God’s Got His "50" Where Is Yours?
Study Text: 1 John 5:13-21
Memory Verse: 1 John 5:21 – Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
While discussing relationships with a friend he made this statement,
"In every relationship there are two people: mother/father,
sister/brother, friend/friend etc., and each person needs to give 100% for the
relationship to grow and flourish. If one person gives 100% and another person
gives 0% – then that’s only 50% or half a relationship which will not
last." In this week’s text John finishes this letter by giving us five
points that will help us get our 50%.
- 10% Belief
Verse 13 begins by pointing out to the Believers in Christ the following: As
long as you believe in His name you will have eternal life.
- 20% Confidence
Verses 14 & 15 tells the Believers to approach God with confidence when
we ask anything according to His will because He hears us and because he hears
us we know that we WILL have what we asked of him. The key to this is that it
must be ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. (It’s like this – If your father does not want
you to date Joe Cool or Sallie Sue because they are "No Good" are you
going to ask him, "Dad can I go to the movies with Joe or Sallie. One more
thing, you need to KNOW the father to know his will.)
- 30% Intercession
Verses 16 & 17 tells us that the Believers should intercede on behalf of
those who are sinning by praying for them. Why? So that those sinner may get
brought out of their sin into life. However, if the sinner commits a sin that
leads to death then leave that alone because of course nothing can be done
after this occurs.
- 40% Consistency
Verses 18 – 20 were really revealing to me because it showed me the purpose
of "eth" on the end of a word. Whenever you see "eth" it
means continually or constantly.
18: We know that whoever is born of God sinneth not(does not sin
constantly);but he that is begotten of God KEEPETH (constantly keeps) himself
and the wicked one toucheth him not (can not ever touch him).
19: And we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth (continually
lays or manifests itself) with wickedness.
Now before we are given the last element to make our 50% complete John shows
us that God HAS supplied his half of the relationship by stating the following
in the 20th verse, "We know that the Son of God has come and has given us
understanding, so that we may know Him who is true.(See, you need to know the
Father) And we are in him who is true – even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the
true God and Eternal Life. [Yes!!!!! God put up his 50% a long time ago on
Calvary’s Cross]
- 50% Obedience
The final step in helping us get a solid relationship with God is obedience.
John tells us to keep ourselves from idols. Now why would John use the word
idols? The reason is because the word idol in this context is universal. Think
about it this way, an idol is anything that is worshiped or hinders our
relationship with God. (Irony – This is often the last thing hindering us and
also it was the last point John mentioned as well.)
To conclude, none of us could EVER say that God does not fulfill his end of
our relationship. Even when we were lost in sin, the 16th & 17th tells us
that God commanded his Saints to pray for us so that we would eventually become
Saints so that we could in turn pray for others. This shows us that God plans
universally. Think of it as a Divine Pyramid where Saints pray for lost
"future Saints", who will pray for lost "future Saints" and
this goes on and on and on!!!! (Praise God and His Kingdom!)