The Only True God
Scripture
And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.
—1 John 5:20–21 (NLT)
One of the reasons Jesus came was to reveal the Father. When we look at Jesus, we see exactly what God is like, His character, His compassion, His holiness, and His heart. As Jesus said, “The Father and I are one,” and Paul later wrote that “the fullness of the deity lives in Him in bodily form.” Through Christ, we have been given understanding so that we can know and walk in relationship with the true God. This is not just intellectual knowledge, it’s intimate fellowship. Because of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, our status as outsiders is erased, and we are welcomed into the family of God.
John reminds us that eternal life isn’t simply something we receive from Jesus, it is found in Jesus Himself. He is eternal life. To know Him is to live, now and forever.
Because of that, John closes his letter with a simple but piercing command: “Keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” That warning still rings true. Our hearts are prone to wander, prone to settle for less than God’s best, and prone to allow even good things to become ultimate things.
“Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.”¹
—Martin Luther, Large Catechism
Luther’s words cut straight to the point. An idol isn’t always a statue or a shrine, it’s whatever we trust to give us security, identity, or worth. So we must take time to examine our hearts. What have we allowed to sit on the throne that belongs to Christ alone? Success, comfort, approval, control? Whatever it may be, ask Him to help you clear it out. The One who gave you access to the Father is worthy of first place in your heart.
Reflection
- How does knowing Jesus personally help you better understand who God really is?
- Are there places in your life where your fellowship with God has felt distant recently?
- What is something in your heart right now that may be competing with Christ for first place?
Prayer
Thank Jesus for revealing the Father and restoring your relationship with Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you anything that has taken God’s place in your heart. Pray for a renewed love for Jesus, and the grace to walk in daily fellowship with the only true God.
Footnote:
¹ Martin Luther, Large Catechism (1529), “The First Commandment,” trans. John Nicholas Lenker (Minneapolis: Luther Press, 1908), 44.