Worldwide Worship (Ps. 67:3-5)

Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy;
For You will judge the peoples with uprightness
And guide the nations on the earth. Selah.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
(Psalm 67:3-5 NASB)

Can you imagine a worldwide worship service, with everyone praising and glorifying God? Think of the most inspiring, heart-touching worship experience you’ve ever had and multiply it a thousand-fold.

Can you imagine?

Yesterday, my brothers and sisters at Chino Valley Community Church enjoyed a wonderful time of praise and worship, including one of my all-time favorites, “The Revelation Song.” You know the one: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Holy, Holy is He …”

Songs like that never fail to instill a sense of awe and wonder.

And one day, the whole world will praise Him. Can you imagine?

That’s exactly what we’ll enjoy. Paul wrote that, one day, “every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10, NKJV).

I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait. Seriously. Cannot wait. I long for the day when I stand beside millions and millions of Christ-followers and lift my voice alongside theirs in praise and worship, giving all glory to the one true God.

One day. May it be soon!

Our Gracious God (Ps. 67:1-2)

God be gracious to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us—Selah.
That Your way may be known on the earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
(Psalm 67:1-2, NASB)

I just love the idea of grace—unmerited favor. Our loving, sovereign Father loves us so very much that He had a plan for our salvation based on grace. There’s nothing we can do to work for or strive for salvation. It’s only through the gracious gift of the Son’s death for all our sins that we’re in communion with the Father.

What a truly amazingly gracious God!

God continues to be gracious to His children. He blesses us as He meets our daily needs. (Not wants, mind you. Needs.) Sometimes His grace showers us with overwhelming blessing—the birth of a child, a perfect job. Sometimes He may send a splash of grace—the sun sending streams of light through the clouds or a phone call from a friend at just the right time.

And what are we to do in return? Serve Him, certainly. Show our gratitude through prayer and worship. But even more, we are to make certain His “way may be known on the earth.” It is our privilege to share the truth of God’s grace. We cannot hoard this truth and keep it to ourselves. And why would we want to? Living under God’s grace, feeling His hand of blessing. We should want nothing more than to help others to find this amazing grace.

Jesus said we cannot hide our light under a basket (Matt. 5:14-15). We are the light of Christ as God’s grace flows through us. May we shine for the world to see.

Face-to-Face (2 John 1:12-13)

Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.
(2 John 1:12-13, NKJV)

We live in a world that allows for intimate relationships without ever meeting face-to-face. Through social networks, pen pal sites, online dating, and more, you can meet someone and establish a real friendship, never having met in person.

I guess there are “pros” to this. Shut-ins or disabled people have an opportunity to interact with others. Others learn of other cultures through correspondence with people from foreign lands.

But there are also many “cons.” The main one, for me, is online relationships are, at best, two dimensional. Yes, you can share secrets. You can laugh with each other. And with applications like Skype, you can even see one another.

You can’t, however, touch. I’m a “toucher.” I love to squeeze a hand or rub a shoulder. And there’s nothing quite so wonderful as a big, ol’ bear hug. And even though you might be able to see someone online, actually looking deeply into someone’s eyes is very different.

I think that’s why both John and Paul often wrote in their letters how they longed to see—in person—their letters’ recipients.

If cyberspace is your only way to maintain a relationship, then by all means, use whatever resources you can. But nothing really takes the place of being able to sit side-by-side, heart-to-heart. As often as you can.

Foundational Doctrine (1 John 1:9-11)

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
(2 John 1:9-11 NKJV)

Seemingly countless denominations and sects abound in our world, each claiming to be “Christian.” It’s sometimes difficult to determine who’s following truth. In my opinion, it comes down to a few not-to-be-compromised pieces of doctrine. The following is from my statement of faith.

