The Witness of God: The Sermon of Many

The reader is admonished to read 1 John 5:9-13.

The witness of God, that is, the record that God has kept and shows to us, is far greater than the testimony of man (v.9). In fact, if we do not believe the record that God has given concerning his Son, Jesus Christ, we make God a liar (v.10).

Far better to let the testimony of every man be false than let God be suspected of lying. Paul is so bold as to say so in Romans 3: 4. If we must make every man a liar, so let it be, in order than God may be true!

But what record shall we trust when it comes to God? If we trust in our own ability to select the true from the false, then we are not trusting in God, but in ourselves. The Bible says that the way of every man is right in his own eyes, but God weighs the hearts. It also says that there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of that way is death.  There are many other records that the Bible contains to show that man's judgment and man's abilities fall far short of being able to discern God, much less be capable of doing what God wants us to do. This is the record in the Bible. It is not a flattering witness for man. It is, in fact, a condemning witness. This is why such passages are neglected in typical Sunday sermons. The mind of man loves to be flattered, not revealed.

Why does the mind and heart of man tire of hearing such things? Don't we all like to hear good things about ourselves?  Why is this? Much of philosophy and psychology comes from such questioning. Man's answers to the question "why pain and sorrow?" are many and varied. Man's solution to escape the pain and sorrow becomes a record of failure. Much pain and sorrow is created in the quest to escape from it. Many witnesses and records are called. Many are the courts
in which man is tried and many are the attempts to justify him; many are the attempts to condemn him. At the end of all of this pain and sorrow comes the final blow: Death. Death to all, both rich and poor, wise and foolish, justified and condemned. It is it no wonder the Preacher said, "All is vanity!" in the book of Ecclesiastes.

But we have a greater witness than man. We have God's own witness that he has given concerning his only Son.  Although the world lies in sin and death, God is righteous and he is life-giving. The Son, Jesus Christ, is the life.  The Son, Jesus Christ, is the righteousness. This is the record that God has given us concerning him. The record shows that God is against wicked men on the one hand, but he is for the Son of Man and those who are made righteous by him.  God, who cannot lie, promises eternal life to the righteous, and eternal destruction to the wicked.

Man, on the other hand, makes up all sorts of systems to get around the simple promises of God. Doing so, he makes God a liar.

For instance, a popular, but false, view of the love of God calls into question the righteousness or justice of God. "How could a loving God inflict wrath on me when I am basically good?", they witness, concerning themselves. "How could God punish me because I am ignorant or am not perfect?", they say.  "If I am ignorant or not perfect, then why doesn't God make me understand all things and make me perfect?", they continue. "How then can he hold me accountable?", they question.

"God loves me no matter what I believe or do," they testify. And so forth. They quote the Bible where it says, "God is love", but do not quote it thoroughly. "He who does not love does not know God" is what it says. Some do not know God, therefore. Jesus said, "Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there are that go that way; narrow is the way that leads to life and few there are that find it." Most, therefore, do not know God.

To quote a portion of a verse that says God is love and to ignore the first part that plainly acknowledges there are those who do not know God nor do they love, is sign that men are once again up to their lies. Looking further ahead in 1 John 4 we read "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar." Men are by nature liars and speak much of their love for God and secretly hate those who really do love God.

They are like Balaam. They have fallen into the error of covetousness. They possess spiritual gifts, they do spiritual exploits, and they feel God and prophesy of him. But they do not possess eternal life because they do not love. They pretend to love God. But they do it for pay and will turn against Him for personal gain. "Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion
of Korah." Jude 11.

Here's what Balaam had to say about it: "God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it?  Or has He spoken and will He not make it good?" Numbers 23:19. Balaam may have been blinded by his greed, but his eye could see that there was no way to influence God with outward sacrifices. "Alas, who can live except God has ordained it?" he finishes. Numbers 24:23.

2 Peter 1:19 - We have also a more sure word of prophecy; in which you do well by taking heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as the Holy Spirit moved them.  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness they will with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not.

And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life. 1 John  5:11,12.

- Chris Simonson

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