In the Epistle of 1 John there are three main sections: the fellowship of the divine life (1:1—2:11), the teaching of the divine anointing (2:12-27), and the virtues of the divine birth (2:28—5:21). The sequence of these sections indicates that the fellowship of the divine life and the teaching of the divine anointing bring us into the virtues of the divine birth.
In the third section we see how much enjoyment we receive from the divine birth. In particular, this enjoyment is related to the virtues of the divine birth. The divine birth brings in many virtues. Only by the fellowship of the divine life and by the teaching of the divine anointing can we experience and enjoy all the virtues imparted to us through the divine birth. According to 1 John, the first of these virtues is to practice the divine righteousness. Therefore, the title of this message is “The Virtues of the Divine Birth to Practice the Divine Righteousness.”
The practice of the divine righteousness has a basis, and this basis is the divine birth (2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). Through this birth we have received the divine life as the divine seed. We may say that this seed is the “capital” for our Christian life. In order to live a Christian life, we need such capital; that is, we need the divine life sown as the divine seed into our being through the divine birth.
The divine birth brings us the divine seed, and through this seed we partake of the divine nature for our growth in the divine life. A certain kind of life will always have a particular nature, and this nature is for growth. Because we have been born of God, we have the divine life. Within this divine life there is the divine nature. Now we are partaking of and enjoying this divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4) for us to grow in the divine life. This is the basis for the practice of the divine righteousness, the divine love (3:10b—5:3), and the overcoming of all negative things (5:4-21).
We have seen that the divine birth is the basis. Now we must go on to see that the divine life is the means. First, the divine life is the means for us to abide in the Triune God. If we did not have the human life, we could not abide in humanity. Likewise, if we did not have the divine life, we could not abide in the Triune God. But because we have the divine life, by this life we can abide in the Triune God.
By the divine life as the means we can also live this life in our human living. This means that we can live a life that practices the divine righteousness, loves the brothers, and overcomes all negative things.
We can practice the divine righteousness through the abiding in the divine fellowship according to the divine anointing (2:27-28). Through this abiding we first enjoy God as light (1:5, 7; 2:10), and then we enjoy Him as love (4:8, 16). Light and love are deeper than truth and grace. Light is the source of truth, and love is the source of grace. Through abiding in the divine fellowship according to the divine anointing, we not only receive truth and grace, but we also enjoy light as the source of truth and love as the source of grace.
With the divine birth as the basis, the divine life as the means, and through the abiding in the divine fellowship according to the divine anointing, we can practice the divine righteousness. Let us now go on to consider the practice of the divine righteousness.