STUDIES IN FIRST, SECOND, & THIRD JOHN

LESSON 18   BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT
I John 5:5 - 13
Verse 9 gives us the key to these verses. It is a biblical principle that 'in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established' Deu 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
1 Tim 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
2 Cor 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
The subject under consideration is "How we can KNOW that Jesus is the Son of God.

Victory over the world comes from our unreserved confidence that Jesus IS the very Son of God. Now, John is going to remind us of the irrefutable proof that He IS.

1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

'He that came' (aor 1, participle, denoting a thing that happened ONCE.) A complete act.
' This same Jesus. All necessary proof is given, he appears next time, not to prove, but to judge!

'Through the water'- - at His baptism. Luke 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
Luke 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
John 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Through the blood - speaks of its shedding - the crucifixion
A. The detailed prophecies concerning it. ( see Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22)
B. The events at His cross Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Even the centurion recognized the authority of this witness!
Mat 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
C. The events that followed - the resurrection - Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
The unity of the heavenly witnesses.
Bear record - bear witness-to tell what one knows.

1 John 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
The agreement of the earthly witnesses

1 John 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

If a man's testimony can decide matters in a court of law, how much more should divine witness settle the matter forever!

1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

The witness within us Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Paul had much to say about the witness of the Spirit within us. Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
2 Cor 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
2 Cor 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Now, John tells us how vitally important it is that we receive this witness.
To live doubtful lives is to call God a liar and rob ourselves of the victory that we can have over the world.
To demand further proof is to accuse God of perjury!

1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Christ IS our eternal life. 1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
2 Tim 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
A simple statement of fact; either you are saved through the blood of Christ, or you are lost. Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of
God.
With this testimony, we need have no shadow of doubt and can live in perfect confidence that VICTORY is ours in Jesus!
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Next: 'Possible' explanation of the 'water' in verse 6