5:13 These things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may
know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son
of God.
We come to another cardinal point that John is writing
about. He begins verse 13 by addressing believers. These things (referring to
the epistle as a whole thus far) I have written to those who have placed their
faith in Jesus Christ. In other words this letter, like the rest of the Bible,
is a letter for saints. Unbelievers can truly extract one thing from Scripture:
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, Acts 2:40; 16:31.
There is a two-fold purpose John has in mind presently.
The first is a consolation to Christians everywhere that each of us should
soberly take to heart. John wants us to know that we have eternal life. The
Greek verb translated “know” is “eido” which we have discussed previously. This
verb is apparently employed in certain past tense usages. It is also translated
“perceive, be aware, have knowledge, be sure,” etc. John isn’t reminding them
of a coming future state the Christian will eventually enjoy; he is writing to
explain and remind us that we presently have eternal life. He wants us to know
this, because knowledge of it will bring clarity, comfort and peace that is
otherwise hindered by fear and doubt. This is exacerbated by knowledge’s
adversary: ritual and self-effort. John wants us to know that we need not
strive to retain or gain eternal life. If we have trusted in Christ He has come
to dwell in us through faith and eternal life is ours. Ritual presents an
ongoing sacrifice that rejects the finality of Christ’s work. Self-effort
rejects its sufficiency, says Christian author Dave Hunt. Both are blasphemous.
The second point John wishes to make was that we “may
continue to believe in the name of the Son of God,” NKJV. This
encouraging reminder from the apostle is his prompt to continue walking as we
have begun: in faith. John encourages his spiritual children to walk in the
same manner they began following Christ, and rejoices when he so finds them
doing this, 2nd John 1:4; 3rd John 1:4. John is stressing our continued walk of
faith and reliance on the Lord, which will only serve to strengthen us inwardly
and glorify our God. Paul writes: “Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as
many as be perfect(mature), be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise
minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have
already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have
us for an ensample.” Philippians 3:13-17. John wrote likewise when he
diverted Gaius’ example away from disobedient Diotrophes to godly Demetrius,
3rd John 1:11-12.
Paul writes that “He who has begun a good work in you will
complete it until the day of Jesus Christ,” Philippians 1:6. Trusting
in the Son of God we are counseled to continue “looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith,” Hebrews 12:2. In Him we have our faith, who
has promised and will fulfill what He has begun in each one of us. God is
faithful, 2nd Timothy 2:13.
Our walk of faith is our legacy in this world. It is the
epistle read by men as they come near us, come to know us, and see the
consistency of our confession. Do we preach Christ and live like the Devil? Our
actions will speak more loudly than our doctrine, and until our actions conform
through the Holy Spirit to the doctrine that accords with godliness, we will
not win a single hearing with the unsaved world. They look and they notice
either a consistent character that aligns with the Christian faith, or they see
a walk contrary to grace, mercy, love and purity that is the hallmark of the
Christian confession. We do well to walk in the steps of those whose faith has
been tested and rewarded; as the apostle says, we have them for an example.
They direct us to the center of our faith, the focus of our life, the provider
of all good things, Jesus Christ. He is our ultimate example, and the inspired
counsel is that we should continue trusting solely in Him as we trek on through
this sometimes bitter life, Proverbs 3:5-6.
That we we know and and are assured of our salvation, with no fear of losing it is a key feature of Hebrews as well. Without that assurance, it would be very difficult to continue a whole lifetime in the faith. It is why so many who believe in losing their salvation live a life of such emotional extremes.
ReplyDeleteI wholly agree. I have become convinced that eternal security is actually one of the major pillars of the Christian faith, and that without a reliance on the surety of our salvation in Jesus Christ the gospel and our Christian walk makes much less sense; perhaps no sense at all. By grace through faith rings quite hollow when works salvation sneaks in through the back door; there is no place for it. Either our spiritual life is lived in the power of the Holy Spirit as through us God bears spiritual fruit, or we are producing works that will never please God but instead insult Him since we substitute the assurance of our faith with works as a prop to ensure that we aren't "lost."
ReplyDeleteamen
Delete