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.
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.
1 John 5:6-21
The overall theme of John’s letter has been to show as that through a love for God and a love for one another we can be certain of our salvation. In this closing section John points out for us serval facts that as true believers we can be certain of. Benjamin Franklin in 1789 wrote “nothing is certain but death and taxes”. Of course, Franklin would have known there is more in life we can be certain of and as humans we have a deep desire for knowledge and to be certain of things. That is why John finishes this letter with an encouragement of what as believers we can be certain of (not that this is an exhaustive list).
Jesus is God (v6-10)
Verses 1-5 of this chapter emphasise the importance of trusting in Jesus, and the consequences when we do - we become children of God and overcome the world. John then uses these four verses, 6-10, to explain why we can trust Jesus. When Jesus walked this earth people called Him a liar, a deceiver, a prophet and failed to acknowledge who Jesus truly was. So how can we be so sure? John assures as that we can trust in Jesus because He is more than just a man. He is truly God. John points us to three signs that Jesus is God. First is water, pointing to when Jesus was baptised and the Father spoke declaring Jesus as His Son. The second is the blood, pointing to Jesus’ death when again the Father spoke audibly to Jesus (John 12:28) as well as witnessing through the supernatural darkness, the earthquake and the temple curtain being torn. The third witness is the Spirit and John tells us we can trust the Spirit because ‘the Spirit is truth’. Whilst Jesus’ baptism and death are past events and witnesses, the Spirit is still a present witness to us today. The Spirit testifies to the heart of believers (Romans 8:15-16) but the Spirit also speaks through the word of God to teach us (1 Corinthians 2:13). Jesus is far more than just a man. He is God. To deny that is to deny the gospel. If Jesus was merely a man then the cross achieved nothing.
Believers have eternal life (v11-13)
Next, John shows us that God not only bears witness to His one and only Son Jesus but He also bears witness to every individual that through true faith we have eternal life. Verse 13 tells us that we may ‘know’ that we have eternal life. It is not something we have to wonder about or worry over. If we truly have faith in Jesus, have repented of our sin and put Jesus as Lord of our lives then we are guaranteed eternal life. What an amazing gift! Having this promise of eternal life is a comfort to us Now because it is a reminder that we belong to God. Jesus, when He left His disciples, said to them, “I am going to prepare a place for you”. If you are a real follower of Jesus then He is preparing a place for you and what an amazing place it will be!
God answers prayer (v14-15)
What an encouragement to be reminded that Jesus is God and that we have an inheritance as God’s children that will never spoil or fade. But John isn’t finished there. He now comes on to tell us that Jesus is also there to help us with the problems and struggles of daily life. When Jesus walked this earth, He helped so many people as He travelled around preaching the good news and although Jesus no longer walks this earth He is still in the business of helping His people. Just as an earthly father takes care of the needs of his children, so our heavenly Father takes care of our needs. How does this happen? John tells us to approach God in prayer and to ask for what we need. Yet we don’t approach fearfully and doubtful of getting a response. No! John tells us to approach freely, with confidence and sure that God will answer. Of course, there are conditions we must first meet. First, is that we must have true repentant faith in Jesus. We cannot one minute live a life of deliberate sin and then in the next breath turn to God and confidently approach Him, John says in 1 John 3:21-22 that we must have a heart that does not condemn us. By that he means exactly this, that we cannot live with unconfessed sin. Instead we must live abiding in Christ in love and obedience. The second condition is that we must pray in God’s will. Our will is not God’s will so as we pray we would do well to remember the line of the Lord’s prayer, ‘Thy will be done’. God does not promise to give us everything we want but everything we need and what we think we need and what God knows we need will at times be different. So always begin prayer by asking God to bring our will in line with His. Come to God confident in prayer and pray big prayers because we have an almighty, powerful God who answers.
Christians don’t practice sin (v16-19)
I have already touched on this but as a true follower of Jesus you cannot live a life of habitual sin. When we come to Jesus in faith, we put sin to death and we keep on putting it to death. Yes, as Christians we will continue to sin but not intentionally and we should be sinning less and less as we grow in our faith. Daily, each morning, put sin to death and live for Christ.
Prayer for today
Our loving and gracious Father,
We thank you for your word that teaches us about who you are. Thank you for this book of 1 John that has shown us your great love for us and your desire for us to imitate that love as we love others. We ask today that you will help us to love others sacrificially as we have been loved. Will you draw to our attention those who you are calling us to reach out to today and may we respond in obedience to the leading of your Spirit within us.
We thank you for the certainty with which we can live. The certainty that we are your children through faith in Jesus and that one day we will see you face to face. Help us each day to put to death the sin that so easily entangles and live lives that bring glory and honour to your name.
Thank you that we can approach you with confidence because of the work Jesus did for us upon the cross.
I pray all this in the glorious name of Jesus our Saviour,
Amen
Song for today
You can listen and sing along here.
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heav'n he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Saviour died
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.
Behold him there! The risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless righteousness;
The great unchangeable "I AM,"
The King of glory and of grace!
One with himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by his blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Saviour and my God,
With Christ, my Saviour and my God!
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash
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