The First Epistle of John Chapter 5

1Jn 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and

everyone who loves the father loves the child fathered by him.

By being born again through faith in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ we have become children of

God, and it is an evidence of the new birth that we love not only the father, with whom we now

have a relationship, but that we should love our brothers and sisters as well, our relationship with

God has brought us into relationship with each other as members of the same family. So John is not

so much here giving a command as stating a fact: love for God’s people is present in the hearts of all

the genuinely redeemed.

1Jn 5:2-3By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and

obey his commandments. For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments do not weigh us down,

Our love for each other is demonstrated by and inseparably linked to our love for God. The closer we

are to God and the more we love him, the closer we will be to each other and the more we will love

each other. To love God, as John has already stated (1 John 2:3-4) is to obey Him – obedience is no

burden to us, for the greatest delight of God’s children is to do their father’s will (e.g. John 5:30).

1Jn 5:4because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. This is the

conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith.

Before Christ came, we were under bondage to the law. The Ten Commandments told us to keep

God’s standards perfectly, but since we could not do this, for we are all sinners, obeying God was

like a heavy burden. Men worked to be right with God and yet could not succeed (Rom. 3:20). But

now, since we have been made righteous with God in Christ, obeying God is no longer a chore or

burden, for he has given us a new heart (Ezek. 36:26) and written his law in our hearts (Jer. 31:33). It

is no chore to do something you love! And since we are right with God because of what Christ has

done for us (in his death and resurrection) nothing in the entire world can overcome us. Sin cannot

overcome us, for this has been forgiven by Christ (Heb. 8:12), the law cannot overcome us, for this

has been fulfilled by Christ (Rom. 8:3-4), death cannot overcome us for this has been defeated by

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Christ (1 Cor. 15:55) and the devil cannot overcome us for he has been destroyed (rendered

helpless) by Christ (Heb. 2:14). It is through faith that we are joined to the mighty victor, Jesus, and

so we share in the victory (HIS victory) that overcomes the world (John 16:33).

1Jn 5:5Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who

believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This victory cannot be known or shared by anyone outside of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to

be saved but by faith in the Lord Jesus.

1Jn 5:6 Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood -- not by the water only, but

by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is

the truth.

These verses 6-8 are quite difficult to understand – and some translations omit verse 7 altogether.

Yet we retain these verses for our study, since the teaching within them, we argue, is entirely

Johannine (that is, it fits in well with John’s teaching elsewhere, especially with his gospel).

What does it mean that Jesus Christ came by water? Some have thought this refers to his baptism,

and Jesus was indeed baptised, although he was sinless, in order to identify himself with sinners, as

their Saviour (Matt. 3:13-15).

Yet John, looking back to the time when he saw Christ’s body pierced with a Roman spear and

bringing forth a sudden flow of blood and water, may have in mind the idea of cleansing. Both water

and blood were figures of cleansing in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, it is the application

of the Word of God which is described as being a cleansing, purifying agent like water (e.g. Eph.

5:25-27 and Tit. 3:5). This may be what Jesus meant in John 3:5, for we are born again ‘of the

incorruptible seed of the word of God’ (1 Pet. 1:23).

Yet the word of the gospel would have no efficacy if it were not for the blood which Christ shed on

the cross. God’s promises in the Word have been ratified by the blood. So it is not by water only but

by blood that Christ has come to perform the work of our salvation. He died that we might be saved,

and it is his blood which ‘cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7). Those who are in heaven are there

because they ‘washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb’ (Rev. 7:14).

1Jn 5:7 (AV) For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and

the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

John outlines the doctrine of the Trinity. Although this word ‘trinity’ is not used in the Bible, it best

describes a truth which is conveyed – that God is at one time three persons yet one God. The Father

is God, the Word (or Son) is God and the Holy Spirit is God; yet these three persons are not three

Gods they are one God. The witness they bear to us from heaven is a unified witness to the truth.

1Jn 5:8 (AV) And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water,

and the blood: and these three agree in one.

The Holy Spirit is again named, not only as a witness from heaven, but now a present witness upon

the earth, who convicts people of ‘sin, righteousness and judgment’ (John 16:8). He speaks in

agreement with the Word of God and with the blood of Christ, offering pardon for sin and peace

with God through faith in Jesus.

1Jn 5:9 If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because this

is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son.

In the law, the testimony of two men is regarded as valid. Here we have the testimony of three

persons who are more than mere men, for these persons are the persons of the Godhead. The

implication being, of course, that their testimony is even more valid. The gospel is not man’s ideas

about God, but God’s revelation of himself and his salvation to man.

1Jn 5:10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one

who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the

testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.)

Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ know that God’s word is true, because they have proved it

for themselves and experienced the salvation which Jesus brings. Yet those who reject God’s Word

are making God out to be a liar, since they have not believed his testimony about his Son. John is

here emphasising the Divine origin and nature of the gospel – it is through the gospel that God

presents his last word to men, and each person will be responsible for the way they respond to that

word.

1Jn 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his

Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of

God does not have this eternal life.

Those who believe in the Son of God, that is trust him as their own saviour from sin, have eternal

life. This eternal life is nothing less than the life of Christ living within them (Col. 1:27). One might

describe it as being possessed by Christ, for if anyone have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not Christ’s

(Rom. 8:9). Those who do not have Christ living in them are still dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.

2:1) and have no life in them (John 6:53). Those who believe in Christ have passed from a state of

spiritual death to one of spiritual life (John 5:24).

1Jn 5:13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so

that you may know that you have eternal life.

John wants his converts to be sure in the assurance that having believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,

they have according to his word received eternal life (John 3:36).

1Jn 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask

anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to

whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from

him.

This knowledge brings further assurance that we are accepted by God, and have access into his

presence; and so we have boldness to come to God in prayer expecting him to hear, and knowing

that he will grant whatever desires we have which are in keeping with his will (for only God’s will is

good).

1Jn 5:16 If anyone sees his fellow Christian committing a sin not resulting in death, he

should ask, and God will grant life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in

death. There is a sin resulting in death. I do not say that he should ask about that.

What should you do if you see your Christian brother or sister committing sin? Should you tell on

them, report them to the oversight, get them into trouble? Actually John’s concern here is that you

should share a concern for their spiritual well-being. The only way to overcome a spiritual problem is

by prayer, and so if a Christian has fallen into a sin, prayer is the only effective way to help them out

of it. According to this verse, our prayers for each other’s spiritual condition are very powerful and

effective before God, for ‘life will be given him’ implies that restoration will be the result of our

answered prayers.

Paul in his epistles is frequently seen to be praying for the spiritual condition of his converts. If we do

not pray in this way for each other, especially for those Christian brothers and siders in our own

church, then as a church we will see problems and difficulties spiralling out of control.

However, John recognises, as does Paul, that there is a point of no return for some backsliders. We,

of course, do not know when that point is reached, only God does. But if a Christian has gone

completely away from the Lord, and denies Christ, then we ought not to pray about this. In practical

terms, we leave such backsliders in God’s hands, if being out of our prayers means God is then able

to allow trouble to come upon them which might bring them to repentance, for only God knows if

they will return or not. Note: This is what I take Paul to mean when he tells the church to hand a

certain backslider over to Satan – they were not to fellowship with him nor prayer for him. As a

result, he was brought to repentance and back into fellowship with the church (1 Cor. 5:5; 2 Cor. 2:6-

7).

1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death.

We may all be prone to sin and falling, but John seems to imply that there are different levels of so

doing. You may have fallen a little, given into a moment’s weakness or made a mistake of some sort.

Do not despair, that will only lead you to continue in your sin for you see no other way out. There is

a way out - you can be restored forgiven and cleansed. So let’s not abandon the Lord or backslide

because of our mistakes, since he has made away for us to be cleansed and forgiven. Let us instead

go on with God y his grace. It is not the actual sins we commit but the turning from Christ which John

describes as a ‘sin unto death’.

1Jn 5:18 We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one

he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him.

Here is a comfort to every one of us who is a Christian. Since we have been born of God, God keeps

us by his power (1 Pet. 1:5). What does it mean that we are so kept by God that we ‘cannot sin’? This

fits in with what Paul said in Rom. 7:17. God does not impute our sins to us, if they were nailed with

Christ to his cross. This new life we have is therefore kept from sin. It is not the new nature, but the

old that commits sin, and this has from God’s viewpoint already been dealt with once for all on the

cross. Read again 1 John 1:9.

We are so kept of God that the veil one cannot touch us. He is the accuser of the brothers, but any

accusation he brings we have the answer. Read Rom. 8:31-39.

1Jn 5:19-20 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of

the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to

know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is

the true God and eternal life.

Although the world is still held captive by Satan because of sin, which leads to the fear of death and

judgment, we have been delivered from these and released from his control. The only influence or

power at work in us is God. And so, we can be sure that ‘our lives are hid with Christ in God (Col.

3:3). We know God because of his Son who has revealed him to us, and by knowing God, we have

eternal life, which is Jesus Christ himself. He is ours and we are his.

1Jn 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

A final warning from the apostle, is that since God is our God, and he is real in our lives, we should

not allow ourselves to reduce our ideas of him to that of manmade idols. Idol worship was still

current and highly popular in the world of John and his readers. The Christian is reminded that such

exalted privileges as we have received merit high standards of behaviour on our part.

© Mathew Bartlett 2012 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk

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Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org