This passage in Luke is one of only two places in the New Testament that mentions what we call the “virgin birth” of Jesus Christ (the other being Matthew 1:18, 22-25). The relative silence on the subject within the rest of Scripture has caused some to doubt the claim’s validity and others to simply minimize its importance. The argument usually goes something like this: “Surely the Apostle Paul would have discussed the virgin birth in one of his letters if it had any significance. Wouldn’t Jesus have mentioned his birth if it was an important part of the gospel?”

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.’” (Matthew 1:21-23)

If you’re like me, it is much easier to grasp tangible, practical realities than to assess subjective, internal experiences. So far, this is the journey we’ve taken through 1 John and the question, “How do I know I’m saved?” We’ve looked at our interactions with Jesus, the world, sin, and people. Yet, in this post, we’re going to move to something deeper and even more fundamental to our salvation.

What we think we believe and what we actually value can be two, very different things. Unfortunately, this can often be people’s approach to Jesus. If you ask a random person on the street here in the city whether or not they believe in God, statistically, you are likely to hear them reply, “Yes.” Yet, for many, that is sadly as far as their spirituality goes. Can a person who truly believes in God, and even claims to know God, orient the vast majority of their lifestyle as if he doesn’t exist? More than that, can someone who is truly a Christian continue to live in a lifestyle of sin?

If you’ve been a part of a church family for some time, chances are you’ve heard the phrase that biblical salvation is all about “relationship.” In our first blog in this series, we looked at the primary relationship described in the New Testament: our relationship to Jesus Christ.  This is not something that we earn but rather something we enter into by repentance and faith. Because we can’t work for it, our salvation in Jesus can often feel very subjective. Do I really know him? Thankfully, the book of 1 John in the Bible presents four other “relational tests” that should be evident in the life of a follower of Jesus.