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This week we enter into the final chapter of John’s first letter, and the content intensifies, hold on to your hats!

‘Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:1-5)

Different loves

I don’t know about you, but these opening sentences remind me of Jesus’ words that John captured in John 13:35: ‘By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ Jesus’ definition of a Christian (a disciple) was someone who loved other Christians, other adopted children of God. Now John turns that round by saying that if you love God, you must love others who have been born again. In fact, his litmus test for loving others is: do you love God?

It seems that John is at best confused but the challenge he is offering here is a big one. Do you love other Christians, or do they annoy you? Do you care for other Christians, or do you just wish that they would grow up and look after themselves for a change?! In John’s special way he has said something which sounds nice, but has set a standard which is hard to match! The simple conclusion is this, and it’s not the first time we’ve encountered it in John’s letter: love one another. You can’t love God without loving his kids as well.

Keeping commandments

Of course, John explains here that the way we love one another is by obeying God’s commandments. Now what’s that all about? Most weeks I bang on about the fact that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was all-sufficient – we are saved entirely by grace, it’s not about what we do, is it? The answer’s yes and no, but John explains it well in one sentence: ‘this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments’. Do you see what he’s saying? Without the love of God, we wouldn’t keep his commandments – in other words, our very ability to obey God is a gift of his grace!

So, if you’re struggling to obey God I can recommend two biblical responses: (1) stop trying, the Holy Spirit is the one who wins the battle against sin, not you! And (2) if it appears you haven’t been given the gift to be able to overcome a particular sin, get alongside a Christian who has the gift you need! Confess your sin to someone with authority, and ask them to pray with you and keep you accountable.

Overcoming the world

The result of us obeying God’s commandments is simple: the world will be overcome! I am so looking forward to the day I receive my perfect, glorified body and am set free from sin for all eternity. I am infinitely happy when I am free from sin than when I’m in bondage to it, and the idea of the world being entirely overcome by obeying God’s commandments is such an obviously good result I can’t help but be motivated by it! John even tells us the key to unlocking it: faith. Note – this is not effort! With faith it’s not about you or me, it’s about Jesus. As you’re falling off a cliff and grab a tree branch, the amount of faith you have has no bearing whatsoever on its ability to save you from certain death!

Our faith is in Jesus Christ, who has already won the victory. When Paul wrote ‘we are more than conquerors through him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37) he wasn’t saying ‘you can do anything’, he was saying that nothing can separate us from the love of God (see Romans 8:38-39)! So, trust in God. He’s good enough and powerful enough to deliver you from your sin, and from the temptation and attack of this world. Then let’s go out into the world, publicly displaying our love for one another and our victory over the darkness!

"The Way" from Kevin Pauley

The First Sin