So if you will open your Bible to 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5, I'll begin reading in verse 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. And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. If we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know we have the request that we have asked of Him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God 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. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. 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. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 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. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Let us pray. Father, we do come before you through Christ alone. asking for your blessings upon your word to our hearts and minds. Lord, we need to know who you are truly according to your word. And we are so thankful that you have spoken and we are so thankful that you powerfully take your word and work and people bringing your salvation to them ultimately for your glory. And certainly it is ultimate, it is good for them. So Lord, may we be this afternoon clothed in the righteousness of Christ and may we be sitting here in our right mind. Lord, by the Holy Spirit, would you speak even now? And it's only through Jesus that I pray this. Amen. So the focus will be the last two verses, verse 20 and verse 21 of 1 John 5. We've already seen in this conclusion the confidence that the Christian can have, the confidence from verse 13 that you may know that you have eternal life, that you can have confidence in prayer, Certainly confidence comes from praying according to the will of God, confidence that you are kept by God. And so this afternoon, we're going to see the Christian can be confident that they know the true God. That seems somewhat of a simple statement, but that is very profound. Christian can be confident that they know the true God. So as we begin looking at verse 20, we see that Jesus came and he gives understanding. The first part of verse 20 says, we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding. John has repeated the fact that Jesus came to the earth and took on flesh. John is a reliable witness. He saw Jesus. He was close enough to touch Jesus. But John did not say he is the only witness of Jesus. As we have looked throughout this letter, we know that John didn't even say that his testimony was the strongest testimony about Jesus, because he says, if we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. And so this is from chapter 5, verse 9 there. And whoever believes verse 10, 1 John 5, 10, whoever believes the Son of God 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 the testimony that God has bore concerning his son. So, we know that John has given this great testimony of who Jesus is. He is really the Christ. John's testimony is not the most powerful. It's actually the witness of the Holy Spirit. So John can say the words of the gospel, he can write the words of the gospel, and he can encourage these Christians, no doubt, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit as he writes these things. But then the Holy Spirit must cause a person to become alive and enable them to receive this testimony. And so that is the spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. So these are emphases that John has put in throughout the letter. We know that a Christian can have confidence that Jesus indeed is the Son of God. He actually took on flesh. And the Christian has this confidence because every believer, I'm thinking of all of you that have confessed Christ, that are trusting on Him, every believer has been indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is a powerful thing that John concludes with this testimony of Christ and that you may know that you know the true God. And so if a person did not know that Jesus has come in the flesh, I mean, from verse 20, we know, this is a repetition because he said we know several times, we know, verse 20, that the Son of God has come. We need to hear that with force. We know that all Christians know this. The non-Christian does not know this, that the Son of God has taken on flesh. They are not saved because they do not trust in Jesus of Nazareth, who came to accomplish the salvation for sinners. The truth is that outside of Christ, a person cannot know God, cannot experience salvation. But John writing to the believers and for us as believers here that are listening and we know that the son of God has come. What a gift. God giving us this knowing this this this trust in Christ, the Christian confidence that Jesus has this confidence that Jesus came. And so this season is not empty for us. It's not a vain celebration that's taking place here, you see, in this incarnation season. No, the Christian has the proper focus. Even now, in these weeks heading up, I hope that God will bring our attention more to the fact that, as John writes, the Son of God has come. Again, he says this with confidence and he encourages us to have this confidence. So the world during this time of year is distracted by lights. And they're distracted by special food and gift giving. And though you might have lights and you might have special food and gift giving, we know that's not the central focus at this time of the year for us, for the Christian. For the Christian celebrates. The Christian has a great reason to celebrate. Jesus Christ has come. This is the incarnation of Christ. The Word became flesh. He was born in the likeness of men. He was being found in human form. This Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is here. Jesus came. And the Christian can have confidence that Jesus came for a purpose. Look there at verse 20 on that next statement. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding. Jesus came to give understanding. Understanding, yes, John wants his readers to understand the privileged position that they are in. John says that Jesus has given them understanding those that have trusted in Christ. What a blessing it is to have understanding. Without understanding, a person is in the dark, so you imagine. The person in the dark. Without understanding, a person cannot know an issue clearly. They only understand things in a cloudy way, if you will. It's a clouded mind. But Jesus gives his followers understanding. Jesus gives proper perspective. He clears the way of the clouds from our mind and he gives us understanding. So this Greek word, it gives the idea of a mind that knows the subjects from all sides. If Jesus gives understanding, what type of understanding is it? It's a thorough understanding. It'd be from all sides. This is critical thinking. It incorporates both sides of a matter, so that a person can come to a meaningful conclusion. It's from Helps Word Studies, as they describe this Greek word here. This is what Jesus does. He comes and He gives us proper perspective. The true sides of the matter. He gives us understanding. And so, does this mean that the Christian has an understanding about everything? That's not what he's focused on at this point. The verse goes on to explain this understanding that John is focused on his readers hearing about and realizing that this is what Jesus has revealed. Jesus reveals the true God, he says. So look further in verse 20. I'll just begin at the beginning of the verse and read through. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding. So that we may know Him who is true. So that we may know Him who is true. See, Jesus gives understanding of the true God. We may know Him who is true and everybody should want to know what is true. But more importantly, you should want to know who is true. This eternal God that Jesus has made known. Jesus gives us our understanding. And from the Gospel of John, the Gospel of John gives it this description. It says Jesus came to make the Father known. It says in John 1.18, no one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the Father's side has made Him known. This is Jesus who has come to make known God. So how can you know God? The only way to have proper understanding of God is to get your knowledge of God from Jesus. We can know the God who created all things and continues to uphold that creation. We can know that this same God is the one who saved sinners who have rebelled against Him. Jesus came and He gives revelation, reveals the true God. And so if we truly know God, this is a gracious act for God to Send his son the give understanding of the true God. It's a gracious act of God to give the father to send his own dear son. It is indeed a gift. If you have this knowledge of God. It is a gift. God's grace is on display in Jesus. As we think about Jesus coming and giving us understanding and making known Him who is true, how can we know God? It's through Christ. Well, what is God showing us about Himself through Christ? He's showing us this, that He has grace towards sinners. John is written in the letter there in chapter 2. We've come back to this several times. We can know about God that He has sent an advocate. He has sent a helper. And we need a helper before the judgment of God, don't we? We need someone to come along beside us and advocate on our behalf. And it is Jesus Christ, the righteous. I'll remind you, we've looked at that chapter two, verses one and two, but Jesus Christ, the righteous can advocate or can help us before the judgment of God. How so? Does he plead our innocence? No. Jesus knows that we're all guilty. But He took our punishment, what we deserved, Jesus took this upon Himself. So verse 2 of chapter 2 goes on and says, He is the propitiation for our sins. He is that sacrifice that appeases the wrath of God. And not only ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. As Jesus comes and makes known God to us, He lets us know that God is gracious. He lets us know that He has sent His Son. has to be a sin sacrifice for our sins. And it says not only ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. And so this good news of Jesus Christ and what Jesus has come to reveal, the understanding of the true God and how we might be in relationship with Him should be proclaimed to all the world. So through Christ, God graciously made it possible for people to have fellowship with Him. Jesus reveals God and He makes fellowship with God possible. Turn back to chapter 5 verse 20 because I'm saying this because of what the verse says. We know that the Son of God has come. He's given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true and Christian As John writes to the Christians and Christian as you hear, and we are in him who is true. Again, another emphasis of the letter. This is a glorious conclusion that through Christ. It is possible that we have fellowship with God. We are in him who is true in his son, Jesus Christ. They are in the true God and the Son of God. John said that he wrote the letter. If you think back all the way to chapter 1, he says, I write this so that you can have fellowship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Since we're so close, just flip back to chapter 1 verse 3, 1 John 1 verse 3. that which we have seen and have heard we proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. Indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ." It seems as though John is tying together quite a few of the teaching and the theme of this letter in this verse 20, you see. The Christian is in fellowship with God. What last words would he say to these that he's writing to? He says, I want you to centrally focus upon the fact that Jesus really did take on flesh. The Son of God has really come to this earth. He really does give us understanding. He gives us understanding about God and how we might be in fellowship, in union, in communion with this true God. What a wonderful thing to encourage these believers by. That they have been shaken up some, if you will, by the false teachers that were in the church, but then went out from them because they really weren't of them. This could be certainly quite a disturbing thing He wants them to be grounded in Jesus Christ. And then their relationship with God, their knowing God because of this fellowship that Christ has established. Jesus came to take away our sins and he laid down his life for us. These are all things that come up throughout the letter. And so the Christian does not have a surface level or casual relationship with God. He says, we have fellowship with God. Christians don't just come and punch their time card, say, oh, I've done some holy exercise this week, I should feel good about myself, and then go on throughout the week without a thought of God. John says, no, no, no, believer, we