Letters from the Beloved: Love, Love, Love – Part 3
Today, we wrap up our-three part “Love, Love, Love” series from the book of 1 John. We know that John, the beloved, was all about love. He ended chapter 4 of 1 John with admonitions about love and he begins chapter 5 talking about the connection between love, obedience, and victory. That is a LOT to pack into just the first 5 verses. Let’s see if we can follow the arrows that John provides to chain these together.
1 John 5:1-5 [NKJV] 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
John says:
1. If you believe, you are a begotten child of God and you love all the others who are begotten, especially Jesus.
2. Our love for others drives us to keep God’s commandments.
3. Love not only drives us to keep the commandments but also causes them not to be burdensome to us.
4. If we are begotten or born of God, we overcome – through faith.
5. We cannot overcome unless we believe.
Okay, that is not a chain. That is a circle. We are going to have to dive into this one concept at a time.
1 John 5:1 [NKJV] 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
We’ve explored this theme before, following John, the beloved. He repeated makes the point that to love God is to love others whom He created, whom He has begotten, whom He also loves.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
Jesus also taught that love drives obedience in Matthew 22: 36-40. Jesus said that all the law and commandments hang on love. I’ve often heard preachers say that the first four of the 10 Commandments of Exodus 20 teach us how to love God and the last six teach us how to love our fellow man.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
If we really love God we don’t find His commandments to be a burden. Jesus had this to say about the burden He puts on us: Matthew 11:30 [NKJV] "For My yoke [is] easy and My burden is light." Our love for God and His love for us make obedience a light requirement and not a burden.
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
Once again, John provided continuity in his writing by pointing back to a quote from Jesus recorded the Gospel of John.
John 16:33 [NKJV] "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Just as Jesus overcame the world by His obedience to and faith in the Father’s laws and plan, sacrificing Himself for us, our faith in Him and His sacrifice, plus our obedience is what allows us to overcome the world as well.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Rote obedience gets us nowhere. It is belief that makes the difference. It is belief that drives true change. It is belief that then leads to obedience from the heart.
Mark 16:16 [NKJV] "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
What must we believe in? The love of God for us.
As John, the beloved said in his Gospel: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” {John 3:16 [NKJV]}
And so, we circle back to love. Love, love, love. It is the start of everything.
I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat or at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org