‘Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God, and whoever loves him who begat loves him also who is begotten of him.' Those who have a true faith in the crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ as both God and man are begotten of God. Pause for a moment to consider the wonder of that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not grievous.' And how will we know that we love our brothers? By the fact that we love God and obey His commandments, thos... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TRUE CHRISTIAN OVERCOMES BY HIS FAITH IN JESUS THE SON OF GOD (1 JOHN 5:4). ‘For whatever is begotten of God overcomes the world. And this is the conquering power that has overcome the world, even our faith. And who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGH THE COMING OF JESUS GOD'S SON, WHICH WAS WELL TESTIFIED TO, WE CAN KNOW THAT WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE (1 JOHN 5:6). ‘This is he who came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘He who believes on the Son of God has the witness in him. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning his Son. And the witness is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has... [ Continue Reading ]
‘These things have I written to you, that you may know that you have eternal life, even to you who believe on the name of the Son of God.' And these things are written to his hearers and readers so that they might know that they have eternal life (John 5:24), because they believe on the name of the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE TO CONTINUE IN PRAYER AS THEY SEEK TO ESTABLISH GOD'S KINGLY RULE (1 JOHN 5:14) ‘And this is the boldness which we have towards 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 which we hav... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCLUSION (1 JOHN 5:14). John concludes his letter with four major points. 1) The certainty that Christians can have of victory through prayer. In the face of all that confronts them they can be bold for they have access to the All-powerful One Who hears their prayers as they go about doing His w... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE TO BE WATCHFUL FOR ONE ANOTHER AND CONTINUE INSTANT IN PRAYER FOR ONE ANOTHER (1 JOHN 5:16). ‘If any man see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who do not sin unto death. There is a sin unto death. Not concerning this do I say that... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE TO LOOK TO THE ONE WHO HAS BEGOTTEN THEM TO ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND KEEP THEMSELVES FROM SIN AND FROM THE WORLD (1 JOHN 5:18). ‘We know that whoever is begotten of God does not continue in sin, but he who was begotten of God keeps himself (or ‘him'), and the evil one touches... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE TO KEEP THEMSELVES OUT OF THE ARMS OF THE EVIL ONE (1 JOHN 5:21). ‘Little children, guard yourselves from idols.' It is regularly said that this comes as a rather strange comment at the end of the letter, almost unattached from the remainder. But that is to miss the point. For having give... [ Continue Reading ]