The Love Web

1 John 5:1-5

The first five verses of 1 John 5 can be a little confusing. You can get lost in the "by this" and "for this" and "for whatever" and so on. While at first it make look like John is creating a ladder of "ifs," I believe a better image would be a web. John isn't saying "if this then this" (and least that's not the main point). He is showing how all the things he mentioned are connected, part of one circuit to which the believer should be connected.

 The Love Web

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." That much makes sense so far. Jesus died to take away the punishment for our sins. We must put our faith and hope and trust in that. So what's next?

"…and everyone who loves Him who begot (God) also loves him who is begotten of Him (Jesus)." Put simply, one cannot love the man Jesus — the peaceful, miracle-working man of the early A.D. and not love God — the terrible, frightening, powerful I AM (these are two generalizations of the "B.C." God and A.D. Jesus that I hear.)

To love Christ and accept his gift of salvation is to understand the entire Story in its fullness. Our story of salvation (Jew or Gentile) does not begin with the birth of Jesus. It begins with the birth (or creation) of Adam. It's one connected story of how mankind rejected its God, but God never gave up.

As much as I love the New Testament and tend to spend most of my efforts in it, I must never forget the importance of the Old Testament, and the things that I learn about God in it, as well as the things I learn about Christ. To love Jesus is the love the story of God, who He is and what He has done throughout our earth's history.

Now bear with me, because John's wording is about to get goofy in verse two.

"By this (the loving of God and Christ as one) we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments."

 I told you it was goofy. It helps me when I keep another verse in mind. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." That is basically the gist of what John is saying here.

People have summed up the Christian life in many different ways, but I can't think of a better way than those words of Jesus, and that is what John is saying here. When we love God, we will love fellow believers well. And we will know our love is genuine because of our love for God and His commandments.

Don't let me confuse you any further. This isn't circular reasoning.

1. God loved us. 2. We loved Him. 3. We did something about our love for Him.

It is a progression, but what John is showing us here is how it's all connected.

Like a spider begins a web at a certain point, our faith begins in steps, but when as we mature in our faith, and the web gets closer and closer to completion, you see the oneness of it. Our love for Christ is connected to our love for others. Our love for others is connected to our desire to obey the commandments of God. We obey God's commandments, because we love Him. But connected to our love for Him is a love for others.

Our faith becomes less and less like ladder, taking one step at a time, because "that's what we're supposed to do," and it becomes more like a web — a life of connected love. We love God and others. We even love God's commandments, not out of some sense of guilt or requirement, but because it's who we are. It's what we love. It's a life woven together with love.

Another part of the web of life and love is obeying God's commandments. Why? Because God is a tyrant and is insistent on humans obeying His every whim?

Of course not.

God's commands are for the purpose of bringing humans back to who we were created to be — image bearers. God's commands are not that difficult. His commandments are about love. Love one another. Love your family and don't give up on them. Love your wife and love her relentlessly. Don't mistreat people, even if you don't like them or you think they deserve it.

These are the commands of God. Some call them outrageous rules. I call them guidelines to a beautiful life.

However, the unbelieving world cannot understand this. They cannot comprehend the beauty. And so, God has made us a promise in verse four. "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world."

Therefore, as children of God through faith in the work of Christ Jesus, we need not fear the temptations of this world. We need not bother wondering if our life would be better if we got a divorce, if we sought just a little revenge, if we had the kind of money our friends have.

Note: Overcoming the world does not mean voting in a Republican president, abolishing abortion or banning homosexual marriage.

It simply means living your life with love, and never allowing any persecution to change that.