MPC 25th March 2007.March 25 - 1 John 2:3-18 - "Don't Worry - You're Real!"
Phil Campbell MPC 25th March 2007.
There's a knock on your door, and there are two smiling faces. And they're not asking you to switch phone plans. They're asking you to switch religions.
Maybe they offer you a magazine. Or a book. And they want to talk about the state of the world. The wars. The earthquakes. Family values. Interesting stuff.
And they start to tell you all the things wrong with what they call "organised religion." That the church teaches man made doctrines. Instead of the truth. That somehow, over the last 2,000 years, things have gone off the rails. And they're here to help you get it sorted out.
In fact, here's what the Jehovah's Witness at the door said to me. The Presbyterian Church is Babylon. The enemy of God. Leading people astray. He said I had things completely wrong. And they had it right.
Now when you hear that kind of stuff, it's got to make you feel a bit uneasy. And make you examine your position. You've got to be thinking, well, what if they're right. And I am wrong? I mean, it's a pretty serious business. And maybe I'm missing something important. Maybe I'm not saved at all. And I've just been misled.
Maybe it doesn't take a Jehovah's Witness at the door to bring you to that point. Maybe just in the still of the night, you're lying awake and asking yourself, am I really a Christian? Or not? Maybe I think I know God... but God doesn't know me?
Maybe you're thinking, sometimes I just don't feel like I'm a Christian at all.
And the question is, how can I know? How can I tell who's right and who's wrong? How can I tell?
Well, that's what John's letter's all about. That's the issue he's writing about. Picking the true Christian from the fake. And knowing where you stand yourself. It's a letter written to reassure wobbly Christians that the Jesus they've heard about is the real Jesus. To reassure wobbly Christians that all they've got to do is keep on keeping on.
I don't know if you've noticed if you've read right through the letter, it's loaded with encouragements. And as we look at what this passage is saying today, I hope that's the tone you'll get as well.
As John spells out the marks of the genuine Christian.
Now I've got to preface this with the fact that last week we saw John saying in chapter 1 verse 8 that all of us are sinful. And when you become a Christian and the Spirit starts work in your life, it's not a magic wand that suddenly transforms you into an angel. It's the start of a process. John says, If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves. But at the same time, no genuine Christian is content to just keep on sinning as if it doesn't matter. And so John says if you're a genuine Christian and there's no progress at all, there's a problem. So here are some marks of the genuine Christian.
Number one. And it's simple. True Christians love to obey their master. It's as simple as that. If you're a real Christian, you'll want to do what the Lord Jesus wants you to do.
And that's what John says if you have a look at verse 3. The question is, how do we know if our Christianity is real Christianity? How do we know that we really know the Lord Jesus? And we're not just kidding ourselves? And here's the answer. "We know we have come to know him if we obey his commands."
If you really know Jesus... then we'll see it in the way you obey Jesus. Because actions speak louder than words. You cannot say you know Jesus, and then just ignore what he says.
John points that out in the very next verse. And he's rude about it. He doesn't mince his words. Because it's as plain as the nose on your face. "The man who says "I know him," but doesn't do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Full stop.
We need to be careful, don't we? Because we're very good at making spiritual sounding excuses for our disobedience. Like one young Christian couple I heard about who were sleeping together - cause they'd prayed about it and they felt God was saying it was okay.
We're not called to follow our feelings. We're not called to pray about our disobedience and see if we have a feeling of peace. We're called to be obedient to the Lord Jesus. Because the fact is, what God wants for us is what's best for us. And true Christians love to obey God.
If you're trying to figure out where you stand with God, ask yourself this: do you love him enough to obey him? Or are you always looking for ways not to obey?
Of course, the other danger is we've been so conditioned to being negative about ourselves and being polite and not boasting and being made aware of our sinfulness that the danger is we miss John's encouragement here. John's writing to a church where he knows people actually are obeying Jesus. And the change in their lives has been obvious. As it is so often here at MPC. This is John's encouragement. Look at how you're living. And notice the times you want to do what Jesus wants. And celebrate that.
Here's what he says in verse 5 and 6. "This is how we know we are in him. Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." Which is to walk in obedience to God. Walk in sacrifice. Putting others ahead of yourself. Walk in exactly the same way you've been walking.
Well, that's the first mark of the genuine Christian. Real Christians love to obey. We know we've come to know him if we've come to obey his commands. The question is, what is it that Jesus is commanding us?
You know, it's a mistake to think, as some Christians tend to say, that there are no rules when you're a Christian. We mightn't be bound by the Old Testament Jewish law in the same way the Jews were. But Jesus is quite blunt about it. Jesus didn't go around making suggestions. He went around giving commands.
And there's one particular command... that John's got on view. That I'm sure all of you know.
The command that wraps up every other. Listen to what he says in verse 7. He says "Dear friends, I'm not writing you a new command but an old one which you've had from the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard." And yet he says... "I am writing you a new command; it's truth is seen in him and in you... because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining." He says, as I look at you, I can see this command at work.
