Believers, Overcomers, Witnesses, Part 2

Welcome to Insight for living featuring another message in Chuck Swindoll's verse by verse study the New Testament book of first John the 16 part series is called living right and a wrong world. In the final week of the series that will conclude Monday and so were coming to the dramatic finish of John's powerful book looking at the fifth chapter of first John today before moving ahead with Jack's message. Take a few moments to focus our attention by joining Chuck and the congregation in Frisco, Texas for this opening prayer of worship in our father we pause before we give you tangible expression of our love to give you a verbal expression of our previous, you alone are worthy. You alone are worthy of our adoration. No other of our worship. None other.

You alone are the giver of every good and perfect gift, and no other.

You alone are to be exalted above all, and no other so we praise your glorious name with our song's with the attention and respect we give to your written word with the allegiance and obedience. We live to our master Jesus your son under the power of the Holy Spirit, we exult in you today we give you our thanks for providing for our every need.

Not every greed, but every knee. Thank you for always going well over halfway.

Sometimes the whole distance on our behalf. We don't deserve it, we could never earn it, but because of your grace, you do it and we thank you for that. These are our gifts to you given today out of deep gratitude and hearts of generosity in the name of Christ, whose sacred was wounded prey. Everyone's search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.or/studies. Another message about believers over comers and witnesses. Those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ have two births. We are born the day of our physical birth from our mother and we are born again or I knew when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior as Messiah as the holy one of God see the end of verse one.

Furthermore, whoever believes and loves the father loves the one born of the father. So we are those who believe in Christ, we have a love relationship with God and that leads to a love relationship with others.

You fall in love with God because you have believed in his son and as a result you of his commands, you appreciate what he tells you to do now. Why see verse four. As it begins for whatever is born of God. Here we are.

The believer who has been born again.

Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world.

Our faith is being and overcome her important because it changes our whole perspective regarding opposition from the world. There are places where you are in danger if it's known that you are a follower of Christ, but this is your and overcome her. The word itself is fascinating at the root of the word is the term for Victoire victory you are and well a over conqueror. Let's use that over conqueror.

See verse four of chapter 4, the cross page chapter 4 verse four. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is the one in you than he who is in the world you have over conquered so you one more to do that with me to place a look at Romans chapter 8 verse 37. It's always good to compare Scripture with Scripture, and 837 ties in beautifully with first John 545. Paul has been building to a climax, talking about how God will never turn away from us. No matter what peril we are in God is there, nothing will separate us from the love of Christ and in the climactic part of the chapter 3738 and 39 look at what he writes but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer interesting how it's rendered in English it's one term in Greek. It's the word hyper conquer that interesting.

We hyper conquer. We conquer with steroids. We over conqueror never thought I'd see it that way but that's a new thought is that we overwhelmingly conquer how through him who loved us. That's where we get the power that's where we get the ability to stand against the opposition of the world, and it comes by faith. Back to first John chapter 5 verse five. Who is the one who overcomes the world, the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God you notice something about John's writing. It keeps coming back to Jesus you don't read John's writings very long before you come across the name of Jesus I had an older preacher say to me early in my ministry. One of the secrets of being a faithful man of God in the pulpit is to preach Christ mention the name of Jesus often hold up the name of Christ faithfully declared his deity, his person's work is faithfulness is accomplishment is finished work on the cross. John would take that same advice. Now this one. Jesus verses six through 10, has three witnesses that testify to his character look closely at the verses. This is the one Mrs. O representing Christ.

This is Jesus who came by water and blood. Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the spirit who testifies because the spirit is the true fact there are three there are three that testify the spirit and the water and the blood. These three are in agreement. So the question we asked the professor John would be, who are the witnesses that are in agreement with each other more clearly. The first one mentioned is the Holy Spirit you want to know how Christ was enabled to do the work he accomplished while he was on this earth.

It was through the power of the Holy Spirit who superseded who watched over and gave careful surveillance to his ministry from start to finish. Speaking of that, his official ministry began, not when he was born in Bethlehem, but when he was baptized. That was when the spirit like a dove descended. Remember Jesus walking out of the water.

The spirit descends in the form of a dove, and the voice from heaven.

