SEE COMPLETE LIST OF ARTICLES ON HOME PAGE

Lessons from the First Epistle of John
1 John

By Ken Raggio

That Which We Have Heard, Seen And Handled

John daily heard Jesus' teaching and preaching. He saw countless mighty miracles. He was in the Mount with Him, Moses and Elijah. He was with Jesus at the Last Supper, in Gethsemene and at Calvary. Nobody ever had a better testimony than this man. Thank God for the document produced by his pen and ink.

1 John 1:1,3-4 - "That ...which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; ...declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."

The Word Of Life

There is nothing else like it anywhere in the universe. Collect all the wisdom of all the sages who ever lived. Combine it all synergistically. Yet it will be powerless to extend your life even one day beyond the grave. But the singular Word of God is life. Those who hear it and heed it will live full on earth, and eternally in His presence.

1 John 1:1-2 - "The Word of life; ...the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us."

God Is Light

God is light. The Greek root word is variously translated "light, luminousness, shining, or that which manifests." "Darkness" also means "obscurity." Light manifests. Darkness obscures. God manifests. Darkness does not manifest. Fellowship with God and His Word is enlightening, and manifests truth in our lives. If we resist God, obscurity and darkness envelops us. Without fellowship with God, we cannot truthfully claim enlightenment. You must walk with God to be enlightened.

1 John 1:5-6 - "In him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."

If We Confess Our Sins, He Is Faithful To Forgive

You cannot play games with God and win. You may lie to yourself, but you cannot lie to God. Convince yourself that you did nothing wrong, but if you are guilty, God will absolutely require you to confess.

1 John 1:8-10 - "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

The Supreme Crisis - What To Do With Sin And Hell?

Mankind faces no greater crisis than the consequences of sin. If God had made no law, there would be no sin. If there was no sin, there could be no penalty for sin. But sin condemns a soul to Hell. Ungodly men try desperately to argue that sin and Hell do not exist. But Hell does exist, and sin would send every one of us to it. That is the supreme crisis. The supreme remedy is to obtain God's forgiveness for sins.

1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."

If We Sin, We Have An Advocate

The sin that Adam and Eve committed brought down the curse of death on the whole human race. For thousands of years, men offered animal sacrifices to God to atone for their sins. Then Jesus came as the Lamb of God, and shed His blood once and for all. Since then, we no longer need to make atonement for ourselves. We have an advocate, intercessor, and comforter in Jesus.

1 John 2:1 - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Jesus - Propitiation For Our Sins

Sin is disobedience to God's commandments. One of the gravest follies today is the erroneous belief that New Testament Christianity has no laws, no commandments. Modern Christians have an appalling absence of sin-consciousness. But make no mistake about it - we are still errant sinners condemned to hell until someone pays the penalty that we owe God. By His sacrificial death, Jesus became the only propitiation (recompense, compensation, atonement) for our sins. Repent and obey the Gospel.

1 John 2:2 - "He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

We Only Know Him If We Keep His Commandments

Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Most Christians have no idea how many commandments are taught in the New Testament. If you want to be saved, you must learn them and live them. There are hundreds.

1 John 2:3-5 - "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

Love For God Is Proven By Keeping Commandments

"God loves you unconditionally!" they say. They infer that there is nothing you can do to make God hate you. Then what does this mean? "Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated," Romans 9:13. After Esau despised his birthright, God hated him. If you despise God and His commandments, you will be entirely alienated from Him. Prove your love. Keep His commandments.

1 John 2:4-5 - "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected."

New Testament Commandments Are For Keeping

John was not writing any new commandment here, but reinforcing the commandments already preached in the Gospel. Never think that Christians are not duty-bound to any commandments. Isaiah prophesied that God would write His law on men's hearts. Commandments are for keeping. Ignore God's laws at your peril. If you break them, you sin against Him.

1 John 2:7-8 - "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you."

Love Walks In Light, Hate Walks In Darkness

When you keep the Lord's commandments, you prove your love for Him. When you fail to keep the Lord's commandments, you show that you do not really love Him. When you love your fellow saints in the Church, you demonstrate that you are walking in the light of God. If you fail to love the saints, you give evidence that you are walking in darkness.

