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.