KNOWLEDGE THAT TRANSFORMS
Opening Prayer
Thank you, O God, for the presence of your Spirit in me. Thank you for continuing to hold me fast and continuing to build my faith as I read your Word.
Read 1 JOHN 5:13–21
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Concluding Affirmations
13 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. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
16 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. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
18 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. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 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.
21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
The shepherds of old came to find out more about the Lord. This Christmas season, we can be inspired to do the same!
Think Further
John places his final bookend here, by repeating his main purpose, which is that by believing in Jesus we might gain eternal life (vv. 13, 20). It is also the climax toward which the whole letter builds. We can know that we have received this life, without the aid of the special knowledge claimed by false teachers. He also wants us to have confidence in the power of prayer and boldness to approach God’s throne.1 John was taught to pray ‘your will be done’ by Jesus himself;2 he reminds us that God hears us when we pray according to his will (v. 14) and that, when we do, we will receive whatever we ask.
If we see another believer sin, we should pray for them (vv. 16, 17). Many prominent leaders have fallen into wrongdoing lately and it can discourage us in our own discipleship if we do not pray for them. John reflects the common understanding of degrees of sin in his day,3 but he does not prohibit praying for those guilty of a ‘sin that leads to death’ (v. 16), saying only that he is not advocating it and is uncertain of the outcome. Prayer remains the healthiest of a range of possible responses.
The repeated word ‘know’ in verses 18–20 could be the headings of a three-point sermon. It also sent out a challenge to the early Gnostic heretics that those who are born of God belong to him and not the devil. The teaching that the whole world is under the control of the evil one should neither surprise nor intimidate us; it is certainly evident today, as it was in John’s time. Yet John himself heard Jesus say that we should be at peace because he has overcome the world.4
Apply
Think about John’s closing plea (v. 21). Could this apply to any of our seasonal activities or attitudes? What might Exodus 20:3,4 mean for us today?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, there is no greater love than yours, no greater sacrifice made for me than yours. Help me, that my following you will be steadfast, my life one that continually shows others who you are.
1 Heb 4:16 2 Matt 6:10 3 Gary Burge, The Letters of John, The NIV Application Commentary, Zondervan, 1996, p217 4 John 16:33
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