Who are the overcomers? – Part II (correctly dividing 1 John 5:4-5)

In Part I, I have argued that believers need to pursue a life of overcoming.  It is NOT enough just to rely on the “legal” status of an overcomer upon entry into salvation, and NOT pursue that life of overcoming. 

I gave the understanding that God applied it to Jesus Christ, and the same we are subject to.  He was righteous and sinless, and He still had to live out His righteousness and a sinless life; He was still needed to pursue a life of overcoming the world, and came up as the Overcomer.  Jesus is our model; He is the Firstfruit.  We are to be, likewise, be an overcomer who pursues a life of overcoming the world, be a model, and be a firstfruit for many more men to come after us.

Part II – Correctly dividing 1 John 5:1-6a

Where do people get this idea that once you are a believer, you have already overcome the world, and life of overcoming is non-issue?!  Or what scripture was used to support the saying that “to those who overcome, …”, it was just another way of saying “a believer”? (Both these views are erroneous)  It is from 1 John 5, and more specifically, 1 John 5:4-5.

We are going to look at 1 John 5:1-6a, with concentration on 1 John 5:4-5.  I will quote to us, the verses of the text, 1 John 5:1-6a, as we go along.  

Verse 1- Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

Here, the Apostle John gave 2 understandings: One: Who is a person who believes Jesus is the Christ?  He is one who has been born of God. 

What is born of God? To be born of God, it is never without God’s part.  In fact, Scripture led us to believe, without that drawing and quickening part of God or His Spirit, an unregenerate man is incapable of being born again.  Scripture said that the unregenerate man’s spiritual state is as like dead, and so, incapable of understanding spiritual things.  Scripture said spiritual things are spiritually discerned; and often with the help of the Holy Spirit (understanding from 1 Cor 2:14). 

When the gospel is preached to the yet to be regenerated man, it is God who draws him, and quickens his spirit, that he may have understanding of the gospel. The man then responds with either, to choose to believe or NOT to believe, Jesus is the Christ.  Note that the Holy Spirit gives the understanding, and the man still has to, choose to believe or NOT to believe.

If one were to treat “born of God”, as a process, it will be God draws, and quickens the spirit of the unregenerate man, and the man, with understanding from the quickening, responds in believing that Jesus is the Christ, AND God puts the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Christ to indwell the man. 

If the response of the man is NOT believing that Jesus is the Christ, and therefore his Christ, he will NOT be born of God.  That is the part of the man, NOT that he merits salvation or done any works (unless we term believing as a works).  When an unregenerate man believes Jesus is the Christ, he is born of God.  Thereafter, it is possible that, that man no longer believes that Jesus is the Christ, but he still HAD been born of God; he does NOT become unborn.  In a sense, it is like a person cannot go back into the mother’s womb, to be unborn!  While it is possible to have some who once believed but now no longer believe Jesus is the Christ, anyone who believes must have been born of God.

This born of God is NOT usually directly named as a test of whether or NOT, one is a believer or a child of God, because it is a one-time event, that if it did happen, it is already past.  At the timing of happening, profession of faith was the visible test.  Afterwards, if one (still) believes, that is evidence that he was already born of God.  It is he believes, and NOT he claims he believes; it is he actually believes or had believed, that is indicative he has been born of God.  In the way John put it, believing in Jesus is the Christ, is a test of whether or NOT, one is born of God.

The second understanding is this: If one is loving the Father God, he must be also loving His children as well. 

This is what loving brethren is all about.  So, whether or NOT, we love our brothers, it can be a test of whether or NOT, we love the Father God.  How come it is so, that when we are loving the Father God, we would be loving His children?  The next verse gives us the explanation.

²This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

John said this is how we know that we love the children of God, by loving God and carrying out His commands.  Can you understand that?  

What is implied here is that, we love the children NOT because of they are lovable or have earned our love or anything like that; it is we love the children, because we love God and carry out His commands.  In verse 3, we read, to love God, we are to obey His commands.  Yes, that is how Jesus put it also:  If you love me (if you love Jesus, you love God), obey my commands, and those who obey my commands, are the ones who love me (John 14:15 & John 14:21a).

