You will remember our having referred to the confession of Peter— “Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.” The Lord sealed this truth in Peter’s soul, and He seals it still to the heart of every believing sinner. “Flesh and blood path not revealed it unto thee,” etc. This is the simple but important history of the truth, whether given or revealed. It is the revelation of the Father written in the heart of the sinner, not by inbred power, but by distinct revelation. This is the origin of all life amongst us; it comes from the Father of lights. “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.” The confession of Christ is the fruit of the Father’s revelation, it is the exhibition of that which comes from the Father.
Is there anything you would prefer to this? Would you rather that you should discover Christ by the exercise of your own intelligence? The scholarship of man comes by his own intellect. The knowledge of Christ comes by light from without and light within. It is a double revelation. If there were a candle burning on the table, what would I be the better if I had not an eye in my head? The candle may shine, but, if I am blind, I am in the dark still. I want an eye in my body. There is a double action required-the object without and the faculty for observing it within; and both these are from the Father.
Now, the more thoroughly I see my debtor ship, the happier I shall be. I am a poor, dark, impotent sinner. Let me read in this, first, my debtor ship to the Father. If I do believe that Jesus is the Christ, it is because I am born of God. It is no modification of my own old nature, but a new thing by revelation of the Father of lights.
And here, again, we have the Levitical marks of the clean animal. The law made a difference between clean and unclean. They were distinguished by the form of the hoof, etc. So it is in this Epistle. We have the marks of love and obedience. This is moral testimony to my title, and I would not refuse it. I would not refuse to have my title tried by moral tests. Could power of intellect satisfy me? Let me have the proofs of love and obedience.
Verse 4. —(We may leave out the word “for.”) We have a weighty truth brought out here, “ Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.” Yes, it does, and it does so by Divine necessity. Let me ask you two things: —Was the Devil ever a conqueror? Was God ever defeated? Never! You may lay this up for your comfort, that the Devil has never conquered, and that God has never been defeated. It becomes, therefore, a Divine necessity, that that which is of God is a conqueror—always in victory. You may be a very different instrument from your Lord! He could say, “have overcome the world.” You can but say, “My faith has overcome.” Faith in you does what Jesus did in His own person; but faith can do it, and it is blessed to be brought into the light of this comfortable truth.
I do not deny that Satan gets advantage over us too often, but all advantages do but return to his own confusion. And when Satan seemed to have the victory, when Jesus was under death for a moment—what was it, but to give to Jesus the more splendid victory? He was indeed as truly dead as ever man was, and in a worse view, as being under judgment, but only that He might gain the third day’s victory. If Christ appeared to be conquered, it but set forth His victories; if Satan seems to conquer, it is but for his own confusion.
The thing that is born of God is the power of God in you, gaining Divine victories, because it is of God. New and magnificent truth! I find myself part of that mighty thing which is sent into the battle-field, confident of victory. The flesh must be made a show of, but that which I possess from God is a principle of victory. The Holy Ghost is a Conqueror too, because, greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world. He that is in the world is the spirit of darkness. God is the God of victory. Let me be humbled that God may be magnified. This lesson must be learned—it may be taught severely to some, and gently to others; but whether by gentleness or severity, we must learn our own good-for-nothingness.
Verse 5, is a glorious truth! It is by dependence we get the victory—by dependence on Jesus. There are two victories which I have share in—one in communion, the other in power. I share with Christ the victory over the world, and the victory over death. “Death is swallowed up in victory.” But when we come to the victory over judgment, we must stand aside and receive it at Christ’s hands. Had you anything to say to the putting away of sin? You know you had not; you are a debtor. Stand by, gaze, and worship at what Christ has done. And now you are called to victory. You must be made a fool of, but you carry the power of God. You possess that which is victory over the world! Ah! we want large thoughts. God’s thoughts are very large, though He confines them within the nutshell of a single text. Large they are and abundant. We want accuracy, too, and we want to learn a lesson from our own inaccuracy.
