The Witness of God Is Greater | 1 John 5:9-10

The Witness of God in 1 John 5:9–10

All right beloved, let's turn to 1st John chapter 5. 1st John chapter 5. I'm gonna read verses 9 and 10 today. 1st John chapter 5 verses 9 through 10. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.

For the witness of God is this, that he has born witness about his son. The one who believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the witness which God has born witness about his son.

This is God's Word. Amen. So this this is all a very important passage that is actually continuing the previous verses. It's not a new thought. It's not a transition to something different. It's a continuation of the previous verses about witnesses as you can see.

The emphasis on, the repeated emphasis on witness, witnesses and on testimony and that all that all of that. And hence we see that the witness of God is greater than the witness of man. And remember from the previous weeks that a witness according to God's Word can be a human person, an angelic being, God himself, the written Word.

You know it is written and it can also refer to things or events or actions. They can all attest to the truth of a matter. Okay and the other principle that we saw last time was that true witnesses and multiple witnesses is a fund they are fundamentally biblically important concepts such as such that God himself uses them to bear witness to the truth of his Word and to his Son.

Now the there's a particular focus here on the witness of God and how the witness of God is greater. So I want to I want to read back to verse 7 and get a little bit more of the context to refresh our minds on that.

Verse 7 says for there are three that bear witness the Spirit and the water and the blood and these three are in agreement. These three agree as one. If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater for the witness of God is this that he has born notice the tense he has born witness about his son.

The one who believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. So it's very clear that there is a continuity of flow and of thought about these witnesses of the Son and of God in the entire passage.

Very clear there and you can see how it flows very clearly without these extra words that were added later on in 1st John 5, 7, and 8. The intent of the passage is very clear. The witnesses the three witnesses and the witness of God which all point to the same thing the truth of the Son.

Now here we need to look at verse 9. What does verse 9 refer to? What does 1st John 5, 9 refer to there? Or to put it another way when when did God the Father specifically bear witness about his son? And notice the tense right?

It says that he God the Father has borne witness. He has borne witness about his son right? So this is referring to a historical event. And what is the witness of God pointing to concerning his son? Because it says very clearly there the witness of God is this that he has borne witness about his son.

Okay so what is that referring to? It's pointing to something to something in the past. During the time of the Apostles letter. So there is something very clearly stated there although it's not explicitly stated what that witness is.

Neither verse 9 nor verse 10 explicitly state what it's referring to. It is implied. It's implied. So we have to kind of be careful not to make any false conclusions or assumptions about what he's referring to there because maybe commentators kind of have.

They go in a certain direction that's not warranted in the text. So one answer is that pretty obvious in verse 11. Verse 11 says and the witness is this that God gave us eternal life and this life is in his son.

So twice in these two verses it says this is the witness of God. First he has borne witness about his son and then it's again in verse 11. The witness is this that God gave us eternal life and this life is in his son.

Okay now verse 11 is certainly and most obviously true. That the witness of God includes God giving us eternal life and that this life is in his son. That is certainly true but this is actually building upon what he previously stated in verse 10.

It's adding to it in other words what was already previously laid out as God's witness in the previous verses. So we can't skip over those verses straight to verse 11 and say yes this is a witness of God because in verse 10 he already said the same thing.

This is a witness of God. So he's saying it refers to one thing and then he's saying it refers to this other thing. It's expanding upon it. Okay so hopefully that's clear clearer for us and now I want to explore some of the options that some commentators have suggested as to what it's referring to.

What is this witness pointing to the witness of God to his son pointing to in verse 10 specifically in verse 10. So some commentators like FF Bruce who overall is very sound he's a very good commentator claim that the witness refers to the Apostle it can refer to the Apostle John's personal witness in his letters in his Gospels in his Gospel.

So for example when in his Gospel of John he says but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name. That's the end of the Gospel of John in 2031.

Okay so that's one option there and others others say that it can refer to another human witness like the Roman centurion when he saw Christ on the cross like the Gospel of Mark explains and when the centurion who was standing right in front of him Christ saw that he breathed his last he said truly this man was God's son.

So there is another sort of a witness there. Now these both of these examples they're not they're not quite they're not very convincing because they actually appear to contradict the passage because the passage in verse 10 is emphasizing God's witness right it's not talking about a human witness it's referring to God's witness something that God himself is bearing witness to not necessarily a human witness or really not a human witness because it's contrasting it's contrasting the two.

Now others other commentators like Gordon Clark who's also very helpful say that the witness of God refers to the baptism of Christ to the water right the synecdoche of water and this is the baptism of Jesus Christ through through John the Baptist.

