Sermons on 1 John 5:1

1 John 5:1 Interpretation:

Proving Our Faith: The Power of Being Born Again (Arrows Church) offers a vivid and unique analogy for the new birth described in 1 John 5:1, comparing spiritual rebirth to the dramatic, even traumatic, process of physical birth. The preacher draws on personal experience witnessing childbirth to emphasize the radical transformation from death to life, not merely a reformation of the old self but a complete renewal and impartation of a new nature. The sermon also delves into the linguistic detail that "Christ" is not Jesus’ last name but a title meaning "Messiah" or "Anointed One," and asserts that believing Jesus is the Christ is a supernatural revelation, not a mere intellectual assent. Furthermore, the sermon explores the Hebrew word "shema" (to hear), explaining that in the Old Testament context, hearing God inherently implied obedience, thus deepening the understanding of what it means to "believe" and "obey" in the context of being born of God.

Transformed by Faith: Overcoming the World in Christ (David Guzik) provides a distinctive interpretation by using the metaphor of a child’s birth to illustrate the radical change of being "born of God." The preacher describes the transition from the womb to the world as traumatic yet beautiful, paralleling it to the spiritual awakening and new abilities experienced by believers. He also addresses a contemporary "New Age" misinterpretation, clarifying that 1 John 5:1 insists Jesus is not merely one who possesses the "Christ spirit" but is uniquely "the Christ." The sermon uses the analogy of sitting in a chair to distinguish between intellectual belief and actual trust, emphasizing that biblical belief is an active, personal reliance on Jesus as Messiah, not just theoretical agreement.

Rejoicing in Our Heavenly Citizenship and True Identity (MLJTrust) interprets 1 John 5:1 as a foundational test for Christian assurance, focusing on the principle that true rejoicing and Christian identity are rooted not in spiritual gifts or experiences but in the fact of being "born of God." The preacher highlights that believing Jesus is the Christ is not a mere intellectual exercise but a sign of spiritual rebirth, and that this belief is only possible through the Holy Spirit. The sermon uniquely frames 1 John 5:1 as a diagnostic tool for spiritual self-examination, connecting it to the assurance that one's name is written in heaven.

Transformative Love: Becoming Children of God (Desiring God) interprets 1 John 5:1 as a declaration of the radical, transformative love of God that not only rescues but also indwells and fundamentally changes the believer. The sermon uses the analogy of a rescue from drowning or a burning building to illustrate that God's love goes far beyond human rescue—He does not simply save and leave, but enters into the very core of the believer, creating a new nature and making them part of His family. The preacher emphasizes that there is "no human analogy" for this depth of love, highlighting the uniqueness of divine adoption and new birth. The interpretation is shaped by the idea that belief in Jesus is evidence of this new birth, and that God's plan for such intimate familial relationship was established from eternity, not as an afterthought to the cross.

Faith and Regeneration: Understanding Their Divine Relationship (Desiring God) offers a linguistic and theological analysis of 1 John 5:1, focusing on the Greek verb tense to argue that new birth (regeneration) precedes and causes faith, not the other way around. The sermon points out that the present participle "everyone who believes" is paired with the perfect tense "has been born," indicating that the act of believing is the result of a prior new birth. This interpretation is distinct in its grammatical focus and its insistence that regeneration is a sovereign act of God that enables faith, rather than faith being the cause of regeneration.

Transformative Faith: Loving God and Overcoming the World (Desiring God) provides a detailed, stepwise interpretation of 1 John 5:1, emphasizing the sequence and interrelation of new birth, faith, love for the Father, and love for fellow believers. The sermon highlights the Greek verb tense to show that new birth precedes faith, and then explores how genuine faith is not mere intellectual assent (as even demons "believe" Jesus is the Christ) but a heart-level treasuring of Christ. The preacher also notes the surprising shift in the text from faith in Christ to love for the Father, suggesting that true faith inherently includes love for God, and that this love naturally extends to other children of God. The analogy of "exposing the world as unsatisfying" is used to explain how new birth leads to joyful obedience rather than burdensome legalism.

1 John 5:1 Theological Themes:

Proving Our Faith: The Power of Being Born Again (Arrows Church) introduces the theme that spiritual rebirth is not a self-improvement project but a supernatural act of God that imparts a new, righteous, and holy nature, distinct from the old self. The sermon also presents the idea that spiritual death renders people incapable of spiritual acts, just as a physically dead body cannot perform physical actions, thus underscoring the necessity of divine intervention for new birth. Additionally, the preacher’s exploration of the Hebrew concept of "hearing" as inherently including obedience adds a fresh linguistic and theological angle, challenging Western notions of passive listening versus active doing.

