The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty-Two

"Now that I am no longer in the world,

but these are

in the world,

and I come to You.

Holy Father, keep through

Your name those whom

You have given Me,

that they may be one as

We are."

John 17:11

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Let's seek the Lord together....

"Holy Father in heaven above, thank You Lord for giving us Your holy word that we may know more about You. I pray and thank You for not leaving us alone, but giving us Your word. Thank You that we can have fellowship and communion with You, Lord. Thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit and the fear of You in our hearts.

I pray and ask forgiveness of my sins. I know it is against You that I have sinned and I pray that You will wash me clean from my unholiness. I pray, Lord, that You will renew a steadfast spirit within me and give me strength.

Lord, I lift up each lady reading this study to You in prayer. I know her needs are real and they can be cumbersome. So, I pray that You will go to her and encourage her in her time of need. Show her more of who You are. Lift her up, walk alongside her and give her peace as she faces her day.

In Jesus' name....amen."

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The Three Witnesses

Last time we began to look more into the Certainty of God's Witness. We learn from the Greek word for "witness" that John meant it in a forensic way. We also remember that John is a viable witness to Christ Jesus and His life here on earth.

Witnesses are important. We rely on them for many things. The testimony of a witness can either free a person or condemn them. John wants his readers to learn that God's witness is reliable and TRUTH.

Spirit, water, and blood are what we see in these verses of 1 John. But today we will look more into the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit.

1 John 5:7-

"For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one."

Remember to whom John is writing: believers struggling with doubt and false teachings among them.

John's followers lived among the Gnostics. Remember that these people believed that Jesus was Spirit only so that He did not die for our sins. They believed that you achieve salvation through knowledge and spirituality.

The Gnostics believed that you only love one another only in words and not in deeds. They beleived that spirit was good and matter (or the material world) was evil.

So, to them Jesus was not their Savior because there is no need of a savior.

John reminds his readers that he witnessed Jesus' baptism by water where he also witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus, and he witnessed Christ's death on the cross by blood. John is a most viable witness, but God has a viable witness as well: the Holy Spirit. (First John, 2001, Precept Ministries, used by permission)

The Father

Please read:

Deut 6:4-5

Deut 10:12-14

1 Cor 8:4-6

Matt 22:37

Eph 4:6

We read in scripture that God is the One and only true God in the universe. Only 3 religions on earth worship one god: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

But only 2 religions worship the God of the Old Testament: Judaism and Christianity.

Only 1 religion worships the God of the Bible: Christianity

What separates these religions? Atonement

Judaism and Islam have no atonement for their sins. The Jews used to have atonement when they had the temple and the ark of the covenant along with the priesthood, but the Lord stripped them of these things as punishment for rejecting His Son as Messiah.

Islam uses works as a means to gaining salvation.

Only Christianity has atonement for sins: Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. These alone made reconciliation with God. Now, through Him, are we reconciled.

The Word

John 1:1

1 John 1:1

Rev 19:13

John 17:5

We read here that Jesus is the Word John writes about in these verses. These verses regarding the Word reveal the deity of Jesus Christ. In Greek philosophy, the "logos" was "reason" or "logic" as an abstract force that brought unity to the universe.

But in John's writings, we see that the Logos is the very person of Christ. It is God incarnate... God coming as man. John is telling the world that Jesus (Logos) is not only reason and logic, but God here on earth, God before time began, God always. We see here the concept of Persons within the unity of the Godhead.

Col 2:8-10

The Holy Spirit

Jesus promised that He would send a "Helper" or "Paraclete" to come along side us and help us and carry on Christ's work. A paraclete is an advocate, helper, or ally and supporter.

John 14:16-17

John 14:26

John 15:26-27

John 16:7-15

Rom 8:15

Rom 5:5

1 Cor 2:13

To see how the three witnesses in heaven work together as One, read the following verses:

Rom 8:1-11

Here is an example:

"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

Let's take that verse apart so we can see how all 3 persons of God are One...

The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead= God, the Father

Jesus from the dead= Jesus Christ the Son, Logos

will give life to your mortal bodies thruogh His Spirit who dwells in you= the Holy Spirit

Here we see how all 3 work together as One: God, His Spirit, His Son.

1 Pet 1:22-25

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Now we have learned little more about the 3 witnesses of God in heaven and how these 3 are One in the same. I find it wonderful how God works. He did not create and then leave us alone. He gave of Himself to us physically and also of His Spirit to come along side us and help us.

Take time today to really pray and meditate on what it is that God has showed you today in this lesson. Perhaps He revealed to you how He is 3 in one for the first time or perhaps He reminded you of who He is. Praise Him today for the way He works in us. For no other religion on earth has what we have: a holy God who came down and lived among us, died for us, and then left behind His Spirit to guide us through life.

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Life Application

The Trinity is something in scripture that many Christians find hard to understand. I was a believer for many years before I came to understand that Jesus and God are one in the same along with the Holy Spirit.

Eph 1:13-14

In these verse we are blessed to read that we have been given the "word of truth" and that we have been sealed with the "Holy Spirit of promise" who is the "guarantee of our inheritance" forever. Praise God!

Sometimes it is easy to doubt and wonder if we are believing in truth or a lie. Can we really trust God that He will save us? Or will we face Him and be told we followed a lie?

John and Paul both faced such questions from their followers. That is why we have their letters of encouragement to read:

Rom 9:33

1 John 5:13

We have assurance that we will never be brought to shame for believing in Jesus because these things have been written to those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God that we may KNOW that we have eternal life.

How wonderful it is to have that complete assurance!

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Until next time....

"This world is a valley of tears, a world filled with sighs and groans. One groaning under some bodily pain; another is mourning and lamenting over a dear departed friend; another is crying out by reason of the arm of the oppresor. But in heaven there is no mixure of such sounds as these; there is nothing to be heard among them but the sweet and glorious melody of God's praises. Theres is a holy cheerfulness to be seen throughout that blessed society. Rev 21:4: 'And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying.' They shall never have anything more to do with sighing and crying; but their eternal work henceforth shall be praise."

-Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758 (Altogether Lovely, 1997, p. 228)

Blessings,

Ruth