1st Letter of John 5
5.1-5 What do the children of God do?
Here John says that God’s children love and obey him.
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God.
Everyone who loves the Father also loves his other children.
2 How do we know that we love God’s children?
Because we love and obey God.
3 How do we know that we love God?
Because we obey God.
It is not difficult to obey God.
4-5 We believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
That is why we are God’s children.
That is also why is it easy to obey God.
Our faith helps us to win against the world and live like God wants.
5.6-13 Who is Jesus?
Here John explains Jesus was a real person, and that everyone who believes in him has eternal life.
6 Jesus Christ came from heaven.
But Jesus was baptized in water and died.
That is how the Holy Spirit showed that Jesus was a real person.
The Holy Spirit always tells the truth.
7-8 There are 3 witnesses who say the same thing.
They are
1. the Holy Spirit,
2. the baptism of Jesus, and
3. the death of Jesus.
9 Many times we believe people when they say that something is true.
Now, God has said something to us about his Son.
We can trust what God says more than what people say.
10 God says that Jesus is his Son.
Everyone who trusts in Jesus knows that this is true.
But some people don’t believe or trust in Jesus.
They are really saying that God is a liar.
11 God says:
Everyone who trusts and believes in Jesus has eternal life.
12 Everyone who is connected to Jesus (the Son of God) is spiritually alive.
But the person who is not connected to Jesus is spiritually dead.
13 I am writing this letter for you who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
I want you to know that you already have eternal life.
5.14-15 We know that God listens to our prayers
14-15 We trust God and know that he always listens to us.
We know that we can ask Him for anything.
If God wants us to have the things we ask for, then he will give us those things.
5.16-17 You must pray for your Christian friends
16 If you see a Christian brother sinning, you must pray for him.
God will hear your prayer.
Then the brother will not die for that sin.
But some sins kill.
You do not need to pray for that kind of sin.
17 All wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin kills.
5.18-21 Last words
Here John summarizes his letter, saying that we are God’s children and have eternal life.
18-19 We know that
- we are God’s children,
- God’s children do not keep on sinning,
- even though the devil controls the world,
- Jesus protects us, and
- the devil cannot do anything bad to us.
20-21 Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus came into the world.
Jesus helped us to know God.
You must stay away from false gods because there is only one true God.
Only He can give eternal life.
We are connected to Him.