Reformation Sunday (NT)

1 John 5:9-21

⁹ 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. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have toward 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 that we have asked of him. 

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. 

¹⁸ We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 

¹⁹ We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 

²⁰ 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. ²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 

What is your testimony? Many people today want to talk about how God is working in their life. Some even want to talk about How God is delivering us from daily suffering and distress. Even the movie War Room has established this idea that if you pray hard enough God will grant you good things, and even a good life. But this is not the case.

What is your testimony? It is the same testimony God has provided each of us with since the beginning. God sent his Son to bear this testimony. You are a sinful creature. You are a lost and condemned person. You are worthy of no good thing. You are beyond saving yourself, or redeeming yourself. This is the Testimony we have from the scriptures and it is our testimony.

What is your testimony? Christ has died for the forgiveness of all the sins of the World. God, the Father, has given his Son to die for our forgiveness. He also provided us with a perfect life. He even provides us with the first fruits of our resurrection. "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." This is your testimony! It is not about what you have done, or even this wretched fallen creation and in some sense fallen life. But it is about the new creation and life everlasting.