1 John Study
Lesson # 13
Faith In The
Son Of God
Introduction
John continues with his discussion of the love of God in chapter 5. He has shown us that human love is a reaction of Gods love, because God is the origin of love. He has also shown us that God wants this love to be perfected in us by loving one another as He loves us. Our love for God & our love for one another are inseparable.
1. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God
a. Believes that Jesus is the Christ = Messiah or Anointed One
1) Present tense verb = present tense conviction
2) James 2:14ff belief must become action
b. Born of God
1) Means a spiritual birth, regeneration, a renewal of ones spirit
2) Such a radical change has taken place that it could only be described as
a new birth.
3) How this birth takes place
a) By water Jn.3:3-6
b) The will of God through the word of truth James 1:18
c) By the word of God 1 Pet.1:23
d) By Jesus Jn.1:10-12
4) One proves they are born again by:
a) Doing righteous acts 1 Jn.2:29; Eph.2:10; 4:24
b) By not practicing sin 1
Jn.3:9: 5:18
c) Loving other believers 1 Jn.4:7
d) By overcoming the world 1 Jn.5:4
2. Everyone that loves the Father loves His child as well
a. In nature a child naturally loves the parent. He also naturally loves the brothers
& sisters that the father begets.
b. The verse literally says Everyone who loves him who begat loves him who
was begotten of him.
c. As Christians we are born into Gods family & are to naturally love each other.
3. How we know that we love the children of God
a. By loving God & carrying out His commandments
1) Do we really believe God if we keep His commandments we do; if
we do not keep His commandments we dont.
2) Do we really love God? The answer is the same as before
b. The only way one can prove his love is to seek to please & bring joy to the one
we love.
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4. His commandments are not burdensome
a. Note: some people feel that Gods commandments are grievous, a real burden.
1) They feel that the commandments of Scripture restrict them too much,
and keep a person from the pleasures and possessions of the world.
2) They feel that to be a Christian disallows a person from having fun and
enjoying life.
3) To them the demands of God are just too large a price to pay, that
demanding all one is and has is too much to ask of a person.
4) Man is the one whose commandments
are grievous Mt.23:4
b. Yet just the opposite is true Gods commandments are not grievous
1) When God commands us He also provides the strength to comply
a) Never leaves us alone to struggle Heb.13:5,6
b) Always within us providing the strength Phil.2:12,13
2) For love, no duty or task is too great or demanding
a) Whats hard to do for a stranger is easy to do for one we love
b) Love turns a burden into a privilege; an opportunity
3) Mt.11:28-30
5. Everyone born of God overcomes the world
a. Believers
overcome the trials & difficulties of the world
1) Jn.16:33 in world have tribulation be of good cheer; Jesus overcame
2) 1 Cor.10:13 tempers them & provides a way of escape
3) 2 Pet.2:9 Lord knows how to deliver the godly
b. Believers
overcome all the forces of evil
1) Rom.8:35, 37-39 more than conquerors
2) Isa.41:10 = fear not
3) Gal.6:10-18 armor of God
c. Believers
have victory over sin & Satan
1) Rom.6:1-7 no longer its slaves
2) Rom.6:11-14 no longer under law
3) Col.2:15 disarmed Satan & the forces of evil
d. Believers
have victory over death
1) Jn.5:24 passed from death into life
2) Heb.2:14,15 delivered from fear of death
e. Believers have victory over judgment
1) Jn.3:16-18 Jesus came to save not condemn
2) Rom.8:1 no condemnation for those in Christ
3) Rom.5:8-10 died for us while we were yet sinners
f. Believers
have victory over fear & despair
1) Jn.14:27 let not heart be troubled
2) 2 Tim.1:7 not given us a spirit of fear
6. He that came by water & the blood
a. Saying Jesus was divine before, during & after both His baptism & the
cross.
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b. Background the Gnostic belief that Jesus was only a man & that the divine
being only came upon Him at His baptism & left Him before He came to
the cross. So John writes Hew came by (through) the water & the blood
c. Jesus is shown to be the Christ through the water & the blood
1) Water = baptism
Jn.1:32-34 Spirit came in form of dove
Mt.3: 17; Mk.1:11 voice of God saying this is My Son
2) Blood refers to the cross & death (Rom.1:4 resurrection proves)
d. Three witnesses water, blood & the Spirit
1) The witness of the Spirit
a) Conceived by the Spirit
b) Performed miracles by the power of the Spirit Lk.5:17
c) Led by the Spirit into the wilderness Mt.4:1ff
d) Led by the Spirit to the cross Heb.9:14
e) Raised from the dead by the Spirit Rom.1:4
2) Other ways that God witnessed about Jesus
a) 330 specific prophesies in the OT
b) At birth the verbal expressions of the angels
c) At baptism Holy Spirit as dove & voice of God
d) Mt. Of transfiguration voice this is My Son
e) Miracles performed by Jesus Acts 2:22; Jn.20:30,31
7. The witness of God is greater than the witness of men
a. Many accept the witness of men; yet reject the witness of God
1) Men can only interpret the facts & sometimes they exaggerate & twist
them. Man interpretations can never be completely free of opinion
& personal interests. Some will even lie & deceive as they share.
2) Gods witness is always true. He cannot lie or deceive; He is truth,
always truth. Therefore His record of Jesus ought to be accepted.
b. God implants His witness within the heart of the believer
1) Rom.8:16,17 Spirit bears witness with our spirit
2) 2 Cor.1:21,22 given us the earnest of the Spirit
3) Gal.4:4-6 sent Spirit crying abba father
c. Gods witness is clearly stated He who has the Son has eternal life, he who
does not have the Son has not life.