Do we believe God?

THOUGHTS FROM JOHN’S LETTERS

DO WE BELIEVE GOD?

In Genesis 15:6 we read ‘Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness’. Paul refers to this in his explanations of the gift of righteousness (justification by faith), in Romans 4 and Galatians 3. It is very easy, in reading these verses, to miss a small, but significant detail: that they do not say ‘Abraham believed in God’, (which he obviously did), but ‘Abraham believed God’.

In 1John 5:6 – 12 we are confronted not with the question whether or not we actually believe that God exists, but with the question whether or not we believe him. Specifically, the question ‘Do I believe what God has said about his Son, Jesus Christ? Do I believe the testimony of the Spirit of God that Jesus is the Son of God?’

The false teaching that John was confronting interfered with the true deity and true humanity of Jesus Christ. Right through his letter John has stressed both, and stated quite strongly that the only people who are saved are those who believe that the man Jesus is the Son of God. Nearing the end of his letter John challenges us with this question of whether or not we believe what God himself has said about his Son.

John says ‘It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth’ – verse 6. This testimony or witness of the Spirit of God about the Son of God is evident in many places in the Bible:

In the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus:

God calls the ‘Anointed One’ his Son – Psalm 2:7.

A human child is ‘Immanuel’ – ‘God with us’ – Isaiah 7:14.

The child who is born, the son who is given, is called ‘Mighty God’ – Isaiah 9:6.

He is called ‘The LORD our Righteousness’ – Jeremiah 23:6.

That the one whom John the Baptist would prepare the way for is ‘the LORD’ and ‘our God’ – Isaiah 40:3 – 5.

In the birth narratives in the Gospels, confirming the divine identity of the human baby:

Conceived by the Holy Spirit, the baby is to be called Immanuel – “God with us” – Matthew 1:20 – 23.

The baby ‘will be called the Son of the Most High’ and ‘the Son of God’ – Luke 1:32, 35.

The newborn baby is ‘Christ, the Lord’ – Luke 2:11.

God called the child ‘my Son’ – Matthew 2:14, 15.

At Jesus’ baptism God testified to the deity of Jesus:

God said ‘This is my Son, whom I love’ – Matthew 3:17 (Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).

John, having been told in advance of ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come, down’, and having seen the visible witness of the Spirit descending on the man Jesus, said ‘I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God’ – John 1:29 – 34.

On the mount of transfiguration:

‘This is my Son, whom I love’ – Matthew 17:5.

In relation to the death and resurrection of Jesus:

‘... regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the son of God by his resurrection from the dead’ – Romans 1:3, 4.

‘... he was vindicated by the Spirit’ – 1Timothy 3:16.

That a person who has rejected the Son of God, and despised his blood ‘has insulted the Spirit of grace’ – Hebrews 10:29.

Jesus ‘was made alive by the Spirit’ – 1Peter 3:18.

John challenges us with the question: Do we believe this testimony that God has given about Jesus, his Son?

In the first few verses of this letter John spoke of the apostles’ testimony: that what they had heard, what they had seen with their eyes, what they had looked at, what their hands had touched – that is the Word of life, Jesus Christ – that is what they had testified to and proclaimed.

Now he says ‘we accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he gives about his Son’.

It is God’s testimony about Jesus, given to the Old Testament prophets, given to John the Baptist, given audibly to the apostles, and confirmed by the resurrection – that the man Jesus is God’s Son.

John adds an important perspective about God’s testimony about his Son: ‘Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart’ – verse 10. The true believer has embraced God’s testimony about his Son. It is embedded deep and unshakeable in the believer’s heart. The true believer has accepted God’s testimony that Jesus is his Son. Anyone who does not believe God’s testimony about Jesus, his Son, is calling God a liar.