This is my beloved son in whom I am well please. Testifying to the significance of this month.

John the baptizer must've stepped back and sucked in his breath.

Surely with a voice like that coming from heaven. This is the son of God, that he knew that but now it's verified by the witness of the Spirit in the water and then he says the blood but would that be obviously it's a reference. He began his ministry.

The baptism at the age of 30 begins to serve as Messiah and fulfills the promises that are set forth all through the Old Testament and at the end of his life. He says it is finished and with the blood.

There is the ceiling of the hope of salvation.

These are the three that testify the spirit.

The water in the blood. Listen to what Eugene Peterson's rendering of the section right here in verses six through eight, he writes, Jesus, the divine Christ, he experienced the life giving birth and a death killing death not only birthed from the womb but baptismal birth of his ministry and sacrificial death is the water that's the blood had all the while the spirit is confirming the truth. The reality of God's presence. I Jesus baptism and crucifixion bringing those occasions alive for us a triple testimony, writes Peterson, the spirit, the baptism, the crucifixion and the three imperfect agreement before I go further. May I bring a warning to all of you who are regularly exposed to false teaching. When you are out of the world system.

It comes fast and furious sometimes from surprising sources. One of the ways you will have the discernment to stand for truth is to pay attention to what the teaching is regarding the foundation of spiritual information that's the Bible. Make sure the teacher you are following is confident that God's word is his in errant message that the original manuscripts were breathed out by God by supernatural revelation recorded by writers under supernatural inspiration. Be sure that the one teaching you has that kind of trust in and reliance on the word of God. Why because it is the foundation of spiritual information. It's what we might call the jumping off place it here. Truth began its from Scripture. The second checkpoint would be that person's view of the Lord Jesus Christ. Cults invariably when you push them to the limit are soft on Christ.

Either Jesus as a great man or find a beginner of a beginning point of a religion. He was a martyr for good cause. He meant well, but he didn't really die for the sins of all the world and he wasn't literally in bodily miraculously raised from the dead, surely not. Surely and intellectually gifted person like you can't believe that softening the message from the Scriptures regarding Christ.

So were not surprised when John writes writes on the authority of who he remembered to be the word of God, the Lord Jesus, and he writes with great confidence in the Savior himself. Not with all of this said, how can I have the assurance of eternal life in Chennai in this day and time literally know that I have eternal life with God not be sure of that. I am convinced in verses 11 and 12 contain one of the clearest presentations of the gospel in all the Bible listen to the words and the testimony that's the testimony concerning his son into verse 10 and the testimony is this watch closely, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son. Keep reading. He who has the son has life and he who does not have the son of God. What does not have the life look at it for yourself. As I said at the beginning you love John because he so direct, cuts like a knife through butter. This cuts through all the pizzazz of sloppy thinking. In fact, there were three turning points in these last two verses. I don't want you to miss the first is this eternal life is a gift God has given us eternal life is enterprise that we earn.

It is in the reward for hard work. Our sincerity isn't the result of achievement that you deserve to get if I invite you to dinner and we enjoyed the dinner together and we were in our home and where we had a great meal together and we get all through.

I'm sure not one of you would reach in your pocket and say to Cynthia or me. How much do you it's insulting you don't charge people to eat in your home life. It's a gift.

Why do so many today could now got high. I promise that I will I will give up and I will start doing iPod.

I want you to know I've been that I've been Chris baptized twice back three times forward. What does backward-why I've been Chris and I had been dedicated and and and about the Sunday school for all these years means nothing. Oh, I don't mean means nothing but but doesn't give you eternal life. That's all achievement.

He gives you eternal life is a gift.

I think it's pretty clear number two. Eternal life is sourced in a person. This life look at it is in his son into verse 11. Eternal life is a kind of life. It's God's life and it's in his son get when you take the gift of eternal life.

You commit yourself to you receive it you rely on Jesus Christ and him alone in Christ alone, by faith alone results in salvation is God is provided to the third part that stands out.

It's in verse 12 he who has the son has the life. So the third factor is this double gift of eternal life, along with Jesus is a present possession at the present possession.

