Believing in the Son of God | 1 John 5:5

1st John chapter 5. We'll begin in verse 4 this time. Lots of good scripture to cover today.

1st John chapter 5, beginning in verse 4. Not with the water only, but with the water and the blood, and with the blood.

It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. This is God's Word. Amen.

So, so we see here today, beloved, a continuance as we dive into God's Word.

We continue to dig into it for even more powerful, powerful, precious gospel gems and indicatives.

Specifically here, with respect to the person and the work of Jesus Christ. You can tell by the sermon title today,

Believing in the Son of God, Believing in the Son of God, that will be the focus, particularly in verse 5.

I'm going to be particularly in verse 5 today. There's just a lot there to to expound upon.

And so, we saw previously how how everyone believing, right?

It's ongoing tense, present participle. Everyone believing that Jesus is the

Christ, has been born of God already. And all that has been born of God already.

And he who is believing that Jesus is the Son of God, overcomes the world.

Amen. That's a powerful truth there, truths there, from verses 1 and 5.

1 through 5. Now, also recall, very important to recall this, and to keep this in mind.

Our faith is not just a verb. It's not just an action that we do.

It is also a noun, a message, a body of divinity, like the

Puritans used to say. Of divine truth, right?

Of divine truth, of saving truth, that has already overcome the world of unbelievers and antichrists.

That enlightens those who believe, and empowers them with victorious, conquering power, to likewise overcome the world.

To overcome the world. So that has some precious gospel gems and indicatives there.

Now, what does it mean to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, in verse 5? Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes, or is believing that Jesus is the

Son of God? What does that mean, exactly? We always need to make sure that we properly define our terms, beloved.

And as I've mentioned several times in the past, to believe, the

Greek is Bisteo, Bistei, faith, belief.

To believe is simply to know, to understand the message.

To know and to understand it. In this case, specifically, that Jesus himself is the

Son of God. According to God's Word. Not according to other people's

Word that may contradict the Word of God, but according to God's own Word. His own self -disclosure, his own revelation.

Right? His God -breathed words, like I covered in the sermon series that I recently finished.

To agree with it, to accept it as true, that's what belief means.

It's not a work. It's not adding to something else. It's not surrendering yourself. It's none of that.

Faith is simply to understand the message and to agree with it as true. That is the precious mercy and grace of God.

Now, this brings me to my first public service announcement. That this emphasis on believing is in keeping with God's emphasis all throughout

Scripture. All throughout Scripture. Right? On knowing Him and His Word.

How many times does John himself say that in this letter? How many times does the

Apostle emphasize that in this letter? I did a little research on it and it turns out that there are several words that John uses to describe essentially the same thing.

Right? Believing. Receiving. Knowing. Confessing.

Seeing. Abiding. You know, the light and all those things. So in total there's well over a hundred.

Over a hundred in this small letter. Over a hundred references to this aspect of belief.

Believing. Including in 1st John 5 in this passage. Over a hundred. Okay, that's amazing how clearly this is an important subject matter that God, through the

Apostle John, wants to communicate to us. Even Jesus' own high priestly prayer to the

Father in John 17 3. Where he says, and this is eternal life.

Defined. This is eternal life. That they may know you, the

Father. That is eternal life. To know Him. God the Father. The only true

God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. That's the gospel.

That is eternal life, beloved. It's knowledge of the truth. Knowledge of the truth. Believing the truth.

And this belief, this faith, is a gift that we receive. A gracious free gift of God.

It doesn't come from us. It's not our own work or our own doing. Contrary to what many heretics in the past and today have said.

Like Pelagius and many others after him and before him.

So, now that sounds really simple and everything.

Understand and agree. Okay, but for man, it is impossible. Because man is naturally a hell -bound sinner.

Like we're saying today in the hymn. He hates God. Right? It requires the grace of God.

Not like Pelagius taught that grace is optional. You don't really need it. It's there if you need it. No. No.

No. May it never be. Because the grace of God is what saves us through the gospel.

Amen? But our belief, if it is true, like James and several other places say, has consequences.

Right? Our belief has consequences that follow. Our belief will evidence itself.

It will manifest itself. It will become something that you can behold and see.

Live itself out. It will evidence itself in our love for God and for his children who have also likewise been born of him.

