Subject 14 : The First Epistle of JOHN
[Chapter 5-7] He Is the True God And Eternal Life (1 John 5:20)
(1 John 5:20)
“And
we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding,
that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His
Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
Look at This Word of Truth
Today’s
Scripture passage of 1 John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God
has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is
true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is
the true God and eternal life.”
What
did the Son of God give to us according to this passage? He gave us the
knowledge and understanding, which enables us to realize the gospel
Truth of the water and the Spirit. Jesus Christ made us realize about
the True One, and about God the Father. Also, Jesus made us realize
about the remission of sin and about the true eternal life.
I
want to share with you all that I know and believe in my heart as I
preach the Scriptures, but I recognize the need to share the
intellectual parts of the Word of Truth first. I would like to interpret
the Scripture passage to you, before I share the spiritual meanings
implied in it with you. Thus, I plan on sharing Jesus Christ, who has
come to my heart and who will come to your hearts, by explicating the
Word of the Bible verse by verse. Now, I feel grateful, since I can
share with you the Word of Truth, which the Apostle John believed.
Jesus Christ Is God
Today’s
Scripture passage says, “This is the true God and eternal life.” To us,
Jesus Christ is the true God. Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God
but also the true God, who created all of the universe as well as all of
humanity including us. We must know and believe that Jesus is the true
God, who created the entire universe as well as you and me. Jesus Christ
is the true God to us. He is not only the Son to God the Father but
also the true God to us. It is important for us to know and have faith
in the fact that Jesus is God. By doing so, we can have the rational
faith in Him. Because Jesus is God, we have to believe in this Truth
that He came to this world, received the baptism from John the Baptist,
and shed His blood on the Cross to deliver us from all our sins.
“This
is the true God and eternal life.” To believe in Jesus as our Savior,
we need to basically believe that He is God, and that He became our
Savior. We need to know that Jesus came to this world, received the
baptism, and shed His blood so that you and I may realize the Truth of
salvation from our sins.
“Is
Jesus a creature like any other human being? Or is He the Creator of
all people, plants and animals, the sun and moon, the universe, and
everything in it?” If we want to have correct faith before God, we need
to answer this part first and know correctly that Jesus is the true God.
Then, we should believe in the God-given gospel of the water and the
Spirit. The knowledge of faith in Jesus Christ as God and Savior—who
came to this world, receiving the baptism from John the Baptist to take
our sins onto Himself, dying crucified on the Cross, and resurrecting
from the dead so that we may be delivered from our sins—is most
precious.
The
Bible says, “He is the true God.” As such, Jesus is the true God. When
we believe that Jesus is the true God, we come to realize how much He
really loved us. How much did Jesus love us, if Jesus Christ was God to
you and I, who delivered us from our sins as our Savior?
The
Apostle John said in 1 John 5:6-8, “This is He who came by water and
blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is
the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there
are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear
witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three
agree as one.”
Jesus
Christ is fundamentally God. The true God Jesus came by the water and
the blood. To deliver you and me from our sins, the Lord came to this
world by the water and the blood and delivered us from all the judgments
for our sins. The Lord came “not only by water, but by water and blood.
And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit truth” (1
John 5:6). Although Jesus was fundamentally God, He came to this world,
receiving the baptism, dying on the Cross, and suffering vicariously for
us in order to deliver us from all our sins because He loved you and
me. You and I should believe that Jesus Christ is God. Furthermore, you
and I should also believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit,
which He gave us.
How
are we going to fill our empty hearts now? It would be nice and easy if
could satisfy our hearts with things in this world. However, how could
we ever satisfy our hearts with things of this world? Our hearts will be
saturated with the love of Christ and feel satisfied, when we know that
Jesus Christ came to this world and received the baptism and died on
the Cross because He loved us. Our faith in the gospel of the water and
the Spirit, therefore, is a necessity.
The
Scripture passage in 1 John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation
for our sins.” This passage implies that Jesus the true God came to this
world and received the baptism and shed His blood so that we may be
delivered from our sins. Through these righteous deeds of Christ, we
were able to receive the remission of all our sins and become the
children of God. Thus, we now are able to overcome the sins of the
world.
The
Apostle John said, “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by water and
blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood” (1 John
5:5-6).
We
can become the ones born of God only when we believe Jesus Christ to be
God. Jesus, the true God has loved us. Therefore, He received the
baptism so that we may be delivered from all our sins. He also shed His
precious blood so that we may be emancipated from the judgments for all
our sins. And He became our true Savior by resurrecting from the dead.
