13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
John did not write just to inform us about God’s love, His Son, or eternal life, but that we might know based on the evidence he has given us. With this hard evidence we will continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. When scripture describes a love relationship that we are already experiencing, it is a confirming witness that we are His children.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 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 the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Knowing produces confidence. When we know His will, we know what to ask for and that He hears us: then we know that we have the answer to our request. Knowing comes through abiding in Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
If we know that a fellow believer is lacking complete victory, but is not making a practice of sin, we should intercede for that one, asking God to restore him with overcoming life. The one who has repeatedly hardened his heart to correction, and has made a practice of his sin, is headed for death, so do not pray life for him. Though all sin is punishable by death, some are gaining ground toward the victorious life through repentance, while others’ hearts are being further hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, choosing to continue toward a dead end.
There are some examples in scripture of people who got into a death trap. Sampson played around with sin until he was caught in the trap of the enemy. Though God had mercy on him, empowering him to destroy his enemies, he died along with them. His life was cut short by many years because of his sin. It appears that, once a believer goes so far into practicing sin, God allows him to be trapped in the hope that he will then turn back toward life; yet, God will sometimes let their flesh be destroyed that their soul might be saved.
There was such a man spoken of in 1 Corinthians 5. Paul told them to turn the immoral man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh that his soul might be saved. God must judge sin beginning, especially, in the house of God. There were those who were evidently partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy, self centered manner which led to sickness, and even death, among them. See 1 Corinthians 11:30. In both of these instances Paul mentions God’s judgment was taking place.
In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira, his wife, both came under the judgment of God for lying about their financial dealings. This portion of scripture has few details but we must conclude this was not their first lie or deceptive offering but that they had developed a hard heart toward the truth. God is truth, and they did not know or practice Godliness.
Peter did not pray life for them, but judgment. We have to know the mind of the Spirit in order to pray for people in these situations.
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
Everyone who is born of God has been given the authority of His family name to keep himself from the trap of the wicked one and to defeat habitual sin by that authority. This powerful name is not available to those who are of the world because the wicked one still has them under his authority. Those who choose to habitually sin do not to stand in the authority given them; they have allowed sin to, again, be their master.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, 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.
The Son of God has come and has opened our understanding to know Him as truth. Abiding in Him, and in the truth, assures us of eternal life. In John 8: 31-32, Jesus said
"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
John’s closing comment is to keep away from idols. We usually think of an idol as a statue or graven image but it can also apply to mental images. Envisioning something in a covetous manner is a form of idolatry. Anything that takes our eyes and our affection away from the one true God is an idol. Colossians 3:5
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