If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 1 John 5:9-10
Who Are You Not Listening To?
Today I think the greater question than Who are you listening to, is Who aren’t you listening to? We have so much information at our fingertips that is has become cliché. The truth is becoming harder and harder to discern. There is one place the truth will be the same forever. God’s truth is unchanging – it will never change when our circumstances change, our feelings change, our homes change, our lives change. God’s truth will remain the same for us in all things.
We do listen to the testimony of people, and we can often find ourselves persuaded by it, forgetting what we know to be the truth - that the testimony of God is greater. People’s opinions definitely have an effect on decisions we make from what to wear, to what to drive, to who to marry. Even if we are not physically listening to what everyone says on social media, we are being influenced by what we see. We take it as truth but often it is not. We seek approval and consolation from our close friends and even from those we don’t even know. Social media has made it easy for us to let a whole world of people we don’t know into our lives as far as we are willing to post it.
A testimony is a formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law. A witness with a testimony is essential for revealing the truth of what happened in any given circumstance. In the passage above, John wants believers to know that we do not have to have blind faith. Instead, our faith is based on the most reliable testimony, the witness of God Himself. We listen and are influenced by many people, some that we don’t know personally. How much more then should we be influenced by our Creator, the Creator of all things? The One who loves us enough to send His Son to pay our debt? We can have confidence in God and trust Him because His promises are true, and His truth stands the test of all time.
Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself…
As His children, we actually have His truth embedded in our very beings. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit who bears witness inside of us. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:16 If we reject Jesus as our Savior, we are rejecting the testimony God has given of His Son, therefore saying God is a liar through our unbelief. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. People who refuse to believe God (in the full sense of the word believe) don’t intend to call God a liar, but they are doing just that.
Do you know someone who has rejected the Gospel, or God? If so, pray for them because rejection of God’s testimony over time can lead to a place where we can become permanently hardened against God.
