1 John 5:9 9Since we receive the witness of people, the witness of God is greater. Because it is the witness of God because it has witnessed about his Son.
People want proof of God’s existence. God is spirit, thus invisible to the human eye. How do we know that something invisible actually exists? We can look for the evidence in ways God moves other things in the physical realm, just the like the invisible wind moves other things, proving its existence when it blows. The evidence for God comes through witness (martyria), the keyword in this verse repeated four times. John mentions two types of witnesses in this verse. Human witness is how we come to know the good news about Jesus. John and other eyewitnesses came with the testimony of Jesus, and the readers of this letter accepted it as truth.
The greatest witness comes directly from God. Three witnesses are mentioned in verses 7-8, drawn from the life and death of Jesus, and are confirmed by the Holy Spirit to those who believe. Believing that Jesus is the Messiah opens the door to accepting that God exists. This is more than an intellectual acknowledgment of a creator. Faith is the first step, but this confirmation of God’s existence goes even deeper. The message about Jesus is confirmed by the presence of Jesus within us through the Holy Spirit. Since the early church, the Holy Spirit has testified of the truth of the gospel to those willing to listen and accept it.
People may have doubts about God’s existence, but the Holy Spirit will not leave anyone isolated and alone in this search for God. The Spirit reminds us of our past moments of faith and of others’ witness to God’s truths. These times refresh our weak faith in two ways reflected in verses 7-8. First, baptism is a visible reminder of the key confession of faith that Jesus is Lord and the claims about him are true. When we see the baptism of new believers, we are reminded of our own baptism. Baptism can be a key moment for our own recommitment. A second way is through the Lord’s Supper. Each time we join together in the Supper, the Holy Spirit can remind us of our faith decision. Both of these experiences can be a “means of grace” by which God helps us grow in our faith and commitment to him.