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Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:4-13
In 2:28—5:21 we see the virtues of the divine birth. First, in 2:28—3:10a we have the practice of the divine righteousness. Then in 3:10b—5:3 we have the practice of the divine love. In order to practice the divine righteousness we need a basis, and this basis is the divine birth. We also need a means. This means is the divine life. Through abiding in the divine fellowship according to the divine anointing, we have the practice of the divine righteousness. In order to practice the divine love, we need the divine life as the divine seed, and we also need the divine Spirit (3:10b-24). Then we need the proving of the spirits (4:1-6), and we also need God as the supreme love and the bountiful Spirit (4:7—5:3).
God’s economy is to work Himself into us. For this, we need to be born of Him; that is, we need the divine birth. This divine birth brings into us the divine life with the divine nature. As those who have been born of God, we now have the Triune God moving and working within us as the anointing. Day by day we need to abide, dwell, in the enjoyment of the Triune God according to this anointing. I hope that we all shall be deeply impressed with the fact that the Triune God is working Himself into our being. We have Him as the divine life with the divine nature moving and working in us as the divine anointing. Now we simply need to dwell in Him according to this divine anointing.
In this message we shall begin to consider the virtues of the divine birth to overcome the world, death, sin, the Devil, and the idols (1 John 5:4-21). Our overcoming of these negative things is not by ourselves, by what we are, or by what we can do, but by the eternal life in the Son. Surely the overcoming of the world, death, sin, the Devil, and idols is a virtue of the divine birth. First John 5:4-13, which we shall consider in this message, reveals that it is by the eternal life in the Son that we may have the practical experience of overcoming these five categories of negative things.
In 5:4 John says, “Because everything that has been begotten of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory which overcame the world — our faith.” The word “everything” refers to every person who has been begotten of God. Yet such an expression should refer especially to the part that has been regenerated with the divine life, that is, the spirit of the regenerated person (John 3:6). The regenerated spirit of the believer does not practice sin (1 John 3:9), and it overcomes the world. His divine birth with the divine life is the basic factor of such victorious living.
Both John’s Gospel and Epistle stress the divine birth (John 1:13; 3:3, 5; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18), through which the divine life is imparted into the believers in Christ (John 3:15-16, 36; 1 John 5:11-12). This divine birth that brings in the divine life is the basic factor of all the mysteries concerning the divine life, such as the fellowship of the divine life (1 John 1:3-7), the anointing of the Divine Trinity (1 John 2:20-27), the abiding in the Lord, (1 John 2:28-29; 3:1-24), and the divine living that practices the divine truth (1 John 1:6), the divine will (1 John 2:17), the divine righteousness (1 John 2:29; 3:7), and divine love (1 John 3:10, 22-23; 5:1-3) to express the divine Person (1 John 4:12). The divine birth with the divine life is also the basic factor of this section, from 5:4 through 5:21. It assures the God-begotten believers, giving them confidence in the ability and virtue of the divine life.
Since regenerated believers have the capability of the divine life to overcome the world, the powerful satanic world system, the commandments of God are not heavy or burdensome to them (5:3).
Regeneration takes place definitely and particularly in our spirit. John 3:6 says that that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. This indicates that regeneration takes place in our spirit. Because our spirit has been regenerated, it cannot sin. On the contrary, our spirit can overcome all negative things.
Our spirit has been regenerated with the divine life. This means that the divine life has been imparted or infused into our spirit. However, our body has not been regenerated, and our soul still remains without the life of God. For this reason, once we have been regenerated in our spirit, we should dwell in the divine life so that it may have free course to spread into our soul. The spreading of the divine life from our regenerated spirit into our soul produces a metabolic change in our being, a change which is called transformation in the New Testament. By this we see that after regeneration in our spirit, we need the divine life to saturate our soul in order to cause the transformation of our inner being, the metabolic change of our soul. Eventually, the time will come when our body will be transfigured by the power of the divine life into a glorious body.
As human beings we have three parts: the spirit, the soul, and the body. In God’s salvation there are three steps: regeneration, transformation, and transfiguration. Regeneration took place in our spirit when we believed in the Lord Jesus. Now if we abide in the fellowship of the divine life, this will open the way for the divine life to spread into our soul and to transform the parts of our inward being. When the Lord Jesus comes back, He will transfigure our bodies. Then we shall be fully in the divine life and in the divine glory.
Today both our soul and body give us trouble. If we do not abide in the fellowship of the divine life, our body and soul will give us a difficult time. Praise the Lord for the hope that our troublesome body will be transfigured! We also thank the Lord for the transformation that is taking place in our soul. All believers have experienced regeneration, the initial step of God’s salvation. Through regeneration, the divine birth, we received the divine life, the eternal life, which is in the Son. Actually, this eternal life is the Son Himself.