~ I believe in the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God manifested in three.
~ I believe that God the Father created heavens and earth and all that’s in them; that God the Son—Jesus—died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin and rose three days later; and that God the Holy Spirit dwells within each one who accepts the free gift of salvation and eternal life.
~ I believe that salvation comes only through the belief in and acceptance of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
~ I believe the Bible is God’s word given to us through the pens of men. It is inerrant in its original text and is God’s truth.
~ I believe that those who choose to follow Jesus will spend eternity with Him in heaven, and those who do not will spend eternal life separated from Him in hell.

Other things—baptism, taking of the Lord’s Supper, appropriate worship music—aren’t critical to faith. But if someone claims to be a Christian and doesn’t adhere to a few pieces of foundational doctrine … well, only God knows the heart.

Don't Be Deceived (2 John 1:7-8)

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
(2 John 1:7-8, NKJV)

John addressed this issue in his first letter, but just as he reiterated how we should love and obey God, he also wanted to make certain his readers understood how critical it was they were aware of the antichrists that infiltrate the world.

And it’s just as critical today. If you were with me in our journey through 1 John, you may remember a key point: Whoever is not for Christ is anti-Christ. And we believers need to be hyper-aware of their presence.

While we may not be able to prevent their existence—or even quiet their voices—we can and must “look to [our]selves” so those who are against our Lord and Savior do not influence us. It’s so sad to hear about so-called Christians who question Jesus’ divinity or His sinlessness. They’ve bought into the lie that Jesus wasn’t really God the Son in the flesh.

That’s what the antichrists would have us believe. But if we can withstand their lies and cling to the truth of God’s word, we will not “lose the things we worked for”—how we’ve served God and others on earth. And one day, we’ll “receive a full reward” as we stand before God’s throne.

Be aware. Be diligent. And know truth. Then you’ll never be deceived.

Demonstrate Your Love for God (2 John 1:4-6)

I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
(2 John 1:4-6, NKJV)

If you’ve read 1 John (or journeyed through that book with me last month), these words may sound very familiar. John had a central theme in both books: truth and love.

God’s word is truth. The gospel is truth. We need to embrace God’s truth and live according to His commandments.

And we’re to love. Love God and love others.

How do we demonstrate love for God? We “walk according to His commandments.”

This idea of showing our love for God by following His commandments is so very important. It was important enough for John to write two letters about it. And it’s important enough for us to read two letters about it.

I’ve written this before: We cannot say we love God and then disregard His commandments. It’s mutually exclusive. When we truly love someone, we want to please him. We want to make him happy. We want to give him the desires of his heart. Right?

And the desire of God’s heart is that we obey Him. That we serve Him. That we follow His commandments.

He is Almighty God, and He deserves nothing less than our complete surrender.

Love Him, yes. And demonstrate that love by following Him and all He commands.

Truth Abiding in Us (2 John 1:1-3)

To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
(2 John 1:1-3, NKJV)

John addresses this short letter to “the elect lady and her children.” I reviewed several commentaries to determine who this “lady” was, and the consensus seems to be … they don’t know. It could have been an actual woman or it could have been a particular church. Or it even could have been the church at Jerusalem.

I suppose it doesn’t matter to whom he addressed it especially since we can glean wisdom for ourselves today. So let’s imagine that John was indeed writing to us as “those who have known the truth.”

The truth is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The truth is God’s word. And that truth “abides in us and will be with us forever.” We’re gifted with grace, mercy, and peace of God.

God’s grace provides for our salvation. His mercy showers us with His favor. And His peace envelops us through every circumstance.

Praise our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God.

Sacrifices of Righteousness (Ps. 51:18-19)

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
(Psalm 51:18-19, NKJV)

Yesterday, we talked about how God was much more pleased with our broken and contrite hearts rather than sacrifices.

Today’s verses seem to contradict that. Not really. Sometimes, we need to meditate on verses remembering the context and the time in which they were written. When David wrote these words, the Christ hadn’t come to earth yet. And the only way to demonstrate contrition was through burnt offerings.

