Transcript

ANNOUNCER: Is believing that Jesus is the Christ the same as believing in Him for everlasting life? A great discussion is just ahead right here on Grace in Focus. We’re glad you’re tuned in. Thanks for being here today. Grace in Focus is the radio broadcast and podcast ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is FaithAlone.org and we release YouTube videos a couple of times a week. Our channel, YouTube, Grace Evangelical Society. We invite you to subscribe, like, and view these videos. And once again, YouTube, Grace Evangelical Society. Our website, FaithAlone.org. 

And now with today’s question and answer discussion, here is Bob Wilkin, along with Sam Marr. 

SAM: All right, Bob, we’ve got a question from last year, technically. Right now, we’ve got a stack of a few dozen questions on our table right now, and even more in my inbox. So I apologize, but there’s only so many hours in aday, only so many radio sessions we can do to get to all the questions. But this question is from Aiden, and he’s asking about a verse in 1 John. It’s 1 John 5:1. Here’s what he says what everybody says, and then we’ll get into discussing it. But he says, 1John 5:1 states that all who believe that Jesus is the Christ are born of God, but most denominations don’t believe this. We know that only through faith alone in Christ alone are we saved. The most denominations don’t teach this. How do we rectify this verse with the fact that most denominations apparently are not in agreement with this verse? 

BOB: Okay, so that’s a great question, Aiden, and it’s got multiple layers in it. First of all, he is correct that most denominations would not agree that anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Roman Catholic wouldn’t argue that way, and Orthodox person wouldn’t argue that way. Certainly most Protestants wouldn’t believe that, whether they believe in lordship salvation or works salvation. The same would be true with the cults. Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, don’t believe that, the Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe that. Most people believe in some sort of faith plus works salvation. And this is saying whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. So I would agree with Aiden on that, and I think this does allow us some ability to influence people. 

But on the other hand, I think it’s important to recognize what this verse isn’t saying. I remember I had a friend who got his doctorate in patristics from UCLA and was a classical Greek scholar and also Latin scholar and everything else. And he saw some of the things I had written about believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, from John 11:27 and John 20:31. I was arguing that anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has everlasting life. And he said to me, Bob, if that’s true, then everybody in Christianity would be born again because everybody believes Jesus is the Christ. And I argued, no, what John means by that is not that they believe that’s his last name, right? Or that they believe the Hebrew word, that mashiach means “the anointed one” or Christos means “the anointed one,” that Jesus was the Anointed One or Jesus is the King of Israel. None of that is what John means by “Jesus is the Christ” in 1 John 5:1. Look, Sam at John 11:25-27 and start by reading verse 27. Jesus asked Martha, do you believe this and her answer is in verse 27. 

SAM: “She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God who has come into the world.’ “ 

BOB: Okay, so notice Jesus didn’t say anything about himself being the Christ or being the Son of God. But what He said was He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. That’s the promise of life. I am the resurrection and the life. As the resurrection, He says, he who believes in Me, though he may die, yet he’s going to be raised, he shall live physically, he’ll be glorified. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. That’s the promise of the life. I am the resurrection and the life, as the life He says, whoever believes in Me will never die. 

So both the promise of glorification and the promise of never dying spiritually are promises of eternal security. And then He asked Martha, do you believe this? Well, she doesn’t say, yes, Lord, I believe You’re the resurrection and the life. She doesn’t say, yes, Lord, I believe that whoever believes in You, though he may die, he’s going to be glorified. Nor does she say, yes, Lord, I believe that whoever lives and believes in You is never going to die spiritually. Instead, she says why she believes what he said. Yes, Lord, I believe You are the Christ, the Son of God who is to come into the world. Now compare that to John 20:31, could you read that? 

SAM: Starting in verse 30, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” 

BOB: So notice, “pisteuo hoti,” “to believe that” in John 20:31, which is the same thing in John 11:27, pisteuo hoti, “I believe that,” is the same as pisteuo eis, “believing in,” like John 3:16, whoever believes in him will not perish, but has everlasting life. And John 20:31 is saying, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, has that life, has everlasting life. Coming back to Eden’s question, what people should understand about 1 John 5:1 is that if I believe that Jesus is the one who guarantees everlasting life to those who believe in Him, well, then I’m born again. And if I’ve ever believed that, I’m born again, but I think John’s point is, if you meet anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ in the sense that John means that, you know you’re talking to someone who has the life of God who is born again.

