1 John 5:1-5

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

Regeneration has a profound impact on the lives of every believer.  There are many phrases in Scripture that describe regeneration.  Jesus used the phrase: you must be born again with Nicodemus.  Paul used the phrase new creation.  Here, John uses being born of God.  These all teach us that our salvation through faith in Christ makes fundamental changes in our lives.  This passage lists at least three of those transformations that true believers should expect to occur in their lives.

BELIEVERS LOVE ONE ANOTHER: When we believe in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as our only means of salvation, we are born of God.  God is our Father, and we are His sons and daughters.  Those who are truly members of the family of God will have a deep and abiding love for God because He is love and He loves us so profoundly.  It is then only natural that we will love the other members of God’s family who have also been born of Him through belief in Jesus Christ.  It is the most natural thing in the world for us to expect brothers and sisters to love one another.  If brothers and sisters don’t love one another, there is clearly something desperately wrong.

BELIEVERS OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS: Every earthly father expects obedience from their children.  Our heavenly Father is no different He has revealed to us what is right and wrong and expect us to submit to His authority.  One of his most fundamental commands is that we love one another.  We are from all different races, nations, culture, economic status, languages, and personalities, but we have a Father in common who commands us to love one another so we obey this and all His other commands.  Obedience is what is expected of sons and daughters.  If that is true in earthly families with sinful parents; it ought to be more so in our heavenly family where we have a perfect Father.  His commandments are always just, and they are for our own good.  He does not seek to burden us with difficult demands on our lives.  He seeks to help us thrive in the world He has created for us.

BELIEVERS OVERCOME THE WORLD: Another characteristic of genuine members of the family of God is that we are no longer enslaved to the sinful practices and systems of the world.  We all have sinful desires, and these are encouraged by the world in which we live.  Sin grieves the heart of our Father which is why He sent Jesus too die for our sin.  Faith in the Christ delivers us from our captivity to sin and the world in which we live.  Through Christ we have forgiveness of sin and have also been set free from our sin.  This world will strive to do all it can to drag us back under its control, but we have been given the power through Christ and His Spirit to overcome the world.  

APPLICATION: Commit to loving our brothers and sisters in Christ in response to the love that has been given to us.  Submit our will to the commandments of the Father knowing that it is the very best things for us.  Identify areas the world has influence on our lives and strive in dependence on the Spirit of God to overcome those influences.

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