1 John 5:13-21
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
Devotion
In verse thirteen, John tells his readers why he is writing this letter. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” John is declaring that eternal life is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. He is also declaring that believers can have full confidence in their salvation because of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Because Jesus lives, we will live. This assurance of salvation led many of the early believers to die a martyr’s death.
This assurance of our salvation will also give us confidence in prayer. This confidence is a boldness that we have in Him. George Muller once wrote, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness.” Prayer is not trying to get God to do something which He is reluctant to do, but prayer is aligning our thoughts with His. Therefore, John instructs us to pray “according to His will.” John is basically saying that we can have confidence that God will answer our requests when we are praying for His will to be done.
Verse sixteen is a difficult passage to interpret. Regarding this verse, F.F. Bruce writes, “What then is the will of God in accordance with which we are to pray? Nothing less than this, that men be brought into, and abide in, the fellowship of the divine life. If therefore anyone sees his brother committing a sin, he will ask by way of intercessory prayer, and God will give him – will grant to the intercessor in answer to his prayer—life for the brother concerned. The answer to such a prayer would be a conviction of his guilt sent upon the offender, and the consciousness of access to God for confession, resulting in restoration to the fellowship which is life indeed.”
In the closing verses of this letter, we see three affirmations. The first affirmation concerns every child of God. The true believer does not habitually practice a lifestyle of sin. John already made this point in chapter three. The second affirmation is that all true believers have been born of God. In other words, God remains the source of our spiritual life and being. The third affirmation is the most fundamental of the three. Both revelation and redemption are Christ’s gracious work. Without Christ, we could neither know God nor have victory over sin. This truth undermines the theology of the false teachers that John is warning his readers about. Jesus has given us “understanding” which stands in stark contrast to the “knowledge” that the Gnostics claimed to possess.
John will close out this letter with an eternal truth: Jesus “is the true God and eternal life.”
Questions to Ponder
Are you confident that you have eternal life? If so, why? Are you confident that your prayers are being heard and answered? What does it mean to pray according to God’s will? Are you struggling with a habitual lifestyle of sin? Are you certain that you are a child of God? Do you truly know Him who is true—the true God and eternal life? How has 1 John challenged you in your spiritual walk?
Prayer Points
- Praise the Lord that eternal life is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
- Ask Him to help You abide in Christ. Thank Him for the gift of talking to the Lord in prayer and praying according to His heart and will.
- Pray for yourself or another person who you might know who is struggling with a habitual lifestyle of sin. Pray for His kindness to lead them to repentance.
- Lift up another person. Ask the Lord to reveal His heart to them and grant them encouragement, refreshment, and love.
Suggested Prayer
Praise be to You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In Your great mercy, You have given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Thank You for calling us out of the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light. Thank You for eternal life that is found in You. Father, I ask that You would lead us out of temptation and deliver us from evil. Help me and our church family to pray according to Your will and Your ways. Lead us into Your truth by Your Spirit. Help us to keep short accounts with You, Lord, and make Your name known to all those around us. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.