Today’s reading is 1 John 5.
Do you ever think preachers and Bible teachers exaggerate when they claim we have to keep every Bible verse in context? Surely, at least some verses contain a great principle we can just pluck out and share without making sure it fits with the verses around it, right? Perhaps. But may I show you something?
Consider 1 John 5:1:
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 (ESV).
I mean…there you have it. All it takes to be born of God is to believe Jesus is the Christ. A moment of faith is all you need. Surely, we are saved by faith alone. Obviously that is John’s main point. Why look any further?
Well…
Have you seen what else John said about being born of God?
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:11-12 (ESV)
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'”
John 3:5-7 (ESV)
If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
1 John 2:29 (ESV)
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
1 John 3:9 (ESV)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7 (ESV)
Reviewing all John says about being born of God, we discover he does not say rebirth is accomplished only by believing. Those who receive Jesus, believing in His name have the right to be born of God according to John 1:11-12. Of course, that faith will be made full if they are born of water and Spirit (John 3:5-7). If they are born of water and Spirit their lives will be changed because they will practice righteousness (1 John 3:9) and love their brothers and sisters (1 John 4:7). In other words, John’s main point in 1 John 5:1 simply can’t be we are born of God by faith alone. What then is his main point?
Good question. Thanks for asking.
We have to ignore the chapter break. Read 1 John 5:1ff as a continuation of 1 John 4:20-21. Does that change your perspective on John’s main point? John declares we cannot claim we love God if we don’t love our brothers and sisters. The main point of 1 John 5:1 is about that love. If you love a father, you’ll love his kids. In like manner, if you love the Father, you’ll love those born of Him. If you love God, you’ll love your brothers and sisters. But recognize, brothers and sisters are not merely those who have had a moment of mental assent that Jesus is the Christ. Our brothers and sisters are those who believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. They received Jesus, were born of water and Spirit, walk in the light, live by the truth, confess their sin, practice righteousness, resist sin. In fact, we discover something about the nature of Biblically believing Jesus. When I biblically believe Jesus, the word “only” won’t be part of the discussion. When I have biblical faith, it will never be “faith only.” When I biblically believe, my life is changed. If my life isn’t changed, I can’t claim to believe biblically.
But, having gone down that rabbit hole, allow me to remind you, John’s point in 1 John 5:1 isn’t actually to get us into a discussion of who is born of God. Rather, it is to point out if we love the Father, we’ll love His kids. If we don’t love His kids, we don’t love the Father. In fact, His main point is we must not deceive ourselves thinking we believe in Jesus and are born of God if we don’t love Jesus’s people. Keeping it in context really does make a difference, doesn’t it?
Who do you love?
Tomorrow’s reading is 1 John 5.
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PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family
How does 1 John 5 prompt or improve your praise of God?