Read: 1 John 5:1-13

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (v. 12 NIV)

Traveling in the car on a chilly Iowa day, my parents and I soon found ourselves nice and warm. There was no need for the heater, because the sun was streaming through the windows and quickly warmed up the air. As Mom was taking off her coat she commented, “Wow, the sun really makes all the difference!”

Her remark made me think of another kind of son. Not the sun in the sky, but Jesus, God’s own Son. The apostle John writes that if we accept Jesus as Lord, we will have eternal life. Thanks to his death and resurrection, we do not have to fear death. Instead, we can have the confidence that God will welcome us into his heaven because Jesus’ righteousness becomes our salvation. John also writes that if we have faith in Jesus, we have overcome the world, or defeated its power. The Devil likes to claim this world and the people in it, but if we belong to Jesus, the Devil has no claim on us. Jesus has already defeated him on the cross.

Mom’s words were true as she talked about the sunshine, and similarly Jesus the Son of God really makes all the difference for all who believe. He changes the atmosphere around us. How has Jesus made a difference in everything in your life? —Steve Laman

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the difference you make in our lives.

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