In his Gospel, John tells us how to be saved, but in this epistle, he tells us how to be sure we are saved. The letter is a series of “tests” that Christians may use to examine their fellowship (chaps. 1–2) and their sonship (chaps. 3–5). Note that the emphasis in chapters 3–5 is on being born of God.
The sermon showed how a person who is in right relationship with God should conduct his life. While the passage must be understood in the light of the offer of the messianic kingdom, the sermon applies to Jesus’ followers today for it demonstrates the standard of righteousness God demands of His people.
You need to know that God will always raise up someone to speak the truth when things are dark. The Bible says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against Him.” That man was going to be Elijah.
John’s prophecy is primarily the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the revelation of future events. You must not divorce the Person from the prophecy, for without the Person there could be no fulfillment of the prophecy.
It is a story where we see God at work. The hand of God is in every scene ruling and overruling the decisions that people make. And in the end, God builds a hero, saves a family, and creates a nation that will in turn be a blessing to the whole world.
The events recorded in this book should be a great encouragement to us when we experience trials and testings and become discouraged; for when God is not allowed to rule, He overrules. God is still on the throne and will never leave us nor forsake us.
