Birthmarks of the Begotten

Start first John chapter 5 verse John chapter 5 we be looking at first John on Sunday morning. I just thought I'd jump in the arsenal. Do not try the auto jump in there for the Sunday morning because we've completed first Timothy and I'll probably going to second Timothy but usually take time between books of the Bible to touch on some things that I be since need to be touched on, but here we have in first John chapter 5 an interesting text of Scripture.

Now as we go through John. We understand the phrase that John has over and over again emphasize the couple at the he keeps pointing out the false he calls those who are of falsehood, most of which profess to be Christians but were not. He calls them of the antichrist are the antichrist spirit was to point out the difference. I've been busy scorning out the true he brings one hallmark characteristic out over and over and over again and that's this unique special love that the true body of Christ has one from another, not necessarily professing Christendom.

Matter fact absolutely not professing Christendom that involve so very many who don't know Christ at all, but those who truly are God's one hallmark characteristic is the special, unique, abiding love there is one for another. In a true church are good, so unite biblically spiritually healthy church and ask a question that don't raise your hand. Don't say it out loud. Okay you have a birthmark birthmark I want on the top of my foot.

You probably heard like I did growing up that everybody has one. I remember as a child in grade school. As children we talk about it but got birthmark was your birthmark by Camilo diner certain settings, I suppose, but probably the phrase everybody has a birthmark came from a loving mom who had a son or daughter who had a birthmark.

Maybe that wasn't the most attractive are in the best place and that's it will look like everybody has and probably most everybody does birthmarks really mark you as one-of-a-kind is true. Nobody has the exact same birthmark birthmarks also identify you if you were a corpse somewhere God for bid that happened in some kind of setting, and you need to be identified. That's one of the ways I could say we know this is so-and-so because he is this unique birthmark on his leg.

His hand where it is. So they they identify you and they mark you out your unique your one-of-a-kind well list take that to a spiritual application as a child of God, what it was, say, we have distinguishing birthmark's we've been more by the powerful changing work of the Spirit of God. And it's that these birthmarks are not necessarily on the outside builder manifested through the outside but this is a birthmark on the tablet of the heart.

It's an internal change in internal mark. Our uniqueness as the children of God is founded upon the truth that we see in verse John chapter 5 that is that we are born of God.

First we were born of me and into this world, but then when you become a Christian. The only way you can become a Christian is to be born of God and you have now. That spiritual birthmark on your life. One way to say it is we are the begotten of God. I did some study on the word born of God are begotten of God and find that these terms are somewhat interchangeable.

They mean basically the same thing.

For example, the King James version in the same verse translates the same Greek word one time born and one time begotten and sold through topic.

The English word has been interchangeable… But all I found something interesting looking at Jesus is called the only begotten of the father and then all of us who are Christians who are called the begotten of God, will talk about that for just a moment for swelling. John 114. We got to our text, yet she just look at the screen will show you what you say are locked in John 114.

Jesus is the only begotten from the father. Now let's all remember this morning Scripture bears out unequivocally that God the father and God the son had an un-originated relation ship and on religion.

I do know that were tossed out this week other words, there was not a time when Jesus, God the son and God the father did not exist. It's all they've always always been there.

There was never a time when God the father created God the son or begot him in that sense of the word now Jesus is begetting is not an event of time, but a fact irrespective of time.

It's always been this way Christ did not become the son, but necessarily and eternally is the son of God.

He never came into being. He's always been God, God the son certainly put on incarnate flesh. At one point and was manifested among men, and perhaps in some context. The word begotten includes that aspect that he came forth in human form, but he essentially has always existed, as coequal to God the father, but he's been God the son. So what John is saying in John 114, where he says Jesus is the only begotten of the father is that he is the sole representative of the nature and character of the one who sent him. Only Jesus is begotten in this way. Only Jesus is the sole representative are the true representative of the nature and character of God the father. So what John was saying when he wrote the gospel were in his epistle over here now. First job when John wrote the gospel you made that statement. He's the only begotten of the father. We want you to do is he want you to understand the glory, the magnitude the marble of the one that they saw the one that they heard anyone that they touched with their hand. He's the only begotten of the father so he stands apart in the sense of his begetting it unique, one-of-a-kind, but of the Bible and numerous phrase places since we are born of God or that we are begotten of God in different word is used in what we saw in John 114 but has a similar idea.

