The Born Winner

Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:1-13

The first Epistle of John, chapter 5, the first 13 verses.

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone that loveth him that begot loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

For whatever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world? But he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.

This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree in one.

If we receive the witness of man, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

It is possible for a person to know for sure that he is a child of God.

This now is the third Sunday morning in which we are dealing with the very important topic of being born again. In our first message, we examined the reasons why Jesus used birth as a picture of salvation. In the second message, we saw how Nicodemus in John chapter 3 found Jesus Christ ultimately as his Savior and was born again.

And now, today, I'd like us to deal with the matter of assurance of salvation. Can a person really know that he has been born of God and one day will be in the presence of God in heaven?

Now there are those who tell us no. It's presumptuous, they say, for a person ever to dare to say "I know I'm saved." They say that this is somewhat arrogant. It gives evidence of a kind of pride that they claim is not spiritual.

The interesting thing is as you read First John, you find that the one word he uses over and over again is the word "know." KNOW—38 times he talks about knowing. And in John chapter, in First John chapter 5, the passage we read today, verses one through 13, very definitely John states you can know that you are born again.

In fact, this is one of the reasons why John wrote this letter.

When you walk up to First John, you walk up to a house that has a front door and a back door, and there's a front door key and there's a back door key.

The front door key is in First John chapter 1, where he says in verse 4, "These things write I unto you, that your joy may be full. These things we write unto you, that you may have fellowship with us." And in the first two chapters of First John, the apostle is talking about joyful fellowship—chapters one and two, joyful fellowship.

When we get to chapter 3, he changes the subject just a little bit, and in chapter 5 he gives us the back door key: "These things I'm writing unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life."

So chapters one and two deal with fellowship. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 deal with sonship. And the theme of chapters 3, 4, and 5 is: you can be sure you are born of God.

In fact, he uses that little phrase "born of God" some 7 times. For example, chapter 2 verse 29: "If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him."

Chapter 3 verse 9: "Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God."

Chapter 4 verse 7: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God."

Then in chapter 5, which we just read, we get this wonderful affirmation in verse 1: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." Verse 4: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world." And in verse 18: "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not."

Three Spiritual Birthmarks

Now my message this morning centers around this wonderful, wonderful truth: every person who is truly born of God, born of his Spirit, born into his family, born a second time—every true child of God has spiritual birthmarks. And you can look for these birthmarks in your own life. You can examine your own life, and you can honestly answer the question, "Have I been born again?"

John mentions three birthmarks. The first birthmark is LOVE. We have been born into love. The second birthmark is OBEDIENCE. We have been born into obedience and victory. And the third birthmark is VICTORY, particularly victory over Satan. Born into love, born into obedience, born into victory.

Birthmark #1: Born into Love

Let's look at the first one: born into love. Notice what he says in verse 1: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone that loveth him that begot loveth him also that is begotten of him."

Now what is he saying? He's saying that the first birthmark is love for God the Father. "Everyone that loveth him that begot"—that's God the Father—"loveth him also that is begotten of him"—that's the children of God.

So the first birthmark is a love for God, and it's also a love for God's children. "Everyone that loveth the Father loveth the child."

Now before I was saved, I had no love for God. In fact, I was an enemy of God. The Bible says the carnal mind is at enmity against God. My mind, my heart, my will—everything about me—was opposed to God. I had no love for God. The natural man doesn't love God.

You say, "Well, I go to church." That's fine, but that doesn't prove you love God. You can go to church and not love God. There are people that go to church every Sunday, and they have no love for God in their hearts.

When I was saved—when I trusted Jesus Christ—God gave me a new nature. And that new nature has an appetite for God, a love for God. Now I find myself loving God. I find myself wanting to read his Word. I find myself wanting to pray. I find myself wanting to fellowship with his people. This is evidence that I've been born of God.

The first birthmark is love for God. The second part of that birthmark is love for God's people. "Everyone that loveth the Father loveth the child also."

Before I was saved, I had no real love for Christians. Oh, I respected them. I admired them from a distance. But I had no real love in my heart for God's people. But when I got saved, immediately I wanted to be with God's people. I wanted to fellowship with them. I wanted to talk about the things of the Lord.

