1 John 5 Devotional

Life Held in the Son

“I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”1 John 5:13 (BSB)

Near the end of his letter John states why he wrote it: so that those who believe in the name of the Son of God may know that they have eternal life (5:13). That confidence rests not on feelings but on God's own testimony. God has given eternal life, and this life is in his Son (5:11). Whoever has the Son has life (5:12). To refuse that testimony is to call God a liar (5:10).

The chapter is full of what God has done. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God (5:1). Faith in Jesus is the victory that overcomes the world (5:4), and for the children he has made, his commands are not a crushing weight (5:3). They can pray with confidence, knowing that he hears them when they ask according to his will (5:14-15). And the One born of God keeps them safe (5:18). John's last line is a simple warning to keep away from idols (5:21). No substitute can offer what God has already given in his Son.

To think about: What are you tempted to lean on for assurance instead of God's own testimony about his Son?