Christian Living
First Epistles of John 5:1-21 ESV
Christian Ethics (1 John 5:1-5 ESV)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1. Holy Living: Now, when we are born of God, it’s not just that we are free and wild or that we can live however we want. The whole point of our conversion, or of confessing the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ, is to witness a new life under His sovereign rule and reign. Our baptism in water is our proclamation and witness that Christ lives in me and I live for Christ, just like the Apostle Paul.
Sometimes, Christians struggle to understand the New Testament in light of the Old Testament. Some think that in Christ we are now completely free from the Old Testament. That is not correct if we miss some key principles drawn from the Old Testament. Yes, we are free from ceremonial laws, worship, sacrifice, and purity regulations. We no longer perform burnt offerings (Leviticus 1), grain offerings (Leviticus 2), peace offerings (Leviticus 3), sin offerings (Leviticus 4), or guilt offerings (Leviticus 5-6), including atonement, restitution, or covenant signs like circumcision. However, moral law is upheld in Christ. What does that mean? It means all moral standards remain the same in the New Testament: we do not murder, commit adultery, steal, or lie. Jesus Himself said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17 ESV). Paul also writes: “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” God’s moral will is still holy. Sin is still sin. Righteous living matters, and obedience still matters. While we are not made righteous or justified by our own good works, our standing before the Lord is because of Christ Jesus. In Him, we are righteous.
2. Tithing: This also includes us following the principle of giving into the church. The tithing principle is still relevant.
Tithing—giving the first ten percent—begins in the Old Testament as worship (Gen. 14:20; Lev. 27:30) but is affirmed, not abolished, in the New Testament as a guiding principle for generous, proportional giving.
Jesus Himself said not to neglect tithing while pursuing justice and mercy (Matt. 23:23), and Paul teaches that pastors and gospel ministers must be financially supported by the church: “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14 ESV).
When God’s people withhold what belongs to Him, Scripture calls it robbing God, bringing loss and curse “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.”, but when they bring the full tithe with a willing heart, God promises open heavens, provision, and protection “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:10-11 ESV
So, the tithe is not merely an Old Covenant requirement but a New Covenant rhythm of worship, trust, and partnership in God’s mission.
Christian God (1 John 5:5-15 ESV)
5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked for him. There is a very clear distinctiveness and uniqueness about the Christian God, and this does not make us militant or religiously nationalistic. It is an absolute truth of God that all humans need to know, regardless of their spiritual blindness, openness, or the cultures in which they have grown. Often, religious views are shaped by cultural rhythms. This sometimes leads many people to be closed off to anything else, and it takes time to do a faithful contextualization of the Gospel, making sure that such contextualization does not compromise the absolute truth of the triune God. Here in this text, John gives three witnesses concerning the Son of God. We serve one God in three persons:
• God the Father, who executes the plan of salvation, sending His Son and acknowledging His Son’s mission at His baptism.
• God the Son, Christ Jesus, who was obedient to the mission of redemption for many, culminating in His death on the cross.
• God the Holy Spirit, who brings all truth to us.
John sees all these events as firsthand eyewitness, and he declares that in Him there is eternal life. He provides the clearest explanation by pointing out that there are three that testify: Water, Blood, and Spirit—representing Jesus’ baptism, Jesus’ death, and the Holy Spirit’s ongoing witness in the church.
Water: Historical baptism
Blood: Historical death
Spirit: Ongoing church witness
In Him, there is eternity. Now let's break this sentence here on sin into two parts: First meaning of sin here in the context and second the meaning of sin and its consequence in the believer life not eternal punishment but consequences in early life.
Christian Hamartia (First 1 John 5: 16-21 ESV)
Exegesis of 1 John 5:16-21
We need to gaze at the critical and strong expression by the Apostle John when he mentions that “there is sin that leads to death.”
Joke: There is a sin that leads to death, but complaining during the sermon leads to a longer sermon.
Now, let’s break this sentence on sin into two parts: The meaning of “sin that leads to death” in this context. The meaning of sin and its consequences in the believer’s life, not eternal punishment, but consequences in this life.
1. Sin that Leads to Death
Dr. D.A. Carson, an active guest lecturer in academic and church settings around the world, explains that sin leading to death is
persistent, willful unbelief—a refusal to embrace Christ, resulting in spiritual death.
Dr. Tom Schreiner, Associate Dean of the School of Theology, explains that this sin is a blasphemous denial of Jesus.
Dr. Craig S. Keener, American New Testament scholar and
professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, argues that this sin is a willful rejection of the Spirit’s testimony about Jesus Christ.
Dr. I. Howard Marshall, Scottish New Testament scholar and Professor of New Testament Exegesis, understands this sin as producing spiritual death because the sinner refuses the life offered in Christ.
According to John Stott, some sins may even result in physical death. He references the judgment of Ananias and Sapphira.
F.F. Bruce notes that while sin can lead to physical death, it ultimately refers to apostasy.
All these views are biblical, and they help us exegetically understand that the sin that leads to death is the persistent rejection of Christ as the only Lord and Savior of the world.
At the same time, Christians need to understand sin in the context of believers living in willful sin—not the sin John is primarily referring to here.
Consequences of Sin in the Believer’s Life
We can navigate the consequences of sin in the Christian life through the perspectives of four solid theologians:
John Calvin: Sin cannot dethrone God’s grace, but it can eclipse the believer’s comfort.
John Owen: Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.
Wayne Grudem: Sin harms the believer’s fruitfulness, not their justification.
Michael Horton: Union with Christ is unbreakable, but communion with Christ is fragile. Sin sabotages spiritual growth.
Biblical View:
Financial Loss: Proverbs 21:5 – Haste leads to poverty.
Luke 15 – The prodigal son loses everything through sinful choices.
Health Loss: Proverbs 17:22 – “A crushed spirit dries up the bones.” 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 – “That is why many of you are weak and ill,
and some have died.” God’s discipline.
Relationship Loss: Sin destroys harmony and creates distance, even with loved ones. Sometimes it can be worse, leading to conflict within households.
Opportunity Loss: Esau lost his inheritance through impulsive sin (Hebrews 12:16-17).
Protection Loss: Sin can give an enemy a foothold, opening a door for attack.
So, understanding these two aspects of sin theology helps us see that sin affects us both eternally and temporally: If we persistently rebel against God and His truth, there is no forgiveness of sins, and eternal consequences follow.
When believers sin against God, their flesh, the Church, or their family, they face temporal consequences. This will not cost them in heaven, but it can cost peace, joy, health, finances, relationships, and opportunities on earth.
Bottom line: We must not sin. Sprint away from it, like Joseph did.
