1 John 5, begins with the dramatic change that occurs when one believes that Jesus is the Christ and are born of God. Believing is more than the initial confession of faith in Christ. “Believes” refers to a lifestyle of faith and trust in Jesus Christ. This divine certainty comes as a result of our new relationship with the Father and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 5:1-2 NKJV 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. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
“Begotten” refers to the action God has taken to make His children from believers in Christ.
Several times now, John has linked faith and love to believer’s new life in Christ. Faith in Christ causes the believer to do right and love. Obedience and love are evidences of this new birth.
What does it mean to be born again?
John 1:12-13 NKJV But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus introduced this to Nicodemus.
John 3:3 NKJV Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:6-7 NKJV That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Later while Jesus was still visiting with Nicodemus, He spoke the words we know as John 3:16.
John 3:16 NKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Faith in the finished work of Christ takes a child of the world and makes a child of God.
1 John uses the phrase “born of God” seven times. This describes the “birthmarks of believers.”
- They practice righteousness, 2:29
- They do not continue practicing sin, 3:9
- They love other believers, 4:7
- They overcome the world, 5:4
- They keep themselves from the wicked one, 5:18
The only way to become a child of God is by believing in Jesus Christ and His finished work. Once we have been born of God, love propels us to keep His commandments. It is important to remember that we do not become a child of God by keeping His commandments.
John 5:3-5 NKJV For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Love for God and obedience to His commandments are inseparably linked. “His commandments are not burdensome” means it is not an oppressive burden to walk in obedience to the faith. God’s commands are not tedious, exasperating, or trying because we love Him. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, “Come to Me… I will give you rest… For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Since we have been “born again,” we have a new nature. God’s nature of love has been given us and by love we serve God. Serving Christ is easy because we have been begotten of God and have a new nature.
Every born again child of God overcomes the world.
1 John 5:5 NKJV Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
What does it mean to overcome the world?
- 1 John 2:13, “You have overcome the wicked one.”
- 1 John 2:14, “Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.”
- 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
1 John 5:4, “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.”
Since we have new life from God, we should expect a life of victory over the world and sin. The idea of weakness in God’s children was foreign to John. What God has done in His children, makes us mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, (2 Corinthians 10:4). The “victory that overcomes the world” is our new life of abiding faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Knowing Jesus is more than knowing the facts about Him, it is abiding in Christ and feeding from Him. Jesus is the source of our new life, strength and nature.
We must have a clear and precise identification of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
1 John 5:6 NKJV 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.
There are many ideas about the phrase “by water and blood.”
Jesus came “by water and blood” indicates that He was “flesh-and-blood and lived as a man.” Some of these do not deserve mention. John 19:34 says, “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out..” This does not match the text in 1 John 5:6, that Jesus “came by water and blood.” Some believe this is referring to Jesus’ natural birth and the blood of the cross. The best explanation is that Jesus came into His ministry after water baptism and came by blood to stand in the place of the sinner on the cross.
1 John 5:7-8 NKJV For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
In heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit bear witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The voice came from heaven, “This is My beloved Son.” The Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove and remain upon Jesus. On earth, Jesus’ life, death and the Holy Spirit testify that He is God’s Son. We have the witness of His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious suffering on the cross, His bodily resurrection from the dead, and His ascension to the Father.
1 John 5:9-10 NKJV 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. 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.
We have irrefutable evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. God’s testimony is confirmed in all who believe in His Son.
The witness that we have received, that is in us, is the evidence of the new life and the abiding presence of the Spirit.
1 John 5:11-13 NKJV And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 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.
Many people do not believe because they have received the witness of men, but have rejected the witness of God. When we reject His witness, we make God a liar. God has said many times, “This is My beloved Son.” All God asks is that we trust His Word. Our faith and trust in His testimony is absolutely necessary for our salvation and hope of eternal life. Eternal life is in Christ. If we believe God’s witness, then we have this life within us.
Receiving this testimony impacts every facet of our relationship with God the Father.
1 John 5:14-15 NKJV Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Where do we get this confidence?
Those who believe in the name of the Son of God know that they have eternal life. Our connection with God through the Lord Jesus Christ gives us confidence and boldness before God.
Prayer is not a way of overcoming God’s reluctance to come to our aid, but laying hold of His willingness to do.
Again, our active abiding connection with Christ and the responding change that occurs within us enables us to know His will. When we submit to God and our will coincides with His will, we have boldness and confidence in prayer.
1 John 3:22 NKJV And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Prayer fails if we do not ask for something. God is generous in giving to those who ask. God is concerned about every issue of our lives. Nothing is too big or small to bring before God in prayer.
Philippians 4:6 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
1 John 5:16-17 NKJV 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. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
If we see a fellow believer sin, our duty is to go to God in prayer.
These two verses refer to any sin we may see a brother commit. When we pray for one another, we should expect an answer from God. In relation to sin, God will give them life.
2 Peter 3:9 NKJV The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
There is a sin that leads to death.
There is sin that leads to physical or spiritual death. In the Old Testament some intentional sins could be punished by exile or death, ( Numbers 15:30-31; Deuteronomy 17:12).
Matthew 12:31 NKJV Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
This “sin unto death” is a deliberate sin that is in defiance of God’s Word or the Holy Spirit. In Acts 5:1-11, Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit and fell down dead.
This sin leading to death may refer to blaspheming the Holy Spirit, rejecting Christ as Savior, a life of habitual or flagrant sin. It may refer to sin that is so terrible that God forsakes them.
Jeremiah was told not to pray for the rebellious Jews.
Jeremiah 7:16 NKJV Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.
Jeremiah 11:14 NKJV So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.
If we do see a fellow believer sin, we should pray for them.
1 John 2:1-2 NKJV My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
We can live in victory over sin and not continue sinning.
1 John 5:18-19 NLT We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
In the previous section, we were told, “If we see a brother sin.” Now we are being told “whoever is born of God does not habitually or continually practice sin.”
God has made a commitment to keep us.
At the same time, we must walk as children of the light and resist the snares and temptations to sin. We belong to God and should not continue practicing sin. If we do sin, we must run to the mercy seat and seek forgiveness and the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son will cleanse us.
Christ’s keeping power is absolutely necessary for us to live a life free from sin.
There is a major difference in us now that we know that we are of God. We must constantly be alert because the whole world is under the sway or control of the wicked one.
1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s bring 1 John to a conclusion.
1 John 5:20-21 NKJV 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. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
We know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We know that we are in Christ. We know that we have eternal life. We know we must persevere against the evil that is in the world.
