Please turn with me to 1 John 5 - starting at verse 1.

Years ago, Frank Lloyd Wright - the famous architect - was asked to design a hotel in Tokyo that would be capable of surviving an earthquake.  When the architect visited Japan to see where the Imperial Hotel was to be built he was appalled to find only about eight feet of earth on the site.  Beneath that 8 feet of earth was 60 feet of soft mud that slipped and shook like jello.  Every test hole he dug filled up immediately with water.

Someone else probably would have given up right there.  But not Frank Lloyd Wright.  Since the hotel was going to rest on fluid ground Wright decided to build it like a ship.  Instead of trying to keep the structure from moving during a quake he incorporated features that would allow the hotel to ride out the shock without damage.

Supports were sunk into the soft mud - sections of the foundation were cantilevered from the supports.  The rooms were built in sections like a train and hinged together.  Water pipes and electric lines - usually the first to shear off in an earthquake - were hung in vertical shafts where they could sway freely if necessary.  Because fire is a major cause of destruction after an earthquake - Wright insisted on a large outdoor pool  being built in the courtyard of his hotel.

On September 1, 1923, Tokyo had the greatest earthquake in its history. There were fires all over the city.  Over 140,000 people died.  Thousands were made refugees.  Back in the United States as reports were slowly coming in one newspaper wanted to print the story that the Imperial Hotel had been destroyed.  But when a reporter called Frank Lloyd Wright to get permission to print the story - Wright said that they could print the story if they wanted - but they’d only have to retract it later.  He knew the hotel wouldn’t collapse.

Shortly afterward, Wright got a telegram from Japan.  The Imperial Hotel was completely undamaged.  Not only that - it had provided a home for hundreds of people.  While fires raged all around the hotel bucket brigades - using water from the hotel’s pool - bucket brigades had kept the structure wetted down with water. (1)

There is a powerful confidence we have when we are assured that what we’re trusting in is sound - a well laid foundation - something that’s well built - able to stand against whatever comes.

That’s what John is writing about in the verses we’re looking at today - as we go through life - what comes against us - threatens to shake us apart - as individuals - as a fellowship - in the stuff of life - the assurance we have in Jesus.  And, maybe for those who’ve been around the block a few times - what we need to be reminded of for reassurance as we go through life.

There are four statements of absolute reassuring fact that John makes about fellowship - about our life in Jesus Christ.

The first fact comes in verse 1 - John 5:1:  Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God

Fact #1:  When we believe we become God’s child.  Try that with me.  “When we believe we become God’s child.”

Have you been watching the news coming out of Rome?  Anyone watch the funeral?  One of the things that’s been sad for me personally - watching the secular media - and even what’s been coming out of the Christian community - with all that focus on Christianity - our beliefs as Christians have been continually misstated - devalued - or relegated to being just another religious system - a faith tradition among many equally helpful faith traditions.

Here in verse 1 John is very to the point absolute about what we believe.

John writes that Jesus is the Christ - the Messiah.  That’s a powerful statement.  The baby born in Bethlehem - proclaimed by angels - witnessed to by shepherds - is the One promised to Israel - the one and only Savior.  Jesus is the pre-existent Lord of all - the God in the flesh - submitting Himself to life with us - and even death for us.

Going on in verse 1 - John clarifies what that belief means - and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

As we’re gathered here this morning - all over the world people are gathering in the name of Christ.  Many will recite statements of belief.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord, etc.  Any of you know that by heart?  The Apostles Creed.  Great statement of belief.

Does saying those words make us a child of God?  No.

Belief is not just the words we say - right? - a confession or creed or “sinners prayer.”  Belief is accepting the forgiveness of sin and salvation that God freely gives us in Jesus by giving our lives unconditionally to God.  The child of God has no other basis for life than Jesus.  We’re totally dependent on God’s grace and mercy.  Jesus is everything - Savior - Lord - God. 

The evidence of that belief - John tells us - is that we’ll love our siblings in Jesus and we’ll live in loving obedience to God.  Not as a burden - a religious obligation.  But because God will be the one inside us compelling us and enabling us to these deep passionate acts of devotion to Him and to one another.  The evidence of our belief is that our hearts are being transformed by the power of God at work within us.

