How does 1 John 5:1 define the relationship between belief and being born of God? Setting the Verse in Front of Us “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him.” (1 John 5:1) Belief and New Birth—Which Comes First? • “Believes” is present tense, an ongoing action. • “Has been born” is perfect tense, a completed act with continuing results. • The grammar shows that new birth precedes and produces believing; faith is the fruit, not the root, of being born of God. What the New Birth Does • Opens blind eyes (2 Corinthians 4:6). • Softens the heart (Ezekiel 36:26). • Enables genuine faith (Philippians 1:29). • Creates a new nature that loves God and His children (1 John 4:7). How Faith Proves the Birth • Continual trust in Jesus marks the life that has already been regenerated. • Love for the Father and His family surfaces because the same life beats in every born-again heart. Supporting Passages • John 1:12-13—receiving Christ is linked to being “born…of God.” • John 3:3-8—new birth as the Spirit’s sovereign work. • John 6:44—no one comes unless the Father draws him. • Acts 16:14—the Lord opens the heart, then Lydia believes. • Ephesians 2:8-9—faith itself is God’s gift, “not of yourselves.” Why This Matters Today • Assurance: Ongoing faith evidences God’s prior work in you. • Humility: Salvation is God-initiated, so boasting evaporates. • Love: Born of the same Father, we naturally care for fellow believers. • Obedience: The new nature delights in God’s commands (1 John 5:3). Walking It Out Keep looking to Jesus, the Christ. Every heartbeat of faith testifies that you have already been born of God—and that His life now flows through yours. |
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