Right? We believe because we have been born of God. That's what 1st John 5 says. Right? We have been born of God already.

First. That's first in the order of salvation. Now, it will evidence itself in our love for God and for his children.

In our love for his commandments. Right? Like this passage says, once again, in verse 3, 5 -3.

Which are not burdensome to us. They are both good and for our good.

Right? Like we read today in the Psalms. I love your law. I love your law.

If you don't love God's law, there's something wrong with... You may not be saved.

Right? Not to say that we always enjoy, obey, we still struggle with the flesh and all those things.

We still struggle. But we recognize that God's law is holy, righteous, just, and good. Just like the

Word of God says. Amen? And it also shows itself in our faith, in our victorious overcoming of the world.

By trusting in our victorious faith, the body of divinity. Not our act of believing, but in the faith.

That was once for all delivered to the saints. Like Jude says. Right? In our, and consequently, in our victorious

Savior. Jesus, the Christ, the

Son of God. Right? The Son of God. And in our, in our family worship last night,

I read this verse, and it just like, wow, this is right along the lines of this passage in 1st

John 5. In 1st Timothy 5 25, he says, the

Apostle Paul says, so also good works are quite evident. Like some sins are.

He's comparing that to some sins that are evident. But so also good works are quite evident.

And those which are otherwise cannot be concealed. Right? So let your light shine before men.

That's why Jesus says, so that others may see God, see you, and glorify God. All glory goes to God.

Soli Deo Gloria. okay, so that being said, we, how, how is

Jesus the Son of God then? What does that mean? That Jesus is the Son of God.

That's a very simple sounding sentence, but boy, has it been variously understood and misunderstood, butchered and twisted by many who claim to call on Christ as their

Lord and even as their Savior. So what exactly, this is vitally important for us to understand.

What does it mean? Was there a time when the Son was not, as the ancient

Aryans used to teach, that the Son was not eternal, but created by God the

Father. And, and as the not so ancient

Jehovah's Witnesses now teach. Right? What, what about that?

Is that what that means? That Jesus was the Son of God in the sense of being created? I have a quote here from Arius's own work called the

Thalia. It's, it's a Greek for banquet. It's a theological and poetic treatise.

Arius was a very charismatic leader. He was a, he was a presbyter. He was an elder and he was very charismatic.

He, he wrote very catchy phrases. There was a time when the Son was not.

And people caught on to that, like spread like wildfire and not in a good way, as we will see.

He says in that treatise, He, God the Father, who is without beginning, made the

Son, a beginning of created things. He, He produced

Him, He produced Him as a Son for Himself by begetting

Him. He, the Son, has none of the distinct characteristics of God's own being.

None of them. For He is not equal to, nor is He of the same being as the

Father. Okay? Whoa, so you will see this is, we keep that in mind, keep that in mind as we continue to plow through this.

Now, okay, so that's Arius. He was from the 300s. He wrote that, he wrote these words in like 322, 323

AD. Note that date too. When was the Council of Nicaea?

325, right? So this was right around that time. Now, the official, what about Jehovah's Witnesses?

The official website of Jehovah's Witnesses. It's right there in their page. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

Okay? They have a Q &A section on their website, and this is what it says. Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe in Jesus?

Do they believe in Jesus? You might even say that He, that He is the

Son of God. What's their answer? Yes. Yes, we believe in Jesus, and they go on to say that, yeah,

He, we believe He's the King of Heaven, and this, that, and the other. However, that last sentence.

However, we take Jesus at His Word when He said, the Father is greater than I am, in John 14 28.

So, we do not worship Jesus, and as we do not believe that He is

Almighty God. That He is not, He's not Jehovah. They don't believe that He is

God, right? Wow, and on that web page, there's a picture of Jesus on a, on a stake with His hands tied upwards.

They don't believe He was crucified. So, okay, is that what that means, that Jesus is the

Son of God? That He is not God? Because He was begotten, or the firstborn of creation?

Is that what those words mean in Scripture? So, many false religions abuse that verse.

Verses like that, the Father is greater than I am. But again, greater in what sense?

What was Jesus talking about? What was He referring to? Was He referring to His incarnation, as opposed to His, His, His essence?

What about taking Jesus at all His words, right? Not just one or two here and there.