That’s an absolute reassuring statement of fact.  Believe in Jesus - give your life to Him - and there is absolutely no question of your standing before God.  You really are His child. 

Fact #2 comes in verse 4:  For whatever is born of God - the child of God -  overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.  Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Fact #2:  God’s children by faith are victorious.  Try that with me, “God’s children by faith are victorious.”

I read a about a captain of a ship who was describing what it was like to go through a storm.  Waves on every side - towering mountains of water.  Wind howling.  Rain pouring down.  Darkness.  The ship seemingly a helpless victim of the storm - caught up in powerful raging elements.  Its doom inevitable.

The captain said, “But, I stand there on the bridge of the ship and I grasp the railing.  I can feel the throb, throbbing of the engines deep down inside the hull.  The storm, the wind, and the waves seem to be saying to the ship, ‘You cannot come, you cannot come.’  But I hear the answering throb of the engines saying, ‘Yes, we shall.  Yes, we shall.  Yes, we shall.’  And so we do.” (2)

The world - that’s what we’re up against.  We know this.  The moral pressures - the godless society around us that’s constantly pressing against our minds - pressuring us to think what is unholy.  The temptations to conform to immoral attitudes and standards of life.  To satisfy our urges - to give in - to give up - to react as the world reacts.  Don’t you feel this?

How do we overcome this?  How do we go on - mountains of water towering above us - day after day - living a life that’s totally contrary to everything we see around us?

What does John write?  “You - the born of God - the victory comes through faith.”

Jesus told the disciples, “In the world you have tribulation - duh - but take courage - trust Me - I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)

We overcome by faith.  Not because we have faith in our ourselves.  Ever hear that?  “Believe in yourself.”  We overcome because we have faith in God.  Nothing can defeat us when we trust God because nothing can defeat God.  Its His power within us at work.  24/7/365 - with the pressure on - depending on Him.  God is there - within His child - saying “Yes, we shall.  Yes, we shall.”  And by faith, “Yes, we do.”

That’s reassuring.  God’s children have within us the living God who brought Jesus victoriously from death.  In Christ by faith we are victorious.

Fact #3 comes in verse 6:  This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood.  It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that testify; the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.  If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.

Fact #3:  God has testified concerning His Son.  Try that with me, “God has testified concerning His Son.”

There was another funeral this past week.  Wednesday - the funeral of Johnnie Cochran Jr.   Remember:  “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit”?  And then there’s the Michael Jackson trial.  What is the truth?  Who do we believe?

Spiritually - there are so many voices in this world that have something to say about God and how to know Him.

Here in chapter 5 - John is focusing on the testimony of God concerning His Son.  What God says is infinitely more important than the testimony of men. 

God testifies of Jesus by bringing three witnesses to the stand.  Witnesses that are in total and complete agreement with each other.  When do we see that today?

First the water - which refers to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordon River. 

The scene is familiar.  Jesus comes down from Galilee and arrives at the Jordon River where John the Baptist is conducting revival and baptism services.  Jesus comes to John to be baptized.  Remember John’s response?

“Why are You coming to me to be baptized?  I need to be baptized by You.”

Great question.  Baptism is an outward symbol of inward cleansing - forgiveness of sins and being made right with God.  It identifies us with Jesus.  So, why did Jesus need to be baptized?

Jesus tells John, “You need to baptize Me because it fulfills all righteousness - God’s plan and work.  Its what God wants done.  So we must do this.”

When Jesus came up out of the water God declared what? “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)

God makes this declaration.  He’s pleased.  Jesus is the Son - God in the flesh.  All His life Jesus has done everything according to the Father’s will.  He’s the perfect man.  Unblemished by sin.  Spotless.  Righteous.  At yet, through baptism identified with us - sinful man.  The testimony of the water is that Jesus is God’s sacrifice - unblemished by sin - offered for us - who are in sin.

The blood testifies of the death and resurrection of Jesus - incontrovertible facts of history.  Jesus - sinless - God - lays down His life for us.  The greatest space in the Gospels focus on that last week and the bloody cross on Golgotha.  That’s the emphasis - the point.  It’s the crucible upon which our faith rests.  God dies for us - suffers death - descends into the pit of hell - for us (1 Corinthians 15:3) - and is alive.

