ESOCS Devotional 6 January 2025 – Signposts to Eternal Life
MEMORY VERSE: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” 1 John 5:1
TEXT: 1 JOHN 5:1-15
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
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The first sign is theological. You should have confidence if you believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God (5:11-13). John doesn’t want people to be doubting. God wants you to have assurance, to know that you have eternal life. And this is the first sign: that you believe in Jesus. You believe He is the Christ or the Messiah (2:22). You believe He is the Son of God (5:10). And you believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (4:2). So, if you get your theology wrong about Jesus, you will not have eternal life. But one of the signs that should give you confidence before God is that you believe in His only Son Jesus Christ our Lord (4:14-16; 5:1, 5).
The second sign is moral. You should have confidence if you live a righteous life (3:6-9). Those who practise wickedness, who plunge headlong into sin, who not only stumble but habitually walk in wickedness should not be confident. This is not different from what Paul tells us in Romans 6, that we are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness; and in Galatians 5, that those who walk in the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God. This is not different from what Jesus tells us in John 15, that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. So, if you live a morally righteous life, you should have confidence (3:24). And lest this standard make you despair, keep in mind that part of living a righteous life is refusing to claim that you live without sin, and coming to Christ for cleansing when you do sin (1:9-10).
The third sign is social. You should have confidence if you love other Christians (3:14). If you hate like Cain, you do not have life. But if your heart and your wallet are open to your brothers and sisters, eternal life abides in you. One necessary sign of true spiritual life is that we love one another (4:7-12, 21).
These are John’s three signposts to assure us that we are on the road that leads to eternal life. These are not three things we do to earn salvation but three indicators that God has indeed saved us. We believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God. We live a righteous life. We are generous toward other Christians. Or we can put it this way: we know we have eternal life if we love Jesus, we love his commands, and we love His people. No one of the three is optional. All must be present in the Christian, and all three are meant to be signs for our assurance (see 2:4, 6; 4:20; 5:2).
CHALLENGES
- What other signs do you have in you that shows you are the redeemed of the Lord?
PRAYER POINT
- In the mighty name of Jesus, every signpost that is contrary to believing Jesus as the Christ, end now, in Jesus name. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 4:1-end; 5:1-17; 1 John 1:12-end
ESOCS Devotional 6 January 2025
