1 John 5:1, commentary and pictures

Believing that Jesus is the Christ is being born of God. That belief in Jesus as personal Saviour is the only salvation provided for the sinner made an alien from God by unbelief, and is the first step toward restoration to peace with God. All who so believe and receive Him are born of God and given power to become sons of God through His atoning death for sins and His prevailing intercession at His Father's right hand to take away sins, so that because He lives to intercede those who obey His will shall live also and be kept from falling.

Those born of God have inward evidence of the new life in that the Spirit of Christ moves upon mind and heart in agreement with the Word, and the Spirit and the Word together bear witness that they are born of God. Their lives and words show likeness to Christ and accord with God's moral standard, while profession without that resemblance is counterfeit. Following Christ involves self-denial and sacrifice and He is precious to believers, and faith must rest on God's Word rather than feelings or changing circumstances. The new birth is shown by obedience, for love for God is expressed by keeping His commandments and His commandments are not burdensome, and faith works through love and purifies the soul. Such obedience is proof of being chosen and born of God, sharing in the divine nature, and belonging among God's precious elect, and love for His children is known when God is loved and His commandments are kept.

Whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and the victory that overcomes the world is faith, so the overcomer is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Cultivating this love and faith gives standing on vantage ground with spiritual dominion over the powers of darkness. Loving God who gives the birth requires loving those born of Him, so loving Christ means loving people who belong to Him and resemble Him in life and character as well as sinners who are without hope and without God, following Christ's example of leaving heaven and giving His life to redeem sinners. Those who love Jesus will love all the children of God with a pure, Christlike sympathy whose breadth and height is without measure. This love is not for the perfect who do not need it but for poor, suffering, struggling souls often overtaken in fault, sinning and repenting, tempted and discouraged. The love of God alone opens and expands the heart and grace softens the soul and melts cold reserve so that Christ appears, and awareness of personal weakness leads away from self to Christ whose love breaks down cold barriers, banishes harshness and selfishness, and blends soul with soul even with those opposite in temperament.

Being born of God is testified to by a life of service in which the worker gives self fully and unreservedly to the Lord and His work, and the influence that drew the worker to Christ helps draw others to Christ. This witness does not depend on being called to public speaking or the ministry, yet such a worker is no less a minister for God and gains an experience that enables more and more successful work for the Master. The verse is a practical command to be considered and obeyed in common labor and institutions, where heeding it would produce a different state of things and surround workers with a healthy atmosphere like a fragrant scent, a life-giving influence.