1 John 5:1–5 (NKJV) — 1 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. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
A person can believe himself right into Hell. Many people have a strong belief in the wrong thing. John writes that belief in Jesus is knowing He is “the Christ who is born of God.” Many believe in a god but not the One true God.
How do we know we believe in God? We believe that Jesus is the Christ. The Christ is the Messiah, the promised One, the anointed One, of the Old Testament. He is the deliverer of believers from their sins.
The believer is made into a “New Creation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
The person who is born of God loves God. This is not the love of the world. The believer cannot help but love God because God has transformed him into a new creation. We now have the love of God living in us. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died.”
True believers in Christ love other believers in Christ. The believer in Christ has the nature of God…His love living in him. We cannot love God and not love His children. Jesus said in John 13:34, “a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
The true believer in Christ is obedient to Him. This is not optional. If we love God we will be obedient to Him. Obedience to God proves our love for God.
The true believer in Christ overcomes the world. God never allows a trial or temptation to come into the life of a believer He does not give the strength to overcome. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
From the hymn “Solid Rock.”
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.”