According to 5:4, everything that has been begotten of God overcomes the world. We have seen that “everything” points to the human spirit. Therefore, it is the regenerated human spirit that overcomes the world. Regarding overcoming the world, we should not trust in our own ability or effort. From experience I can testify that we need to trust our spirit. Our spirit is well able to overcome Satan and the world, the evil system. But in ourselves we cannot overcome the world. When we exercise our spirit, stay in our spirit, and walk by our spirit, we shall see that our spirit has the life ability to overcome all negative things. This is why we need to exercise our spirit to have fellowship with the Lord and pray concerning the enjoyment of the Lord. We also need to exercise our spirit to call on the Lord’s name and to pray-read the Word. This exercise stirs up the ability in our spirit to overcome the world.
It is the divine life in our spirit that has the ability to overcome the evil, satanic world. We are surrounded by temptations. What can overcome them? The divine life in our spirit can overcome temptation. We all need to see that our spirit is mingled with the divine life and is the organ that can overcome the world.
In 5:4b John says, “And this is the victory which overcame the world — our faith.” This is the faith that believes that Jesus is the Son of God (5:5) that we may be begotten of God and have His divine life, by which we are enabled to overcome the Satan-organized-and-usurped world.
Actually, our trust should not be in our faith itself. The faith by itself does not overcome the world. Our faith brings us into an organic union, and it is this organic union, not the faith directly, that overcomes the world. We may use switching on electrical current as an illustration. The act of switching on is not the power itself. It is the means by which appliances are brought into union with electricity. In a similar way, we may say that faith is the means for us to “switch on” to the Triune God. By believing in the Lord Jesus, we are brought into organic union with the Triune God; we “switch on” to Him. This union, produced by faith, then overcomes the world.
In 5:5 John continues, “And who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Such a believer is one who has been begotten of God and has received the divine life (John 1:12-13; 3:16). The divine life empowers him to overcome the evil world energized by Satan. Such believers are in contrast to the Gnostics and Cerinthians, who were not this kind of believer, but remained the pitiful victims of the evil satanic system. But our believing that Jesus is the Son of God brings us into an organic union with the Son, who is the embodiment of the Triune God. It is this organic union with the Triune God in the Son that overcomes the world.
In 5:6 John goes on to say, “This is He who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood; and the Spirit is He who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.” He, Jesus Christ, came as the Son of God so that we may be born of God and have the divine life (John 10:10; 20:31). It is in His Son that God gives us eternal life (1 John 5:11-13). Jesus, the Man of Nazareth, was testified to be the Son of God by the water He went through in His baptism (Matt. 3:16-17; John 1:31), by the blood He shed on the cross (John 19:31-35; Matt. 27:50-54), and also by the Spirit He gave not by measure (John 1:32-34; 3:34). By these three, God has testified that Jesus is His Son given to us (1 John 5:7-10) so that in Him we may receive His eternal life by believing in His name (5:11-13; John 3:16, 36; 20:31). The water of baptism terminates people of the old creation by burying them; the blood shed on the cross redeems those whom God has chosen from among the old creation; and the Spirit, who is the truth, the reality in life (Rom. 8:2), germinates those whom God has redeemed out of the old creation by regenerating them with the divine life. Thus they are born of God and become His children (John 3:5, 15; 1:12-13) to live a life that practices the truth (1 John 1:6), the will of God (2:17), the righteousness of God (2:29), and the love of God (3:10-11) for His expression.
In 5:6 John says that the Spirit testifies because the Spirit is the truth. The Spirit, who is the truth, the reality (John 14:16-17; 15:26), testifies that Jesus is the Son of God, in whom is the eternal life. By thus testifying, He imparts the Son of God into us to be our life (Col. 3:4). In verse 6 truth denotes the reality of all that Christ is as the Son of God (John 16:12-15).
Verses 7 and 8 say, “Because there are three who testify, the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are for the one.” “For the one” also means unto the one, that is, unto the one thing, the one point or purpose in their testimony.
First John 5:6-8 says that God testified that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. God testified this in three steps: by water, by the blood, and by the Spirit. The water refers to the baptism of the Lord Jesus. According to the record of the four Gospels, immediately after the Lord came up from the water, the heavens were opened and a voice declared that He is God’s beloved Son. That was God’s testimony that Jesus Christ is His Son, the testimony by water, by baptism. Three and a half years later, the Lord Jesus died on the cross, shedding His blood. Someone standing near the cross testified, after the Lord died, that He was God’s Son. That was the testimony of God by blood concerning Jesus Christ being the Son of God. Following this, we have the testimony of the Spirit. In resurrection Christ became a life-giving Spirit.