Remember the new commandment? The one Jesus gave? That sums up all the law in one go? Love one another. As I have loved you.
That's the command John's talking about. That's the command Israel had from the beginning and somehow seemed to overlook in their enthusiasm for working out how many steps you could walk on the sabbath, and in counting the leaves on their mint plants to make sure they gave 10 per cent to the temple.
Now as John's writing here, he doesn't actually spell it until the next page. But turn over to chapter 3 verse 11 and you'll see it in black and white. He says "This is the message you heard from the beginning - we should love one another."
You know the command true Christians have got to obey? Not optional. Love one another. Whether your Christian brothers and sisters are lovely and lovable or not. Whether you feel like it. Or whether you don't. Easy to love the lovely, isn't it? Easy to love when there's something in it for you. But if you're going to walk like Jesus walked, it's very different to that. Not so convenient at all.
John says, he looks at these Christians he's writing to, and he can see this commandment at work in countless ways. It's obvious. And I've got to say here at MPC I see it at work in countless ways as well. People who are prepared to put themselves out, even when the favour's not returned. People who hear about a need and drop around a meal. People who just turn up - to mow a lawn, or have a chat. Who make a phone call to see how the medical tests went. Just because they love their brothers and sisters.
John says, real Christians work at loving their brothers and sisters. Because he says "Anyone who claims to be in the light, but hates his brother is still in the darkness." It's a great test of true Christianity. Because true Christianity produces sacrificial love. Instead of division. Instead of bitterness. Instead of selfish unforgiveness.
Test number 1. How's this for a circular argument? If you love Jesus, you obey. Test number 2. If you obey Jesus, then you'll love. Real Christians love to obey. Real Christians obediently love. And you just can't claim you're a Christian if you don't love your Christian brothers and sisters.
Now while we're talking about love, John's got something else to say.
He's says we are meant to love our brothers and sisters. And then he says something else. He tells us what we're not to love. And that's in verses 15 to 17.
And in those two little verses, he hits on a huge problem. These days we call it materialism. A love affair with things. Being consumed by consumerism. Boasting about what we have, what we've achieved.
It's another test of Genuine Christianity, isn't it? Where your heart is. If your heart's devoted to building up your bank account, if your heart's devoted to your career, if your heart's devoted to your house - then you've missed the point.
Have a look at verse 15. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world... the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father, but from the world."
Take care with this. Here's a tell tale sign of where your heart is. Is the first thing you want to do to impress people? With the boast of what you do? Your latest promotion? Your high position? Or the subtle pride you've got in showing off the latest acquisitions?
John is sounding a warning. Keep your focus. Not on the things of this world that pass away. But eternal things. Because John says the key to eternal life is to be the kind of person he's been talking about. Who loves to obey. And obediently loves.
There are people who are not doing that. Living in darkness. Loving this world. But verse 17, he says, "The world and all its desires pass away. But the man who does the will of God lives forever."
Friends, I hope this sort of passage makes you do some hard thinking.
But ultimately, I hope it's an encouragement. Because it's meant to be.
If you really love Jesus, then you'll obey his command. And his command is, love one another. And don't love the world. Very easy to get exactly back to front, isn't it? Examine your heart.
And if at some point you need to repent, repent. Because John's not writing to condemn us. He's writing to encourage us. And he's fully aware that none of us is without sin. In this area, or anything else.
But let's take the encouragement seriously. Especially if you're one of those people who gets worried if you're told you're not the full quid as a Christian. When you're told you're on the wrong track; when you're told there's something more to real Christianity that you're missing out on.
That's what people were being told 2000 years ago. And that's why John's writing his letter. To encourage them. These are humble Christians he's writing to. Not super-Christians. These are normal Christians like us. Not sinless and perfect. Not theological experts. Just ordinary.
And you know what he says to them? He says, what you have to remember is what you've already got. He says, I'm not writing to make you feel bad. I'm writing to encourage you.
Back in verse 8, remember, he said, I can see this stuff happening in your lives.
Because the darkness is breaking and the true light is already shining.
And verses 12 to 14. More of the same; and it's kind of set out like a poem. A message for all the ages and stages in the church. You can look at the details later. But I just want you to notice the two key words in every sentence. The words you have. It's not you might have. It's not you used to have. It's not, gee I hope you have.
Look down verse 12 to 14, and say this to yourself. Say, my sins have been forgiven, on account of his name. Say, I have known him who is from the beginning. Jesus. So why would I want to stop knowing him now? Say "I have overcome the evil one." Not, gee, I hope I do one day. I have overcome the evil one. Because I trust in Jesus.
Say "I have known the father." Right from the start. Because if you're a Christian, all of that's true. And what more do you need?
Friends, here's the encouragement. It might not be fancy. But if you're following Jesus, if you're serious about loving your brothers and sisters, there's nothing more to add. And you can be absolutely confident. You're the real thing. And that means you've got the lot - no matter what anyone else wants to say.