We are able to overcome the world by believing in this gospel of the
water and the Spirit.
We
have become truly joyful people because the love of God dwells in us
abundantly. The fact God’s love is in our hearts deserves our gratitude.
We have to keep in our hearts the understanding that God loved us by
sending Jesus to this world for you and me, having Him receive the
baptism and having Him shed His sacrificial blood.
The
Apostle Paul said, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but
the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Furthermore, he
said, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I
give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1
Corinthians 13:3). The ‘love’ mentioned here is the ‘love of the
Truth’ (2 Thessalonians 2:10). That is, God’s love revealed through the
gospel Truth in the water and the Spirit. It would be appropriate for us
to believe that God came to this world and received the baptism and
endured the suffering of crucifixion on the Cross out of His love for
us.
Jesus
the true God has loved you and me. That love dwells in our hearts by
our faith. If we have not that love in our hearts, we are nothing.
Because the true God Jesus has loved us, He delivered us from all our
sins. We have to keep God’s love in us as we live our lives. Only then
do we have the power to overcome the world. Although we devote our
bodies to the good works giving our bodies to be burned, we would be
nothing without faith in this kind of love.
As
I have stated in the beginning, because I need to tell you in detail
what the First Epistle of John is telling us, I am explicating to you
each verse by verse. While I do this on purpose, I am concerned that
this may turn out to be too intellectual. Despite of this concern, I
cannot but explicate today’s Scripture passage word for word to you.
To
have the correct faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we
need to utilize all of our minds, hearts, and emotions. And the
acquisition of the knowledge of the gospel of the water and the Spirit
is the first step of all. Because of that, you may feel like I am
conducting a Bible study more than I am preaching to you. Yet, there is
no other way but to do it this way.
One
thing is for sure: It is important for us to know a lot about the
Bible, but nothing is still more important than to remember and believe
in our hearts that Jesus being God came to this world by the water and
the blood and poured out His love onto us so that we may be delivered
from all our sins. I am telling you these with the conviction that you
will not accept God’ love intellectually but both with your minds as
well as with your hearts simultaneously.
The
Apostle John said, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born
of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is
begotten of Him” (1 John 5:1). Actually, Jesus Christ is our God, the
Son of God, and our Savior, who came by the water and the blood to
deliver us from all our sins. If we believe in this Truth, we are born
of God.
Are
you and I born of God? Or are we born only of our biological parents?
Of whom and what were you born? If you are born of God, you surely
believe that Jesus is God, the Son of God, and Savior, who received the
baptism and shed His blood on the Cross to deliver us. Only those who
believe so are born of God. They are also the children of God, workers
of God, and the hosts of Heaven.
It
is written, “Everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is
begotten of Him. 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 5:1-3).
Those
who love and believe in God the Father also love Jesus Christ, the Son
of God the Father. Those who love His Son also love His Father. He who
loves His Father is equivalent of saying he who loves His Son
Do
you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, God to us, who delivered us
from all our sins by the water and the blood because He loved you and
me? Do you believe that Jesus to be God? Do you believe Him to be the
Savior? Do you believe the Father of Jesus Christ to be our God? People
who answer “yes” to these questions are born of God. Then, we are the
ones who have been born of God.
We
have to love Jesus by knowing Him to be God, and we can keep His
commandments by doing so. God’s commandment is for us to love one
another. The Bible says that we are to love one another, if we love God.
If we know Jesus to be God and received the blessings of the remission
of sin and of becoming God’s children through the love of God, we should
rightly love one another.
We
are not forced to love one another. To love one another is not
burdensome in the love of God. If you and I know and believe that we are
delivered from all our sins in our knowledge of Jesus as God and in His
love, we cannot help but love one another out of His love in our
hearts. We the righteous cannot live hating one another. God’s love is
not passive but active.
If
we know and believe that Jesus Christ is God, then we have received the
eternal life despite of our sins because of that love of God. Because
the love of God is in our hearts, we do not have to force ourselves to
love others’ souls. Because the love of our Lord is in our hearts, it is
almost impossible for us not to love. Keeping God’s commandments by
loving one another is not a difficult task. If we have received the full
remission of all our sins by believing in God’s love and kept that love
in our hearts, it is easy for us to love the righteous as well as
others’ souls. In a way, to love others in the love of God may be easier
than eating our meals.
