Taking Advice from the Beloved Disciple – 1John 5 (The Conclusion)

Chapter 5 concludes the Apostle’s letter to his family in Christ with encouragement that God-birthed faith in Jesus, the Son of God, overcomes all evil. It is this faith that is the victory because it culminates in eternal life with Father God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and every believer that ever lived. With such an affirming letter about eternal life and God’s love for His children, it is a pretty sobering thought to end the letter with a command to keep oneself from idols.  

John did not speak of idolatry in the Gospel of John, nor elsewhere in the Epistles of John except in the last verse: 1 John 5:21. The only other record in the Bible (to my knowledge) where John is ascribed authorship is found in Revelation within Christ’s warnings.

Here’s the question: We say we love God, do we? Or do we cherish other things that compete for His place?

Chapter at a Glance

From the epistle’s keywords, we see an equal distribution in the emphasis on LOVE and KNOWING throughout the letter and in chapter 5, but that’s not all!

The phrase, “born of God” emerges in chapter 5 where it is most frequently used.

The big idea in 1 John 5 is that God is life and is the imparter of His life.

Those born of God have His life/seed within them, so they:

Background

The Apostle John understood who Jesus was (the incarnate and resurrected Son of God), and John understood how much Christ loved him. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the First Epistle of John was written so that those who came to faith after Christ’s ascension could also have:

• a firm and unwavering knowledge of God based on truth;
• fellowship with the Godhead; and,
• enjoy fellowship with all other believers because of God’s indwelling Spirit in each believer.

For review purposes (in a summary format of 1 John 1 to 1 John 4), we learned that:

• God is Light/True Illumination (1 John 1:1 — 2:2)
  • Believers can have fellowship with God by:
    1. walking in the light (1 John 1:3-7);
    2. confessing sin (1 John 1:8-10); and,
    3. Christ’s advocating intercession (1 John 2:1-2)

• God is Love/True Supernatural Holy and Righteous Love (1 John 2:3 – 4:21)
  • Believers can have Godly fellowship with other believers by walking in God’s type of love. (1 John 2:3-14)
  • Believers must not love the world (1 John 2:15-28)
  • Believers can recognize each other and live in unity (1 John 2:29 — 4:21) because of:
    1. the Father’s love for His children (1 John 2:29 — 3:3);
    2. the nature of God indwells every believer at all stages of Christian maturity (1 John 3:4-24); and,
    3. the Word of God has defined and warned against false teachers (1 John 4:1-6).
       • God is love, so His children will love each other (1 John 4:7-21) unlike deceivers.

Now, as we review Chapter 5, we see that:

• God is Life (1 John 5)
  • Believers have God-birthed faith that is the victory over the world (1 John 5:1-5).
  • Believers have the assurance of salvation (1 John 5:6-21)

Let’s talk about it.

Segment Insights

Segment 1: Believers have God-birthed faith that is the victory over the world.

• Verse 1 – 5: Please read these verses and consider the following.

• The very first verse in this chapter points to the unity that is to exist in God’s family. Any person who is born of God loves others who are born of God, regardless of any differences. The God-given specification for rebirth into His family is faith in Jesus Christ. It is written:
  • “… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:9-11)
  • 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. (John 1:12-13)

• As we grow in our love for God, we will learn and obey God’s word (with Jesus Christ as our example of how to walk in the light). Jesus taught us that we should love God preeminently, and others secondarily as ourselves. He also clarified Christian love by saying:
  • “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

• The more we learn about the Godhead, the more we will love Him. Gaining a better understanding of the depth of God’s love for His children will enable us to joyfully obey the One who desires us to live forever with Him. We will understand that He has an eternal and omniscient view of all circumstances. He will always do what is right for us. We will rest in Him and enjoy confidence in His goodness. This results in a willingness to yield our wills to His and love His family (our family). Jesus said:
  • “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

• Christ’s promise was not that a believer would escape the hardship in this world or the hard work involved in the good fight of faith. Rather, Christ said that being yoked with Him comes with light momentary affliction (John 16:33, John 15:19-21). The Apostle Paul explained that this is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:14-17).

• Imagine Christ … for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame… (Hebrews 12:2). This is how much He loves His Father and those who would become His brethren (Hebrews 2:10-11).

• When the Father reveals Christ and faith is born, the child of God can increasingly echo the words of David because God’s Spirit indwells them in sweet fellowship.
  • The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7-11)

• The Greek word “niké” which is translated as victory, is used only once in the New Testament, namely 1 John 5:4. This victory can only be achieved by faith in Christ (which is the same as saying born of God). The Greek word”nikaó” is translated as victorious, overcome, prevail and subdue and this implies a fight. In the context of verse 4, the battle is with the world. Again, our victory is through Christ because the battle is the LORD’s and He has overcome it. It is written:
  • For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:16-17)
  • Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)
  • “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

• Our faith must include (1) total reliance on Christ’s sufficient atonement for all sin and victorious resurrection for eternal life (our justification by faith alone); and, (2) total reliance on Christ to overcome our daily existence in this world (our sanctification because of our faith).

Segment 2: Believers have the assurance of salvation

• Verse 6-21: Please read these verses and then consider the following (you may notice more segmentation than I am providing).

