1 John 5:3-5 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
 
YOU overcome the world when you believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Is this good? “Overcome” has several very different meanings. It can mean you are overwhelmed, unable to respond to many different troubles and circumstances. Does one who believes in Jesu overwhelm the world, causing trouble?
    In contrast, “overcome” also means you have the ability to confidently confront and conquer the circumstances against you. This is John’s meaning. As a Christian, you overcome the world when you, sure of your faith and of your Lord, confront the many things that oppose Jesus. John affirms the believers they have overcome false teachers, constant temptations and even very severe trials threatening to overcome them. With faith, they have overpowered the opposition. We in the church are to be overcomers. This is our life when we truly live in Christ’s resurrection power. Jesus has overcome death! Whom shall we fear? Ephesians 6:12-13 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
    The apostles have spoken. The prophets also spoke it: Psalms 45:6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. Overcoming the world in God’s power leads to joy. This is the true security of knowing the Lord God Almighty protects you.
    Then know the Lord Jesus, too, reveals God’s eternal rewards as you overcome the world: Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. In Christ, you can live this way.
    What confronts you? Are you overcome? Or are you an overcomef?
 
Life Thought: God’s eternal love overcomes all.  

1 John 5:1-2 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
 
THE title of this lesson may seem obvious. We connect “Christ” with Jesus to the point we think Jesus’ full name is Jesus Christ. Ture, “Christ” does name who Jesus is. But “Christ” is “Messiah”. It identifies Jesus’ purpose to be born of God onto the earth. John repeatedly teaches that Jesus who came from Nazareth, grew up in humble circumstances, ministered healing, taught the truth, died on a cross, rose from the grave, ascended to heaven is the Messiah. He is the one the prophets had proclaimed. This was a key to helping the Jews know Jesus fulfilled God’s covenant law. Here is one prophecy of the hundreds recorded:
    Psalms 102:25 “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end. 28 The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”
    The psalmist praised God for the relationship he has with God. He confessed God is eternal. He celebrated what God has done and prophesied the eternal view of living in God’s family, “Their descendants will be established before you.” As we know, John wrote many times, too, of the believer’s child-father relationship to the Holy God. That is possible only through the Messiah. John knows Jesus is the Messiah because he witnessed Jesus fulfill the many Messiah prophecies.   
    All must know. This is the eternal truth to believe and to live into each day as we confess, “I believe in Jesus Christ.”
    Love for brothers and sisters in the church, then, must be the evidence of our faith. Throughout the Bible, you will find the blessings of people who live together loving the Lord and loving one another with respect, humility, honor and forgiveness. Certainly you have frequently heard this. Do you live it? Do you understand this is a mark of faith?
    This is the way of life because Jesus is the Christ.
 
Life Thought: Consider a love act you can do for a brother or sister in Christ today. Then go ahead. Do it.  

1 John 4:20-21 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
 
ONE thing we should remember about the New Testament epistles is the reason John, Paul, Peter, James, Luke and the unknown Hebrews author wrote them. They were teaching the early church congregations how to live in Jesus’ resurrection. These two verses on love God, love your brother/sister in the church is repeated many times. Why again?
    A good pastor will preach to an issue he sees in the church. Likely, there were Christians not living in love. John reminded the church again of their primary response to God, who is love.  
    This is still a problem. Too often, God’s love is dramatically absent from his church. We in the church show little desire to truly fellowship with others in God’s love.
    We have looked at fellowship in 1 John 1:3 to learn, “Fellowship is a very personal, active relationship with God the Father, Son and Spirit. We serve God and serve one another with spiritual gifts of help, mercy, love, forgiveness and prayer.” Pastor and author Rick Warren says in “The Purpose Driven Life”: “Fellowship is sharing together, serving together, belonging together and suffering together.” He writes of how forgiveness, humility, time, honesty and commitment are needed to build true fellowship. Then he writes, “The best use of life is love. Life without love is really worthless.”
    Do you get this? Fellowship in Christ demonstrates Christ’s love, to one another. John holds you to this. You cannot say, “I love God.” and then ignore his people. If you do so, you are lying when you say, “I love Jesus.” Think of that!
    Love for God and love for others is why Jesus asked Peter three times in John 21:16-17 “Simon, do you love me?” When Peter affirmed, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Then Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” Peter’s love – not his hard work, not his passion, not his leadership, but his love for Jesus qualified him to minister to the church. He would go in love of the Savior to love God’s people into the gospel. In fellowship with the Savior, Peter and the others went to make disciples who loved God and loved one another.
    This was their purpose. It is to be yours, too.
 
Life Thought: Be loving to serve, share and suffer with those who belong to your church.  

1 John 4:14-17 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
 
WHO is a Christian? You are if you acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. To acknowledge is to know. To know is to determine the truth. A Christian has determined Jesus is God’s Son.
    This is not a cultural condition; this is a believer’s confession. “The Bible is true. I am a sinner. I need salvation in Jesus’ blood.” A Christian celebrates, “The Holy Spirit has granted me faith to be born again. God lives in (me) and (I) live in God. A Christian says, “I has an active relationship with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christ-centered living in his grace is my joy.” A Christian blesses God with, “I love you, Lord. I am grateful you are love.”
    A Christian’s life grows toward God. A Christian knows, “God’s love changes my life. In this way love is made complete in me and in my church.” A Christian experiences Jesus’ directive: Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
    As a Christian, you know the Father, and you are sure you are his child. In love, a Christian strives to live in God’s commands. A Christian is sure, “My future is secure with God in heaven. I confidently await the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.”
    A Christian’s heart is eager to put away the world and hold fast to the Word. A Christian salvation is from the Lord. He has graciously raised them from sin’s death to Jesus’ life. A Christian submits to the gospel. A Christian easily, surely proclaims the name of Jesus as Savior, Redeemer and King. A Christian lives into confession. Words and deeds become a visible view of God in a sin-darkened world. With sure joy and clear purpose, a Christian will “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
   
Life Thought: A Christian is born again, created anew (2 Corinthians 5:17) into Christ’s life.