are in God. We are in Him who is true. even in His Son, Jesus Christ. So there's fellowship with the Father and fellowship with the Son that are in consideration here. So we enter fellowship with God through the gospel. That's the way that we enter into this relationship with God, through faith, We lay hold of Christ. It's through faith. We must receive this gospel, this good news that Christ reconciles sinners to God. We trust that Christ indeed saved sinners. Because He did not sin, but yet He laid down His life. He died bearing the punishment for sinners. And so, Joel Beakey writes, those who are in true communion with God have been captivated by the revealed gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ. Do you see that this fellowship with God begins through the gospel alone? You don't get in a chat room and get to know God this way. It's only through Christ that we are connected and have this fellowship, this communion with God. We, by faith, and it's through faith, we are looking to Christ and saying, my only way to be reconciled with the Father is through the Son. This is my dependence and my hope. We are in Him that is true, John says to these, writes to these believers. United to Him, as Barnes puts it. We belong to Him. We are His friends. He says it's often expressed in the scriptures by being in him. And he says this denotes the most intimate union. John says, believer, before I conclude this letter, I want you to be focused upon your relationship with the Lord. Through Jesus Christ alone. We are in Him. This is an intimate union as the branch is in the vine. You think back to John 15. What is this union between the believer and God? It is as if the branch and the vine, they are united and inseparable. So Christians are in communion with the true God. This includes both the Father and the Son, as well as the Holy Spirit. Even though out of 1 John 5, 20, we don't see the Spirit directly spoken to here, we are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. So Christians are in relationship with the triune God, fellowship with each person of the Godhead. I wanted to just I won't read a lot, but it is glorious and it would be a good meditation and a good study on consideration of the believer's fellowship with God, each person of the Trinity. Again, this is from Joe Beakey. He says, we have fellowship with the Father in love. We have fellowship with the Father in love. The Father delights to bestow divine love on every believer. So your union and connection with God, the Father, is this connection that's made by the love of God. Look back to chapter 3, 1 John 3 verse 1. What kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God, and so we are. Oh, this fellowship with the Father, it's in love, you see. How can we exercise communion with the Father? Again, Jobiki says, to receive and to return his love, by faith through Christ. So the believer rests in the Father. If you want to fellowship with God, then rest in the Father through Christ. And this, the believer returns love in his heart to the heart of God, the heart of the Father. Of course, we know that love in our heart has originated from the Father's love. We love because He first loved us. So when we think about fellowship with God, Think about it's the father's love toward us is the reason that we have fellowship and that we might love him back, if you will, by trusting in Christ, depending upon his son. So we love the father by trusting in his son, by delighting in the father himself. by reverencing His Word and His work and His people. And finally, by obeying His law. These are things that Joel Beeky brings out. Pastor Carl told me of an extended teaching or someone wrote about fellowship between the Father and the Son and the Spirit. I need to look into that. It would probably do us all well. But fellowship with the Father. And then what about fellowship with the Son, with Christ? Again, Jobiki says the special characteristic of fellowship with Christ is grace. It is received by faith. And so, he references the Gospel of John chapter 1, John 1 and verse 16. Why would he say that the characteristic of fellowship with Christ is grace? It is because he references John 1, verse 16. And from His fullness, Christ, His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace. Grace for grace. Christ is the essence of grace. We have the gracious privileges. All Christians have the gracious privileges of being in the family of God through Christ. We have an elder brother. We are adopted children into the family of the living God through Jesus Christ. And so we know God is our father and Christ is our elder brother. That should help assure us that Christ belongs to us and we to him. What is the nature of this communion, this union with God, that we are in God. We're trying to get at 1 John 5 20 when John writes this, that we are in Him who is true. What is this like? Well, it's that we know the love of God and Jesus Christ, and it's that we know the grace of God displayed through Christ. But again, the Spirit is not spoken of directly here. But the truth is this, the ministry of the Spirit brings us these precious promises of the Father. That if we're going to have communion with God, it's got to be by the work of the Spirit. The Spirit will bring these promises to us and the blessings of the Gospel of His Son to us. So certainly, our fellowship with God is through the Spirit as well. And the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit goes further, of course. The Spirit is the comforter. He's the one that brings conviction. And I want to encourage you, as we conclude 1 John, we're thinking about really knowing God. We're thinking about how do you really know that you know God? Well, you know the love of God. See what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. We know the grace of God, for it is this, by this we know love that he laid down his life for us. