I believe the first verse of this chapter has been taken out of context as much as any verse in the New Testament, particularly the first part of the verse. People believe that saying they believe that Jesus is the Son of God is enough to save them. Besides disregarding the thought of James 2:19-20, this also ignores the message of John both before and after this verse.
Remember that at the end of chapter 4 we are told we should love our fellow Christians; this is the true mark of discipleship. This thought is also continued in the following verses. We must be begotten of God. We can't be of God if we've not been born of God. Verse three plainly says that if we love God we will keep His commandments. The question many have trouble answering is which one or ones? His first commandment is for us to be born of Him in baptism.
These first five verses of chapter five can lead to a discussion of obedient faith. If one takes the position that baptism isn't necessary I still don't see how they can escape what is said here concerning the keeping of His commandments. Obviously there is action needed on our part.
Verse 6 is one of the more difficult verses to interpret in this letter. As a result, there have been many interpretations of these words. It's important to note that John says Christ came with (by) water and with (by) blood. The reference to water is referring to His baptism (Matthew 3:15). The mention of blood is referring to His death (John 19:34). Some say this refers to the water and blood which came from Christ's side on the cross. There would be no reason for John to write about that when he's laying out historical facts concerning Jesus.
Verses 7 and 8 tell us about the purpose of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the third witness after the water and blood spoken of in verse 6. (See Matthew 3:15)
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