Title: The One Born of God
(Lecture 47) 1 John 5:1 Those who are born of God
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Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves him who gave him loves him who is born of him (1 John 5:1).
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If you believe you are a Christian, what is the basis and why? Some people will say that they are Christians because they go to church, and others may say that it is because their heart is convinced that they believe in Christ.
But the text says: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Begotten loves him who is born of him.”
The apostle says that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. That's true, but doesn't it feel a bit vague? Because faith is invisible, and anyone who uses invisible faith as a believer cannot deny it when they say, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ.”
That is why the Church incorporates works into faith in order to present a seemingly vague belief as real, factual, and certain. This is not to say only vague and invisible faith, but to prove your faith with visible and certain things. As a result, the church naturally discriminated against faith on the basis of works. It is a distinction between what is so-called well-belief and not-belief.
However, the Bible does not evaluate this discrimination based on faith. Faith is believing that Jesus is our Savior and confessing that we have been saved through the merits of the blood of Jesus. There is no discrimination in this kind of faith. Because faith is the same.
However, this same belief does not appear in the same form. Every denomination, every church, and every person has a different belief that they think and pursue. In this situation, what can you say with faith in Jesus?
The apostle says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” In other words, those who believe in Christ are born of God. In other words, believing that Jesus is the Christ is impossible unless you are born of God.
To be born of God means to be a new creation, a new man. In other words, it can be said that one is born again, one who has been regenerated. In summary, new beings born of God, regenerated ones, come to believe that Jesus is the Christ.
What does this not condone? “I am a believer because I go to church diligently” or “I am a person of good faith because I am good at praying, reading the Bible, tithing, and serving.” These words in themselves only reveal that their beliefs are false.
He who is born of God knows that faith is impossible in his own strength. Without God, we would not be able to take even a single step toward God by our own strength, and we would come to know that we are destined to end up not knowing God at all. This is a believer. The faith that such a believer believes in Christ is true.
Our destiny has been renewed by God. And God sent His only begotten Son into the world to bestow this wonderful grace. By knowing this kind of love, we come to love God.
But again, there is a problem. That is, love for God, like faith, is vague. It is also because you love the invisible. Love for visible beings is marked. But how can you love someone who is invisible? After all, is it enough to vaguely think about God and say thank you?
That is why the Apostle says again, “Everyone who loves the Begotten loves him who is born of him.” Those who love the God who begot and renewed me love the other whom God has renewed. Why do you fall in love? It is because we are brothers by God.
Siblings are characterized by their resemblance to each other. Because it is a relationship from one God, and because we are beings who have received God's things together, it is natural to have similarities. Of course, similarity here does not mean appearance or personality. Because what God has given each other, it is what God has given us and we resemble each other. what would that be? It is faith in Christ, and a heart toward Christ.
As human beings, we have no relationship and no resemblance. However, in this relationship of growing up from one God, we have no choice but to have a similar heart toward Christ, and it is the church that communicates with this resemblance.
That is why the church should not have the phrase ‘Like me’. Because I am also a being who I have to emulate someone. In Philippians 3:17, the apostle says, “Brothers, imitate me together, and show those who walk in the same way as we have made of us.”
I hope that Eunseok Church will have the same faith toward Christ and a relationship of communion with the same heart. What you have to work on for this is not to look at the church and not see yourself. I am only looking at the Lord who shed His blood for me. And thinking of God's grace that made faith possible and realizing one's inability.
The power of the gospel lies in destroying all human possibilities. So, those who have truly tasted the gospel will confess, “What could not be done as a human being has become God’s work.” You will see yourself completely destroyed in front of the cross, and you will see the love and grace of God who holds you. This heart is the new heart that I came from God.
So, believers are different from people of the world. It is because they are beings who have received the miracle of being born of God. Are you grateful for being different from the rest of the world? Believers are bound to be thankful. Because we know that we have received great things that cannot be obtained in this world. This is a believer born of God.