This is The Testimony

1 John 5:11-12 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

 

“11And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

 

Context is Critical

 

So, how do we “have the Son”? Now, if you read some passages of Scripture outside of their biblical context, it is easy to come up with all sorts of ideas of what it means to believe in Jesus Christ and/or for us to have Jesus as our Savior. Especially, but not limited to, the book of 1 John has all sorts of Scripture verses, which if taught outside the context of the book of 1 John, as a whole, can easily be misinterpreted to say what the book of 1 John does not say if read in its entirety. So context is critical to getting to the truth.

 

Foundation Laid

 

In 1 John 1 we read: “6If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

 

In 1 John 2 we read: “3By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. 4If anyone says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him…”

 

In 1 John 3 we read: “4Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness. 5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.”

 

Compare To

 

1 John 4:“2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” “15If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

 

1 John 5:”1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him.” “13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

 

What’s The Point?

 

Many people will read these select verses in chapters 4-5 and they will claim that they believe in Jesus. They will confess with their lips that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. And they will confess that Jesus is the Son of God. And they will profess faith in Jesus Christ, and they will say that they love God. So they will presume that they are now “In Christ,” and that He is in them. But they are still walking in darkness (in sin), making sin their practice, and they are not obeying our Lord and His commandments in life practice.

 

And what do the Scriptures teach about that? If they profess they are in fellowship with Christ, by faith in Him, yet while they walk (in conduct, by habit) in sin, they are liars who do not practice the truth. And if they say with their lips that they know God, but they do not obey His commands, the truth is not in them. For the one who practices (deliberately and habitually) sin is of the devil. And the one who practices sin does not know God. And anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God (see 1 John 1-3).

 

Whoever Has The Son

 

So, when you read 1 John in its entirety, and not only in select pieces of the Scriptures, you learn that a verbal profession of faith in Jesus Christ is not enough for you to have The Son and to have life in The Son, i.e. eternal life with God and salvation from sin via belief in Jesus Christ. For giving lip service to God via professed faith in Jesus Christ, without genuine biblical repentance (dying to sin) and walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands, will result in eternal death without Christ instead of eternal life with God.

 

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

This is The Testimony

An Original Work / October 9, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

As the Deer

 

By Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

 

As the deer panteth for the water

So my soul longeth after You

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship You

 

You alone are my strength, my shield

To You alone may my spirit yield

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship You

 

[A Prayer of Devotion to God Alone]