Now this interpretation seems to make the most sense. It does make the most sense because the passage itself clearly focuses on God's witness right not man's witness but God's and how it's greater and I it also contrasts God's witnesses God's witness with human witnesses because it's very clear in verse 10 the witness of God is greater greater than what it's greater than human witnesses and the the witness of God is the greatest witness because God God cannot lie and the spirit is the spirit of what of truth.

Amen. That's what this is pointing to turn with me to the gospel of Matthew in chapter 3 verse 16 where we will see very clearly the witness of God pointing to the baptism of our Lord and Savior Christ to the son's baptism of water the water baptism the gospel of Matthew chapter 3 verse 16.

And after being baptized Jesus came up immediately from the water and behold the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God the Spirit of truth descending like a dove and coming upon him. And behold there was a voice out of the heavens saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

Amen. Who's speaking there. It's God the Father saying my beloved son. This is him in whom I am well pleased. He's bearing witness. He's clearly bearing witness to his son the God man Christ Jesus. This is in fact the triune God bearing witness.

This is a passage showing us the Trinity the triune nature of God the three persons of the Godhead of the being the essence of God the Father the Son the Holy Ghost the Holy Spirit. This is awesome. Amen.

So this is very clearly make we clearly see that because the rest of the context of 1st John already directed us there it already showed us. Look these are the three witnesses the Spirit the water the blood.

So it's we can't ignore that context and try to point somewhere else. It doesn't make sense now that being said that being established is that all is that is the baptism of Christ the only time that the father bore witness about his son.

Or is there another other instances where he did that historically somewhere else in the Gospels perhaps remember. First of all let's remember the Apostle John's emphasis in 1st John in his letter on this on what.

What does he emphasize. What witnesses does he emphasize. The Spirit and the water and the blood and the blood. Right. There's a threefold witness there three witnesses there. What does verse 6 say in 1st John 5.

This is the one who came by water and blood Jesus Christ not with the water only but with the water and with the blood. For there are three that bear witness the Spirit and the water and the blood. And these three are in agreement.

They agree as one. So amen this. So okay that leads us to question. Then what about the blood. So there's the water the water pointing to the baptism of Christ with God bears witness. Very clearly in a in a audible voice God the Father bears witness in Christ's baptism.

This is my beloved son in whom I am well in whom I am pleased now. So what. Okay. There's a what about the blood. Because he says not with the water only but also with the blood with the blood with the blood.

Another witness did God the Father then also bear witness about his son at the death of Christ at the cross. Or in the words of the Puritan John Owen the death of death in the death of Christ. That's an excellent book that I highly recommend to you all.

By the way it's about the atonement. It's about the Christ's death in the atonement. But that's a very important question that we need to ask because I know Clark basically says. Well it's yes. It's the baptism.

But okay but is that all is that all turn with me. Now to Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3 verse 21. Let's explore this a little bit further and see. See what the analogy of Scripture and the faith teaches us regarding the death of Christ.

And what God the Father did at Christ's death. What did he. What was his purpose and what he. What did he do. What did the father do. Romans chapter 3 verse 21. The Word of God says. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been manifested.

It has appeared visibly okay being witnessed. Look at that word there being witnessed by the law and the prophets by the Old Testament Word of God even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe who believe.

For there is no distinction for all of sin and fall short of the glory of God being justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Now listen to this verse 25. Listen carefully.

Look at this carefully. Whom God displayed. How publicly publicly displayed Christ Jesus publicly as a what propitiation in his what his blood. Oh there's that word again in his blood through faith for a what.

For a demonstration a public demonstration of what of God's righteousness of his righteousness. Because in the forbearance and patience of God he passed over the sins previously committed. For the demonstration once again of his righteousness at the present time so that he would be both the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ his beloved son.

Amen. This this is very very clear very clearly stated that in God's the father's own demonstration of his righteousness God the father himself bore witness to his son by doing what by publicly displaying him on the cross as a public testimony and proof and satisfaction of his divine justice.

That's what the word propitiation is referring to the satisfaction and proof of God's wrath being appeased through the through what what does it say through his blood through his blood being shed on the cross.

Amen. That's very clearly laid out there. And this is once again the repeated sustained focus of John's letter on the three witnesses in the same passage in first John 5. The spirit the water the blood the blood.

Because they are all God's witness about his son. These three witnesses are not independent of God they are God's witnesses. The spirit himself is God and the blood and the water is also God bearing witness to a son.

God the father bearing witness to a son and being pleased with him for what he has done to accomplish redemption through his blood. That third witness God's witness. Amen. This is very powerful stuff.

