We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so
that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the
Father and with his Son (1 John 1:3).
Prominent in Scripture is the number 7, appearing over
700 times in the pages of the Bible.
Seven is often the numeric symbol of completion and perfection: the 7 days of the first week in the early chapters of Genesis; the 7 sayings of the Lord Jesus from the Cross; the frequent use of the number 7 in John’s composition, The Revelation (churches, seals, trumpets, bowls.)
And, the Apostle John continues to demonstrate a
particular affinity for 7 when he structures his Gospel chronology around 7
miracles of Jesus before the Cross, together with the 7 prominent I AM
statements of Christ.
And therefore it is not surprising that 7 is at the heart of John’s 1st epistle. Somewhat hidden – but not to be missed – are 7 standards of Gospel self-examination,
John provides a grid for self-assessment: 7 metrics by
which to question or confirm bona fide salvation.
In our initial study of 1 John (Embracing the Gospel peaching series), we’ve laid out 2 foundational questions:
#1 - How do I know the GOSPEL is TRUE?
#2 - How do I know my FAITH is real??
In an era of confusion near the end of the 1st century – echoes of which continue to reverberate in the 21st century – John authoritatively responds to the 1st question empirically and rationally.
And one of his most compelling evidences of Gospel truth is
the witness of a changed life.
It has always been so: the authenticity of the Gospel of
Christ is demonstrated in the certain and inevitable transformation by the Holy
Spirit in every person embracing the Lord Jesus by repentant faith.
John’s paradigm of 7 indicators together provide a tool for self-analysis in affirming or denying one’s true salvation or genuine faith.
The network of 7 is:
TEST #1 – confession of sin (1:9).
TEST #2 – obedience of His
commands (2:3-6).
TEST #3 – love for Christ’s followers (2:9-11; 3:10-17; 4:16-21).
TEST #4 – not loving the world (2:15-17).
TEST #5 – commitment to personal righteousness (2:29).
TEST #6 – possession and witness of the indwelling Spirit of God (2:20&27; 3:24; 4:2-6,13-15).
TEST #7 – confessing Jesus as Messiah, God in human flesh (2:22,23; 4:2,3,14,15; 5:1,5,10-12).
Takeaway: Although the entire framework of tests is to be taken together – and advancement in all is to be evident for authentic Gospel faith to be present – the key is the 7th.
The 7th is fundamental to discerning truth
from error, understanding health-giving doctrine as contrasted to toxic
counterfeit, apprehending Gospel fidelity as differentiated from lethal
forgeries.
And that’s because Jesus – who He is and what He’s done – is always at the apex of the apostolic Gospel.
That foundational truth underpins the central place of
the Lord Jesus in the biblical narrative of redemption: the Father has sent
His Son to be the Saviour of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is
the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God (4:14,15).
That confession, that proclamation, that declaration that
Jesus is God in the flesh was at the very core of the apostolic Gospel of the
New Testament in the 1st century.
So what about you? Do these test indicate you are truly
born again?
~graphic
by vecteezy.com by Demar tono
