1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
These two verses focus the emphasis on us defeating the deception of the devil. First we says we defeat Satan by being born of God and then that we overcome the world by our faith. Then again he emphasizes that we are overcomers because we have put our faith in the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. The victory over this world is when the world becomes unimportant in our life, and we are living to the day when we can go home to heaven and be with Jesus. Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. He defeated sin, as well. If we have received Jesus, then Jesus in us has overcome the world and Satan. We am living in the victory of Jesus.
1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
These two verse carry on the theme that obedience is a characteristic of an overcomer. I have mentioned before what Jesus said in John 13: 34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” “By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” There is perfect peace and rest in the Lord, when we keep His commandments. There is no fear, when there is perfect faith. In Mathew Jesus told us in chapter 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all [ye] that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” “For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.” We see from these verses it is really easy to please God if we just be obedient and love others as we should.
1 John 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 starts this chapter and places emphasis in this chapter on the fact that we are overcomers. It starts off with the first the thing a a christian has to do to, and that is to believe that is Jesus is the Christ born of God. A saving belief is not enough though, you need to have a whole hearted dedication to Jesus Christ that is permanent. Just as the birth of Jesus gave us a new way of life so does our new birth in Christ give us a new way life. The new birth brings us into a permanent faith relationship with God and Christ. Love is the second characteristic of the overcomer. The overcomer not only believes in God, but loves both God and fellow believers. If we truly love God in our hearts and are filled with Him, then we love all of our brothers in Christ.
20 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?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
John starts here letting know that Jesus taught us how to love because He loved us first and showed us by example. Then he goes on to tell us that one who does not love his brother and says he loves God is a liar. If you cannot love someone who you can see how can you love someone who you cannot not see. When we love our brothers on the earth, we are in turn loving Jesus who made them. It is impossible to love God if you do love your brethren. This last verse reminds us of the commandment that Jesus gave when he told the priest that the first commandment was to love God with all your heart and the second was to love your brother.
1 John 4:17 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.
18 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.
Here John gives us another reason why Christians love. This would be that as our love is made perfect or mature we can have confidence in the face of judgement. Because we are God’s children and objects of His gracious goodness we can also call Him Father just as Jesus did with boldness and confidence that His love abides in us. Verse 18 somewhat shows just the opposite because as it says perfect love casteth out fear and that fear comes from Satan. Anyone who has fear in their heart is not made perfect in love. Since God loves us He will take care of us so we nothing to fear. When we are overwhelmed by the love of God for us and our love for God, there is no place for fear. If we love like God wants us to we should be confident enough to stand before Him in judgement with no fear. Perfect love knows no fear.
1 John 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
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.
Here we see another reason why Christians love and it is because of the assurance we have that God dwells in us. Jesus went to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father and He promised to send the Holy Spirit to dwell within each of us. Jesus took on the form of flesh as the Son of God to save us. He took on the name Jesus, because it means Savior. He is our Savior and our Lord. Confess is to tell a truth and we know in our heart, and confess with our mouth as verification that we are full of Jesus. We have the love of God filling us and this is not just an occasional love, but a love that is forever. If we are filled with God’s love to this extent then it should spring forth from us to others we are in contact with. There is such a peace and comfort that comes when we know God’s love is always there.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
John continues here to show us that if God loved us so much to send His son for our salvation the least we can do do is love one another. We need to let the love that God has showed us shine through us and make someone else’s life a little brighter. A good hug goes a long way in showing how you care. John continues with letting us know that no one has seen the face God, but when Jesus walked this earth He told those He saw that if you have seen me you have seen the Father. We do not have Jesus here today but if we are who we should be in Christ we have Jesus with us everyday. His love is perfected in us to share with all who we come in contact with. When we are full of God’s love, we are full of Jesus. The more “full” of Jesus we are, the more love we have for others.
1 John 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.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
We see in these scriptures another aspect of why Christians love to follow the supreme example of God’s sacrificial love in sending His Son for us. God poured out His wrath on His beloved Son in place of sinners which was the judgment of sin on the cross and was the supreme example of God’s love This is the greatest love ever shown by God to send His only begotten Son to save us from our sin and ourselves. God loved us when we were unlovable and saved us and then helps us everyday day to clean our lives up. By Jesus being the propitiation for our sins means He paid the penalty for our sins in full. We have no debt to pay. Our bill is marked paid in full. The great love of God for us is made real to us in Jesus.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
As John starts with these two verses, and goes through the rest of this chapter, we are going to see more about how important love is in salvation and in knowing who God is. It starts of telling us to love one another and if we do we will be a part of God’s kingdom and will know God. God is all about love and for those who loveth not cannot know God and therefore cannot be a part of the kingdom of God. We can see God’ best example of love in giving His only begotten Son for our salvation. As we go through the rest of this chapter we see different aspects of God’s love.
1 John 4 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
In these verse we see first that those that are of the world. They only believe what they see and hear because they are caught up in the world. They have no hope because they have eyes to see and do not see and ears to hear and do not hear. They place their faith in this world and its trappings.Next we see that we have ears to hear and hear what the word of God is saying and those know God hear us to and those that do not God does not hear us. This is also saying that we believers can discern the difference in the spirit of truth and the spirit of error, in other words tell the difference in true believers and non believers. Lets us strive to know the standards set by the word God so we can do His will.
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." I John 5:7
