Sermon on 1 John 5:1-8, 6th Sunday of Easter 2021 (B), "Children of New Life"

 

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. In 1 John 5 let’s consider how you’re “Children of New Life.” We’re familiar with our old life under sin and the condemnation of the law. Our daily experience in a broken world. Old life is as familiar as worn-out shoes. But Christ calls us to a new life. Learning, growth, and a new identity. Children of God are born for a new life. 1 John teaches our new life centers around simple things: faith, love, and the true confession of Jesus.

First, in v. 1, John writes: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” Believing in Jesus as the Christ and loving God the Father are marks of the children of God. Believing and loving. We don’t become children of God by doing those things, but because Christ first loved us, and by His own will, we were born of God (John 1:12-13). We become who we are by being born of God. Believing Jesus and loving God are marks of our New Life as Children of God. The product of knowing who we are in God’s family and loving Him and trusting His plan.

It’s really simple. Picture the best earthly family, where a child doesn’t struggle with who they are or knowing they are loved. Secure in the love they’re given, they freely return it to everyone in the family. Things are as they should be. How much more so, born as children of God. Our true Heavenly Father loves us with a perfection that we only begin to discover in this life. We love Him because we’re born of Him. Our new life is shaped and filled by His love. Secure in God’s love, protection, and guidance, we freely return that love to God and all God’s family with us. In His family there’s patience and room for growth into who He made us to be! And we trust Jesus because we’re children of God. God sent our brother, our Savior, to defeat sin’s power, that would lead us away from God’s family and love. We believe in Jesus because we know and trust God’s good plan, and His love is the cornerstone of our family’s love.

When were we born into the family of God? Back to John 3:5, Jesus says “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Our birth as children of God is different from the natural birth that happened to all of us. Our birth from above is by water and the Spirit. Our baptism. Water poured on our body, with Jesus’ Words: “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Water, the Spirit, and new birth. We are Children of New Life because God washed us, gave us His Spirit, and put His Name on us. This New Life is ours by His gracious washing with the Spirit.

Vs. 2-3, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” As Children of New Life, we love each other in God’s family. Remember your old life, old shoes? Sibling rivalry, fighting, and not loving each other? That may all be part of my sinful nature, my earthly family; but that’s what Jesus has overcome for us! Children of New Life are born to love each other. Look around at your family in Christ Jesus. You all are member of Christ to each other. You are to love each other as yourself. Love doesn’t end with this circle gathered here, we are to love all our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to love our neighbor’s as ourselves. Love is written into our DNA as Children of New Life.

Yes, even Christians deal with conflict, with troubled relationships, disagreements, resentments, arguments, etc. No church of humans doesn’t have some level of that. We’re no exception. Our old sin nature needs to daily be sent back to its grave in baptism, in repentance, in owning our responsibility in sorrow and returning to our gracious, forgiving Father through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. We are committed to each other by the call to be Children of New Life. John describes New Life, not Old Life. He’s describing what should be, what can be, and what will be when we live in our New Life identity, and not clinging to our selfish, controlling, or impatient selves. New Life is for here and now. Walking in Christ’s forgiveness, reconciliation, and love. This Christian family of believers at Emmanuel grows simply by practicing the love of Christ with each other in all our interactions. Patience, listening, lowering our guard, loving, sharing, acts of kindness. Loving each other and obeying God’s commandments is an identifying mark that we’re Children of God.

What are those commandments again? John helpfully reminds us in 1 John 3:23, “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” Pretty much the same as verse 1! God’s commandment is to believe in Jesus and love each other! And His commandments are not burdensome. Again, are we listening with our old ears, our sinful nature, or with our new ears, as Children of New Life? To the child of God, believing in Jesus and loving each other is joyful and satisfying! We’re living for what we’re made for! New life! Not back-biting, not excluding, not tearing down or squabbling; none of that old way of life. New life! Helping, serving, walking together, finding the one who needs your love. God’s commandments are not burdensome. God gives you strength to carry burdens; but loving each other is not a weight around your neck. It doesn’t steal your joy; it gives you joy! Try it! See how loving your neighbor, loving your brother and sister in Christ, fills you with peace and joy. Evidence you’re a child of God! Live in the New Life, not as a burden, but receive it as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Because the real burdens of the Ten Commandments and all the guilt at our feet for every broken command—all that heavy burden was taken up to Jesus’ cross. How do we know that? By the witnesses of the water and blood that poured out of His side, we know that He died for our sins, and the payment was completed. By His breathing out His Spirit, and His cry of completion: “It is finished”, we know that sin’s power over us is defeated. And by the witnesses of eyes, hands, and ears, that saw the Living Jesus raised up from death, we know that His payment was accepted, and His payment was victory for us because He lives! The burden of sin, the burden of the guilt at our feet, has been taken from us at Jesus’ cross! So, what remains is the joyful calling to continue loving our neighbor as Christ first loved us! Believing in Jesus and loving each other is not a burden, but a joy to be part of the family!

Vs. 4-5, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Children of New Life live in Jesus’ victory. We’re born of God, so we overcome the world by our faith. “The world” here especially means the sinful world. Worldliness. Everything against the kingdom of God. Idols, frauds, antichrists and false prophets—anything that tries to take the place of God. Frauds can never win, no matter how much they are loved and praised and propped up by the world. All frauds, idols, and everything false will be defeated by God and the Truth. They are hollow, empty, and lifeless, however many people are deceived and won over by them. And “the world” includes all evil-doing, all fear, despair, hopelessness, deception, pride, and all other worldly fruits of evil-doing opposed to God’s kingdom and His children.

We need this news of our victory over the world because we’re in the thick of the spiritual battle. A contest for the souls of men and women. Often we feel discouraged or defeated, like the enemy has the upper hand. But take heart, it’s nothing new! Even the Psalmists felt at times like they were surrounded by enemies, or that enemies are winning and experiencing favor, while the righteous suffered and struggled. You’re in familiar waters! Children of New Life don’t “have it easy.” New Life doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. It will be hard! But we’re not about to take the easy old life back to slavery, defeat, and despair! We have God’s reliable intelligence that victory is already determined. We win in Christ Jesus, and like Him, we’ll have the battle scars to prove it!

This is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Faith is our victory because Children of New Life don’t live just by what their senses in the world tell them, which might speak of defeat, or losing ground, or fear or hopelessness. Children of New Life live by faith, with eyes to see the unseen. With trust in God’s promises of victory, and the gifts of new life to face the battle. Faith gives courage over fear and struggle because faith looks to Jesus. He is the power of faith: Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? The power of faith is that it is directed to Jesus, who wins the victory. Faith knows Jesus lives, and faith knows Jesus wins. It’s that simple!

God birthed us in the waters of baptism. Born Children of New Life. Born into His family, with Jesus as our brother, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Bound together in love, that reflects back to Him and out to each other and beyond. Faith and love mark us as children of God. Faith and love show who we are, and that we really are born for this new life, not to be trapped in the old dead powers of sin. And knowing who the true Jesus is, the promised Savior, we live in His victory. Victory over our sin, our guilt, our death. Victory over the world and all its dying, desperate raging against the kingdom of God. Do not fear the dying gasps of the Evil One, but live confidently and courageously as Children of New Life, living in Jesus’ victory! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.