Introduction
1 John 5:1–12: Faith in Jesus as the Son of God is what gives God’s children victory over the world. Believers are assured of the promise of eternal life and encouraged to live in union with God.
Today’s Key Verse: 1 John 5:11
The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son.
Reading
5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is a child of God; and whoever loves a father loves his child also. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children: it is by loving God and obeying his commands. 3 For our love for God means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not too hard for us, 4 because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith. 5 Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 Jesus Christ is the one who came with the water of his baptism and the blood of his death. He came not only with the water, but with both the water and the blood. And the Spirit himself testifies that this is true, because the Spirit is truth. 7 There are three witnesses: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and all three give the same testimony. 9 We believe human testimony; but God’s testimony is much stronger, and he has given this testimony about his Son. 10 So those who believe in the Son of God have this testimony in their own heart; but those who do not believe God, have made a liar of him, because they have not believed what God has said about his Son. 11 The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Reflect
Reread verses 1–5. How are believers admonished to live? What is the role of faith? According to verses 6–8, what are the three “witnesses” about Jesus?
Pray
Loving God, your Spirit is truth and testifies that the Spirit, along with the water of Jesus’s baptism and the blood of his death, all bear witness to the truth about your Son, Jesus, who is the source of eternal life with you. Thank you for giving me this life. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
1 John 5:13–21: Eternal life is assured for all who believe in the Son of God.