What about taking Jesus at all His words, His actual words at that? You know,

I was gonna save the rebuttal for the end, but I just can't, I can't let this one slide.

I'm sorry. His, because they also have their own translation, right?

The New World Translation, and that thing, that is, that Bible translation is a misnomer.

It's not a translation. It's a propaganda piece designed to take out the divinity of Christ, and the divinity of Christ is so prominent throughout

Scripture, that even they couldn't take out all of it. You can use their own Bible against them, and I'm going to quote some of the verses that, where that's applicable.

But, what about the actual words of Christ? All of His words, not just one or two, taken out of context by heretics.

What about the disciples in Matthew 28 17? When they saw Jesus, they, they did what?

They worshipped Him. They worshipped Him, but some doubted, right?

Okay, so note here, those who doubted did not worship

Jesus. Were they commended? No, they doubted.

They did not believe in Jesus, and therefore did not worship Him, but instead they doubted. Those who believed in Jesus worshipped

Him. So how can Jehovah's Witnesses say that they believe in Jesus, but they don't worship

Him? That's a direct contradiction to the

Gospels, and to Christ's own words. All of His words, rightly understood, right?

I'm going to include the links here. When they come knocking at your door, they've been coming on, knock, they came a few times at our home, not too long ago.

But, I want to encourage you to take a look at this, because this is right here. You can show them very clearly.

Look, this is what your website says, the official page, and look at what the Bible says.

I haven't checked these verses in their version. They probably twist them up, but it's very clear, here, and so, those who doubted did not worship

Jesus. They did not believe Him. What about, also, when

Jesus heard that the Pharisees had put the blind man out in John 9, 35 -39?

They had put the blind man out, and after finding him, He said,

Jesus said, Do you believe in the Son of Man? Okay, so another exactly the same question.

He answered and said, the blind man said, Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him? Jesus said to him,

You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you. Can you imagine that?

And and He said, the blind man said, Lord, I believe, and He did what?

He worshipped Him. He worshipped Him. Capital H, Jesus.

He worshipped Him, and Jesus said, For judgment, I came into this world. For judgment?

So who is this Jesus? A judge? A judge of the earth, of the world?

So that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.

Become blind. Wow. By the way, that verse ties directly to what

I preached last time about God not intending to save everyone. Right? He deliberately blinds some.

He gives sight to some, and He blinds others like the Pharisees who claim to see, and therefore you are in your sin.

That's what He told them after this passage. But okay, doesn't this mean then that if you do not worship

Jesus, then you do not actually believe in Him? Because that's what it says. Lord, I believe, and He worshipped

Him. And Jesus didn't correct him. Jesus accepted their worship because He is

God. Okay, man, this is powerful stuff.

I really encourage you to use this in your interactions with Jehovah's Witnesses.

Now, or, okay, so that's one set of views. Or, was

Jesus the physical offspring of God the Father and Mary, like the

Mormons teach? Contrary to the virgin birth. Okay, they deny the virgin birth.

They may try to claim that they affirm it, but they deny it. Their teaching denies it. So do their founders.

Is Jesus the only begotten of the Father in the flesh? That's what they teach, the

Father in the flesh, in His own body. Because God the Father also has a physical body.

So, and just so you, they will deny this today.

Many will deny this, Mormons. But out of, straight from the horse's mouth, the words of Joseph Fielding Smith, the very founder of Mormonism.

What did he have to say? He said, Christ is not begotten of the Holy Ghost. I firmly believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten

Son of God in the flesh. Son of God the Father in the flesh. He taught this doctrine to His disciples.

He did not teach them that He was the Son of God, Son of the Holy Ghost, but the

Son of the Father. Christ was begotten of God. He was not born without the aid of man, and that man was

God, the Father. Okay? So Mary, apparently, at some point in her life, committed adultery or fornication with God the

Father, had Jesus, and also had, well, in the

Mormon theology, God the Father Elohim had a bunch of wives. So Jesus is actually the brother of Lucifer too.

Lucifer is also a son of Elohim. So like, is that what it means that Jesus was a

Son of God? That He was the physical offspring of Elohim the

Father, God, and Mary. Okay.

Okay, so it's hard to even say this, okay?

But bear with me. Or does it mean that Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ is the eternal, divine

Son of God the Father? Like Athanasius taught against Arius.

