“If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave 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.” (1 John 5:9-12 ESV)
Information always has a source, and the source of your information is important. Students doing research, journalists, sports insiders, and professional debaters all have their sources—as do many others. If you do not know where your information comes from, it can be exceedingly difficult to accurately evaluate it.
Among the many difficulties that followers of Christ face in this life, the source of our faith is not one of them. In fact, there is nothing that gives believers more confidence in our faith than to consider the source of the truth on which we stake our soul and eternity. We are surrounded, even overwhelmed, by the “testimony of men,” but the gospel on which we stand and which we carry to the nations is grounded on the unshakeable bedrock of the testimony of God. This divine testimony is greater than any testimony the world could offer.
The testimony God “has born concerning his Son” is at the heart of John’s entire epistle and, more broadly, at the heart of the Bible as a whole. It is the most pivotal truth of all human history, and it is rooted in the direct testimony of the infallible Word of the eternal, never-changing God.
John also explains the immediate and intimate personal significance for the believer when he says, “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.” Faith is not merely something we add to our otherwise autonomous selves. Rather, it is the means by which one is made right with God (Romans 4:3). The faith that springs from the regenerative work of the Spirit comes from being a new creation.
Believer, if you feel daunted by the task of bearing witness of Christ in this world, remember this truth. Remember that you do not carry a message of your own creation but one delivered to you by the inspiration of God, and with the delivery of that message comes the authority of God. While some do not—and will not—believe, do not for a moment think it is due to a blunt message. The Word is sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), and, as God pleases, it will pierce the hardest of hearts and cause even the most resolute rebel to his knees in submission to Christ.
Consider also that the testimony is “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). The message is one of life and freedom to those in bondage. To preach Christ is to hold out the offer of eternal life. As John says, “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.” This is exactly the purpose for which we were made. The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins by saying, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” We were not made to pursue joy apart from God but in communion with him. In fact, there is no true joy apart from communion with God. As fallen creatures, we cannot have communion with God apart from the intercessory work of his Son Jesus Christ.
In the hymn “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” John Newton penned,
Fading is the worldling’s pleasures,
all his boasted pomp and show;
solid joys and lasting treasures
none but Zion’s children know.
That is the hope we offer to a broken world. Unlike all other religions, our message does not have a human origin. Whether you are a parent training your children, a teacher instructing your class, a friend having a one-on-one conversation, a pastor preaching to your congregation, a military chaplain speaking to soldiers, or a missionary on the front lines of gospel ministry, remember this truth. Your message is divine. You are a witness to the testimony of God himself.
May such remembrance strengthen weak knees and embolden faltering lips to proclaim the name of Christ with full conviction and confidence.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of your condescension in revealing yourself to us in your Word. You, who are eternal, infinite, and unchangeable have made us to find true fulfillment in communion with you, and you have sent your Son to make that possible for sinners. Give us hearts of fire and hands of mercy.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for missionaries Wayne and Sue Royce as they serve children and young adults with disabilities at the Simanyene Residential Home in South Africa.
- Wednesday: Pray for Hope Radio in Mango, Togo, as they broadcast the hope of Christ to unreached people groups in the surrounding regions.
- Thursday: Pray for missionaries in East Asia as they provide pastors with needed theological resources and Bible study tools.
- Friday: Pray for Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh to fill their critical staffing needs for medical personnel.
- Saturday: Pray for the Japan Bible Academy to train and equip a new generation of Japanese pastors to reach their communities.
- Sunday: Pray for national partners in Paraguay to remain faithful in their church-planting and evangelistic ministries.
- Monday: Pray for ongoing translation projects around the world to provide people with the Word of God in their own language.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Nursing Clinical Faculty
Location: Togo
Nursing clinical faculty are needed to teach and mentor nursing students during their clinical rotations at ABWE’s two hospitals in Togo, Africa.
