1 John 5:1–12

Read the passage.

As our love for our Lord and Savior grows, we seek to obey His commandments, which includes loving our fellow believers. This love, and our obedience to His other commands, stands as evidence of our regeneration. By His power we can resist our sinful nature and fight back against the temptations of the world through our faith in Him who called us to Himself. Our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son sent from the Father to save the sins of mankind.

I wish I knew what John meant by “came by water and blood” in verse 6. Since he makes the distinction that Jesus didn’t come by water only, and we know he was arguing against docetism, it would make sense that “blood” refers to the physical nature of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. But what does “water” mean then? His teachings? His spirit? There are apparently some who view “water” as a reference to baptism, either Jesus’s specifically or the sacrament for believers in general. However, John never discussed those in his gospel, so it seems unlikely. John does mention the blood and water that came out of Jesus’s side when He was stabbed with a spear after His death. However, docetism denied the crucifixion by claiming Jesus wasn’t physically there to nail to a cross, so making the distinction of “not by water only” (v. 6) doesn’t fit that idea either.

In spite of this difficulty, the rest of John’s argument is easy to follow: the Holy Spirit, the water, and the blood&emdash;all three&emdash;testify that Jesus was sent by the Father to ransom humanity from their bondage to sin and grant them eternal life. We may hear and accept the testimony of men, but this is the far greater testimony of God Himself. If anyone claims that there is no eternal life, or that it can be achieved without following Jesus, then that is to claim that God is liar. No one can do that and love God at the same time, but even more problematic is that God simply cannot lie. He spoke the entire universe into existence. Whatever He says is the truth because it cannot be contrary to His will. Nothing is outside the domain of His sovereignty. So then, God says eternal life is found in the Son, and anyone who is not in the Son does not have life.

Your dominion is for all eternity, and the truth is Your Word.