The words, there has been born in us the nature and character of God, but were never the son of God like Jesus. Of course, even God himself now lives in us in the person of the Holy Spirit.

The son Jesus connects to the father as his begotten and then we are born of God to be, the children of God but of course through the merits and work of Jesus Christ.

In simplest terms, we are God's offspring. Now were of his family.

One scholar pointed out this way is looking at Jesus being the only begotten of the father but also us being begotten of God, he said, is this what where Christ is the only begotten son by generation we are God's begotten sons by Christ through regeneration went went went when Jesus is considered the son of God, the begotten of God, you have like producing like God the son God the father equal like perfect always forever return eternity past eternity future, but with us you have something very very different in our regeneration to become born of God are the children of God, something profoundly new happened, something infinitely better was made of us who were deplorably wretchedly defiled by corruption in sin and then we were even to be different by the power of God working outside of ourselves. In effect, as the Bible teaches. So clearly we were spiritually dead and life was imparted to us.

Thus, the beautiful picture of the phrase born of God, new life, now let's go to our text this morning and I want to call this the birthmarks of the begotten that was all sort of background you set that aside now is talk about the birthmarks of those who are God's begotten. If you're one of those that keep notes and remember what I did this exposition. Many, many years ago. I use this title much much much is changed in the sermon so you want to take notes again. All right. First John 5135 whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the father loves the child born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God. When we love God and observe his commandments, for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome for whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that is overcome the world. Our faith, who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the son of God, so I will talk about those who are begotten of God in four different ways for aspects of the birthmark if you will, of those who are God's children. Those who are born of God I. Everyone who is begotten of God believes that Jesus is the Christ, everyone, begotten of God believes that Jesus is the Christ. Of course the word Christ is used in verse six he possessed.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.

Christ means the Messiah, the anointed one, the one promised in the Old Testament, the one who said, as the only Savior of men. Now scholars point out here IT Robertson, the esteemed Baptist Greek scholar points out that the word believe senior is a special construction and it means far, far more than any type of intellectual assent means far more than any kind of just except that, historically, that Christ was the Messiah. He was the promised one of the Old Testament prophets. It means here something weightier than that it has strong force. It means a full surrender to Jesus Christ, not someone your tagging on to your busy life as if I got these pie you know I'm my life is like a pie chart in one chart is of your salvation and tag Jesus on that's not what the scholars say this means.

It means that he becomes Lord of the whole pie just got Lord of the whole pie eats the whole pie.

He owns the whole pie of my life is Lord of all and he's the one I look to as my Savior. A hearty heart devotion and trust and reliance on Jesus Christ. Now remind you in biblical truth. There's just no exception. Here begetting comes before believing begetting yet to be born before you can believe, no wonder the New Testament writers were inspired to use this kind of illustration. These kind of metaphors because everyone knows you can never believe physically unless you been born physically your physical mind can't comprehend and grasp something unless you been made alive and have a physical mind birth had to come first. And so it is in the spiritual realm just a couple of verses to remind us again. John 112 and 13 but as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in a stable five Route 30. If you believe then your godchild absolutely true. But then he modifies and amplifies in verse 13 who are born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh that your natural capacity to respond and do, nor to the will of man, but of God. You were born of God.

That's for John's getting to hear that the same church you got understand something. There's a precious wondrous specialness to what you have, individually, but especially what you have, collectively, because you are the collectivity you are the body the organism. The local church that is made up of those who are acted upon by God, you're the born of God that makes you very different. You have these birthmarks you have this kind of belief this faith in Jesus Christ.

