1 Jn 5:20

We Know We Are In the Father and the Son


1 John 5:20 "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

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1. The Character of God—Him Who Is True

a. Not just that God tells the Truth—He always does, but that is not the point here—it is that He is the One True God.

(1) There is only one true God

(2) The Gods of the other religions in the world are the inventions of man at best, and at worst, represent demonic powers

1 Cor 10:20 "..the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons."

b. The OT Witness as to the exclusivity of God

Deu 4:35 ""To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him."

Deu 6:4 ""Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!"

Deu 32:39 "'…I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; …”

2 Sam 7:22 ""Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You…”

Psa 83:18 "…You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth."

Psa 86:10 "For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God."

Isa 43:10 ""You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me."

Isa 44:6 ""Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God."

Isa 45:18 "For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other."

c. The NT Witness to exclusivity of God

Mark 12:29 "Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one."

1 Cor 8:4 "Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one."

Eph 4:6 "one God and Father of all…”

1 Tim 2:5 "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,"


d. The NT Witness to the exclusivity of Jesus

John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 17:3 ""And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Acts 4:12 ""Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.""

e. The OT Witness to the exclusivity of Jesus!

(1) Only one Redeemer

Isa 44:6 ""Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God."

Isa 47:4 "As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel."

(2) Christ Jesus is the redeemer!

Gal 3:13 "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law…"

1 Pet 1:18 "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Rev 5:9 "And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,"


1 Cor 1:30 "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and redemption;"

Eph 1:7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace"

(3) There is only one true Redeemer, Jesus is the One True Redeemer!

2. We are in the Father Through the Son

a. Salvation is about a relationship.

(1) John 10:27—He knows us
(2) John 17:3—WE know Him
(3) Rev 3:20—relationship

b. Salvation—being In Christ for acceptance, and abiding In Christ –

(1) We are baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit—1 Cor 12:13
(2) In Christ there is no condemnation—Rom 8:1
(3) In Christ we are accepted—Eph 1:6-7
(4) We have been crucified with Christ—Gal 2:20
(5) In Christ, we have resurrection—Col 2:13, 3:1-3

c. Salvation is found In the Father through Christ

Col 3:3 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

1 John 4:15 "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."




3. Jesus is God—“…this is the true God…”

a. First, this refers to Jesus; it would be redundant for the apostle to refer back to the Father again.

b. This is one of the clearest statements in the Word on the Deity of Jesus!


c. There is only One True God, and the Son is God!

John 20:28 "And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!""

Acts 20:28 ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

Rom 9:5 "of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen."

John 8:58 "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.""

1 Tim 3:16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory."



4. Jesus is Eternal Life—This is the true God and eternal life

a. He is the Source of life— John 1:4 "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

b. He is the Author of life— Heb 5:9 "… He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,"

c. He is the Giver of life—John 10:28 ""And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."

d. He is the Essence of life—Col 3:4 "When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

John 14:6—“…I AM…the life…”