1 John 2:10-11 - "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, ...But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, ...and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."

Why I Write These Things To You

John wrote to FATHERS in the Church because they knew "Him that is from the beginning." He wrote to YOUNG MEN because "ye are strong," "the word of God abideth in you," and "ye have overcome the wicked one." He even wrote to LITTLE CHILDREN (new converts). Whether you are young, old or middle-aged, you continually need the Word of God to instruct, encourage, and minister to you in ways you cannot even imagine.

1 John 2:12-13 - "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake [and] ...because ye have known the Father."

The World

"Pure religion and undefiled before God... [is] to keep himself unspotted from the world," James 1:27. If you love the world, it is impossible to keep yourself unspotted by it. You have to hate the world. You have to hate the things that are in the world. Everything about God is holy. Everything about the world is profane. It is absolutely, utterly impossible to love both.

1 John 2:15 - "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

Lust And Pride Are Worldly

Abraham Maslow published "A Theory In Human Motivation," in 1943, which theorized a "hierarchy of human needs." He included air, water, food, clothing, shelter, sex, health, security, money, friendship, intimacy, family, self-esteem and self-actualization. But everything on his list is worldly - temporal. If you acquired everything you ever desired, you would still perish. You must cultivate desires for the eternal, spiritual things of God.

1 John 2:16 - "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

He That Doeth The Will Of God Abideth Forever

This is such a simple statement, but infinitely profound. The world is going to disappear, along with everything that is wrong about it. But everyone who does the will of God in his day will never disappear. If you obey the Gospel, you will never EVER lose consciousness. When the shell of your body expires, your spirit will awaken in the escort of angels until you arrive in the presence of Jesus Christ. That is the truth.

1 John 2:17 - "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

There Are Many Antichrists

More and more adversaries will oppose Truth in these last days. "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." The most diabolical are those who once knew the truth and now denounce it.

1 John 2:19 - "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

Liars In The Midst Of The Church

In Revelation 2:2, Jesus commended the Church at Ephesus for exposing false apostles. "Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." Jude warned twice about liars. People who preach love but do not keep the commandments are liars (v.5). People who deny the oneness of God in Christ - the Spirit in the Man - the Father in the Son - are liars.

1 John 2:22 - "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."

Whoso Denieth The Son Hath Not The Father

In the Old Testament, Israel knew God blindly. They never saw him. Then Jesus came. "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Paul called Jesus the image of the invisible God. Jesus said, "If you believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins," John 8:24. You cannot genuinely know the Father if you do not realize that He is incarnate in the Son. When Israel rejected Christ, they rejected their Father.

1 John 2:23 - "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also."

The Promise - The Holy Ghost - Is Eternal Life

Jesus said, "I send the promise of my Father upon you." (Luke 24:49). "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you," Acts 1:8. "...power to become the sons of God," John 1:12. At Pentecost, Peter revealed that THE PROMISE is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. "Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this," Acts 2:33. John said the promise is eternal life. Therefore, the baptism of the Holy Ghost is eternal life!

1 John 2:25 - "This is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life."

Them That Seduce You

Seduction is the act of being lead astray and corrupted. It is the drawing away from principles, faith or allegiance. Will your alarm system warn you when you are being seduced? Probably not, but that is no excuse. You must diligently guard against anyone who might hazard or threaten your divinely-ordained destiny. The Word of God contains countless warnings that must be earnestly heeded. Men and devils on every hand will rejoice if you fall or are destroyed. Vigorously deprive them of that pleasure.

I John 2:26 - "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you."

Abide In Christ To Be Unashamed At His Coming

Every man of God should strive earnestly to prevent the saints from being seduced by false ministers. "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you." Evil men, seducers, deceivers, and grievous wolves in sheep's clothing prey on the flock of God. Satan employs legions of predators and thugs. Cleave tenaciously to the Word of Truth. Like a branch abides in the tree, you must faithfully abide in Christ.

1 John 2:28 - "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."

We Shall Be Like Him

Every believer who is born again of water and of Spirit (John 3:3-5) will be changed to immortality in the rapture/first resurrection (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). We will have glorified, eternal spiritual bodies like Jesus' resurrected body. He walked among men. Thomas felt his hands and sides. He ate with them. He walked through walls (John 20:19). He ascended to Heaven.

