1 John 5 - Born of God

1 John 5:1-12 – Faith in Jesus

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.  We are born of God when we put our trust in Jesus and His work in saving our lives.  When we love God and keep His commandments, we know we are His child.  John says His commands are not burdensome, but a blessing.  Jesus said, “For my joke is easy, and my burden is light” – Matt. 11:30.  Jesus indicated it was man-made rules and the teachers of legalism and hypocrisy who made the burden hard.  Christ has already taken the burden, so it should be our joy to obey.  Obedience brings us closer to Him.

How can His commandments not be burdensome?  Love seems hard and denying the flesh is a constant battle.  Jesus condensed the commands to love God and others in Matt.  22:36-40. They are not burdensome because when we receive Christ, we are born of God and become a new creation.  God begins to live in you and make real inner transformation possible.  The burden then in not all on you.  Jesus is there to help.

John tells us the Jesus is the One who came by water and blood.  He defined three witnesses that tell us who Jesus is: water, blood, and the Spirit.  The Spirit is the Holy Spirit who bears witness about Jesus as God’s Son.  The water refers to Jesus’ baptism when He came out of the water there was a divine proclamation from heaven that He was God’s beloved Son.  Also through His baptism, He identified with us.  The blood is proof because of the blood He sacrificed on the cross.  Even the centurion was convinced who Jesus was just as many others were.  These three witness are in agreement and tell us who Jesus is.  There is a bonus witness: God.  We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it’s the testimony of God Himself.  Rejection of Jesus makes God a liar. 

Principle:  The three witnesses - the Spirit, the water, and the blood tell us who Jesus is.

1 John 5:13-21 – John’s Final remarks

John gave us the purpose for writing these things to us.  “So that you may know that you have eternal life.” – 1 John 5:13b.

If you know God, you are to have confidence that He will hear your prayers.  If you pray according to God’s will, you know your prayers will be answered.  John said to ask anything according to His will.  This indicates we should pray about anything and everything.  We pray according to His will because He wants to bring our will into alignment with His will.  God cares about our lives and nothing is too small or too big to pray about.  (1 John 5:13-15)

A while ago, I went shopping with a friend.  She prayed that she would find a yellow shirt.  I thought that was such a trivial thing to ask God for, but we all ask God for trivial things we want.  Nothing is too small to ask God for.   He cares for us and what we care about.  Sometimes He gives us what we ask for and sometimes He doesn’t.  It’s all about what His will is for our lives.  We don’t always understand why we don’t always get exactly what we ask for.  Remember His ways are not our ways and He always knows what is best.  So when we pray we should pray in His will.   

Whether you pray to find a yellow shirt or not, God cares and we should ask ourselves if we should really care about that shirt in the long run.  The real purpose of prayer is to put God at the center of our thoughts and establish a relationship with Him.  Scripture says, “Do not be anxious about anything , but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. “ – Phil. 4:6.

Principle:  God cares about our lives and nothing is too small or too big to pray about.

John’s tells us we should love at all times and avoid sin at all times.  This may cause some discomfort or fear if you are struggling to love or to abstain from temptation.  These words of John are meant to comfort, not condemn.  They are meant to provide assurance, not doubt.  If you have placed your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your life in hidden in Him (Col. 3:3) and no one can take it away. 

John ends by saying to keep yourselves from idols.  If you love God, you don’t need or want to love or worship any other gods. (1 John 5:21)

Principle:  We should love at all times and avoid sin at all times.

John gives believers assurance throughout this book:

1 John 2:3 - we know that we have come to know him if we obey

1 John 2:5 – this is how we know that we are in Him

1 John 2:13a – you have known him who has been from the beginning

1 John 2:13b – you have known the Father

1 John 2:14 – you have known him who is from the beginning

1 John 2:18 – this is how we know it is the last hour

1 John 2:20 – all of you know the truth

1 John 2:29 – you know that he is righteous

1 John 3:2 – we know that when he appears…

1 John 3:5 – you know that he appeared

1 John 3:10 – this is how we know the children of God

1 John 3:14 – we know that we have passed from death to life

1 John 3:15 – you know that no murderer has eternal life

1 John 3:16 – this is how we know what love is

1 John 3:19 – this then is how we know that we belong to the truth

1 John 3:24 – this is how we know that he lives in us

1 John 4:6 –  whoever knows God listens and can recognize spirit of truth and spirit of falsehood

1 John 4:7 – everyone who loves knows God

1 John 4:8 – whoever does not love does not know God

1 John 4:13 – we know that we live in him and he in us

1 John 4:16  we know and rely on the love God has for us

1 John 5:2 – this is how we know we love children of God

1 John 5:13 – so that you may know that you have eternal life

1 John 5:15 – if we know he hears us, we know that we have what we asked

1 John 5:18 – we know we don’t continue to sin

1 John 5:19 – we know we are children of God

1 John 5:20 – we know the Son of God has come and know he is true

Join me next week for the study of 2 John and 3 John.  Hope to see you here. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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