1 John 2:23
The sermon emphasizes the importance of acknowledging Jesus Christ as the true Son of God, as denying Him denies the Father and reflects dishonour on both.
John Gill emphasizes the inseparable relationship between the Son and the Father in his sermon on 1 John 2:23. He argues that denying Jesus Christ as the true and eternal Son of God equates to denying the Father, as one cannot honor the Father without honoring the Son. Gill asserts that true faith and love for God are contingent upon acknowledging the Sonship of Christ, and that any attempt to diminish Christ's identity ultimately undermines the understanding of God as Father. He highlights that the acknowledgment of Christ's divine sonship is essential for a genuine relationship with God.
Text
Ver. 23. Whosoever denieth the Son,.... Jesus Christ to be the true, proper, natural, essential, and eternal Son of God:
the same hath not the Father; or does not hold the Father; or "believe the Father", as the Syriac version renders it; for there cannot be a father without a son; and he that honours not the Son, by owning him as such, honours not the Father; whatever reflects dishonour on the Son, reflects dishonour on the Father. If Christ is not truly and properly the Son of God, the Father is not truly and properly the Father of Christ; if Christ is only a Son in a figurative and metaphorical sense, the Father is only a Father in a figurative and metaphorical sense; if Christ is a Son only by office, then the Father is a Father only by office, which is monstrously stupid. Such an one does not hold the true doctrine of the Father, and does not appear to have true faith in him, true love unto him, or real interest in him, only by profession:
[but he that acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Father also]: this clause is left out in many copies, and stands as a supplement in our version; but is in the Alexandrian copy, in four of Beza's manuscripts, and in some others; and in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; and confirms and illustrates what is before said; for as he that denies the sonship of Christ cannot hold the paternity of God, so he that owns the sonship of Christ, the second Person, maintains the paternity of the first; for these two are correlates, and mutually put, or take away each other: no mention is made of the Spirit, because, as yet, no controversy had risen concerning him.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Relationship Between the Father and the Son
- A. The Son is the true and proper Son of God
- B. The Father is the true and proper Father of the Son
- C. This relationship is essential to the Christian faith
- II. The Consequence of Denying the Son
- A. Denying the Son denies the Father
- B. This denial reflects dishonour on both the Son and the Father
- III. The Importance of Acknowledging the Son
- A. Acknowledging the Son confirms true faith in the Father
- B. Acknowledging the Son confirms true love unto the Father
Key Quotes
“If Christ is not truly and properly the Son of God, the Father is not truly and properly the Father of Christ;” — John Gill
“he that honours not the Son, by owning him as such, honours not the Father;” — John Gill
“if Christ is only a Son in a figurative and metaphorical sense, the Father is only a Father in a figurative and metaphorical sense;” — John Gill
Application Points
- It is essential to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the true Son of God to confirm true faith in the Father.
- Denying the Son denies the Father and reflects dishonour on both, so it is crucial to honour the Son.
- True love unto the Father is confirmed by acknowledging the Son.