Right? And the early Christian Church affirmed in the major creeds of the early church.

Speaking of which, here's a quote from the Nicaean Creed. The Creed of Nicaea that came out of the

Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Shortly after, Arius started spouting his heresies.

You know, I was trying to save the whole drama, and I it's just too hard to, it's too hard to not say something to, it is just such horrid blasphemy and heresy to say what these false religions say.

So what does the Nicaean Creed say? I believe in one

Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the

Father before all worlds, all aeons. God of God, light of light, very

God of very God, begotten, not made, not made, not created, being of one substance, rather the better word is essence, being of one essence with the

Father, homoousion. Remember that word? Homoousion, homo -same, oo -see -on, essence, oo -see -ah.

That's the word that, which we get the word essence from, oo -see -ah. One essence with the

Father, the same nature as the Father, directly opposed to what

Arius taught. Know that he, that he was not in any way like the Father, that he was distinct from the

Father, and not like him, but of a different essence from the

Father, right? He, and he had a beginning, because there was a time when the

Son was not. So obviously the Nicaean Creed, and many of these creeds were designed, they were written to explicitly refute heresy back in that time, and Lord knows we need to keep doing that today.

There is an absolute vital need for creeds, confessions, and catechisms for the health of the church, and for the drawing of lines, like Jesus often did, and the

Apostles often did, to, to draw the line between truth and error. And frequently that requires using extra biblical language, because the heretics are sly, they're, they're deceptive, they use the same words.

Arius taught that Jesus is the Son of God. Mormons will teach that Jesus is the Son of God. Jehovah's Witnesses will teach that Jesus is the

Son of God, but what do they mean by it? They mean something completely opposed to what

Jesus himself taught, and what the Bible itself teaches. So, Not made, being of one essence with the

Father, by whom all things were made, all things, all things.

Therefore he wasn't created, because he made all things with the Father and the Spirit, who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, came down, like 1st

John 5 6 says, and was incarnated by the Holy Ghost of the

Virgin Mary, and was made man. Right? Became flesh, and dwelt among us.

So, there's all these opinions, right, about Jesus, and my next, this brings me to my next public service announcement.

What you believe about Jesus Christ has eternal consequences.

I've stated this many times before. What you believe about Jesus Christ is the difference, could be the difference between eternal life, and eternal damnation, eternal death.

That's why it is so, so important. That's why there's so much controversy, controversy, surrounding who

Jesus is, and what he did. Who he is, and what he did, what he came to do.

Did he actually die on the cross? That's what verse 6 talks about. We'll deal with that next week,

Lord's willing. Or did he only appear to die?

so there's eternal consequences at stake here, and okay, so we heard these views.

What sayeth the Scripture then? What does the Scripture say, and speak regarding this all -important matter?

I'm going to take a small sample of verses that I want to go through together today, as we exercise the analogies of faith, and of Scripture, to bring the dots together of Scripture, and draw out what the

Bible says regarding this matter. I want to begin with John chapter 1 verse 18.

John chapter 1 verse 18. The Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 18.

I want to emphasize again, it may seem like I'm quoting several passages, but this is just a small sample of everything that Scripture expounds, or deals with, regarding Jesus, and even as Jesus the

Son of God. John chapter, the Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 18. No one has seen

God at any time. The only begotten God.

The only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the

Father. He has explained Him. He has revealed

Him. He has explained Him. He has exegeted

Him. That's where we get the word exegesis. He has revealed

Him to us. The only begotten God. Okay, wait a minute. Begotten God?

How can God be begotten, if like Arius taught, that must have meant He had a beginning. So then

He's not God. No, but this says the only begotten God. Begotten God.

Okay, so biblically speaking, the word begotten does not always mean you had a beginning, an origin.

Because here, the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, who is also

God. He has explained Him. Wow. That's just one verse, y 'all.

I'm just getting started, and we're already starting to tear down these strongholds of false teaching.

Now Matthew 16 13. Let's go over there. Matthew 16 13. I should have started with this, but I couldn't help myself.

The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 16, verse 13. This is a very important passage in the ministry of Christ on earth and as disciples.

The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 16, verse chapter 16, verse 13.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, saying, who do people say that the

Son of Man is? Okay, so direct question there. Who is He? Who is the Son of Man?