You're not thinking, oh, I hope of the time I die I will of been faithful enough to have earned my way in. You can be that faith, I hope I will bid sacrificial in the whole Bible and given enough money. I hope I will have been dedicated for God to say wow how grateful I am to have you in my habit on the well graded that we spent our time walking around amity good work that you have 4596 Hemmings you 5006 and 87 new scouting body says that you have had you get either beats me to see my life before Christ.

Major mass that had you get here the gift. I took the gift I took his son. So far, but he smile and it's all great news, but Jim finished verse 12 he who does not have the son of God.

What does not have the life say it does not have the life you know what you have had health. That's what you you have almost Heaven you have purgatory or somebody will pay you in our prayer you win, you die that condition. You do not have the life you say Cho is pretty offensive. I know, but I'm just the messenger.

John wrote it or something about being that pointed the get some people's attention happened years ago with Peter Cartwright in early American Methodist pioneer preacher. The story continues, US Pres. Andrew Jackson announced his intention to visit the church where Peter Cartwright, the evangelist was to preach certain men who knew Cartwright's fiery temperament played with him not to offend the president when Cartwright got up to speak. He began with these words. I understand that Andrew Jackson is here this morning. I have been requested to be very guarded in my remarks. Let me say this. Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn't repent of his sins. After the service.

When Jackson met the evangelist at the door. He shook his hand passionately and said Sir, if I had a regiment of men like you, I could conquer the world people are born again when they hear the truth and respond to the truth, not when they're made to feel good or lied to about eternity.

It is heaven. If you have the son, it is hell if you die without the sun. Q has the son has the life and all that goes with it. He who does not have the son does not have the life that is believers over comers, witnesses, that's the title of today's message from Chuck Swindoll. Please stay with us the most important part of the program is coming up in just a moment as we commit what we've learned today in prayer to learn more about this ministry. Be sure to visit us online. Head inside world.org. We want to extend a bold word of thanks to those who stepped forward with encouraging letters and contributions into millions of listeners around the world look to Insight for living as the reliable source of Bible teaching and those who give to us and pray for us have played a significant role in making this possible today as a gesture of thanks and as a means of speaking into the issues of our day.

We are pleased to offer two CDs from Chuck Swindoll at no cost or obligation is a brief miniseries that was recently featured on Insight for living and includes the powerful personal testimony of Chuck's wife in ministry partner Cynthia. The set is called finding healing through forgiveness would be pleased to send it to messages to your home when you contact us today you find it quick and efficient to download the free CDs online@insight.org/find healing and to truly make a difference in our world through this daily ministry. Let me suggest that you go online or give us a call and become a monthly companion. Many find it automating their gifts every month simplifies the process and multiplies the impact to become a monthly companion. Call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/monthly companion and I we set aside several minutes to enjoy these closing moments with our teacher Chuck Swindoll about your hits with me please. This is a moment for you to search your soul, and no one else can do that for you. My question to you is do you have the son has there ever been a time in your life young man or young woman teenager, young adult single married divorcee widow older person is there is there a time you can look back in your life when you say that's the day I receive Christ into my heart.

That's the day I trusted in Jesus. You can go back called out to mine. You have the son you have eternal life. It'll never be taken away if you have not, and you did not ever receive him. You do not have the life and now is your moment as many as received him to them. He gives the authority to become the children of God. Even those who believe in his name. I urge you write for your sitting right now, don't put it off trust in the son of God for eternal life, take the gift having done so. We would love for you to connect with us. Let us help you get started in a whole new life, which is why we exist in this ministry, simple prayer, Lord, I never trusted in Christ. But today, right now I take the son of God is my Savior. I turn away from another life that I've been living and I turned toward Christ and Christ alone. Thank you for coming into my life. Our father make this time especially meaningful for all of us as we pause and let the wonder in as we remember the price that was paid for our salvation, to deliver us from open our journey beyond get to heaven.

Thank you for Christ for his body given for us across his sacred pause at this time. Serious moment of worship, the wonder in again in the name of Jesus.

Everyone's a man is again Thursday. Chuck Swindoll describes our absolute assurance in Christ Jesus. That's tomorrow on Insight for living. The preceding message believers over comers, witnesses, and the sound recording copyright in 2009 by Charles R.

Swindoll.

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