1 John 5:8-12
The Bible says in 1 John 5:6-8, “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”
The Bible says, “There are three that bear record in heaven…” They are one! Remember, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ. It is God the Father who sent the Lord Jesus. It is the Lord Jesus who said to the woman at the well, “I that speak unto thee am he” (John 4:26). God the Father says that He is the Saviour; God the Son says that He is the Saviour, and God the Holy Spirit says that He is the Saviour. If men say that He is not the Saviour, will yo believe the record of men or the record of God? The Bible says that God’s witness is greater.
There is a witness of water. When water is mentioned here, I do not believe it to be the baptism of the Lord Jesus, but our baptism. We give testimony when we say, “I want to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ and give witness that I have asked God to forgive my sin and by faith have trusted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour.”
Every time one of Christ’s followers is baptized, he is witnessing and testifying, “I believe that Jesus Christ died for me, that He was buried for me, and that He rose again for me!” We have the opportunity out of a joyous heart to testify of our salvation by publicly obeying Christ in the waters of baptism, identifying ourselves wit a local assembly of baptized believers.
There is also a witness of the blood. Hebrews 12:24 says, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things that that of Abel.” The blood speaks! The blood testifies! If we are going to be true to what God has taught in His Word in the types in the Old Testament, then we believe that Jesus Christ appeared in heaven with His own blood and sprinkled that blood there for us. His blooding heaven testifies that He has paid our sin debt in full! Our faith is in the living Saviour who bled and died for our sins, was buried, rose from the dead, and is accepted on high as the man Christ Jesus, ever living to intercede for us.
We have the witness of the water, the witness of the blood, and now the witness of the Spirit. The Bible says in 1 John 5:9, “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.” Obedience grows out of a loving heart for what God has done for us a we have been born into His family. This is the great subject of faith in God, looking unto Jesus, and knowing that this is how we overcome the world. We live in a world of temptation, but we have the victory. We move from victory unto victory. Christ has conquered every foe and defeated every enemy. He is victory over death, hell, and the grave.
In His earthly ministry, He defeated the devil by the Word of God. He put an end to Satan’s power as He bled and died for our sins, was buried, and rose again victorious over death, hell, and the grave. He has the keys to death, hell, and the grave. The devil cannot hold us captive; we have been set free!
Where is your faith today? Our faith is anchored in the risen Saviour who is the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. He is the Son of God, co-equal, co-existent, eternally existent with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. We have victory in Him. No wonder we should obey Him!
The Lord speaks of the great subject of eternal life. The devil’s work can be undone, but God’s work can never be undone. The Bible says in 1 John 5:10-11, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” This is the record! This is God’s Word! This is the witness of God, not the witness of men. The witness of God is greater. Eternal life is a present possession for every believer.
Sometimes when people who are believers die, someone says, “On a certain date they entered into eternal life.” This is incorrect! One enters into eternal life the moment he places his trust in the Lord Jesus as his personal Savour. At that very moment, the life of the Eternal One comes to live in him.
John 1:4 says, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” He is speaking here of the Lord Jesus. He is the life! You can go anywhere in the world and declare the message of the gospel to men who are dead in their trespasses and sins, and the Lord Jesus can bring them to life by His quickening power (Ephesians 2:1).
The evolutionist who uses his theory as an excuse for his atheism believes that his record is greater than God’s record. God gave the prophet Isaiah these words to pen in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD…For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Will you believe God’s record? The witness of God is greater.
1 John 5:12 says, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” Could anything be clearer than this? You receive the Son by recognizing that you are a sinner and repenting of your sin, asking God to forgive your sin and by faith trusting Him as Saviour. The witness of God is greater. Do you believe what God says? We obey Him, we have faith to trust Him, and we have eternal life in Him. May God help us to live on daily basis in a way that proves that we are truly children of God.
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” — Colossians 3:3-4.