Verse 6. —Now we are taught how to use the instruments of victory. If I admit that Jesus is the Son of God, let me use this truth. So to speak, let me show a little of this mettle. If Jesus be the instrument of victory, use Him. Lean—lean with all your weight of sins upon His blood, lean heavily. His object in coming here was to cleanse you from your crimson sins; He came not by water only, but also by blood. He could not give you communion but by atoning for your lost condition. Then use Christ. Oh! what a grasp of Him we thus get! A full Christ, very Man and very God-very Man, as one of us, yet God blessed forever! This is a full Christ. He came into this world to make, by His blood, a full provision for sin, and to keep the soul in communion by the washing of water. God and Man in one, He works by water and blood. This Epistle truly demands that we should linger over every word. We might well do it in Ephesians and other Epistles, but here it is imperative, and that because I find myself alone with Christ. I do not care if I be the only saint on earth; for it is to one in such a place of solitude that this writing is addressed. I do not say my heart would not feel it, it ought to feel more than if one were alone. But here I am, as it were, insulated, and this is an immense comfort amidst confusion; I am blessed and I bless Him. Yes! The more the confusion presses, the more the consolation rises.
Verse 7. —I believe that if the Spirit had written these words He would have said, “The Son,” and not “The Word.” “The Word” is an official title, Jesus is the personal title. John is the only one who calls Jesus “The Word.” It is well chosen, and speaks of Jesus as the revealer of the mind of God, as your word reveals your mind. Again, as one has said, “I cannot understand why a record should be wanting in heaven.” I agree with those who reject this v. 7.
Verse 8 should be read in the light of John, chap. 19, 20. When Jesus died, blood and water came out of His side, and when risen He imparted the Holy Ghost to His disciples. In the mouth of these three witnesses is your title established. The blood and water from the crucified Jesus justifies you from sin. The Spirit of the risen Jesus imparts life to you. Cleansed, washed, and justified by blood, you have life by the Spirit. “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” The law itself received the testimony of three witnesses-on these three your title rests secure. Your mind’s working may give you trouble, but have you read your title clear? Christ having cleansed you by water and by blood, appears in risen power to fill you with an eternal treasure!
Verse 9. —And do we not do this? Of course we do; we dare not but do it. Do you question your friend’s veracity? Will you not take his witness? The witness of God is greater. God had expended His measure of testimony on man when He had given the blood and water of a crucified Christ, and the Spirit of a risen Christ. There are His three witnesses.
There are three ways in which God has presented life to His creatures. There are His elect angels, who kept their first state; in them He maintained life. To Adam He committed life as a stewardship. Adam lost it. In neither of these ways have you life, neither supported nor deposited, but by derivation. You are not independent of a source of life outside you; your life is in Christ, and is therefore infallible —yes, infallible in the risen Jesus. It is better than Adam’s or than angel’s life, for it is a life out of death! Life eternal in its quality. And now would you exchange with Adam or the angels? Would you wish life were committed to your stewardship? Oh, what it is to derive life from Christ!
Verse 10 is exceedingly characteristic of John’s writings. Here we stand in individual connection, independent of all else, church or anything. It is very blessed to have companions on the rugged road, and many are the duties which we must perform, which isolation deprives us of doing, for we cannot do them if we are not in the right relationship.
Our life is not what we trace in angels, but derive from the glorious Head of Life.
John is a mighty writer. He deals with the mighty Son of God, and puts poor believing sinners with Him. If you do not believe you are a sinner, you make God a liar, just as Adam did. God spoke to Adam of death in a world of life, and Adam did not believe Him. God speaks to you of life in a dead world, and if you do not believe His record you make Him a liar. The Spirit is dealing with realities. God can bear with and comfort the feeble-minded, but if I say I am not a sinner, I make God a liar. God sent Jesus to this world, freighted with life for the sinner’s use. Weighty words! Here may we have something for our solitary hours —a link between God and us. “I delight in thy testimonies.” Was this insolence in David? — “I know more than the ancients; I am wiser than my teachers.” No; it was the boldness of faith. There is no humbler thing in the moral creation than for faith to take the place God gives.