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Confident of Being Protected (1 John 5:18, 19) In 1 John 5:18, 19, John twice states that "we know." Both verses begin with this statement. However, John is not concerned with knowledge only.
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
What indirect challenges do verses 18 and 19 contain?
In verse 18 (NKJV), the phrase born of God is used twice. However, the first phrase refers to every true believer, while the second phrase refers to Jesus. In Greek there is a difference of tenses that may be quite important. Anyone born of God (the first phrase) occurs in the perfect tense and may describe the lasting effect of regeneration. The second phrase occurs in a tense that refers to one specific event in the past only. The second phrase describes Jesus' incarnation. Jesus was born of Mary in Bethlehem. The first phrase refers to the experience of humans who are born again (John 3:3, 5; 1 John 3:9). The usage of the same term for Jesus may point to the fact that Jesus has come close to us, even became one of us. On the other hand, Jesus is different from us. He is the Son of God in a sense that we never will be.
What comfort do these verses contain? 1 John 5:18, 19.
Both verses mention the evil one. The term is also used in 1 John 2:13, 14; 3:12. It describes Satan. Additionally John calls him devil (1 John 3:8, 10). According to Revelation 12:9 he is the old serpent, the devil. First John 5:18, 19 provides a short glimpse of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. This controversy is revealed in the book of Revelation, especially chapter 12. However, the different parties are already pointed to in 1 John.
In verses 18 and 19 John refers to the world as the arena of the evil one. On the other side of the conflict, the disciples of Jesus are found together with God the Father and Jesus. These believers are protected by Him. Jesus keeps them and does not allow Satan to touch them. Therefore, they are able to say no to sin and to withstand temptations.
Verse 19 states that we are of God. We can be confident because we have a direct and intimate relationship with God and are separate from the world. As children of God we can claim His promises.
How are you experiencing the reality of the great controversy in your own life? How can you make these promises of victory and protection your own? That is, what are you doing that might make it impossible for those promises to be realized for you now? At the same time, what hope can you draw from the fact that Jesus has already won the war against Satan for us and offers us His victory?
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
What indirect challenges do verses 18 and 19 contain?
In verse 18 (NKJV), the phrase born of God is used twice. However, the first phrase refers to every true believer, while the second phrase refers to Jesus. In Greek there is a difference of tenses that may be quite important. Anyone born of God (the first phrase) occurs in the perfect tense and may describe the lasting effect of regeneration. The second phrase occurs in a tense that refers to one specific event in the past only. The second phrase describes Jesus' incarnation. Jesus was born of Mary in Bethlehem. The first phrase refers to the experience of humans who are born again (John 3:3, 5; 1 John 3:9). The usage of the same term for Jesus may point to the fact that Jesus has come close to us, even became one of us. On the other hand, Jesus is different from us. He is the Son of God in a sense that we never will be.
What comfort do these verses contain? 1 John 5:18, 19.
Both verses mention the evil one. The term is also used in 1 John 2:13, 14; 3:12. It describes Satan. Additionally John calls him devil (1 John 3:8, 10). According to Revelation 12:9 he is the old serpent, the devil. First John 5:18, 19 provides a short glimpse of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. This controversy is revealed in the book of Revelation, especially chapter 12. However, the different parties are already pointed to in 1 John.
In verses 18 and 19 John refers to the world as the arena of the evil one. On the other side of the conflict, the disciples of Jesus are found together with God the Father and Jesus. These believers are protected by Him. Jesus keeps them and does not allow Satan to touch them. Therefore, they are able to say no to sin and to withstand temptations.
Verse 19 states that we are of God. We can be confident because we have a direct and intimate relationship with God and are separate from the world. As children of God we can claim His promises.
How are you experiencing the reality of the great controversy in your own life? How can you make these promises of victory and protection your own? That is, what are you doing that might make it impossible for those promises to be realized for you now? At the same time, what hope can you draw from the fact that Jesus has already won the war against Satan for us and offers us His victory?