Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him. This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands. For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden, because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:1–5

RECAP

Through the whole letter, John’s been telling the people that the way they can know for sure that they love God is if they love God’s people. If you say you love God whom you have not seen, but don’t love your bro/sis whom you have seen, you’re a liar.

Here in 5:2 is a brand new question. It’s so different it’s easy at first to think you must have read it wrong, because it seems backwards from everything we’ve seen so far.

In other words the test of the genuineness of your love to the children of God is whether you let the commandments of God govern your relationship to them and whether these commandments are burdensome to you.

Circular reasoning?

Like a circle with three points, (a) right belief, (b)right actions,(c) right love. When you’re feeling unsure about one, look at the other two.

Christians and the Law

We can have an awkward relationship with the commandments, the Law. Don’t know what to do with them.

It is noteworthy that when Jesus was asked to give a convenient summary of our neighborly duties (Rich Young Ruler), he goes straight to the Ten Commandments.

Paul says, much like Jesus did, that the Ten Commandments are the way for God’s people to love one another. When we love, we fulfill the commandments, and when we obey the commandments, we are fulfilling the law of love.

1. God’s commands are gracious.

We know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately. We know that the law is not meant for the righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent… and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the gospel

1 Timothy 1:8–10

1. We embrace the law of God in order to learn more about who our God really is.

2. We embrace the law of God in order to discover our true selves.

3. We understand the law of God as fulfilled in Christ.

A. His commands are good for us.

The reason God gives us his commands in the first place is because he loves us… obedience brings freedom!

David Allen

B. His commands are good for those around us.

If you don’t love God, you can’t do anybody any ultimate good. You can feed them and clothe them and house them and keep them comfortable while they perish. But in God’s mind that is not what love is. Love does feed and clothe and house—and keeps the commandments which would include helping others know and love God in Christ. But if you don’t love God, you can’t do that. So if you don’t love God, you can’t love people in the way that counts for eternity.

John Piper

Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:8–10

So are we under the law? Does it apply to us today? No. We’re under the perfect law of love. Which is actually way harder. No longer just “Do not murder” but

2. God’s commands are not arduous.

For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden, because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world.

1 John 5:3–4

Definition: ar·​du·​ous, adj: “characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; taxing to the upmost”

If the commandments are not burdensome, what are they? They are desirable.

Loving God means admiring and valuing and treasuring and desiring him with such authenticity that his will is your delight and is not burdensome.

3. God’s people are/will be victorious.

And his commands are not a burden, because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:4–5

There are forces in the world that work to make us not love God and not love each other. And in the new birth these forces have been overcome.

“Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.” Now we can see what that means. It means that the new birth severs the root of those cravings for the world. Overcoming the world means that the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride in possessions don’t rule us anymore. Their power is broken.

John Piper
  1. Do you believe he is good?
  2. Do you believe he created you?
  3. Do you believe he loves you?
  4. Do you believe he knows all things?
  5. Do you believe he lives within you?
  6. Do you believe he already one the victory?
  7. Why wouldn’t you want to do what he says, go where he leads?

The Christian man does not deny himself this or that, merely because he feels under an obligation to do so, or because he dreads the lash of God’s whip. No; …if he could be what he wishes to be, he would never think a wrong thought, much less speak an evil word. Now, the divine nature that is in him fights against sin, it cannot help doing so; and it clings to that which is good, and craves after that which is right. Charles Spurgeon

Two tenses: Our faith has overcome, is overcoming, and will overcome.

Christians don’t fight for victory; we fight from victory.

CONCLUSION

Are you living under the law?

There’s basically only 4 kinds of people in the world:

  1. Law-obeying, law-relying. These people are under the law, and are usually very smug, self-righteous, and superior. Externally, they are very sure they are right with God, but deep down, they have a lot of insecurity, since no one can truly be assured that they are living up to the standard.
    • This makes them touchy, sensitive to criticism and devastated when their prayers aren’t answered. These people have much in common with the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.
  2. Law-disobeying, law-relying. These people have a religious conscience of strong works-righteousness, but they are not living consistently with it. As a result of this, they are more humble and more tolerant of others than the “Pharisees” above, but they are also much more guilt-ridden, subject to mood swings and sometimes very afraid of religious topics.
  3. Law-disobeying, not law-relying. These are the people who have thrown off the concept of the law of God. They are intellectually secular or relativistic, or have a very vague spirituality. They largely choose their own moral standards and then insist that they are meeting them.
  4. Law-obeying, not law-relying. These are Christians who understand the gospel and are living out of the freedom of it. They obey the law of God out of grateful joy that comes from the knowledge of God’s love for them.

The one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:25

Are you living in victory?

Do you want victory? Don’t look to yourself.