1,2,3 John : Lesson 5
Overview
Doctrine and Life Are Woven Together
What we believe shapes how we live. Doctrine functions like the navigational system of an aircraft—a single degree off course at takeoff lands the plane far from its destination. That is why faithful Christians give such careful attention to right teaching: minimize doctrine, and life will drift. In 1 John 4:1-3, John urges believers to test the spirits, and the test is fundamentally Christological: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. John confronts two ancient errors here—the Greek error that Jesus was fully God but not fully man, and the Jewish error that Jesus was fully man but not God.
The Two Natures of Christ
Scripture teaches that Jesus is 100% God and 100% man—not a blend, but truly both. Colossians 2:9 declares that in Him "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily," while Hebrews 2:14 affirms that He shared in our flesh and blood. This matters for three reasons:
- Perfection. Jesus had to be true man to live under the law in our place Galatians 4:4, fulfilling the call to "be perfect" Matthew 5:48. He had to be true God to actually live that perfect, sinless life 1 Peter 1:18-19.
- Punishment. As true man, He could become the curse for us and bear the wrath our sins deserved Galatians 3:10-13.
- Assurance. As true God, His resurrection guarantees our justification and the conquest of Satan Romans 1:3-4.
In baptism we are clothed in this perfect righteousness, washed in the victory of the One who is both God and man.
Love That Flows from the Doctrine
Because the two natures reveal the depth of God's love, John immediately moves from doctrine to application: "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another" 1 John 4:7-11. What does that look like in practice? Ask what you desire for yourself—then give it to others. Colossians 3:12-14 gives concrete shape: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness (controlled strength, not weakness), patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and love. Colossians 4:6 adds gracious speech, "seasoned with salt." In a loud and contentious world, the church's witness is not to shout louder but to speak with gentleness. Your neighbor watches you back out of the driveway on Sunday morning; the conversation you had with them on Saturday will replay in their mind. Holding to the truth and speaking with grace are not opposites—they are how love is made visible.
Confidence Before Judgment
The same doctrine that fuels our love also frees us from fear. 1 John 4:17-19 teaches that perfect love casts out fear, so that we may have boldness on the day of judgment. Because Christ—true God and true man—has redeemed us, we do not dread Christ's return; we pray for it: Come quickly, Lord. A simple acronym captures the reordered life this produces: J-O-Y—Jesus first, Others next, Yourself last. The two natures of Christ are not abstract theology; they are the ground of how we love our neighbor and how we face eternity unafraid.
Transcript
Good morning. 3s
Let's pray, please. 5s
Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the opportunity 7s
together on this, the Lord's Day. 10s
As you gather us together to feed us with your Word and 13s
sacrament and then to send us forth in ministry. 16s
Bless now this time and your Word to your glory in Jesus' 19s
name. 24s
Amen. 25s
Well, last week we took a look at chapter three and what we 26s
studied were characteristics of a child of God that John, 29s
writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 37s
lifts up for us. 39s
We took a look at how a child of God is righteous through 42s
Christ. 46s
We have been made righteous, of course, through his blood. 46s
But how John also emphasized that we are to live by the 50s
grace of God, that life which is right in the eyes of God. 55s
That we will not be known, John lifted that theme up just as 61s
Jesus was not known. 68s
And we looked at the word there, meaning not understanding 71s
the significance of, just as Jesus didn't understand the 75s
significance of Jesus. 79s
So also we will be similarly treated by the world as we follow 81s
the Lord Jesus Christ. 87s
We studied how as being a child of God, we will be like him as 90s
Christ has a resurrected body. 93s
So also we will have the resurrected body. 95s
We talked about how we are to be purified by Christ. 98s
That's what he does through the sacrifice on the cross and 104s
We then live a life of purity. 108s
John talks about purifying ourselves, in other words, 113s
bringing ourselves in line by God's strength with his word. 117s
And then that the theme that John repeatedly goes to, 122s
which is the theme of loving others, even the most difficult 125s
in our lives. 129s
Well, we turn today to chapter four of first John. 132s
And I want to explore with you the connection between doctrine 135s
and life, doctrine and life. 140s
Doctrine and life are woven together. 146s
Doctrine is that which we believe, and then of course life is 151s
living out what it is that we believe. 156s
So therefore to minimize doctrine and the correct doctrine, 160s
if that is minimized, that will then have an effect on how we 166s