The
Apostle John is telling us that Jesus is God and the Son of God, who
delivered us from all our sins through His love of the water and the
blood. The Apostle John is also telling us that we who have received the
remission of sin by believing in the love of God should naturally love
one another.
During
the Early Church period, those born of God believed in the gospel of
the water and the Spirit (1 John 5:3-7). In other words, they believed
Jesus to be God, who delivered them from all their sins by the water and
the blood.
On
the other hand, the unrighteous did neither believe Jesus to be God nor
believe in the love of the full remission of all their sins that had
been fulfilled by the water and the blood of Jesus. Jesus poured on us
all. Instead of loving others’ souls, they despised the souls of
others.
However,
for each person who was born of God by believing in the gospel of the
water and the Spirit, understanding each other’s hearts and caring and
loving one another are not difficult things to do. Since the righteous
can automatically love one another, that love is consistent. The Apostle
John said that loving is equivalent of keeping the commandments.
God
spoke love to us by commanding us “to love one another.” Jesus Christ
was fundamentally the Lord of love. We must know the love of God first.
Although there is the occasional envy among the righteous, we must know
that generally we love one another because Jesus Christ our God, who
fundamentally is the Lord of love, dwells in our hearts as the Holy
Spirit. We not only love our brothers and sisters in Christ but also
those souls outside of Christ, who have not yet received the remission
of sin.
We
can see that any plant, animal, or person grows healthy when each of
them receives love. How awkward would a relationship become if you find
out that someone among us does not like you but hates you? Wouldn’t you
hate to be with that person? We can have true communion of our hearts,
when we know that we love one another. However, if I feel like that
person hates me, I cannot be at the same place with that person even if I
tried to.
How
worried would I be if I think that another person hates me? But
actually, the person who hates another person suffers the greater loss.
If a person continues to hate another person, one’s own soul is surely
ruined. Regardless of who the person is, if a person’s soul is full of
hatred without any love, that person’s soul will wither shortly as a
flower does.
On
the other hand, when we practice God’s love toward others, our souls
are invigorated. I am sure that all of us have experienced our own souls
becoming healthier, more joyful, and more energetic as we shared our
love with our brothers and sisters, God’s servants, and even the souls
of those outside of Christ. Our true victory lies in the love of God.
The
Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life” (John 3:16). Our true victory, our true salvation, and our true
works of new life are being accomplished by the love of God. Jesus
Christ being our God came by the water and the blood to deliver us from
all our sins because He loved us. You and I should believe in the love
our Lord has given us. By doing so, we become able to love others’
souls. In fact, believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit have
already become the ones who have put on the love of God.
God
first loved the humanity. God loved all of humanity by the gospel of
the water and the Spirit. But there are those among people who do
neither accept His love nor love Him. They treat the gospel of the water
and the Spirit, which states that God sent us His only beloved Son
Jesus for our salvation, as good for nothing and throw that gospel
away.
What
happens to those who do not believe in the love of God? Can anyone
among us who does not love God receive the blessings from God and live
well? Absolutely not. They will suffer greater pains than the judgment
and condemnation from God. Because they did not love God but instead
loved the Devil, when God loved them, they are in effect killing
themselves by beating their own hearts with hatred. Those who do not
love God must first believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
God
is love as well as life. The love of God is the eternal life. The love
of God is the gospel of the water and the Spirit. All authentic love has
come out of God: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). He
who believes in the love of God is the believer in the gospel of the
water and the Spirit. That kind of person has already experienced the
abundantly overflowing love of God. Because of that, that person loves
the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit. If we know God and know
the love of God, we come to love God. You become the most appropriate
person before God by knowing and believing that God loved us with the
immensely great Truth.
We
have to examine ourselves whether we really love God. Clearly, he who
knows the love of God cannot but love God. Because God is the God of
love, those who know the love of God are able to love Him by believing
in Him. Those who neither love God nor the believers of God cannot love,
because they do not have in them the love of God. Those, who have
ignored that Jesus is God and that the same God so loved them, are the
ones who do not believe in God and stand against Him instead. Their
current lives are probably full of hellish bleakness and miseries. But
their future holds the even worse real hell.
