Apr 9 Devotion: If We Say

1 John 1:5-10

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

         I have experienced the scenario where someone is trying to make a point and they weren’t really being understood, so someone asks the question, “Just what exactly are you trying to say?” I notice in the above passage from 1 John that a phrase recurs three times. Verses six, eight, and ten all begin with the phrase, “If we say” and I wonder what exactly is it that they are trying to say.

         The first time they use the phrase “If we say”, they say they have fellowship with God, but the truth is they were walking in darkness, which made their statement a lie. The second time when they say they have no sin, it only proves they have been deceived into believing a lie because all are sinners. The third time when they say they have not sinned; they are declaring that God is liar because he said all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So, what they said was: I lied, I have believed a lie, and I think God lied. Now you know that is not what they meant but that is what they were saying because talk is cheap when it is not based on the truth. We can say anything, but that does not make it so.

         An interesting example of this is given in Matthew 6:27, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” If I could add a cubit to my height, I would be 7 feet 4 inches tall. (I’m not sure I’m 5’10” anymore since I’ve gotten older, but just for the sake of the illustration, let’s take that as my starting place.) If I think I’m 7’4” and I tell you I’m 7’4”, would that make it so? No, because it is not based on truth. For something to be true, it must be true.

         I may have gone in a round-about way of making the point for this devotion, but let me simply say that basing your life on something that is not true is to live a lie. You can only have fellowship with God and have your sins forgiven by doing it God’s way. Just saying it doesn’t make it so. I am afraid that too many people have been deceived by religions and, therefore, have a false sense of salvation and fellowship with God. They may say they’re saved, but unless that have come to God, God’s way, they are still lost.

1 John 5:9-13

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

In Christ’s Service,

Bro. Adrian Moore

2 Cor. 4:5