1 John 5:1-5 KJV 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. (2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (4) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. (5) Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

We’re always hearing bad news in the news, and many of us long for the time when there was less sexual perversion and more common sense in America. But surprisingly, a recent Barna Survey reported:

“Recent data show that Americans are trending toward spiritual openness. As of October 2022, Barna data show three out of four U.S. adults (74%) say they want to grow spiritually. Additionally, the same proportion (77%) say they believe in a higher power. Nearly half (44%) say they are more open to God today than before the pandemic.”

The door is open to the growth of God’s Kingdom. How will God’s people respond. Sheldon Vanauken, the author of “A Severe Mercy” (a beautiful book) wrote:

“The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians—when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.”

Christians have always been attacked. People call us names. “Homophobic. Transphobic. Misogynistic.” Let them call us names. Regardless as to what the world feels, let us stand firm on God’s Word. The world called Jesus “Drunkard. Sinner. Illegitimate Son. Insane.” Jesus stuck with God’s Word. Over and over He declares,

“It is written.”

Let the world call you anything – but beware of the title “hypocrite”.

Jesus called the religious right of His day “hypocrites” because they departed from the Word of God in favor of human traditions.

Christianity is indelibly tied t the clear Word of God. And …

True Christianity Has “Strings” Attached To It

1 John 5:1 KJV 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

Look at those first words.

1 John 5:1 KJV Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God

Salvation is a free gift from God. However, that free gift comes with consequences or strings attached. It is only in America that people believe that Christianity comes with no strings attached. I hear this nonsense all the time. Deceived people and deceiving preachers say,

“Christianity is a free gift from God. Just believe on Jesus, and you’ll go to Heaven. God expects nothing from you. He’ll accept you just the way you are – and you don’t need to change. He loves you as you are. It’s just a free gift.”

There’s a “church” down the street from us that has on their sign,

“Come as you are. Change if you will.”

That’s hogwash! That’s secular religion. That has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity. Christianity is a free gift from God. It is necessarily free, because there is NOTHING you can do to earn or deserve it. One of my favorite Scriptures on salvation is not John 3:16 (which is a beautiful but often abused and misinterpreted text) but instead,

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT OF GOD, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. Here we pause before I quote VERSE 10. Salvation is a FREE GIFT not earned OF OURSELVES. The Scripture is clear on this. However, you need to now read VERSE 10. For WE ARE HIS {GOD’S} WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus UNTO {to DO} GOOD WORKS, which God hath BEFORE ORDAINED {ORDERED/ COMMANDED} that we should walk in them.

If you are SAVED, you are God’s WORKMANSHIP. God will work on you. God will change you. Entering the system is free – but once in the system God will begin to form Christ in your life. God has expectations of those whom He saves. Once you freely enter into the family of God by the Blood of Christ, you are

(1) subject to the Fatherhood of God,
(2) indwelt by the Spirit of God, and
(3) commanded to live according to the Word of God.

Illustrate: God gave us an illustration of this in His nation Israel. Saving them from enslavement to Egypt, God demanded they obey His rules. When Israel refused to do so, God punished them. This has not changed from Old to New Testament. We are told in

Hebrews 12:6-8 (ESV) For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

You cannot get away with sin! The giant string attached to Christianity is the loving Fatherhood of God. If you are saved, you are changed, and are being changed. Christians will behave differently. You will willingly obey His Word.

You Will Love Your Brother And Sister In Christ

1 John 5:1 KJV Whosoever (PAS) believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one (PAS) that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him

Word Study: The words translated “Whosoever” and “every one” is the same Greek word pas, which simply means “ALL”. Salvation is offered to ALL. ALL who believe that “Jesus is the Christ”, the One and Only Messiah, they are “born of God”. When you are “born of God” your being changes. Your state changes. Your position changes. You become a Child of God, and you love God. Now as I’ve said before, the LOVE that God speaks of is not emotional, but it is to do the thing that God said do. So if you love God:

every one that loveth Him that begat (made you born again)

ALL who love Him that gave us life, that made us born again, we will

loveth him also that is begotten of him

Word Study: “loveth” is the Greek agapaō, which does not refer to emotional love, but to doing what God said the way God said it. If you love God, if you are born again, you will love others who are born again. You don’t have to like them – but you WILL LOVE them. You will do the right thing, the Godly thing, the thing that Jesus would have you do.

If you are begotten of God – born again – you will love and do the right thing toward others who are begotten of God, those born again and in His family.

But our love for those in the Family will not supersede the love we have for God our Father and His Word. We only KNOW that we love the Children of God WHEN WE LOVINGLY KEEP GOD’S COMMANDMENTS. Read it!

