Post by foxjj on Nov 27, 2023 8:00:09 GMT
First John Chapter 5- (ESV)
Chapter five of the first epistle of John, teaches the importance of faith in Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Son of God, starting with the crucial statement of faith often overlooked by many to their spiritual loss:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”
The title Christ is from the Hebrew Messiah, meaning the Anointed One. To believe Jesus is the Anointed of God, is fundamental to Salvation as John 1:12-13 states: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Consequently as Children of God, we have a special relationship with fellow believers:
1 John 5 continues:
“2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
As Children of God we have experienced new birth. We have been born again and are filled with The Spirt, thereby loving God becomes our natural way of life. The commandments of God are guides for our life, therefore, if all were to respect God’s law’s and love their neighbours, there would be no crimes or wars.
1 John 5: 4-6:
“4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”
The ministry of Jesus was encapsulated between His baptism (came by water) and His Crucifixion (the blood). In chapter one of the Gospel according to John, we read where the Baptist gives testimony of The Spirit giving witness to the Divinity of Jesus: “32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:7-10:
“7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.”
The testimony of the ministry of Jesus with its miraculous signs, included testimony from Heaven: “And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”- Mark 1:11. The greatest testimony of God concerning His Son was shown in the resurrection of Jesus. We ignore God’s testimony concerning Jesus at our spiritual peril. Luke 9:35 proclaims: “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
1 John 5: 11-12:
“11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
In the Gospel of John chapter three we have the core message of the Gospel: “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
1 John 5:13-14:
“13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
Having a personal knowledge of God through salvation in Jesus, gives one confidence in their prayer life. Christian maturity teaches one to know how to pray not only for our needs, but also for the needs of others as we read in verse’s 16-17:
“16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.”
The mark of a child of God is our life style in which we avoid sinful practices. We stand out because Jesus is in our life:
“18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
John closes his letter with this assurance:
“20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Today, let us give thanks for the gift of faith.
John Joseph Fox.
Chapter five of the first epistle of John, teaches the importance of faith in Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Son of God, starting with the crucial statement of faith often overlooked by many to their spiritual loss:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”
The title Christ is from the Hebrew Messiah, meaning the Anointed One. To believe Jesus is the Anointed of God, is fundamental to Salvation as John 1:12-13 states: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Consequently as Children of God, we have a special relationship with fellow believers:
1 John 5 continues:
“2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
As Children of God we have experienced new birth. We have been born again and are filled with The Spirt, thereby loving God becomes our natural way of life. The commandments of God are guides for our life, therefore, if all were to respect God’s law’s and love their neighbours, there would be no crimes or wars.
1 John 5: 4-6:
“4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”
The ministry of Jesus was encapsulated between His baptism (came by water) and His Crucifixion (the blood). In chapter one of the Gospel according to John, we read where the Baptist gives testimony of The Spirit giving witness to the Divinity of Jesus: “32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:7-10:
“7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.”
The testimony of the ministry of Jesus with its miraculous signs, included testimony from Heaven: “And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”- Mark 1:11. The greatest testimony of God concerning His Son was shown in the resurrection of Jesus. We ignore God’s testimony concerning Jesus at our spiritual peril. Luke 9:35 proclaims: “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
1 John 5: 11-12:
“11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
In the Gospel of John chapter three we have the core message of the Gospel: “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
1 John 5:13-14:
“13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
Having a personal knowledge of God through salvation in Jesus, gives one confidence in their prayer life. Christian maturity teaches one to know how to pray not only for our needs, but also for the needs of others as we read in verse’s 16-17:
“16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.”
The mark of a child of God is our life style in which we avoid sinful practices. We stand out because Jesus is in our life:
“18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
John closes his letter with this assurance:
“20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Today, let us give thanks for the gift of faith.
John Joseph Fox.