The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1571 1 John kc10-2

Even the devils believe that there is a God,
but they do not the works that demonstrate they believe Him.

When we concluded a recent study, the subject John was discussing was the love of God and how we are to love our brothers.

His final words in chapter 4 were, "he who loveth God loves his brother also (1 John 4:21).

The subject of the love of God now continues in the opening verses of chapter 5.

1 John 5:1
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him.
What does it mean to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One of God?

We have already seen that just saying the words "Jesus is the Christ" does not really mean that a person truly believes, i.e. that he KNOWS in his HEART, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus is the Messiah born of the virgin Mary.

In fact, haven't we already read from the words of Jesus Himself that MANY shall come in His name saying He is the Christ and shall deceive MANY.

Matthew 24:5 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

You see, though many claim to "believe" in Jesus, they do not know His Word nor do they keep His commandments, which they think means just the 10 Commandments.

For example, most Christians have never followed the direct command of Jesus Christ in Mat. 24:32: "Now learn a parable of the fig tree!"
"The Parable of the Fig Tree" Click this link to open Pamphlet 1031
In Mark 13:28 Jesus said Learn it!
Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree;...


Have you?

Nor do they follow the commandment He gave us through John in the first verse of the last chapter whereby we are commanded to "try the spirits" to see whether or not they of God.

Consequently, because of their disobedience to His Word, His commandments, they follow in blind ignorance after the traditions of men that have been allowed to slip in unawares (untested) into the churches of Christianity.

Many of those "traditions of men" are quite contrary to the Word of God, yet those precepts are all that many know about the love of God.

Yes, they love the Lord but their hearts, i.e. their minds, are far from Him because they are far from knowing His Word.

Therefore they receive not the spirit of tried and tested truth but the spirit of error and confusion ("babel" in Hebrew).

In fact, in Matthew 15 Jesus quoted these words from the 29th chapter of Isaiah:

Matthew 15:8
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

[9] But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

As it is written in Isaiah 29:13, the "fear (reverence) people have toward God", i.e. all that the people know about the "love of God" comes from the precepts of men, from the scripturally untried and untested traditions of the church.

The truth of the matter is, if they truly believed in their hearts that Jesus is the Christ then they would hunger and go Him each day for that "daily bread" which gives life and they would earnestly seek to do His will and keep His commands.

So as John said in the first verse, if you truly love God, who gave His only begotten Son, then you must also love the Son and BELIEVE that He is the Christ.

This is a major point in the epistles of John: If you do not have the Son then you do not have the Father either.

But if you do have the Son and you do love the Son then you also will love His children.

1 John 5:2
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.
How do we Christians show our love for God?

We keep His commandments!

Why do we keep His commandments?

Because we want to, because we love Him, and because we know that doing things His way brings us happiness and joy and also brings Him happiness and joy.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.
That's right!

Not only are the commandments of God NOT burdensome, but by doing them we are tremendously blessed with freedom and peace of mind.

John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

That is why it is called the "perfect law of liberty" because we are actually set free from the things which are grievous, like anxieties and fear which are born out of ignorance and disobedience to His commands!

Do you want to be happy?

Then be a doer of His commands and not a hearer only!

James 1:25
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
To be blessed means to be happy, even eternally so!
1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
We exercise and show our faith by doing His will, by keeping His commandments and seeking that precious life sustaining manna from His Word.

That is how we overcome.

Faith is not something we just say we have, it is something that is SHOWN by that which we DO BECAUSE we BELIEVE in Him!

Again, we do not overcome the world by osmosis or by just claiming we believe.

A person either believes in Christ or he does not because there is no middle ground.

Have you ever read Hebrews chapter 11 which is called the "faith chapter"?

These "believers" were all "doers", i.e. they all did something to show their faith.

Abel did something which pleased God, he offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.

Enoch did something, he gave excellent testimony in pleasing God.

Noah did something, you know about the ark thing!

Abraham did something!

Sarah did something!

You show your faith by what you do, otherwise you just say you have faith and you just say you believe but your faith and your belief is dead!

Here is what the brother of Jesus Christ has to say on the matter of faith:

James 2:17
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
[18] Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
The proof is in the pudding, they say!

Or better yet, actions speak louder than words!

[19] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
In other words, even the devils believe that there is a God, but they do not the works that demonstrate they believe Him, and His Word, His Truth!
[20] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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