Chapter Analysis
1 John 5: Faith In The Son Of God And The Assurance Of Eternal Life
Whoever Believes That Jesus Is The Christ Is Born Of God
📖 1 John 5:1–5
¹ Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. ² By this believers know that they love the children of God: when they love God and keep His commandments. ³ This is the love of God, that believers keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ Whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world: faith. ⁵ Who is the one who overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
🔹 The Truth
Believing that Jesus is the Christ is evidence of being born of God.
Love for the Father is joined with love for His children.
Love for God is shown by keeping His commandments.
God’s commandments are not burdensome to those born of Him.
Those born of God overcome the world.
Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
The one who believes Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world.
🔹 The Promise
Whoever is born of God overcomes the world through faith in Jesus Christ.
✅ Conclusion
John begins by joining faith, love, obedience, and victory together. True faith believes Jesus is the Christ, loves God’s children, keeps God’s commandments, and overcomes the world.
The Witness Concerning The Son Of God
📖 1 John 5:6–12
⁶ Jesus Christ is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and blood. The Spirit bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. ⁷ There are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. ⁸ There are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree as one. ⁹ If believers receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater, because this is the witness of God which He has testified concerning His Son. ¹⁰ The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given concerning His Son. ¹¹ This is the testimony: God has given believers eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² The one who has the Son has life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus Christ came by water and blood.
The Spirit bears witness because the Spirit is truth.
God Himself has testified concerning His Son.
God’s witness is greater than man’s witness.
The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness within himself.
Rejecting God’s testimony about His Son is calling God a liar.
God has given eternal life.
Eternal life is in His Son.
The one who has the Son has life.
The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
🔹 The Promise
God has given eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
✅ Conclusion
John makes the testimony clear. Eternal life is not found apart from Jesus Christ. The one who has the Son has life, and the one who does not have the Son does not have life.
That You May Know You Have Eternal Life
📖 1 John 5:13–15
¹³ John writes these things to believers who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that they may know they have eternal life and continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. ¹⁴ This is the confidence believers have toward Him: if they ask anything according to His will, He hears them. ¹⁵ And if they know that He hears whatever they ask, they know they have the requests they have asked of Him.
🔹 The Truth
John writes so believers may know they have eternal life.
Assurance belongs to those who believe in the name of the Son of God.
Believers are to continue believing in the Son of God.
Prayer is to be offered according to God’s will.
Believers can have confidence before God.
God hears His people when they ask according to His will.
Prayer rests on God’s will, not selfish desire.
🔹 The Promise
Believers can know they have eternal life, and God hears them when they ask according to His will.
✅ Conclusion
John wants believers to have assurance, not confusion. Those who believe in the Son of God may know they have eternal life and may pray with confidence according to God’s will.
Pray For A Brother Who Sins
📖 1 John 5:16–17
¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, he should ask, and God will give life to that brother for those whose sin does not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; John does not say that he should pray about that. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
🔹 The Truth
Believers should care when a brother sins.
Prayer for a sinning brother matters.
God is able to give life and restoration.
All unrighteousness is sin.
Not all sin is treated the same in its consequences.
There is a serious warning about sin that leads to death.
Sin must never be taken lightly.
🔹 The Promise
God hears prayer for a brother who sins and is able to give life and restoration.
✅ Conclusion
John calls believers to pray for one another seriously. Sin is dangerous, but God is merciful, and believers should seek restoration for those who stumble.
We Know The Son Of God Has Come
📖 1 John 5:18–21
¹⁸ Believers know that whoever has been born of God does not continue practicing sin, but the one born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. ¹⁹ They know they are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. ²⁰ They also know that the Son of God has come and has given them understanding, so that they may know Him who is true. Believers are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. ²¹ Little children, they must keep themselves from idols. Amen.
🔹 The Truth
Those born of God do not continue practicing sin as their settled way of life.
God keeps His people.
The wicked one does not have final ownership over those born of God.
Believers know they belong to God.
The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
The Son of God has come.
Jesus gives understanding so believers may know Him who is true.
Believers are in the true God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life.
Believers must keep themselves from idols.
🔹 The Promise
The Son of God has come and has given believers understanding so they may know Him who is true.
✅ Conclusion
John ends the letter with certainty. Believers know they are of God, know the Son has come, know the true God, and have eternal life in Jesus Christ. Therefore, they must guard themselves from idols.
Overall Conclusion
1 John 5 closes the letter by giving believers assurance in Jesus Christ.
John shows that those who believe Jesus is the Christ are born of God. True faith is joined with love for God, love for His children, obedience to His commandments, and victory over the world.
The chapter also gives God’s testimony concerning His Son. Eternal life is in Jesus Christ. The one who has the Son has life, and the one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
John writes so believers may know they have eternal life. Assurance is not pride; it rests on God’s testimony about His Son.
Believers are also encouraged to pray with confidence according to God’s will, and to pray for brothers who fall into sin.
The letter ends with strong certainty: the Son of God has come, believers belong to God, and Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life. Therefore, God’s children must keep themselves from idols.
Final Questions For You
- Why is faith in Jesus as the Son of God the victory that overcomes the world?
- How does God’s testimony about His Son give believers assurance of eternal life?
- What idols must believers guard their hearts from today?
