John Chapter 5 "Belief in Christ, Witnessing." This Bible Study is written by Roger
Christopherson, and made available with written
permission by http://www.theseason.org I John 5:1 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him That begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him." When you believe on Jesus Christ, and that He is the Son of God, then you believe on the Father also. John is saying that the one begat the other, and you can't believe on one without believing on the other. They are the same entity only two different offices. I John 5:2 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God , and keep His commandments." This is what is called oneness in Christ. When someone you know loves our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, they become part of our family of God. You just can't help loving them. I John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." It is His commandments, or truths that sets us free. If we had the ability to keep all the commandments then we would never get into trouble, but we are not perfect. That is why we can come to Him in for forgiveness. I John 5:4 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." If you have faith in our heavenly Father, then your love for Him is also strong. The stronger your love, the stronger your faith, and in your faith you can feel the presence of God, and you then overcome the world. Those that have faith in God have victory over death and the world. I John 5:5 "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" When you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that is faith. You haven't seen the Father nor the Son, but you believe sight unseen. That is why you pray to the Father, in Jesus name, for the name of Jesus recognizes that He is the Savior, and that He is also the only way to the Father. That can only come by faith. Jesus Christ is our credentials before the throne of God, for He is our advocate before the Father. God is Spirit, God is light and God is love. I John 5:6 "This is He That came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit That beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth." "Jesus Christ" being fully translated into English from the Hebrew means, "YHVH's Savior, the Anointed One". The Holy Spirit that touched John and caused him to write this letter, and it is truth that we can count on. I John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Hoy Ghost: and these three are one." What is interesting with the words following "heaven" in verse seven, to "earth" in the eighth verse were never in any manuscripts until the sixteenth century. However there were footnotes in the Latin manuscripts, and over the past three hundred years these words eased their way into the King James by tradition. So the words added not by the Holy Spirit, but by man are, "the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." So what the manuscripts read is as follows: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." It is necessary only to call it to your attention. It is from additions like this that doctrines of the church are formed. It isn't worth the time to argue the point when it just wasn't there in the first place. I John 5:8 "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." Keeping in mind the notes from the verse seven, "the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." Remember that these words were in the original manuscripts, and the other words came from Latin copies, and were added only recently by men. I John 5:9 "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son." We were instructed by the commandments of God, that if two witness that a certain thing happened, then we should accept that. Now if the Father, the Son and the Spirit witness anything, by the touch of love and understanding, will you believe that. If you would believe two men on earth, you surely believe the three offices of the God head, which are the Spirit, the water and the blood. Remember in Matthew 3:16; "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him:" Matthew 3:17; "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." This is a witness of both our heavenly Father and the Spirit of God. This is why the Word, Jesus Christ is most precious. I John 5:10 "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son." We have the record well written in the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament. I John 5:11 "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." God wants you to live forever because He loves you, and He created you in His image. It is through His Son that we have forgiveness, and everlasting life. He is waiting to forgive you and accept you into His family, but it is up to you. You must make the choice and turn to Him, that is why He gave you free will, to prove your love for Him. I John 5:12 "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." You either have eternal life in Christ, or you are Spiritually dead, and you will be gone after judgment. There are no fence walkers. I John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." This is giving you a little proof in your life, that you do have eternal life. I John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us:" This is something that we can count on in our lives. If you ask anything according to His will He will hear you. What is His Will? That is what we are studying in the Bible, the Scriptures are all part of God's will. So when we approach our heavenly Father we must do it as it is written in our Scriptures. When you need something ask for it in His will, and He will grant it, because He loves you. I John 5:15 "And if we know that He hear us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." If we love the Father, then we have the confidence to know that He hears us. Friend, you can count on it. It means that you will have your prayers answered if it is within God's will. However it may be something which God does not have planned for your life. It could also be that you don't have the time or the faith for what you ask. You can have the confidence in Him, if you know that He hears you. Many in the religious realm say that it shows a lack of faith if you end your request prayer," if it be Thy Will." Friend, it show a lack of respect for God, if you do not ask that your request "if it be in thy Will." If you truly love God, you would not want something that was out of God's will. This is because you love God and you have the confidence to know that what God wanted for you was completely for your good and to your advantage. If it was something that would hinder your ability to serve God, why would you want it anyhow? To say, "Well claim it anyway?" is blasphemy against God. They do not love God, but they love themselves more then they love God, when they make that statement. To love God is to want His will, and to be in His will, and to feel God's love in you. He said that you can count on it, when you ask in His will. I John 5:16 "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." If you see someone committing a sin unto death, I would say the same thing, do not pray for them. What is a sin unto death? We read about it in Luke 12:10; "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." It is one of God's elect that are delivered up to witness through the Holy Spirit, as written of in Mark 13:11, against the false Messiah, and he or she refuses to allow the Holy Spirit to speak him or her, there is no forgiveness. Mark 13:11; "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." Don't pray for them, because they have committed the unforgivable sin, and there is no forgiveness for committing this act. That is what John is talking about here. However if you see a brother that has problems, you can put an intercessory prayer for them. Sins that are committed with in the Christian community which do not spring from the denial that the Son of God has come in the flesh deserve intercession from another Christian. I John 5:17 "All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death." That is why Jesus Christ came and shed His blood, that we can have repentance. I John 5:18 "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." Those that are born of God, born from above are not an habitual sinner like Cain was. Smoking is not an habitual sin, but is bad on your health and could cause you to be open to sickness more readily. The habitual sin is one where a person refuses the Spirit of God. It is not tied to the food you eat, or a habit you picked up. It is tied to someone that spiritually wants nothing to do with God. When you are one of God's children, you have the power over Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus gave us that power. I John 5:19 "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." So if you can't see God, How do we know that we are in God? Because you can feel the love of God in you. You don't feel God, but you feel His love by His Spirit that is within you. God is the creator of you soul, and He loves you a great deal. I John 5:20 "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him That is true, and we are in Him That is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God, and eternal life." "Understanding" is wisdom. God's Son gave His live in the flesh, whereby you could have eternal life. I John 5:21 "Little children, keep yourselves from idols, Amen." John is tender here in giving us his final warning to this letter. Guard yourselves against apostasy. The idol may not be a material object, but it may consist in whatever a man looks to for help, apart from the Living God. Paul talks about those unseen idols in Colossians 3:5; "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: The subject of this entire book was written to alert us to test the spirits that come to you. To know the true Spirit from the false spirits. To know the true love from the false love. And knowing that there is one thing that God simply will not do, and that is to force anyone to love Him, nor does He wish to. When one is force to give love that is not there, it is a fake love. God wants your pure love that flows from your heart and soul to Him, and He in turn comes back to you with His love. You will never have any trouble feeling that love of God, for God's love drives out fear that is within you. The Love of our heavenly Father, in His Will is what we want.
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