Originally posted: 11/16/2021
And we know 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, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life, (5:20).
There’s a lot of repetition in this first letter written by “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, employed a key skill of teaching. Repetition makes the imparted knowledge memorable and works toward the goal of moving the knowledge from the conscious to the subconscious, until it becomes an integral part of the learner.
John repeats Truths essential in the battle against false teachers. And there is much emphasis on love. God’s Love that gave His Son. God’s Love that came in the flesh. God’s Love that became the Propitiation for Our Sins. God’s Love that forgave us our sins. God’s Love that transforms His children into His likeness. God’s Love that is True.
It was critical for these believers to know Truth in order to overcome the world; and not just know Truth, but to believe so as to build their whole lives upon it.
Scripture is clear: our eternity is determined by faith in the testimony of Jesus, the Son of God. None but the God Who Is True and Who Is Eternal Life can give eternal life. And it really all comes down to this… we either believe Jesus Is the True God and Eternal Life, or we don’t.
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life, (5:11-12).
As we wrap up our time in this book, it seems a good time for some repetition as we review what we have considered thus far; that the knowledge we possess of Him, the True God and Eternal Life, would possess us; and that our knowledge of Truth would move from our conscious to subconscious and become an integral part of who we are.
Consider Him, the True God and Eternal Life
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Was From the Beginning, the Word of Life.
- What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life, (1 John 1:1).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Is Light.
- This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all, (1 John 1:5).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Is the Propitiation for Our Sins.
- and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world, (1 John 2:2).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Gives the Promise of Eternal Life.
- This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life, (1 John 2:25).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Takes Away Sins.
- You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin, (1 John 3:5).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Destroys the Works of the Devil.
- …The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil, (1 John 3:8).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Laid Down His Life for Us.
- We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, (1 John 3:16).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Has Given Us His Abiding Spirit through Faith in His Name.
- This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us, (1 John 3:23-24).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Has Bestowed His Great Love on Us and Has Called Us His Children.
- See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him, (1 John 3:25).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Proved His Love in Sending His Only Son that We Might Live Through Him.
- By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, (1 John 4:10).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who Perfects His Love in Us and Casts Out All Fear.
- By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love, (1 John 4:17-18).
- He Is the True God and Eternal Life, Who First Loved Us so that We Could Love Him.
- We love, because He first loved us, (1 John 4:19).
How do we respond to Him, the True God and Eternal Life?
As John began to wrap up his letter, he described the progression of faith in the life of those who have placed their faith in Him, the True God and Eternal Life. Believing that Jesus was born to die as payment for our sins and trusting His sacrifice on the cross results in our being born again in Him, which leads to becoming like Him in love, which produces obedience, which culminates in overcoming life.
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith, (5:1-4).
Is this our testimony? Can we say, without fear or doubt, that we know we have eternal life because we have the Son, the True God and Eternal Life?
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life, (5:11-12).
But like the believers in John’s day, the enemy is relentless in ushering in false teachings to lure us away from the Truth. We must commit our time to study the things written in His Word, that we would grow in our faith and confidence in Him, the True God and Eternal Life.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life, (5:13).
God has given us His Word that we may know Him, the True God and Eternal Life, for our salvation and our sanctification. As we grow in our knowledge of Him, He will grow us to become more like Him in His Love that manifests in obedience; and by this, He empowers us to overcome the schemes of the enemy and the enticements of the world.
But that requires diligent study on our part so that we would be able to guard the Truth. The last words John wrote in his first letter to these believers is counsel we too must take to heart. Let us be diligent and careful to guard our hearts from anything that rivals our affection for Him, the True God and Eternal Life.
Little children, guard yourselves from idols, (5:21).
And the best guard we have is to abide in His Word, for He has promised as we do, His Truth will provide our defense against the false teachings of the enemy and free us to follow Him, the True God and Eternal Life.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” (John 8:31-32).
Oh, let us daily seek to abide in His Word, that we would grow in our knowledge and understanding of Him, the True God and Eternal Life. Let us pray that what we know would move from our conscious to our subconscious, so that Who we know would become the most absolute and integral part of who we are.
And we know 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, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life, (5:20).