This is a birthmark. Do you love God? Do you love God's people? Do you love God's Word? Do you love to pray? Do you love to fellowship with God's children?

You see, John is saying, if you've been born into the family of God, there's a family resemblance. There's a family love. We love the Father, and we love the brothers and sisters.

Now notice verse 2: "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments."

It's very interesting. He says we know that we love God's children when we love God and obey God. You see, love for the brethren is not just an emotional thing. It's not just, "Oh, I feel so warm and tender toward Christians." No, it's something that goes much deeper than that.

Real love for the brethren means that I love God and I obey God. Because if I love God and obey God, I'm going to treat my brothers and sisters right. I'm going to be kind to them. I'm going to be patient with them. I'm going to forgive them. I'm going to help them.

You see, love for the brethren is proved by love for God and obedience to God.

Birthmark #2: Born into Obedience

This brings us to the second birthmark: we have been born into obedience. Notice verse 3: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome."

Now isn't that a wonderful statement? His commandments are not burdensome. They're not grievous. They're not heavy.

Why? Because when you're born of God, you have a new nature that loves to obey God. The unsaved person looks at God's commandments and says, "Oh, that's a burden. That's too hard. I can't live that way."

But the child of God looks at God's commandments and says, "These are not burdensome. These are a joy. These are a delight."

Why? Because I have a new nature. I've been born of God. And my new nature loves to obey God.

The psalmist said, "Oh, how I love thy law. It is my meditation all the day." That's the language of a person who's been born of God.

Now let me say this: if you find God's commandments burdensome, if you find it hard to obey God, if you're constantly struggling and fighting, that may be evidence that you've never been born again. Because John says very clearly, "His commandments are not burdensome."

Now that doesn't mean we don't have struggles. That doesn't mean we don't have battles. We certainly do. But there's something in the heart of the child of God that loves God's law, that wants to obey God, that finds joy in doing God's will.

Birthmark #3: Born into Victory

This brings us to the third birthmark: we have been born into victory. Notice verse 4: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

Now there are three great enemies that every Christian has to battle: the world, the flesh, and the devil. And John says if you've been born of God, you have victory over all three.

Victory Over the World

First, victory over the world. "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world."

Now what is "the world"? The world is that system around us that's opposed to God. It's that whole network of things that are contrary to the will of God. It's that whole philosophy of life that leaves God out.

The world says, "Live for yourself. Live for pleasure. Live for the passing things. Live for the externals." But the child of God says, "No, I'm not going to live for the world. I'm going to live for eternal things. I'm going to live for the things that last."

The world has its attractions. The world has its pleasures. The world has its offers. But the child of God has victory over the world.

How? "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Faith in Jesus Christ gives us victory over the world.

You see, when I look at Jesus Christ, when I see what he's done for me, when I see where he's taking me, when I understand the riches that I have in him, the world loses its appeal. The world can't compete with Jesus Christ.

This is why John says in chapter 2, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

The child of God doesn't live for the world. He lives for eternity. He lives for the things that last.

Victory Over the Flesh

Now the second victory is victory over the flesh. Notice what he says in verse 18: "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not."

Now wait a minute. Does that mean that a Christian never sins? No, it doesn't mean that. Back in chapter 1, John said, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

So what does he mean when he says "whosoever is born of God sinneth not"?

He means this: a person who is truly born of God does not practice sin. He does not live in sin. He does not make sin his lifestyle. He does not continue in sin.

Oh, a Christian can sin. A Christian can stumble. A Christian can fall. But a Christian doesn't live in sin. A Christian doesn't practice sin. A Christian doesn't continue in sin.

Why? Because he's been born of God. He has a new nature. And that new nature hates sin.

You see, before I was saved, I loved sin. I lived in sin. I practiced sin. But when I got saved, God gave me a new nature that hates sin. Now when I sin, I'm miserable. Now when I sin, I'm convicted. Now when I sin, I confess it and forsake it.

This is evidence that I've been born of God. The child of God does not practice sin. He does not continue in sin. He does not live in sin.

Victory Over Satan

Now the third victory is victory over Satan. Notice what he says at the end of verse 18: "But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not."

Now what is he saying? He's saying that the child of God has victory over Satan. "That wicked one toucheth him not."

