Faith That Overcomes the World
Study note
John weaves together faith, love, and obedience into an inseparable unity. Everyone who believes Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and loving the Father means loving his children. The proof of loving God's children is loving God and keeping his commandments, which are not burdensome. Everyone born of God overcomes the world, and the victory that conquers the world is our faith. The overcomer is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the promised Savior has been born into God's family. And everyone who loves the Father also loves the Father's children. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2 Here is how we know we love God's children: we love God and follow what he says. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 Loving God means following his instructions. And his instructions are not too heavy for us to carry. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4 Everyone born into God's family wins the victory over the world. And our faith is the weapon that wins that victory. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who wins against the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
The Threefold Testimony About Christ
Study note
Jesus came by water and blood, not by water only, and the Spirit bears witness because the Spirit is truth. Three testify in heaven -- the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit -- and these three are one. Three testify on earth -- the Spirit, the water, and the blood -- and these three agree. If we accept human testimony, God's testimony is greater, and he has testified about his Son. Whoever believes has this testimony within them. Whoever does not believe makes God a liar. The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life.
6 Jesus Christ is the one who came through water and blood. He did not come through water alone but through both water and blood. The Spirit confirms this, because the Spirit is truth itself. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 Three give their witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. And these three are one. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And three give their witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. All three of them point to the same truth. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9 We accept what people tell us all the time. But God's testimony is far greater. And God himself has given testimony about his Son. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has proof of this inside them. Anyone who does not believe God has called him a liar. They refused to believe what God said about his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11 And this is what God declared: he has given us eternal life, and that life is found in his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 If you have the Son, you have life. If you do not have the Son of God, you do not have life. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Assurance of Eternal Life and Confident Prayer
Study note
John states his purpose: he writes to those who believe in the Son of God so they may know they have eternal life. With that assurance comes confident prayer: if they ask anything according to God's will, he hears them, and they know they have what they asked. John addresses intercessory prayer for a sinning brother, distinguishing between sin that does not lead to death and sin that does. All wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin leads to death.
13 I wrote all of this to you who trust in the name of God's Son. I want you to know beyond any doubt that you have eternal life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14 Here is why we can approach God with confidence: whenever we ask for something that matches his will, he hears us. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And since we know he hears our prayers, we can be sure we will receive what we asked him for. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
16 If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, pray for that person and God will give them life. This is for sins that do not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you need to pray about that. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
17 Every kind of wrongdoing is sin. But not every sin leads to death. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
Three Certainties and Final Warning
Study note
John closes with three statements of certainty: those born of God do not continue in sin because the One born of God protects them; believers belong to God while the whole world lies under the power of the evil one; and the Son of God has come and given understanding to know him who is true. Believers are in the true God through his Son Jesus Christ, who is the true God and eternal life. John's final word is a surprising but fitting warning: little children, keep yourselves from idols.
18 We know that people born into God's family do not keep on sinning. The Son of God protects them, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
19 We know that we belong to God, but the whole world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us the ability to understand what is real and true. We are connected to the one who is true -- through his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life itself. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
21 Dear children, stay away from anything that could take God's place in your heart. Amen. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.