Day 13 - 1 John 5:13-21 - He Hears

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.

 **************************

John ends his letter on a note of concern.  He’s older now and as we get older we begin to grow more anxious for the next generation.  Will they stay faithful to the message that meant so much to the old apostle?  Will they experience the joy of fellowship with Jesus like John had?  Will they really feel as loved by Jesus as the beloved disciple felt?  Has he brought them to encounter the complete joy he set out to uncover?

He knows at the root of all these concerns is the problem of sin and doubt, so he teaches the next generation that sin may not mean that God loves you less, but it may mean that you experience His love less.  Sin has a way of chipping away at our confidence, of planting seeds of doubt in our minds, and John wants better for them.  He wants better for us.

So he ends on a note of concern, but with a fair dose of confidence as well.  Never doubt that what you have been taught is the truth.  Never doubt that God hears the prayers of his child.  Never give up praying for others.  Never doubt that forgiveness is yours as long as you continue to acknowledge that the only means of forgiveness is the grace of God.  Even though the world may be infected with evil, never become unduly discouraged knowing that you are born of God.

In the end, the only truth that really matters and the truth that ultimately will unleash complete joy is knowing that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God.  There is no one like him and seeking complete joy in anyone else will leave us wanting.  He is the true God and the eternal life.  This truth is a the heart of every Joy Story!

Thank you John for this wonderful little letter.  The message has gone on.  Jesus has not been forgotten.  There are millions of us who enjoy the complete joy of having fellowship with Jesus.  Well done friend!  We anxiously look forward to thanking you in person!