God's witness

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. 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. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. - 1 John 5:9-12

What John calls ‘the witness of men’ can be a terrible thing. It can be mean and harsh and upsetting. What men say about us can wreck our lives and hurt our testimony. Man may judge us and condemn us and turn against us and lie about us. And it probably has already happened.

The witness of men may also be hearing man’s opinions and ideas and suggestions about all kinds of topics.

Either way man’s witness, even the witness of the best we know, is going to be flawed. Man’s witness is going to be flawed because we don’t know everything. But there is one whose testimony can always be trusted.

God’s witness is always true and there is one witness that is the one we need.

‘This is the testimony – God has given us eternal life in His Son.’

God gave me eternal life. He did not give me life as long as I did the right things. He gave me eternal life. He gave me eternal life in His Son, not in me. His testimony is true and anyone who goes against God’s testimony is wrong.

It is easy to focus on what others say because they are so much a part of our day to day lives. But God’s witness can be that way if we are only willing to spend time in His word and trusting His testimony more than what others say or what we feel.

I can have confidence because God says He gave me eternal life through Christ. I need not fear the judgement of others or even the judgement of myself. God’s testimony is true.