Commentary of the Book of 1 John 5
By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins
Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible
Bible Study 1 John 5: 1-21
Text:
Overcoming the World
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the [a]Christ has been [b]born of God, and everyone who loves the [c]One who gives new birth loves also the one who has been [d]born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everything that has been [e]born of God overcomes the world; and this is the overcoming that has overcome the world—our faith.
5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not [f]with the water only, but [g]with the water and [h]with the blood. It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness: 8 [i]the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are [j]in agreement. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne witness about His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has borne witness about His Son. 11 And the witness is this, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have that life.
That You May Know
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence which we have [k]before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother [l]committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and [m]God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.
18 We know that no one who has been [n]born of God sins; but He who was [o]begotten of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know 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, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Verse by verse commentary:
Verse 1: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the One who gives new birth loves also the one who has been born of Him.”
Faith that saves is the first characteristic of a person that overcomes the world and its influences. The word “believes” conveys the idea of continuing faith, making the point that the mark of genuine believers is that they continue in faith throughout their life persevering to the end. The focus of that continuing faith is that “Jesus is the Christ.” The Greek verb expresses the idea that faith is ongoing and the result of being born again. The second characteristic of an overcomer is that they know God’s love and further, demonstrates that love to God and the body of Christ.
Verse 2: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do His commandments.”
Proof that you love fellow believers is found in our loving God and obeying His commandments. Obedience is the third characteristic of an overcomer. The word “do” conveys the idea of continuous and habitual obedience to the Word of God.
Verse 3: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”
The word “burdensome” is literally a very heavy weight. God’s commandments are not “heavy” to the believer because he has been given a new heart that loves God. The commands are only heavy to those who do not want to obey. To those that have genuine faith, they are not burdensome because of the desire to be obedient.
Verse 4: “For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the overcoming that has overcome the world—our faith.”
This is a clear statement that believers will overcome the world because of our faith. Remember that faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2: 8). All those that have been born of God have saving faith. That saving faith will be the foundation of overcoming the influences from the world. The world represents everything that is in opposition to our Holy God. The overcomers are believers; all of them. The word “overcomer” means to possess conquering power or to have superiority over something. That is the possession of every Christian.
Verse 5: “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
The one who overcomes is the one that has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you trust Christ without reservation and in complete surrender to Him, you are kept by the power of God through your faith. We have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and do not fear the day of judgment and also, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation from the influence of the world in the present age.
Verse 6: “This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth.”
The “water and blood” have several possible interpretations. I think the best interpretation is to believe that “water” refers to Jesus’ baptism and “blood” His death. Remember, under the Old Testament Scriptures (Deuteronomy 19: 15), every matter required two or three witnesses to establish a matter. In this case, John has two witnesses: Christ’s baptism and His death. They establish that Christ had a physical body. John is combating the dualism of false teachers who taught that a “Christ-spirit” departed from the man Jesus just prior to His death on the cross. John writes to show that God has provided testimony to the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ through both His baptism and death.
Verse 7: “For there are three that bear witness:”
As referenced above, Old Testament law required “the testimony of two or three witnesses” to establish the truth of a matter. In this case, there will be three witnesses to establish that the Lord Jesus Christ was 100% God and 100% human.
Verse 8: “the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”
The Father and Holy Spirit testified of Christ at His baptism. The death of Jesus Christ also witnessed who He was. Moreover, the Holy Spirit testified throughout the Lord Jesus Christ’s life as to His identity as the Son of God and 100% Divine as well as 100% human.
Verse 9: “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne witness about His Son.”
John appeals directly to God as witness, thus, John like the Lord Jesus Christ, overrules all human dispute and argument. Christ is Divine and the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.
Verse 10: “The one who believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has borne witness about His Son.”
John is speaking about the internalized subjective witness to the Son within the believer’s heart when one is born again. If someone refuses the testimony of God as found in His Word regarding His Son, such rejection is the ultimate form of blasphemy, for it is calling God a liar. The believer would never do that. One that has experienced the saving grace of God would never doubt God’s truth as found in the Scriptures.
