Nobody likes a liar. And equally so, nobody likes to be called a liar, either. We all know or have heard of some people whose word isn’t worth a cent, their testimony in court wouldn’t stand for a second. And then there are some whose word you could take to the bank. We believe what they have to say. How about with what God says? Do we believe Him, or do we call Him a liar? Our Scripture comes from the first letter of the Apostle John, and he warns his readers about whether we are calling God a liar. Let’s see what he has to say.
Most of us have family and friends who are unsaved, they have never accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. Some of them are so stubborn, too. They just refuse to believe what the Word of God says. Yet they will tell you this or that which they heard on the news, and they believe every word. Or they accept some supposed “fact” that they read on some internet news site. As John states in his opening verse, they receive the witness of men but they do not believe the witness of God (vs. 9-10). Now not everything we read and hear is going to be false, not everyone is constantly telling us lies. However, if we receive the witness, the word of sinful people, who can so easily deceive, we should gladly receive the witness of God, who cannot possibly deceive.
Mankind is sinful. We all have a sin nature, and one attribute of that sin nature is that we are not always truthful. However, God is all-holy, all-pure, and sanctified. He does not lie, nor can He, for He is the embodiment of all truth. He is Truth (John 14:6). The Bible is His Word, and if someone is going to accept what some fellow, sinful human says is the truth, but refuses to believe the testimony of God regarding Jesus, regarding what is a sin, and anything else He says in the Scriptures, such rejection is the ultimate form of blasphemy. They are calling God a liar.
What is the most important word that God has said, that so many refuse to believe is true? That would have to be His testimony that eternal life is only through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 11). God’s Word and testimony states that if someone has the Son, meaning that they have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior, they have eternal life, and those who have not accepted Jesus, do not have eternal life (vs. 12). This is quite clearly stated. Yet so many people, including some people who claim to be Christians, state that everyone, as long as they are “good”, no matter what religion they may follow, or even if they have no religious adherence to anything, will go to heaven. They say that since God loves everyone, and everyone is His child, that everyone goes to heaven, whether they follow Jesus or not. This is blatantly false, and as John states, is calling God a liar.
As John continues, he gives those of his readers who have accepted Jesus as Savior some assurance of eternal life (vs. 13). Our certainty of eternal life is based on God’s promise that He has given us eternal life through His Son. Sometimes, especially with newer Christians, the devil tempts them to doubt their salvation, to make them wonder if it was genuine, or make them feel they weren’t good enough, etc. If one doesn’t have any real assurance of salvation, there can be a lot of fear and little joy in their life. However, we must take God at His Word. He states that if we have accepted Jesus, if we have His Son, we have eternal life. It doesn’t matter whether we “feel” like we are saved or not. Eternal life is not based on feelings, but on facts, and God’s Word is true! Do we believe what God tells us, or don’t we? Assurance grows as we believe God’s Word.
John closes this portion of Scripture with a couple of verses on prayer, and having confidence that God hears and will answer (vs. 14-15). Our confidence in prayer is not based on our earnestness or passion but on our relationship with God. It is not based on how long we pray, or if we stay on our knees until they ache and are bleeding. It is not based on how many tears we shed, how eloquent our words are, or how loudly we plead. Instead, it is based on our relationship with Jesus. We need to ask according to God’s will, and be in tune with what God knows is best for us. The more we read and study the Bible, the closer and stronger our relationship is with God, the easier it is to often determine God’s will. We might not always know His will, but the more we know Him, the less likely it is that we would pray for things that are obviously not within His will. And when we know God’s will, we can know with absolute confidence that God answers prayer when we approach the throne of grace according to His will. We can pray in accord with what God would want, not just with what we desire or insist (John 14:13-14).
In closing, do you believe God? Do you trust what He has said in His Word to be true? Or do you reject the truth of the Bible, or even just some parts, sections that you might not feel apply to this modern world today? Doing that is calling God a liar. Believe God’s Word, especially what He has said about His Son, Jesus Christ. Accept Him as your Savior, for then, and only then, will you have eternal life.
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