1 John 5:13: 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.
When you decide to send a message to someone, before you start composing it, you think of the person who is going to receive the message, right? If you want to write a love note, you’re going to think of the person who is the object of your love and then dwell on that person as you compose what you want to say. Unless the object of your love doesn’t know how you feel, the receiver of this message will not be surprised by the content of your note. While he/she will be blessed by your expression of love, the message comes as a reminder of something he/she already knows.
John the Apostle is writing in today’s verse a note to the church in Ephesus – a church he pastored for many years. These are people who have come to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. They’ve accepted that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, that His sacrificial death on the cross provides a mechanism for permanent forgiveness for past, present, and future sins, and that He is alive – resurrected from the dead. In other words, John is basically repeating that which they have already confessed? Why would John feel compelled to repeat something that they already believed?
Jesus put out a warning to the disciples in Matthew’s gospel in the 15th verse of chapter 7, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” Who are these wolves Jesus is referring? They are people who are under the influence and leadership of Satan. They seek to enter into a church or a group of believers and introduce any form of deception to breakdown the fibers of faith and divide the unity that should be a hallmark of Christian fellowship. The wolves at the time of John writing this Epistle – believed to be late in the first century A.D. – we teaching Jesus did not come in a physical body – but just as a spirit. His physical body was, in effect, just a mirage.
Sadly, some of the believers must have started listening to this nonsense, so John felt compelled to remind them of something they already knew – the truth about Jesus who is the Truth. We all forget things from time to time, but why does it seem to be so much easier to forget what we learn from God’s Word than other things? It’s not an accident. From all the way back to the Garden of Eden, Satan has been seeking to twist and cast doubt on God’s Word. Why? Jesus tells us Satan is the father of lies, and one thing a liar doesn’t want is to be revealed as a liar. As long as what a liar has to offer is somewhat believable, the liar still has some credibility. However, once the liar is called out for what he is, then he will lose his audience. Without an audience, the liar has no one to lie to – leaving him unable to cause harm by his lies.
John walked with the Truth. He talked to the Truth. He ate with the Truth. He watched the Truth perform many miracles. He heard the Truth. He knew the Truth. When you know the Truth you are far less likely to be deceived by a liar – the liar. John also knows we are weak – like sheep. Therefore, he knows we’re vulnerable to the attacks of wolves – especially if they’re dressed in sheeps’ clothing. That is why he is repeating himself with the assurance of who Jesus is. This is not just to remind them of this fact, but it is also helpful to them to recognize when a lie is being told about who Jesus is.
Are you reading God’s Word? It is the truth. If you know the Truth, His Spirit will help you to continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. It’s worth repeating. That’s no lie.