That's a messianic title. And they said, some say John the Baptist, and others

Elijah, but still others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He said to them,

Jesus said to them, but who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said,

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, blessed are you,

Simon Bar -Jonah, Son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my

Father who is in heaven. And God's people said, amen.

Wow, so there you see what, that's why I said earlier, faith is a gift of God. It doesn't come from us, not by the will of man, or the will of, it doesn't come by the flesh, or the will of man, but by God and His will, and whoever

He chooses to save and reveal Himself to. My Father who is in heaven has revealed.

Now, What did he, what did Peter say? What did he say?

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter, here, supernaturally, amazingly, beautifully, sumerily, comprehends the central focus of Scripture in its entirety, and of the gospel.

The entire thing, in one simple sentence, that Jesus is the

Christ, the Messiah, the Promised One, the Son of the

Living God. That, that sums up, in so many ways, sums up the entire matter.

In one sentence, Jesus is the Christ, the

Son of the Living God. These are the same titles that, of Jesus, that the

Apostle John emphasizes in his own letter, that we read in 5 .1 and 5 .5, right? And several other places.

It's emphasized throughout the entirety of the New Testament, and in several aspects of the Old Testament as well.

Not as clearly, but still, nonetheless, very much there. The Messiah.

Wow. That, that is something to soak in, beloved. Now, turn with me to the

Gospel of John, chapter 5. The Gospel of John, chapter 5. So here, we're seeing, that while you're turning there, this passage in Matthew, we see the similar context to our day today.

And it's probably worse today now. There's probably, there's so many more opinions about who Jesus is, so many wrong opinions.

There's only one true opinion, true view of who Christ really is, and that is what

God Himself taught and showed us in His Word. But there were people who said this, people who said that.

Just like I showed you, the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Arius, all these folks.

Contradictory opinions, that are not according to God's Word. Rightly understood, according to the analogies of Scripture and of faith, because God does not contradict

Himself. He cannot. He is the God of truth. He cannot lie.

So now, in the Gospel of John, chapter 5, verse 17.

This is a very important passage, beloved. Very important passage. We should, we should seek to memorize this passage, in fact.

But He, Jesus, answered them, the Jews, My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.

For this reason, therefore, the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him. Why? Why? Because He not only was breaking the

Sabbath, according to them, but was also calling God His own

Father. Meaning what? Making Himself equal with God.

Making Himself equal with God. Therefore, Jesus answered and was saying to them,

Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing from Himself, unless it is something

He sees the Father doing. They have one will. One will. That's the doctrine of the Trinity. For whatever the

Father does, these things the Son also does in the same manner. So He's not denying what they are, seeing

Jesus teaching. He's not denying it. He's affirming it. The Father, what the

Father does, the Son does in the same manner. How can He do something in the same manner, unless He is the same nature as the

Father? If the Father creates and Jesus creates in the same manner, what does that mean?

It can only mean one thing. He is equal with God.

For the Father loves the Son, verse 20, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing.

And the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. For just as the

Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom

He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the

Son, so that all will honor the Son, even as they honor the

Father Himself. He who does not honor the

Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. So not only does the

Son receive the same honor as the Father, but He who does not honor the Son does not honor the

Father either. Who sent

Him? Who sent Him to come down and tabernacle among us in the flesh, incarnated.

Truly, truly, I say to you, He who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into eternal life.

Amen, beloved. Now, okay. So now we're getting a fuller picture of what the

Bible very clearly teaches us. So, you know,

I recently listened to this debate by a Unitarian.

Unitarians don't believe in the Trinity and it was a debate between Dale Tuggy and James White and he kept saying that the

Jews thought that Jesus was calling Himself, making

Himself equal with God because He was calling Himself the Son of God and and the Unitarian was saying, well, no, that's because the

Jews misunderstood what Jesus taught. It's like, no, they didn't. Jesus said, before Abraham was,

I am. Yahweh. And here, He says, if the same manner that the

Son does things, the Father does them also. The same honor, the same everything, making

Himself equal with God. And that, by the way, beloved, that verse is still in the

Jehovah's Witness translation, mistranslation, the New World Translation. You can quote this verse right there and it says that Jesus was making

Himself equal with God. So I guess you forgot to take that part out of your

Bible. Equal with God. So what it means that Jesus is the

Son of God, then, in part, means that Jesus is equal with God and therefore

God. Like John 1, in many other countless places, the only begotten

God has revealed Him, the Father, because He is the unique, one -of -a -kind

Son of God, the Father. Like Father, like Son.