For reasons beyond our understanding, God requires the spilling of blood for atonement. And before the Son came to earth and became our once-for-all sacrifice, that blood was offered on the altar of the tabernacle.

But there’s a key word in these verses. A mere sacrifice wasn’t sufficient. It needed to be a sacrifice of righteousness. Just as we now need to come to God with broken and contrite hearts seeking His forgiveness, God was pleased with only those sacrifices that came from sincere hearts seeking redemption.

And as we saw yesterday, God desires completely surrendered hearts. He did then. And He does now.

A Broken Heart (Ps. 51:14-17)

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:14-17, NKJV)

Prior to Jesus Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, God’s people found atonement through sacrifice. Once a year, the high priest would enter the holy of holies and sacrifice a perfect, unblemished lamb.

But even then, it wasn’t the sacrifice itself that pleased God. It was the state of man’s heart. God’s delight wasn’t in the act of burning a lamb. No, it was the broken heart that said, “I know I’ve sinned against you, Holy God. Please forgive me.”

And it’s the same today. God isn’t looking for our “sacrifice.” He doesn’t desire our hard work or service if we’re doing so with a selfish heart or as an act of compulsion. He wants our “broken and contrite heart.” He wants our total surrender.

It really doesn’t matter what we do. It matters why we do it. A story from the New Testament is a good example. Jesus observed how people gave financially to the work of God. Some gave liberally, but clearly with wrong motives. Then one widowed woman gave a couple of cents. She gave from a heart broken for God. She gave because she knew anything she had was God’s anyway.

What’s the state of your heart? Are you serving God because you think it will get you more “points”? Are you giving “sacrificially” but with a proud or even resentful heart? God doesn’t really care about what you’re “burning” on the altar. He only cares that your heart is fully His.

Restore the Joy (Ps. 51:12-13)

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
(Psalm 51:12-13, NKJV)

If you’ve been a Christ-follower a while, you may have fallen into a spiritual rut. You have your quiet time. You go to a Bible study each week. You serve at your church. It’s all good, but you feel a bit … stagnant.

Ever felt that way? I certainly have. It’s not a lack of faith; it’s just, well, like any relationship. You sometimes take that other person for granted, or you let the worries of the world take your focus.

If you haven’t felt like this yet, you likely will in the future. And when you do, verse 12 is a great gem to keep in mind.

You can pray, “Lord God, please ‘restore to me the joy of Your salvation.’ Remind me of the awe I felt when I first met You. Help me to feel the overwhelming wonder of knowing that the God of all creation is my Father.”

He’ll abundantly overflow your heart with His love. And when He does, you’ll want to share your joy with others.

Don’t get stuck in a rut. Don’t take God for granted. Instead, pray for restoration of heart. And then spread the joy.

Never Alone (Ps. 51:11)

Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
(Psalm 51:11, NKJV)

One of the attributes of our God is His omnipresence. He’s everywhere. All at once. This is a mystery to our earthly minds. How can God be with me right this very moment, yet be with millions of others as well? I really have no idea, but what a blessing it is to my heart to know it’s true.

Not only is God always with me, but I know He’ll always be with me. He’ll never leave me. Nor will He ever “cast me away from [His] presence.” When I was saved by grace, I truly became His daughter—His dearly loved daughter.

And just as a loving father delights in his children, my heavenly Father delights in me. He wants to be with me. And what a privilege it is to be able to spend time with Him!

I’m never alone. Jesus promised His disciples that the “Helper,” God the Holy Spirit, would indwell each of God the Father’s children. And the Spirit will never leave us. God the Father will never take the Spirit from us.

I find great comfort in knowing, even when people on earth may desert me, I’m never truly alone. And I’ll never be alone.

A Daily Prayer (Ps. 51:10)

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
(Psalm 51:10, NKJV)

As I meditated on today’s scripture, it struck me that I should pray this verse every day.

Create in me a clean heart.

