In the Spring we began these lessons, and now the Fall is awfully close, or at least we in Augusta are hoping for its cooler weather. Just as the Summer is wrapping up so is John. He chooses to close by wedging some refreshing doctrinal nuggets underneath his reader’s confidences. “Let me bolster you by reminding you of what you already know.” That tack has been the mood and tenor of his many phrases.
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know 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, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:18-21–ESV)
We [you] know…
About four times John couples these words. He and his fellow apostles were not the only ones intimated by the launching pronoun we. By this stage in his epistle, we means the readership. It was a closing reminder of where they were; an encouragement or a spurring on to look at life in a certain way. [Read more…] about 1 John 5:18-21: Final encouragement: Live what you know.