The Epistle of I JOHN

Chapter Five

1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and everyone that loveth him [God] that begat loveth him [Christ and the brethren] also that is begotten of him.

Everyone who loves God in the renewed mind loves the brethren for it is impossible to have the love of God in the renewed mind without loving the brethren. Both Christ and those who are born again, are begotten of God. Christ is our brother and we are all, along with him, God's children.

2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

We keep His commandments by renewing our minds according to His Word. As we walk in this light, we prove to ourselves that we are the children of God. We prove to God that we love Him by keeping His commandments.

3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his [God's] commandments: and his commandments are not grievous [burdensome].

For many years, this has been a favorite Scripture of mine. It gives about the simplest definition of the love of God that I have ever seen in the Bible. It tells us that if we keep the commandments in God's Word, that means we are manifesting the love of God. And not only that, His Word says that His commandments are not grievous -- they are not burdensome -- they are exciting and adventurous. It is not difficult to walk with God -- it is obnoxious and nauseating to walk with the world that only steals, kills, and destroys from you. Make your choice. Do you think I would be sitting here studying God's Word for 36 years if God did not prove Himself to me? Think for a minute. Why would I be sitting here day after day -- I don't get paid for it. God told me to do something with my life and made it available for me to do it and I do it. I don't argue and God meets all my needs and then some.

I just sold an old muscle car that would make any car on the street look like it was going backwards. And you thought I was religious! I got done restoring most of the car, but I didn't care for the color, so I sold it. I ran one ad, got one call, and GONE. That's how the true God does things -- He doesn't mess around. And I can go out and buy anything else I want. How do I do it? I DON'T. GOD DOES IT. Because I have dedicated my life to sharing His rightly divided Word and I will do so until Jesus Christ comes back or until I take my last breath -- whichever comes first. God has shown me how to overcome all of my weaknesses and I've got my personal adversary under my feet -- where he belongs. THERE'S NOTHING HE CAN DO ABOUT IT -- if I stay in fellowship. It's exciting to walk by the spirit of the true God. It is truly life in the fast lane. There are negatives almost everywhere you look and God either gets you through them, under them, around them, or He takes care of them for you.

4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world [Satan], even our faith.

The word "world" refers to Satan throughout this epistle. The world includes all of Satan's realm and the things in it. We have the God-given ability to overcome all oppression because "greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." Our victory comes with (1) our believing in the Word of God and (2) renewing our minds according to it. Again, what is the victory that overcomes Satan's world? OUR BELIEVING! And you only get believing from studying GOD'S WORD.

5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Jesus Christ overcame the world and the same power belongs to us as we minister and operate the manifestations of the spirit. Do not ever underestimate the power of the manifestations of holy spirit -- especially SPEAKING IN TONGUES. THE MORE YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES IN YOUR PRIVATE PRAYER LIFE, THE MORE DYNAMIC YOUR LIFE ON EARTH WILL BE. Build that habit. It takes time. Try your best to speak in tongues silently as you go through your day.

John 14: 12 -- Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Now you had better prepare yourself for what's coming up in this teaching. Does the verse say Jesus Christ is God or does it say that Jesus Christ is the SON of God? Which one?

6. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness [with our spirit, the inner man], because the Spirit is truth.

7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. [emphasis added]

8. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. [emphasis added] *******

******* According to Greek manuscripts, the following words in verses 7 and 8 were not found in the Bible until the SIXTEENTH CENTURY: "... in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth . . ." That is why I underlined the words in the above Scriptures. THEY DID NOT EXIST IN ANY BIBLE BEFORE THAT TIME.

These verses contain words that do not appear in any of the early manuscripts. The words added begin in verse 7 with "in heaven" and go to "in earth" in verse 8. These words are not found in any of the Greek manuscripts before the sixteenth century. In other words, all early manuscripts read:

I John 5: 7, 8 -- For there are three that bear record, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

According to verse 6, Jesus Christ came by water and blood. We know that Jesus was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. At the time of Jesus' birth, the amniotic sac surrounding the embryo was broken and therefore water came forth. Blood also comes forth at birth with the mother's delivery of the child.