Transformed by Faith: Overcoming the World in Christ (David Guzik) develops the theme that faith, not works or even love, is the basis for being born of God, and that this faith is not mere intellectual assent but a transformative trust that results in love and obedience. The sermon also explores the unity of believers as a family born of God, transcending all social, racial, and political boundaries, and asserts that the victory over the world is rooted in identity ("who we are in Jesus") rather than performance. A new facet is added by contrasting the burdensome religious rules of men with the liberating, love-motivated obedience to God’s commands, which are "not burdensome" when understood through the lens of grace and relationship.

Rejoicing in Our Heavenly Citizenship and True Identity (MLJTrust) presents the unusual application that assurance of salvation and Christian joy should be grounded in the objective reality of being born of God and having one’s name written in heaven, rather than in fluctuating experiences or spiritual gifts. The sermon emphasizes that this assurance is a work of grace, not merit, and that the witness of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit are the ultimate proofs of this new birth. The preacher also highlights the permanence and security of this identity, contrasting it with the transient nature of spiritual experiences.

Transformative Love: Becoming Children of God (Desiring God) introduces the theme of God's love as not merely redemptive but invasive and transformative, making believers not just forgiven but fundamentally new and at home in God's presence. The sermon uniquely stresses that adoption and new birth are not just legal or external changes but involve an internal, ontological transformation that aligns the believer's values and priorities with God's, culminating in an inheritance of "all things" that is meant to free believers from materialism and focus them on loving others.

Faith and Regeneration: Understanding Their Divine Relationship (Desiring God) presents the distinctive theological theme that regeneration is a sovereign, unilateral act of God that precedes and enables faith, emphasizing human inability and the necessity of divine initiative. The sermon adds the facet that this understanding deepens appreciation for grace, grounds hope in evangelism and prayer, and provides a realistic view of human depravity.

Transformative Faith: Loving God and Overcoming the World (Desiring God) develops the theme that new birth not only enables faith but also transforms the believer's relationship to God's commandments, making obedience joyful rather than burdensome. The sermon adds the fresh angle that overcoming the world is not about external victory but about an internal reordering of desires, where the world loses its allure because the believer treasures Christ above all.

1 John 5:1 Historical and Contextual Insights:

Proving Our Faith: The Power of Being Born Again (Arrows Church) provides a historical-linguistic insight by explaining that in the Old Testament Hebrew context, there was no direct word for "obedience" as modern readers understand it. Instead, the word "shema" (hear) was used, and hearing was inseparable from obeying—there was no concept of truly hearing God without responding in action. This contrasts with Western Christianity, where hearing and doing are often separated, and adds depth to understanding the biblical expectation of faith as inherently active.

Transformed by Faith: Overcoming the World in Christ (David Guzik) offers contextual insight into the religious environment of Jesus’ day, describing how the Pharisees and religious leaders imposed burdensome rules and regulations on people, in contrast to the simplicity and lightness of Jesus’ commands. The preacher references the meticulous tithing of herbs as an example of the extreme legalism that Jesus critiqued, highlighting how 1 John 5:1 and its surrounding verses call believers to a different kind of obedience rooted in love and relationship rather than rule-keeping.

1 John 5:1 Cross-References in the Bible:

Proving Our Faith: The Power of Being Born Again (Arrows Church) references several passages to expand on 1 John 5:1: 2 Corinthians 5:17 ("if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation"), to illustrate the radical newness of being born of God; Ephesians 4:24 ("put on the new self... created in righteousness and holiness"), to explain the renewal of nature; Deuteronomy 6 (the Shema), to discuss the Hebrew understanding of hearing and obedience; and John 11:25 ("I am the resurrection and the life"), to connect belief in Jesus as the Christ with victory over death and the promise of eternal life.

Transformed by Faith: Overcoming the World in Christ (David Guzik) draws on John 3 (Jesus and Nicodemus) to explain the concept of being "born again"; John 14:15 ("If you love me, keep my commandments") to link love and obedience; Genesis 29:18 (Jacob’s love for Rachel) as an illustration of love making burdens light; Revelation 12:11 ("they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony") to show how believers overcome the world and Satan; and John 16:33 ("I have overcome the world") to root the believer’s victory in Christ’s own triumph. The sermon also references Romans 7 to illustrate the futility of self-reliance versus victory through faith in Christ.

Rejoicing in Our Heavenly Citizenship and True Identity (MLJTrust) references 1 Corinthians (especially chapters 12 and 13) to discuss the dangers of rejoicing in gifts rather than grace; Matthew 7 (end of the Sermon on the Mount) to warn that spiritual gifts do not guarantee salvation; Revelation 20:11-12 and 3:12 to describe the Book of Life and the permanence of the believer’s heavenly identity; and 1 John itself as a whole, presenting it as a letter designed to provide tests for assurance, including belief in Jesus as the Christ, love for the brethren, and the witness of the Spirit.

