Who Is My Brother?
Q: Who Has Eternal Life? A: They all.
(Who is my brother? Who is my sister?)
(Reading time: Five minutes)
In John 17, “eternal life,” (salvation), is defined as as knowing the Father, the only True God, and, Jesus Christ, His Son. Later in the prayer, Jesus prayed that the same kind of unity that eternally exists between the Father and the Son will exist among His disciples: the 11 present at the prayer, those who trusted Him throughout history, including us today who have repented of our sin and trusted in Him alone.
Q: So who are “they all?”
Who are the ones for whom Jesus is praying to have unity?
A: All disciples. All of those that are saved. All Christians throughout history. All of the children of God. All of those whom the Father gave to the Son and whom the Son died for on the cross.
While there are many things that divide us - meaning we cannot “do church” together, the question of who the “they all” are in John 17 is broader. What are the things you must affirm, believe, and confess in order to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. There are some things we can disagree on, but there are some that are non-negotiable when it comes to eternal life. What are those things?
The Fundamental Gospel
How do I figure out “Who is my Brother?”
1. Start with Scripture
Not tradition. Not church council decrees.
Not creeds or confessions
Sola Scriptura is so very important
High view of God - High view of His Word
There are many passages that declare, as Acts 10:43 does, everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.
Starting with what the Bible teaches, what must we believe?
The word “believe” means more than just intellectual acknowledgement.
2. The Fundamentals are Clear
We’re not talking about obscurities like who were the nephilim?
The fundamental doctrines that must be believed for salvation are clear.
3. There is a List
There is a list of what you must believe to be a Christian.
If eternal life depends on it, then it’s necessary to believe.
The Bible answers what is necessary (see #1 above)
Fortunately, the Bible answers this question.
There’s more to a faithful walk with Jesus, but definitively not less:
The list of “Essential Gospel Truths”
• Faith
You must have faith. You must believe (trust in, rely on, cling to)
Hebrews 11:6 – Without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Romans 10:9 – believe in your heart
The threefold meaning of faith is: knowledge, agreement, and entrusting yourself to.
• Repentance
Mark 1:15 – The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. (Acts 3:19, 17:30, 26:20)
• Know God & Jesus (John 17:3)
1 John 2:23 – Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father John 20:31 – that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
You can’t get who is God wrong and be right with Him. (The Trinity is a central aspect of who God is.)
• The Death & Resurrection of Jesus
1 Corinthian 15:3-4 – of first importance that Christ died for our sins… and that He was raised on the third day
Jesus substitutionary death & resurrection are absolutely essential to the gospel. No death? No gospel. No resurrection? No Gospel.
• Justification by Faith, not works
Romans 4:4-5 – Now to the one who works, his wage is not counted according to grace, but according to what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
If you’re not looking to God’s grace, alone - it’s a different gospel.
A gospel that will not save.
The Five Solas are significant and helpful here: By Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone. Found Scripture alone (see #1) and John 17 makes it clear that God’s glory is central)
• The Lordship of Christ
Romans 10:9 – if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
Lord is kyrios - Master as in slave/master
Jesus is Lord/Master (kyrios), we are His slaves (doulos)
• The Person and Work of Christ
This is the bottom line. This is what the essential gospel is all about.
Who Jesus is and what He has done
His Person includes
~ the Virgin Birth of Christ
~ His full deity,
~ His full humanity (the incarnation)
~ His sinlessness
To deny any of those doctrines is to attack Christ Himself.
His Work includes
~ His substitutionary atoning death,
~ His resurrection
~ His miracles
John put all of these fundamental gospel truths in a category he called, the teaching of Christ in 2 John 9 – Anyone who… does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. The one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
How important is this? Read the next two verses:
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting,
11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
How to employ this: There are two fundamental conversations we must have with others when it comes to the spiritual: it’s either about
Salvation or Sanctification
If someone doesn’t affirm the things on the list above, the conversation needs to be about those things with the hope that they’ll come to know, understand, and believe the gospel. THEN - move on to sanctification, which is a growing obedience to God’s Word that would be ever-expanding thought the entire course of life.
There’s certainly more to say in all of this, but these principles are a great starting point. There’s more to Christianity, but certainly not less.