All of God’s commands is capable of being grouped under 2 cat., first cat., love God, and 2^nd cat., love your neighbors which included your brothers or God’s children.  So, when we love God, and we carry out His commands falling under the 2^nd cat., we are in fact loving God’s children. 

We love God with all of us, and we love our brothers with the love of God.  In other words, God loves His children (including you), and we are loving them for God, and with the love of God.  This should explain why it is NOT oxymoron to read of God asking that we love Him WITH OUR ALL, and at the same time, asking that we, love our neighbors or brothers. 

 

People said it is oxymoron, arguing if we have given all our love to God, there is none left for our brothers.  I know (and so should you) it is NOT oxymoron because we are to love our brothers NOT with our own love, but with the love of God (those wanting to read more about this – go to “No oxymoron here”).

And the Apostle John said that God’s commands are NOT burdensome.  Why?

⁴for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. ⁶This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ.

John said it is due to "for everyone born of God overcomes the world.”  What does this mean?

The conjunctive, “for” here, is saying, there is a foremost truth or underlying or “more fundamental” truth, at work.  Because of this truth at work, obeying God’s commands are NOT burdensome.  Still what does John mean by that truth of “everyone born of God overcomes the world”?

Now to understand, we need to know the writing style of the Apostle John, particularly how he handled superlatives.  I am saying that John was writing in the same manner as he wrote 1 John 3:9.  Let us put down the KJV of 1 John 5:4-5, and then we look at it in the light of our understanding of 1 John 3:9.

1 John 5:4-5 (KJV) - 4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 3:9 (KJV) - 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.

I have written, some time ago, an exposition of 1 John 3:9, and you can read it here: “Please, 1 John 3:9 does NOT mean that a believer cannot (unable/impossible to) sin”. 

Here, I will just briefly say what was meant by the Apostle John in writing 1 John 3:9:- 1 John 3:9 does NOT mean, a believer cannot, as in unable to, or impossible to, sin.  It means, to sin is NOT in keeping or consistent with the fact that one has been born again or with the fact that one is a believer.  In other words, it was saying that a believer ought NOT or should NOT sin.  But John, in his writing style, wrote his superlative emphasis in that manner - to the extreme, as if it were impossible.

So, consistent with his style of pushing to the extreme, he, John, meant to say, in 1 John 5:4-5, that a believer ought to, or should, overcome.  To NOT overcome, is NOT in keeping or consistent with the fact that one has been born again or with the fact that one is a believer.  

Because teachers rarely emphasize, nowadays, and so, believers are NOT reminded of it, that Jesus is the Firstfruit, and we are to be like Jesus, and by that, it means we are to follow after Jesus, and Jesus is our model, many forget that we are called to pattern after Jesus.  In other words, if Jesus were here, what would He do or would have done. Why did John say that a believer should NOT sin (1 John 3:9).  Because sinning is NOT acceptable to God, and Jesus, consistent with that, did NOT sin, and will NOT sin.  And so, to be like Jesus, we too, should NOT sin.  Jesus was righteous, yet He lived righteous (1 John 3:7).  Jesus was sinless, and he would NOT sin, and remained sinless.  In the same way, Jesus, in His life on earth, He continued to overcome (the world), even to face the cruel and painful persecution of death by crucifixion. Jesus could have denied He was the Messiah, and He would have escaped the crucifixion, but he did NOT give in; He persisted and He overcame. 

Before Jesus went to the Cross, in John 16:32-33, He said this:

32"But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. 33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

It is NOT that we will be crucified too, to be the Savior of the world.  There is just one Savior and He is the Lord Jesus Christ; but Scripture said in Matt 16:24, that each of us is to carry the cross meant for us.  And so, in the same way, we, too, are expected to overcome until the end.

Again, is there a patterning after the Lord, required of us?  Yes, Rev 3:21 - To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

It is NOT the moment we are born again, we would NEVER sin because it is impossible for us to sin, or that we are unable to sin; and it is NOT the moment we are born again, we have overcome everything or all.  It is Jesus showed us the model and example; NOT only that, it is for what Jesus did – remained sinless and overcame everything, even death by and on the Cross, we have the “ingredients” to be one who would NOT give in to sin, and be one who could overcome the world. 

