Articles
The Testimony Is This
The Testimony Is This
The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son (1 John 5:10-11)
In the first verse of the third chapter of 1 John, John tells us that we should see how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, Heb 5:8-9, James 1:12, James 2:5 and 1 John 4:7-10 bear testimony to that love. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God does not want anyone to perish but wants everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth.
In John 17, Jesus prays for himself, the Apostles, and for all who would believe and follow him. Verse three is a powerful part of that prayer, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” God has provided the way for you and I and, for that matter, any person to be saved eternally thereby obtaining endless glory. That way is found only through Jesus Christ, Son of God (Matthew 17:5, Luke 19:10, Acts 4:12, John 14:6, John 6:68, Hebrews 5:8-9). The testimony of God tells us that his Son is the way through which we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of our sins (Colossians 1:12:14). Jesus, Son of God, through his life, death, burial and resurrection became our advocate with the Father, making reconciliation with the Father possible. It is an absolute necessity for everyone to understand that in order for that reconciliation to take place, the commandments of the Son must be kept (1 John 2:1-6). It is sheer folly for anyone to say they know and love the Lord and then do not do what he says to do (John 14:15) and in fact, the testimony of God says that that person is a liar and the truth is not in him (1 John 1:5-6; 1 John 2:4).
May we never forget that eternal life is in the Son and with a heart that is right in the sight of God we will know the joy of being children of God and one day receive the greatest reward imaginable. One of my favorite verses is Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” I pray that each one of us will live every moment of this earthly life in a way that will please, honor and bring glory to God and his Son. I suppose that what I am trying to say is best said by Paul in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
I love to sing that beautiful song that proclaims, “God sent his Son, They called Him Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive; He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives! Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives all fear is gone, Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!”
Charles Hicks, Gallatin Tennessee