1 John 3:2 - "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

Those Who Hope To See Him Purify Themselves

Nobody can tend to your soul but you. Your preacher cannot straighten you out. Your family cannot cleanse your heart for you. If you want to be saved, you have to take responsibility. Anything and everything in your life that is worldly, carnal or devilish HAS TO GO. Purify yourself. Begin with prayer.

1 John 3:2-3 - "It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

Whoso Abideth In Him Sinneth Not

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law." Your old carnal nature can only be subdued by strictly imposing the law upon him. Every sin is a failure of your carnal nature to keep the law. Meanwhile, the Spirit of Christ that is born in you when you receive His Spirit breaks no laws and commits no sins. Your old nature is helplessly sinful. Your new nature is His Spirit working righteousness.

1 John 3:6-7 - "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. ...he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous."

The Son Came To Destroy The Works Of The Devil

God created Adam, then planted the Garden of Eden for him to dwell in. If there had been no sin, all would be paradise till this day. Satan spoiled that. God vowed that the seed of the woman would bruise his head. Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. Paradise was lost, but through Christ, paradise will be regained.

1 John 3:8 - "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

Two Natures - One Carnal, One Holy

You have two natures after you are born again. "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven," 1 Corinthians 15:47. Your old nature is sinful. Your carnal mind was fathered by Satan himself. Your new nature cannot sin. It is the Spirit of the Lord. You receive that nature when you are filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8; 2:4).

1 John 3:8-9 - "He that committeth sin is of the devil; ...Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

Children Of God, Children Of The Devil

Since the fall of man in the Garden, the nature of man has been dominated by carnal thinking. The newly-created man's pure mind was forever mutated by Satan's lies to Adam and Eve. The carnal thought process is the sinful offspring of Satan. The carnal mind can never be purified. It must be crucified daily. You must be born again - filled with His Spirit - to obtain a pure mind and become a child of God.

1 John 3:10 - "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God."

Cain, Who Was Of That Wicked One

John confidently declared that Cain was of the devil. Nowadays, Cain might be psychoanalyzed in a context of humanistic moral relativism and justified for his murderous outbreak under a ruse that he was unfairly victimized by Abel's holier-than-thou superiority complex. Some would even defend Cain's slaughter of his brother. Outrageous lies and deceptions are the diabolical stock-in-trade of evil men and devils.

1 John 3:11-12 - "We should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous."

Marvel Not If The World Hates You

Jesus never gave the slightest hint that the Church should ever be popular or acceptable to the world. He told the disciples, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you," John 15:18. Righteous men will always be hated by sinners. Cain killed righteous Abel in cold blood. Jesus was murdered, having done nothing worthy of death. Truth, righteousness and holiness antagonize the world, the flesh and the devil. If you are a men-pleaser, you are probably not a God-pleaser.

1 John 3:13 - "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you."

Do You Love The Brethren?

This text does not speak of love for fellowmen. It speaks of love for "the brethren." We should certainly love all men. But one of the great tests of faith is your love for "the brethren." Many professing Christians mysteriously get along with sinners, but cannot get along with brethren in the Church. Why is that? It may be an indication that something is terribly wrong spiritually.

1 John 3:14-15 - "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer."

Pass From Death Unto Life

The subject here is loving your brethren. John said that if you hate your brother, you are a murderer. Furthermore, you dwell in death. Contrast those who live in life with those who live in death. Only born-again Spirit-filled believers dwell in life. Everyone else dwells in death. Everything about the old carnal nature is death. Everything about the new man is life. Are you dwelling in the flesh or in the Spirit?

1 John 3:14 - "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."

God Laid Down His Life For Us

John 3:16 must be juxtaposed against 1 John 3:16. God did not sit in heaven while His Son went down. God came down and wrapped Himself in flesh. There were not two eternal people involved. One eternal God suffered in the body of one mortal man. Jesus did not go to heaven and tell the Father how He suffered. God was in the body they nailed to the Cross. That is His oneness.

1 John 3:16 - "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Love Not In Word Or Tongue, But In Deed And Truth

Remember Gethsemane and Jesus' agonizing determination to do the will of God at any price. We must be as willing to forfeit our lives for others as Jesus was to forfeit His life for us. If you save your life you will lose it anyway. Give your life away for Jesus' sake.

