1 John 5:18-21
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, 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.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. NKJV
We know: to have positive, absolute knowledge.
- Those are eye-opening statements and should cause us to pause and consider them!
These statements give us insight into God’s victory and our responsibility!
1. How many of y’all have absolute positive knowledge that those born of God do not sin?
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin
Born (genetics): a past complete act of regeneration, rebirth, with the present result
- perfect tense, and speaks of a past complete act of regeneration with the present result (God made you knew and the results are the same)
Does not: not at all, by no means
Sin: to miss a mark on the way
- present tense, continuous action.
Rom 6:1-3
6 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
NLT
- Explain that we can miss the mark as believers also.
2. How many of y’all have absolute positive knowledge that those born of God “Keeps themselves”?
18b. (We know) he who has been born of God keeps himself,
Keeps: To keep an eye on, watch, and hence to guard, keep, obey
- This is the believer's responsibility
- As the Holy Spirit works and causes us to be aware of our missing the mark, we make a choice to submit to Him by His grace!
1 Peter 5:8-9
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. NLT
1 Thess 5:6-7
6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. NLT
2 Peter 3:17-18
17 I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. NLT
3. How many of y’all have absolute positive knowledge that the wicked one does not touch you?
18c. (We know) the wicked one does not touch him.
Does not: not at all, by no means
Touch: to connect or bind for the purpose of manipulating
- Thayer’s, to fasten to, take a hold of; hence, specifically to fasten fire to a thing, to kindle, set on fire
Separating Truth from lies
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, 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.
Understanding: denoting separation, intellect, intellectual faculty, thought, mind
May Know: to come to understand, learn to know
2 Tim 2:15-17
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. /////// 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. NKJV
True: to confirm
Col 2:9-15
10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
NLT
Cause and Effect!
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. NKJV
- The process from childhood to adulthood occurs when you are able to discern the cause and effect of our actions
- Connecting two events
- Why and the Results. Until then, you are a child!
Keep: To keep an eye on, watch, and hence to guard, keep, obey
Idols: a concept of the mind that does not represent God
- A way of thinking, perception, belief system
Reticular activity system: a network of neurons located in the brainstem that acts as the primary gatekeeper and filter for conscious awareness
- Once we accept something or pass a judgment, activity in this area of the brain affects our reasoning process.
- It literally causes us to see it as we believe it to be.
- We stop seeing things as they are and seek to prove what we have already chosen to believe.
1 Cor 15:56-58
56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. NLT
Law: rule, norm and/or standard of judging or acting
- These laws are killing us, causing us to miss the mark!
Conclusion: Things I must absolutely know!
There are things we have accepted in our lives that are contrary to what we should absolutely know!
We must conclude that we are absolutely born of God and we have been given new spiritual genetics and affirm this truth.
I must intellectually separate lies and deceit from the truth and stand on the truth that I am in Christ.
I must seek out the truth of God’s Word to bring all lies to light, and as I do this, the gatekeeper will filter out the lies and bring to my mind God’s truth!
