As previously mentioned, at this time in John’s life he is getting up in years. His writing reflects a circular reasoning, coming back to a few key elements again and again, constantly repeating what is most important. But like an aging grandparent, we know he is motivated by love. In fact, love gushes from the whole book. Here a restatement of the letters Big Idea is necessary: Fellowship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ cause believers to live in obedience to the Word and in love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. John tells us this Big Idea is important for two reasons: it makes one complete in Christ, and it is a valuable test for determining another’s completeness (salvation), and therefore their honesty in presenting new information. These concepts permeate the whole book, and are made even more relevant by John’s informative writings regarding the end times, the goal of antichrist’s and the Antichrist, true and false spirits, and the nature of the world in general. Now, in his closing, John will once again restate his main arguments surrounding our fellowship and love.

Reading the opening in chapter five, I cannot help but think of the Jewish lawyer who asked Jesus who his neighbor is after Jesus said to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Throughout the book John has commanded the readers to “Love their brother.” To which the natural inclination of man is to then ask, “Who is my brother?” John answers this question fully in the first three verses of chapter five: Anyone who believes Jesus is the Christ. And we love the children of God by loving God and being obedient to God’s commands. One’s initial impression is that this is a difficult task, a heavy burden to the child of God, but John says in verse three this is not so. For the same faith in Jesus which now enable us to abide in the Father also enable us to overcome the world (the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – 2.15-.17). It is the same faith that accomplishes both our salvation from and our victory over the world. In this sense, faith is the primary ingredient, of even greater importance than love. For faith even enables our love for God and others, and therefore enables our obedience as well. O’ how important it is to have faith that Jesus is the Son of God!

Verses six through 12 is John’s final reproach of Cerinthus’ heresy regarding Jesus. As previously mentioned, Cerinthus believed that Jesus was just a man whom God rested on in a special way. God came upon the man Jesus at his baptism, but left him before his death on the cross (for God, being spirit, could not experience death Himself). It is to this teaching that John responds when he writes that the Spirit (who is God), the water (of Christ’s baptism) and the blood (of Jesus’ crucifixion) all concur that Jesus is the Son of God. Not only these three testify, but so does anyone who has faith in the Father, for this testimony has been put in their heart. Therefore, anyone who claims Jesus is not God’s Son, rejects the testimony of God Himself, the baptism and crucifixion of Jesus, and the multitudes who abide in God the Father! Such a man does not have life.

Eternal life is rather given to the faithful in Jesus Christ. And it is for this reason that John writes the church. Not that they may hope they have eternal life; not that they may guess they have eternal life; not that they may pray they have eternal life; and not that they may wonder if they have eternal life; but that they may know they have eternal life. For this reason we can have faith that we abide in the Father, that our Father hears our prayers, and that out of love our Father will answer our prayers. This is not a guarantee that God will give us every desire of our heart indiscriminately, but that we know we have the loving response to our prayers. Further, this is not simply any prayer, but intercessory prayer regarding a brother’s sin. Love for our brother will lead us to intercede on his behalf in prayer. It is this kind of prayer God guarantees he will always give the most loving answer to.

We are all alike in this respect: when we sin we don’t want prayer because prayer means someone found out. And we sometimes will tell the most amazing stories to cover up our sin. I think of a man who was arrested the other day for stealing a woman's change purse. He told the judge that he hadn't been feeling well, and he thought the change would do him good.

But seriously, the sin of a brother is a serious thing, and may even lead to physical death (as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira), yet remember that John has just shown that a brother possesses eternal life (5.11-.13). The sins of a brother therefore cannot lead to his eternal death, so it is clear that John must be writing in regard to physical death. Once the sentence of death has been carried out, there is no longer any need to pray on that individuals behalf. Rather, our prayers are to be for the brother who has sinned and is still living. And though we may still stumble over the temptations of this satanically controlled world, and sometimes even fall into sin, we can know that it is not a product of our regenerate nature in Christ, that we are free from the world system, because we now abide in Christ rather than in the world. So always remember, and never forget, the understanding God has given us regarding His Son: that he is not an idol, but the true God and eternal life.