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Summary

1 John 5:1–5 – Faith, love, and victory

What happens: Everyone who believes Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and loves God’s children. Love for God shows in keeping His commands, which are not burdensome. Everyone born of God overcomes the world by faith.

What it means: God grants new birth that produces love and obedience. Faith in Jesus gives victory over the world’s pull. The principle is trusting Christ leads to liberated obedience.

1 John 5:6–12 – The Spirit, the water, and the blood

What happens: Jesus comes by water and blood, not by water only, and the Spirit testifies. God’s testimony about His Son gives life; whoever has the Son has life, whoever does not has no life.

What it means: God bears witness to Jesus’ real, saving work in baptism, cross, and Spirit. Eternal life is in the Son alone. The principle is to receive God’s testimony and rest in Christ.

1 John 5:13–17 – Confidence in prayer and sin leading to death

What happens: John writes so believers know they have eternal life. They have confidence that God hears according to His will. They should pray for a brother committing sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; not all prayer is directed there.

What it means: God invites bold, discerning prayer shaped by His will. Sin is serious, and some cases rest in God’s judgment. The principle is intercession with wisdom and humility.

1 John 5:18–21 – Final certainties and warning

What happens: Those born of God do not keep sinning; God protects them from the evil one. The world lies in the evil one, but believers know the true God through His Son. John ends, keep yourselves from idols.

What it means: God keeps His children, and truth in Christ separates them from the world’s lies. Idolatry threatens loyalty to the true God. The principle is guarded allegiance to the Son.

Application

  • Trust Jesus and obey with confidence as one born of God.
  • Receive God’s testimony about the Son and pray with assurance.
  • Renounce idols and live under God’s protection from the evil one.

Bible

1Whosoever 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.

2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

6This 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.

7For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

8And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

9If 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.

10He 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.

11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13These 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.

14And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

16If 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.

17All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

18We 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.

19And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

20And 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.

21Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

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