• In our earthly courtrooms, we accept the testimony or witness of human beings (who can error). Relative to our salvation, we have the historical testimony of 3 supernatural events, and today, we still have the testimony of 3 Divine. These 6 are more than sufficient evidence! Yet, Christ’s ascension did not leave us alone on earth. The Father imparted the Holy Spirit to His children. So now, we also have a 7th witness. The believer’s testimony of their regeneration! Whether it was the Apostle’s eyewitness testimony or a believer alive today, we can tell you how God changed us!

Testimony/Evidence God Sent Christ as Means of Eternal Salvation

• All these things are the testimony or the record for the believer that God has given eternal life through Jesus Christ. God wants the believer to know their sonship and to believe what He promised. The Father paid the highest and most consequential expense to deliver the message to us. Refusing to accept His offer insults His nature, grace, and the price He paid. The person who does not believe in Christ rejects the pardon and gift of eternal life; this person remains judged as guilty. Jesus said these things to us this way:
  • “… this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)
  • “…I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:28)
  • “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)

• Just before Judas betrayed Him, Jesus prayed to the Father confirming His earthly ministry of delivering God’s message had been completed (it was time for Him to return to the Father). Other than the God-Man, no human on earth has ever seen the Father with natural eyes (John 1:18, 1 John 4:12) because the Father is a Spirit. So, through the words and works of Christ who is the express image of God (Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3), we can know the Father and have eternal life. This is what Jesus prayed:
  • “as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:2-5)

• God answered Christ’s prayer. And God also answers all who are born of God. Just as Christ prayed according to the will of the Father, Jesus taught us to pray according to God’s will. When we do so, we can be certain our prayers will be answered in God’s timing and way. This is what is at the heart of 1 John 5:14-19.

• God will not violate His nature, therefore, when we pray according to the will of the Father (which is consistent with Scripture) we can expect the best result. Because He knows we can transgress His nature, He has given us the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the method of repentance so we can live and ask according to His will.

• Here are some helpful references: John 15:7-8; 1 John 3:22, Matthew 7:7-11, Matthew 21:22, James 4:3, James 5:16.

• There are also times when the Father will allow a sinning child of God to physically die to prevent them from continuing to live against God’s holy principles. Because the Father knows the future, taking this straying child home is an act of love since it ends the sin of a person who will not stop. God is the only righteous Judge, and since both physical and spiritual life are His for the giving and taking, He can individually assign a verdict for the good of all involved. In Corinth, some believers physically died because of sin (1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 1 Corinthians 11:27-32). Even Moses and Aaron died for theirs (Numbers 20:12). No one disputes whether God accepted Moses (Matthew 17:1-6).

• Even if we pray for someone whom God is disciplining because of sin, we can expect that only God’s purpose will prevail. A child of God will either (1) repent or (2) be taken home. We should not be presumptuous about the outcome of unrepentant sin. While we know that God’s preference is for all people to accept Christ, it is the height of hubris to assume we know the will of God for an individual or their future (since this matter involves God’s election and foreknowledge, along with the heart of fickle people). Jesus knew who God gave to Him for salvation and prayed:
  • “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.” (John 17:9).

• Likewise, not everyone who passes before a certain age dies because of their unrepentant sin. There are purposes and causes we may not understand. Rather, we should realize that nothing can separate the child of God from His love. As it is written:
  • “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

• God’s promise to us is that the evil one can not snatch us out of His hands. We are to know that a person who believes (1) what God said through His Son, and (2) relies on the finished work through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection for salvation has received a regenerated spirit (born of God). His family has eternal life because they are born of incorruptible seed! We bear His birthmarks. We walk like Christ walked. We talk like Christ talked. We love as Christ loves. Now that we have been transfered from the kingdom of darkness into His glorious Kingdom of light, we are being progressively transformed by His Spirit (who gives us understanding about His likeness)!

• So if we have everything we need for life and godliness, why fashion any idol? Why make anything a greater priority? Did you know that anyone or anything that you allow to break your fellowship with God is an idol?

• Children of God don’t need idols when they possess and are the real thing. Don’t let the evil one lie to you about gaining satisfaction elsewhere (Deuteronomy 8:18-20)! Jesus passed that test by quoting Scripture (Matthew 4:8-11), and so can you!

Action Items:

Knowledge is the first step in living an overcoming life. The next step is in doing. Knowing that God will not allow you to be tested above what you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), we realize that we have God’s authority to rely on and utilize. Our faith in action through Christ’s authority is the empowerment to overcome.

Here are some action guidelines for overcoming based on Scripture.

Application (Self-Examination):

• What is your conclusion and confidence? Do you know Christ? Do you love God? Do you joyfully obey His Word? How do you know?
• Friend, if you have followed this “Lite” series, there is a reason you have persisted. Regardless of where you are in your walk of faith with Christ, this moment is the best moment to talk with the One who paid the price for all of our sins. Why not thank Him and confess our need for Him (with specifics)? We won’t be perfect until we reach our home with Him. What a glorious thing to look forward to!

What Can You Do? 

• Here’s a song to celebrate our hope in the Lord.

What were the Series Objectives?

• Understand the evidence of eternal salvation with its instructions and warnings.  This is something we need to be sure of now.
• Celebrate the assurance we have in Christ; deepen our fellowship with the Father and His family.
• Identify and take any corrective actions.

All Scripture in this blog is from the New King James Version unless otherwise specified.