At this point in our study of threefold salvation, we have arrived at the final
article on the first aspect. In the weeks ahead, with the Lord's grace, we will
examine God's so great salvation in the second aspect.
With the previous article, we established the principle that life precedes the
responsibility arising therefrom. In this article, we continue with that line of
thought. The basis for this study is the words "believeth . . . loveth . . . and
doeth."
These words are found in I John and are associated with the phrase born of God or born
of him. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one
that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him" (I Jn 5:1).
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is
born of God, and knoweth God" (I Jn 4:7). "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know
that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him" (I Jn 2:29).
Are all three of these words, believeth, loveth and doeth verbs? We think not.
Take love as an example. What relationship does love bear to believing? or doing? Does
it precede, or follow believing?
The love of God, in the heart of the individual, originates in the new birth, but the
new birth is established when one believeth that Jesus is the Christ. Belief is in
order to the relationship, but the love of God in the heart of the individual is the
motivating factor in serving the Lord. Thus, love stands between believing and doing.
Since one cannot become a servant of righteousness until first made free from sin,
then we know that belief, love and doeth do not originate simultaneously, nor are they
designed of God to effect the same thing.
In Romans 5:5 we read, ". . . the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given to us." The our hearts and the us of this text included Paul, the
writer, and the saints in Rome to whom he wrote. The love of God is shed abroad in the
hearts of God's children by the holy Ghost which is given to us.
John wrote, ". . . the Spirit . . . the world cannot receive . . ." (Gal 4:6). In
Ephesians 1:13-14 he adds, "In whom (Christ, vs 12) ye also, trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his
glory."
In Galatians 3:2, when Paul asks, ". . . Received ye the Spirit by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith?," we know the answer is by the hearing of faith since
that is what he affirmed in Ephesians 1:13-14. The first descriptive given of the
fruit of the Spirit is love Gal 5:22-23.
The order of truth is:
1. Believe
2. Receive the Spirit
3. and, Love.
By comparing John 1:11-13 to I John 5:1, we see that believe is in order to the
relationship born of God but how about love? It is not in order to that relationship
because the love of God is shed abroad in the hearts of sons.
In the Old Testament the same order of truth is identified:
1. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart
2. To love the Lord thy God
3. And do all his commandments Deut 30:6, 8.
Concerning the phrase doeth righteousness hear Paul's words to the Roman saints as
follows:
"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield
yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God . . . Being then made free from sin, ye became
the servants of righteousness" (Rm 6:13, 18). And his words to the churches of
Galatia: "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."
These classes of scripture represent a principle consistent throughout the New
Testament. If one is going to yield his members as instruments of righteousness unto
God he must first be made free from sin and thus alive from the dead. And, beyond that
fact one cannot do righteousness apart from love as the motivating factor. Therefore,
we positively know that doeth righteousness is not in order to the relationship born
of God. Love precedes doing righteousness, but love accompanies the new birth.
Therefore, the order of truth is:
1. Believe,
2. Receive the Spirit,
3. Love,
4. and Do.
H. Frank Fort wrote, ". . . faith is in order to the new birth, love inheres in it,
and doeth righteousness evidences it. The first makes the children of God, the second
motivates their conduct, and the third manifests their character."
John's first epistle was addressed to the children of God. John wrote, "I write unto
you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake" (I Jn
2:12). Again, "I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because
ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth" (I Jn 2:21). Therefore, John speaks of
them as ". . . of God, little children . . . " (I Jn 4:4).
Within the epistle itself John gives us the multiplicity of the purpose for the
writing:
1. That ye also may have fellowship with us 1:3,
2. That joy may be full 1:4,
3. That ye sin not 2:1,
4. and, that ye may know that ye have eternal life 5:13.
In this last respect, the word know is one of the key words in this epistle.
How is it possible to know that ye have eternal life? John's epistle gives the
children of God several ways to know that ye have eternal life. Do you remember the
three words of this article, believe, love and do?
I John 5:1, I John 4:7 and I John 2:29 do not give conditions in order to be born of
God. Instead, they are statements of fact!