go about living our lives. 173s
That's why you hear constantly. 176s
In Orthodox expressions of Lutheranism, you hear the emphasis on doctrine. 180s
What is it that we believe and focusing on that? 186s
Because what it is that we believe will affect how we live. 192s
It's like the example with a pilot. 198s
A pilot takes off. 202s
And if the navigational equipment here is set and it's one degree 203s
off, you're not going to notice that initially. 209s
But fly for a little bit. 212s
You're not going to wind up where you need to wind up, right? 214s
Because the navigational system is set wrong. 218s
Doctrine is the navigational system. 221s
Doctrine here is that which feeds everything and forms everything. 224s
So we're going to see the connection of that today. 231s
And an important doctrine is the two natures of Christ, 233s
the two natures of Christ. 238s
John lifts up this doctrine and then gives in implications of it for us. 240s
So let's go to first John, the fourth chapter, first John chapter four. 249s
And we read this, beloved, do not believe every spirit, 257s
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. 265s
For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 271s
Here then comes a basis for the test, verse two. 278s
By this you know the spirit of God. 285s
Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. 288s
And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. 296s
The basis then of the test is to say what is being proclaimed with regard to Jesus 305s
and who Jesus is. 313s
What John is addressing here is really two errors. 316s
One can be called the Greek error. 321s
The Greek error was saying that Jesus was fully God but not fully man. 324s
The Jewish error is Jesus was fully man but He's not God. 333s
You see there then is the Greek error and the Jewish error and it all revolves around who Jesus is. 342s
So important to understand and to uphold this doctrine. 353s
Let's go to Colossians chapter two please. 359s
Matthew Mark Luke, John, Acts and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, then Colossians. 362s
Colossians chapter two, verse nine. 371s
And their Paul writes, for in him speaking of Jesus the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. 382s
Now let's go to Hebrews chapter two. 394s
Hebrews chapter two. 397s
Keep moving to your right. 399s
You're going to cross over the tea books. 401s
You're going to hit Titus and then Philemon. 403s
And then you'll come to Hebrews the 2nd chapter, verse 14. 408s
And they're the writer of Hebrews, right? 419s
Since therefore the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things. 423s
So that's the two natures of Christ. 434s
That Christ is truly God and truly human. 437s
He's a 100% God, he's a 100% human. 442s
Not 60, 40, he's not 30, 70, he's a 100% God, he's a 100% human. 445s
Why did Jesus have to be true man? 453s
Why did He have to be a 100% man? 458s
Let's go to Matthew, the 5th chapter, Matthew chapter five, verse 48. 461s
Matthew five, verse 48. 484s
Jesus says, be perfect. 488s
Therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. 492s
Let's go to Galatians chapter four. 499s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 501s
First and second Corinthians, then Galatians. 506s
Galatians chapter four, verse four. 511s
So Jesus calls then for perfection. 517s
Galatians chapter four, beginning with verse four. 522s
But when the fullness of time had come, in other words, it was at just the right time, 527s
God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, 533s
so that we might receive adoption as children. 543s
The first reason why then, that Jesus Christ had to be truly human, has to do with the subject of perfection. 550s
Perfection. He had to be true man to take our place as he lives under the law. 565s
Do we all fall short? Absolutely. 573s
We confess that each and every day. We confess that each and every Sunday. 575s
Jesus was sinless. He had to be true man to live the perfect life and to take our place under the law. 581s
Why did he have to be true God? 590s
Let's go to first Peter, chapter one. 594s
So keep turning to the right. You're going to get Hebrews and James, and you're going to bump into first Peter, chapter one, verse 18. 598s
First Peter one, picking up in verse 18. 615s
You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb with the flesh of the flesh. 621s
And without defect or blemish. 638s
Jesus had to be God because only God could live the perfect sinless life. 644s
So perfection then is the reason why he had to be true man so that he could live the perfect life that could then be credited to our account. 650s
He had to be God so that he would be sinless. 660s
True God, true man, one of the issues is perfection. 667s
Why else did he have to be true man? 674s
Let's go to Galatians, chapter three. 679s
So go and reverse there. You're going to cross over the tea books, Philippians, Ephesians. 682s
You're going to hit Galatians. Galatians, chapter three, verse 10. 691s
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse for it is written. 705s
Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law, jumped down to 13. 711s
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written. 722s
Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. 728s
Why then did he have to be true man so that he could take the punishment for our sins? 735s
God is just, God can't simply wink at sin. 747s
So the wrath of God for sin is laid upon the sun. 752s
He has to be true man in order to be the recipient then of the punishment for sin in our place. 757s
Why else does he have to be true God? 772s
Let's go to Romans the first chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 776s
Romans chapter one. 782s
Why else did he have to be true God? 793s
Let's go to verse three even though we're mid-sentence. 800s
The gospel concerning his son who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness. 802s
By resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. 813s
He has to be true God in order to assure us of our justification, the conquest of Satan through the resurrection. 820s
And so he has to be true God and true man around the issue of perfection, around the issue of punishment, and around the issue of assurance. 830s
We know that the punishment for our sin has been taken upon Jesus Christ that he was 100% human. 843s
We know that he had lived the perfect life, that he was not a sinner. 851s
If Jesus sin, he wouldn't be God. He wouldn't be able to be the substitute for us. 858s
So he lived the perfect life then, that then gets credited to our account. 863s
As we are washed in the waters of baptism, we are washed in the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ. 869s
We are clothed in the righteous garment of the Lord Jesus Christ. 875s
We are clothed in his perfection. 879s
And because he is true God and true man, that gives us assurance for that which has been accomplished. 881s
This personal union then, the divine and the human nature, we notice it in Scripture. 890s
In 1 John 5 it says Christ is God. 895s
In 1 Timothy 2 it says Christ is man. 899s
In Matthew 16 it says this man is God. 902s
In John 1 it says God is man. 906s
You hear the Scriptures just reverberate with this doctrine of the two natures of Christ. 909s
The doctrine of the love of God expressed in the two natures of Christ relates to our lives. 918s
Because doctrine and life are woven together. 929s
The two natures is part of this expression of the love of God. 936s
And since God has loved us so much, we see it so clearly in the two natures, we then are called to love. 941s
John is going to apply it now. 952s
Let's go back to 1 John chapter 4, picking up in verse 7. 953s
We love it. 966s
Let us love one another. 969s
Because love is from God. 972s
Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 975s
Whoever does not love does not know God. 979s
For God is love. 983s
God's love was revealed among us in this way. 986s
God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. 989s
He's just established the two natures before it. 994s
So we understand who the son is. 997s
In this is love, not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1000s
But love it. 1010s
Since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 1012s
No one has ever seen God if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is perfected in us. 1018s
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his spirit. 1025s
And we've seen and do testify that the Father has sent his son as the Savior of the world. 1032s
God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God and they abide in God. 1039s
So we've known and believe the love God has for us. 1046s
Like the Apostle Paul, remember John doesn't write in a linear fashion like Paul where he moves ABC. 1055s
He keeps coming back to themes in John. 1063s
He'll say, oh, I'm going to come back to that theme again. 1066s
What he's doing here is he lays down doctrine first and then he comes back and he applies the doctrine. 1069s
He applies it. 1078s
So here's the two natures of Christ. 1079s
Going back up into chapter 4, pick up in verse 3, 1082s
every spirit that does not confess Jesus, that does not confess Jesus is not from God. 1090s
This is the spirit of the Antichrist of which you've heard that it is coming and now it is already in the world. 1097s
Little children, you are from God and have conquered them for the one who's in you is greater than the one who's in the world. 1102s
Therefore, what they say is from the world and the world listens to them. 1111s
We are from God. 1115s
Whoever knows God listens to us and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. 1117s
For this we know the spirit of truth and error. 1122s
Here's the two natures of Christ who he is. 1127s
There's the test to test these spirits, to test the beliefs. 1130s
What is it that is being confessed about Jesus Christ? 1134s
And now you've got, okay, now here's how this intersects with life as he lays down the two natures of Christ. 1138s
Go back again into verse 11. 1147s
Beloved since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 1150s
Okay. 1159s
How do you get meat around that bone? 1160s
What does it mean to love the other? 1163s
Ask yourself, ask yourself this question. 1167s
What do you desire for yourself? 1170s
What do you desire for yourself? 1174s
Well, let's pull some scriptural examples here. 1177s