Transformative Love: Becoming Children of God (Desiring God) references several passages to expand on 1 John 5:1: Romans 8:29 is used to show that God's eternal purpose was to conform believers to the image of His Son, making them part of a family of "many brethren." Romans 8:14 and 8:16-17 are cited to explain the Spirit's role in leading and assuring believers of their status as children and heirs of God. Philippians 2:15 is used to illustrate that children of God "shine like lights" in a dark world. 1 Corinthians 3:21 is referenced to underscore the idea that believers "own everything" in Christ, and Ephesians 3:18 is invoked to highlight the incomprehensible magnitude of God's love. These references collectively support the sermon’s vision of adoption, inheritance, and transformation as central to the meaning of being "born of God."

Faith and Regeneration: Understanding Their Divine Relationship (Desiring God) uses 1 John 5:1 as a key proof text for the doctrine that regeneration precedes faith, emphasizing the verb tenses. John 1:12-13 is cited to show that becoming children of God is not by human will but by God's action. Acts 13:48 is referenced to demonstrate that belief follows divine appointment to eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9 is used to stress that faith is a gift, not a human work. Additional references (Philippians 1:29, 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, John 3:7-8, John 6:44, 65, 2 Timothy 2:25, 1 Corinthians 1:23-24) are listed as further support for the priority of regeneration, though not all are expounded in detail.

Transformative Faith: Loving God and Overcoming the World (Desiring God) references 1 John 5:1-4 as the primary text, but also draws on the broader context of 1 John (notably 2:15) to define "the world" as the sum of desires and values that make God's commandments burdensome. The sermon also alludes to the Gospels, noting that demons "believe" Jesus is the Christ, to clarify the nature of saving faith. These references are used to build a theological sequence: new birth leads to faith, which leads to love for God and others, which leads to joyful obedience and victory over the world.

1 John 5:1 Christian References outside the Bible:

Rejoicing in Our Heavenly Citizenship and True Identity (MLJTrust) explicitly references Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones’ own reading of a medieval or early modern German saint who, on his deathbed, requested that his funeral sermon be based on the text about names written in heaven, and who outlined sermon headings such as "Who is the one who writes the name?" and "The ink in which it is written," emphasizing the grace of God and the blood of Christ as the basis for assurance. The preacher also quotes the hymn writer Augustus Toplady ("My name from the palms of his hands / Eternity shall not erase..."), using it to reinforce the permanence and security of the believer’s identity in Christ.

1 John 5:1 Illustrations from Secular Sources:

Proving Our Faith: The Power of Being Born Again (Arrows Church) uses the analogy of grocery shopping to illustrate the confusion and diversity of religious options, comparing different churches and denominations to various grocery stores (Target, Walmart, Aldi, Whole Foods), and contrasting them with AutoZone to show that not all "stores" (or faiths) are the same, even if they share superficial similarities. The preacher also humorously compares delivering his own child to using self-checkout at the grocery store, highlighting the personal and dramatic nature of new birth. Additionally, the sermon uses the example of teenagers borrowing money from their parents to buy a gift for the parent, illustrating that when believers "overcome the world," it is actually Christ in them who is the true hero, not their own efforts.

Transformed by Faith: Overcoming the World in Christ (David Guzik) employs the metaphor of playing Trivial Pursuit and knowing the cast of "Gilligan’s Island" to distinguish between useless head knowledge and transformative belief in Christ. He also uses the analogy of sitting in a chair to illustrate the difference between intellectual agreement and actual trust. The preacher references the experience of waiting in long lines to buy a special gift for a loved one, showing how love makes burdens light, and contrasts this with the reluctance to do the same for someone one does not care for. These analogies serve to make the theological points of faith, love, and obedience more relatable to everyday experience.

Transformative Love: Becoming Children of God (Desiring God) uses a detailed secular illustration involving the scale of the universe to help listeners grasp the magnitude of God's love and the inheritance promised to His children. The preacher describes the solar system as 7.3 billion miles across, the Milky Way as 80,000 light years across (translating to 480,000 trillion miles), and the universe as a collection of "soap bubbles" with an edge 13 billion light years away. This astronomical imagery is employed not to encourage materialistic awe but to illustrate the vastness of the believer's inheritance and, more importantly, the incomprehensible love of God that makes believers His children and heirs of "all things." The point is to shift the focus from possession of material things to the enjoyment of the Father's love, using the immensity of the cosmos as a metaphor for the depth and breadth of divine love.