November 5, 2012
LIFE OR DEATH: WHICH PATH WILL YOU CHOOSE?
1 John 5
Angela Andrews
Central Truth
When I choose to follow God, I experience life. When I choose to go my own way, I experience death.
Key Verse | 1 John 5:11–13
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)
1 John 5
Overcoming the World
1 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. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Testimony Concerning the Son of God
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
That You May Know
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God 1 5:16 Greek he will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Dive Deeper | 1 John 5
Life is a precious gift, and John very clearly tells us the way to obtain it. If I have the Son (Jesus Christ), then I have eternal life. Great! But what about right now? Can I really experience life in the midst of life's challenges?
"Eternal life" is not something that begins in heaven. I can choose to follow Christ in my daily decisions and experience the life He has for me right here, right now.
I have a good friend whose husband recently left her and her boys in order to start a "new" family. While I think this is awful, I must consider similarities to my own life.
How often do I choose my own way instead of God's way and, in so doing, grieve God's heart as much? My consequences may look different, but the Lord is grieved when I choose to go a way other than His.
I often have a critical spirit, especially around those whom I love the most, and I use my tongue incorrectly to curse rather than to bless (see James 3:9-12). When I am critical, I hurt the relationships that I desire rather than encourage them to grow. I deprive myself of life in the moment. I only hurt myself when I choose my own will over God's will.
The principles from Jeremiah 29:11 -- that God has plans, a future, and a hope for me -- have sustained me throughout my life. It's not the easy, "God-will-give-me-what-I-want" scenario, but the recognition that God's plans are always the best plans. He is turning me into a woman who glorifies Him. I am not always crazy about God's path, but I have learned that His way leads to contentment and joy, while my own plan leads to frustration and destruction.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you have eternal life? If you're not sure, please contact Watermark Community Church through its website, www.watermark.org, and ask some questions.
2. In which areas do you choose death and destruction rather than life?
3. Think of times when you have chosen death rather than life. Remember those times as a warning. How can you choose life the next time you have the opportunity?
4. Is there a time in your life when you chose to follow God's will and not your own? What happened? As you remember God's faithfulness, make a record of it so that when you're tempted not to trust God, you have a personal stone of remembrance.
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
November 5-9 (1 John 5 – Revelation 1)
Read Revelation 1.
• Look up the word revelation in the dictionary.
According to verse 1 who is this revelation from? Who received the revelation? Who is the revelation for? (The seven churches, and it's also for us.)
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What does Jesus say about Himself in verse 8? Read Hebrews 13:8 also.
How does that make you feel about Jesus?
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Who did John see standing with the lampstands?
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How many lampstands are there? How many stars was Jesus holding?
• Who did He say the lampstands and stars represent?
The Book of Revelation was written to show us the full identity of Christ and to give warning and hope to believers. It is not an easy book, but as verse 3 says, God blesses those who read it, listen to it, and obey it.
Activity: Reread verses 11-20 together. Draw and color a picture of what John saw. Be sure to label the lampstands with the seven churches. We will dive more into the seven churches next week!