That is not just tagging Jesus on to your old Greek or Roman philosophies of life, which would be typical in this day. You didn't just tag Jesus on to your old Judaism and modified somewhat as I went out we got it all.

We got the law of God, and we got Jesus. We got the whole package. No, that's not what you you will just bring Jesus into our modern lives today and tag him onto your busy life. He comes in with a hearty heart devotion.

These mylar and he's my Savior that's a birthmark of the begotten now list some of you media view struggle with box checking I got this this this this this this this check these boxes off and then maybe a mocha. This isn't about box checking you'll never believe on him. As you all to have believed on him into your glorified by him and Evan.

But there is the reality of a change in your heart of hearts, whereby there is an esteem for him and embracing of him and adoring of him a love for him. That's different now than it was before. Every time your pastor preaches of him. It started afresh every time your pastor preaches of him that grows a new and you reminded afresh. Yes.

Yes he is my hope here's my treasure. PS my keying.

He is my Lord. That's birthmark of begotten, it comes from the work of the spirit, of course, and he'd been the spirit of God enables you to believe on Christ in that saving way. John 33, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. You can't see what's even made until the new birth happens. First Peter 123 talks about us being born of imperishable seed were born of that which is outside of is everything that you can do everything that you possess that you might can perform is a natural and comfortable seed your mind that you might say you believe we have is a is a finite and corrupted Oregon it's gonna lay in a tumor and not in a grave someday everything we have is temporal and corrupted. But there's this thing called the new earth and its performed by the God who is not corruptible peas, incorruptible, by the God who cannot perish by the God who does not change when you're born by last for time and for eternity.

Before before we were born of woman.

That's one of the phrases the Bible uses. Secondly, before we were born under the law. Thirdly, before we were born. According to the flesh but now all going to third. Now, would put up the now were born of God knows the difference. There notice the difference.

Megan John's writing to local New Testament churches.

He wants them to grasp the wonder of this, the glory of this, the uniqueness of this and part of his reasoning is there's a lot of imposters who have come in is a lot of under false teaching that has crept in and the true ones need to know who each other are know what John was involved in. It was involved in a are you ready a true church ministry novel idea yacht been criticized for calling our conference the true church, which I replied yes. What kind you trying to have a kind of creature comforts a sort of treacherous comforts are mostly true church conference somewhat treacherous comforts of false church conference. I thought some of them should be called. No, we haven't arrived at were striving toward being a true church, which is what John is writing this for which in fact is what the entire New Testament is focused on because that's God's key in primary work in the world is building his church out of local New Testament churches until one day, at the time who collect us all together as one glorious church are one Mark birthmark of the begotten is that they believe on Jesus as the Christ. Secondly, everyone whose begotten of God shows his love for the father by loving the father's children shows his love for the father by loving his father's children back where I come from in the sophisticated and cultural elite region of Lawrence County, Tennessee. That's a joking life are the phrase was common in my town well is he so-and-so's son, then he's good for me are it's good enough for me your father's reputation in the community meant something about the children. What John is going to say here when you love the father you also love the father's children. The worst John coming from with the context the flow of the book is false teachers those of the antichrist spirit.

Those who are divisive to try to split up their own grown little philosophy of church life and divide the church they don't love the church, the resubmittal of the churches they never really love the father there trying to use religion for themselves and not bill Christ true church. Galatians 610 is a verse we use a lot around here so that while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially those who are of the household.

The thing you have a special responsibility to your to have a special devotion to do and certainly I special love for those brothers and sisters who are in your local church. Why because you love their father. You know him now you been born of God in your learning to know this wonderful glorious holy heavenly father and so naturally you're attracted to his children who are beginning more and more to look like him less the track were all on so many times and in this day lock in our day.

There were those who come into the church and teach false doctrine. Those who would abandon the church and neglect her needs.

Those who claim to be Christians. It's I know we got a unique twist on the truth so we can still indulge in our sexual immoralities that was prominent in this day they were called, proud and haughty in spirit and in many other ways. Show disdain for God's true local churches and John had to deal with a lot of that yet so many of these people would proclaim that they are God's children to Paul.

