LEARNING DAILY

1 John 5:1, Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too. (New Living Translation)

This is a good day for a test. In the David Jeremiah Study Bible there is a segment for the reader to take “to help one determine if a person is really a Christian. These tests (found mostly in 1 John 5:1-5) are given as birthmarks to assure (my emphasis) true Believers of their salvation” (DJSB). Ready?

The Faith Test. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God.” Do you believe this? John wrote in this letter, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, abides in Him, and he in God” (4:15). There are two parts to this – believing and confessing. God’s presence and spirit is invited into ones’ life by professing belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for their sins. By confessing Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He abides in them and continues to guide them. “What do you believe? Is your doctrine in line with the Word of God?”  (DJSB)

The Life Test. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:2-3). Believers can know they are acting in love when they keep God’s commandments. I wonder if the people John wrote to, questioned if they had fallen short of the love John had previously written or talked about. The first letter of John is centered around loving God and loving others. The life test also involves being obedient to the commands of God. Loving God makes His command to love others possible. Loving God and loving people is not a burden for Believers.  John wanted to be clear that true Believers did this. “How do you live? Do you keep God’s commandments?” (DJSB)

The Love Test. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7; but continue reading through verse 11 and then 20, 21). Yes, this idea of loving others was very important to John’s writings. “Love is from God”! The ability to love others is the result of walking closely with God; “whoever loves has been born of God and knows God”! “Do you love your brothers and sisters [in Christ]?” (DJSB).

The Growth Test. “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 5:4-5). The “world” refers to the world system and all the darkness that goes with it. Jesus cannot be overpowered by darkness; the Believer’s faith and walk with Jesus becomes their strength. Their faith in Him is the Believer’s victory; Believers are not weak nor defenseless when they walk with Jesus Christ – their battles are already won by Christ. This is learned by walking the narrow way, growing in one’s faith, knowledge, and understanding of how much He loves you. The longer the Believer walks on the narrow way, the more the Believer should be growing in faith, love and the overcoming life. “Are you overcoming more and more as you walk with the Lord? (DJSB).

The Sin Test. “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.” (ESV). It is important to know the Believer must not go on sinning after accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior; He must become Lord as well. John is writing on conscious, intentionally disobeying God’s will as revealed in His Word. “Lawlessness” is “a consistent lifestyle of sin that shows contempt for God’s commands’ (DJSB). Jesus had a clear mission for coming to this world; He came to remove the power of sin from the lives of those who would place their faith in Him. His sacrifice was the only one capable of paying the price for every sin for every Believer, once and for all! “Do you avoid sin, or do you continue sinning and consider it acceptable?” (DJSB).

How did you do?