I John 5:1-5 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
When we come to this portion of John’s epistle, with the exception of an emphasis on “our faith“ (vs.4), he is reinforcing his previous thoughts concerning the Christian life. Within our text, we find a repetitive emphasis on “believeth.“ They stand like two bookends at the beginning (vs.1) and the end of our text (vs.5). This compressed paragraph begins and ends emphasizing the new birth with details concerning the experience in between. Some writers point out that these details give clarity to three aspects of the Christian life: faith, love, and obedience; these testify to the validity of being “born of God.” I would like to look at four thoughts surrounding the matter of being “born of God.”
(I) Conversion – vs.1
When speaking of conversion, it is necessary to remember that one is speaking of the “New Birth”; of being “born of God.” Jesus said unto Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:6-7). In the opening statement of verse 1, John points out three things concerning conversion or being “born of God.” John begins with the field of conversion: “Whosoever.” The gospel is to be preached to all men; Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
Peter declared under the inspiration of the Spirit, “The LORD is…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). The second thing we notice is the faith of conversion, “believeth.” The word John uses means, belief, to give credit to, to have mental persuasion, express faith. The writer emphasizes this important aspect of conversion in Hebrews 4:2, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” There must not only be a hearing of the gospel, but there must be a heeding of the gospel! The word “profit“ means to be useful, to benefit, an advantage or to better so as to prevail. The prevailing, beneficial, and useful aspect of the gospel is obtained when “mixed with faith.”
Lastly, there is the focus of conversion, “that Jesus is the Christ.” True conversion is only accomplished then faith is expressed in the Lord Jesus Christ! Paul said, “For whosoever“, the field of conversion, “shall call“, the faith of conversion, “upon the name of the Lord“, the focus of conversion, “shall be saved”, the finality of conversion (Romans 10:13). Note the phrase “call upon”; it means declared to be dedicated to a person as the Lord Jesus Christ, to appeal to an authority, to call upon or invoke. Once again, John is exposing the damnable doctrine of the Gnostic who rejected Jesus as being the Christ, the Son of God.
John is clear and to the point when it comes to conversion: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” This is the only means whereby the sinner is supernaturally taken out of the sphere of the world where the devil rules and is placed into the family of God; thus delivering one out of the dominion of darkness and “translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13).
(II) Compassion – vs.1-2
Having addressed the plan of conversion, John declares the products of conversion, beginning with compassion. While it may appear to be an oversimplification of the truth, true conversion yields compassion for the Father and the family. John uses a physical law to emphasize a spiritual truth; it is only natural to love one’s parents and to love all those who were begotten of them.
William Barclay said, “Love of God and love of man are inseparable parts of the same experience.” When challenged by a scribe concerning the greatest of the commandments, Jesus said, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31). Note our Lord’s emphasis in verse 31 on the double, “these”; is singular, “none other commandment.” John feels so strongly about this unifying truth that he declares in verse 2 that we possess an experiential knowledge that “we love the children of God” by the fact that “we love God.” One writer made reference to the old adage, “Love me, love my child.” True conversion generates true compassion for God and God’s children!
(III) Conduct – vs.2-3
True conversion not only has an effect on our compassion, but our compassion has an effect on our conduct, “keep his commandments.” F.F. Bruce emphasizes this union when he said, “The test of love and the test of obedience seem to be not two tests, but one.” Obedience is proof that one loves God; Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). When John uses the word “keep” he means to keep, set a watch, or to maintain. Knowing the ease with which we deceive ourselves, John gets direct and to the point: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” To live in open rebellion to the commandments of God is clear proof that one does not love God and is possibly void of the life of God.
When speaking of being born of God, we know that we possess a divine nature and “that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (I Corinthians 3:16). Warren W. Wiersbe said that the child of God has a divine nature within him, and it is impossible for this nature to disobey God. Speaking of disobedience, John said, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (I John 3:9). Obedience is proof of the believer’s love for God and life from God!
Having spoken of the proof of obedience, John deals with the performance of obedience, “and his commandments are not grievous.” This could not be said of the commandments of men. When speaking of the commandments of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers” (Matthew 23:4). The word “grievous” means that which is burdensome or heavy in weight; thus making their performance a troublesome task. It is to be noted that while they are not burdensome, it doesn’t say that they are not difficult. What would prove to be a burden or impossibility without love is made comparatively easier when motivated by our love for God. John is saying, to love Him is to obey Him!
(IV) Conquest – vs.4-5
With conversion comes conquest; Jesus said, “If ye were of the world, the world ·would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19). What is John’s response to the hatred and opposition of the world; “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
Paul said that in spite of all that the world throws at the children of God, “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword . . . Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:35 & 37). When Paul describes the saints as “more than conquerors”, he is speaking of the ability to vanquish beyond so as to gain a decisive victory.
John has a similar emphasis when he speaks of “overcometh the world.” The word “overcometh” means to subdue, to conquer, to prevail, to get the victory. While Paul emphasizes of the substance of victory, John’s emphasis includes the source of victory. This is seen in two words, “whatsoever” and “victory.” While the word “whatsoever” and “whosoever” in verse 1 are the same Greek word, when it is translated “whatsoever” it has a slightly different emphasis. John R.W. Stott said, “By using “whatsoever”, he emphasizes not the victorious person, but the victorious power.” When John speaks of “the victory”, it is used to describe the means of success in the conquest. What is the source of power or the means by which the victory is obtained, “even our faith.”
Victory in the Christian Life
It is by faith that we are united with the Lord Jesus Christ, and His victory becomes our victory. We conquer by His power; “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). One old writer said, “The victory which the Christian is ever winning is the personal appropriation of a victory gained once for all. It is His victory appropriated by us.” Paul emphasizes this truth when writing to the saints at Corinth, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57).
The children of God are not fighting for victory, but from victory! When John uses the word “overcometh”, he is not only speaking of past and settled, once-for-all victory that took place in the past, but also a present-tense, daily victory that overcomes in the present. Faith is more than the secret and source of the new birth; it is that which links the child of God to the ever-present, sufficient power of God. Jesus said, “be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Having emphasized the substance and the source, John concludes with the subjects of victory: “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” If there is any question as to who the overcomers are, John makes it very clear. Once again, John drove the spiritual dagger of truth into the hearts of the Gnostics! It is not just enough to exercise the operation of faith, “believeth “; it is imperative that one be correct concerning the object of faith, “that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Within the text, John opens and closes his thoughts with the idea of “believeth.” Sandwiched between are details concerning being “born of God”; conversion, compassion, conduct, and conquest. These details give clarity to three aspects of the Christian life: faith, love, and obedience. When present, they testify to the validity that one has been “born of God.”
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