John was the Savior you have these birthmark you show your love of the father by your love for his children.

John basis as it can't be so these as you know what verse five. Whoever believes that Jesus the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the father loves the child born of him saying children do not understand that 1 Simple Way you can know the false from the true is a lasting enduring love for true brothers and sisters in Christ at the birthmark of the truly begotten 1 cup of thoughts that the Bible teaches that we've experienced certainly and Bible is not just us every church I know of that is striving to be true to God will experience various aspects of these two things. Number one mill experience. Those who will. Forsake the assembly those who just go away go their own way and down. The reason is there not spiritual men or women they don't connect to spiritual body. Their carnal their fleshly good cultural Southern evangelical experience that accommodates their flesh so they forsake the assembly were true church.

Secondly, they cause factions that cause little groups to start sort of against the church and against the elders because they found a better way. This is seen throughout the New Testament and will one of things it shows you the miraculous authenticity of the Bible is is it's true today exactly as it was 2000 years ago, saw the Bible warns in Titus 310 reject the factious Man after a first and second earning.

Don't let that stuff get going in your congregation.

Stop it when it starts going in Romans 1617 now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching. What you've learned and turn away from them. Don't go with that group. There obviously loving themselves. The book of Proverbs says he who separates himself seeks his own desire.

Very simple, very poorly, but very true or not about loving the brethren because they love the father of the brethren about themselves starting their own thing other words, they do anything but deny themselves in order to love and help the church in the per its pursuit of serving God.

If they love the father John is saying they will love the brethren. That's another birthmark of the begotten leg to head up heartfelt weighty faith in Jesus Christ. True life-changing faith experience in Jesus Christ. They show their love for the father. Secondly, by loving the children. Now the third part of the birthmark.

Everyone who is begotten of God has a joy in obeying God versus two and three. By this we know that we love the children of God, and if you follow that back verse one those who love the children of God are those born of God. If you're born of God you love. The father you love the churn of God and if you love the children of God.

You will also last part of verse to observe his commandments, for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. Listen, you can't love God but say the book that reveals God's character is a problem for you.

Are you hearing me God. But the book that teaches me has Morrow's and the absolutes he expects humankind to function bow is the push that aside, because that's not coming up then you don't love the one who wrote the book is why systems commandments not burdensome because I love the guy who gave them that's not what route was sent and I love the God who gave the message so therefore there not this burden for me. It was interesting that everything in nature obeys God, but man everything to us. Psalm 148 verse eight fire and hail, snow and vapor storm you when fulfilling his word.

Everything in nature, the birds and squirrels. The deer the wells in the ocean it all.

They all obey God. Everyone plan River Jonah Jonah the reluctant prophet to Nineveh. Now the story is that Jonah just didn't want them ungodly Assyrians to repent and believe be spared, but the real back story is.

Jonah knew this, but if God was going to judge Nineveh who had none of the light of God's truth, they did have the Bible that you have a lot of Moses but God still going to store them for their city know they didn't have them all written on the right wall that is written in our hearts, they didn't have the canon of Scripture that the Jews had to go to city of God, striving was such little like how severe will the judgment be on us Israel because where in rebellion and we have to live. Jonah was disobedient but notice the window by God in the book of Jonah. The waves obey God in the book of Jonah, the great fish obeyed God.

Both the swallowing down into spit him back up even the vine and the worm obey Israel by God but one sure I begotten one then the word of God. God's law is not a burden, it becomes a joy you begin to read it.

Listen to me now, not as a slave, listen to me don't know stop listening don't don't stop you labor now not as a slave worry that he might not achieve his master's approval, you labor now as a son who's grafted into by the father and is a permanent member of the household that makes it all different. This is your loving father's word to you is precious if you had a father that you love very very dearly.

He was just all the world to you and he went away some way to the war.

Whatever communication was sparse.

I know that would be true to David and days go by was true.