Jesus said in John 16:33 (quoted above) that we would have troubles [that need to be overcome], and He also said that, IN HIM we would have peace, for He had overcome the world [Jesus then already resolved that He would NOT relent but would persevere to go to His death].

We return to 1 John 5:4-5; what is the victory that overcame the world in the text?  From the text, some can discern that John said that it is our faith.  Or we can say that it was Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that was the victory that overcame the world.  Our faith is that – the belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of God, who would come, and would overcome the world, and did come and did overcome the world, and ended up as our Savior and Redeemer.  Because he lived it through, did it, and came up as The Overcomer, we, IN HIM, are able to be overcomer, too, in our on-going lives. 

Is IN HIM a must?  Yes, Rom 8:37 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  Phil 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

In theological jargon, we say, we, believers, too, are overcomers by appropriation of the victory of Jesus.  The clear thing is this: Just as it is NOT the moment we are born again, we can no longer, as in impossible to, sin in life, but to resist sin in our ongoing life, it is also NOT that the moment we are born again, we overcame everything (everything the world throws at us), but it is that we are to overcome in our on-going life; and we can do it (resist sin and overcome), because Christ has done it, and His Spirit (the Spirit of Christ or the Holy Spirit) indwells us (seed of God; seed of God refers to the Word, Christ or Spirit of Christ) and is our Helper/Counsellor (John 14:26).  From this angle, to obey God’s commands should not be burdensome.  It can be done! [It is possible to view from the angle of love, that to obey God’s commands would NOT be burdensome, too, as expressed by some preachers {NOT burdensome to oblige our loved ones}.]

From the above, our conclusion should be that 1 John 5:4-5 does NOT tell us that there is nothing else left for us to overcome in life; rather it points to we are to pursue a life of overcoming, for our Lord is our model to follow, and He, by His Spirit in us, is our enabler.  Rev 3:21 still is the pertinent scripture that sums it all - To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Jesus said in John 17:11-18, as a believer, we are no longer of the world, although we are still in the world.  What that implies is that we have to live a life always overcoming the world, so that we continue to live a life in the world, NOT of the world, but of Kingdom of God.  In other words, like I nowadays am telling believers that they are living a supernatural life if they are living in the ways of the Kingdom of God, contrary to natural ways of the world which are the ways of Satan.  Now, that is overcoming the world.

1 John 4:4 tells us, we are able to overcome the agents of anti-Christ, because He who is in us {the indwelling Spirit of Christ} is greater than he who is in the world {Satan}. In sending out the 72 disciples, Jesus said this (Luke 10:18-20) – 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

We have the Holy Spirit or Spirit of Christ, and we have the authority in the Lord, to overcome.  With that, we are able to overcome all, yet our rejoicing is NOT because we won over the minions of Satan, but that we have our names written (and remain written) in the Lamb’s Book of Life (in Heaven).

Rev 3:5 - He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

Who does God say He would NOT blot out the name of?  He who overcomes.  Now, the correct way to look at this verse is this: When one enters into salvation, His name gets written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Why would there be a need to talk about “NOT blotting out”, if there is no instance of blotting out?!  It is precisely, that because the Lord can be blotting out a name, that He said here, that He would NOT be blotting out a name.  It is NOT unreasonable to rationalize that the believer who does NOT overcome, but succumbs, he can be blotted out (The Parable of the Sower (or soils) does point to that {2^nd soil, particularly}).

Verse 5 of 1 John 5 - "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" was worded as a rhetorical question because, a non-believer does NOT have what it takes to overcome the world; we have, and we, therefore, should live that way – overcoming the world.

As it is the way we should be living, living an overcoming life, it should NOT be burdensome for us to obey God’s commands or instructions, one of the 2 branches of which, is to love our neighbours which included our brothers {the other, being to love God}).

In conclusion, in relation to our topic of overcomers and overcoming, it is NOT 1 John 5:5 is simply stating that we are already overcomers and there is nothing for us to overcome in our continuing earthly life, or that “to those who overcome” is simply another way of saying a believer.  Such  teachings are incorrect.

