1 John is a bit difficult, because on a first read through, it seems to continually loop back on itself- John's way of saying the principle he's trying to get at ties together with all its evidences. It can get confusing, but if you take the time to 'un-spaghetti" it, it becomes much clearer.
It starts with God giving you the opportunity of faith, and acting on that faith gives you the special privilege of being born of God. This begs the questions- faith in what, and and what is the privilege? He answers both of these in the loops. And he does this by having three statements that don't so much belong to those loops, but stand apart as bedrock principles.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. This is the first one, we show our love for God by keeping His commandments. And John told us these commandments in a previous verse- to obey Him, and love those others born of Him.
1Jn 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. This is the second one, and it shows us answers to the 2 questions I asked before. What is the privilege we gain? To be able to overcome the world. And how do we overcome the world? By faith. But what is that faith?
John goes on to tell us that we have been told by God through His own testimony- both in the Word and in what the Apostles were witness to. So that third bedrock principle asks the question, 'what is God's testimony?'
1Jn 5:10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.
1Jn 5:11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Last week, I had a comment- whether on WBS or Sunday Message, I don't remember- that SOUNDED- hard to get true intent electronically- like, 'I believe in God, His teachings apply no matter what you believe in, and that's good enough'. But it isn't good enough. The faith that OVERCOMES the world is faith in God's testimony that Jesus Christ is the way to Him. If all you are considering is a good life and good reputation and good marks in THIS world, then yeah, it's good enough. But this world is NOT the end. This world must be OVERCOME, and there IS just one way to do that.
John's way of explaining these things is a lot like that testimony that God gave. If you really read the Old Testament, you can see Jesus's footprints all through it. You only see them directly here and there, but if you look, you see what they TIE TO. To believe the God of the Old Testament and not still seek the promised Messiah is like taking the written half of your driving test and never bothering to ever get in a car. To think God would shut off His Word and then never GIVE you that Messiah is to say, "I guess God kinda lost interest", and if you know God at all, you know that's not true. But then you have to take that next step and consider- was Jesus this Messiah? And if in genuinely seeking this answer, you follow the life of Christ in the New Testament- and look for how it ties to His footsteps in the Old- then you will understand that testimony of God.
Interesting, my friend interesting
ReplyDelete