Live in the Light.

1. Live in the Light. The Epistles of John

2. Chapter 5 .

3. (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.

4. John makes two statements in his opening verse.

5. (5:1) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God…

6. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior… God’s provisions for Salvation… is a believer & has been bornagain of God.

7. The only ‘condition’ that must be met for salvation is belief in the Son of God; that is trusting in what God has said concerning His Son in the Gospel!

8. (5:1) …and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

9. (2) Everyone who professes to love God…also loves those who havelikewisebeen born of God.

10. Applying the immediate context, we take it to mean that ‘those who love God’ are ‘those who have been born of God’…

11. John is nottalking about two groups of people… As though there were a group of people who are born of God and love Him and another who are born of Him who do not love Him.

12. It would probably be an error to interpret this as though…

13. There is one group of people who are born again and love God and love others.

14. And there is somehow another group of people who are born again but do not love God and do not love others.

15. There is one group; those who believe on the Son… and they are born of God, they love God and they love others.

16. (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.

17. If you put the two statements together… as they are together in v1 here is the result.

18. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Savior has been born of God and all of those will display a measure of love for the others who have also been born of God.

19. Or that is, a sign, an outworking, a result of having been born again of God, and having believed in the Son of God is that we love God & we love the other believers.

20. Which is exactly what John has said over and over again…

21. (3:14) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

22. A tell-tale sign of having been born again, passing from death to life, is a love for God and God’s people.

23. This is why we have been saying that a habitual lack of love for other people, especially fellow believers, could be cause to question/check yourself.

24. Let’s keep reading…

25. (5:2-3) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

26. John makes three more statements in his next two verses.

27. (5:2-3) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

28. (3) You can know that you are loving the otherchildren of God properly…when you are loving God and obeyinghis commandments.

29. It is interesting that John explainsthe way that we love other people effectivelyis by obeying the commands of God.

30. What does this mean?

31. Simply; True love is doing what is best for anyone and everyone.

32. Meaning; true love shown to a child means discipline at times instead of excusing them & over looking it, because the discipline is actually the best thing for them.

33. The question then, is What is the best possible thing that we could do for other people?

34. In the name of true love, What is the most loving thing that we could do for other people?

35. The answer is; Model the instruction & commands of God in the way that we live and guide them into the same way of life.

36. Why; Because the design, the desire, the instruction & the commands of God are what is supremely best for any and all people.

37. Similarly, when we are following in the commands of Christ, in the name of true love, we do not harm our brother, through sin, lust, theft, anger, hate, bitterness etc. Which are all contrary to the commands.

38. (5:2-3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

39. This verse can be read two ways... and both are correct.

40. The way we love other people with the love of God is by keeping His commandments.

41. The way we love God is by keeping His commandments.

42. Considering the first interpretation was just covered in the previous verse, the second interpretation is likely accurate.

43. (4) The way that we love God (the way that God perceives that we love him) is if we are keeping his commandments.

44. God’s love language is obedience. A walking in holiness.

45. God does not perceive love from us as much when we are singing, praying etc. as when we are obeying his instruction regarding how we should live.

46. (5:2-3) And his commandments are not burdensome.

47. (5) It shouldn’t be overwhelming to love God (or others) in this way because God’s commands are not burdensome, but rather they are for ourbenefit.

48. That doesn’t mean obedience is always easy and never difficult. It means our desireshould be obey the instruction of God, because we believe that they in our best interest.

49. Let’s keep reading…

50. (5:4-5) For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?