1 John 5:6-12
The Testimony of God
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6This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the truth.
7For there are three that testify:
8the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement.
9Even if we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony that God has given about His Son.
10Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son.
11And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The letter says Jesus Christ came by water and blood, not by water alone. The Spirit testifies to this, and the Spirit is the truth. John insists on both water and blood as belonging to the coming of this same Jesus Christ. We must receive the testimony God gives about His Son rather than choose only the parts we prefer.
The writer names three witnesses: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. They agree. Christians have often discussed the precise reference of water, but the central point is clear in the letter: God's testimony confirms the identity and saving work of His Son.
Human testimony is accepted in ordinary life, but God's testimony is greater. God has given testimony about His Son. The person who believes in the Son has this testimony within him; the person who refuses to believe makes God out to be a liar.
The testimony is stated plainly:
And this is that testimony: God has given 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.
The warning about calling God a liar is severe, but it protects the importance of truth. If Jesus is the Son, then the life God gives cannot be separated from Him. Eternal life is not an impersonal substance people possess apart from relationship with Christ.
Families can talk about assurance without making it a contest of emotional certainty. Ask what God has testified about Jesus, what the gospel promises, and whether our lives are receiving the Son rather than inventing another source of life.
How We Know
John 19:31–37 records blood and water flowing from Jesus’ pierced side and the eyewitness’s testimony. This is a related passage, though it does not by itself settle what water signifies in 1 John 5. John 5:31–40 identifies Jesus’ works, the Father and Scripture as witnesses to Him. Both passages help readers examine the testimony about the Son rather than relying on private impressions.
Questions
1 By what did Jesus Christ come?
AnswerHe came by water and blood, and the Spirit testifies to Him; the testimony keeps Jesus’ saving work tied to His real life and death.
2 What three things testify?
AnswerThe Spirit, the water, and the blood testify, and the three agree in bearing witness to God’s Son.
3 Whose testimony is greater than human testimony?
AnswerGod’s testimony is greater because He Himself has testified about His Son, the source of eternal life.
4 Where is eternal life found?
AnswerEternal life is in God’s Son; whoever has the Son has life, while life cannot be separated from Him.
What This Means for Us
When assurance wavers, read God’s stated testimony here: He has given eternal life in His Son. Bring your uncertainty to Jesus rather than searching for another source of life.
Discuss why having the Son matters more than producing a strong religious feeling. The gift rests in Him, and God has not left us to invent what He has promised.
Prayer
Father, thank You for testifying about Your Son. Keep us from replacing Jesus with private impressions or substitutes, and give our families confidence in the life You have given through Him. Amen.