QT 2/6/2025 1 Jn 5:1-5, Love God, love people

1 John 5:1–5 (ESV) —

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

NOTE: John repeatedly emphasizes two aspects of being a born-again child of God. (Note that the term I use, "born-again," comes from John's gospel.)

 

John 3:3–7 (ESV) — 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

 

John's emphasis is on obedience and love. Again, the gospel of John, quoting Jesus, clearly supports these two points.

 

John 14:21 (ESV) — 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 15:12–13 (ESV) — 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

 

So, how do we know that we are truly born again? If we obey his commandments as laid out in his teaching -- the New Testament teaching. I say New Testament because too many people want to focus on the ten commandments or some other group of the 613 commands in the Old Testament. But the New Testament is clear, we are not under the law, and Jesus redefined the Old Testament laws quite explicitly, especially in the sermon on the mount. Obedience to the law is from the heart, not some outward action. And that is why "LOVE" is so important, because it issues from the heart, not from doing external actions. If you want to sum up the law, it is quite simple, "Love God, Love People."

 

PONDER:

1. Do I focus on love or on the externalities of the law?
2. Do I really know Jesus? Have I fooled myself? Do I see change in my life that comes from the inside out?

 

PRAYER: Father, it is sad to see so many people who want to turn faith into a set of rules. The Old Testament is good and gives us many examples of people who walked by faith, struggled, and continued in faith. But Jesus is our perfect example, and he explains God because he is God.