Faith's Victory

1 John 5:1-5

Verse 1:

According to J. Vernon McGee, This is the method of Salvation if you will, of being born of God.

Belief (Faith)

Belief in Who?

What are we to believe about Him?

Jesus is the Christ!

The Who:

Jesus of Nazareth - Matthew 2:23, Luke 4:16, John 1:45-46.

Born of the Virgin Mary - Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:34-35.

Born in Bethlehem - Luke 2:4-7, Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1.

Of the lineage of David - Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, Matthew 1:1, Luke 1:32, 3:31, John 7:42, Romans 1:3, 1 Timothy 2:8, Revelation 5:5.

The What:

Jesus is the Christ - Matthew 16:16, 26:63, Mark 8:29, 14:61, Luke 9:20, John 1:41, 4:25-26, 11:27, Acts 2:36.

The Son of God - Matthew 3:17, 17:5, 26:63, Mark 9:7, 14:61, John 1:34, 20:31, Romans 1:4, Hebrews 1:5.

The Promised Seed - Genesis 22:18, Acts 3:25-26, Romans 9:7-8, Galatians 3:16, Hebrews 2:16.

The Son of Man - Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 9:6, 20:28, Mark 14:62, John 5:27.

The Suffering Servant - Isaiah 53, Luke 24:26, Acts 3:18, 1 Peter 2:24.

The Victor over Death - Psalm 16:10, Isaiah 55:10-11, Daniel 12:2, Hosea 6:2, John 11:25, Romans 6:9, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, Revelation 1:18.

The Eternally Ruling King - Psalm 45:6, Daniel 7:14, Luke 1:33, Matthew 28:18, Hebrews 1:8, Revelation 11:15.

See those who believe that Jesus is the Christ are born of God.

Born Again - John 3:3.

Born From Above - John 1:12-13.

Born of the Spirit - Ezekiel 36:26-27, 37:14, John 1:12-13, 3:5-6, Romans 8:9, Galatians 4:29, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23.

There is no Salvation outside of truth Faith in this Jesus and what he has actually done!

What did the angel say when Jesus ascended Acts 1:11 “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

You see it isn’t Jesus as I want him to be, or a Jesus of my own making or of my own imagination.

We are Not dealing with philosophical abstractions, or interpretations of who he is and what he did.

What we cannot do is make a god of our own imagination.

Now the qualifier

Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:

And those that Love God who begat them also love others begotten by him.

It is a point of emphasis that those who are truly born again and who truly believe, who truly have faith, do this other thing as well.

Why?

Because we do not believe in simply an abstract idea or philosophy about Jesus, but an actual person, individual and savior. Salvation then is not an abstraction or a philosophical thought but a genuine experience.

Being born-again really does something, it has real affects and tangible realities that go along with it. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Verse 2:

How does loving God and keeping his commandments prove my love for other believers?

Answer: Paul in Romans 13:9–10 “For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

Verse 3:

For this is the love of God - John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

Why because his commandments should not be grievous to us!

Why would they be?

Do we still want to steal, or murder, or covet, or lie or commit sexual immorality?

Any thought of these must be fought, rebuked, war must be waged against them.

These we are told to rid ourselves of by Paul in Colossians 3:5-14 also Romans 8:13.

Verse 4:

Whoever is born of God overcomes the world by Faith!

Faith is our victory!

This kind of Faith it is that overcomes the world!!!

Verse 5:

Now the Question:

Who is it that overcomes the world?

Answer: The one that believes that Jesus is the Son of God!

Faith in Christ is what qualifies you!

Application

1. Embrace the Authentic Jesus—Not a Customized Christ In a culture of self-made spirituality, I want to remind you that faith has a fixed object: the historical, biblical Jesus—the Son of God, the Christ, the Suffering Servant, and the Victor over death. I want to challenge you to evaluate: Have I placed my faith in who Jesus truly is, or in a version of Him shaped by my preferences or pain?

Application: I want to encourage personal examination and confession where distortions have crept in. Make a fresh commitment to following “this same Jesus” (Acts 1:11).

2. Live Out the New Birth by Loving the Brethren Being born of God isn’t just theological—it’s relational. If we truly love the Father, we will love His children. True faith produces a transformed heart that loves, serves, and forgives other believers—not just the easy ones.

Application: I want to ask you to intentionally reach out and love someone in the body that you’ve been avoiding, overlooking, or judging. Faith works through love (Gal. 5:6).

3. Wage War Against Sin—Because Faith Has Made You Free Verse 3 hits hard: His commandments are not burdensome. Why? Because the new creation desires holiness. God’s Spirit empowers us not to merely survive temptation but to overcome. Romans 8:13 puts it plainly: “put to death the deeds of the body.” That’s not passive—it’s war.

Application: I encourage every believer to identify a specific area where you’ve been compromising—and by the Spirit, commit to mortify it. Not to earn salvation, but because faith has already made you victorious.