GEMS FROM THE ENDINGS OF THE EPISTLES

Part IX: Gems From The Ending Of 1 John, A. D. 60-65

(1 John 5:1-21)

I. Introduction

A. The epistle of 1 John was written by the Apostle John from Ephesus around A. D. 60-65 (Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 434, 882).

B. This letter taught believers about true spiritual fellowship with God that countered the false fellowship of the Gnostic heretics (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1770-1771). 1 John 5:1-21 lists consequences of God’s true fellowship that provide insight we can use to discern true from false fellowship (Ibid., p. 1776-1777).

C. We thus view 1 John 5:1-21 for our insight, application and edification (as follows):

II. Gems From The Ending Of 1 John, A. D. 60-65; 1 John 5:1-21.

A. A true Christian believes that Jesus is the Messiah Who was prophesied in the Old Testament, 1 John 5:1a,b.

B. A true Christian also loves other true Christians, whether they are carnal or spiritual, 1 John 5:1c.

C. A true Christian knows he loves other true Christians if he loves God and obeys His commands, 1 John 5:2.

D. The true love of God is characterized by one’s keeping His commandments, 1 John 5:3a.

E. God’s true commandments are not “burdensome, difficult to fulfill” (barus, Ibid., p. 133-134), for in the enabling of the Holy Spirit they are light (1 John 5:3b with Galatians 5:16, 22-23 and Matthew 11:29-30).

F. True Christians who are born of God overcome the world by faith: they overcome by faith in Christ to become believers and they overcome by living by faith in the Christian life (1 John 5:4-5; B. K. C., N. T., p. 901).

G. The true Jesus Christ in whom true believers believe unto salvation came not only by water, referring to His baptism, but also by blood, referring to His death, 1 John 5:6a. John here likely countered the error of Cerinthus who asserted “that the divine Christ descended on the man Jesus at His baptism and left Him before His crucifixion” (Ibid.). Opposite this error, Christ is God Incarnate from His conception on for all eternity!

H. Indeed, there are three that bear witness of Christ’s Person – the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit, and they agree, 1 John 5:6b-8 KJV. The Holy Spirit’s witness through John the Baptist and the Old Testament prophets as confirmed by Christ’s baptism and death all agree that Jesus is God Incarnate from His conception on for all eternity (Ibid.). [Note: “Verse 7 should end with the word record. The rest of v. 7 and part of v. 8 are not in any ancient Greek manuscript, only in later Latin manuscripts.” (Ryrie, op. cit., ftn. to 1 John 5:7-8 KJV).]

I. Christ fulfilled prophecy in His baptism and death as to His Person as God Incarnate, so this is God’s witness of His Son that is greater than man’s witness, and we must believe it or we make God a liar, 1 John 5:9-10.

J. We true believers have the witness of God within us (1 John 5:10b), and that witness is that God has given us eternal life. This eternal life is in God the Son, Jesus Christ, so that he who has the Son has eternal life, and he who does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life, 1 John 5:11-12. Thus, salvation is exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah (and thus as the Son of God, cf. John 20:31)!

K. The statements in 1 John 5:6-12 (as noted above) were written that we might believe on the name of the Son of God, and that we who believe on Him might be assured that we possess eternal life, 1 John 5:13.

L. If we true believers ask anything in prayer according to God’s will, He hears us, and we know that if He hears us, we have the answers to the petitions that we have requested of Him, 1 John 5:14-15.

M. If we see a brother in Christ sin a sin that does not lead to God’s discipline of physical death, we can ask for God to preserve his life and He will do so, 1 John 5:16a. A brother can sin so grievously that God will cause him to die prematurely, and in that case, another believer is not obligated to pray for him, 1 John 5:16b-17.

N. We know that the new nature that is born of God does not sin, but that it is impervious to sin (1 John 5:18a,b; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 903). If a believer then sins, he sins by his sin nature (1 John 1:8-10).

O. Since a believer’s new nature is impervious to sin, Satan cannot touch that nature (1 John 5:18c), so this truth and the sealing of the Holy Spirit to the rapture (Eph. 4:30) means a believer cannot be demon possessed!

P. We know that we true believers are of God and the entire world lies in Satan’s control, 1 John 5:19 NIV, ESV.

Q. We know that the coming of the Son of God has provided us believers an understanding so that we can know God Who is true, that we are in Jesus Christ Who is true, in Whom also exists eternal life, 1 John 5:20.

R. Thus, we know we should keep ourselves from replacing the true God with an idol in our hearts, 1 John 5:21.

Lesson: 1 John 5:1-21 provides a list of truths that we can use to discern true from false spirituality.

Application: May we heed the truths of 1 John 5:1-21 to live in the edifying truth as believers in Jesus Christ.