1 John Ch 5
1 John 5
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
John tells his readers that “whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God”. This statement cannot be taken in isolation, it is a statement of fact, but is not isolated from the context of John’s other statements of evidence which are love, the witness of the Spirit, obedience to the commandments.
Therefore we understand that these other evidences are indicators of the genuine nature of a person’s belief that Jesus is the Christ.
A person can believe that the speed limit is 30mph and is in force for the good of the community but still not obey its limits.
The belief that is evidence of sonship, is the belief that lives its life as a son, in love, obedience, and with the fullness of the Spirit.
John tells us that “everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him”.
This tells us that those who love God will love those whom God has given life too. Our love for God will give us a love for those that are His.
This is true of relationships in the natural realm. If I love my brother I will have an interest and love for those that are his. My love for him will cause me to have great concern for those who he loves for I know that their welfare has an impact on my brother. In the same manner we who love God will have a great love and concern for the welfare of those whom God has given life. This is a further reason for our love for the brethren.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
Many people say that they love the brethren but this can only be confirmed by reference to the other tests that John mentions. In order for us to love the brethren with must also keep His commandments, which is an evidence that we love God. It is impossible for us to love the brethren but not obey the commands of our Master.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
John gives a clear explanation of the love of God. When a person loves God they keep His commandments. If you love God you would rather suffer personal loss than upset or embitter the one you love. The keeping of these commandments is a love of God and a love for the brethren because these commandments are instituted by God to command our relationship with each other.
We do not find it a burden to please the one we love, we will obey out of our love for God and this is not burdensome. Have you ever loved another human being, your love for them makes things done for them and in regard to them easy and enjoyable because of the love you have for them.
We obey out of love, fear is the beginning of wisdom but love is the maturity of obedience.
Let me ask you the question – “would you serve God if there was no Hell?”
Are you a serving God to avoid Hell – if you answer yes you must move on to a service of Love rather than a service of fear.
Because “He that fears is not yet perfect in love 1 John 4:18”
“The hard sayings of Jesus” what are they?
The reality is that to say the commands of Jesus are “Hard” is a contradiction of the claims of Jesus who states that His burden is light and in this letter that His commands are not burdensome. If we love we will obey with enthusiasm
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Overcoming the world is repeated three times in this passage. Anything born of God is superior to the world and has victory. The only way to maintain victory against the desires and lusts of the world is to “Love” this is the genuine faith demonstrated by those who love God and the believers in the body of Christ.
If you really believe that Jesus is the Son of God you will without hesitation “Love God and those whom he has begotten”.
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
Textual difference “Erasmus left out these words” he only introduced them later after a manuscript was produced in “Greek” but his footnote doubted the originality of the text. This would be a great proof text of the Trinity if unquestioned by the evidence of the manuscripts.
Was John alluding to the piercing of the side of Jesus – very important as he bears record to this.
John 15 in the upper room verses 26-27 – “comforter He shall bear witness of me”
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
Do we receive the witness of men, we have a tendency to have regard to the witness of men in our everyday lives, we so often believe this testimony whilst being cautious of some ie the media, newspapers etc but in general terms we have confidence and trust in the witness of men. It is clear that we “receive the witness of men” but scripture tells us that the witness of God is greater.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The witness of the Spirit is present in those that believe in the Son of God and they become a living witness to the world of the life of God. Those that do not believe God do not believe His testimony that is given about His son Jesus Christ. The testimony is that God has given us eternal life and this life, which is eternal, is in His Son.
This statement is very important – we only have eternal life “In the Son”
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
The result of this is clear – only those who abide in Christ have eternal life!
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Here John begins the conclusion of his letter “these things I have written” – they are written not to the unbeliever but to the believer and that the purpose for the writing of these things was so that we would know that we have eternal life and that in knowing we would believe in the name of the Son of God
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
All that we have come to understand about our position in Christ, our Love for Him and other fellow Christian’s leads us to the “confidence that we have IN HIM” – that is we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. We must be IN HIM, abiding in the love of God. In this state of abiding our petitions that are according to His will are heard and if heard, our petitions “of love” will be answered by Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
These verses are much disputed with several if not numerous views on the meaning of the text. We must remember that the text in italics does not appear in the original manuscripts and has been added in order to give a clearer understanding of the text in accordance with the “interpreters understanding of the text”. John says that if we see our brother sinning a sin not to death, he will ask and God will give life to those who commit sin not death. This can be understood as those who do not continue sinning until their death, these may be given life but those who continue to sin until their death even prayer will be ineffective.
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
The first of three “we know” statements of certainty, these are those things, which we know, not simply by academic knowledge but by experience and the teaching of the Apostle. John has already dealt with the issue in prior chapters. We understand that those who are born of God no longer live life in a continued state of sin. The one who is born of God now has a bias towards holiness rather than rebellion. The one who is born of God keeps himself in this state, the responsibility for choosing the life of holiness remains with the believer and in this state of abiding in Christ the wicked one does not “cling” to him. We know that the wicked one does and can have an influence on the believer by permitted attacks, but in this state of union with Christ the wicked one is unable to “cling” or maintain a hold and influence on the believer.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
We know that “we are of God” – the letter of the Apostle has affirmed this and confirmed our place in Him. In the prior verse it is affirmed that the wicked one does not cling to us and therefore has no sway over us. This being so we cannot be of the world because the world lies under the influence or sway of satan. Too be of the world is to be under the sway of the wicked one.
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.
Again “we know” is repeated. Jesus has come to us in a real and living way by His Spirit. This gives us understanding enabling us to “know Him” and to “know that we are in Him. This understanding and positioning of each believer is the eternal life in the true God.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Knowing all these things and being in such a state of eternal life through the continued abiding in Christ it still remains for John to warn his readers to avoid idols. We abide in Jesus and in no other.
Anything that becomes an idol for us will draw us away from our Master until we find ourselves no longer abiding and no longer in life.