 

Anthony Chia, high.expressions

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About being known by God

Jesus said in John 10:14: I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me –

Are you His sheep? 

If Jesus said you are, you are, and when you are, Jesus said He knows you. 

It is NOT what you think, but what Jesus thinks, and so, if Jesus said you are NOT, you are NOT, and He may NOT know you. 

If indeed you are His sheep, Jesus said you would know Him. 

This verse is different from other “controversial” verses, people argue about if one is a sheep (or a goat) or a saved one or NOT, etc.  There is just no ambiguity here, for Jesus said “MY sheep”, i.e. “sheep or NOT sheep”, is in His view/judgment, NOT yours or mine.

And “known by God” refers to, NOT merely as belonging to God; it includes being approved or accepted of, by God, and having His favour.  It is NOT just any “God having knowledge of us”.

When we look up the Greek concordance on the verse John 10:14 above, with regard to “know” or “known”, we will find that the verse specifically used G1097 (ginōskō) for “know”. G1097 has the special meaning of “knowledge grounded on PERSONAL EXPERIENCE” as opposed to those others, from mental perception {G1492 – eido}, from proximity {G1987 – epistamai}, from native insight or 5 senses {G4920 – suniemi}.  The significance of this, is that indeed the Christian faith is one of relationship of the Lord and man; and the Lord has used the metaphor of the shepherd and the sheep, to illustrate.

Therefore, these are the ingredients in the word, know (G1097 – ginosko):
 

1.   Belonging to.  A sheep which belongs to a shepherd is his.  Those men, believers, who belong to the Lord are His.  We, first, need to belong to Him, that is a pre-requisite.
 

2.   Personal experience.  There is to be personal experience between the sheep and the shepherd; and so, personal experience between individual believer and the Lord.  Remember, now, the issue is knowing from personal experience; and so, when the Lord said He knows a man, that knowledge is to have come from His personal experience with the individual.  
 

When the Lord says, “I know you”, it means He has knowledge from the personal experience He has had with you.  If what the Lord claims, is true, that He has had personal experience with you, it also means you have had personal experience with Him, would it NOT be? Yes, it has to be; for the Lord cannot be wrong or made a mistake (We, men, can possibly make a mistake, like we are having a personal experience with the Devil, and we thought we are having a personal experience with God). And so, as John 10:14 said it – As the Shepherd, the Lord knows His sheep, and His sheep would know Him.
 

Our knowing is NOT coming from mere book knowledge, although it may begin from there; NOT from mere hearing, although it again may begin from there; it has to come from personal experience with the Lord. 

Who does the onus for personal experience lie with? We will NOT deal with it here, in detail, but the simple answer is both, the Lord and you, are involved.  It is definitely NOT it is all God’s part (maybe, I write on this, one day).
 

3.   Positive knowing and negative knowing.  Here, positive knowing is assumed.  
 

What is meant by positive and negative knowing.  Simply put, positive knowing give rise to “I know you”, and negative knowing, “I don’t know you”.  In other words, knowing or NOT knowing, is viewed from the angle of whether it is in agreement with God’s justice and righteousness.  If it is NOT, God cannot count that; it is like He cannot put a “+” against it, but a “-“ against it.  Collectively the minuses account for the “I don’t know you”. 
 

For example, the Gospel is being presented to a man with the Spirit giving understanding, and the man refuses to enter into salvation, that is a negative personal experience, and that is a negative knowing, and it will account for, “I don’t know you”, by the Lord.  Now, this is despite the Lord or God having knowledge of who the man is, etc. 
 

Another example, you are a believer, meaning you have had, in the past, entered into salvation, and so, have confessed the Lord as your Savior before, and now, you have joined occult men in worshipping Satan, and are adamant NOT to drop the Satanic worship.  The Spirit of Christ prompted you, yet you refuse to acknowledge you are wrong; this is a negative personal experience.  It is a negative knowing, as far as the Lord is concerned. It contributes to the side of “I don’t know you”.
 

