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 themes in this passage are familiar because John has addressed them before. Here he explores the relationship among love, obedience, and faith. These three are tied together, inter-related. To elevate love above the other two leads to liberalism, which is not true love. Elevating obedience above the others results in legalism, which is not true obedience. And a singular focus on faith leads to dead orthodoxy, which is not true faith. And so there must be unity of all three.
John first looks at a faith-filled obedient love in verses 1-2. The origin of this love is that we have been begotten by God. God brings us forth as His children--we are born again. The focus of this love is God and His children; if we love God, we will love those who have been born of Him.
In verses 2-3, John discusses a loving faithful obedience. Obeying the commandments is where our love is borne out. Keeping the commandments is an expression of our love. It's not that people of God ought to look different from the world--true people of God do look different from the world. The commands of God are not a burden, but a blessing. The origin of our obedience is our relationship with God--that we are born again.
Finally, John looks at an obedient loving faith. This is a faith that overcomes the world because it comes from our being born of God. Its focus is that Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. In saying that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, John is reminding us that Jesus is God and man, and in this we trust.
These five verses bring together a lot. The community of faith, then, that knows and believes this marches forth and has victory in overcoming the world.
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