Same usia, homo usian, same nature, same essence, like no one else's.

That's what the word monogamous means. Begotten. When it's referring to Christ, it is begotten, not made, like the

Nicene Creed teaches. Doesn't mean He had a beginning. It doesn't mean He had a beginning. It means that He is eternally begotten.

of God. He is the eternal Son because He has the same essence as the

Father and the Father doesn't have a beginning. So amazing truth from God's Word.

When you rightly understand and bring it together, this is what the Bible is teaching us.

Similarly, in John 19 7, the Jews answered Him, we have a law and by that law

He ought to die. Jesus ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.

So it was commonly understood in Jewish theology according to the scriptures, the

Tanakh, the Tanakh, that claiming to be the Son of God makes you equal with God because when you are the son of someone, you have the same nature that they do.

You are like them. That's why the phrase comes from, like father like son. Not in a human sense, but similar.

It's analogous. This is why the

Gospel of John is also a great place to start reading the Bible and to refute other cults and false religions with.

These are very powerful verses against these door -knocking cults that come our way, like the

Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the like. And there's really nothing new under the sun.

That's why it's so important to know church history as well because what Jehovah's Witnesses taught is very similar to what the

Aryans taught. In fact, in some ways the Aryans had a more conservative view than the

Mormons do because they believe that we all become gods or good Mormons eventually become their own gods.

Many will deny that, but Joseph Smith's preached a sermon called On the

Plurality of Gods. So they're polytheistic, which is completely contrary to God's Word.

There is only one God and his name is the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Those three are one.

One essence, three hupostasis, substances.

There's three of them, but they are one. In essence, in will, in authority, and so on.

Specifically with respect to Jesus as the Son of God, Jesus Himself, Jesus Christ, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Yesterday, and today, and forever. Why? Because He's eternal.

He's eternal. Do not be carried away. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings, much like the ones we just heard, and even the ones back then that find their way to our day.

By varied and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.

I love that verse. It is good to the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited, according to Hebrews 13, verses 8 through 9.

Strengthened by grace. Our great

God and Savior, Jesus, is the Christ, the

Christ, the one and only Christ, the Son of God, the unique Lee, the

God and Son of God, is of the same essence, same power, same reign, same authority, as the

Father Himself. Same will, same God, same

Godhood. The fullness of the deity of the

Godhead dwells in who bodily? In Jesus Christ, Himself, according to Colossians.

Not only that, beloved, okay? Not only that, as amazing as all of this is, but this really opened my eyes to something that I hadn't noticed before, but one of, quite in this way, but one of the primary subjects, one of the primary subjects of the

Apostle John's first letter, the entire letter, is Jesus.

Particularly, Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. In that particular sense, senses, this letter begins and ends with Christ and every chapter reveals and expounds, exegetes

Christ to us, okay? I want to, I want to do a drive -by, a little recap of this letter, a survey of this letter, of many of the verses that deal with Jesus as Christ and Son of God.

Okay, because it is literally in the entire letter, starting with chapter 1.

What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us.

And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.

And the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Chapter 2. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?

This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Just like Jesus said, if you do not honor me, you do not honor the

Father either. Everyone who denies the

Son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son, confesses the

Son, believes in the Son, has the Father also. As for you, let that which you heard from the beginning abide in you.

If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, the message of truth, the body of divinity, the gospel, you also will abide in the

Son and in the Father. One and the same. Chapter 3.

The one who does sin is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. But the Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of who?

His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he gave a commandment to us.

Chapter 4. By this, the love of God was manifested in us, that God sent who?

His only begotten Son, one of a kind Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

In this is love defined. This is love defined.

Not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent who?

His Son, to be the propitiation for our sins, to be the gospel for us, fulfilled.

Chapter 4 continued. We have beheld and bear witness that the

Father has sent the Son, to be what? The Savior of the world, of all those who believe in him.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, believes that Jesus is the

Son of God. God abides in him, and he in God. That's another word that John uses, abiding.

