1 John 5:1-5 Overcoming the World

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?

Explore the text

5:1 has been born, (gennáō) to procreate a descendant or produce offspring. This word is passive and points to the person being born being subject to something greater. In this case God being the one saves an individual.  be born,

5:3 burdensome (barus) This term conveys literal heaviness as well as figurative gravity, severity, intensity, or burden. Its use distinguishes between oppressive human weight and the liberating weight of divine truth.

5:4 victory (níkē) a particular expression of victory, resulting from receiving (obeying) the faith Christ imparts. God secures victory in Christ, and believers share it by faith

Key doctrine: Assurance of Salvation

Assurance springs not from the power of positive thinking but the power of the gospel.

The very nature of faith or trust in the gospel promises implies confidence. Assurance is part of the experience of trusting in the promises of a trustworthy God. Faith takes God at His word, “…being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Rom. 4:21, Heb. 11:1-2).

Since the gospel is God’s gospel (Rom. 1:1) it can be trusted because He is powerful to save, faithful to his covenantal word (Rom. 3:3), unable to lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18) and unable to change (Mal. 3:6). And since the gospel promises are according to the Scriptures (1Cor. 15:3-4) certainty is possible because these same Scriptures are God authored and therefore infallible and trustworthy (2Tim. 3:16-17; Luke 1:4; 2Pet. 1:20).

Apologetics: “How can God (or preachers) call upon people to believe in Christ as Saviour if they don’t have faith to believe?”

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Fellowship discussion points

1.        If faith is the result, not the cause, of the new birth, why does the Bible call upon all people to believe in Christ? Is this contradictory, as some allege?

2.        Why is it important to affirm that the new birth is totally from God? What practical spiritual implications does this have?

3.       Why must we define love for others in terms of love for God and obedience to His commandments (5:2)?

4.       What should a believer do when he feels that God’s commandments are burdensome? What steps should he take?

Thoughts for Personal / Family Worship

Our primary source of confidence is that we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood as the propitiation for our sins. It is only His blood, not our works, that atones for sins. But how do we know that our faith in Christ is genuine, since it is easy to be deceived?