If we read 5:6 carefully, we shall see that the Lord Jesus came through water and through blood, but we are not told that He came through the Spirit. Then in verses 7 and 8 we are told clearly that there are three who testify, and that these three are the Spirit, the water, and the blood. Christ came through the water, through the blood, and as the Spirit. Of course, He did not come as the water or as the blood, but eventually, in resurrection, He came as the Spirit. Furthermore, according to verse 6, Christ came in the water and in the blood. But this verse does not say that He came in the Spirit. Concerning the Spirit, this verse has the thought of being, for we are told, “The Spirit is He who testifies.” Therefore, we need to see clearly that Christ came through the water, through the blood, and as the Spirit.
The phrase “through water and blood” refers to the baptism at the beginning of His ministry and to crucifixion at the end of His ministry. After this, in resurrection Christ became the life-giving Spirit, and thus He came as the Spirit. The Son of God came through water and through blood, that is, through His baptism and through His crucifixion. We may also say that He came in the water and in the blood. Then He came not through the Spirit nor in the Spirit, but as the Spirit.
The water of baptism terminates the old creation, and the blood shed on the cross redeems whatever God has chosen of the old creation. Then the Spirit comes to germinate what God has chosen and redeemed. Therefore, here we have termination, redemption, and germination. As the old creation, we have been terminated. But as God’s chosen ones we were first redeemed and then germinated to be the new creation. This new creation is a composition of God’s children.
By these three steps of termination, redemption, and germination, Jesus Christ has not only been testified as the Son of God, but has also entered into us. Through the water of His baptism, through the blood of His cross, and as the Spirit, Christ has been testified as the Son of God. By these three steps He has also come into our spirit. This means that by termination, redemption, and germination, Christ is now within us. Hallelujah, we are a terminated, redeemed, and germinated people! We are no longer the old creation; we are the new creation with the new birth and a new life. Because we are the children of God, we have the life ability to overcome the world and all negative things.
In 5:9 John goes on to say, “If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; because this is the testimony of God that He has testified concerning His Son.” The testimony of God here is the testimony by water, blood, and the Spirit that Jesus is the Son of God. This testimony is greater than that of men.
Verse 10 says, “He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony which God has testified concerning His Son.” God testified concerning His Son that we may believe in His Son and have His divine life. If we believe in His Son, we receive and have His testimony in ourselves. Otherwise, we do not believe what He has testified and make Him a liar.
In 5:11 and 12 John continues, “And this is the testimony, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” The testimony of God is not only that Jesus is His Son, but also that He gives to us eternal life, which is in His Son. His Son is the means to give us His eternal life, which is His goal with us. Because the life is in the Son (John 1:4) and the Son is the life (John 11:25; 14:6; Col. 3:4), the Son and the life are one, inseparable.
If we have the Son of God, we have eternal life, because eternal life is in the Son. We may say that the Son is a container of eternal life. When we receive the Son by believing in Him, we have eternal life.
We may say that eternal life, the divine life, is the “capital” of our Christian life. Actually, this eternal life is the Son, and the Son is the embodiment of the Triune God. By this we see that eternal life is the Triune God. Now the Triune God is moving and working within us as the anointing. This anointing is also the moving of eternal life. Eternal life is not a thing; it is a Person who is the embodiment of the Triune God. Now this Person is moving within us to anoint us with Himself, that is, with eternal life and with the essence of this life, which is the Triune God. The Triune God is the content, the essence, of eternal life. Therefore, when eternal life anoints us, it anoints us with the Triune God. This gives us the basis and the means to live a life that practices the divine righteousness, practices the divine love, and overcomes the world, death, sin, the Devil, and idols.
Confucius taught that the highest learning was to cultivate and develop what he called the bright virtue. But God’s New Testament economy teaches that eternal life is the embodiment of the Triune God and that this life is anointing us with the essence of the Triune God. Eventually, through continuous anointing, we shall become the same in life and nature as the Triune God, in that His essence will become ours, making us the same as He. Then we shall live a life full of righteousness and love, a life that spontaneously overcomes the world, death, sin, the Devil, and idols. There is no need for us to try to live such a life. As long as we dwell in the fellowship of eternal life according to the anointing, we shall spontaneously practice righteousness and love and simultaneously overcome all negative things.
In 5:13 John says, “I write these things to you that you may know that you have eternal life, to you who believe in the name of the Son of God.” The written words of the Scriptures are the assurance to the believers, who believe in the name of the Son of God, that they have eternal life. Our believing to receive eternal life is the fact; the words of the Holy Writings are the assurance concerning this fact. They are the title deed of our eternal salvation. We are assured and have the pledge by them that because we believe in the name of the Son of God we have eternal life.
The word of the Bible is the pledge of eternal life. The Bible is also the title deed of our salvation. This is why the Bible is called a covenant or testament. We not only have the fact of eternal life; we also have the pledge, the guarantee, the title deed, to prove that we have eternal life. Praise the Lord that we have salvation and eternal life and also the title deed to prove it!