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BOB: So, I don’t know why most denominations or churches don’t believe 1 John 5:1? Well, why do most people reject the faith along message? I think it’s because it doesn’t match their tradition, whether you’re Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist or Hindu or most flavors of Christianity, you believe in some sort of works deliverance, works salvation. The idea that somehow this would be a free gift that’s simply given to those who believe in Jesus for that gift, it’s very foreign to people. 

SAM: Yeah. For Christians that disagree with the faith along message, they like to go to, is it James 2:18, you believe you do well, even the demons believe. 

BOB: 2:19, yeah. 

SAM: 2:19, they love to go to that one and say, well, believe that Jesus is the Christ, even the demons believe that Jesus is the Christ. But I think what you explained, it’s valid here and it’s valid in James that the demons don’t believe in Jesus Christ for everlasting life, because they know that promise wasn’t presented to them. And really, that’s not even the context of that verse because it’s talking about God being one. But here, I think this is a great example of this is not just believe that Jesus existed, that guy from Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, this is believe in Him for everlasting life. Another good thing to point out is that the Christ is interchangeable with Son of God here, because those two verses we looked at in the Gospel of John, he says the Christ, the Son of God. And then here in 1 John, a few verses down in verse 5, he says he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. And then if you go towards the end of the chapter, I guess the middle, very encouraging verses, these things I’ve written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. And here, especially, there’s just no mention of anything here except for belief and the result of that belief is everlasting life.

BOB: Great point, Sam, both the expression, the Christ and the expression, the Son of God are both messianic titles. The Messiah is the Christ. Christos is the same as mashiach. The same is true with Son of God, it’s a messianic title. Now, when people see Son of Man in Matthew, Mark and Luke, they say, well, that refers to Jesus humanity. And when they see Son of God, they say that refers to Jesus’ deity. And so a lot of people, when they say you need to believe the Jesus is the Son of God, they say you need to believe in His deity. Well, that’s not what it means. Son of God is a messianic title. If you compare 1 John 5:1 with 1 John 5:9-13, it’s crystal clear that the Christ and the Son of God are synonymous expressions. 

And, can you turn Sam to John 1:49? What’s interesting is Philip goes and gets this guy named Nathaniel. And he calls Nathaniel to come and meet Jesus. And as Jesus is coming up, He says, behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit. And then he says, well, do you know me? And He mentions that when Philip came up to you when you were under the fig tree, He said, I saw you. And that leads to Nathaniel making a statement in verse 49. What does he say? 

SAM: “Nathaniel answered and said to him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ “ 

BOB: Does that not sound like what he’s saying is, Son of God equals King of Israel?

SAM: That is what it sounds like. 

BOB: You are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. Remember in the Psalms, the Royal Enthronement Psalms, “Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee?” That was said when David was made King. That was said when every Davidic King was put into office, they were God’s Son awaiting God’s ultimate Son. And the Lord Jesus Christ, when He is installed as King in the beginning of the Millennium, the Father will say, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel. 

And so Son of God in John 1:49 is a messianic title. These guys had said that they had found the Messiah. Notice in John 1:45, “Philip found Nathaniel and said him, we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.” They’re saying we found the Messiah. When Jesus reveals that He had seen Nathaniel before, Nathaniel is convinced. And Nathaniel says, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. So Son of God doesn’t equal deity, it equals Messiah King. And Son of Man doesn’t equal humanity, it equals Daniel chapter 7, the Son of Man who is the Messiah King, the ruling King. 

Anyway, Aiden, a great question. And I do hope that anyone who lacks assurance will meditate on 1 John 5:1, will meditate on John 3:16, John 5:24, John 11:25 and 27 will be a great passage to study, John 20:31. In fact, I’d encourage you to read through the entire Gospel of John, a chapter a day and prayerfully say, Lord, is it just as simple as believing in Jesus for the everlasting life He promises? Well, thanks, Aiden, and all of you, and remember, keep grace in focus. 

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On our next episode: does contrition and a productive life prove that we’ve been saved? Please join us and until then, let’s keep grace in focus.