And finally, after much you received the letter you would treasure that because this is from your father you love so dearly. That's what the pipe… Listen to those who are begotten of God.

It's a strange foreign to those who are not what you begotten of God becomes special to you and precious to you why Romans 815 would not receive a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but the spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry, Abba, father, like the psalmist said in Psalm 119 verse 97. Oh how I love the law. Psalm 119, 162. I rejoice in the law. Psalm 119 verse 16.

I delight in the law.

Psalm 119, 103. It's funny to my taste.

Psalm 119 versus 54 172, the word of God is my song, our love that we have growing in our hearts, just pause for a moment, child of grace and just pause for a moment here take your mind back to eternity past and there was God loving God the father and he looked down through time that he had not created yet, please go to Crete. He looked down through time and of all the people that would live all through the ages of time. He sent his heart own, you said I love and I'm going to love them with a special love will take the death of the coequal God, God the son in their place on the cross brothers and sisters of your begotten of God, and you begin to learn the glorious truce of sovereign grace.

You cannot help but love God more and more and more just can't help it. And so you love his words are not burdensome to you. I start becoming more of a joy to you. Love for our father makes the load line. Jacob worked for seven years for Rachel to win her hand in marriage. In Genesis 2920 tells us.

They seem to him but a few days for he loved her. Love makes the difference.

It's very, in my life today to be in my study like it was yesterday preparing a sermon and to hear the door open and here little feet moving are different than big thing little feet get my attention and I've got a special call I put out. That's my call, and all the sudden the feet pickup and I hear giggles and I bust down the hallway. They turn around the corner and they run to their data they heard my voice and I responded with joy every time the begotten of God open this book to hear is all ice. Ice something in them responds with joy. That's why we say here, grace life, that the begotten of God are drawn to true churches because they want to hear the whole counsel of God. They will hear all their fathers truth for the Johnson that so that's a whole aspect of the birthmark of the begotten picture that's on the journey of learning to julienne and appreciate and desire to get what I've got to have the word of God is my father's world. So John perhaps with a timeout right here and say no brothers and sisters in the churches he dealt with a lot of stuff there been imposters there been false teachers. There's been factions and divisions. There been those who pursue the assembly because they never really this is what John says. He said, but look at those who around you.

Do you not see the birthmarks of truly the begotten of God in your fellowship one more aspect IV, begotten of God knows the victory and overcoming the world other words Christianity did not grafted into their worldly life to keep them out of hail.

No, Christianity became real to them and they began the pilgrimage of disliking this world because they begin to more and more like God in the world he would create and will create verse four for whoever is born of God overcomes the world, literally.

That's the present tense and active there that that means it's a continual thing you're doing now you have a continual struggle with worldliness, but you're continually wanting to overcome it.

The last part of verse four and this is the victory that has overcome that's Aristotelian's, it means it's finished. You have overcome it. And there's consequences. Now that remain since it's our faith that does this. So we are overcoming the world because we are now the begotten of God, and we see the world not let us think about it for moment, the world's priorities, the world's perspectives, the world's values saw this briefly the other day that 10 years ago we didn't even have the term transgendered in our language. Generally speaking, is a go. 10 years ago that's being just crowned and beat upon us that were some sort of vile person. If we don't embrace the latest perverse thing that comes out of the depraved parts of humanity and there's a part of us and says we live in this world that's not how we are about Illini culture that decides it's no longer based on the objective moral absolutes of this book are the Judeo-Christian tradition is a is a is a culture that will find no EN to the multiplying effects of depravity and vileness in sickness and perversity and immoralities.

That's will oversee what we say to ourselves is not us, but grace me and it troubles me, not just from the perspective of no harm my children that's important from the perspective that desires my God in all of him all of his true so I'm present active in verse four. The first part I'm striving against that to not let myself be molded into this world's form, but also I know there's some aspects of victory that's already settled and said for me. I'm just waiting for all results to unfold since both of those in verse four. Look at verse five, who was the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the son of God.

