The Epistle closes with an expression of the confidence in God that is the practical outcome of being established in the truth of eternal life. The effort of antichristian teachers and false prophets, against whom the apostle warns believers, is to shake the believer's confidence in God. The great end of the apostle's teaching is to confirm believers in the truth and thus establish their confidence in God, enabling them to resist those who would lead them astray.
It will be noticed in these closing verses that this confidence in God is kept before us by the repeated use of the expressions, "ye know" and "we know" (verses 13,15,18-19 and 20).
(Vs. 13). Seducers had attempted from the beginning to turn believers from the truth presented in Christ, to link the saints with the world, and weaken the teaching of the apostles by calling in question their authority. The tendency of these false teachers would be to rob the saints of the knowledge and enjoyment of their privileges. To counteract these false influences, the apostle writes his Epistle to those that "believe on the name of the Son of God", that they may "know" that they have eternal life.
(Vss. 14-15). This confidence in God finds its expression in prayer in the every-day life—"If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us." And if we know that He hears us, we also "know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." He, according to His perfect love and wisdom, reserves to Himself to answer our petitions in His own time and way. In the confidence in God that is the outcome of the new life, it is our privilege to make known our petitions to God, but not to dictate to God as to His answer. He may see fit to keep us waiting, but in the meantime we have the consolation of knowing that He listens to everything that we ask that is in accordance with His will.
(Vss. 16-17). Furthermore, this confidence in God leads us not only to pray for ourselves, but also to intercede for others. Many a sickness that comes upon the people of God is by no means a chastisement for sin, but, as in the case of Lazarus, for the glory of God (John 11:44When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. (John 11:4)). Nevertheless, there is the governmental dealing of God with His people, and, if we see a brother chastened of God by some sickness because of a particular sin, we can intercede for such an one, provided that the sin is not unto death.
All unrighteousness is sin and carries its governmental consequences, but these consequences may not always be unto death. Whether the sin is unto death or not depends upon the particular circumstances. Many a believer may have been led into telling a lie without coming under the severe chastisement of death; but in the case of Ananias and Sapphira the lie was aggravated by the circumstances and became a sin unto death.
(Vs. 18). In spite of all that deceivers may say to the contrary, "we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not." We know that as born of God we have a new life, and that new life is perfect and cannot be touched by the wicked one. So the Lord can say of His sheep, "I give them life eternal; and they shall never perish, and no one shall seize them out of My hand" (John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28), N. Tn.). Living the life of the new man we shall not sin, nor shall we be troubled by the wicked one.
(Vs. 19). Further, having a new life, we know that we are of God, and that we can thus distinguish between those who are born of God and the world around that lieth in the wicked one (N. Tn.). Living in the power of the new life, we not only escape the wicked one but are delivered from the world.
(Vs. 20). The apostle confirms our confidence in God by summing up the great truths of the Epistle. We know that the Son of God is come. With this great truth the Epistle opens. Having come, He has given us a full understanding—as being the full revelation of God—that we may know Him that is true. Thus the Epistle goes on to tell us that the message we have heard of the Son is that God is light and God is love. Moreover, we have learned that through the gift of eternal life and the Spirit, "we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ." This blessed Person with whom we are linked "is the true God, and eternal life." He is a divine Person in whom the eternal life has been perfectly expressed.
(Vs. 21). Finally, we are reminded that everything that would come in between our souls and God to hinder the enjoyment of the life that is the great theme of the Epistle is morally an idol. The whole Epistle would encourage us to live the life we have and thus be preserved from idols.