Let's go to Colossians III chapter. 1180s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. 1183s
Colossians chapter 3, verse 12. 1189s
As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, 1201s
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness. 1205s
Now remember what that word meek means. 1210s
It's not how we think of meek as being milk toasty. 1213s
Meekness here in the Greek means controlled strength. 1216s
Controlled strength. It's not wishy washy, it's not milk toasty. 1220s
And patience, bear with one another. 1224s
If anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other. 1227s
Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 1230s
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 1237s
So ask yourself, do you desire in your life for others to show compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience? 1246s
Do you desire that others will bear with you? 1260s
You have to put up with you. 1262s
Do you desire that others will forgive you and love you? 1265s
Of course, right? 1272s
Of course. 1274s
So, as the love of Christ in the two natures of Christ has been manifest to us, 1275s
the doctrine, and now because we see God's love so clearly, 1283s
and we are called to love, ask yourself the question, what is it that I desire of myself? 1288s
Colossians answers the question, therefore, how do we love others? 1295s
Here's concrete, right? 1301s
Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing, forgiveness, and love. 1304s
There's concrete ways then of how to love. 1310s
Let's go to Colossians 4 chapter 6. 1315s
Colossians 4 verse 6. 1321s
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. 1327s
Do you desire from others that their speech will be gracious to you? 1338s
Is that all that? 1346s
Sure. 1349s
What then is a way that we can love the other, but to speak to them with grace? 1350s
We live in a world where increasingly this is not manifest. 1360s
That means that there is an incredible opportunity for us as Christians to speak in a different way, 1363s
to speak differently. 1374s
When you're talking with a neighbor and you don't agree on a subject that you perhaps feel very passionate about, 1380s
how are we going to talk with your neighbor about that? 1392s
Are we going to talk with your neighbor? 1396s
Because your neighbor knows that on Sunday morning you're backing out the car, 1398s
your neighbor knows exactly where you're going, because you do it every Sunday. 1404s
And it's the same time because we typically go to the same service, right? 1410s
It's the same time. 1415s
They know where you're going. 1417s
And what they play in your mind here, as they see you, come back perhaps with bulletin in hand or Bible in hand, 1420s
they will play that conversation you had with them yesterday. 1428s
They'll play it. 1432s
You see how we talk with each other is so important. 1434s
We can be so tempted to say, we're going to hold to the truth, 1443s
but we can do it in a way that's no different than how the world holds to their truth. 1447s
And then the world looks at us and on Christians saying, 1454s
okay, you believe this? 1457s
I believe that, but frankly, I don't see any difference between the implications of your faith, 1459s
and how you are. 1469s
And so what is it that we desire from others? 1473s
We desire speech that is gracious, right? 1476s
That's a witness opportunity for us as the church. 1481s
Galatians 6 says, bear, as call people to bear the burdens of others. 1486s
We desire that from others, don't we? 1494s
We desire them to walk alongside of us and amidst the burdens that we carry 1496s
and every person has burdens that they carry, 1502s
is that we walk alongside of each other and we help compassionately them carry those burdens. 1504s
We desire that for ourselves. 1513s
Ah, that's the clue of how can we love others by helping to carry their burdens? 1515s
How about 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 7, that talks about being gentle and caring, 1522s
gentle and caring? 1530s
The world's too loud, right? 1533s
It's too loud. 1536s
A fruit of the Spirit is gentleness. 1538s
We don't have to scream over those that disagree with us. 1542s
We speak with gentleness. 1548s
When a child is misbehaving and raising their voice, 1553s
if the person here who is in charge of that child raises their voice, 1558s
what does a child do? 1563s
Raise their voice all the more, right? 1566s
In fact, a lot of times children will kind of get their thrills out of that. 1568s
But what happens when the parent or the grandparent or the neighbor, 1574s
or whoever fill in the blank, 1578s
what happens when they talk controlled and gentle? 1580s
A quiet enters the room. 1587s
A quiet enters the room. 1591s
The world doesn't need the church to scream, 1594s
the world needs the church to be gentle. 1597s
Be gentle as we proclaim the truth. 1599s
Is it so different? 1603s
And it makes a different witness. 1606s
Second Timothy, the third chapter, says, 1610s
we're to teach one another, we're to approve one another, 1614s
we're to correct one another, we're to train one another, 1617s
we're to equip one another. 1620s
Don't we desire that for ourselves? 1622s
