Bringing the World To Its Knees

Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too. The reality test on whether or not we love God's children is this: Do we love God? Do we take His Word to heart? The proof that we love God comes when we keep His instructions and they are not at all annoying or a burden.

For every child of God defeats this evil world. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.

And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by His baptism in water and by shedding His blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And all the while the Spirit is confirming the truth, the reality of God's presence at Jesus' baptism and crucifixion, bringing those occasions alive for us. So we have three witnesses— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree!

If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as He does here, testifying concerning His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God's testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God's own testimony regarding His Son.

This is the essence of God’s testimony: God gave us eternal life; the life is in His Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life.

My purpose in writing has simply been this: that you who believe in God's Son will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And if we're confident that He's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours.

If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life! There is such a thing as a sin that leads to eternal death, and I'm not urging you to pray about that. Everything we do wrong is sin, but not all sin is fatal.

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning because God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them! We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God—what a gift!—and we are living in the Truth itself, in God's Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life.

In closing, my dear friends, I beg you to keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts!!

May the peace of the Sabbath be with you all,

-John