I John 5:1 states, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." That
is a statement of fact and presents one manner of knowing that ye have eternal life.
Other passages of Scripture tell us that believing on Christ is in order to eternal
life Jn 3:16, 36; 6:47, 54 and etc. I John 5:1 simply gives a statement of fact which
teaches that where there is found one who believeth that Jesus is the Christ there is
also found one who is born of God.
The same thing is true of I John 4:7 which states, ". . . every one that loveth is
born of God, and knoweth God." This is a statement of fact and not a condition in or
to be born of God.
Christ said to the lost, ". . . ye have not the love of God in you" (Jn 5:42). He
taught them their lack of love for Him stemmed from their lack of relationship with
God. Hence, ". . . If God were your Father, you would love me . . . " (Jn 8:42).
The love of God, as we have shown, accompanies the receiving of the Holy Spirit who is
given because ye are sons. Therefore, love is not in order to be born of God. I John
4:7 simply gives a statement of fact which teaches that where there is found one who
loveth there is also found one who is born of God, and knoweth God. Love in the heart
is another manner of knowing that ye have eternal life.
The same is true of I John 2:29 which states, ". . . every one that doeth
righteousness is born of him." This is a statement of fact and not a condition in
order to be born of God. Among the lost, Paul wrote, ". . . there is none that doeth
good, no not one" (Rm 3:12).
Doing righteousness demands love as the motivating factor, but love accompanies the
new birth. Therefore, doing righteousness is not in order to be born of God. I John
2:29 simply teaches that where there is found one who doeth righteousness there is
also found one who is born of God for only one born of God is capable of doing
righteousness, and it is in the doing of righteousness that John said, "In this (not
alien sinners are made the children of God, but) the children of God are manifest . .
. " (I Jn 3:10). Thus the doing of righteousness presents another manner of knowing
that ye have eternal life.
If you are not a child of God, then believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved. When you do, the love of God will fill your heart by the Holy Spirit who is
given to sons. Then as one who is alive from the dead and thus freed from sin and with
the love of God in your heart as the motivating factor, you can do righteousness to
the glory of God. BD
article on the first aspect. In the weeks ahead, with the Lord's grace, we will
examine God's so great salvation in the second aspect.
With the previous article, we established the principle that life precedes the
responsibility arising therefrom. In this article, we continue with that line of
thought. The basis for this study is the words "believeth . . . loveth . . . and
doeth."
These words are found in I John and are associated with the phrase born of God or born
of him. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one
that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him" (I Jn 5:1).
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is
born of God, and knoweth God" (I Jn 4:7). "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know
that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him" (I Jn 2:29).
Are all three of these words, believeth, loveth and doeth verbs? We think not.
Take love as an example. What relationship does love bear to believing? or doing? Does
it precede, or follow believing?
The love of God, in the heart of the individual, originates in the new birth, but the
new birth is established when one believeth that Jesus is the Christ. Belief is in
order to the relationship, but the love of God in the heart of the individual is the
motivating factor in serving the Lord. Thus, love stands between believing and doing.
Since one cannot become a servant of righteousness until first made free from sin,
then we know that belief, love and doeth do not originate simultaneously, nor are they
designed of God to effect the same thing.
In Romans 5:5 we read, ". . . the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given to us." The our hearts and the us of this text included Paul, the
writer, and the saints in Rome to whom he wrote. The love of God is shed abroad in the
hearts of God's children by the holy Ghost which is given to us.
John wrote, ". . . the Spirit . . . the world cannot receive . . ." (Gal 4:6). In
Ephesians 1:13-14 he adds, "In whom (Christ, vs 12) ye also, trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his
glory."
In Galatians 3:2, when Paul asks, ". . . Received ye the Spirit by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith?," we know the answer is by the hearing of faith since
that is what he affirmed in Ephesians 1:13-14. The first descriptive given of the
fruit of the Spirit is love Gal 5:22-23.
The order of truth is:
1. Believe
2. Receive the Spirit
3. and, Love.
By comparing John 1:11-13 to I John 5:1, we see that believe is in order to the
relationship born of God but how about love? It is not in order to that relationship
because the love of God is shed abroad in the hearts of sons.
