“FOR THE RECORD”

1 JOHN 5:9-13

INTRO: With all the uncertainties of life what a joy it is to know that we have

no need to worry about the future. All who place their trust in Christ

have a Lively Hope and a Blessed Assurance about tomorrow. We are

secure in Christ and thank God, there is nothing that can separate us

from God’s amazing love! Paul said in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am

persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor

powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, not depth,

nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God,

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The phrase “I am persuaded” in the

Greek means “I am convinced.” Paul exclaims that is impossible to be

separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable

love. Nothing can stop His contant presence with us. God tells us

how great His love is so we will feel totally secure in Him (1).

John expresses the same idea in our text. He declares in v11, “And

this is the record….” The word record here means “evidence given, a

report, testimony, or witness.” In a court case, when needed, an

expert witness is called in many times to give testimony on something

important to the case. In the case before us, whether a man can have

eternal life or whether he cannot, God Himself is the expert witness.

And this is the sum of that testimony, that God hath given us a title

to, and the real beginning of, eternal life; and that this is purchased

by, and treasured up in, his Son, who has all the springs and the

fulness of it in himself, to communicate to his body, the church, first

in grace and then in glory (Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary).

This morning I want to speak on the subject, “FOR THE RECORD,” as

we think about the glorious and abundant life we have in Christ Jesus

our Lord.

FOR THE RECORD:

(1) BELIEVERS ARE RECIPIENTS OF ETERNAL LIFE

1 JOHN 5:11—“And this is the record, that God hath given to

us eternal life…”

A. Who are the US God mentions here? We do not have to suppose.

God has already given us the answer in v10, “He that believeth on the

Son of God hath the witness in himself…”

B. Why does this bring us assurance? Two Reasons:

1. We have the witness in us—“…He that believeth on the Son of

God hath the witness in himself.” God's Spirit dwelling in him

and witnessing that "Jesus is the Lord," "the Christ," and "the

Son of God" (1Jo_5:1, 1Jo_5:5). The witness of the Spirit in the

believer himself to his own sonship is not here expressed, but

follows as a consequence of believing the witness of God to

Jesus' divine Sonship (Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Commentary). We know we are His because His Spirit dwells

within us. There is no such thing as salvation apart from

assurance; we know that we have passed from death unto life;

we know that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Because of the Witness with us we know WHOM we have

believed and we can say with John, “Hereby we know that He

abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us” (1 John 3:

24) (2).

2. We have the witness of God—“And this is the record, that God

hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” (v11).

What greater assurance do we need? God Himself has testified

that it is ETERNAL. The word here means “perpetual, for ever,

everlasting.” Our Lord Jesus came that we might enjoy a life

that is abundant and everlasting; that never changes regardless

of changes all around us, our everlasting life remains the same.

It never changes, it doesn’t grow old, it is never out of date! We

have God’s promise, God’s witness that it is so. And as v9 tells

us, I will take the witness of God over the witness of man any

day! Why? “The witness of God is greater…” The testimony of

God is greater - Of higher authority, and much more worthy to

be received; namely, this very testimony which God the Father,

together with the Word and the Spirit, hath testified of the Son,

as the Saviour of the world (Wesley’s Explanatory Notes).

ILLUS: Harry Ironside tells the following story in his commentary on

John.

A preacher a few years ago after the close of the service went

back to the door to greet the people. A lady troubled about her

soul came along, and he reached out his hand and said to her,

"Well, how is it with you tonight? Are you saved?" She said,

"Oh, I don't know, sir; I hope so." He said, "Well, let me show

you this verse, 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting

life.' Do you believe on the Son?" "Oh, I do, sir, I do believe

on Him with all my heart." "Well, then have you everlasting

life?" She replied, "I hope so. I hope I have it." The minister

then asked her to read the verse again. She read it, "He that

believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." "Do you believe on

the Son? "I do." "Then have you everlasting life?" "I hope so, I

certainly hope so." "Read it again please." She read it again –

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." Do you

believe on the Son? Again she replied, "I do!" "Then do you

have everlasting life?" She again replied, "I hope so." "Well,"

the minister said, "I see what the trouble is." She asked, "What

is the trouble?" "Why, the trouble," the minister said, "is that

when you were a girl the spelled very differently than they did

when I was a boy." She said, "What do you mean? I am not

that much older than you." He replied, "When you were a girl

h-a-t-h spelled "hope." When I was a boy h-a-t-h spelled

"hath!" "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."-

Ironside, _John_, page 132.

