Now, look at v.2-3. "2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome". In these two verses we discover that when our love for our brother arise out of our love for God and our desire to obey his Word, then we can be confident that it is really love. "This is how we know that we love the children of God," if we are acting out of love for God and a concern for his commandments. At the end of v.3 John brings attention to the idea that if we see the Bible as a set of rules, our perspective will be limited. We must admit that when we have that view, we fall into the pattern of self-righteous rule keeping. Like a child, we ask, “why do I have to do that?” However, the mature Believer understands that God’s thoughts and ways are the best for us. His commands are a blessing that keeps us within His ways. Obedience to God is not a burden for those who “believe” in Him and “love” Him. Rather, it is our privilege to follow Him.
Now, let's consider v.4-5, which reads, "4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." Three times in these two verses John emphasizes "overcoming the world." You will remember back in 1 John 2:16, John described the world as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I find it quite instructive that our greatest enemy is NOT outside of us. No, our greatest enemy is within.
Essentially, the bottom line question is this: How do we overcome the world? The answer is this: the life of God within us is what makes all the difference. Our dependence is on God's activity in our lives. We are at our best when we are most dependent upon God. This is the ultimate message from God throughout His word. Often, we are told that the goal of the Christian life is "a better us." This passage and the whole of scripture teaches us differently. In Colossians 2:6, we read, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him." This is the Christian life. Utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus. And when God shows up in our yielded lives, we must be diligent to give Him the glory. As Mike Yaconelli has said, "It is not that I don’t believe that Jesus changes you, it is just that my definition of “change” has changed. Whatever the change is, it is not so much outward as it is inward. This difference that God makes is often visible only to God...and no one else. It is a new way of looking at God, a new way of understanding God, an inner new-birth that liberates us not only from sin, but from our old way of viewing God. It is intimacy rather than ecstasy; it is seeing rather than speaking; it is loving rather than living; it is dancing rather than believing; it is silence rather than sentences; it is worship rather than wordship; it is playing rather than praying; it is yearning rather than conviction; it is faith characterized more by passion than belief." The alternative to all of this is to feed our pride. And when we feed our pride, we are in trouble. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we go from I, to me, to my, to moo.
The story is told of a young boy who was
aboard a passenger train attempting to make money selling apples. He
made his way through the train car, saying, “Apples! Would you like to
buy an apple?” When he got to the rear of the car, he still had a bagful
of apples and no money. A gentleman who noticed his plight took him aside and asked to see
one of the apples. He proceeded to go to the front of the train, polish
it conspicuously with a napkin, and then walk down the aisle eating the
apple and commenting on how delicious and refreshing it was. Then he
told the boy to try again. This time, he sold every apple. The
difference? The apples had been made attractive to the potential
customers. God is still in the apple clean up business for His glory.