1 John 3:17-18 - "Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

God Is Greater Than Our Heart

Our love in action (deeds, not words), helps affirm that we believe the Truth. Love expressed in deeds helps to "assure our hearts before Him." In other words, showing our love helps us to feel better about our relationship with God. Even "if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart." God knows your heart and can comfort you supernaturally.

1 John 3:21-22 - "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

Your First Prayer Should Be Repentance

Isaiah 59:2 says that "your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." When you are in sin, the first and only prayer God wants to hear is your repentance. Once that has been taken care of, the sky is the limit. Repent first.

1 John 3:21-22 - "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

We Should Believe On The Name Of Jesus

John recorded the words of Jesus saying, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it," John 14:13-14. Paul said, "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," Hebrews 11:6. Believe on the name of Jesus.

1 John 3:23-24 - "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another."

Try The Spirits

You might call it the lost art of discerning spirits, because people rarely practice it. If you fail to discern the spirits around you, you are flying blind through soul-threatening hazards. The Spirit of Truth is the breath of heaven. It is holiness. It is the Word of the Lord. The spirit of error is the breath of hell. It is half-truths, lies, and deceptions. It is fickle to take everyone at face value. Hold them to the scrutiny of the Word of God.

1 John 4:1 - "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God."

The Spirit Of Antichrist

The spirit of Antichrist totally contradicts the Spirit of God. The Spirit of Truth declares that Jesus Christ is "Jehovah Savior, the Anointed One," the man in whom God dwells. Only a spirit that is of God confesses that Jesus is the bodily presence (incarnation) of God. Every spirit that denies the incarnation is a spirit of Antichrist.

1 John 4:2 - "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist."

The Spirit Of Truth, The Spirit Of Error

"He that is not of God heareth not us." This test determines which spirit a person is following - the Spirit of Truth or the spirit of error. If they refuse to listen when Truth is preached, they are not of God. They are following the spirit of error.

1 John 4:5-6 - "They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

Every One That Loveth Is Born Of God

Love is not mere lip-service. A man who says he loves his wife, but curses and abuses her physically and emotionally does not truly love her. Likewise, if you ignore God's commandments to repent, turn from your sins, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and live a holy life, your confession of love is meaningless. "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Fulfilling His commandments includes obeying the Gospel and living righteously, which is the proof of your love.

1 John 4:7-8 - "Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God."

God In Love Became A Mortal And Died For Our Sins

God created a Son for Himself in the womb of Mary, stepped down from Heaven, incarnated Himself in that body, went to Calvary and died for our sins. No greater love was ever known. "We love him, because he first loved us," (4:19). "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." The eternal God became a mortal and died to save us from our sins. We should love like Him.

1 John 4:11 - "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

No Man Hath Seen God At Any Time

The Lord appeared to Abraham (Genesis 12,17,18)., Isaac (Genesis 24), Moses (Exodus 3), in the Tabernacle (Deuteronomy 31), to Samuel (1 Samuel 3), David (2 Chronicles 3), Solomon in a dream (1 Kings 3,9), and to Joseph (Matthew 1). Yet Paul said that God is invisible (Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:27). Those appearances were either angel messengers or theophanies (temporary manifestations) of the Eternal Invisible Spirit. Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the only permanent body of God you will ever see (Revelation 4:2).

1 John 4:12 - "No man hath seen God at any time."

Speaking In Tongues Shows That He Is In Us

Jesus commanded His disciples to receive the Holy Ghost (John 20:22). He said, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you," (Acts 1:8). In Acts 2:4, "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." "On the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues," Acts 10:45-46. The Holy Ghost baptism is Christ in you.

1 John 4:13 - "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit."

Jesus Christ, Saviour Of The World, God Incarnate

"I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour," Isaiah 43:11. "There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour," Isaiah 45:21. The Father always claimed to be the one and only Saviour. Jesus Christ is the Spirit Father incarnated in a human, conceived by the Holy Ghost. One Spirit. One Body. One Lord.