There's the clue, how is it that we then love? 1624s
In God's incredible love, expressing the two natures of Christ, 1626s
we see that incredible love. 1630s
And then the application of the doctrine that is God has loved us, 1632s
so also we are to love. 1635s
And how is it that we are to love? 1637s
We're to love by teaching and approving and correcting. 1642s
And that's what we want for ourselves, right? 1648s
So how can we love? 1651s
We do that in a spirit of gentleness with others, gentleness. 1653s
Second Timothy or Matthew, that 22nd chapter, 1661s
verses 36, 39, 1667s
to love others means you provide for them what it is that you desire, 1670s
form by the Scriptures. 1676s
God has loved us, so also we are to love each other. 1680s
Secondly, the doctrine of this great love of God expresses itself 1687s
in terms of how we can approach judgment. 1693s
Let's go back to 1 John chapter 4. 1697s
1 John chapter 4. 1700s
We'll pick up in verse 17. 1706s
Love has been perfected among us in this way, 1713s
that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, 1717s
because as he is, so are we in this world. 1720s
There's no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 1725s
For fear has to do with punishment, 1730s
and whoever fears has not reached perfection. 1733s
What John is getting at here is the confidence that can be ours 1739s
as we stand and anticipate judgment day. 1743s
We can stand and anticipate judgment day in absolute confidence. 1746s
Our fervent prayer is that the Lord will come today. 1750s
Come quickly, Lord. Come today, huh? 1754s
As grand is the church this side of heaven, 1757s
it pales in comparison to the worship 1760s
we're going to have in heaven itself. 1763s
So come quickly today, because we're not afraid of judgment day. 1766s
We're not afraid of it. 1771s
We've been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, 1773s
and we can stand with all boldness before Him. 1776s
The goal of God's love is that we believe so strongly 1781s
that we have no fear of eternal punishment. 1786s
Baptism is a comfort. 1791s
Remember Luther would say every morning and every evening, 1793s
I'm baptized. 1795s
The word of God that we hear is such a comfort. 1796s
When we read about the separation of the sheep 1799s
from the goats in Holy Scripture, 1802s
notice that that separation has already occurred. 1805s
It's already occurred. 1808s
When death comes, that separation occurs for that person. 1812s
There is sheep or a goat at the point of death. 1817s
The sheep are those who are believers, 1821s
and the goats are those who are the unbelievers. 1823s
His love is shown in the two natures of Christ, 1827s
and what is accomplished because of this great love 1831s
is that we are then called to love. 1834s
Scripture paints the picture of that, 1837s
how that's expressed itself, 1839s
and this expression of the two natures of Christ also shows us 1841s
that we have because of who Christ is, 1847s
we can have absolute confidence in standing before God 1850s
on judgment day. 1853s
John then returns to the call to love, verse 19. 1858s
We love because he first loved us. 1863s
Those who say, I love God and hate their brothers 1867s
or sisters or liars. 1869s
For those who do not love a brother or sister 1871s
whom they've seen cannot love God, 1874s
whom they have not seen. 1875s
The commandment we have from him is this. 1878s
Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. 1880s
So here's the doctrine of the two natures 1886s
living itself out in life. 1887s
How love re-orients are thinking. 1891s
And let me give you just a little acronym. 1894s
You know what the recipe for joy is? 1897s
What the recipe for joy is? 1899s
J. Jesus first. 1902s
Knowing that our names are written in the book of heaven. 1905s
All right? 1908s
That puts every circumstance that we are going through 1909s
in a perspective, doesn't it? 1911s
Knowing where we are going, 1914s
knowing that God holds our eternal destiny. 1917s
J. Jesus first. 1918s
O, O's for others. 1921s
O is for others. 1924s
And why is yourself? 1926s
And notice what the last letter is. 1928s
Yourself. 1931s
Mix up those letters? 1932s
It's not joy. 1935s
J. Jesus first, others. 1937s
Yourself. 1939s
Yourself. 1940s
Last. 1941s
What the two natures of Christ has done for us 1942s
in that great expression of love, 1945s
is it enables us by God's grace 1948s
to put Jesus first and to put ourselves last. 1951s
Because we've been redeemed. 1957s
It can't get any better than that. 1959s
We have been reconciled. 1960s
Can't get any better than that. 1961s
However many days this side of heaven, 1963s
the Lord gives us His grace of who Jesus is, 1965s
forms then how it is that we are to live. 1969s
And so self-last others before us. 1972s
And it's all related to doctrine. 1977s
It all goes back to the second nature, 1980s
or the two natures of Christ. 1982s
And how that doctrine, 1985s
John then starts to preach on it. 1987s
See the importance of doctrine? 1990s
See the importance of accuracy and precision 1992s
with regard to doctrine, 1997s
because doctrine and life are woven together. 1998s
Well, we will continue on next week 2006s
as we turn to first John, the fifth chapter. 2009s