1 John 5 FSI - HEAR, O EARTH

> [!title|noicon] **1 John 5 Notes** > [[1 John 4 FSI|<Prev]] > [[1 John 5|Verse list view]] > [1 John 5:1](1%20John%205.md#^1) note > > Let’s look at the first part of this verse. We read that whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (see [Mt 16:16](Matthew%2016.md#^16) - [17](Matthew%2016.md#^17)). To believe that Jesus is the Christ means to believe He is the only Savior. Only He could pay for our sins. There is no other means of salvation. > > To be born of God means to be born again – to be saved. It means that God has made us His child. We are not born of God as a result of the fact that we believe in Jesus. We are able to truly believe in Christ only because God has done the work of salvation in our hearts. It is God’s work entirely. > > We learned in [1 John 4:19](1%20John%204.md#^19) that we love God because He first loved us. God takes the first action. He loved us and He saved us, and consequently we are born again and we are able to truly believe on Christ and love Him. > > The second part of 1 John 5:1 must be looked at carefully to understand the terms “begat” and “begotten.” Who is this talking about? > > We know that Jesus is God’s only begotten Son, as we read in [John 3:16](John%203.md#^16), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” > > But God uses this same word, “begotten” to apply to His children – the ones He has saved and brought into the family of God. The same Greek word in the original manuscript is translated as both “born” and as “begotten.” > > So when we read in verse 1: “every one that loves Him that begat” – that is God – “loves him also that is begotten of Him” – that is the brethren. They are the ones who have become sons of God. Here we see that this is a very tightly knit family. In other words, God again emphasizes that if we love God, we also love the children of God. ^1jn5-1 > [1 John 5:2](1%20John%205.md#^2) - [3](1%20John%205.md#^3) note > > All through chapters 3 and 4 of 1 John, God had stressed that a true believer not only loves God, but he also loves the brethren. This indeed is one of the indicators that someone has been saved. If we love God, we must also love our brethren. > > This principle is reiterated here in verse 2 of chapter 5. When we love God and keep His commandments, we know that we will also love the children of God, who are the brethren we have been told to love. > > Obviously, loving God and keeping His commandments are strongly related, as we see in these two verses. If we love God, we will keep His commandments. His commandments are the whole Bible, which we are to obey. Our obedience to God is a result of our salvation. Because we now love God, we want to obey Him in all things. We want to read the Bible and find out how to obey God, and how to walk as a Christian. That becomes the goal of our life. > > With our love for God comes the desire for obedience. Before we were saved, we were in rebellion against God, but now as His children, we are under His love and we love Him in return. Our love for God should show up in our life. > > God declares that His commandments are not grievous. In fact they become very joyful for us to do. Is that really so? Do we find it difficult to be obedient to God’s commands? > > It will be difficult if we are still trying to have our own way. When we put ourselves under God’s will, and want to be in God’s will in all things, we will find it is a lot easier to be obedient to God’s commands. One of the signs of salvation is an ongoing desire to do God’s will. That is because it has taken hold of our whole being. > > This is where we must examine ourselves. Do I have this ongoing desire? Or do I still want my own willful way? Because if I am really honest about this, I will have a good idea of where I stand with God as I think through this question. This is a very, very important question that we must look at. > > We have learned that to love God means to keep His commandments and to love the brethren. These are signs that we really love God. God gives us indicators. If He has saved us, we will love Him as we should. We will have an ongoing desire to do His will. We will genuinely love the brethren. If we are one of God’s children, we will be able to live our lives as God has commanded. We will do so joyfully and lovingly. > > What a privilege we have to be in fellowship with our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. What a great and loving God we serve! ^1jn5-2-3 > [1 John 5:4](1%20John%205.md#^4) - [5](1%20John%205.md#^5) note > > As we have learned, to be born of God means to become His child. That person, God declares, overcomes the world. This is what we expect to see in the life of a true believer, when we are convicted that Jesus is the Son of God. > > There are three aspects that are included in these statements about overcoming the world: the new birth, our faith, and the belief that Jesus is the Son of God. These three things taken together give a child of God the ability to overcome the world. > > To overcome the world means that the world no longer has any control over us. We are living for Christ now, not for the world. The pleasures and fears that relate to the world cannot overtake us. Our faith delivers us and gives us victory. > > God stresses that we must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, to begin with. This is not just an intellectual belief, but a heart testimony. Our faith is not contingent on us; it is based on Christ’s work. He has done what He must do our behalf, so we can put our entire trust in Him with no reservation of any kind. > > We know that Christ has indeed made complete payment for our sins, and given us victory over sin. We therefore have full assurance that we can put our trust in Christ and we will be safe and secure. Nothing can take away our security in Christ. > > Our faith becomes an integral part of our life and gives us a sense of victory. Faith identifies wholly with Christ. Christ is the faithful One, and He has given us the gift of faith. Our faith is adequate to give us victory over the world because Christ is the Victor. > > As true believers, we have come to lean on Christ and trust in Christ completely. Our trust begins with the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, and is eternal God. Therefore He is everything we could possibly need. > > Christ has overcome the world, and He includes us in that victory over the world. Or to say it another way, Christ is the Victor over sin and death, and we can have faith in Him and be included in the victory that He has accomplished. Because we believe in Christ as the Son of God, He has given us faith in Him, and the ability to overcome the world. > > Verses 1 through 5 of this chapter are all interrelated. God has wrapped it all up in a complete package. > > We believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. God gives us our belief and our faith. He gives us love for Him and the brethren. Because we love God we are able to obey His commandments, and we do so joyfully. As an outcome of all this, we have overcome the world. The world no longer has any power over our lives. > > What is the victory over the world? Our faith. The person who believes that Christ is the Son of God—that is to say, those who are truly saved—has victory over the things of the world. The world does not recognize that Christ is anything. But they cannot lie to us about Christ or drag us down because we have victory. We are not at risk of defeat. We are the winner. We have Truth on our side. God’s emphasis in 1 John 5:4-5 is on victory. > > Because we have a relationship with Christ, the Son of God, there is victory. Because we have trusted in Christ, we are the victors, because Christ is the ultimate Victor. > > These are not just empty words. Christ won all that was necessary. He is recognized as Eternal God. He is the total Victor who has overcome every obstacle. Christ obtained all that He desired; He is the Winner. He won the victory over death and over everything caused by sin. When we become saved, all of these truths are ours. > > Now we live with that knowledge, and it is a new world for us when we become saved. > > I know I can be a child of God because Christ won the victory over sin and death and Satan. Because of Christ, we who are His children have overcome the world. This is such a glorious victory that we should want to shout it out to the world: “Christ has won the victory over death and sin!” > > The first few verses of 1 John Chapter 5 have stressed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Verse 6 goes on to say, “This is He…” referring again to Jesus Christ. ^1jn5-4-5 > [1 John 5:6](1%20John%205.md#^6) note > > Jesus Christ came by water and blood; not by water only, but by water and blood. God really emphasizes this fact by declaring it twice in this verse. > > The ministry of Jesus here on earth was officially begun when He was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. We can read this account in [Matthew 3:16](Matthew%203.md#^16) - [17](Matthew%203.md#^17): > > *And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice heaven, saying, this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.* > > God the Father gave verbal testimony that Jesus is His Son. In addition, John the Baptist gave his testimony in [John 1:32](John%201.md#^32), [33](John%201.md#^33), [34](John%201.md#^34), when he declared: > > *I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him....and I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God.* > > The Holy Trinity was in evidence at that moment: Jesus Christ, the Son; the voice of God the Father, and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. This was the witness that Jesus indeed was the Son of God, the Christ. > > But 1 John 5:6 declares that He came by water and blood. The blood must refer to the blood He shed when He paid the penalty for our sins. We read for example in [Colossians 1:20](Colossians%201.md#^20), “And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself…” > > It is the Holy Spirit that bears witness of these facts, because the Spirit is Truth. ^1jn5-6 > [1 John 5:7](1%20John%205.md#^7) - [8](1%20John%205.md#^8) note > > Here we see very plainly the description of the Holy Trinity: The Father, the Word, who is Christ, and the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit. And these three are One. God is three distinct persons, yet one God. > > When we speak of the Trinity, we are including all three Persons of the Godhead, but we are speaking of one God. This is a divine mystery. Many people have tried to understand this by making some kind of earthly analogy, but in reality we cannot even begin to understand the Trinity. Nor should we, because we know only as much as God has revealed to us. We must accept the fact of the Trinity entirely in faith. > > God is three Persons in one, and they all bear record that Christ is the Son of God. These three bear record in heaven, we read in verse 7. But in verse 8, we read about the three that bear witness in earth: the spirit, the water and the blood, and these three agree in one. > > This statement is in agreement with what we read in verse 6: He, that is Jesus, came by water and blood, and the Spirit bears witness. > > John the Baptist came baptizing with water, but he was not the Messiah. It was the shed blood of Jesus Christ that gave the water baptism its spiritual significance. Water baptism is symbolic of the spiritual cleansing we receive when God saves us. We are spiritually dirty, and God makes us clean. This spiritual cleansing is possible only because Christ has paid for our sins by shedding His blood. > > Indeed, God declares in [Romans 6:3](Romans%206.md#^3), “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?” > > God has emphasized in these verses in 1 John 5 that Jesus came by water and blood, and God in the person of the Trinity has testified that this is true. We have God’s testimony that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, our only Savior. Only Jesus could have paid for our sins by coming under the wrath of God. Only Jesus could have come to earth as the Son of God to manifest His great love to the world. > > Only God could have written these words in 1 John 5 with such authority, because the Spirit is Truth. It is this essential truth which gives His witnesses such infallible authority. Indeed we are astounded beyond measure when we read these things and put them all together. And if we say that we know everything about this, we do not have truth, because only God has the authority to understand what He has accomplished, and it is simply wonderful. ^1jn5-7-8 *Verses 7-8 were the last study recorded by Harold Camping. He was unable to finish this study of 1 John 5 before the Lord took him home.* *This 1 John study was conducted by Harold Camping of Family Radio (compiled 11-14-2014). Tags: #New_Testament #1John #Gods_love #FSI