Revcort's Ramblings

Scripture Focus

“For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree… And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” — 1 John 5:7–8, 11–12 (ESV)

Devotional Thought

John has spent much of this letter helping believers distinguish between a true profession of faith and an empty one. As he approaches the conclusion, he brings us back to the most important question of all: What do we believe about Jesus Christ? Our eternal destiny rests upon the answer.

John tells us that Jesus Christ “came by water and blood.” These words have been interpreted in several ways throughout church history, but there is good reason to understand them against the background of the Old Testament. Under the Law, water was associated with cleansing, while blood was associated with sacrifice and atonement. Those ceremonies could never ultimately remove sin. They pointed beyond themselves to the One who would come and accomplish what they pictured.

Jesus is that One. Everything those washings and sacrifices anticipated finds its fulfillment in Christ. He does not provide merely part of what sinners need and leave us to find the rest somewhere else. In Jesus we find both cleansing from our defilement and atonement for our guilt. His blood was shed so that sinners might be reconciled to God, and through Him we are washed clean from our sin.

There may also be an echo here of something John personally witnessed at the crucifixion. After Jesus had died, a soldier pierced His side, “and at once there came out blood and water” (John 19:34). John specifically emphasizes that he saw this happen and testified about it. Whether John is directly referring to that event here or primarily drawing upon the imagery of the Old Testament, the message remains the same: everything necessary for our salvation is found in Jesus Christ.

But John gives us another witness—the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.” The Spirit takes the truth concerning Jesus and confirms it in the hearts of believers. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, we could hear the facts about Christ and still remain spiritually blind to their significance. The Spirit opens our eyes to see Christ, brings conviction concerning our sin, enables us to believe the gospel, and assures us that the saving work of Christ is sufficient.

John therefore speaks of three witnesses: the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three agree. Their testimony points in one direction. Jesus truly is the Christ, the Son of God, and salvation is found in Him.

John then makes a powerful argument. We regularly accept human testimony. Courts hear witnesses. Historians rely upon eyewitness accounts. We make important decisions every day based upon what trustworthy people tell us. Yet John says, “If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater.”

God Himself has testified concerning His Son. That means rejecting Jesus is far more serious than simply disagreeing with a Christian opinion. John says, “Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar.” God has declared who Jesus is, and unbelief ultimately says that God’s testimony cannot be trusted.

That is a sobering thought, but John immediately follows it with one of the clearest and most beautiful summaries of the gospel in Scripture: “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

Notice where eternal life is found. It is not found in religious ceremonies. It is not found in our morality. It is not found in church membership, baptism, generosity, family heritage, or our attempts to become better people. Eternal life is in His Son.

Christianity is not ultimately about adding Jesus to everything else we hope will make us acceptable to God. Christ Himself is our salvation. We do not receive part of our salvation from Jesus and then complete the rest ourselves. The cleansing we need is in Christ. The sacrifice we need is in Christ. The righteousness we need is in Christ. The reconciliation we need is in Christ. The life we need is in Christ.

That is why John can make such an absolute statement: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

There is no third category. You can possess many wonderful things and still lack the one thing that matters eternally. You can have wealth, success, education, relationships, respect, religious knowledge, and even a reputation for being a good person. But if you do not have Christ, John says you do not have life.

On the other hand, you may feel that you have very little by the world’s standards. Yet if you have Christ, you possess eternal life.

And notice John’s wording carefully. He does not say that whoever has the Son might someday earn eternal life. He says, “Whoever has the Son has life.” Eternal life is certainly something believers will experience in its fullness when Christ returns, but it is also a present possession. The moment we truly belong to Christ, His life becomes ours.

The Christian’s assurance therefore does not ultimately rest upon how strongly we feel today, how perfectly we performed yesterday, or how confident we happen to be at this particular moment. It rests upon God’s testimony concerning His Son.

God has spoken. Christ has accomplished salvation. The Spirit testifies to the truth. And the testimony is wonderfully simple: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

Do you have the Son? If you do, then rest in God’s testimony rather than your changing feelings. Your hope is not found in your ability to save yourself but in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Whoever has the Son has life.

Reflection Questions

1. What do the water and the blood teach us about the cleansing and atoning work of Jesus Christ?
2. Why is the testimony of God concerning His Son greater than any human testimony?
3. Are there religious works, accomplishments, or experiences that you are sometimes tempted to trust alongside—or instead of—Christ?
4. How does the statement “Whoever has the Son has life” strengthen your assurance and confidence in Christ?

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for giving such clear testimony concerning Your Son. Thank You that everything I need for salvation is found in Jesus Christ. Thank You for His blood that was shed for my sins, for the cleansing that is mine through Him, and for the Holy Spirit who opens my eyes to Your truth and assures me that I belong to You. Keep me from trusting in my works, my feelings, or anything else for my standing before You. Help me to rest completely in Christ and in Your promise that whoever has the Son has life. In Jesus’ name, amen.