HE THAT IS BORN OF GOD

1. HE THAT IS BORN OF GOD

2. I. THOSE WHO ABIDE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS ARE BORN OF GOD

3. 1 Jn. 2:29, “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.”

4. If we are righteous, in the true and proper sense, doing that which is right toward God and toward people, to ourselves, to our families, to our neighbors, to the world at large, to the Saviour who died for us, then we are true Christians; and then, no matter how soon he may appear, or how solemn and overwhelming the scenes that shall close the world, we shall not be ashamed or confounded, for we shall hail him as our Savior.

5. First time the word righteous is used in the Bible. • Gen. 7:1, “And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

6. The Bible separates the righteous from the wicked. • Psa. 1:5, “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” • Psa. 1:6, “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

7. II. WHOSOEVER DOES NOT SIN ABIDES IN GOD

8. 1 Jn. 3:9, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” • 1 Jn. 5:18, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” • There is the key: KEEPETH HIMSELF

9. SIN IS COMMITTING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE FORBIDDEN • Lev. 5:17, “And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.”

10. SIN IS TURNING FROM RIGHTEOUSNESS • Ezek. 3:20, “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

11. III. HE THAT HAS AGAPE LOVE IS BORN OF GOD

12. 1 Jn. 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”

13. What is here said by the apostle is based on the truth of what he elsewhere affirms (1 Jn. 4:8), that God is love. Hatred, envy, wrath, malice, all have their source in something else than God. He neither originates them, commends them, nor approves them.

14. A man may have a great deal of natural affection toward his kindred; a great deal of benevolence in his character toward the poor and needy, and still he may have none of the love to which John refers. He may have no real love to God, to the Saviour, or to the children of God as such; and it would be absurd for such a one to argue because he loves his wife and children that therefore he loves God, or is born again.

15. LOVE IDENTIFIERS • John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” • John 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” • John 15:17, “These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

16. Rom. 12:10, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” • Rom. 13:8, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

17. IV. WHOSOEVER BELIEVES THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST IS BORN OF GOD

18. 1 Jn. 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”

19. THIS VERSE TEACHES… • (1) I must believe that Jesus is the Messiah. • 1 Jn. 4:14, “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”

20. (2) I must believe that He is One with God. • John 17:20, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

21. (3) I must believe that He Came in the Flesh. • 1 Jn. 4:2, 3, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” 

22. V. WHOSOEVER OVERCOMES THE WORLD IS BORN OF GOD

23. 1 Jn. 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

24. JESUS OVERCAME • John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

25. 1 Jn. 2:14, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” • 1 Jn. 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” • Rom. 12:21, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”