Believing God's Word

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. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:9-12

When you click a link to a news article, what tells you whether the reporting is accurate? If you think the organization that publishes the article is trustworthy, you will probably believe their news. In a similar way, if you read something you think is truth, it’s a point in favor of the author—you will be more likely to see him or her as trustworthy next time.
When someone you trust tells you something, you believe it. John says if you believe what people tell you, it is even more important to believe what God says. When John writes “he has made him [God] a liar,” that is a way of saying that disbelieving God’s own testimony about Jesus and the Gospel is, in effect, calling God a liar. And someone who thinks God lies cannot also have faith in Him.
You probably know lots of people—those of other religions, people who says they are spiritual but not religious, even some who call themselves Christians but don’t believe what the Gospels say about Christ—who believe in a god, but reject what John calls the testimony of Spirit, water, and blood. Those people have rejected God Himself, even though they may not realize it.

Questions for reflection and discussion
1. Who do you always believe because you know they are trustworthy?
2. Can you believe only part of the Bible and still be a Christian?

Dear God, please help us believe everything You tell us. We know You are perfectly trustworthy. Help us also show love to others by testifying to the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, amen.