1 John 5

Opening remarks

1 John is about love and light. This book was written to give criteria to evaluate who is not of God in the churches. The Gnostics were a group that was forming at that time that taught that there was a higher knowledge that was necessary to be saved and that matter was evil. So, Jesus was not in a human form and the resurection was not bodily becuase matter is evil.

There are many refferences in the book to flesh and physical parts of Jesus to counter this teaching.

Context

Written around 90 AD when the church was growing.

Chapter 5 outline

5:1-5

we know what a christian is

John points out that chrisians do the following

(1) they practice righteousness, 2:29;

(2) they do not practice sin, 3:9;

(3) they love other Christians, 4:7;

(4) they overcome the world, 5:4;

(5) they keep themselves from Satan, 5:18.

why do parents love their kids? is it because of a law that says the kids will be taken if they do not met their needs? They take care of their kids because they low them not because of an obligation to follow the law.

Our commandments are given but when we truly love God they are not seen as commandments but are natural instincts. As we work to become like God, we naturally develop His instincts, the fruits of the spirit.

John is says that for us to know who is a real christian is evident based on what they believe and how they act.

what does it mean that christians have overcome the world?

overcome greek: conquer; overcome; prevail

The world cannot harm you eternally. Matthew 10:28

Matthew 10:28 ESV

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

If God be for us who can be against us.

This raises an important question, do you feel like a conquer?

Why does it not feel that we have overcome the world if we are saved?

we forget who we are, children of the King.

we need to live as if we are out of the matrix. Let others be confused about what things are happening to them.

what can we do to feel like conquorers?

remind ourselfs each day that this life is not about what we see. That we are foreigners in this world. We remind ourself by being in His word and praying to Him.

We remember that we are not in control so we need to stop trying to control our lives. We need to know that God has a purpose in everything that happens. when problems enter our lifes, we need to remember that God is doing this for some reason. Our first reaction is to get upset.

5:6-12

it’s not clear what this is refereing too but some thoughts.

water is baptisum where Jesus was declared to be the son of God and the blood is the cross where Jesus was proven to be the son of God

The spirit is what raised Jesus from the dead.

so we have the baptism, the cross and the resurection that validate Jesus as the son of God.

This is firm evidance that God is with Jesus and so by believing and obeying Jesus we are obeying God.

John writes this so that people will believe and be saved.

5:13-15

Because we know that Jesus is Gods son and that believing in Jesus saes us, we have confidence to pray to God.

5:16-

what is sin that leads to death? The sin that leads to death is rejection of Jesus. This is blasphemy of the spirit. Matthew 12:31

Matthew 12:31 ESV

Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

The spirit testifies that Jesus is God. So to blasphemy the spirit is to deny Jesus as God.

If you deny Jesus as God then you are not saved from your sin so you die spiritually.

why would we stop praying for that person? If a person has rejected God’s call enough he may never be saved. This may be refering to that person and John is saying that praying for that person is a waste of time.

Another thuoght is that by praying for someones salvation that has rejected God we imply that we are more merciful than God. so it would be a lack of trust in God’s will.

there is another thought that this means that you should not pray to die.

Application

Remember who we are in Christ. We are conquorers who have overcome the world. we should live like it.

We can have confidence that we are saved by looking at the evidance for how God identified Jesus as His son.