1 John 4:14-15 - "We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."

Whosoever Shall Confess

Mountains of doctrinal debate focus on what it means to "confess" Jesus Christ. Many teach that to merely say, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," will save you. That conclusion is complete heresy. To genuinely confess Christ, you must repent of your sins, and you must be born again of the water and the Spirit (John 3:5; Acts 2:38). You cannot enter the kingdom of God otherwise. Every verse must be reconciled with all others.

1 John 4:15 - "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."

God Is Love

Three of the weightiest words in the entire Bible: "God is love." "Agape" in the Greek language means affection, benevolence, or charity. More specifically, love is a choice to do the highest good you can for someone. God always does the highest good for anyone who does not resist Him. If you have been filled with His Spirit, you have certainly entered into His love. Divine love far exceeds human love.

1 John 4:16 - "We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

That We May Have Boldness In The Day Of Judgment

Jesus said that the greatest of all the commandments is this: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," Matthew 22:37. Secondly, you must love your neighbor as yourself. Lip-service is not love. Obedience is the great evidence of love. If you have diligently shown your love for God by keeping His commandments, especially the plan of salvation, you will have nothing to fear on judgment day.

1 John 4:17 - "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment."

If You Say You Love God, You Must Prove It

You can say, "I love God." You can tell Him that you love Him a thousand times. But actions speak louder than words. "If ye love me, keep my commandments," John 14:15. If you do not keep His commandments, you do not love Him.

1 John 4:20-21 - "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."

Believing That Christ Is God Incarnate In Flesh

Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom." Did John contradict that? "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." No. John knew that if we truly believed in Jesus' deity, we would be obliged to be born again. John could not rewrite the plan of salvation. That will always require repentance followed by water and Spirit baptism.

1 John 5:1 - "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him."

This Is The Love Of God: Keeping His Commandments

Many preachers and professing Christians boast about how much they love Jesus, but incessantly rail against "legalism," and plead "grace" as their defense (excuse) not to keep His commandments. Such contradictions in declaration versus deeds is hard-core hypocrisy. Jesus said, "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me," Mark 7:6. The proof/evidence of your love of God is that you keep His commandments. Keeping hundreds of New Testament commandments is not legalism.

1 John 5:3 - "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

Three That Bear Record In Heaven

John did NOT say that there are three men, three deities, three people, three minds or three spirits that bear record. He only said three "bear record." The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. They are three manifestations of ONE Lord and ONE Spirit. Father is Spirit. Son is the Man in whom the Spirit is incarnate. The Holy Ghost conceived Jesus in Mary, so He is the Father. One Spirit in One Man. Oneness.

1 John 5:7 - "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

Three That Bear Witness In Earth

God chose three unique agents to work synergistically to redeem mankind. Each element is indispensable. Jesus DIED (shed His BLOOD for our sins). He was BURIED, and RESURRECTED to immortality. Every believer must be likewise born again. DIE to self through repentance. Be BURIED by immersion in water in the name of Jesus. Be RESURRECTED by the infilling of the Holy Ghost. BLOOD of Jesus - WATER of baptism - SPIRIT infilling. These three agree in one rebirth.

1 John 5:8 - "There are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."

God Has Given To Us Eternal Life In His Son

David said, "I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever," Psalms 23:6. The prophet Daniel said, "them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt," Daniel 12:2-3. Eternal life comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Nobody has eternal life outside of Jesus. Everlasting life

1 John 5:11-12 - "God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

If We Ask According To His Will, We Have Our Petitions

John spoke of loving God, loving the brethren and overcoming the world. He knew that heavenly-minded people can obtain great benefits from God. "These things have I written unto you ...that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

1 John 5:14-15 - "This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

Sins Unto Death, Sins Not Unto Death, And Prayer

Jesus said, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men," (Matthew 12:31). You can pray and obtain forgiveness for anything except blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.

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."

He That Is Begotten Of God

"Whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." The new birth occurs when our carnal nature is crucified by repentance and buried in baptism, and we are resurrected by the Holy Ghost coming into our life. Our new man is the Spirit of Christ - the Holy Ghost - who cannot sin.

1 John 5:19-20 - " And we know that we are of God, ...we know that the Son of God is come, ...and we are in him that is true, ...This is the true God, and eternal life."

Share |