Faith in the Son of God
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Concluding Remarks
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of him.
If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also 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—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
My Understanding: John made the statement here that “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” This statement has to be read in the context of John’s entire letter. In that case, we understand “belief” to be something that involves change of heart and is accompanied by action, which proves that genuine faith exists. We have learned in reading this book that faith is not just external, experiential, emotional, ritualistic or intellectual, but it exists in the framework of true repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to Christ and to his commands. These – repentance and obedience - are the two main characteristics of genuine faith that characterize this letter of I John.
The other main characteristic of his letter, which is closely intertwined with the other two, and is of upmost importance, is the matter of loving God and loving others, for if we hate our brother, than we cannot truly love God. And, if we continue in willful sin, then we are not of Christ. And, if we do not obey God’s commands, then we are not his true children. Yet, if we love God, then we will obey his commands. Thus, understood in that context, we know that when John makes a statement like the first one of this chapter, that “belief” to him is so much more than just intellectual assent. True belief involves change of heart and action to prove that genuine faith truly exists.
The way in which we demonstrate God’s love to the children of God, his church, is by loving God and carrying out his commands. And, the way we demonstrate to God that we love him is by obeying his commands. And, his commands are not too much for us to bear, because Christ is within us and he has overcome the world and Satan and sin, so we can be confident and assured in our faith that nothing is too hard for us to do in Christ, and in his power and strength at work within us, and out through us into the lives of others. I know that the best way my husband can love me is for him to be in intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus and in walking in obedience to him, because then he will love me with the love of Christ in laying down his life for me, and loving me as Christ loves the church. And, the same applies to me in how I love and obey Christ, and thus am able to love my husband and children and grandchildren with Christ’s love, i.e. in the way Christ Jesus loves me.
John said that Jesus Christ came to us by water and the blood, and that the Spirit of God testifies, because the Spirit is truth. Then, John stated that there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. I know this sounds confusing. Some commentators see the water as the water of baptism through which Jesus began his earthly ministry, yet in referencing John 3 where Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about being born again, the reference there to water in birth had to do, I believe, with physical birth. Jesus had to be born physically as a baby and in human flesh, and then he had to die on the cross for our sins, and both were significant and important to him being our perfect lamb sacrifice for our sins (read Hebrews). The Spirit of God, nonetheless, came upon him in baptism, and God testified that he was God’s Son, whom God loves, and with whom God was well pleased. So Jesus’ supernatural and incarnate birth, his baptism, accompanied by the testimony of God the Father and anointing of the Spirit, and his death for our sins, all testify that he is indeed God the Son, and the Son of the living God, our Father.
Thus, as true believers in Jesus Christ, we must believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God the Son, left heaven, came to earth and was born in human flesh, suffered like we suffer, was tempted like we are tempted, yet without sin, that he was baptized and was anointed of the Spirit of God and testified about by God the Father when he said that Jesus Christ was his Son, whom he loves, and with whom he is well pleased. We also must believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, crucifying and burying our sins with him in death, and that he was resurrected to life in conquering death, hell, Satan and sin so that we could be free from the ultimate penalty of sin (eternal damnation) and free from daily control of sin over our lives. We are more than conquerors through him who loves us. And, we must believe, that through genuine faith (repentance and obedience) we invite the Lord Jesus Christ into our lives to have rule and reign, and when we do that, we receive his Holy Spirit within us as a seal guaranteeing our eternal inheritance with God, and as the one who cleanses and purifies us from all sin; and who transforms our hearts to be like Christ.
Lastly, John dealt with the subject of seeing a brother (or sister) committing sin that does not lead to death. That phrase is troubling, and there is much speculation about what sins lead to death and which ones don’t, or what that means exactly. So, I will not speculate. I believe that most of scripture encourages intercessory prayer, as well as loving and humble confrontation of the brother caught in sin, concerning his sin, and this for the express purpose of restoration of the sinner to a right relationship with God.
Then, John basically concluded his message from the entire letter, and he summarized what he had said concerning our relationship with Christ and continuous sin, and how the two don’t mix. We know that anyone who is truly born of God through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, does not continue in (lifestyle; unrepentant) sin. The reason that the true believer in Jesus Christ does not continue to live in willful sin is because Jesus Christ within him has rescued him from the body of sin and death, and has set him free from the control of sin. Jesus Christ conquered sin in sinful man so that we no longer live to please the desires of our sinful nature, but we live to please God. Satan has no power over those who genuinely belong to God. There is no question of who is going to win out at the end. So, we don’t have to buy into Satan’s lies which tell us that he is stronger, because greater is He (the Spirit of God) who is within us than he (Satan) who is in the world. So, we should keep our lives free from idols (anything that takes the place of God in our hearts) and we should live to please our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ, who died so we’d go free!
Your Servant / An Original Work / September 21, 2011
Lord, I love to have You near me
As I go throughout my day,
Walking daily in Your footsteps,
As I humbly pray.
List’ning to You, hear You teaching
Me to live and work for You,
Lord, I pray You lead and guide me
Daily in Your truth.
Lord, I want to be Your witness,
Telling others of Your grace;
Telling how they can be set free
Of their sins today;
Share with them the love of Jesus,
He died on a cruel tree,
So that we’d be forgiven
For all eternity.
Lord, I want to serve You only,
As I bow on bended knee,
Making You my Lord and master,
And Your servant be.
Humbly walking in obedience,
Doing what You say to me,
Lord, may I be an example
Of one who’s set free.
Song lyrics @ Public Domain
Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/your-servant
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io7ncxAL15Q
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