Scripture: 1 John 5 Faith in the Incarnate Son of God
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Concluding Affirmations
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
Devotion: As I read through today’s Scripture, I can’t help but laugh at how abruptly John ends this letter: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” And it is a bit of a pivot from what he was talking about previously, too. I remember the first time that I met someone who would actually laugh as they read through Scripture. They were not laughing at the sincerity of it or the topics it was covering, but rather that sometimes people say and do funny things. It is a good reminder to lighten up a little and read the Bible with joy.
One of the things that John covers in today’s passage (and much more in-depth than “keep yourselves from idols”) is the idea of testimony. You may have been asked to share your testimony before. This is all about who you were before you met Christ, how you met Him, and how your life has changed since then. If you have not ever written out your testimony, I want to encourage you to do that today. The three categories I just listed (BC- before Christ, MC- how you met Christ, and AC- life after Christ) is a great way to think about it. There are often details about your testimony that you forget until you sit down to really think about it. Having written it out, it will be much easier to share if you are ever presented with the opportunity to do so.
Whenever I have been asked to share my testimony, I have never really wanted to. I have seen and heard so many amazing stories of God’s transforming work and power in people’s lives, that my story can feel inadequate. I grew up in the church and have known Jesus for most of my life. That doesn’t mean I have lived a perfect life… far from it, actually. But it can still feel relatively mundane.
That’s when I realized that I am putting the power of my testimony in the wrong thing. I am putting the power of my story on me and my life rather than on the lifesaving work of Jesus. 1 John 5:11 clears this right up when it says, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.” Yes, it is amazing when God radically changes lives. But it is equally as amazing when he radically changes a seemingly ordinary life. No matter what your story is, He will use it for His glory. Because ultimately, He wrote it. And the punchline of it is the same for everyone: because of Jesus, we have eternal life.
Reflect:
- Reflect on your faith story and how you came to know Jesus. Thank Him for using every part of your story for His good and His glory.
- If you have not written out your testimony before, take some time to do that.