Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:1-4

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:1-4

I continue my preparation for leading Sunday school at my church on 20OCT, where our class will be looking at 1 John 5:1-4.  Today, for my preparation, I lean on the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for 1-3 John.  The commentary outlines five divisions for 1 John 5:1-4:

1. We Believe That Jesus Is the Messiah (5:1).
   
2. We Have Been Born of God (5:1,4).
   
3. We Love the Father and His Family (5:1-2).
4. We Obey His Commands (5:2-3). 
5. We Have Overcome the World (5:4).

My focus today are the last three divisions and the commentary.  Excerpts:

• "The one thing that He desires more than anything else is that we love Him. Without love for God, even the good things we do have no value in His eyes."
• "[O]ur love for God is multidimensional. It flows to the Father but then its streams branch out in several directions. The word “love” appears more than 30 times in 1 John 4:7–5:3. It occurs five times here in verses 1-3."
• "We not only love the Father, we also love the family the Father is building."
• "My love for others is the natural complement and companion to my “first love” for God. When I love God, I will keep His commands. And keeping His commands involves loving others, His daughters and sons in particular."
• "It will be a joy and a delight because the new birth makes it the natural thing to do. And our love for the Father inspires and motivates us to love those He loves and to love them as He loves us."
• "I will not seek to make others comfortable while neglecting their greatest need, which is eternal salvation in Christ....I will strive above all other acts of kindness to help them come to know, love, and trust in Jesus as the Son of God and their personal Messiah (v. 1)."
• "Because I now love God instead of hating Him, I treasure and value Him above everyone and everything else. And because I treasure and value Him above everyone and everything else, I delight in obeying Him. Now I find His commands not to be a burden, but a blessing."
• On the topic of delighting in obedience, see also Psalms 1:1-2, 37:4, 40:8, 112:1, 119:14, 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 143, 174. 
• "Loving God rightly, therefore, is not just external behavior and outward obedience. It is a longing to do His will from the heart, out of gospel gratitude for who He is and what He has done for us in Jesus."
• See 1 John 2:16 for John's description of the trio of marks of being of the world: "the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life."
• "By means of the new birth (vv. 1,4), which is wedded to our faith in Jesus as the Messiah (v. 1) and the Son of God (v.5), the power of the world’s desires and aspirations is broken and we gain victory over them. The world is no longer my passion; God is! Sinful desires and attractions are no longer beautiful; God and His will are.  Overcomers, via the new birth and faith in Christ, are no longer consumed by what they don’t have (lust of the flesh and of the eyes) or what they do have (pride in lifestyle; 2:16)."
  

See God and overcome the world!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me...giving me Yourself, the Word, the Holy Spirit, and so much more so that the world no longer has a grip on me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.