Daily Devotions
1 John
"Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God..."
Text: 1 John 4:15
CONFESSING FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS
To confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was something the Apostle John delighted to do. Once again he takes up this topic.
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,
God abides in him, and he in God.”
1 John 4:15
1. The word “confession”
a) John used this word in his epistle more than once.
b) Usage: –
i) To confess sin (1 John 1:9).
ii) To confess that Jesus has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2).
iii) If a person does not confess the above truth, he is not of God (1 John 4:3).
c) Significance of “confession”
i) It is a declaration of faith.
ii) It must come from the heart sincerely.
iii) It is indicative of a heart that has truly known the Lord.
2. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God”
a) Jesus was indeed the Son of God.
b) The heart must be able to make this confession truthfully.
c) This confession includes the following truths: –
i) He is the only begotten Son of God (1 John 4:9).
ii) He is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10).
iii) He is the Son of God who came in the flesh (1 John 4:2).
iv) He is the Son of God who is the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14).
3. “God abides in him, and he in God”
a) Once again John emphasises this two-fold aspect of the doctrine of “abiding”.
b) God abides in the person who truly honours the Son.
c) The true believer will always seek to abide in the Lord.
d) The basis of this abiding is to be found in the Son of God.
The role of the Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely central!