This is a confession of sin. It’s a request for the Lord to thoroughly wash away the junk and reveal the righteousness that is ours through Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

I need to pray every day for a renewed cleansing because, every day, I mess up. A prideful thought may enter my mind. An angry outburst at another driver may be uttered. A feeling of discontent may rest on my heart.

So every day, I need to ask God to “create in me a clean heart."

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I looked up “steadfast,” and it’s defined as “firmly fixed in place; not subject to change” and a “firm belief, determination or adherence.” That’s what my faith needs to be: firmly fixed in place. I cannot waver. If I believe what I say I do, I must do so with a strength of conviction that nothing can sway.

This doesn’t mean I don’t question how God works. Or that I sometimes may still doubt. Or that I may not completely understand why things happen the way they do.

But through the questioning, the doubt, the lack of understanding, my faith remains strong. It will not change.

I pray for many things every day. My husband. My family. My friends. God’s will for my life. I usually pray for forgiveness. And now I want to pray for a steadfastness of spirit, for a firmly-fixed belief.

This is a request I know God will answer “yes.”

Blessings for God's Children (Ps. 51:5-9)

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
(Psalm 51:5-9, NKJV)

The psalmist continues to express sorrow over his sin. But there’s also hope in these verses.

First, look at the little gem in verse six: “in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” When we’re in relationship with God, the Holy Spirit is in us to illuminate the Bible. We learn how to make wise choices when we meditate on and follow His word.

Second, we are sinful creatures. Dirty. Soiled. But with God’s cleansing, we are “whiter than snow” in His eyes. I love that illustration. Have you ever seen a fresh snowfall? I really believe there’s nothing quite so white and bright. And that’s how God sees us!

Finally, in verse eight, the psalmist knows he’ll “hear joy and gladness” and that even through the pain and trials, he’ll “rejoice.” We too can find joy because we’re children of God. Even when we suffer, even when we’re uncertain, we can be joyful. Because joy isn’t an emotion, believe it or not. Joy is a state of mind in which we choose to rejoice no matter the circumstance.

Yes, we sin. Yes, we’re imperfect beings, but as children of God, we know He sees us as His beloved children. You are His son or daughter.

And in God, you are wise. In Him, you are whiter than snow. In Him, you can rejoice at all times.

Are You Blameless? (Ps. 51:1-4)

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
(Psalm 51:1-4, NKJV)

We’re going to spend the next few days in one of my favorite psalms. This nineteen verse psalm is full. Of conviction. Of affirmation. Of encouragement.

And it starts with conviction.

We are sinful, fleshly creatures. And when we sin, we do so against one Person only. Our Sovereign Lord and Creator. He would well be within His rights to annihilate each and every one of us. But He is merciful. He is loving. And He chooses to forgive us. He choose to “blot out” our sin and to “wash [us] thoroughly” and “cleanse” us from our sin.

It’s only because of His love for us and His mercy that we are “blameless” in His sight. One day He will judge every person who ever lived, and only those of us who are cleansed by His loving mercy and grace will spend eternity with Him.

Will you be “blameless” when you stand before Him? Will you be confident that your sins are indeed blotted out? Cleansed? Washed?

The only way to be sure is to believe in the one way, one truth, and one way to the Father, and that’s His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). And if you don’t know this Jesus, read the book of John. You’ll meet Him and learn how to be in relationship with Him.

And then you too can be certain that God sees you as “blameless.”

Be Well-Armed (1 John 5:16-18)

We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
(1 John 5:16-18, NASB)

John concludes his first letter by reminding his readers of the daily battle we face: Children of God versus the enemy of this world.

