I was taking you through that beautiful and profound “hymn of love” in John’s first letter in Chapter 4, and these opening sentences in Chapter 5 are equally beautiful and just as deep and profound, and yet so basic and foundational to our Christian Faith.

I cannot say “I love God”, if I do not love His Children. You cannot divorce God from His Children. There is an eternal triangle - God - me - His Children - and back to God.

If you have been born of God, you have been born into a family. Not only do you have a heavenly Family, but you have earthly brothers and sisters.

All men are not Children of God. We see that in this letter.

There are two families and they do not get on with each other. There will always be a tension. There has been a tension since the beginning.

Who, then, are these children of God? It is vital that I should know, as I have to love them! The key to knowing who is who is ‘believe’, or ‘having faith’. The children of God have faith.

Faith is not something vague. Whoever believes is a child of God. This is much more than just believing in God - that does not make a man a child of God. It is believing in Jesus Christ and having faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself taught - You believe in God; believe also in Me.

There is no shortcut. There is no by-passing this essential truth.

A man may believe in God. He may believe that there is a God and that God exists, but there comes that point where a man has to come to believe in Jesus Christ. And, it is not just that Jesus was a great man and a great teacher, but that Jesus is the Christ - the Messiah. Every word is fundamental. Look at these four words.

JESUS was a real human being - He walked and healed and taught, and was crucified, and raised from the dead.

IS - the believer has to be able to say IS. Risen and alive - here is the Gospel - it is not just what He was that saves you and rescues you - but it is what He is!

CHRIST - He is God - the Messiah - Anointed - the one who delivers us from sin. We can experience this anointing of the Holy Spirit as the disciples did on the Day of Pentecost. That important day is pivotal and transformational.

All of God was packed into the flesh of the man Jesus of Nazareth, and He can deliver us from sins - from sin - from fear.

THE - He is the only one who can do these things - the Saviour - the Messiah - the Christ - the Redeemer.

And it does not just say “say” - but “believes”. A parrot or budgie can be trained to say things. Believing is the evidence that we have been born of God.

Now, we have to apply this! John is asking - Do you love people who believe in Jesus? Then you love the Father!

Read the letter of John in the New Testament and enjoy every blessing God has for you and commit yourself to faithful service.

Word from Scotland

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