An example of a positive knowing would be this: You are in the park, and are about to take your lunch by digging into the lunch-pack you have bought from the eatery some 15 minutes’ walk away, and you heard prompting from the Spirit of Christ in you, saying to give over your lunch-pack to the beggar seated in another bench, right in front of you, some 50 meters away!  And you respond by walking over to the starving beggar and giving over your lunch-pack to the beggar, despite you are hungry yourself.  This is a positive personal experience the Lord has with you; this is a positive knowing the Lord has, on you.  This contributes to “I know you”.
 

4.   Be at the station the Lord desires for you.  Personal experience with another, means it involves the 2 parties.  You cannot say I have a personal experience with the Lord, when the Lord is NOT involved!  At the same time, when the Lord does something with another, NOT involving you, it is the other person who had the personal experience with the Lord, NOT you; for it does NOT involve you.
 

Now, if you engage in evil, do you think the Lord is there, involved with you?  Obviously not.  If you keep at it, you should NOT be surprised that the Lord would say, “I don’t know you, you evildoer!”
 

All actions are classifiable to either righteous or evil; there is no such thing as a neutral thing, when all parties considered, as far as God is concerned.  Strictly speaking any thought and action God cannot agree to, are evil.  God cannot be expected to have personal experience with you, in evil.  Only in righteousness, can you have personal experience with the Lord.
 

In general terms, we say, you got to be at the station that God desires for you, if you want positive personal experience and knowing with the Lord (Evil cannot be the station God desires you to be at).
 

From all of the above, we can understand a believer with positive personal experience and knowing with the Lord, and so, is known by the Lord, is one approved of, and accepted of, by the Lord, and would have His favour, on top of him/her being belonging to the Lord.
 

From here, we also need to understand which is a “bigger word” and is the preferred setting, “belonging to the Lord” or “be known by the Lord”.  In line with the understanding of the Apostle Paul, it is the latter.  

Essentially, this, I believe is consistent with Paul’s understanding:  Belonging like “this wallet belongs to me”, is desirable, but can be NOT good enough; on the other hand, being known by the Lord, meaning NOT only belongs to, but also with approval of, acceptance of, by the Lord, complete with His favour, is the preferred setting. 
 

The former can still be destroyed; the latter can look to God taking a stand in the person’s favour.  Paul explained this when confronting the false or heretic teachings and teachers, and he made reference to the Numbers 16’s account of the rebellion of Korah, to illustrate.  We will look at this, a little more, in a little while (Jude, in Jude 1:11, also referenced Korah’s rebellion when speaking about ungodly believers in body of Christ – you can study it, too).
 

Before we leave this point of “be at the station”, let me say, “be at the station” includes the doing of the works of the station.
 

5.   The only sure way is found in OUR abiding in the Lord, and the Lord abiding in you.  
 

One can try to be at where the Lord can come, so that you and the Lord could have personal experience; and we have said, in evil, you cannot expect the Lord to come to share in your evil.  Rather, He may say to you, “I don’t know you, you evildoer!”   Now, this is true still, in spite of the Spirit of Christ is indwelling us or God is omnipresence.  These two facts (indwelling and omnipresence) do NOT mean automatically, God is having personal experience with you.
 

Instead of hoping the Lord to get involved with you, why don’t you get involved with the Lord; in other words, YOU GO ABIDE in Him, and when it is you join Him (and NOT the other way round - you hope He joins you), you can be sure, He is abiding in you.  The Lord would NOT say, “I don’t know you!” and he would NOT say, “You evildoer!” for He cannot be up to anything unrighteous.
 

The issue of mutual abiding is important, for if the Lord is NOT abiding, it is you are doing your own thing; there is no personal experience with the Lord.
 

6.     The key is your love for God.  At point 5, I said to abide in the Lord; why would one be more than willing, in fact, desirous, of doing that?  

Because of love; love desires personal experience. NOT just personal experience, but postive personal experience.  From positive personal experience comes positive knowing.

Think about it, is it NOT when you love someone, you desire to spend time doing things together with “the someone”?  Honestly, what are lovers looking for, in personal experiences; it cannot be negative experiences that you are after?!  It cannot be that you want to be in disagreements all the time, fighting every now and then, and then each expects the other to accept or engage in things against each other’s values.  If it is negative so often the times, split would be inevitable, and eventually, distancing would lead to “I don’t know him/her; he/she horrible guy/gal!”

