The Essence of Spiritual Birthmarks

What if you could confidently affirm your identity as a child of God and truly comprehend the essence of divine love? Join me, Christie, as we navigate these timeless questions through the profound insights of the final chapter of the First Epistle of John. Together, we'll explore the transformative power of faith in recognizing Jesus as the Christ and uncover the victory this belief promises. Our discourse will guide you through the three unyielding witnesses—water, blood, and spirit—that testify to Jesus's divine nature. Moreover, you'll discover the five distinctive "birthmarks" that signify a true believer: faith, life, love, growth, and sin. These themes not only shape our understanding of spiritual identity but also provide a framework for living a life grounded in love and truth.

Prepare your favorite coffee or tea as we unravel the assurance found in faith, the promise of eternal life, and the incredible potential of prayer when aligned with God's will. We'll discuss the nuances of sin, distinguishing between those leading to death and others that don't, while emphasizing the responsibility we have to support our brothers and sisters in faith through prayer. This episode offers a reassuring message: as children of God, we are shielded by the Son, protected from the evil one. Immerse yourself in this spiritually enriching exploration of 1 John 5, where faith and love become the cornerstones of our journey.

Thank you for joining us in this episode of In the Field Audio Bible, where we explore the richness of God’s Word, chapter by chapter. We hope today’s reading brought insight, comfort, or inspiration to your journey of faith.

Transcript

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Welcome to the reading of the First Epistle of John, Chapter 5, with In the Field Audio Bible.

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My name is Christie, your host for this episode.

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This fifth and final chapter of 1 John answers the two most important questions that are even asked today whether one is truly a child of God and whether there is love for God and for one another.

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Both questions are proven if one believes that Jesus is Christ.

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There is victory to celebrate, knowing that even Christ had to overcome temptations and troubles to take loving ownership of his people.

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John writes about three witnesses proving that Jesus is God Water.

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Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River.

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The blood Jesus died on the cross for our sins and the Spirit.

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Each person can bear witness to Christ.

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Finally, each person was more likely than not to be born with a birthmark on their body.

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However, John writes that there are five birthmarks or tests of a believer.

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First is the faith test, aligning what we believe with the word of God.

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Second is the life test, on how we keep God's commandments.

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Third, love tests us on whether or not we love one another.

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Fourth, the growth test measures how far we are going in our way with Christ.

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Finally, the last one is the sin test, measuring our continuation to commit sin and whether it justifies meeting our human needs.

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Let's review.

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First, the two most important questions asked are whether one is truly a child of God and whether there is love for God and one another, with the answer resting in Christ.

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Second, there are three witnesses proving that Jesus is God - water, the blood and the Spirit.

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Last, a believer has five birthmarks or tests Faith, Life, Love, Growth and Sin.

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I hope you are in your quiet place with your favorite coffee or tea while enjoying this reading of the First Epistle of John, Chapter 5.

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Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and everyone who believes the Father is the Christ is a child of God.

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And everyone who believes the Father loves His children as well.

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Here is how we know that we love God's children.

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We know it when we love God and obey His commands.

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In fact, here is what it means to love God.

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We love Him by obeying His commands, and His commands are not hard to obey.

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That's because everyone who is a child of God has won the battle over the world.

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Our faith has won the battle for us.

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Who is it that has won the battle over the world?

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Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

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Jesus Christ was born as we are and he died on the cross.

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He wasn't just born as we are, he also died on the cross.

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The Holy Spirit is a truthful witness about Him.

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That's because the Spirit is the truth.

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There are three that are witnesses about Jesus.

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They are the Holy Spirit, the birth of Jesus and the death of Jesus, and the three of them agree.

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We accept what people say when they are witnesses, but it's more important when God is a witness.

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That's because it is what God says about His Son.

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Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts what God says about him.

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Whoever does not believe God is calling him a liar.

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That's because they have not believed what God said about His Son.

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Here is what God says about the Son.

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God has given us eternal life and this life is found in His Son.

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Whoever belongs to the Son has life.

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Whoever doesn't belong to the Son of God doesn't have life, doesn't have life.

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I'm writing these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

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I'm writing so you will know that you have eternal life.

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Here is what we can be sure of when we come to God in prayer.

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If we ask anything in keeping with what he wants, he hears us.

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If we know that God hears what we ask for, we know that we have it.

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Suppose you see any brother or sister commit a sin, but this sin is not the kind that leads to death, then you should pray and God will give them life.

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I'm talking about someone whose sin does not lead to death, but there is a sin that does lead to death.

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I'm not saying you should pray about that sin.

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Every wrong thing we do is sin but there are sins that do not lead to death.

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We know that those who are children of God do not keep on sinning.

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The Son of God keeps them safe.

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The evil one can't harm them.

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We know that we are children of God.

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We know that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

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We also know that the Son of God has come.

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He has given us understanding so we can know the God who is true.

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Dear children, keep away from statues of gods.