Daily Devotions

1 John

1 John 
Day 
Day 108

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God..."

Text: 1 John 5:1

BELIEVING AND LOVING

The apostle John tied the concept of believing in the Lord and loving very closely together. This teaching is worth studying carefully.

“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

1. “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ”

a) The word “whoever” means: –
i) All
ii) Everyone (“who believes”)
b) The word “believes”
i) There is an exercise of faith.
ii) This faith marks the person.
iii) It is a faith that continues.

2. “That Jesus is the Christ”

a) This constitutes the content of the faith.
b) The focus of faith is Jesus.
c) He is to be believed in as “the Christ” (the Messiah).
d) Summary of what it means to believe in Jesus as “the Christ”.
i) The Life and Ministry of the Messiah was well prophesied in the Scriptures.
ii) One prophet who wrote about the Messiah was Isaiah.
iii) He prophesied about His virgin birth, His calling, His ministry, His suffering… (Isaiah 7, 42, 49, 53 etc).

3. What it takes to truly believe that Jesus is the Christ.

a) Knowledge of the life of Jesus (Cf. The four gospels).
b) Personal faith (each one must receive the Lord Jesus as Saviour).
c) Following Him as an expression of genuine faith.
d) Serving Him as a natural desire.
e) Living out our faith in Him.