We
who believe that God loved us by the gospel of the water and the Spirit
also are grateful towards God. Dear fellow believers, do you also
believe that God loves you? Of course, you do. Even now, God loves you
and all of His creations. Jesus even loves those who have not yet
accepted the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and hence, tells us to
preach the gospel to them. As such, God’s love knows no limits, loving
even the unbelievers with the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
However,
the problem is the presence of those ignorant of God’s love. Sometimes,
such people are mingling among the saints of God’s Church. They pretend
to be the born-again, but actually they are the enemies of God. Those
who do not believe in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit are
the very ones who have turned their backs against God. They haven’t
experienced the love of God because of their ignorance of the true
gospel. Therefore, whenever they felt troubles in following the Lord,
they would say, “I don’t like that. I don’t like You! Why do You tell me
that You love me, when You haven’t done anything for me! There are more
things that You have taken away from me than You have given me!” From
times to times, some ungrateful people turn their backs against God like
this.
But,
dear fellow believers, think carefully. Everything around you is from
God. God has given us all the blessings and, therefore, He also has the
authority to take some of them from us. As the Scripture says, “For of
Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36), we also
come from God and return to Him. Fundamentally, nothing in this world
was ever ours to begin with. Were even our lovers ever truly ours? They
were God’s. You and I should not turn our back against God’s love. God
loves you. God the Father has shown us the gist of His love through
Jesus’ baptism, His bloodshed on the Cross, and His resurrection from
the dead.
John
3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life.” Because God the Father so loved you, He gave His only Son to be
baptized, to shed His blood on the Cross, and to resurrect from the
dead.
Do
you know this love and truly believe in it? Of course, you do. To say
that we believe in Jesus Christ is equivalent to saying that we believe
in His love revealed in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We
believe that Jesus Christ so loved us that He received the baptism from
John the Baptist, died on the Cross, and resurrected from the dead to
become the King of kings.
As
a matter of fact, it is not difficult to know about and believe in
Jesus. When we look at God the Creator of all things in this universe,
we come to know about the divinity of Jesus. It says in the Bible that
God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. Because God so
loved and loves us, He became our eternal Savior by coming to this world
in the flesh of man, receiving the baptism, vicariously dying for us by
shedding His blood on the Cross, and resurrecting from the dead. As
long as God lives, our salvation is not annulled. This is the love of
God.
Is
it correct that God has blotted out all our sins by the water and the
blood? What I am asking is whether you believe wholeheartedly in the
gospel of the water and the Spirit. Those who believe in this are born
of God, and those who don’t are not born of God. The unbelievers will
live their lives as servants of Satan the Devil in this world, standing
against God. Just like Satan the Devil did, those, who have not received
the remission of sin through the gospel of the water and the Spirit
stand against God, will leave God’s side.
Those
who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, which is the
love of God, are born of God. And only the children of God can be
embraced in God’s bosom. Hence, to become the child of God, you have to
first believe in God’s love, which came by the water and the Spirit that
has delivered you from all your sins. The Lord has come not only by the
water and the blood but also by the Holy Spirit and delivered us from
all our sins. We have truly become the children of God by believing in
that love of God.
God
said that there is the evidence of salvation for those who believe in
the Son of God. We need to possess in our hearts the evidence of
receiving the love of God. We should have the evidence of salvation in
our hearts by believing that Jesus Christ, who came by the water, the
blood, and the Holy Spirit, is the God of love as well as our Savior.
Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and God to us, who has
blotted out all our sins by the water and the blood and made us the
children of God because He loved us, have in their hearts the evidence
of receiving the love of God.
In
the latter half of today’s Scripture passage of 1 John 5:20, it says,
“This [Jesus] is the true God and eternal life.” Believing in God is not
difficult for us. God the Father has shown His love for the entire
humanity by sending His Son in to the world in the flesh of man.
Although Jesus came in the flesh of man, He was the true God. The
Apostle John said, “And the world was made through Him” (John 1:10). We
must know that it is Jesus Christ who created everything in the universe
and believe in Him to be the true God in His essence. We must know and
believe that the true God Jesus blotted out all our sins and granted us
the eternal life out of His love.
Jesus
is truly the God of love. This God came to us by His love and delivered
us from all our sins. God has made us into His own people by His love,
and He gave us the eternal life. God desires for all of us to become His
children by believing that Jesus is the Son of God and the true God,
that He is our Savior, and that the love of God came to us by the water,
the blood, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear
fellow believers, you should believe in that love of God without
leaving out any. I hope that all of you can become wholly God’s own
people by believing that the Lord is God. Dear fellow believers, I hope
that you become possessors of the true salvation by your faith in the
gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit, which is the love of God, as
well as by your faith that Jesus is God.
Dear
fellow believers, I hope that you do not fall into idol worship by
placing your faith in the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit.
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