By faith, in him, in the Son, and likewise in the

Father. Chapter 5. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the

Christ, has been born of God already. Sonship. And everyone who loves the one who gives new birth, loves also the one who has been born of him.

Verse 5. Who is the one who overcomes the world? But he who believes that Jesus is the

Son of God. But wait, wait, there's more in this chapter. Shortly thereafter.

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For the witness of God is this, that he has born witness about who, beloved?

His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God, has this witness in himself.

The one who does not believe God, has made him a liar. Because he has not believed in the witness which

God has born witness about his Son. Literally, what he is saying, is that if you reject

Jesus as the Son of God, and God himself, you are making God a liar.

That is what the Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons, and other heretics that deny the deity of Christ, the

Sonship of Christ, need to hear. You're making God a liar, and you don't know him.

And you don't believe him. Even though you may claim to. Because you are distorting and redefining what

Scripture teaches about himself and about his Son. His only begotten

Son. The only begotten God. And their witness is this.

What is that witness? The witness is this, that God gave us eternal life. And this life is in his

Son. He who has the Son, has the life. He who does not have the

Son of God, does not have that life. Because he is the way, the truth, and the life.

Amen. These things I have written to you, who believe in the name of the

Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. One of the main purposes of this letter, is to give us assurance.

How? How are we assured, beloved? By believing in the name of the

Son of God. That is the foundation of all our assurance. The Son of God.

Rightly understood. God himself begotten and incarnated through the

Virgin Mary. So that he may live and die for us. To be forgiven and justified.

Sanctified, glorified, etc. And then towards the very end. 1

John 5 verse 20. The very end of the letter. And we know that the

Son of God has come. Has come. And has given us, and has given us understanding.

So that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true.

In his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true

God, and eternal life. Amen.

The letter literally begins and ends. And all throughout every chapter expounds upon Jesus.

Himself, the Christ, the Son of God, the one true God. Just like the

Father. Just same essence. Homoousion. Same essence.

Now this, beloved, brings us to a few things that we also need to understand. Right doctrine.

Right doctrine, orthodoxy, right teaching, correct teaching, leads to right relationships.

Right relationships. And right living. Right doctrine.

And in this case, the right doctrine of Christ leads to right relationships with God and our fellow man.

Fellow believers and our fellow man. Which is what 1st John has been telling us all throughout this letter, in this chapter.

True love. It leads to true love. It leads to God's true love for us because of his

Son, the true Son, God, Jesus Christ. And it leads us to love according to his

Word. Love God truly for who he is and what he has done for us. And to love those who have also been born of God.

Because of the new birth and the grace of God. Which also leads to right living.

Right? It's a, it's like a chain. Reaction. So our belief in the truth has all these benefits and consequences.

They are not things that should condemn us or make us feel like, oh, well, I'm not good enough. No, they are blessings that we now love

God's law, we seek to please him, and we grow in his holiness, sanctified by his truth, into these things.

To now love our neighbor, our enemies even, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Because we have the Son of God on our side to pardon us and sanctify us by his

Word. To the very end. Preserve us. To preserve us. And give us that assurance in him, his

Son. And what else? This blew me away.

It just makes this come so much more to life. Going through this message, seeing how

Jesus Christ is the central dogma of the

Bible, of the Christian faith. The central dogma. It's exactly like Peter answered supernaturally to Christ.

Who do you say that I am? You are the Christ. The Son of the

Living God. The central dogma. It's not the only dogma. There's many more dogmas.

There's a system of doctrine that the Bible teaches us. But the central one, focus of Scripture, Jesus is the

Christ, the Son of the Living God. That is why so many reject it, butcher it, try to destroy and redefine it.

Because if you have the Son, you have the truth and you have the Father. But if you don't have the

Son, you have nothing. You know nothing. That's what it says.

You know nothing apart from the Son. That's why the devil goes after this doctrine so much.

The Sonship of God. He uses it instead of a the divine title that it means, he uses it to refer to make him a creature.

So that is the really, the central dogma, doctrine of our faith.

That's why we are called Christians. Amen? That's why we are called Christians.

Little Christ. Now I want to conclude with this, beloved. This is a really, I think you'll enjoy this.

This is a very nice piece of church history and of Bible and of all kinds of stuff.