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us that God sent his only son into the world that we might live through him. Not that we have loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. And John says to these believers, we are in Him who is true, in His Son. And so, this deep saving relationship goes down to the soul level. We enter into fellowship through the Gospel, Don't just let this pass quickly. God's intention for his relationship with his people is fellowship. It is deep, abiding, soul-level relationship. So let's turn as we continue to look at 1 John 5 20. We know that the Son of God has come, has given us understanding Jesus really did come to this earth and he really does give understanding. And it is that he reveals the true God and he makes fellowship with God possible. We can be in the true God, if you will. We can be in the son of God, Jesus Christ. And so then the last statement in chapter five, verse 20 is he. The true God or this, the true God in eternal life. He is the true God in eternal life. So we saw clearly that Jesus is the one who reveals the true God. But now we hear that Jesus is the true God. He is the source of eternal life. The Christian can have confidence that they know the one true God because they know Jesus. Kistemacher says, and last, having woven the golden thread of Jesus divinity and sonship through the cloth of this epistle, all over this epistle, we see that Jesus is divine and the son of God. John completes this verse with these words, even in his son, Jesus Christ, he is the true God in eternal life. So these Gnostic teachers, they denied that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. Therefore, the last verse, John summarizes the basic teaching of the Christian faith. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, is truly divine and is eternal life. Don't miss it there. Jesus, he is the true God and eternal life, the second person of the Trinity in him. Jesus, the whole fullness of deity, dwells bodily. If you know Jesus, then you know the true God. If you are in union with Christ, you are connected to God. There are many. This is great encouragement for the believers, you actually know who is the true God. But then in verse 21, John says, I have one last word. The fact that there are many false gods, John concludes the letter with the Christians to guard themselves. Amen. I hope all of you are rejoicing and saying, I can know the true God and I do know the true God. He says, we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true. We are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God. Yes, yes, yes. I can know the true God. Be a child of God. But there is some guarding that needs to take place. Christians need to guard themselves against false gods. So verse 21, little children, keep yourself from idols. Last word to the little children, the ones that he wants the blessings of God for. He says, keep yourselves from idols. Keep. Oh, keep yourself like a good shepherd keeps an eye on the sheep. You've got to stay focused. Guard yourselves like the security guard responsible to keep the place safe or responsible to keep the streets safe in Birmingham. Keep a close watch, he says. John is not emphasizing the need to guard against literal wolves or bad guys trying to cause trouble, though. That's not what he says. He says, be careful what you worship. Be careful what you worship. You need to keep yourself from idols. Any image for worship. An idol certainly would be the opposite of a true God that Jesus has made known, the true God that Jesus has made known. We should know very clearly that the Bible prohibits worshipping anyone or anything other than the true God of the Bible. You shall have no other gods before me. Don't even make an image, any likeness. of thing to worship. And certainly don't bow down to them and serve them. For the Lord says He is a jealous God. Keep yourself from idols. Barnes says anything designed to represent God has been set up in the view of acknowledging Him or representing Him. Anything that we try to represent God more vividly to our minds, don't do that. God has given revelation of Himself through His Word. You don't need to make up some image to worship. Worship God in spirit and in truth, through the very truth of the Word. And the inner person, worship from the heart. Idol worship was a problem throughout the Bible, and it's still a problem today. People worshipped an image called Dagon, and God showed himself to be the true God. You remember this from 1 Samuel chapter 5. The ark of God had been captured, they took it into the house of Dagon, and what happened? What you have, I see one hand go forward like a falling down motion. That's right. Everybody got up the next morning, said, OK, let's go to this house of Dagon, what's going to happen? And Dagon, this image that had been made, was fallen face down on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. There are idols and false gods, but there's also a true God. They thought, we'll stand our image back up. Must have been a little earthquake or something that caused our image to come forward, I guess. Oh, no. God showing himself to be the true God, the next morning they went in and they saw Dagon falling face down on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. This time, the head of Dagon and his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. And so we see that though there was much idol worship that took place throughout the scriptures, God showed himself to be the true God. Jesus reveals the true God, no doubt. People worship the false god, Baal, and Elijah worshiped the true God that Jesus has come to reveal. You see, you know the account, but also the truth is we should not be forced to worship an idolatrous image. In Daniel chapter 3, a king made a very large golden image. He commanded the people to bow down before the image and worship it. If not, you'll be thrown into the fiery furnace. But some of God's people did not bow down. And for us, we're hearing this and we're thinking, well, nobody's trying to get me to bow down before a golden image when the music starts up. But throughout the world, there is much bowing down before images made of wood and stone and gold. We need to understand that this is a reality in the world, though it might not be a reality in the part of the world that we live in. We know that the people of God, there were some of God's people that did not bow down. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had confidence that they knew the true God. See, this is the change that takes place in a person. When they know the true God, then they don't have to give themselves over to sinful behavior or to idle worship. They were thrown into the fiery furnace, but God saved them. They were not burned. God showed himself to be the true God. I can't guarantee that you're not going to be burned to physical death as a result of taking a stand for the worship of the true God. But I can tell you this, a Christian can have confidence that they worship the true God, that they know the true God, that they are in Him who is true. So keep yourself from idols. So keep yourself from idols. I have to bring it to us. I've talked about some of the things we see in the biblical record and some of the things that you can see around the world of people worshiping images. But again, this is keep yourself, as ESV study note says, from trusting, obeying, revering, and following. That is, in effect, worshiping anyone or anything other than God Himself, His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Son, Jesus Christ. So let's get to the heart of the matter. Barnes helps us get to the heart of the matter when he says, we may be in no less danger than those whom John wrote to were for substituting other things in our affections, what we love, in the place of the true God, devoting to them time and affection that are due Him, you see. Keep yourselves from idols. John writes to these believers, and I encourage you, you know the true God. Don't give yourself over to something of a false God or an image. Christ should reign in our hearts, you see. Don't substitute your affections for any other. Brother Mitchell spoke about it this morning. He said something along the lines of certainly being willing to give up anything else but for the sake of knowing the Lord. Even if God were to take all of our earthly possessions away, the Scripture still is true for the believer, that they know Him who is true, and they are in Him who is true, and in His Son Jesus Christ. And so great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. All the gods of the people are worthless idols, but the Lord, made the heavens. What is the danger for us? Every age has its temptations, according to Joel Beeky. He says many Christians in Africa and Asia, no doubt elsewhere, live side by side with idol worshipers today. But he says in the Western culture, We must remember that idolatry does not only mean bowing down to a statue of wood or stone. The heart of idolatry is giving anything or anyone the place that belongs to Christ. Giving anyone or anything the place that belongs to Christ. Idolatry may be giving what is due to God to a person we love, such as a spouse or a child. It may be giving more attention to a country or cause than to God. Or to an impressive home or a stylish car, a hobby such as gardening or reading, or a blatant lust of the flesh. Often it is simply focusing too much on ourselves and our own self-righteousness, fame, popularity, and pleasure. It may be giving precedence to our own self-imposed ideas about God or our spiritual experiences of Him. No, our focus needs to be upon the God of the Bible, Him who is true. We commune with Him through Christ alone. We relate to Him through His word. We read his word, we hear the word taught and preached, we pray to him, we lift up praises to him in song. Idolatry may be this, Joel Beeky writes, it may be worshiping our religion or theology instead of the God of religion and theology. God is the focus. We studied the Bible Deeply, we try to focus and be very careful on what thus saith the Lord. And we want all of our mind and all of our heart to be conformed to the word of God, to think God's thoughts after him. We want to take every thought captive to Christ. And the reason why we focus so closely on this is not so we can have more knowledge in our heads. It's so that we can know the God who gave these words. and that we can have fellowship with Him. And so, John concludes the letter, and he brings the focus upon Christ. He says that Jesus came, indeed He has come, and He gives understanding. Oh God, we need understanding. So we need Christ. It's that Christ reveals the true God. In fact, Jesus is the true God. And we can have fellowship with this God. through Him, through Christ. All that trust upon Jesus Christ, all that confess their sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. All that depend upon Jesus Christ in His work, not our own work. Everyone who depends upon the righteousness of Christ to be credited to their account, so that God can accept them in Christ. If we come with our own doing, if we come with our own righteousness, it will not be acceptable in God's sight. Jesus reveals the true God and how we might know Him. And so if we can know the true God, and Christians do, John says Christians definitely know the true God, then a Christian needs to guard themselves against false gods. Only worship the true God is the conclusion. Little children keep yourself from idols. A Christian can be confident that they know the true God. Matthew Henry, happy are those to whom it is given to know that the Son of God has come, and to have a heart to trust and rely on him that is true. May this be our privilege. We shall thus be kept from all idols and false doctrines from the idolatrous love of worldly objects and be kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. To this living and true God, because if we are doing that, by the way, if we are in the Lord, this is by his grace to that true God who by his grace has put us in fellowship with him, brought us into fellowship with him. Matthew Henry says, as the scripture says, to this living, true God, be glory dominion forever and ever. Amen. Let us pray. Father, we thank you. You have spoken. Lord, we need these words, not just in our head, but we certainly need our heart to be changed. You do this work. Thank you that you call us to you. And Jesus said, come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Our only hope as sinners before you, a holy God, is the fact that you have sent your son, in love you sent your son, that we might have life through him. Father, may we receive this testimony from this letter John wrote to these believers, and oh, may we have this confidence. that we know you, the true God. Thank you for revealing yourself through Christ. Thank you for the very gift of the Holy Spirit that bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. I ask for your blessings upon the saints. I ask for your salvation for the lost. And it's through Jesus that that's possible. And so it's through Jesus that I pray. Amen.