And now but not only that in addition to this not only does God the father bear witness about Jesus Christ the spirit as well as his divine only begun unique son but he further attests God the father further attests to Christ's words to Christ's words.

Remember that where does he do that turn with me beloved. Back to the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 17 verse 5. The Gospel of Matthew chapter 17 verse 5. Let's continue to exercise the analogy of scripture to see how God the father bears witness to Christ and his words.

Christ and his words. I'm going somewhere there if you see where I'm going with this bearing witness to both Christ and his words. Matthew 17 5. While he was still speaking behold a I think that's the Apostle Peter.

A bright cloud overshadowed them the disciples and behold a voice out of the cloud said this is my beloved son with whom I am well-pleased. What does he say after that. Listen to him. Listen to him. Listen to what he tells you.

Listen to his words. Listen to his teaching. Listen to his doctrine. Amen. That's very clearly the same expression that the father announces from heaven in a audible voice so much that it terrified the the disciples to fall flat on their face.

And he says this is my beloved son with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him. He speaks on my behalf. Listen to his words. Take heed to his words because his words are true. Just like Jesus said I am the way the truth the life.

Amen. Listen to him. And this is obviously very consistent with first John 5. And on believing Christ what do you. What does it mean to believe Christ believing his words. Why. What did Jesus say. My words are what my words are spirit and life.

That's how we get eternal life by believing in the message the eternal divine incarnate logos in the logos of God's own logos his message believing Christ and the witnesses that bear witness to Christ.

Amen. Let's let's turn now to John chapter 5. This is an amazing passage. How it's so clearly correlates together John chapter 5 in verse 33. So many sadly today tend to misunderstand this teaching from from the Bible from God.

And they make these arbitrary distinctions false distinctions between a person and their words or their teaching when the Bible does no such thing. And this is very common in shallow or superficial or pietistic churches that you know it's not enough to just agree with his words.

You have to you have to experience it somehow and in addition some other way some emotional way mystical way or whatever. But that question always come back comes back to how. How does God's Spirit abide in us.

Is it in some irrational mystical way. Yes that's literally true that God's Spirit abide abides in us. But how and what means does he use John 533. Let's find out a little bit more here. You have sent to John the Baptist and he has born witness to the truth.

But the witness I receive is not from man. See a parallel there. Jesus is saying this witness is not from man. But I say these things so that you may be saved. He was the lamp he was he was addressing his his opponents.

He was the lamp that was burning and shining. And you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the witness I have is greater than the witness of John for the works which the Father has given me to finish that's the covenant of redemption that he's referring to the very works that I do bear witness about me that the Father has sent me and with whom he is pleased with.

And the father who sent me he has what he has born witness about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form. And you do not have his word abiding in you what his word. You don't have it abiding in you.

Because why you do not believe in him whom he sent. You notice that carefully the word his word. And you do not have his. I'm sorry. Verse 39. You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life.

It is these that bear witness about who me about Christ. And you are unwilling to come to me so that you may have life. How it is the scriptures. I do not receive glory from men. But I know you that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

Why. Because they don't believe his word I have come from. I have come in my father's name and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name you will receive him. How can you believe. How can you believe when you receive glory from one another.

And you do not seek the glory that is from the only God the only God. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses the person Moses okay. In whom you have set your hope.

What does that mean. Set your hope in Moses. What did Moses write. What did Moses write for. If you believed Moses you would believe me. Why. Because he wrote he wrote about me in his law in the law of Moses the Torah the Pentateuch the first five books of the Old Testament.

But if you do not believe his writings his writings how then will you believe my what my words my words. Beloved. Amen. This is such a clear but this is an equally clear passage that parallels exactly what first John 5 is telling us.

There is no such distinction in Scripture with the words somebody's words and with their person Jesus the Bible the Apostles constantly and repeatedly equated the two not just with God but with even with Moses.

Moses accuses you. Why. Because he wrote about me and you do not believe his words in the law. Therefore you do not believe Moses. And likewise you don't believe the father because you don't believe his scripture.

Right. It's very clear very clear. Notice another thing here this is I should have said really this is a public service announcement. The Word of God the Word of God can and will bear witness either for you or against you all of us not just the opponents of Christ not just the Pharisees in his day.

But the Word of God can and will bear witness for you or against you. Just like Jesus said if you do not believe Moses he will accuse you on that day on the last day of judgment on that great day of the Lord it will bear witness for you or against you.

Well how does it bear witness for us. What. What's the condition there. What's the criteria. How what what must we do so that the Word of God can bear witness for and not against us. What does he say.