1 Cor 8:3 (NIV) said this: “But the man who loves God is known by God.”
 

Your love is what motivates you to abide in the Lord.  What do you treasure most?  Your loved ones (If you have NOT said, “The Lord”, I hope this is your answer {of course, the Lord is supposed to be in there}).  Scripture said, where your treasure is, there your heart will be.  Do you love the Lord?  Or do you love money more than you love the Lord?  Love for the world or anything in it, is enmity with God, do you know that; (it is given in 1 John 2:15 & James 4:4)? 
 

Focus your love on the Lord; is NOT it is the greatest commandment, that you love the Lord your God with all of you, all your heart, soul, mind and strength?!
 

Revolt/rebellion of Korah

Remember, in point 4 above, I said that the Apostle Paul was underscoring “Be known by God” is the preferred position over just belonging to the Lord, per se.  For when the one known by God is challenged, God will stand for him; for the challenger, despite belonging, mere belonging, to God, he can even be destroyed. 
 

In that failed revolt of Korah against the High Priest, Aaron (and Moses’ leadership) (Numbers 16), in Num 16:5 Moses said this: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him…” (this was being spoken about by the Apostle Paul as “known by God” in 2 Tim 2:19). The account ended with the Korah’s camp gotten swallowed up by the ground opening up!  Justice was served.  Aaron (and Moses) was vindicated. 
 

Obviously, “who belongs to him (God)” means more than like in “this wallet belongs to me”! You should know that both Korah and Aaron belonged to God.  Firstly, they were both God’s children or people.  Secondly, both held positions of office, but different offices, one was a Levite head (Korah), another, the High Priest, NOT just a Levite.  It is, when you belong (to God), you don’t just belong (as in the wallet belongs to me; that is given), you should also be at the station God deems just (this includes, doing whatever that station requires of you), and when you are so, at the station God deems just, you have His approval, his acceptance, and his favour.  Korah and his fellow Levites’ station was to assist the High Priest to care for the holy things of the Tabernacle; and that of Aaron, was being the High Priest to minister to the LORD (And when we include Moses, Moses’ station was that of being the leader (called of God)).

Some more examples of God knowing, from Scripture

I give us a few more verses (apart from the above John 10:14, 1 Cor 8:3, & 2 Tim 2:19) from Scripture that revealed about God knowing those who are loving Him (unto righteousness), embracing His justice and righteousness (love unto righteousness necessitates embracing His justice and righteousness), and walking blameless before Him, or who are godly:

Ps 1:6 - For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.  Do you watch over the ones you know or the ones you don’t know?!

Ps 37:17-18 – 17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.  Again, God is said to watch over and protect the righteous, and his inheritance.  Why God knows and watches over the righteous is because one loving God, cannot but (a) embraces His righteousness [loving God back with his kinda of love - love unto righteousness - an article to come], and (b) obeys God's commands [John 14:15 & 21a].  God knows the ones who love Him

Ps 37:23-25 - 23 If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. 25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

Nahum 1:7 KJV - The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.  Many translations use other words (like “cares”) for the word, “knoweth”, I suspect, it is due to the lack of conviction of how “trust in Him” would lead to God knowing the person.  Using scripture to interpret scripture, and so, using Pro 3:5-6 -“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight/will direct your paths”, we can see that the “trust in Him” calls for “in all your ways, submit to Him”.  Another way of saying, is the person is one who embraces/walks in the ways of God, or His justice and righteousness; such a person, he loves God, and God knows him.  Is the LORD good; is He a stronghold in the day of trouble?  He sure is, most assuredly, for those who love Him; for those who love Him, are known to Him (support also comes from Ps 91:14-16).

From this article, you are to take away this:

What it takes to be known by God:

You need to belong to Him and you need to have positive personal experiences with Him.  Positive personal experiences and knowing are those leading to God saying “I know you”.  Negative knowing leads to God saying, “I don’t know you, you evildoer”. Be at the station God desires you to be, including doing the works of the station.  Better still, go abide in the Lord, and so, having the Lord abides in you.  And remember, the key to abiding in the Lord is your love for the Lord.  Focus your love – love God with your all.  Love the Lord, and it will be the surest way to be known by the Lord. 
 