Verse 11: “And the witness is this, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”
This is a foundational truth of the Christian message. Eternal life is a gift. You didn’t earn it. Your life merited eternal damnation. However, the grace and mercy of God said, “No.” Our salvation is 100% of the Lord and is a gift. That gift is the substitutionary death of Christ at Calvary to save those that would believe in His Name.
Verse 12: “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have that life.”
The “life” is the “eternal life” referenced in verse 11. Only those in relationship with the Son have this life. It’s not being baptized (although all believers should be baptized but for obedience not salvation), or joining the local church (but all believers should have a local church), or making a “decision” for Jesus. John makes clear that the only ones that have eternal life are those that have the Son. Notice, the believer possesses eternal life on this side of heaven. It is a present possession not a hoped for expectation.
Verse 13: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
John’s Gospel was written to teach his readers to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ so that they might possess eternal life now. This letter was written to assure those who have believed that they actually possess the priceless gift of salvation.
Verse 14: “And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
Christians know with absolute confidence that God answers prayer when they approach the throne of grace and ask “according to His will.”This phrase “according to His will” constitutes a specific key to receiving an answer to your prayers. To pray according to God’s will is to pray in accord with His Word and what He wants, not necessarily what you want. The word “hear” signifies that God always hears the prayers of His children, but not always in the manner they are presented to Him.
Verse 15: “And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
It is a blessing to know that we have a heavenly Father that cares for us. If we are in fellowship with Him, and are obedient to His commands and known will, and if there are no other hindrances to prayer in our lives, we will not pray selfishly. When we are walking obediently in fellowship with Him, when we are following Him, we can have the confidence that He will hear what we ask and answer our prayer according to His Perfect plan and will.
Verse 16: “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.”
John uses the example of praying according to God’s will in the specific case of one committing the “sin leading to death.” Such a sin could be any premeditated, intentional, and unconfessed sin that causes the Lord God to determine to end a believer’s life. It is not one particular sin like sexual sins or lying, but whatever sin is the final one in the tolerance of the mind of God. Failure to repent and to forsake sin may eventually lead to physical death as a judgment from God. John’s point is that we should pray for those committing a sin not leading to death, but not to pray for one committing a sin leading to death. I have said for years, if you are not sure, pray for that one that you feel needs prayer. Leave the rest in God’s hands.
Verse 17: “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.”
All believers sin, but if they are alive, they have not sinned a sin unto death. Christians commit acts of unrighteousness all the time, but God doesn’t take them home. If God was taking home every believer who sinned, there would be no church left. We should thank Him that He provides grace and mercy to us even though we don’t always do what we should.
Verse 18: “We know that no one who has been born of God sins; but He who was begotten of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
As we have read in this letter, Christians have two natures: an old nature and a new nature. That new nature will not sin and cannot sin. It never sins but has a desire for God and for the things of God. That old nature (old man) will sin, and it is because of it that a believer does sin.“Does not touch him” means “to lay hold of” or “to grasp” in order to harm. Because the believer belongs to God, Satan must operate within God’s sovereignty and cannot do anything beyond what God permits.
Verse 19: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
No person is able to escape Satan’s plans to destroy them through temptations, sin, and condemnation without the grace of God freely given to all believers. People have a responsibility to repent and turn from sin. This can only be done when one has received God’s grace and become a new creation in Christ.
Verse 20: “And we know 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, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
The word “true” means genuine as opposed to that which is false. This verse is a summary of this entire letter. The greatest certainty of all, being the incarnation, guarantees the certainty of the rest of the gospel message. This is the doctrinal foundation, out of which comes our love for Him and our obedience to Him.
Verse 21: “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”
John contrasts the “true God” in verse 20 with the “idols” in this verse. To John, the importance of adherence to the fundamentals of the faith is essential to staying away from the errors of the false teachers and idol worship. Let us be mindful to stay true to the teachings of the Bible and avoid the errors of our day.
