“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. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20 ESV)
Your duty, as a Christian, is to make Christ known in the world. You are called to be a truth teller—which means that you must first be a truth knower. Paul said, “I know whom I have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12), and that knowledge was the basis for his conviction about Christ’s reliability. Knowledge is not the same thing as faith, but faith cannot exist without knowledge. Even more than that, when John speaks about knowing Christ, he is referring not to knowledge in an abstract sense, but to personal, intimate knowledge.
As God foreknows those who are his (Romans 8:29), so also those who belong to God in Christ know his voice and follow him (John 10:27). Those who follow Christ do not merely know about Christ; they know Christ. The most committed disciples make the best witnesses, and proximity to Christ undergirds proclamation of Christ.
John says, “The Son of God has come and has given us understanding.” Christ came to be the propitiation for sin (1 John 2:2) and to give his people a true understanding of the work he accomplished. True knowledge necessarily comes from God (1 Corinthians 2:14), and as we receive that knowledge and respond in faith, we receive the eternal life he came to give.
It becomes immediately clear from John’s words that anything we tell others about Christ is rooted in what we know about Christ and who we are in him. As John says, Jesus came to give us understanding “so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ.” Being “in him” is the source of our witness. How could you expect to compellingly present Christ to the world in an attractive manner if you do not truly know who he is?
This is one of the reasons that missionary training is so vital to the work of missions. Of course, any prospective missionary must first know Christ savingly, otherwise he or she is disqualified from the task. But even after salvation, they must saturate themselves in the truth of Christ as found in God’s Word to give depth and clarity to the message they proclaim. Whoever embarks on the task of bringing Christ to the nations should use every biblical tool available to make their witness more effective.
This is not to discourage new or young believers from sharing their faith. Every believer, regardless of maturity or education, should be ready to make a defense for their Christian hope (1 Peter 3:15). But, when missionaries are sent by their church and commissioned specifically for the work of gospel ministry to the nations, how much more are John’s words relevant.
If you aspire to the missionary task, can you confidently agree with John that you know him who is true and are assured that you are in him? Are you so intimately familiar with Jesus that when you communicate his person and work to someone, it is as if he is standing right there next to you? Do you study the great works of the Lord (Psalm 111:2) with the same vigor that you study your favorite hobby?
God “has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (1 Peter 1:3) in his Word, and it is by devoting ourselves to his Word that we come to know and love his Son. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh (1 John 1:14), and he is eternal life. The promise of eternal life is in Christ, and to gain eternal life, you must “gain Christ and be found in him” (Philippians 3:8-9).
Jesus came to save sinners by his perfect life and atoning death. He also came to give his sheep an understanding of that truth that we might know it, love it, and tell it to the world.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
You have made yourself known to us in your Word and in your Son. Increase our knowledge of you and our love for you so that we may be faithful witnesses to a lost world.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for North American churches as they labor to evangelize and mobilize everyday disciples until every person in their communities encounters Jesus.
- Wednesday: Pray for missionaries and national believers serving at the Amazonas Hospital in Brazil as they promote the gospel through providing quality outpatient services.
- Thursday: Pray for the faculty and staff providing theological education to national pastors at Santiago Seminary in Chile.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries serving at the Chiang Rai International Christian School to find open doors to share the hope of the gospel with students’ families and with their local community.
- Saturday: Pray for missionary women serving with the Togo Women’s Ministry Team as they strengthen churches by educating and discipling pastors’ wives and Christian women.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries involved in planning and building ministry facilities around the world through construction ministry.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries in Bangladesh who often minister in difficult circumstances and in understaffed facilities.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Healthcare Personnel
Location: Bangladesh
A variety of medical personnel, including physicians, surgeons, nurses, and physical therapists are urgently needed to serve at our partner hospital, Memorial Christian Hospital, in Bangladesh. Both short-term and long-term opportunities are available.
