1 John 5:1-5 - We Have the Love of God

We have the love of God

Vs. 5:1 – Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. -

Jesus himself said, "You must be born again." (John 3:3-8) The other important factor, you cannot have one (Father or Son) without the other (Son or Father). They are intrinsically linked. It is totally unacceptable to say you love God (the Father) and hate the Son (who is also God). If God the Father sent the Son into the world to save the world (and He did) then the Son is a total representation of God. If you reject the representation, you have rejected God. Again, cannot reject Jesus without rejecting God.
"Born" - important to know that we are new creatures. The old has passed away, behold new things have come. (1 Cor. 5:17).

Vs. 5:2 – By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. -

"By this we know..." This is how we know - we love God and obey. Not only do we love Jesus Christ (a requirement) but we also love other believers. Verse one: whoever loves the Father loves the Son (the child born of Him). This can also be extrapolated to believers - those born again, born again by God's mercy - who will love one another. Paul does that.
See: John 14:21, 23 The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him... Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him.

Vs. 5:3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. -

Jesus himself said that his yoke was easy and his burden was light (Matt. 11:30). The apostles recognized that the burden of the Jewish Law was too much for new believers to try to live under (see Acts 10:15, 28).

Overcoming the World

Vs. 5:4 – For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. -

Here again the theme of being born again. The slight difference here is that we are no longer at the mercy of the the forces of the world. Does this mean you and I will not have no problems, no issues to deal with as we go through life? It does not. The world, and its problems, most importantly the sin nature we all have is no longer our master. We are no longer slaves to sin. We no longer need to fear death. Death has been defeated. Not physical death, but even that is not permanent. We will be resurrected to eternal life.

Vs. 5:5 – Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? -

if you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you are saved. It is a simple equation, saved equals overcome the sin and death of our nature.

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