1st John Chapter 5 Part 1

5:1 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.

John returns to the essence of the gospel message. It bears repeating many times over because the simplicity of the gospel is easily perverted either through ignorance or deliberation, 2nd Corinthians 11:3. The monument of Roman Catholicism is an enduring picture of grace perverted into a religion and system of works. It is a sharp contrast from the simple message John proclaims: whoever, whoever at all, believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.

1st John Chapter 4 Part 14

4:20-21 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

John presents some bold language about the spiritual attitudes of believers. But his judgment is based on observation, or a lack thereof. If someone says that they love God but acts in a manner that demonstrates hatred toward their Christian brother, John names such a man a liar. We read in 1st John 5:1, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.”

1st John Chapter 4 Part 13

4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

We learn this profound truth: our love for God stems from His loving character and what He has done to demonstrate that love toward us. It is ironic and providential that the love God has for us originates within Himself, since He is love as we have been reading. Our love for Him likewise originates from the revelation of God’s person and accomplishment; it is founded in Him.

1st John Chapter 4 part 12

4:17-18 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We come now to what I believe is the heart of John’s message regarding the believer’s eternal security in Jesus Christ. Our love is made perfect (Greek teleioo, meaning to complete, accomplish, or consummate) so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Herein, says John; for this reason our love is made perfect, so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. The Greek word for “boldness” in this instance is “parrhesia” and means “all out-spokenness, frankness, bluntness, by implication: assurance.”

1st John Chapter 4 Part 11

4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Two verses prior John writes that he has seen and testified that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Now he states that they have known and believed the love God has for us. This love was demonstrated at the cross when Jesus died on our behalf. John witnessed this firsthand, John 1:14; 19:26. Now he tells us that they have known and believed. Right knowledge is a beginning; but faith must take over where knowledge ends.

1st John Chapter 4 Part 10

4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

Confession of the gospel is a sign that the message has been heard, considered, and believed. Paul writes, “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,” Romans 10:9. Our faith is in a risen, living Savior who has life in Himself, and is capable of giving it to those who believe, John 1:4; 5:26; 17:2. This declaration of faith is the heart of the New Testament. Faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ is what saves; nothing else avails.

1st John Chapter 4 Part 9

4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, cont.

Rome draws its authority from a pretended line of unbroken succession from Peter the apostle to today’s present Pope; but that was not how the office of apostle was received, as we have seen from Peter’s own words in Acts and Paul’s testimony regarding his own reception of it, Galatians 1:11-12.

1st John Chapter 4 Part 8

4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

We would do well to pause and consider who John is referring to when he writes the little word “we.” “We” have seen and “we” testify; who is this we John mentions? He is clearly one among this number. It is the apostles of the Lord, who were with Him during His earthly ministry and to whom He appeared after His resurrection, Acts 1:21-22; 1st Corinthians 9:5; 15:5-8.

1st John Chapter 4 Part 7

4:12-13 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

John is clearly referring to the Father at this point. Jesus said, “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father,” John 6:46. The Son was incarnated and clearly visible to those who walked with Him, and through the Son we see the Father, John 14:9. It is said in the Scriptures that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, Colossians 1:15.

1st John Chapter 4 Part 6

4:10-11 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

The prior verse tells us that God’s love was manifested on the cross when Jesus Christ died for our sins. Though verse 9 does not distinctly say this John 3:16 and our present verses fill in the blanks. The crucifixion of our Lord was the act of God giving His Son to be sin for us; in this was love.

1st John Chapter 4 Part 5

4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

God wanted us to know beyond any shadow of a doubt that He loves us. Sending Jesus Christ to this earth so that through Him we might have eternal life was His method of choice. We find God practicing what He preaches. He commands that anyone who loves Him also love his brother in Christ, 1st John 4:21. To demonstrate the nature of love God gave Christ to us while we were His enemies, Romans 5:8. Paul agrees with John by writing “God demonstrates His own love toward us,” by sending Jesus while we were sinners and rebels.

1st John Chapter 4 part 4

4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

John provides several tests so that we may know the nature and spirit of the teacher coming to us in Christ’s name. Such a teacher must have a biblical acceptance of the fact that God came in the flesh (1st John 4:2); they must be willing to hear the biblical admonitions of fellow Christians (1st John 4:6); and finally, those truly born of God love their Christian brothers, demonstrated by action, verses 7 and 18.