1 John 5:13-21
13 “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. 14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother or sister committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I am not saying that he should ask about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. 18 We know that no one who has been born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 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. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”
Verse 13: John states that he has written these things to those who believe in the name of the Son of God. The purpose of John’s writing is to provide assurance to believers that they have eternal life. It is through faith in Jesus that we can have confidence in our salvation and know that we have eternal life.
Verse 14: John encourages believers to have confidence in approaching God. As children of God, we have the privilege of coming boldly before him in prayer. When we ask according to His will, we can have the assurance that He hears us. This confidence is rooted in our relationship with him and the promises of His Word.
Verse 15: John assures believers that if we know that God hears us, we can have confidence that we have received what we have asked of him. This does not mean that we will always receive exactly what we ask for, but rather that God will answer our prayers according to His perfect wisdom and will. We can trust that He knows what is best for us and will respond in accordance with His loving purposes.
Verse 16: John addresses the issue of praying for fellow believers who have sinned. John is referring to sins that do not lead to spiritual death, but rather to those that can be forgiven and restored through repentance and God’s grace. John encourages believers to pray for one another, trusting that God will give life to those who have sinned. However, he also acknowledges that there is a sin that leads to spiritual death, for which he does not advise praying.
Verse 17: John emphasizes that all wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin leads to spiritual death. The sin that leads to death is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, a rejection of Christ. Believers have been forgiven and cleansed through the finished work of Christ for all sins including this blasphemy.
Verse 18: John affirms that those who are born of God do not continue to live in a pattern of sin. This does not mean that believers will never sin, but rather that sin is not their identity or way of life. The one who is born of God, referring to Jesus, keeps believers safe and protects them from the harm of the evil one. This highlights the security and protection that believers have in Christ.
Verse 19: John reminds believers that they are children of God, while acknowledging that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Believers have been transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Though the world may be under the influence of the evil one, believers are secure in their identity as children of God.
Verse 20: John emphasizes that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, has come and given believers understanding. Through Jesus, believers have come to know the true God and have entered into a relationship with him. It is through our union with Jesus Christ that we are in the true God and have eternal life. This highlights the centrality of Jesus in our knowledge of God and our experience of eternal life.
Verse 21: John concludes his letter with a warning to believers to guard themselves against idols. The idols of which John speaks are those beliefs which are contrary to the doctrines taught about God in the letter. God is love and Jesus, in the flesh, is the perfect expression of this God. He has removed all of our sins and given us eternal life. This is the true God and Savior.
