Master's Prayer Network

Comments: Only the gospel of John records the phrase “born again” when Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, and only 1 John contains the phrase “born of God” which appears in chapters three and four, and again here in chapter five. John instructs that each one born of God is a child, and must love other children of God by keeping the commandments of God. Keeping those commandments should not be a burdensome matter, because in so doing we have the victory that overcomes the rest of the world that reject the eternal salvation available in Christ.

Jesus said in John “16:33 I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.” In chapter four John wrote, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.” This passage from Hebrews places the confidence of our faith fully in Christ. Hebrews “10:23 let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.”

The Jews had their identifying bloodline through Jacob, and as a Jew the incarnate Christ came first to those who shared his fleshly lineage, but the offer of eternal life was opened to all who would be born of God. John “1:10-13 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Comments: John does not provide any detailed explanation to clarify the meaning of his statement that Jesus the Messiah came by water and by blood. Jesus spoke of his blood as the payment for sin, Matthew “26:28 For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.” Jesus also spoke about his water, which some believe he was referring to the water poured out when his side was pierced. John recorded this detail at the crucifixion. John “19:33-35 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. However one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” The apostle Paul makes it very clear that all men and women have sin and the blood of Christ makes justification available to those who place their faith in Jesus. Romans “3:23-26 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus told his apostles that the Holy Spirit would come as Counselor and would testify about Jesus. John “15:26-27 When the counsellor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

Comments: John is nearing the end of his letter, and he places heavy emphasis on a crucial point that he has already set out. He wants the believer to hold fast to a faith based fully in the unalterable Word of God. The only way to eternal life is through Christ, and there can be no compromise for the facts that Jesus came in the flesh, and that he is eternal God. Jesus also spoke very plainly about the only way to have eternal life. John “3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”

Jesus was also very clear that those who did not believe in him did not have God’s word living within them. John “5:37-39 The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. You don’t have his word living in you; because you don’t believe him whom he sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.”

The scriptures have the words that lead to faith in Christ, but those who are not “his sheep” cannot hear his call to follow him. John “10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Comments: Though John’s statement that those born of God do not sin, we can be assured that it is only through full trust in God that anyone can be kept from sin. Even as it is recorded when the LORD called the nation Israel out of Egypt. Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.” (Exodus 20:20). And we have this from the Psalms, again indicating that God sets his own people apart from sin. Psalms “4:3-5 But know that Yahweh has set apart for himself him who is godly: Yahweh will hear when I call to him. Stand in awe, and don’t sin.”

John closes his letter with a brief statement that reminds us of our responsibility to make sure that our heart does not turn toward any idol. King David knew the worthlessness of idols as he wrote this, “For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens.” (1 Chronicles 16:26). Ezekiel was with other captives in Babylon after the fall of Judah, and certain men were rejected of God because of the idols in their hearts. Ezekiel “14:1-3 Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat before me. The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart.”

The apostle Paul has given us a good companion statement to the last sentence in John’s letter. “What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, ‘I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” (2 Corinthians 6:16).