Now does that mean that Satan can never attack a Christian? No, it doesn't mean that. Satan attacks Christians all the time.

What it means is this: Satan cannot ultimately defeat the child of God. Satan cannot ultimately destroy the child of God. Satan cannot ultimately possess the child of God.

You see, Satan comes at us in three different ways. He comes as a serpent to deceive us. He comes as a lion to destroy us. And he comes as an angel of light to deceive us.

But thank God, we have victory over Satan. How? Through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan is a serpent, and we are sheep. We stay away from the serpent. Satan comes as a lion, and we are sheep. We stay away from the lion. Satan comes slithering up like the serpent, and we are sheep and we don't want to be near the serpent.

But thank God the Lion of the tribe of Judah can conquer. Thank God the Shepherd can conquer. Thank God the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent.

What he's saying in verse 18 is that a true child of God gets victory over Satan. He does this through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Up in heaven right now I have an interceding Savior. If I sin, He is my advocate. But to keep me from sin, He is my high priest, and I can come to the throne of grace and find grace to help in the time of need.

And there are times when the serpent comes and begins to get you—you've got to turn to Jesus Christ. There are times when that lion comes to pounce upon you. He comes either to deceive or to destroy.

And when you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, your faith in Him gives victory.

Did you ever read the four gospels and notice how often Jesus defeated Satan when he was here on earth? Jesus is no sooner baptized, and into the wilderness he goes, and there comes Satan and Jesus defeats him.

The Word of God tells us that Satan withdrew until a more opportune moment. And all during our Lord's earthly ministry, Satan was attacking him, and yet Jesus got the victory.

You know what that says to me? The same Savior who got the victory in his body on this earth can get victory in my body on this earth.

When He died on the cross, he got victory over Satan. He disarmed principalities and powers. He stripped them of their armor and their weapons. He made a show of them openly. It was not just a conquest. It was a tremendous defeat for Satan.

When Jesus arose from the dead and returned to glory, He ascended far above all principalities and powers and every name that is named. And Satan has been defeated. And when a person belongs to the family of God, he can claim that victory.

Why Christians Are Different

This is why Christians are different. Where the rest of the world is living in selfishness, we've been born into love. Where the rest of the world lives in defeat, we've been born into victory over the world and victory over the flesh and victory over the devil.

This is why you feel sorry for unsaved people, because unsaved people are born losers.

Now to the unsaved world, they look like the winners. We look like the losers. Your unsaved friends look at you and say, "Oh boy, are you losing out?"

I had a letter just recently from a Songs in the Night radio listener telling how he lost his job because he bore witness to Jesus Christ. And the unsaved world says, "This man's a fool, he's a loser."

But my dear friends, we Christians are the winners. It's the unsaved crowd that is the loser, because we have been born victorious, born to win, born to win for all eternity.

The Most Important Question

Now this raises the question, my friend: Do you possess these birthmarks?

Have you truly been born again? I didn't ask, are your parents born again? Have you been baptized? Confirmed? Church membership? This is not what I'm saying.

John says, if you've been born of God, there's a love—a love for God, a love for God's people, a love for God's word.

If you've been born again, there's victory over the flesh. You live for the things of the Spirit, not the things of the old nature.

If we've been born of God, there's victory over the world. We don't live for these passing externals, we live for the permanent eternals.

There's victory over the devil. We aren't taken by his wiles and his snares.

Oh my friend, this is the most important question. Have you truly been born again? Do you know in your heart that you're a child of God? Is that witness of victory in your life now?

If not, it can be. Whosoever believeth is born of God.

I had nothing to do with my first birth. They didn't even ask me if I wanted to be born. I had nothing to do with it.

But my second birthday had something to do with me. "As many as received him, to them gave he the privilege to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name, which are born not of blood"—from mother and dad—"nor of the will of the flesh"—religious works—"nor the will of man"—some church organization—"which are born of God."

Have you, my friend, been born of God?

Closing Prayer

Gracious Father, we give thanks that we can know that we're born of God. We're thankful, Father, for the spiritual birthmarks that give evidence that we're in the family of God.

I pray for these today, any who hear this message, who have never had this assurance, that today they might trust Jesus Christ and be sure.

For we pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.