This morning I am sitting down, drinking coffee like usual, and reflecting on the following verses from 1 John 5:1-5 NIV:
[1] "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. [2] This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. [3] In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, [4] for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
This is actually a significantly loaded paragraph, and John covers plenty of ground in a few sentences. I found myself wanting to understand a bit more of the context in which John was writing, and did a quick overview as research. In general, John was writing more of a theological document, than an actual letter to a group of churches. He was most likely writing in the later part of the first century, possibly as late as 95AD. Specifically, He was writing to battle a form of heresy that had developed and was starting to spread already - namely Gnosticism. The following excerpt is from https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-1-john/
"One of the most dangerous heresies of the first two centuries of the church was Gnosticism. Its central teaching was that spirit is entirely good and matter is entirely evil. From this unbiblical dualism flowed five important errors:
1) The human body, which is matter, is therefore evil. It is to be contrasted with God, who is wholly spirit and therefore good.
2) Salvation is the escape from the body, achieved not by faith in Christ but by special knowledge (the Greek word for “knowledge” is gnosis, hence Gnosticism).
3) Christ’s true humanity was denied in two ways: (1) Some said that Christ only seemed to have a body, a view called Docetism, from the Greek dokeo (“to seem”), and (2) others said that the divine Christ joined the man Jesus at baptism and left him before he died, a view called Cerinthianism, after its most prominent spokesman, Cerinthus. This view is the background of much of 1 John (see 1:1; 2:22; 4:2–3 and notes).
4) Since the body was considered evil, it was to be treated harshly. This ascetic form of Gnosticism is the background of part of the letter to the Colossians (see Col 2:21,23 and notes).
5) Paradoxically, this dualism also led to licentiousness. The reasoning was that, since matter—and not the breaking of God’s law (1Jn 3:4)—was considered evil, breaking his law was of no moral consequence.
The Gnosticism addressed in the NT was an early form of the heresy, not the intricately developed system of the second and third centuries. In addition to that seen in Colossians and in John’s letters, acquaintance with early Gnosticism is reflected in 1,2 Timothy,Titus, and 2 Peter and perhaps 1 Corinthians.
OCCASION AND PURPOSE
John’s readers were confronted with an early form of Gnostic teaching of the Cerinthian variety (see Gnosticism above). This heresy was also libertine, throwing off all moral restraints.
Consequently, John wrote this letter with two basic purposes in mind: (1) to expose false teachers (see 2:26 and note) and (2) to give believers assurance of salvation (see 5:13 and note). In keeping with his intention to combat Gnostic teachers, John specifically struck at their total lack of morality (3:8–10); and by giving eyewitness testimony to the incarnation, he sought to confirm his readers’ belief in the incarnate Christ (1:3). Success in this would give the writer joy (1:4)."
So, given that background, we can understand why John is writing about overcoming the world, and loving God through following His commands! Belief is the center-point of the Gospel of Grace, specifically that Jesus was the Messiah, and that He had come to earth and redeemed us by His life, death and resurrection. This salvation has nothing to do with our "knowledge" but rather is a gift given by God to those that believe!
John goes on to say that loving God is associated with loving God's children, and following His commands. John appears to bring up the Commands of God, to combat the licentiousness that was springing up due to the Gnostic teaching. He was directing the believers back to the words of Jesus, to His command to love God and to love one another. I am reminded of Jesus' teaching found in John's Gospel (which incidentally was also written in this same environment) that speaks of loving God and doing what He commands (See John 14:15-24).
It is key to understand that relationship with God is the foundation, and following His commands is based on the motivation of a loving relationship. John states that these commands are not burdensome, as some were probably teaching. I am reminded of Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” This wasn't a call to punish the body, but to rather embrace the life and teaching of Jesus, to follow His way of life.
John then draws us back to the core truth of our salvation, it is received through belief in Jesus. John was an eye-witness to Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven. For Him this gnosticism must have been very personal, for they wee denying the teaching and life of the one he loved! He had given everything in His life to following Jesus, and to hear some say that Jesus was never really present in the flesh must have fired him up! He knew Jesus, and rested his head on Jesus as they reclined together at the last supper (John 13:23-25). He knew that in Jesus, in knowing Him, through relationship with Him, is how we received eternal life. It wasn't a secret knowing, a list of works to accomplish, but rather through faith and relationship, both which assume and require Jesus' incarnation to be true.
John had lived this reality, and continued to live this reality daily! He experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit (as promised by Jesus), and the daily guidance, direction and teaching that Holy Spirit provided him. He understood relationship, faith and belief. His belief and faith was founded on real life and actual relationship with Jesus as a man, and now as His heavenly Lord. John's call to his fellow Christians and to us is to follow His way, to believe and to know Christ!
So, this morning I am encouraged to continue to pursue real relationship with Jesus! I am encouraged to believe that He came as a man, as the Son of God! I am encouraged that His commands are not burdensome, but are based out of a loving relationship! I am encouraged that Jesus is my true savior and that through belief in Him, I will overcome the world!
Amen!
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