Like the Gospel of John, the First Epistle of John (the same writer) is saturated with the idea of the love of God—God's love for us and our love for Him.

The One Believing that Jesus is the Messiah

"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: … (I John 5:1). According to this statement, the ones who believe that Jesus is the Christ have been begotten of God. The fact that one believes this proposition is proof positive that he has been begotten of God. This statement in our English translation does not carry the full import of the original text. A better rendering of these words is, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Messiah is begotten of God. …" The word "Christ" is more of a personal name to the average Christian than it is a title. We Christians speak of the Lord Jesus Christ, referring to him as the God-man—the second person of the Trinity, who left heaven and entered the human family by miraculous conception and virgin birth. All of these thoughts are involved in our conception of Jesus as Saviour of the world.

But to the Jewish man, or the one who looks at the Lord Jesus Christ from the standpoint of the Hebrew scriptures, the word "Messiah" means much more. The word Messiah means anointed. King Saul, David, and Solomon spoke of themselves, and each other, as a Messiah of Israel. In thus speaking of themselves, they were correct, because each of them was an anointed one. By the ceremony of anointing each was inducted into office as ruler over Israel. Moses and the prophets foretold that one of the persons of the Godhead would come to earth by miraculous conception and virgin birth. They spoke of Him in different ways. Finally, Daniel spoke of Him as Messiah, and of His being cut off and having nothing. (Daniel 9:26). When one studies carefully the various Messianic predictions, he can see clearly that these prophecies refer to the Lord Jesus Christ and present Him as the one who upon His Second Coming will stop all wars, lift the curse from the earth, and establish a reign of righteousness from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Whoever believes that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of Old Testament prediction—who at His First Coming purchases redemption for the human family, and at His Second Coming establishes a reign of righteousness throughout the world—has been begotten of God.

Believers Loving Fellow Believers

"… And whosoever loveth Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him." The one who loves God genuinely, also loves all of those who are begotten of Him. The reason for this attitude is that they have a like spirit with the same characteristics and outlook. This same thought lies behind Psalm 16:3:

"As for the saints that are in the earth,
They are the excellent in whom is all my delight."

Proof that we Love the Children of God

"Hereby 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 grievous" (I John 5:2,3). John states that we know we love the children of God when we love God and do his commandments. There was no uncertainty, or questions, in the heart of John concerning God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Moreover, he had no questions or doubts concerning the relation of the believer to any of the persons of the Holy Trinity. How may we know that we love the children of God? John's answer is that we know that we love the children of God, when we love the Lord and keep His commandments. Jesus emphasized that His sheep, the believers, hear His voice and follow Him. If anyone claims to be a believer and at the same time ignores the teachings of Christ and the inspired apostles, all his professions to knowing God are empty claims. Though we are not under the law, as the Apostle Paul states in Romans, chapter 6, but are under grace, the believer delights to do the will of God at all hazards. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (verse 3). Keeping the commandments of God is simply the outgrowth of the love of God in the heart.

John affirmed that the commandments of God are not grievous; instead, they are a delight to the born-again one. If a believer is constantly calling attention to the burdensome character of the teachings of God's Word, that fact creates a doubt in the mind of an enlightened Christian concerning the spiritual condition of the one thus complaining. If one should over-emphasize the fact of our not being under law but under grace, his doing so shows at least that he has a misconception or an improper interpretation of our relation to the Lord. The one who understands the spiritual relationship to God and Christ of the believer does not have to be driven by "Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not." The one who has the proper conception needs only to have a mere suggestion made concerning God's will regarding himself. David beautifully stated the case thus:

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:
I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee" (Psalm 32:8).

The One Overcoming the World

4 "For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith. 5 And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (I John 5:4). Among the uninformed and untaught Christians one frequently hears that statement that we have to sin and do wrong all the time. No one who understand the life in Christ thus speaks. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 8:37, declared: "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." In this verse Paul shows that Christians can, by the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit, live a victorious life. Moreover, He besought the Roman Christians to offer their bodies living sacrifices to God and urged them to be transformed "by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1,2). Paul urged the Corinthian church saying: "Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleans ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7:1).

John emphasizes the victorious life in Christ in the verses under consideration. In fact, most all of the New Testament writers show that one can live victoriously in Christ and overcome the world by faith in Jesus Christ. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

Christ Came by Water and Blood

"This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood" (I John 5:6). Several different interpretations have been given to the this verse, but that which seems to be the most plausible and logical—fitting in with all the facts—may be stated as follows: Though John the Baptist was related to Jesus, he did not know Him personally. Read John 1:29-34. The Lord revealed to John the Baptist that he could identify the Messiah by the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and abiding upon him. When John baptized Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17), the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended from heaven and lighted upon Jesus. Then a voice from heaven said: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." It was, therefore, in connection with the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and that God told John the Baptist that Jesus was His son, in a unique sense. Jesus, therefore, became known to John and all others as the one who entered upon His public ministry, coming by water; that is, by the baptism of John.

He came not by water only but also by blood—the blood of the Cross which cleanses from all sin.

The Witness of the Spirit

"And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth" (I John 5:7). All the teachings and the miracles of Jesus which He wrought by the Spirit of God, pointed in a definite manner to His being the Son of God, but the witness of the Spirit by the resurrection of Jesus is the crowning testimony. Christ was demonstrated to be the Son of God by His resurrection according to the Spirit of Holiness, the Holy Spirit. "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David, according to the flesh, 4 who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:1-4).