“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:13-16 ESV)
Does it ever seem that your days are consumed by news reports? Another sports league crowns a champion. Another country experiences political unrest. Another musician releases an album that people cannot stop talking about. Another celebrity endorses a new probiotic superfood that promises unlimited benefits with zero effort. We see a nearly constant feed of alerts and notifications, all of which we are told we must care about deeply.
Everyone has a message to tell, and they all fight tooth and nail to make sure they are at the top of the pile of significance and concern. The problem is that we simply do not have the mental or emotional capacity to know and care about everything. There is simply too much noise for us to process it all. This means that a large portion of what we see, hear, and communicate simply falls by the wayside.
The world needs less news, not more. But into the cacophony of the world’s proverbial marketplace, the singular news of the Lamb of God slain for sinners silences everything else. The message proclaimed by the people of God is not just another piece of news thrown into the torrent of information but is the magnificent jewel before which all observers are left speechless.
In these verses, John proclaims that testimony is indispensable to the Christian life. He is not referring to testimony in the sense of describing one’s personal journey of faith but to a public witness to the truth. Testimony begins with seeing. We have been made witnesses of the work of the Son of God as the Savior of the world, sent by his Father. Since we have experienced that event of supreme redemptive importance, we are called upon to publicly bear witness to it. When we see the work of Christ, we cannot remain silent. Why? Because such a response would make us false witnesses.
Matthew Henry says, “The weight of this truth obliges us to testify it; the salvation of the world lies upon it.”
We were not saved simply to enjoy the benefits of redemption but also to proclaim those benefits to others. John says, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (emphasis added). Confession, by definition, includes an element of declaration. Romans 10:9 similarly says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
That does not mean that someone is not saved until he or she audibly declares the faith. The one who truly believes is, at that very moment, justified (Romans 4:3), but the one who possesses internal faith is called upon as a witness to publicly testify to the One in whom he has believed.
John leaves the reader with no other option. There is not one distinct group of Christians who serve as testifiers and confessors, while others are mere believers. They are one and the same. Certainly, there are differences in calling, personality, and opportunity which will result in some being more public or effective witnesses than others. But it is equally true that witness-bearing is not reserved for missionaries and pastors.
Dear Christian, do not think you can excuse yourself from the witness stand of the world. You might think others are more qualified or skilled, and you might be right. But you are called by the same Father, redeemed by the same Son, and have the same Holy Spirit indwelling you as the boldest evangelist or the bravest martyr for Christ in all the history of the world. You have seen the same divine work of God brought about in your own soul and have the same call to testify to that work.
The same world that advertises a never-ending supply of news faces a catastrophic lack of the good news. Christ has promised to build his church among the nations, and he ordinarily does so through the faithful testimony of the blood-bought members of that church.
Your commission is not to make louder news but to proclaim the news of the only begotten Son of God, the Savior of the world before whom all other mouths will be silenced.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending your Son to be the propitiation for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Strengthen us to be faithful witnesses to Christ that the nations may see and believe in the One who came to save them.
For Jesus’ sake, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for the ongoing instruction and spiritual influence of the Chaing Rai International Christian School in Thailand.
- Wednesday: Pray for the effectiveness of Live Global partners Felix and Oana as they plant a church in Romania.
- Thursday: Pray for the fruitfulness of national partners reaching rural Burmese communities.
- Friday: Pray for the students and staff at Goroka Baptist Bible College in Papua New Guinea to glorify God through academic excellence and receive all the funds they need for expansion.
- Saturday: Pray for the ABWE missionary team serving in the Czech Republic to be encouraged in gospel ministry.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries in Argentina to find new ways to engage the lost.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries serving in Communications and Media roles to produce content that is good, true, and beautiful.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Head of School
Location: Thailand
Chiang Rai International School is looking for a Head of School to provide stability and overall organizational leadership and management to fulfill its vision to educate students for Christ.