Believe. The Word of God bears witness for you if you believe in his words and God's Spirit will dwell within us regenerate us causes to believe and therefore bear witness with us with us instead of against us.

Because it will bear witness against all those who reject the son and the father. Either. If you reject one you reject the other they're all the same God. Because because remember it's the one who what.

The one who believes. There's that same phrase that John loves to use hoppy stair one. The one who believes the one believing in the Son of God has what has this witness. This witness in himself. The one who does not believe.

There's the same phrase ho may be stair one ho may be stair one does not believe in does not believe. God has made him a what a liar. That's why the word will bear witness against you. If you don't believe because you're making God out to be a liar when he's not you're the liar for not believing the truth.

Because he has not believed in the witness. The witness. Okay which God has born witness about his son. In other words because he has not believed in the witnesses the testimonies that God has given regarding his son such as the water the baptism and the blood the death of Christ.

And his word. His words. Right. Right his words. That's amazing powerful stuff very powerful stuff. So now we need to ask ourselves another question here. What verse 10 mean in 1st John 5. What does what does verse 10 mean.

That that that the one who believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. Has this witness in himself in the believer. What does that mean specifically what's that referring to. And you'll you can probably guess that many people love to wax real pietistic and mystical at this point.

Yes. It's not just about agreeing with the words. It's about the spirit being in you. And emotionally and some kind of weird irrational mystical way. This is very what pieties love to do. They love to infuse something extra or something apart from or against the words the doctrine the intellectual content of the mind.

So what does that actually mean then that the one who believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. Now contrary to what many misguided people claim this this is this really has nothing to do with mysticism.

It is not about feelings. It is not even primarily about the Spirit of God actually abiding in us. Which is true and even sound commentators like FF Bruce say this. Well it's not enough about. It's not just the words.

It's the spirit actually living in you. That's not what this is referring to. It's not referring to the spirit abiding in us or some others mystical thing. This is about believing something. It's about believing something someone and propositions about that someone namely the three witnesses.

Right. The three witnesses which bear witness about the Son of God which are also God's own witness attesting to his own beloved son with whom he as well pleased and therefore listen to the Sun listen to my beloved son.

So that's very clearly laid out here. It is black and white. And it's sad how so many people lose lose this understanding because they try to make it something more. And they try to fabricate these false standards for people like oh well you're not emotional enough.

So therefore you might not be saved because you don't have these emotional reactions or output. Because that's what this means that he who believes that the witness of God of the Son of God has this witness in himself.

No what is the witness is propositions. It's words. It's believing the truth. That's what it means. If you believe then by definition you have the words the witnesses in your mind in yourself. See once again this is another public service announcement how the Word of God yet again just like John 5 did makes no distinction whatsoever between believing a person right between believing a person or believing in a person or believing something.

A proposition or propositions about a person about someone. Because why. The one who believes in the Son of God in the Son of God verse 10 has this witness. The witness is what it's a historical witness.

It's a proposition that Jesus was baptized and God bore witness that Jesus died and he God bore witness. And he has that witness in himself because he believes it because he believes that. That's literally what it says in his mind in himself means in his mind.

And this witness is historical propositions like the baptism the death the blood of Christ. Amen. It is intellectual. It is doctrinally true statements about Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God who has given us eternal life.

By what. How do we get eternal life. How does the Spirit of God. When the Spirit of God abides in us he causes us to believe the truth by believing in him. Which believing in him believing his words believing the gospel believing the Word of God the Bible all of it.

Amen. This is what it is inescapably pointing to believing in him and his God's and his gospel. And more than that. Verse 10 furthermore goes on to address the negative right as if it wasn't clear enough already it says.

The one who does not believe God. The one who does not believe God a personal being. Okay. So you have believing in the Son of God. You have believing God. And you have the witness in yourself in the in your mind.

All of those are equated. All of those are equivalent their synonymous phrases for emphasis. Okay he who does not believe God. Same thing as believing in the Son has made him a liar has made him a liar.

Remember that I alluded to this last week. Because why. Because he has not what he has not believed in the witness. There you see another parallel. Believing in the Son is to have the witness in yourself.

Believing not believing God means that you do not believe in the witness which are what they are. Propositions. Something about someone God's Son does not has not believed in the witness. In the historic propositions the words about the Son which God has borne witness regarding his son it's plain of black and white.

It's black and white. Therefore therefore to reject or to disbelieve God's witness is to reject who God himself. If you do not believe his words. If you put not do not believe Moses. If you do not believe Christ's words.

