1, 2, and 3 John
Lesson Six

1 John chapter 5

Overcoming the World

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 
1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 
1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

For the most part, John is just going over what he has already said.  But here he introduces another thought...overcoming the world.  What does it mean to “overcome the world”?  Simply put, it means to gain victory over the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.  It means that this world and the things it has to offer does not lure you anymore.  The things of God, spiritual things, things from above is where your heart is at.  And, as verse 4 says, it is our FAITH that brings us to overcoming the world.  If a person professes to be a child of God, professes to be saved and is a Christian, but they love the things of this world more then those of God, then there is a problem with their faith.  You say you love God, but you never go to His house on Sunday...you have a faith problem.  You say your a Christian, but you never read your bible...you have a faith problem.  Simply put, if a person truly has faith in God, and His Word, they will respond as God tells them to.  They will not forsake assembling together. The will study His Word.  They will love one another, they will purify themselves and strive to be Christ like each day.  They will move further and further away from the things of this world, and closer and closer to the tings of God.  You show me someone who is not doing these things, and I'll show you someone who has a faith problem.

1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Testimony Concerning the Son of God

1Jn 5:6  This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

Water here refers to the physical birth, and blood of course refers to Jesus shedding His blood for us. Many have been born, and claim to be the messiah, but only Jesus Christ was born, and then died, shedding his blood for us on Calvary.

1Jn 5:7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

This is a reference to the three ways that God has manifested Himself to us, as the Father, as the Son, and as the Holy Spirit.  But, there are not three Gods.  Scripture clearly state that there is only ONE God, and here as well, it states that the three are ONE.  A good example of this is that, because I am married, my wife calls me “husband”.  My children call me “dad”, and my grand kids call me “papa”.  Am I three people?  NO.  I am only one person.  This same analogy applies to God.  God is known to some as “father”, to others “Jesus”, and to us today as “Holy Spirit”, but God is only one, not three separate people.  The “Word” of course refers to Jesus Christ, as in John chapter one where He is called “the Word”.

1Jn 5:8  And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

God is Spirit (John 4:24), so the “spirit” here refers to God Himself, and of course, as previously noted, the “water and the blood” refers to Jesus Christ.  So this verse is stating that Jesus Christ, the messiah is God Himself.

1Jn 5:9  If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 
1Jn 5:10  He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 
1Jn 5:11  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 
1Jn 5:12  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

This verse makes salvation as clear as any possible way.  If you believe in God, His Word, and His Salvation through Jesus Christ, then you HAVE LIFE. If you don't, YOU DO NOT HAVE LIFE. The gospel message is that simple.

That You May Know

1Jn 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Very simply put, if you are truly born again, YOU KNOW you are saved and born again. How do you know this, because Spirit God testifies to your spirit that you are a child of God. If you don't know if your saved or not, then you are not.

1Jn 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

There are some who teach a “name it and claim it” type of salvation.  The claim that if you ask anything of God, He must give it to you.  But they overlook a tiny little part of this verse.  Did you see the part i'm talking about?  “ACCORDING TO HIS WILL”.  You see, if we are living for God the way we should, we are not going to be asking for crazy things that are not in God's plan for us.  We will, as lead by Holy Spirit, ask for things in accordance to God's Will.  And if we do that, He will hear us.

1Jn 5:15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 
1Jn 5:16  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

“Sin unto death”.... What is this.  This is simply another way of saying “blaspheming Holy Spirit” (Mark 3:28,29).  As you may recall, I stated earlier that Jesus died for all sins, for all mankind, for all eternity.  Nobody would ever be in hell for their sins because Jesus already paid the price for them....all except ONE.  That one sin, the only sin, that a person will be in hell for is the sin of rejecting God's Salvation.  Blaspheming Holy Spirit is simply the act of ignoring, rejecting, or putting off Spirits conviction of your need to repent and trust God's Salvation through Jesus Christ. The word “blaspheme”  literally means, “to treat ill”.  It means to reject or ignore Holy Spirit when He convicts you of your need for salvation.  When you do this, and you die, or the rapture takes place, it is to late to repent, and you will die and spend eternity in hell for blaspheming (rejecting) Holy Spirit.  That is the sin unto death, or blaspheming Holy Spirit.

1Jn 5:17  All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 
1Jn 5:18  We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 
1Jn 5:19  And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 
1Jn 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 
1Jn 5:21  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

An idol is anything that comes between you and God.