In the Old Testament the same order of truth is identified:
1. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart
2. To love the Lord thy God
3. And do all his commandments Deut 30:6, 8.
Concerning the phrase doeth righteousness hear Paul's words to the Roman saints as
follows:
"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield
yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God . . . Being then made free from sin, ye became
the servants of righteousness" (Rm 6:13, 18). And his words to the churches of
Galatia: "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."
These classes of scripture represent a principle consistent throughout the New
Testament. If one is going to yield his members as instruments of righteousness unto
God he must first be made free from sin and thus alive from the dead. And, beyond that
fact one cannot do righteousness apart from love as the motivating factor. Therefore,
we positively know that doeth righteousness is not in order to the relationship born
of God. Love precedes doing righteousness, but love accompanies the new birth.
Therefore, the order of truth is:
1. Believe,
2. Receive the Spirit,
3. Love,
4. and Do.
H. Frank Fort wrote, ". . . faith is in order to the new birth, love inheres in it,
and doeth righteousness evidences it. The first makes the children of God, the second
motivates their conduct, and the third manifests their character."
John's first epistle was addressed to the children of God. John wrote, "I write unto
you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake" (I Jn
2:12). Again, "I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because
ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth" (I Jn 2:21). Therefore, John speaks of
them as ". . . of God, little children . . . " (I Jn 4:4).
Within the epistle itself John gives us the multiplicity of the purpose for the
writing:
1. That ye also may have fellowship with us 1:3,
2. That joy may be full 1:4,
3. That ye sin not 2:1,
4. and, that ye may know that ye have eternal life 5:13.
In this last respect, the word know is one of the key words in this epistle.
How is it possible to know that ye have eternal life? John's epistle gives the
children of God several ways to know that ye have eternal life. Do you remember the
three words of this article, believe, love and do?
I John 5:1, I John 4:7 and I John 2:29 do not give conditions in order to be born of
God. Instead, they are statements of fact!
I John 5:1 states, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." That
is a statement of fact and presents one manner of knowing that ye have eternal life.
Other passages of Scripture tell us that believing on Christ is in order to eternal
life Jn 3:16, 36; 6:47, 54 and etc. I John 5:1 simply gives a statement of fact which
teaches that where there is found one who believeth that Jesus is the Christ there is
also found one who is born of God.
The same thing is true of I John 4:7 which states, ". . . every one that loveth is
born of God, and knoweth God." This is a statement of fact and not a condition in or
to be born of God.
Christ said to the lost, ". . . ye have not the love of God in you" (Jn 5:42). He
taught them their lack of love for Him stemmed from their lack of relationship with
God. Hence, ". . . If God were your Father, you would love me . . . " (Jn 8:42).
The love of God, as we have shown, accompanies the receiving of the Holy Spirit who is
given because ye are sons. Therefore, love is not in order to be born of God. I John
4:7 simply gives a statement of fact which teaches that where there is found one who
loveth there is also found one who is born of God, and knoweth God. Love in the heart
is another manner of knowing that ye have eternal life.
The same is true of I John 2:29 which states, ". . . every one that doeth
righteousness is born of him." This is a statement of fact and not a condition in
order to be born of God. Among the lost, Paul wrote, ". . . there is none that doeth
good, no not one" (Rm 3:12).
Doing righteousness demands love as the motivating factor, but love accompanies the
new birth. Therefore, doing righteousness is not in order to be born of God. I John
2:29 simply teaches that where there is found one who doeth righteousness there is
also found one who is born of God for only one born of God is capable of doing
righteousness, and it is in the doing of righteousness that John said, "In this (not
alien sinners are made the children of God, but) the children of God are manifest . .
. " (I Jn 3:10). Thus the doing of righteousness presents another manner of knowing
that ye have eternal life.
If you are not a child of God, then believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved. When you do, the love of God will fill your heart by the Holy Spirit who is
given to sons. Then as one who is alive from the dead and thus freed from sin and with
the love of God in your heart as the motivating factor, you can do righteousness to
the glory of God. BD
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