1 John 5:2-3 KJV By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Word Study: The word translated “know” is the Greek ginōskō, which means “to perceive, to be aware that I am actually loving my brother or sister in Christ. To intimately or personally know”. How can I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am loving my brother or sister in Christ? Because I

love God, and keep his commandments

Illustrate: Let’s go back to God’s Israel. When God saved Israel from Egypt, He brought them through the Red Sea, gave them fresh water at Marah, and gave Israel manna from Heaven. God led Israel to the base of Mount Sinai, and told them to wait while Moses came up into the mountain to talk with God. Moses went up into the mountain, and for 40 days talked with God. We read:

Exodus 24:12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

God showed His love to Israel by giving Moses His Commandments. Moses was to show his love for Israel by “teaching them”. As the 40 days ended, something extraordinarily evil happened. The Bible says:

Exodus 32:1 (ESV) … the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

This has happened in Churches all across America. The people have said,

“Pastors make us gods that shall go before us.” And the Pastors have said, “Give us your jewelry – your treasures – and we’ll cook them in the fire of desire. And out comes the golden calves!

If the Pastors, like Aaron, had loved God, they would have refused to do this. They would have reminded God’s people that God sets the standard. Even if ALL of Israel gathers together and demands that an idol be made, the Pastor is to show his love by KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS. We love God by doing what He says, regardless as to what others may like. Aaron complied, making a golden calf (Exodus 32:4). Too many Pastors today comply with the desires of the people. Is God pleased No, for He told Moses:

Exodus 32:8-10 (ESV) They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them …

Moses interceded for Israel, and God did not destroy that nation. That was a good thing. Moses came down the mountain bearing the tablets,

Exodus 32:16 (ESV) The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

The tablets belonged to God. The commandments were God’s commandments. If Moses loved Israel, he would cherish the commandments of God, for:

God’s Commandments Are Not Grievous

1 John 5:3 KJV For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Word Study: God’s Commandments are “not grievous”, the Greek barýs which means “burdensome, heavy, overly stern”. The Pharisees were accused of Jesus of …

Matthew 23:4 … binding barýs, grievously heavy burdensome traditions on people’s shoulders … (my paraphrase)

Humans do that. People do that. They put their made up, unScriptural rules founded on tradition or customs on people. We as Christians are not to do that.

The Apostle Paul warned us all that,

Acts 20:29 … after my departing shall grievous {barýs} wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

What happened? The Pharisees came into the Churches and told Christians they must be circumcised and keep the feast days. They told Christians they must continue in the blood sacrifices – though Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, fulfilled the ceremonial laws. Christians are to keep God’s commandments, not man’s traditions.

God’s commands are not weighty, not overwhelming. God’s commands are for our good. Had Aaron loved Israel, he would have refused to compromise with their worldly mental attitude, and refused to make an idol. Had Moses loved God, he would not have cast down the tablets of stone, God’s commandments, breaking them in his anger (Exodus 32:19).

We keep God’s Commandments regardless as to what the world thinks.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Word Study: In verse 1 we saw that the words translated “Whosoever” and “every one” were the same Greek word pas, which simply means “ALL”. Now in verse 4 we read:

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh

Word Study: Again, “whatsoever” is the Greek pas, which means “ALL”. ALL who are born of God – born again believers – overcomes the world. The word “overcometh” is the Greek nikaō, which means “to conquer, to prevail, to get the victory or come away victorious”. When you are saved, and love God by keeping His commandments, you will NOT compromise with what the world says. There is no peace in living in worldliness. The Apostle said in

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Those who are saved will not become ONE with the world, but will become ONE with Jesus.

We who are saved are Children of the New Covenant. We are God’s Workmanship. We are predestined to Heaven, not hell We will follow our God! He has promised:

Hebrews 8:10-12 … I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Saved from sin and the world, we do not go back into the world. Saved from Egypt, we keep our eyes not on Egypt, but on the Promised Land. The Christian, saved for Heaven, behaves saved on the earth. If we err, we correct, we repent, we return to the Blood of Christ and to our Great High Priest. We do not bind ourselves to the world.

This same John who – under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit – wrote the text we are reading today, wrote to the Churches in the Book of Revelation. He writes to us in this Book:

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

Five times in the Book of Revelation John
speaks of OVERCOMING

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh {nikaō} will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

OVERCOMERS go to Heaven.

Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh {nikaō} shall not be hurt of the second death.

OVERCOMERS will not go to the Lake of Fire, and burn eternally.

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh {nikaō} will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

OVERCOMERS will be forever in God’s family.

Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh {nikaō} and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

OVERCOMERS will rule and reign with Jesus.

Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh {nikaō} will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

OVERCOMERS will be possessed of God for all eternity.

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh {nikaō} will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcometh {nikaō} and am set down with my Father in his throne.

OVERCOMERS shall abide with Jesus forever.

As Christians in America, we are at a crossroad. We can choose to go the way of the world – which is certain destruction of both Church and country – or we can cling to God. I beg you, cling to God and His Word! Amen and Amen!