Underground Exiles

“We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” - 1 John 5.19

As we look at this letter, we should be impressed by John’s realism, and the way that he doesn’t attempt to gloss over the difficulties and make light of the problems in our lives. Thank God, the Bible always faces things as they are. The Bible has a strength and power; it is concerned about courage, but courage in terms of its own truth, so it looks at this world as it is, at its worst. You may say that this is depressing; if it is depressing to you it is because you don’t accept the teaching of the Bible. To be realistic should never be depressing to people who think straightly and clearly, and this is at root a realistic book.

The other great thing that characterizes First John’s message, is the way that, having looked at the facts and having faced them honestly, it clearly applies its own glorious remedy. And in the verse we are considering, we are reminded of some of the great characteristic notes of this particular epistle. First you find that we come across these words: “We know.” Then, secondly, we find out something about ourselves - that we are of God. Thirdly, we find out that there are certain things that are always true about the world.

The first thing this is this mind-boggling certainty, “We know.” John wrote this so that they may know that they have eternal life. This is something that’s completely basic, because it meets the whole position. Christians aren’t a people that are marked by being in a state of uncertainty; the very definition of a Christian in the New Testament is of people who know where they are, what they are and what they’ve got. They aren’t men and women that are hovering around in the dark.

They days and times that we live in is a world of great uncertainty; there is uncertainty about truth, authority, and a myriad of other things. We are in a world where black isn’t always black, and white isn’t always white, and that state of things is dissonant with Scripture.

Christians are men and women who are certain, and John writes in order that these people, and we ourselves, may be absolutely sure. There were certain things that weren’t clear to them; this always seems to be the state of the Christian in this world. We start with the truth which we believe by faith. Then it is attacked, and we are shaken by various things, until, by God’s grace, we are made sure. There are certain things that you and I should know. Christians aren’t perpetual seekers and enquirers; they are men and women who have certainty.

So here’s the question which we have to ask ourselves before we can proceed:

Do we know that we are of God? Do we know for certain that God has done something in our lives? Are we aware of the “new man” within us, that is absolutely, totally different from the “old man” that we once were by nature? Are we aware that there is something about us that we can only explain in the terms of God and His grace? Can we say with the Apostle Paul,

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. - 1 Corinthians 15.10

This is absolutely fundamental. Christians, according to the teaching of the New Testament, are people who have been called out and delivered from this present evil world, and delivered from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. There is no question about it; that is what makes them Christians and they know it.