If you do not believe the Father's Word you are rejecting God himself. Okay you are rejecting God. There is no distinction between the word and the person. What does Jesus say to his opponents. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father.

The one who accuses you is Moses in whom you have set your hope for. If you believed Moses you would believe who me the person. Why. Because he the person of Moses wrote about who me the person. But if you do not believe his writings how will you believe my what my words my propositions my statements.

That are truth. Amen. Amen. I appreciate how Gordon Clark brings a lot of sanity and sense to this biblical sense to this. In his commentary he says to believe a person is to believe what he says. And as I just said to not believe what a person says is to not believe the person right.

Strictly speaking it is always the message not the person which is the object of belief. Because to believe someone is to believe what they say is to believe something about them that is true or false.

But in this case it's obviously true. It is the message not the person that is the object of our belief. Because the object of our belief we can't believe anything. That's not a proposition. If you don't know what it means to believe the Son what does that mean.

Jesus says it's my words. So you have to understand the words and agree with them in order to believe the Son. That's what it means to believe. It's not some mystical thing. That's how Christ is mystically united to us in the Spirit mystically unites himself to us and abides in us.

It's by belief in understanding and agreeing with the truth simple statements about the Son namely in this context the baptism of Christ the death of Christ the Word of Christ the Word of the Father. All of them are one.

All of them bear witness to the same thing that God. And that's exactly what verse 11 continues on. Right. Verse 11 says in 1st John the witness is this. It's also this that God gave us eternal life. And this life is in his son.

How. Because he satisfied the wrath of God by publicly being portrayed displayed on the cross and by in him we have this eternal life in his gospel. The gospel which is propositions historic propositions about the Son and what he has done for us.

Amen. This is the truth of God's Word. And this is what God and his witness and his witnesses and his Word is all about. This is what it's all about to miss. This is to miss so much of what Scripture says and it is to lead you there.

There's always consequences for believing falsehoods and lies. And people will bend over backwards and go all kinds of ways. It's like Jesus said there's so many people find all kinds of ways to try to get over the wall and around the wall.

And it's like no I am the door. I am the door. And what does he mean it. All he means is believe my words. That's what it means. I am the way I am the truth. Believe what I say. Because God also said listen listen to him.

That's what it means. Amen. Let's close out beloved to seal and cement the point home. Let's close out with 1st John chapter 5 verse 20. 1st John chapter 5 verse 20. Which is even more explicitly stated yet again as we will find 1st John chapter 5 verse 20 God's Holy Word in the sacred scripture says.

And we what we know. We know intellectually knowledge understanding that the Son of God has come in history. That's a proposition beloved. Some people don't believe that the son of God came. Some people don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

But we know that the Son of God has come in history to redeem us and has given us what understanding knowledge of the truth so that we may know him who is what. Who is true who is the truth. And we are in him.

Who is true in his son Jesus Christ. Why. Because we believe we have his knowledge. That's why this is the true God and eternal life to know him to know him. Knowing this understanding this believing this agreeing with this is beloved eternal life.

And God's people said amen. Let's close out with a word of prayer our precious heavenly Lord. We thank you so much father for your witness and your witnesses father God and for the witness of your spirit and of your son and of your holy word.

We thank you for giving us so many incomparable objective witnesses father outside of us so that we don't have to despair internally and be be confused or mixed up with our feelings and all of the chaos that often or sometimes resides in us and the confusion in the and the that can beset us so very easily if we are not careful to simply agree understand and agree with your words.

Father God. We thank you so much for your truth Lord that you have given us everything in Christ. You have given us all in him even the faith that saves us. The understanding and assent to your witness and your witnesses your your statements about Christ he who died and rose on high who died eternal life to bring and lives that death may die.

That the blood of Christ points to your son that the that that that he saved us and that this is eternal life that the baptism of Christ is your witness. Father you bearing witness to the son and how you are pleased with him and that we must also listen to him his words because his words are your words because you are one in the same God.

Father. We thank you Lord for this precious promises and propositions laid out in your word help us to continue to deepen our understanding of them. Lord rightly in light of your whole counsel in Jesus name we pray amen.

Closing Exhortation and Church Announcements

Thank you for listening to the sermons of thorn crown covenant baptist church where the bible alone and the bible in its entirety has applied to all of faith and life. We strive to be biblical reformed historic confessional loving discerning christians who evangelize stand firm in and earnestly contend for the christian faith.

If you're looking for a church in the el paso texas area or for more information about our church sermons and ministries such as semper reformanda radio and thorn crown network podcast please contact us at thorn crown ministries .com.

And may the mercy peace and love of our triune God be multiplied to you.