And we can’t prepare for battle if we don’t have the proper garb and weaponry. For a long while, I’d pray the armor of God every morning. I’ve fallen out of that habit, and I feel convicted this morning. I need to start again, and I invite you to join me. In Ephesians 6:10-17, Paul described our protective gear: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shoes shod with peace, and the shield of faith. He ended with our one offensive weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Every morning, we should pray that the Lord will prepare us for the day. We should pray that He’ll help us guard our thoughts. Our emotions. Our words. And when the enemy attacks, we’ll be able to defend ourselves with the strength of our faith. And we’ll be able to cut down his lies with the very words of God.

How prepared are you for the battle? Are you ready to guard yourself from the wiles and lies of the enemy? Is your armor on today? And are you armed with God’s word?

You’ve been given what you need. Just take what God has given you, and arm yourself. And be prepared.

Pray for Others (1 John 5:16-18)

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.
(1 John 5:16-18, NASB)

Prayer is a privilege. The very idea of being able to talk with our Creator, to commune with Him, to request of Him … it’s an amazing thought.

We can praise Him, thank Him, intercede for others, ask for needs to be met … and He listens to us.

Another aspect of prayer is praying for our brothers and sisters who are caught in the trap of sin. It’s not our responsibility to save them, but we can pray for them. We can pray that their hearts will be convicted and that they’ll repent of their sin.

Now I want to address verse 18. This seems to contradict many other words of scripture. Paul wrote many times of fighting sin. And yet, John wrote that “no one who is born of God sins.” He went on to say that “the evil one does not touch him.”

Yet Jesus Himself told Peter that Satan had made a request to “sift him like wheat” (Luke 22:31). And of course, God allowed Satan to more than touch Job. So who’s right? Do children of God sin or not? Well, yes. And since we all sin, are we not children of God?

I’m said before. I’m no theologian. I’m just someone who loves God and loves His word. I pray that the Holy Spirit will illuminate God’s word and reveal truth to me. I sometimes “get it” and sometimes I’m still perplexed at the mystery.

But this is what I believe. I believe that we accept the gift of salvation, and when we do, we are cleansed of our sin and we look forward to eternity with God—Father, Son, and Spirit. But while we’re on earth, we still battle our flesh. And there are times the flesh—however briefly—wins. But as we grow in faith, as our relationship with God becomes stronger and more intimate, we recognize our sin more quickly and immediately confess it.

And pain and suffering? Crises and tragedies? Are they from God or from the enemy? I’m not sure in every case. But this I know. God knows everything. He sees things we don’t. He knows what we need in order to be stronger in faith. And if He sometimes allows the enemy to touch us, it’s because He knows it will eventually turn out for our good (Romans 8:28).

No, I don’t know all the answers, and I know I never will this side of heaven. But I trust God. I know what He’s done—and continues to do—in my life. So even when I don’t quite understand, I’ll believe Him. Because He’s God, and I’m not.

Ask Within His Will (1 John 5:14-15)

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
(1 John 5:14-15, NASB)

So many people look to verses like Matthew 7:6-9 and say they’ll get anything they ask for. And then when the answer is “no,” they claim God isn’t who the Bible says He is.

And then there’s the “name it and claim it” gospel. You name what you what, claiming it’ll happen. Again, when the answer is “no,” many turn away from God because they don’t get the answer to prayer they want.

If only they’d read verses like today’s. John is very, very clear that we need to ask “according to His will.” We are not God (I know, that surprises some of you!). We don’t see the whole picture. Only He knows how everything works together.

So when we pray, we need to always—always—ask for His will. And the beauty of it is, we can ask for anything. Absolutely anything. He will hear us in “whatever we ask.” But when we ask in His will, “we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

When we’re walking intimately with our Father and Lord, we begin to seek His plan, His will. And as we do so, our prayers begin to echo His desires for us.

That’s why it’s impossible to be in true relationship with God and live in habitual sin. Because living in sin is not God’s will for us. Instead, we become more and more aware of our sinful behavior. And when we do fall into our sinful habits, we confess much more quickly.

Because we want to be in His will. And we want Him to only do those things in us and through us that are His will.

