brothers” of ours, these children in the household of the Almighty?

Loving God and His Church

First see WLC on the sixth commandment with Scriptures proofs, and then listen to Lerner and Lowe's “Camelot” as you consider that all these church “brothers” are also a “bride” for the Messiah who showed His commitment to her with the sacrificial love of the cross:

At a key moment in Camelot King Arthur remembers Merlin's instruction from earlier in his life:

“How to handle a woman?

There's a way,” said the wise old man,

“A way known by ev'ry woman

Since the whole rigmarole began.”

“Do I flatter her?” I begged him answer.

“Do I threaten or cajole or plead?

Do I brood or play the gay romancer?”

Said he, smiling: “No indeed.

How to handle a woman?

Mark me well, I will tell you, sir:

The way to handle a woman

Is to love her... simply love her...

Merely love her... love her... love her.”

Then Arthur, all alone, practices these words for the queen he loves: “What's wrong, Jenny?” “Where are you these days?” “What are you thinking?” “I don't understand you.”

Loving God and Enemies

If we will love the visible church in ways that the Spirit and the Word will make obvious—if we will find a way to love the beloved bride of Jesus, then we will soon discover that the experience of spirit-filled sacrificial love so enjoyable, that we will be far more willing to have the Lord use us to love other “neighbors” around us, the world, and even our enemies.

God has made us living letters of His love. Can we say with any credibility that we truly love Him if we refuse to care for His family?

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 1 – Blessed is the Man

Gospel Reading—Matthew 5:43-48 – [43] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

He gives voice to the dead... And so we sing.

Why do we love God?

(1 John 4:19, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 5, 2017)

We love because he first loved us.

Why do we love God?

God is worthy of our love. He has the most delightful combination of attributes and actions. So much so that we really must sing to Him about it. I was recently driving home when the sun was setting. A plane left a trail in the sky, and the visible orange and yellow rays of the sun which I could no longer exactly see brightened those two lines of smoke far above. I thought of the God who had the power and wisdom to make such a beautiful world and the people who live on it.

Strings of words come to mind, but our hearts have more than words. Nonetheless, some words:

Creation, Providence, Redemption have been wrought by the one and only God...

who is

Infinite, Eternal, and Unchangeable

in His...

Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness, and Truth.

It could drive a man to do something other than drink... SING. (See Ephesians 5:18-19)

“Do not get drunk… but be filled with the Spirit… addressing one another... singing...”

Tomorrow morning our small band of morning worshipers will do just that using Psalm 29:

O give to Jehovah, you sons of the Mighty,

Both glory and strength to Jehovah accord!

O give to the Lord His name's greatness of glory!

In splendor of holiness worship the Lord!

Then again I think of Doug Camp's sensitive and forthright words to a stranger—a man who was unknowingly disrupting our Presbytery meeting in Lewiston yesterday. That's why I love God.

Or what about this text from Craig Dubois that binged me about forgiveness and vengeance:

I came across something interesting. When Christ tells Peter to forgive a brother seventy times seven, His saying seems to contrast completely what Lamech says in Gen.4:24: "If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy sevenfold." You probably already knew this but I had never seen it before. Forgiveness in one context, revenge in another. Interesting.

Another list of words come to mind:

Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, Glorification...

All part of the redemptive work of an amazing God.

And can it be that I should gain

an int'rest in the Savior's blood?

Died he for me, who caused his pain?

For me, who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be

that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Q: Can it be? How can we ever love God? A: He first loved us

This is another version of the “Why do we love God?” question. This one still focuses on God, but it is more particularly with reference to our own spiritual weakness. There is a problem when we refer to our spiritual weakness. It overestimates our ability. We were not weak. We were dead, but God made us alive.

Ephesians 2:1-10

[1] And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—[3] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—[6] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It is obvious that we could not save ourselves in terms of our spiritual debt to God. The cross proves that. We did not die on the cross for our own sins. Only Jesus could do that.

But we could not even provide the faith by which we came to experience God's grace. Even the faith was a gift. That's how far we were from being able to save ourselves. He first loved us.

One more song that will no doubt make it into the hymnal in the next revision:

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Christians are the special recipients of the Lord's electing love, not because we are inherently lovable, but because of the Lord's choice and covenant faithfulness. All human beings should be treated with dignity and cared for with generosity, since all are created in God's image. But we are God's chosen people. We love because He first loved us. Because of that powerful life-giving love, you have a great destiny. “He will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

Old Testament Reading—Zephaniah 3:14-20 – Rejoice and exult with all your heart

Gospel Reading—Matthew 5:42 – Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.