The third witness is the Spirit.  Peter, the Apostle, writes that it’s the Holy Spirit who wrote the Bible (2 Peter 1:20,21) - the written down testimony of God’s movement in human history.  The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of sin - testifying of our need for the Savior (John 16:7-11).

While the water and the blood are historical - this is personal.  Hear this - the Spirit takes all of what God is doing in history and speaks the truth to our hearts about our relationship with God.  Because of the Spirit - our understanding is no longer “Jesus died for the world”  But, instead, “Jesus died for me.”

In John’s day there were Gnostics - just as there are today many people claiming to be in the church - along with those outside the church - people who say that Jesus has shown us a way to God.  They say that, at His baptism, the “spirit” of God may have come upon Jesus - in some way He became divine or had spark of divine calling within Him.  They say that at His crucifixion - when He died - it was not God on the cross.  To call Jesus an enlightened man is one thing.  To say that God gave up His life on the cross for me personally is fantasy.  To say that He is the Christ - the Savior - the only means of salvation is bigoted egocentric delusion.

But God produces three witnesses - water, blood, Spirit - God Himself testifying that God Himself came - died - is alive - for us.  And we must choose to believe that Jesus is the Christ.  The reassurance is this - when we believe - our belief is not based on the shifting thoughts and wishful thinking of man - but on the certain testimony of God.

Fact #4 comes in verse 10:  The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself, the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.

We’ve heard the three witnesses - all from God - all speaking for God.  To deny the truth of what they say is to call God a liar.

Verse 11:  And the testimony is this - here’s the point God is getting across to us - the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

Fact #4:  He who has the Son has the life.  Try that with me, “He who has the Son has the life.”

Former French prime minister Georges Clemenceau fought many duels with various rivals.  On one occasion, he surprised his assistant by asking the attendant at a Paris railroad station for a one-way ticket to the duel. “Isn’t that a little pessimistic?” asked the assistant.

“Not at all,” Clemenceau replied. “I always use my opponent’s return ticket for the trip back.” (3)

Sometime when you’re in an airport - observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby.  The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers - talk with their friends - sleep.  The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter - agitated - nervous - tense.

The difference is caused by the confidence factor.  If you knew that in fifteen minutes you would have to stand in judgment before the Holy God and learn your eternal destiny, what would your reaction be?  Would you be a tad agitated - nervous tense?  Would you say to yourself, “I don’t know what God’s going to say - will it be ‘Welcome home, child,’ or will it be ‘Depart from me; I never knew you’”? (4)

He who has the Son has the life.  If you don’t - you don’t.  But if you do.  You do.  Its that simple.

Got Jesus.  Got life.  Try that:  “Got Jesus.  Got life.”

You know that the world around us declares with great certainty that nothing is certain - everything is tentative - all things are relative.  We cannot know anything for sure.

But here’s John’s bottom line - verse 13:  These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

We know that when we believe in Jesus the Christ we become God’s child.  We know that we are victorious in life as He is victorious.  We know this with certainty because God says that it is so.  We know that because we have Jesus we have the certainty of life forever with God.

There are some profound implications that come from what John has written.

What we believe is not a collection of some religious happy thoughts and comforting ideas or pop psychology.  Our relationship with God is not an ideal or a cause - or simply a better way of life.  We have been personally touched by the almighty living God of creation.

As those who live in fellowship with the living God - the fellowship we share is not our creation.  It is the work of God.  Our being here is not a coincidental happening.  Our fellowship - our very lives - the gifts we’re given - our talents - our finances - how we have been blessed - all have deep significance and purpose.  We are an integral part of God’s movement through human history.

When we are in Him no power can stand against the forward progress of His church.  We live in His victory.  Overcoming today - and into forever.

The purpose of John’s writing is to move us from doubt to certainty - to reassure us of the foundation upon which we stand.  In the fellowship here.  In our marriages.  Our families.  In the places God calls us to serve Him.  That we might know and dwell in the certainty of life forever with God.

How about you?  Do you know that certainty?  Have you believed in Jesus - the Christ?

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1. Bits & Pieces, January 7, 1993
2. From the sermon by Ray Stedman, “We Shall Overcome”
3. Today in the Word, August, 1997
4. Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray, InterVarsity Press