I John 5:1-5
Christmas 2020!! Interesting: the word “commandments” appears three times in today’s reading (vv. 2-3) ; likewise, the word “overcome(s)” also appears three times (vv. 4-5). I was wondering if there was a connection, but I don’t see one directly. Naturally if we keep His commandments we will be overcomers. I reflected back to what I posted a few days ago (12/21), about righteousness and love and how they were connected: By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (v. 3:10) So righteousness and love are connected, but not directly. Likewise, the same with commandments and overcomers…
It’s easy to get confused when John writes about “commandments”. Is he talking about the Law, the Ten Commandments? Or is he talking about Jesus’ “new commandment”, that we love one another (John 13:34-35)? Or is John thinking about that “new commandment” we read about a few days ago – that “new commandment” being an enhanced understanding of who Jesus is and what He did? See my post from 12/17. No doubt, these three reflections on “commandments” are also themselves fully interconnected!
Frankly, verse 2 sums it up best: By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. Love God. Obey His commandments. Straightforward. Simple enough. Then why is it so hard??!!
Slava Bohu!