The Epistles of John 1John 5:13-18

The Epistles of John (1John 5:13-18) There are four main parts to this lesson: 1. The assurance of eternal life (1Jn. 5:13). 2. Prayer as God Intends (1Jn. 5:14-16). 3. The Sin unto Death and the Sin Not unto Death (1Jn. 5:16,17). 4. John’s Concluding Remarks (1Jn. 5:18-21). With this lesson we conclude our study of the letter of 1John.

The Assurance of Eternal Life The Epistles of John (1John 5:13) The Assurance of Eternal Life Three basic pillars of assurance that we are the children of God: 1. Faith in Christ. 2. We have made a break with sin. 3. We have learned to love (the brethren). Notice again the emphasis on “we know.” Salvation is never to be guesswork.

The Epistles of John (1John 5:14-16) Prayer as God Intends The qualities of acceptable prayer: 1. Boldness--the right of a free man to speak everything he/she needs to speak (5:14a). 2. Ask according to God’s will (5:14b). 3. Confidence--that God’s hears what we ask (5:15). Then in 5:16, John gives an example.

The Sin unto Death and Sin Not unto Death The Epistles of John (1John 5:16,17) The Sin unto Death and Sin Not unto Death The context is about spiritual life and death. The “sin not unto death” would be the occasional sin John has previously spoken about (1Jn. 1:7; 3:6,9). The “sin unto death” would be the continual sin that one will not repent of (1Jn. 1:6; 3:4,7).

The Sin unto Death and Sin Not unto Death The Epistles of John (1John 5:16,17) The Sin unto Death and Sin Not unto Death John says that “all unrighteousness is sin.” It doesn’t make any difference what sin it is (big, little, etc.), if that sin is not repented of then it can become a “sin unto death.” Conversely, any sin (big, little, etc.) can be a “sin not leading to death” because we are willing to repent of it.

John’s Concluding Remarks The Epistles of John (1John 5:18-21) John’s Concluding Remarks The concept (5:18,19) is a repetition of earlier teachings. When a Christian is walking in the light, Jesus will “keep” him and he will not be in danger of the devil. God has given us an understanding and we know that Jesus is the true God and the eternal life (5:11). Since Jesus is true deity, the warning of 5:21 is to flee all erroneous concepts of God (Gnosticism, etc.).

The Epistles of John (1John) Our study of 1John has identified many wonderful teachings: Chapter 1: We are to believe that Jesus has come in the flesh and walk in His light. Chapter 2: Jesus is our propitiation for sin, and we are not to satisfy the lusts of eye, flesh, and pride of life.

The Epistles of John (1John) Our study of 1John has identified many wonderful teachings: Chapter 3: The lifestyle of Christians as opposed to non-Christians is to be obvious. Chapter 4: We are to love the brethren and this is a sign of our conversion to Christ.

The Epistles of John (1John) Our study of 1John has identified many wonderful teachings: Chapter 5: Our faith is the victory that overcomes the world--His commands are not a burden.