I John 5:1-12: Believe that Jesus is the Son of God
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 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. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 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. 10 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. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Introduction
Welcome back to our study “A Lifestyle that Transforms” from I John. John teaches us how to live a genuinely biblical lifestyle that honors God. Today, we will
consider I John 5:1-12 and our seventh lifestyle choice: “Your must believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” John encourages us to believe in who Jesus is and, if you do so, this lifestyle will transform your self-image, your family, your church, your co-workers and all relationships that you encounter daily.
John has just taught us that our love for God must be expressed by loving our brothers. In our passage today, John encourages us that we can live daily in victory when we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We can base our lives on this fact. This changes everything! John directs us strongly to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and, by doing so, to choose a lifestyle that transforms.
The Circle of Love
In I John 5:1-2 John summarizes how we are to express our love for God with what I call, “the Circle of Love.” When you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord you are brought into the family of God. Your love for Jesus shows that you love God the Father. If you love God the Father then you love His children. If you love His children then you love God and obey Him. This Circle of Love is broken if you claim that you love God but do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. It is broken if you claim to love God but do not love His children, the ones He created in His image and the one for whom His Son died. It is broken when you do not obey God for disobedience prioritizes your will over God’s will in your heart. God takes second place to no one.
You love God by obeying Him
John states again in I John 5:3-5 that you show your love for God by obeying Him. This means that you follow the example of Jesus Christ and seek to do the will of the Father. Pray as Jesus prayed, “Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36b).
Why would you not follow God’s commands? John teaches us that God’s commands are not burdensome. He is reminding us of Jesus’ teaching when Jesus said, “‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’” (Matthew 11:28-30). The principle that Jesus taught in the context of asking of God and receiving applies here as well when Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9). God loves you and wants only His best for you. His commands are light and life to us and are given to bless us.
God’s commands are not burdensome but also His commands lead us to overcome the world. You cannot earn your way to heaven by your works of self-righteousness. You can only get to heaven by following and obeying Jesus Christ. Christ conquered sin and death with His victory on the cross. When you obey Jesus then you are placing you life in the hands of the Victory, the Conqueror. When you follow His commands, you are on the path to eternal life.
Your victory over the things of this world is assured when you continue to pattern your life after Jesus Christ. Your belief that Jesus is the Son of God goes beyond a verbal acknowledgement. You belief is genuine and has merit when your life is changed; when you play by God’s rules and when you walk in faith as you trust in God for everything.
Jesus is life and gives us eternal life
You will overcome the world when you believe with your words and actions that Jesus is the Son of God. This means though that you will face opposition. People who do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God will challenge you and even persecute you on some level. But, do not let this discourage you! II Corinthians 4:4 tells us, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
You must take courage in the Truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. John reinforces this for us in I John 5:6-12. Contrary to the popular heresy of his day, John taught the Truth that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth as a man. He lived and died and rose again. The proof of this fact comes from the testimony of three: the Spirit of God, the water, and the blood.
God testifies that Jesus is His Son. Obviously, there is no greater One to testify than God Himself. His testimony is revealed in His Word which is the Bible. There are differing opinions about the meaning of the water testifying of Jesus being the Son of God. The general view is that the water symbolizes Jesus’ water baptism. He was a man who was baptized in water to show His dedication and obedience to God. The blood testifies of Jesus as the Son of God for blood symbolizes Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection.
You cannot say that you love God and yet do not believe His testimony that Jesus is the Son of God. John wrote that if you do not believe God then you are calling him a liar. So, anyone who does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God does not believe God’s Word to be True and does not love God.
If you belief that Jesus is the Son of God then you will understand the testimony of God, of the water, and of the blood. When you believe the testimony of the three you believe what I call “the Circle of Life.” God gives us eternal life. Life is in His Son, Jesus Christ. He who has the Son has life. Life then is being in relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You walk away from the Circle of Life when you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. If you do not have the Son then you do not have life.
Application
The application of John’s teaching is that you must decide whether or not you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and you must live accordingly. First, you must declare whether or not you believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God as He declared clearly or he is a crazy man for claiming to be God. There is no middle ground. He is not merely a prophet, a teacher, a virtuous person, or a good man for this denies His Deity. True, these are aspects of who He is but He is all that and more! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). He is the Son of God!
Second, you must base your life on who Jesus is. When the entirety of everything that comprises you is centered on the Truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God then you will overcome the world. Live in truth. Let all your hopes, dreams, and beliefs be centered on Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is the starting point to living by Faith.
When our words and our actions express our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God then we are living a lifestyle that transforms. Let’s pray.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God. Please increase my faith and hope in you. I want to glorify you in all that I say and do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
For You to Consider
- How do you respond to those who say that they believe that Jesus was a good teacher but not the Son of God?
- How can you live a life that overcomes the world?
- How does John say you are to express you love for Jesus Christ?
- Is your life aligned with the Truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? If not, what changes must you make?
- Are God’s commands burdensome to you or do they bring freedom to your life? Please explain your answer and then state what you must do to live in the freedom of a relationship with Jesus.