1 John 5

1 John 5 deals with the essence of faith in Christ, emphasizing the love and obedience that should characterize the lives of believers. It delves into the nature of God as the source of love and life, affirming the reality of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. This chapter connects the believers’ faith to their victorious living, underscoring the assurance they can have in eternal life and the confidence in approaching God with their prayers.

1 John 5:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This passage teaches that faith in Jesus as the Christ is the foundation of being born of God and that love for God naturally leads to obedience. Verse 1 states that everyone who believes in Jesus as the Son of God is born of God and will also love others who are His children. Verses 2-3 clarify that true love for God is not just emotional but is demonstrated by keeping His commandments, which are not burdensome but an expression of love and faith. Verses 4-5 reveal that those who are born of God overcome the world, meaning they are victorious over sin, temptation, and spiritual deception. This victory comes through faith in Christ, who Himself overcame the world. The passage emphasizes that genuine faith produces love, obedience, and victory, showing that belief in Jesus is not passive but an active, overcoming relationship with God.

1 John 5:6-7 (NKJV)
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

This passage affirms that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, confirmed by divine testimony. Verse 6 states that He came by water and blood, meaning His baptism and sacrificial death, both marking essential aspects of His mission. His baptism signified the beginning of His ministry, where God declared Him His beloved Son, while His blood represents His atoning sacrifice for humanity’s sins. The Holy Spirit also testifies, guiding believers to truth and confirming Christ’s identity through His resurrection power and ongoing work in the hearts of believers. Verse 7 states that there are three that bear witness in heaven—the Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit; however, it is important to note that this verse is not found in the earliest Greek manuscripts and may have been added later. Despite this, the overall passage still emphasizes that God Himself provides undeniable testimony to Christ’s divinity and mission, making faith in Him firmly established on divine truth.

1 John 5:8 (NKJV)
8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

This verse emphasizes the three earthly witnesses that confirm Jesus Christ’s identity and mission: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. The Spirit testifies through divine revelation, convicting hearts and guiding believers into truth, affirming Christ’s role as the Savior. The water refers to Jesus’ baptism, where the Father publicly declared Him as His Son, marking the start of His earthly ministry. The blood represents His sacrificial death, which fulfilled prophecy, atoned for sin, and demonstrated His complete obedience to the Father’s will. These three witnesses agree as one, meaning they all provide a unified testimony that Jesus is the Son of God and the source of eternal life. This passage highlights that faith in Christ is built on real, historical, and divine evidence, not human opinion, giving believers full assurance of His saving work.

1 John 5:9-10 (NKJV)
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

John emphasizes that God’s testimony about His Son is greater than any human witness and must be fully accepted. Verse 9 points out that if people are willing to believe human testimony, then they should even more believe the testimony that God Himself has given about Jesus Christ—through the Spirit, the water (His baptism), and the blood (His sacrifice). Verse 10 makes it clear that accepting this testimony is a matter of faith; those who believe in the Son of God have this witness within them, meaning they personally experience the truth of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. However, rejecting this testimony is not just disbelief—it is calling God a liar, because it denies the very truth He has revealed. This passage stresses that faith in Christ is not optional; it is a response to God’s own testimony, and rejecting it has serious spiritual consequences.

1 John 5:11-13 (NKJV)
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

The central message of the gospel is crystallized here: eternal life is a gift from God, inherently found in His Son, Jesus Christ. Possessing Christ equates to possessing eternal life, a foundational truth meant to assure believers of their salvation and encourage persistent faith. John's purpose is clear—to reinforce the confidence of believers in the assurance and permanence of their salvation as they continue in faith.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Prayer is presented as an expression of the believer’s confidence in God. The assurance that God hears and responds to prayers that align with His will is emphasized, reinforcing the relational dynamics between God and believers. This confidence is not just in the act of being heard, but in the effective outcome of the prayers—knowing that requests in line with God’s will are granted.

1 John 5:16-17 (NKJV)
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I do not say that he should pray about that.
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

John speaks about sin leading to death and sin not leading to death, urging believers to pray for those who fall into sin. Verse 16 explains that if someone sees a fellow believer committing a sin not leading to death, they should pray, and God will give life to that person. This suggests that some sins, while serious, are not beyond repentance and forgiveness. However, there is sin leading to death, for which John does not encourage prayer, likely referring to persistent, willful rejection of God’s truth (such as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Matthew 12:31-32). Verse 17 clarifies that all unrighteousness is sin, meaning no sin should be taken lightly, but not every sin immediately results in eternal separation from God. The passage highlights the importance of intercessory prayer for those who struggle, while also warning against deliberate rebellion against God, which leads to spiritual death.

1 John 5:18-19 (NKJV)
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

This passage contrasts those who are born of God with the influence of the evil one in the world. Verse 18 states that those who are born of God do not continue in willful sin, because Christ, the One who was begotten of God, keeps them safe from the power of Satan. This does not mean believers never sin, but that they do not live in habitual, unrepentant sin because they are under God’s protection and transforming grace. Verse 19 acknowledges that while believers belong to God, the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one, meaning that sin and deception dominate those who are not in Christ. This passage reassures believers that through their new birth in Christ, they are no longer under Satan’s control but are kept by God, distinguishing them from the world that remains in spiritual darkness.

1 John 5:20 (NKJV)
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

This verse affirms that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has come to give us understanding of the true God—God the Father. The phrase "Him who is true" refers to the Father, as also seen in John 17:3, where Jesus calls the Father “the only true God.” This verse emphasizes that through Christ, believers come to know and abide in the true God, not through human wisdom but through divine revelation. It also states that we are "in Him who is true" (the Father) and in His Son, Jesus Christ," showing that a true relationship with God comes through His Son. The final phrase, "This is the true God and eternal life," refers to the Father as the true God, while Jesus, as the Son, is the one through whom eternal life is given (John 1:4, John 14:6). This verse highlights both the role of Christ in revealing the Father and the assurance of eternal life through Him, reinforcing the importance of worshiping the true God as revealed by Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:21 (NKJV)
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

In the context of the previous verse, where God the Father is identified as the true God, this warning reminds believers to reject false representations of God and remain faithful to Him as revealed through Jesus Christ. Idolatry is not just about worshiping physical idols but also includes false doctrines and distorted views of God. One example is the Trinity doctrine, which misrepresents God by teaching a three-in-one being rather than the biblical distinction between God the Father as the one true God and Jesus Christ as His Son (John 17:3). Worshiping a concept of God that is not supported by Scripture can lead to spiritual idolatry, as it replaces the true understanding of God with human tradition. John's warning applies to anything that takes God’s rightful place, whether false teachings, material wealth, or self-exaltation, urging believers to remain in the truth and worship the one true God as revealed by Jesus Christ.