Anthony Chia, high.expressions

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Agape’s meanings need to be expanded (PART II)

In Part I of this 2-part series, we have looked at the major love words of the OT (Hebrew language) and NT (Greek); we have looked at how the charitable, sacrificial, selfless and even unconditional attributes were more imputed into the Greek love word, “agape”, from gleaning from the Bible; and lastly we realized that the (further revealing) of the God’s kinda of love, was NOT just that we might know of God’s love as being agape, but it was to exhort us to also agape God, and to agape our neighbors.  We have NOT dwell into the missing ingredient that need to added into agape; the main purpose of this exposition; which I will do now, here.

PART II

In this part, we will deal with the missing element that is necessary to be included into the Greek love word, agape, in order to say it truly represents God’s kinda of love.

By far, agape is the most extensive love word used in the NT.  Below I will give a few more text, showing its use (in additional to those already found in Part I); then I will also mention a thing or two, for the other remaining two Greek love words found directly in the NT.  After all of that, I go into the missing element.

A few more examples of occurrences of agape in NT

Love of money – agape! Luke 16:13 - “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Jesus washing of disciples’ feet – Jesus’ love for his disciples – John 13:1-5

¹ It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

² The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus’ definition of love – “If you love me, you will obey what I command (John 14:15).  Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (John 14:21).

Jesus said the Father and I will come to him and make our home with him – John 14:23 - Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

A little bit more on phileo

Phileo as a love word is found in v17 of John 21:15-17.  In variation as Philadelphia (G5360) {root word being friend} – “brotherly love”, it is found in a number of verses (eg Romans 12:10).  In my own words, phileo is firstly love (non-eros) between friends, but is extended in use to apply to any fraternity, comradeship, brotherhood, or any association with common goals, including the body of Christ (Storge which we will NOT elaborate, on the other hand, is love word used on natural blood relation, like mother and child).  As Christians, when we are friends of Christ, we are friends with one another, and so, Philadelphia or brotherly love is expected of us (almost without saying!).

John 21:15-17 -
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love {agape} me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love {agape} me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love {phileo} me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

You will notice that the Lord used agape for the 1^st 2 times He asked if Peter loved Him; but for the 3^rd time, He switched to using phileo!  I will NOT expound this text here; maybe in separate article, another time, as my exposition on the switch, may vary from others.

A further mention of thelo

Thelo can be seen used on Mark 12:38 (KJV) – “And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,”  Some other translations (like NIV) left out the word, “love”.

Now, the missing ingredient in the love word, agape

I bring us back to the short-form Lexicon of the 2 Hebrew love words we have seen in Part I of this series:
 

`ahab (H157) – either love or like, and for love, it is broken down to:

human love for another, includes family, and sexual;
human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom;
human love for or to God;
act of being a friend: lover (participle), friend (participle);
God's love toward man: to individual men, to people Israel, to righteousness;
lovely (participle), loveable (participle);
friends, lovers (fig. of adulterers).

Dowd (H1730) – beloved, love, uncle:

loved one, beloved, uncle, love (pl. abstract)

Some people include checed (H2617) as a love word in Hebrew, because some translations have rendered it as love.  It has the main meaning as loving-kindness from one of a higher position – God, or from man to man, and so, typically it is used as God’s “love” for men, but NOT the other way round of men, for God.  To me, grace is perhaps the appropriate word to use.

I have indicated in Part I that it is NOT easy to match up the 2 or 3 Hebrew love words with the Greek love words.  Now that we know the most extensively used words of love for OT and NT are these: `ahab and agape, respectively, it leaves us to see if there is any significant meaning in the Hebrew love word of `ahab that is missing in the Greek word, agape.

I submit to you the significant meaning missing from the agape word is in the underlined portion of the Lexicon I have given above, for `ahab:

That God’s love for men is love unto (or to) righteousness; and men were to love God back, they have to love Him righteously.  The key word here is righteousness.  God cannot love you and I anyhow; ultimately, He can only love us unto righteousness.  In the same way, the only way to love the holy and righteous God in an acceptable manner is to love with same kind of love, righteous love. 