Thus Jesus "came by water and blood," just as all of us do. I, too, by natural birth, was born of water and blood. But the spirit within me, which came at the time of my spiritual birth, indicates that I am no longer just a natural man for I have eternal life which is spirit. These three - water, blood and spirit witness to the same God who was witnessed to when Jesus was born.

The corruption of I John 5: 7, 8 did not occur until the fourth century and by then the promoters of trinitarianism and adherents to the trinitarian baptismal formula had only one scripture on which to base their new theology and that was the following:

Matthew 28: 19 -- Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

All extant manuscripts do contain this verse, but the oldest one dates from the fourth century during which the trinity was becoming a part of formal doctrine. The scribes must have inserted "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" IN PLACE OF THE ORIGINAL "IN MY NAME". Why? There are a number of proofs. Eusebius (who died in 340 AD) quoted in the early part of the fourth century cited Matthew 28: 19 eighteen times without once using them. Rather, he wrote, " . . . baptizing them in my name."

Another second very important proof is to look at the records regarding water baptism, where there is no record in the New Testament that the trinitarian baptismal command was ever carried out by the first century Church. They always baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, not in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Let's go to the ultimate authority, God's Word:

Acts 2: 38 -- Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 8: 16 -- (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Acts 10: 48 -- And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Acts 19: 5 -- When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

It wasn't difficult for the fourth century scribes to change the words "in my name' to "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost" in the few existing manuscripts since the triune nature was gradually taking hold in the religious environment. You have free will to either believe the proof that is clearly stated in God's Word or to believe religion, tradition and organized confusion from the god of this world. Make your choice.

9. If we receive the witness of men [regarding our birth of blood and water], the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified [witnessed] of his Son.

This witness of God which is God's spirit within a man who is born again is a testimony of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us while on earth.

10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him [God] a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

We should be able to recognize by now that this phrase "made him [God] a liar" is a figure of speech referred to as an Idiom. You can make an attempt to make God a liar but this is impossible because God is not a man that he can lie. God forbid that we should attempt to do this because God is Truth and all men are liars.

11. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

The spirit within man is that which is eternal life. Salvation is not earned; it is a gift of God.

12. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

When we believed on the Son of God, we received the witness of eternal life within. "He that hath the Son hath life," according to the text. We do not earn this life given to us by God; we do not beg for it; we cannot steal it; and we cannot lose it because God gave it to us as seed. But "he that hath not the Son" still has no life. That man has natural life but he has no eternal life.

13. These things have I written unto you that [who] believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

That's quite a comfort that God wants us to know -- that we have eternal life as a result of believing on the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It sure is something to rejoice about -- to make an understatement.

14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

However, by the same token, if we ask anything which is not God's Will, we will receive nothing. We must know His Will in order to know what properly and rightfully to ask for. These two sentences should speak very loudly to you. You can pray until you are blue in the face, but if what you are praying for is not God's Will, you will never receive an answer to your prayer. Now I am going to share with you some very important requirements to receive anything from God. There are actually five (5) requirements as follows:

1. KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE (from God's Word).

2. KNOW HOW TO RECEIVE IT (by believing).

3. KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

4. GET YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS PARALLEL (need it as badly as you want it).

5. GOD'S ABILITY ALWAYS EQUALS GOD'S WILLINGNESS (God is willing and able).

15. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have [present tense] the petitions that we desired [past tense] of him.

We have our requests before we have the manifestation of them. This is tremendous. Why? The Bible is the Word of God, and the Word of God is the Will of God. Therefore, if we know the Word of God, we know the Will of God. If the Word says, "Pray for the sick," then we know that we are to pray for the sick; we are doing God's Will. We need no longer pray the pitiful "If it be Thy will." Only someone unlearned or ignorant of the Word of God will pray "If it be Thy will." The man who knows the Word of God knows what is God's Will. When we pray with believing according to His Will, that prayer is already answered before we even finish praying!

16. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

The "sin unto death" is the unforgivable sin. If a man commits this sin, prayer will avail nothing for that man is born of the seed of the serpent. However, if a brother in the flesh has not committed the unforgivable sin, God will give that brother eternal life if we ask. The word "brother" in verse 16 specifically refers to a brother by birth. We can pray for salvation for a family member who wills to hear and believe God's promise. Praying for eternal life for a relative, brother or sister, who has not committed the unforgivable sin is a key which we can lay hold on for members of our family who are not saved. This is a tremendous truth and one of God's many promises for us in His Word. There is a teaching available to you on this subject of The Unforgivable Sin, but for the time being, let me give you a brief introduction to this subject.

It is possible for a man of body and soul to go through life and not be born of either seed. A person does not always make a choice, but if he does, there are only two alternatives. He accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord or he can accept the devil as his lord. The two households of both gods are completely separate. They are completely opposite forces and antithetical essences. Once one of these Gods are accepted, nothing can be done to eradicate the seed or to change the consequences. The inherent qualities of the seed are permanent.

17. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

Anything in thought, word or deed which is not in harmony with God's Word is unrighteousness. The unrighteousness of those who are born again is not unto death because God has promised forgiveness. Remember, Chapter One speaks of this forgiveness from broken fellowship (sin).

18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not [in the spirit, inner man]; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

If this verse were translated, "We know that that which is born of God within the believer sinneth not," people could understand it more easily. "Whosoever is born of God" remains in fellowship with God by renewing his mind. The believer with a renewed mind cannot be touched by the wicked one. The key to living the more than abundant life is in living according to God's Word and that means staying in fellowship. By positive action we will allow no opportunity for Satan to interfere in our lives.

Ephesians 4: 27 -- Neither give place to the devil.

19. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

If you don't see that this is an evil world by now, then you have a renewed mind problem. II Corinthians 4: 4 states who is the present god of this world and John 10: 10a states that all this god does is to steal, kill, and destroy. He does this in a subtle manner -- not right out in the open. At times, it's quickly but most often to deceive, it's done in a slow, sneaky and deceiving manner. You'll find out that if you walk by the world's way, just when you think everything is going along fine, the adversary will pull the rug out from under you with no mercy whatsoever. The devil has no mercy -- the word doesn't exist in his vocabulary. He will ruin your life when you least expect it. You have free will to choose the true God or the counterfeit god. It has never ceased to amaze me why everyone on earth doesn't turn to the Holy Scriptures and live by them. To me, those people are just plain stupid. But just start fellowshipping with them and see what happens to your life. It will go downhill like a lead ball falling off the highest building in the world. God warns us in His Word about FELLOWSHIP WITH DARKNESS:

II Corinthians 6: 14 -- Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Ephesians 5: 11 -- And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

And don't forget, reprove them with the Word of God.

20. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

When Jesus Christ came, he gave us this understanding about knowing him and that he is true. He helped us to understand that the whole world lies in wickedness and evil. The whole world lies, not walks or stands but lies, helpless as a babe or a dead body, before the wicked one, Satan. He is the prince of this world according to John 14: 30, and the god of this world according to II Corinthians 4: 4. However, we who are born again have been enlightened for we know God, who is true. The god of this world cannot defeat you when you stay in fellowship and harmony with the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You can defeat him by living God's Word.

The true God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sent us His Son that we may understand spiritual matters. It doesn't say He sent Himself! JESUS CHRIST WAS A REFLECTION OF THE TRUE GOD, AN IMAGE OF GOD -- BUT HE WAS NOT GOD HIMSELF!!! If this were true, the whole Bible would fall to pieces. The doctrine of the triune god all stems from pagan Babylon worship which is another major subject in itself -- too lengthy to introduce into this teaching. Paul made it known that he believed Jesus Christ to be the SON OF GOD, not God.

21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

"Little children" is a term of endearment, as to students from a concerned and loving teacher. To "keep yourselves from idols" means to seek, no help, guidance or instruction from any source other than our heavenly Father, who is the true and living God. We are to go to God first and then He will guide, tell and direct us as to what to do. This has always been a favorite Scripture of mine and if you learn to apply it, you will understand why.

We should not be swayed from keeping our minds on God and His Word. Our victorious living, after receiving sonship, comes in direct proportion with our remaining in fellowship by thinking and acting according to the Will of God, which can only be known by the Word of God. The greatest secret in the world today is that THE WORD OF GOD IS THE WILL OF GOD.

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