First John: 1 John 5:4-The Child of God’s Faith Conquers the World Lesson # 190
First John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:00:57
0 ratings
· 8 viewsFirst John: 1 John 5:4-The Child of God’s Faith Conquers the World
Files
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (ESV)
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world” presents the reason for the previous declaration which concludes 1 John 5:3 and asserts that the Father’s commands are absolutely never burdensome for the child of God.
It is expressing the idea that the person who has been fathered by God conquers Satan’s world system and organization, which is the direct result of believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God.
“And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” identifies specifically for the recipients of First John what provides John and the recipients of First John, who have been fathered by God, the victory over Satan’s world system and organization.
It is expressing the idea that this conquering power provided through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session and appropriated by the child of God through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior conquered Satan’s world system and organization.
1 John 5:2 By means of this, any one of us can at any time confirm that we are divinely loving God’s children: whenever any one of us does at any time divinely love God (the Father). Specifically, whenever any one of us does at any time obey His commands 3 because this defines divine-love for God (the Father), namely that each one of us does conscientiously obey His commands. Now, His commands are absolutely never characterized as burdensome 4 because every person who has been fathered by God conquers the world. Specifically, this appropriates the conquering power, which has conquered the world, namely our faith. (My translation)
1 John 5:4 contains two declarations with the second explaining the first.
Together both provide the reason for the assertion at the end of 1 John 5:3 which begins the tenth major section of First John which ends in 1 John 5:12.
This assertion at the end of 1 John 5:3 states that God the Father’s commands are absolutely never characterized as burdensome.
Now the first assertion in 1 John 5:4 states that every person who has been fathered by God conquers the world.
The second identifies specifically what conquers the world by asserting that the faith of the child of God appropriates the conquering power, which has conquered the world, namely the child of God’s faith.
Then, in 1 John 5:5, John teaches that it is specifically the child of God’s faith that Jesus is the Son of God which gives them this victory over the devil.
Therefore, these three assertions in 1 John 5:3b-5 are teaching that the Father’s commands are not burdensome because the child of God’s faith that Jesus is the Son of God gives them the victory over Satan.
Also, these assertions are teaching that the Father’s commands are never burdensome to the child of God because they are born of God as a result of their faith that Jesus is the Son of God.
Thus, when they became children of God through faith in His one and only Son Jesus Christ, they received the nature of God and thus the capacity to obey the Father’s commands.
Consequently, the commands of the Father are absolutely never burdensome to His children because they share His nature.
This is the fifth time in First John that he has mentioned this concept or doctrine of being fathered by God (cf. 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1).
Actually, to be exact, it is the seventh and final time since this doctrine is mentioned twice in 1 John 3:9 and two times in 1 John 5:1.
1 John 2:29 If each of you possess the conviction that He is righteous, then each of you know experientially that any person who at any time does practice that which is truly righteousness has been fathered by Him. (Author’s translation)
1 John 3:9 Every person who has been fathered by God never as an eternal spiritual truth exists in the state of practicing sin because His nature does as an eternal spiritual truth exists in the state of living in him. In other words, he has received the capacity to never exist in the state of committing sin because he has been fathered by God. (Author’s translation)
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let each one of us continue to divinely love one another because this love is a characteristic originating from God (the Father). Consequently, the one who at any time does divinely love has been fathered by God (the Father) and as a result they know God (the Father) experientially. (Author’s translation)
1 John 5:1 Anyone who at any time does believe that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God. Consequently, anyone who at any time does divinely love the Father, correspondingly does divinely love the one who has been fathered by Him. (Author’s translation)
When John mentions the believer being “fathered by” God in 1 John 2:29, 3:9, 4:7, and now 5:1, he is referring to the doctrine of regeneration, which is one of seven ministries the Holy Spirit performs on behalf of every believer the moment they are declared justified by the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
John mentions this new spiritual birth in 1 John 3:9, 4:7, 5:1, 4 and 18.
He also mentions this doctrine in his gospel (cf. John 1:12-13; 3:3-8).
“Regeneration” refers to the spiritual birth of the sinner who is declared justified by the Father through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
Regeneration takes place at the moment of conversion when the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit appropriates for the sinner justified by faith in Jesus Christ, the benefits of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
So, John teaches in 1 John 5:4 that the reason God the Father’s commands are absolutely never burdensome is that the person who has been fathered by God conquers the world.
“The world” appears twice in 1 John 5:4 and in each instance, it refers to Satan’s world system and organization, which is totally and completely opposed to God’s kingdom.
It pertains to a vast system and arrangement of human affairs, earthly goods, godless governments, conflicts, riches, pleasures, culture, education, world religions, the cults and the occult dominated and negatively affected by Satan who is god of this satanic cosmos.
It also speaks of an organization in the sense that it refers to the formation into a whole of interdependent and coordinated parts for harmonious and united action against God.
It refers to the assemblage of fallen angels forming a complex whole that is under the authority of Satan.
This world system and organization led by Satan enslaves all of sinful humanity to itself.
Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father delivers all of sinful humanity from this enslavement to Satan and his kingdom.
The sinner appropriates this deliverance through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone and specifically by trusting that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and eternal Son of God.
Now, the epexegetical clause in 1 John 5:4 identifies specifically for the reader how the person fathered by God conquers Satan’s world system and organization.
It asserts that the faith of this person who has been fathered by God appropriates the conquering power, which has conquered Satan’s world system and organization.
“Conquering power” contains the figure of metonymy where victory is put for the means of victory or the power that provides the child of God victory over Satan’s kingdom.
Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father is the conquering power since through these events in His life, He defeated Satan and his world system and organization.
This conquering power was appropriated by the child of God when they were declared justified by the Father through faith in His one and only Son Jesus Christ.
Therefore, this conquering power provided through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session and appropriated by the child of God through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior conquered Satan’s world system and organization.
Now, twice in 1 John 5:4, the apostle John asserts that the child of God conquers Satan’s world system and organization.
First, they conquer Satan’s kingdom because they are fathered by God or in other words, they are regenerated.
Secondly, they conquer Satan’s kingdom because their faith that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God appropriates the conquering power, which has conquered the world.
In what sense does the child of God’s faith that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God conquer Satan’s world system and organization?
Their faith conquers Satan’s kingdom because it appropriates the power of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father to deliver sinful humanity from enslavement to sin and Satan.
The sinner’s faith that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and the Son of God appropriates this power to deliver the sinner from sin and Satan.
John and each of the recipients of First John appropriated this deliverance affected by Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father by believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and eternal Son of God.