1 John 5:1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:
These are very simple words, but they contain a great depth of meaning. The teaching conveyed by this Epistle is very profound, though the language is such as even a child can understand. There must be faith in Jesus Christ as the anointed Son of God; otherwise, there is no new birth, no regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 5:1. And every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
If we love the Father, we love the Son. If we love God, we love all his people; all who are born into the divine family are the objects of our affection.
1 John 5:2-3. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:
Not that we talk about our experience; not, that we use endearing expressions concerning the Saviour; not, that we are attentive to outward religious ordinances; but «this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.» A holy life is the best possible proof of true love to God.
1 John 5:3. And his commandments are not grievous.
To his people, they are charming; not grievous. They delight themselves in the law of God; and they only wish that they could be perfectly conformed to the divine will.
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.
And the apostle gives a description of what kind of faith it is that overcometh the world.
1 John 5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
So that, it is faith in Jesus which is, first of all, the evidence of the new birth, and which is, afterwards, the weapon wielded by the new-born soul, with which it fights till it gains the victory over the world.
1 John 5:6. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only,
Cleansing us as to our lives: «not by water only,»
1 John 5:6. But by water and blood.
The blood which takes away the guilt of our offences. There is a double cure for us in Christ Jesus our Lord; first, the putting away of all our past guilt; and, then, the delivering of our hearts from defilement, so that we live after a holy fashion.
1 John 5:6-7. And if it the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, Or, «witness in heaven,»-
1 John 5:7-8. The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
Blessed is the man who has that threefold witness, the Spirit of God quickening him, the water cleansing his daily life, and the blood delivering his conscience from trouble, because he is delivered from sin by the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
1 John 5:9. If we receive the witness of men,
And we are constantly obliged to do that, for we could not get on at all if we did not believe Our fellow men; yet
1 John 5:9-12. The witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and that life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life, Ah, then, my soul, if thou hast, by faith, embraced the Son of God, thou hast a life which can never die! Thou hast the life of God within thee; thou hast heaven begun within thee; and thou hast it now. Dear hearer, hast thou the Son of God? Hast thou taken him to thyself by a distinct believing grasp, saying, «This Christ shall be mine, this blessed Jesus shall be my Saviour»? Then, you have the apostle's inspired declaration, «He that hath the Son hath life;» and his other declaration is equally true, «He that hath not the Son of God hath not life.»
1 John 5:13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
The apostle said that they did believe, yet he wrote to them that they might believe on the name of the Son of God; because, he that believeth needs to believe more, more as to matter, and more as to the firmness of the grip of his faith. There are some who do really believe on Christ who do not know that they have eternal life. They have it, but they scarcely realize that they have it; they are afraid to believe that it is theirs. But, here, the Holy Ghost assures us, through the apostle, that those who believe on the name of the Son of God have eternal life. Oh, what a comfort this is! Then, you can never perish. There are some who say that you can fall from grace; but how can that be? What kind of life would that be? It would be temporary life. But the Scripture saith, He that believeth On the Son hath everlasting life.» Then, if it be everlasting, it is everlasting, and there cannot be any end to it. Our Lord Jesus Christ said to the woman at the well of Sychar, «Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.»
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that, we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:
We do not wish to have a more unlimited promise than that; we do not ask God to hear our prayer if it is not according to his will. The true child of God does not wish to have his own will; but he says, «No, Lord; thou knowest much better than I do what to grant; so, when my will is contrary to thy will, thy will, not mine, be done! This is as gracious an assurance of answers to prayer as the true children of God wish to have: If we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.»
1 John 5:15. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
That is, before we actually receive the answers to our petitions. After the prayer of faith, we know that our request has been granted, and we act upon the belief that we have already received what we asked of God. A true man's promise is as good as the performance of it; we unhesitatingly take a note of hand, or a promise to pay, when we know that it is drawn upon a reliable firm. We treat it as money; it passes from hand to hand, through the bankers, and is regarded as if it were the coin itself;-then, shall we not treat our God in this fashion when we have his promise to pay or to give? We have pleaded it in prayer; so, let us rise from our knees, not merely hoping that we shall receive what we have asked, but believing that we shall surely have it: «If we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.»
1 John 5:16-17. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
There, are multitudes of such sins; but there is a place, beyond which, if a man, passes in sin, he becomes henceforth dead, and utterly insensible; and he will never be quickened, and never be saved. If we knew a man to be in such a condition as that, the apostle's words would apply to such a case. «I do not say that he shall pray for it» But, as we cannot tell that any man is in that condition, it is well for us to ask for grace to be able to pray for every sinner, however great his sin may be. We know that «all unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death:»
1 John 5:18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not;
That is to say, that is not the bent and current of his life. He makes mistakes, and he falls into errors, and he sins; but that is not the habitual description of his life.
1 John 5:18-21. But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we knew that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
At the time of the Reformation, there was a general order that this text should be put round the communion tables. I think it is time that it was put round the communion tables again. «Little children, keep yourselves from idols;» for that is one place where idols are often found, though not by any means the only one.
1 John 5:21. Amen.
And we say, «Amen; so let it be.»