(2) THE BELIEVER’S GIFT IS A GIFT FROM GOD

1 JOHN 5:11b—“..God hath given to us eternal life…”

*All of God’s gifts are great gifts, as James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and

every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” But the greatest

gift God has given is the gift of eternal life to all who believe! Salvation is

a gift—it cannot be earned, it cannot be merited through good living or

sacrificial giving. Salvation is God’s gift to hell-deserving sinners—and

the only way to come into possession of the gift is to receive it from the

Giver (3). GOD’S GIFT IS:

A. A Gift of Love (1 John 4:10; John 3:16). God did not have to send

His Son to die in our place, but out of His great love He did just that!

Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

ILLUS: Greek scholars tell us that the word translated “Commended”

in Romans 5:8 means “to place together; of persons, to intro-

duce to one’s acquaintance and favorable notice; hence, to

commend, to represent as worthy.” The same Greek word is

translated “stood with” in the account of Moses and Elijah

appearing on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:32).

Therefore, when God commended His love toward us in setting

forth Jesus to be a propitiation for our sins, God the Father

associated Himself with the death of Christ Jesus on the Cross

for sinners. The marvelous Gospel of the grace of God is a

glorious fact about a glorious act by a glorious God who is love.

Christ Jesus our Saviour dying on the cross commends the

fact of God’s love. The arms of Jesus outstretched on the

cross were the arms of Divine love. Only GOD could stretch

out His arms on the cross for men who should rightfully spend

eternity in hell. It was God the Father who commended His

love toward us in the death of His Son, it was God the Father

who sent His Son that “What the law could not do, in that it

was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the

likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who

walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4) (4).

ILLUS: “The Cross is the proof that there is no length to which the love

of God will refuse to go, in order to win men’s hearts” (5).

B. A Gift of Life (1 John 5:12; John 10:10). Ephesians 2:1 tells us,

“And you hath he quicked, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” Life

is one of the great words of the Scriptures. The word “life” and the verb

“to live” or “to have life” have a depth of meaning.

1.Life is the energy, the force, the power of being.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am...the life: no man cometh unto the

Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true

God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

2.Life is the opposite of perishing. It is deliverance from condemnation

and death. It is the stopping or cessation of deterioration, decay, and

corruption.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have

everlasting life” (John 3:16).

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and

believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall

not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto

life....And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the

resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the

resurrection of damnation” (John 5:24, 29).

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,

neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John

10:28).

3.Life is eternal. It is forever. It is the very life of God Himself (John

17:3). However, eternal life does not refer just to duration. Living

forever would be a curse for some persons. The idea of eternal life is

also quality, a certain kind of life, a life that consistently knows love,

joy, peace, power, and responsibility.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have

it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

4.Life is satisfaction.

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that

cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me

shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

5.Life is security and enjoyment.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have

it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

6.Life is found only in God. God is the source and author of life, and it

is God who has appointed Jesus Christ to bring life to man. Jesus

Christ gives the very life of God Himself to believers.

“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the

Son to have life in himself” (John 5:26).

“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat

which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man

shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed....And

this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth

the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I

will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:27, 40).

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,

neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in

one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and

hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:23).

7.Life has now been revealed. It has been unveiled and is clearly seen

in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ shows man what life is.

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light

shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not”

(John 1:4-5).

“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the

Son to have life in himself” (John 5:26).

“(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear

witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with

the Father, and was manifested unto us)” (1 John 1:2).

Note: God gives us life through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Life

only comes to a man by believing in Jesus Christ. A man outside

Jesus Christ only exists. He merely has an animalistic existence.

Real life is found only in God.

(3) THE BEARER AND BRINGER OF THIS GIFT IS THE SON

1 JOHN 5:11c—“..and this life is in the Son.”

* “This is one of the clearest statements anyone will ever read, and yet the

masses misunderstand it. They refuse to believe it. Jesus is LIFE, Jesus

is salvation. All believers have eternal life because they have Jesus in