Many of you have probably seen the fish symbol. Right? The fish symbol.

It's a simple fish symbol with like two loops and sometimes it also has a word in there, in the middle.

Now, of course, there's worldly ones that say Darwin and they try to mock this symbol, but this symbol is the fish symbol.

The reason it's there is because of a word that the early church used to describe

Jesus Christ. It is ichthys. Ichthys. The word ichthys is

Greek for fish. For fish. And obviously fish have a very prominent role in Scripture.

All throughout Scripture, especially in the life of ministry of Christ, right? Often they're found fishing and Jesus uses analogies with fishing.

Now you will become fishers of men. And he takes the coin out of the fish's mouth and he pays the government.

And there's many references to the feeding of the 5 ,000, right? With the fish and the bread. Many of these things pertaining to fish, but also the early church used this as an acronym, as an acronym.

Because the early Christians used it to identify each other.

Because back then there were times of persecution. So they would use code language and symbols to meet secretly and those kinds of things.

And to be able to tell if they were. So they would come up to you and one of them would paint the curve.

And if the other individual finished the curve to make a fish, they knew that that you were one of them.

It's really amazing stuff. It's fascinating stuff. But during the early days of Christianity, this was a helpful paragraph from GotQuestions, the website.

During the early days of Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith.

So they worshipped in secret places. A fish painted or etched on the outside door of a house let other

Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside. The ancient catacombs in Rome are filled with images of fish carved there by Christians hiding from persecution.

They would carve those aside, kind of like the blood on the door of the Israelites during the Egypt. It was to help bring

Christians into safe harbor, to refuge from persecution. Amazing story. But this word for fish, ichthus, is an acronym.

In Greek, it says this. Yesus Christos, Theou Huyos, Soter.

Yesus Christos, Theou Huyos, Soter. Many of you who have studied theology might be able to draw away what that's referring to.

But it means in English, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior.

That is amazing how the early church very clearly picked up on this central dogma of the

Christian faith, the ichthus. And it's all about Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus the Christ, God's Son, Theou Huyos, Huyos, Son of God, Savior, Soter.

Savior, Messiah, the Christ and Savior, Yesus Christos.

That beloved is amazing to see in this passage, in all of Scripture, how

Christ is the amazing focus of the Bible in so many different ways. And yet we have to equip ourselves to refute the error and the lie that is plaguing our society and churches today.

We must understand who this Jesus is. He is the ichthus.

Amen. He is the Christ, God's Son, Eternal Son, Divine Son, and Savior.

Amen. Amen. Let's bow our heads in a closing word of prayer. Our dear precious

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much, Lord, for your Son, Jesus Christ, the only begotten

God, like from like, God of God, of your very same essence,

Lord. We know, Father, that according to your Word, He is homoousion with you,

Lord. He is of the same essence, the same power, same authority, same nature as you are.

Father, we thank you so much for sending your Son, your only begotten

Son, to become flesh, eternally the Son.

Not that you made Him the Son by His incarnation, but that He was always your Son, and you are always

His Father. From eternity past, Lord, we thank you for these precious truths. We ask that you help us,

Lord, to grasp the significance of this amazing reality in your Word, these gospel truths and promises that give us, that are at the foundation of our faith, and all that we also hold to, and in our assurance, in our, in the grace that you have given us by your

Son, in His, in the gospel. We thank you, Lord, for these amazing truths, that Jesus, your

Son, is the one who is worthy of worship, of honor, whom you have given a name that is above every name.

Lord, we thank you for giving us this faith, Lord, by your grace, believing in the

Son of God, and preserving us to the very end, and to hopefully, one day soon, meet our

Lord Jesus Christ, and you, and the Spirit of God, in your Spirit, for eternity. To come.

We thank you, Father, and we ask these things in Jesus, the Son of God's name. Amen. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermons of Thorne Crown Covenant Baptist Church, where the

Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, has applied to all of faith and life. We strive to be biblical, reformed, historic, confessional, loving, discerning

Christians, who evangelize, stand firm in, and earnestly contend for the Christian faith.

If you're looking for a church in the El Paso, Texas area, or for more information about our church, sermons, and ministries, such as Semper Reformanda Radio, and Thorne Crown Network Podcasts, please contact us at thornecrownministries .com,