5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:1-5 ESV
This scripture lines out the chain of events that should follow one who has been born of God:
- We must believe in Jesus Christ. He is the Son of the Living God, foretold in the scriptures as the promised Messiah, truly God and truly Man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, who suffered, was crucified, and died, rose again, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, and He will come again. Understanding the true gospel about Jesus, believing it, and submitting our lives to Him is our entrance ticket into being born again into the Family of God. There is no other way but the door of Jesus into God’s Kingdom.
- Once we are born again by the Spirit of God, we can actually perceive and begin to understand the goodness, the grace and the glory of the majesty of God, and His overwhelming lovingkindness toward His children; and because we are His children who have received the love of God, we now actually have love to pour back out toward Him! It is our right and reasonable response to God’s great and primary love.
- Our love for God as His born-again children should manifest itself into actions that demonstrate our love for Him, and the first and foremost way we can do that is to obey His unburdensome commands that are set in place for our good and for His glory, that we may begin to look like Him, walk like Him, talk like Him, and become set apart from the world like Him. By this we practice righteousness every time we conform to His likeness with our thoughts, words and deeds.
- We are compelled to adhere to His greatest commandment to Love God and to Love His children, who are also born of God and have His Spirit inside of them. All of those who are born of God are His children, and they are our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ; we cannot possibly hate or harm them without hurting the heart of God. Loving our brothers and sisters is a necessary component of living in God’s Kingdom, fully submitted and devoted to His reign, and signifying that we are truly His children.
We have a high responsibility as children who are born of God to believe rightly, obey fully, and to love God and His family well. Lord, continue your work in Your children to grow us to full maturity through Your Word with the help of Your Holy Spirit.