1 John 5:6-12 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

For there are three that testify:

the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

When I have read this passage in the past, I have left confused, wondering just exactly what John was trying to tell me. I now believe that it is simpler than I ever imagined. He simply wants me to believe God’s testimony about who His Son is and what His Son has done. Faith is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. “Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ,” we are told, “and you will be saved.” Believing is simple. Notice I didn’t say “easy”. A. W. Tozer has this to say about faith:

Now, if faith is the gaze of the heart at God, and if this gaze is but the raising of the inward eyes to meet the all-seeing eyes of God, then it follows that it is one of the easiest things possible to do. It would be like God to make the most vital thing easy and place it within the range of possibility for the weakest and poorest of us. [Tozer, The Pursuit of God, 88]

We tend to try to make things complicated. We have complicated our lives with “time and labor saving” devices. We complicate meetings with procedures and rules that overshadow the reason for meeting. We complicate relationships with unrealistic demands and expectations. We complicate religion with rules and regulations that place heavy burdens on followers.

The gospel is sublime in its simplicity. A small child can understand the simple message and believe, while an adult may be thrown off-guard by its simplicity and humbly bow to it. It is this simplicity that puts some off and drives them away. They want something complicated, something challenging, something that will prove their superiority. Faith is simple, but we all know that it can be challenging as well. But God has made it simple, for He wants a relationship with us and simply asks us to “trust” Him and what He has done for us, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

What is the testimony that comes “by water and by blood?” Two events stand out as a testimony to who Jesus was and what He had come to do: His baptism and His death. At His baptism, the Spirit descended as a dove and the voice from heaven proclaimed, “This is my beloved Son.” His baptism was one of identification with us and his ministry was to become our substitute. He “who knew no sin” became one of us so that He could pay the price for our sin. His death on the cross was the cost our sin exacted. His crucifixion stands as such a central and pivotal act that crosses now symbolize the Christian faith. The Spirit bears witness, driving home the veracity of these acts and His claims to our hearts, and this witness is a compelling call to believe.

Confident living comes from knowing why we are here and what life is all about. Confidence comes from knowing that we have a place and a future. Jesus has told us He has gone to prepare a place for us and that He is coming for us to take us there to live with Him forever. It all hinges on our relationship with the Son. If we have a relationship with the Son, we have life. If not, you are dead in your trespasses and sins. Trust God’s testimony. Listen to the Spirit’s voice. Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ. It really is that simple. But that one step will transform a shaky existence into confident living.