# 21 2021 Dev.1 Jn.5:12. Witnesses! Read all of Chapter 5 first. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
1 Jn.5:12 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Chapter 5 is the last chapter of John’s first letter and is divided into two sections: “Faith in the incarnate Son of God” and “Concluding Affirmations.” The under laying issue of John’s letter is the developing Gnostic heresy. One aspect of that false teaching is that Jesus was an ordinary man like all men but received his divinity at his baptism which was taken away before the crucifixion. These teachers obviously were not witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection or His ascension.
Vs.1-12 Highlights the incarnation of Christ and the testimony to it: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.” The Holy Spirit gives us His Grace but also His Power to be the children of God by the gift of faith in Jesus. As a result, we keep God’s commands, not out of duty, but out of our gratitude. “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
John points out the witnesses, “And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. The Spirit, the water and the blood: and the three are in agreement.” (see note [a]) The the most accepted interpretation is the Holy Spirit, water of baptism, John saw the dove and heard God’s approval from heaven and on the mount of transfiguration as well. The blood refers to Jesus death, John also witnessed Jesus’ death and heard His words from the cross. Blood could also refer to His birth, indicating His true humanity, incarnate. This trifold witness was not available to Christians in John’s day as it is available to us in the Word of God today.
In vs.13-21 John emphasizes eternal life and protection from the the evil one. Yet, in this world there is sin that leads to death, “All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.” Persistent, unrepentant denying the truth of the witness of the Spirit (Gnostics in John’s day and much of our culture today) does indeed lead to spiritual death.
If we do sin or “if you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. God removes our sins as far away as east is from the west,” never to be brought up again when we pray for forgiveness because Jesus shed His blood on the cross He paid the price for us. In v. 21 John warns us: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” There are plenty of idols to go around. Let us look into our own lives today!
John summarizes his letter in verse 20, I paraphrase it here- we know that Jesus has come to give us understanding of the truth, we are in Him as His children. “He is the true God and eternal life”
Father, give us clear understanding of your love for us in Jesus, forgive where we have followed our own thinking or the thinking of the world and have not loved others as you love us. Thank you for saving us to eternal life! Amen!
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Heavenhigh 