FBCC - Second Serving

1 John 5:18-21 He Is the True God and Eternal Life Introduction We have reached the end of 1 John. The Apostle John has made his arguments, provided his reasoning, and now brings his letter to a close with three clear statements. We should not continue in sin because we are born of God. We know that we are from God and that He keeps us from the evil one. And we know this is true because of what Jesus has revealed to us. John does not end his letter by leaving believers confused. He ends by reminding them what they know. He wants the church to have confidence. He wants those who believe in Jesus to understand what God has done for them. He wants them to know that their faith is not built on imagination, tradition, emotion, or human wisdom. Their belief is built upon Jesus of Nazareth, what He said, what He did, and the testimony of God that confirmed Him. This final passage brings together many of the themes John has carried throughout the letter. New birth changes how we live....

1 John 5:16-17 To Those Who Commit Sins That Do Not Lead to Death Introduction There is sin that does not lead to death, and there is sin that does lead to death. Even said that plainly, the statement can still leave us confused. John’s words are not difficult because they are unclear in themselves, but because they force us to think carefully about sin, life, death, prayer, mercy, and the testimony of God concerning His Son. If we handle this passage carelessly, we can fall into the error of creating categories of acceptable and unacceptable sins, as though some wrongdoing is tolerable in the Christian life while other wrongdoing is not. That is not what John is doing. By the end of the passage he says plainly, “All wrongdoing is sin” (1 John 5:17). That means no sin should be considered acceptable in the life of a Christian. Yet this passage is not only a warning passage. It is also a hopeful passage. God truly does give life to sinners. Eternal life in Christ is available to s...

1 John 5:13-15 According to His Will Introduction Do we personally align with the work of our Lord? Most Christians know how to answer that question quickly. We are trained to say yes. We know the right language. We know the right ideas. But it is still worth slowing down and asking whether that answer is actually being confirmed in our lives. When the Apostle John brings this part of his letter forward, he is not giving believers a vague motivational statement. He is gathering together what he has been saying and pressing it into their hearts. He wants those who believe in the name of the Son of God to know that they have eternal life (1 John 5:13). That means confidence is not supposed to rest on shifting emotions, personal performance, or the quality of a single day. It is supposed to rest on what God has revealed and accomplished in Christ. That confidence then moves into prayer. John does not treat prayer as a separate subject from eternal life. He treats it as something f...

1 John 5:10-12 Whoever Does Not Believe God Has Made Him a Liar Introduction As John moves toward the end of his letter, he brings the matter into sharp focus. He has not written to leave people guessing. He has not written to stir up vague religious feelings. He has written so that people may know whether they truly have life. That confidence is not grounded in personal effort, moral performance, or the ability to talk about spiritual things. It is grounded in the work and testimony of God Himself. That is what gives this passage so much weight. John is not merely asking whether someone respects Jesus, admires His teaching, or is open to spiritual ideas. He is pressing a more serious question. Do we believe what God has said concerning His Son? Do we receive God’s testimony, or do we reject it? That is the issue standing before every reader in this text. The language John uses is strong because the matter is serious. Eternal life is not found by building a case for ourselves. ...

Why Did Jesus Have to Drink the Cup? Introduction What was the “cup” Jesus was talking about? That question matters because Jesus did not mention it once and move on. He returned to it. He spoke about it before the cross. He referred to it in moments of warning, sorrow, and submission. That means He was speaking about something specific. He was not using vague religious language. He was speaking about something real, something definite, and something standing right in front of Him. Whatever was in that cup was not ordinary suffering. Whatever filled that cup was not something another man could step forward and take from His hand. Whatever was in that cup caused anguish before it was even partaken. It troubled Him before the soldiers bound Him. It weighed on Him before the nails were driven. It was already casting its shadow over His earthly ministry because He knew what it was, and He knew what it meant. So what was Jesus trying to get us to understand? He was showing that ...