DAY 12 – Spiritual Combination

Today’s Scripture

1 John 5:1-5 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. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

John is layering one line upon another. Here we see everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him

The begotten of God are those who are born again. The born of God are those who believe in Jesus as the Christ. Not just a good man, or a prophet, but the Christ, meaning The Messiah.

John has been laying out this spiritual combination:

Those who are loved + have an identity as children of God + faith in Jesus as the Christ = a power to love God (the One who begot) and love others. (those who are begotten of Him)

I find it interesting that it isn’t the world or those of the world that we are to love. It is those who are begotten of God that we are to love. How do we know that we are begotten?

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.

WE LOVE THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS

To those who are not yet begotten are those who we are to call to repent and believe. But you won’t find that from John. The message of “the children of God are to love one another” is his call to herald. But you will hear it from Peter.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Peter 3:9

This is how we all have to come to God – through repentance. It is still love but very different. It’s love through longsuffering toward us, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Calling, calling, calling, calling, continuing to call until there is no more time for answering.

Action: Take a little time to ponder that combination.

Loved + Identity + Faith = power to love God and love one another

Those who are loved (the beloved) have been given an identity as children of God, that birthed faith in Jesus as the Christ. This is where the power to love God (the One who begot) and love others. (those who are begotten of Him) comes from. The one who loved bestowed on us the ability to be loved and those who love.

We love Him because He first loved us.

I John 4:19

We didn’t do this – He did!

Thanks for Listening,

Starla