And when we do ask? We can be confident that whatever He answers is right and good.

Eternal Life (1 John 5:13)

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
(1 John 5:13, NASB)

This verse contains one of the main reasons John wrote this book. He wanted to assure his readers who believed in Jesus as Christ that they had eternal life.

Eternal life.

It’s a hard-to-understand concept, but is integral to the Christian faith. Eternity. What does that look like?

Some people believe it’s sitting on clouds playing harps. Others worry about boredom. Still others wonder how eternity is even possible.

We don’t know exactly what heaven will be like. We can’t imagine with our finite, human minds what timelessness is. And the Bible only shares a bit of what it will be like.

We do know we’ll have some kind of home (John 14:2).

We do know there will be no more tears or pain (Rev. 21:4).

We do know we’ll be in the presence—the actual presence—of our God (Rev. 21:3).

We do know we’ll serve God (Rev. 22:3).

But we don’t know everything. I believe the Bible hints at a few other things we’ll experience in eternity. I can’t give you actual passages on these beliefs. They’re ideas I’ve picked up through Bible study and the writings of people of faith whom I greatly admire (i.e., Randy Alcorn, Joni Earekson Tada).

I believe we’ll know our friends and family.

I believe we’ll have jobs to do that fit our giftedness.

I believe we’ll enjoy food—I can’t imagine there won’t be dark chocolate!

And I believe we’ll be so overwhelmed by God’s presence that we’ll sing along with the elders, angels, and other heavenly creatures: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).

I, for one, can’t wait!

Calling God a Liar (1 John 5:9-12)

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
(1 John 5:9-12, NASB)

Earlier in this book, John wrote about those who say they’re God’s children yet don’t follow His commandments. He bluntly said they’re liars.

In these verses, he addresses nonbelievers and again is quite blunt. Those who don’t believe God make Him a liar. Pretty intense, isn’t it?

So many people today say they believe in “god.” But when they’re asked who that god is, they respond with words like, “I believe in a higher power, but I don’t put a name to it.” In other words, they’re smart enough to know there’s something, but they’re not willing to believe in anything particular. Because, in doing so, they might have to follow that god’s tenets and commandments.

Or some, instead of claiming something, they claim everything. They take a bit from Hinduism, a little from Buddhism. They throw in some Islam and Judaism. Oh, and they like the “Jesus is love” idea, so they add a touch of Christianity.

Cafeteria religion.

But the God of the Bible claims to be the one and only true God. And He makes it very, very clear: There is no other god but Him (Ex. 20:3). So if anyone says He’s not, then they’re accusing Him of lying.

You can’t have it both ways. Either believe in the God of truth, or don’t. But know this: If you choose to not believe in Him, you will not have eternal life with the Creator, the Savior, the Lord God Almighty.

You'll spend eternity separated from the one Who loves you enough to die for you. For you.

What's your choice?

Testify (1 John 5:7-8)

For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
(1 John 5:7-8, NASB)

I’ve been asked why I believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Why I believe that the God of the Bible is the one and only true God. If you’re a follower of Christ, you may have been asked the same.

What’s your answer?

Part of why I believe what I believe is I trust the Bible as God’s word. I believe God the Spirit wrote through the pens of men.

But that’s not the only reason. In fact, in some ways, it’s not even the main reason.

I believe what I believe because of how God has changed my life. I could share countless testimonies of dramatic life-changes of others, but when it comes down to it, the only story I can really tell is my own.

And God changed my life.

I see Him work in my life each and every day. He gives me peace in this very peace-less world. He gives me strength when I simple can’t function on my own. He opens unexpected, but perfect doors. He provides—miraculously sometimes—for my needs.

I know this sounds melodramatic, but I honestly believe I wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for God’s work in my life. His very, very real presence.

And as John said, I know the Holy Spirit is in me. I’ve been baptized by water and cleansed by blood. Those three testify to my being God’s daughter.

That’s my testimony.