1 John 5:9-15

9: 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.
10: 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.
11: And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12: He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

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.
14: This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15: 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.

*** 

We receive the testimony of men all the time--in the courts of law, in our interactions with others. We believe the sworn testimony, the promises, the word of others. Yet, how much more reliable is the testimony of God? It is infallible, and He has testified that He has given us eternal life in His Son, Jesus Christ.

The one who believes His testimony, and believes in His Son, has the testimony in himself. The Spirit of God bears witness that this testimony is true. Once one believes in the Son of God, the confirming witness of the Spirit follows in his spirit.

The one who does not believe the testimony of God's Son is calling God a liar. Whenever we reject the statement of another by not believing it, we are saying that they are not telling the truth--that they are a liar. A liar does not speak the truth. God, however, speaks the truth and our unbelief in what He says does not make Him a liar. Our unbelief does not make what He says untrue. He is true whether we believe it or not. The truth is, if we have the Son we have life, if we don't have the Son, we don't have life.

John said he'd written these things so they may know they have eternal life. They had believed the testimony concerning God's Son, Jesus Christ, and they had life. And, they knew they had life by the confirming witness of His Spirit within them. By His Spirit, we too have confidence of His life within us.

By the confidence of His confirming witness, we know His will and our requests and prayers are in accordance with His will. When we have this assurance, we know he hears us, and we know He grants our requests. When God hears prayers in alignment with His Word, His Spirit, and His love, He recognizes it and, of course, grants the request.



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