From here, we can understand why the Lord gave us the definition of loving Him or God, as He had given in John 14:15 & 21a.  This is in essence what Jesus said in the verses – He who love Me, obeys my commands; and the one who obeys my commands is the one who loves Me.  Righteousness is in His commands, and so, by obeying His commands, we are embracing His righteousness, and in so doing, is loving Him, righteously.

John 14:15 – If you love (agape or agapaō) me, you will obey what I command.

John 14:21 - Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves (agape) me. He who loves (agape) me will be loved (agape) by my Father, and I too will love (agape) him and show myself to him."

In fact, in the remaining part of v21, Jesus added that such person who agape the Lord, he will (continue to) be loved by the Father, and the Lord, too will (continue to) love him, and show Himself (the Lord Himself) to him, the person.

Why this righteousness element is missing from agape?

Why is it (this righteousness element) missing, or missed out in the Greek word, agape?  The ancient Greek language was of course from the Greek people, although in those times of writing, it was the scholarship language of even the Jews, meaning the authors themselves, not Greek, but they wrote in Greek. 

I submit to you, this is the reason: The Greek (people)’s ancient cultural and historical religious beliefs background had not that idea (love unto righteousness) comprised in love words.  In other words, it was one of the occasions of, “it was NOT the word to use, but the best (Greek) word to use”, when the non-Greek authors were writing in Greek. 

Did I just say that the authors of Biblical texts were wrong or made fatal mistakes?  No, rather it was, and as was and is often the cases, God just use what is there (even the weak and the ordinary), and in this context, the scholarship language of that time of the authors.

We have, in Part I, looked at how “unconditional” got weaved into agape, although I would refrain from saying agape love is unconditional love (although Jesus’ sacrifice was unconditional); more, to me, it is a charitable,  sacrificial and selfless love. Now, if “unconditional” could be imputed into agape, I don’t see why “unto righteousness” should NOT be imputed into agape.

Because there was no teaching on it - agape love as having the connotation of “loving unto righteousness”, despite such a connotation was in the {older} Hebrew word of love (in OT), `ahab, no “loving unto righteousness” was imputed into/listed with that Greek word, agape. 

The overall counsel of the Word, indeed points to the love of God for men, ultimately has to be a love for men unto righteousness.  I repeat, ultimately, God cannot love you and I, in any other manner, because He is holy and righteous.

Expound it please, this love unto righteousness
Because the lack of preachers expounding love from the NT, as having it as primarily got to be unto righteousness, I find myself, in writing or teaching, keep referencing the OT word, `ahab, as love unto righteousness.  It is vital that believers be taught this fundamental truth that God’s love is firstly love unto righteousness, and the only way we can love Him back acceptably is also to love Him, righteously.  The latter is particularly needing to be stressed in view of the care-less attitude of believers of today, in handling their relationship with God.

It is NOT plucked from the air!

Just in case, people think I pluck this whole thing out of the air, I will give you the “pillars of love” found in both the OT and NT, and you can see for yourself if I am justified to build a case for the need to impute “love unto righteousness” as embodied in the Hebrew love word,`ahab, into the Greek love word, agape, before I end this series.

The love pillars:

OT:   Deu 6:5 - Love (`ahab) the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Lev 19:18 - " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love (`ahab) your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

 

NT:   Mark 12:30 - Love (agape/agapao) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

         Mark 12:31 - The second is this: 'Love (agape/agapao) your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

God’s kinda of love is firstly love unto righteousness, and then it is charitable, sacrificial, selfless, and to a good extent unconditional.  What do we call this love? `ahab + agape? Or just agape, with love unto righteousness incorporated!

Anthony Chia, high.expressions – Lord, I know I must always be conscious that I am only an agent of yours, through whom you reveal of yourself, your ways and your truths; it is NOT I am smart or anything like that.  There is no copyright possible (for men) for that concerning your Word; NOT only all copyrights belong to you, your desire is that freely I receive, freely I give.  Amen.

Comments are welcome here. Alternatively, email them to me @: high.expressions@gmail.com Or just email me your email address so that I can put you on my blog (new entry) notification list. To go back to blog main page, click here.