1 John 5:1-6.                       Living in the face of victory??                      10/5/15

(1)  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. {2} This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. {3} This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, {4} for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. {5} Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. {6} This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

Here this morning we are challenged to live in light of the victory that has been won for us in Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection. Again the idea is that since we believe and are connected to Jesus Christ there are great things that will be part of how we live and act. Life will surely change for the better.

Yet it is interesting, isn’t it, that we have here something that is hugely for the good, and yet we humans want to turn our backs on it and try to do it on our own. Even within the church we want to twist and change it all to make it more palatable to a self-centred society. As a result the good that God has in mind is overshadowed by all kinds of other things, and our society around us sees us as meaningless. It has become a human institution trying to be religious.

Instead of loving God for all that he has done for us through Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection we continue to want to love ourselves. Continually we want to do what we want to do, even though we can see the results of doing so. We continually put ourselves in the middle of the picture and the wonder why it all goes wrong. But even then our pride does not want to admit that we are wrong and sinful.

When are we going to wake up! When are we going to come to the realisation that we are just plain sinful and deserve everything that comes our way and more. On our own and doing what we want to do, we are nothing and can do nothing good. We will always end up in trouble. Surely somewhere, somehow we will want to take God seriously.

Here let us remember that God has provided a way out for us. Jesus and all that he did at Easter makes possible a whole new and better life. If only we would be prepared to acknowledge that we are just plain sinful and that we need help. Then God opens up a whole new life and world for us. When we stop playing games with God, he gives us new and victorious life. However we need to come to a few realisations for this to be a part of our lives.

In this reading John was writing to a congregation that was seriously divided, with a large group saying that Jesus was only a man; and who also were teaching that we can ignore a lot of what God says in the Scriptures about how he would have us live, but who claimed to be very spiritual people.  They thought that they could talk about being loving and good Christians even if they didn’t take God and his word seriously.

In other words, like today, we can twist and change Scripture to suit our wants and desires. It brings about division and a false view of what Christianity is all about. As well it takes the focus away from where true and victorious Christian living is at. It places us and our thinking very much into the picture, and as a result the life that we want is unachievable.

Now John starts off with a simple but telling and important point.  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. You see it is not just a matter of saying we believe in Jesus [whatever we might think with regard to him] and then all is well. Today also, there are many ‘christians’ who believe that Jesus was a great teacher or miracle worker or example of sacrifice. For many, Jesus is only important in so far as he is relevant to me. I thereby determine who Jesus is and what is important for me to believe.

But the question left unanswered is whether he is the Christ. That is the Messiah who was promised long ago, [in fact even before the creation of the world] - to be the Saviour of God’s people -the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Is he God’s very own Son come into the world to die on the cross so that we might be forgiven and accepted as God’s children?

John also makes it very plain that if we believe in God – then we will also take Jesus seriously; and love for him will be important.  John says: everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. When he talks about love he has the idea that the other – that is God and his Son Jesus – is what will be foremost in our thinking, being and doing. We can’t believe in God if we are not prepared to take Jesus Christ seriously.

Now take special note of what John says about loving God. This is love for God: to obey his commands. It is no good saying we love God, if we are not prepared to do what he says. If we love God we will take seriously all that he has to say to us in his Word.

This, I think, is critical issue for us in our world today. We are quite happy to say we love God, but we so often don’t want to do what he commands. In fact often we don’t even consider what he wants us to do. Then when we are reminded of it, we still don’t care. We would much rather do what we want and what everyone else is doing. We try to justify it by saying that we are pretty good people and are trying to do the right thing.

But then also there is the subtle, and not so subtle, twisting and changing of even God’s clear words, in order to accommodate our present thinking. We are so arrogant to the point we even say, that if God was here today, he would be saying what we are saying. Now I could name a few very current issues in our church at the moment where this is happening. If we give way to this it will be disastrous.

Alongside of this we have this idea thrust on us that it is intolerant and unlovable of us if we hold to the truth of his word. We are told we must be accepting of everyone else’s views even if we do not agree with them. Everyone has a right to their own views and we mustn’t say they are wrong. Yet that is not what Jesus and his word says. In fact it is most unloving of us if we don’t gently and lovingly call people back to the commands that God himself has clearly given to us.

However we are told that great blessing flows from humbly submitting ourselves to God and his Word. His commands are good – good for us and our relationships with God and each other. When we are obedient to his commands – even when they don’t fit the current, politically correct view – then we are truly loving toward our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Our reading also goes on to say that: his commands are not burdensome. In fact if we look closely at what his commands say we find that they are much easier than a lot of the current thinking that is peddled around about. As well by following his commands it takes the pressure off of us having to try to work out whether this or that thinking is right and good. At the same time knowing that our own thinking and choosing is flawed by our sinful human nature.

Sure it is tough, because it puts us out of step with most around us. When we don’t follow the crowd we are very quickly ridiculed and put down. On top of that we have a whole society and education system that is hell-bent on going against God and his Word. A society that is determined to push individuality, the ego and the I wants, as being the way to go, despite the clear evidence that this is destructive. So it is hard, but at the same time it is freeing and we can have the confidence that it is truly good and beneficial.

It is also not burdensome for us because everyone born of God overcomes the world. ‘I have overcome the world’ is a statement that can only be made by one who is a Christian – that is by one who through baptism has died and risen again with Jesus Christ.  As a result we can go forward confident that we can be obedient to God’s commands and come out winners in the end. For no matter what criticism and hardship might come our way for doing so we know that eternal life with God is a certainty; and it is good.

So we can now as God’s people go forth boldly and confidently to live our lives in light of the victory that has been won by our Lord Jesus Christ through his death on the cross and his resurrection. We can love God, Jesus Christ and one another with confidence and certainty: For we can know that by holding firmly to God’s word we can be sure of what this love is and how to go about it.

And we can do so without trying to twist and change it; or ignoring it and try to do what we think is right and good. God’s commands are good and right; as they have been throughout history. And they are not burdensome and bad for us, even if they are at odds with many around about us.

Let us continue to believe that Jesus is the Son of God: who came into our world and was baptised by water to identify himself with us and so be able to be the one who then shed his blood so that might have the forgiveness of sins and the assurance of salvation and eternal life. We can trust him. We can rely on him; and we can follow him. We can love as he has loved us.

To him then be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish