By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sermon Text: I John 5:1-5
Sermon Theme
John is full of confidence as he comes to the conclusion of his first letter. He has dealt with a number of difficult topics ranging from indwelling sin to the Antichrist. He has seen a breakdown in Christian love in the church in Ephesus. Yet he is strongly confident. He focuses first on the fact that faith comes from God. It is actually born of God (John 1:13). Faith leads to both love and obedience. God’s love empowers us to live out his commandments. Finally, John affirms the fact that our faith, given to us by God, conquers the world. Through that faith we ourselves conquer the world. In an uncertain world, we remain confident and assured.
Sermon Outline
- Confess. Everything begins and ends with our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God’s Word to us. We do not know God apart from him. He is the Savior of the world. Therefore we can never despair of the world, nor can we ever abandon it. The opposition of the world can never endure. The faith we have in Jesus Christ does not come from us. That faith is born of God. We who believe have been born of God. Therefore we remain confident and hopeful in every situation.
- Commands. John’s confidence extends to his conviction that we can keep God’s commandments. He adds that God’s commands are “not burdensome.” What does he mean by this? For John, obedience is matter of showing love to God. Actually it is God’s love which empowers us. The more we believe and depend on Jesus Christ, the more we want to live like him. Living like him is the fulfillment of the law. This is why John can make the seeming paradoxical statements that we are sinners and we do not sin. (I John 1:8-10, 3:9, 5:18) In our own nature, we cannot help but sin. However the more we are overtaken by God’s love, the more we are free from sin.
- Conquer. John emphasizes the basic fact, along with the rest of the New Testament, that to follow Jesus Christ is to be in conflict with the world. There are two meanings of “world” in John. The first refers to the world’s system, its values and beliefs. The second refers to the totality of humanity, the people of the world John is confident of victory over the world in both senses. Our faith exposes and conquers the false beliefs of the world. This victory has nothing to do with force or compulsion as the world understands victory. Jesus’ ministry shows him overcoming the world in all of its forms, including religion. Yet Jesus raises no army. He never appeals to senators, lawyers or the wealthy for support. Jesus’ dependence on the Father is a perfect example of faith. Faith in Christ conquers the world. This is our hope and confidence.
Questions for Us
- How can we communicate our faith in ways which both confront the world's system and, at the same time, offers the hope that is found only in Christ?
- In what sense can we say that God's commandments are not burdensome?
- What are some of the ways we see faith conquering the world?
