at a glance
author: The apostle John.
date: Between AD 85 and 95.
setting: John, who was an eyewitness and close friend of Christ, wrote to encourage Christians to have confidence in God and in their faith.
verse to remember: 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 (5:13).
theme to consider: When doubts about faith creep in, read the book of 1 John. It will help you understand the reality of God in your life, assure you of your eternal life and encourage you to remain in fellowship with God.
unchanging truth
It’s okay to have doubts. That happens to every Christian. What’s not okay is letting them crush you. You see, doubts do one of two things to our faith. They either motivate us to find out the truth and become sure of what we believe, or they drown out the voice of faith and cause us to become weak.
This book uses the word “know” (or “knows”) 40 times. Count ’em. God wants us to know beyond a doubt that he is real and that he loves us. If we just think that’s true, then we open ourselves up to all kinds of doubts. For example, if you’re never 100 percent certain God loves you unconditionally, then you’re more likely to believe that anything you do or say wrong is a potential threat to your relationship with him. Majorly mess up? You’re outta there. Forget your quiet time for a few days? You’re history. Fortunately, God doesn’t work that way. He wants us to know we’re loved and that we’re safe and secure in that love.
The human heart is a tricky thing. It can tell us that we’re no good and that God has abandoned us. When we sin, our hearts can race with worry that God doesn’t love us anymore. However, God holds our hearts in his hands and sets them at rest. He says, “Don’t worry. It’s okay. I still love you just as much.” For “God is greater than our hearts,” and his love reminds us of the truth (3:19–20).
1. Obedience is the only visual proof that we love God and are saved (2:3–6).
2. The one who invented love and is love itself will always love us (4:7–18).
3. Love others. It’s not an option; it’s a command. If you don’t love others, how can you really love God (2:9–11; 4:7–12, 19–21)?!