1 John 5 - Though We May Give Up on God, He Will Never Give Up on Us!

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Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

John again links believing in Jesus with obeying God's commands. Obeying his commands is one of the primary ways we show God we love him. You have heard a parent say, "If you love me you would obey me." This can be manipulative but in essence it is true. If we know obeying God's commands pleases Him, then if we love God, we should want to obey His commands. And, it shows we trust God and that he would not command us to do something if it was not good for us. 

And here is probably the most important verse, 

"And his commands are not burdensome."

If we understand this verse correctly, we would realize that God never asks us to do something that is a burden for us. This doesn't mean obeying God is easy, but the alternative is disobedience, which not only displeases God, but also there are consequences for disobedience. In his mercy sometimes God spares us consequences but at other time he allows them to teach us a lesson. 

But it is actually easier to carry out God's commands then to disobey him. It is easier to forgive someone than to live with unforgiveness in your heart which eats away at you. It is easier to not steal and not go to jail. It is easier to not lie, because when you lie you not only usually need to tell more lies, but you also live life wondering when you are going to be found out. And once people learn you are a liar it will be very hard to earn back their trust. So which one is easier, to obey, or not to obey? 

To obey by not having sex outside or marriage? It is easy or hard? What do you think? Could a book be large enough to contain all the stories of pain, heartache, divorce, and the destruction of families due to sex outside of marriage. I know many a men and women who wouid give anything to have another chance at not cheating on their spouse. 

6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Jesus came by water, alluding to his birth as a human being and also his baptism, and he also came by blood.  This could be a reference to the cross, where he poured his blood for us. Then, there is the Holy Spirit who also testifies on Jesus' behalf. 

Still others believe the water spoke of Jesus’ first birth, being born of the “waters of the womb,” and blood speaks of His death. If this is the case, John would be essentially writing, “Jesus was born like a man and died like a man. He was completely human, not some super-spiritual being who had no real contact with the material world.” The Gnostics in John’s day thought of Jesus as just such a super-spiritual being. - Guzik

Here is another good explanation, 

Probably the best explanation (though there are good points to some of the other ideas) is the oldest recorded Christian understanding of this passage (first recorded by the ancient Christian Tertullian). Most likely, John means the water of Jesus’ baptism, and the blood of His crucifixion. - Guzik

The bottom line is John is combating the "gnostic" heresy which denied Jesus was truly a human being and truly God at the same time. There is also the role of the Holy Spirit. 

 The Holy Spirit also bears witness to the true person of Jesus, even as Jesus promised He would (He will testify of Me… He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you [John 15:26 and 16:14]). The consistent message of the Holy Spirit to us is, “Here is Jesus.” - Guzik

So in the end, like any testimony in court, it is either true or not true. Either Jesus is the true Son of God that came down from heaven and became a human, or not. Jesus' birth, his life, his death, and his resurrection all point to He was the unique Son of God, the Messiah. If someone chooses not to believe in Him, they are saying all of this is lie. 

If Jesus is eternal life, than anyone who has Jesus has eternal life. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies. Romans 8:11

Concluding Affirmations

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Verse 13 gets at the heart of John's writing both his gospel and these three letters. He writes so that those who believe will KNOW they have eternal life. John doesn't want anyone to to doubt their eternal destiny.  God doesn't want that either. Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in Jesus and what He has done for us. 

If someone asks me if I am going to heaven I say "yes" unequivocably. Why? Not because I am such a great person or deserve it, but because I believe in the gospel. I believe Jesus is the only Son of God, who came to earth and died for my sin and rose from the dead proving He is truly God's Son. 

I know I am going to heaven because I KNOW Him! Many people think it is arrogant or prideful to say, I have full confidence when I die I am going to heaven. If we are not sure of this than do we really believe what the bible teaches us. 

John goes on to say that this same confidence is the confidence we have when we approach God in prayer. If we believe God is who He said He was and that He calls us to come to to him in prayer, we also believe that He hears us. And if he hears us, He will answer us. It may be a "no", a "yes", or a "not yet". 

So what does it mean when he says, "We know that we have what we asked of him!"

Prayer should be so much more than casting wishes to heaven. It is rooted in understanding God’s will and promises according to His Word, and praying those promises into action. For each prayer request, we should mentally or vocally ask, “What possible reason do I have to think that God will answer this prayer?” We should be able to answer that question from His Word.

Another way to look at it might be to say if we know God hears us when we pray to him, and that he answers us according to His will, then we have the answer we asked for it we are willing to submit to His will being done. If His will is always done when he responds to our prayer, we know it is the best answer we could have. 

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

When we see a brother or sister sinning, we should pray for them to turn from their sin. If we are in relationship with them, other passages tell us to confront them in their sin, by speaking the truth in love. We all need accountability and someone to challenge us when we are acting in a way unbecoming of a child of God, and a follower of Jesus. 

I think the only sin that leads to death is unbelief. Every other sin Jesus died for on the cross. The only sin he can't forgive is the sin we stubbornly refuse to confess. To stay in state of rebelling against God and refusing to confess our sin to God doesn't give God a chanced to forgive you. 

The death could be a spiritual death or a physical death, it is not clear from this passage. 

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

John concludes that someone who is born of God will not continually sin. I don't think means a Christian will never sin again.  But I think it does man they will not stay in a habitual state of sin and rebellion against God. To do so would be to back in control of the evil one. If someone believes in Jesus, and is born again, they have the Spirit of God living inside of them. 

Since we know the truth, we can choose to ignore for a time, but a Christian who has the Holy Spirit will be miserable living a sinful life. The Holy Spirit won't stop convicting a Christian, even when the believer quenches the Holy Spirit. Though we may give up on God, He never gives up on us.

Do you believe you are going to heaven? Why or why not?  Do you have someone to confess your sins to, or challenges you when you are not living your life in a Christian maner?