1 John 5:9-13 (NRSV)
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Verse 9If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son.
Verse 10Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. Verse 11And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Verse 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. Verse 13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Devotion
In these days of AI and “deep fakes,” people often wonder how trustworthy the news and information are. Journalists speak about hearing from “reliable sources,” but how can a person be sure that the source is truly reliable?
This problem is not all that new. The writer of the first letter of John notes that, even long ago, there were issues with different levels of reliability. We read here about human testimony, which is not as “great” (i.e., reliable) as God’s testimony. Then comes the main point: “this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life.”
This is a powerful reminder for us. While we may wonder and doubt about the reliability of the news around us, we can be sure that the most important news of all is a message that we can stake our lives on. God’s free gift has the power to make us new people.
Prayer
God of truth, we thank you for your Word and the message it conveys to us. Keep us steadfast in your Word, so that we experience true hope and joy. Amen.
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