Now these is verse four that it's our faith that brings us this victory in overcoming the world couple versus your John 1633 these things are spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace in the world you have tribulation, but take courage. I have overcome the world. So it is in Christ, through Christ that we overcome this present world system and its values and its ungodliness and its ultimate consequence that it will endure. It will be subject to, and then back at Tom first John 444744. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them because of what greater see Jesus, who is in you than he who is in the world backup in verse four he says the key to this is our faith. It ties into belief uses belief twice in this passage that Hardy heartfelt devotion to Jesus.

Now as my Lord and as my Savior that he is the victory that is the victory. Our faith in Jesus.

That is our faith in what he did for us and what he's now doing for us and what he will do to us say that again we have faith in Jesus because of what he didn't do for us dying on the cross. Raised again and what he's now doing in us. If drawing us back to himself, drawing us away from worldliness. All this is part of our overcoming the world and then what he will do to us three thoughts about our victory. We have victory over the penalty of worldly worldliness in Christ, we have victory over the power of worldliness with Christ in us. And finally, we will have victory over the presence of worldliness in the age to come.

That's how it happens, it's through Christ. I'm in Christ, therefore I will not be can listen, I'm no longer I'm one of the begotten of God, so I no longer can deal with this world hallelujah and I'm no longer controlled by this world. I just get I get humorous achievers to me.

I get angry at the same time. When I hear people say will that's so 1990s, don't you know this is a new age. This is new. This is the new weight is I think what is is not new its old ungodliness. The new morality looks like the old immorality to me you go back to the old Greek and Roman culture week they had to invent new words to describe all the sexual perversions they came up with being reckless and wild and following all of your following loss is not old old God judged it before, and he will judge it again. So thank God in Christ. We've overcome the condemnation little to come to the world in Christ Jesus.

We overcome having to go along with the flow and being controlled by the world and thank God in Christ Jesus.

We have overcome being stated to parish with this world.

By the way, God is not going to clean up the soul world when he returns he's going to banish it is going to destroy it and build a new heavens and a new earth. Some of our brothers and sisters today in churches who are getting out of balance in the so-called woke movement in the so-called social justice movement need to remind themselves that God is not ultimately going to clean this place up.

Why do you think you're going to hello if Satan can get you chasing social calls until they're fixed you'll never ever get back to the gospel again and that's what Satan wants if God's not going to fix it how you will fix it be balanced. We should be against injustices by man.

We should be against evil in the world. I hoard the evil of abortion and human trafficking in all the right, like we should stand against it. We should vote to be against it, etc. etc. but if used if you throw yourself in those causes until the world becomes righteous when it is not going to happen. So that's part of overcoming the world where you don't get sucked into even the well-meaning virtue, signaling elitist philosophies of how you can be a true, caring, loving, serving Christian in this world. It's a lot, is to get you off track is to get you out of balance is to get you using your energy somewhere else than the gospel in building for churches. The last birthmark of the begotten is we are those who have overcome the world.

And they were perfect means we know that in Christ we overcome the penalty, the world's going to get. We are now overcoming the power of the world. The press ascended to mold and embrace its philosophies and its ungodliness. One day we will overcome. Ultimately, even the presence of this fallen world and its sinful evils is that's a birthmark got now John's writing to people where again it was very common for people to claim to have come to know Christ was still hanging on to listen to me will fall open immoralities and sinfulness in their lives.

In John saying no brothers and sisters can struggle and they may fall but they don't openly embrace and walk in those lifestyles, not after they become begotten of God. I did have some verses from Romans seven, but I'll not do those limit disclosed by asking you this simple statement.

How's your birthmark no no no no no no I don't want to know some external box chicken stuff I don't I do care about how you live. That's not the point.

I will know from your heart as your birthmark are you the begotten God has he changed you by his gospel.

Do you belong to him as I preach these things do you see the clear seed of the truth, at least in your soul pastor in one of the begotten God, that you bear the mark of being God's begotten by the way, being he is is all that matters for time and for eternity is all that matters of