The Apostle John wrote this epistle “that (we) may know that (we) have eternal life” (5:13). Though he has said a great deal about Christian certainties, about what we “know,” his words have been, shall we say, challenging. Their effect could easily be the opposite of his intention. Remember, the Apostle has two audiences: genuine Christians whom he wishes to reassure, and false prophets with their counterfeit disciples whom he wishes to expose. Both audiences profess Christ, so he turns to behavioral signs of authenticity to distinguish the one from the other. The true Christian, he has said, is one who has fellowship with the God who is light (1:5-7), and, as a consequence, renounces sin (1:8–2:2), keeps the commandments (2:3-6), and loves the brethren (2:7-11). Granted these are not done perfectly (1:8,9). Still, if these qualities are not found in a professed believer, then, says the Apostle John, he is self-deceived, devoid of the truth, makes God a liar, is devoid of God’s word, is himself a liar, walks in darkness, doesn’t know where he is going, and is blind (1:8,10; 2:4,11). “Challenging” may be an understatement.

The Apostle John’s intention is both to reassure true believers and to unmask and shake-up heretics and hypocrites. True believers would be able to observe in the false prophets and their disciples casual attitudes toward sin, disregard for the commandments, and lovelessness. They could recognize them for what they were: counterfeits. Conversely they would be able to identify the opposite in themselves. But the intended consequence might also be for genuine Christians to doubt their salvation. Sensitive souls might look at their own spiritual and moral shortcomings, and question whether or not their Christian experience was valid or not.

I expect that this has happened whenever the Apostle John’s first epistle has been studied. Tender consciences may hear what the Apostle John says, compare his high standards with their weak discipleship, and wonder about the authenticity of their faith. This is not necessarily an unhealthy exercise. Remember John Wesley was an ordained clergyman in the Church of England before he came to realize that he was not converted. Only when he became convinced that he was not a genuine Christian was the door opened to become a true one. This is a possibility that some of us may need to consider.

For others, though, it might result in unhealthy introspection and doubt, and unsettle their Christian lives. There are those who have assurance who shouldn’t. There are also those who should have assurance who don’t, and who are miserable because they fear they are lost. Try as they will, they cannot find assurance. They doubt their experience, they doubt God’s promises, and they are robbed of their joy.

To such, the Apostle John once again underscores our certainties in 2:12-14. “John wants his ‘little children’ to be in no doubt as to his confidence in their standing in Christ,” says Ian Hamilton.1 He makes definite, positive statements about their salvation that are “meant to awaken . . . confidence among his readers (cf. 5:13),” Marshall explains.2

There is considerable discussion among the commentators whether John is addressing one, two, or three groups, as well as why he repeats himself as he does.3 As for the latter, he seems to lay out his argument as he does primarily for rhetorical or stylistic purposes. Regarding the former, if three groups, there are children, young men, and fathers. These have been popularly identified with three stages in Christian growth. However, because there is repetition and overlap between the groups, and because the order is odd (neither ascending nor descending), if this were his intention it seems an unlikely method of doing so. A number of commentators understand John to be addressing only two groups, fathers and young men, which also are identified as stages in the growth.4 Children, they would argue, refer to the whole church, as in 2:1.

My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; (Jn 2:1; cf. 2:8,28; 3:7,18; 4:4; 5:21)

Whichever interpretation one follows, it has little effect on one’s exposition, because the same things are being said, whichever group(s) is(are) being addressed. We will follow the latter, noting as we do that there are those who are less mature, about whom the Apostle John nevertheless expresses great confidence. About what can we be certain as believers? What can we know?

Forgiveness

What is the lowest common denominator among us? What can the least of us (following one set of commentators in understanding “children” to be the most immature believers), and so all of us (following the others in understanding “children” as a reference to the whole church) be sure of? That our sins are forgiven.

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. (1 Jn 2:12)

John uses the perfect tense, “are forgiven,” indicating a completed action, “a past fact with ongoing consequences.”5 John is reminding us of the forgiveness of sins received at conversion. Whereas 1:9 described the ongoing process of confession resulting in forgiveness, now he views forgiveness as a gift received all at once, when we come to faith. He writes “because” our sins “are forgiven.” It is a fact. He speaks with certainty. Our “sins,” which have separated us from God, which bring His wrath and curse, which condemn and our souls, have all been forgiven. The stain of sin has been removed, its consequences erased, its penalty forgiven.

Why are we forgiven? The next phrase explains. “For His name’s sake” should be translated “on account of His name.” The sense is causative, meaning “on the basis of His name.” “Name,” as normally is the case in Scripture, indicates the person, not just a label.6 John is reminding us of the basis of our forgiveness. We are forgiven because of what Jesus has done. Jesus Christ the righteous is our Advocate. He secured our forgiveness through His “propitiation for our sins” (2:1,2). His blood cleanses us from all our sin (1:7). His work, not ours, saves us. This gives us perspective in the challenges of 1:8–2:11. It is not because we keep the commandments that we are forgiven. Neither is it because we love. Nor is it because we confess our sins on a regular basis. The moral and social tests of 1:8–2:11 are signs, not causes of forgiveness. Confession, obedience, and love are our responses to the gospel. They are signs that we already have forgiveness. We are saved only by faith in Jesus Christ, not by performing righteous, moral, and social deeds. How do we know that our sins are forgiven? Because of what Jesus has done, the benefit of which we have received by faith (Eph 2:8,9). As a consequence of forgiveness, we then live a life of confession, of obedience, and of love.

This is what separates the gospel from religion. Salvation is all of grace, of unmerited favor. Eternal life is a gift (Rom 6:23). Deny this and one undermines and destroys the gospel. When converted, one is justified by faith and receives the forgiveness of sins. Right then one can have complete assurance. Yes, there soon must begin to appear signs that a genuine turning, or converting of a life, has occurred. Christ will change us, and that change will be observable to all. The new believer will confess his sins, he will obey, and he will love, not infallibly, but, as we have seen, genuinely and increasingly. Yet at the moment of faith, full, free, unmerited forgiveness is given for all sins, past, present, and future “for His name’s sake.” This is what the gospel offers us. We can know our sins are forgiven. We can know that we are right with God. The angst of the unknown can be set aside. The anxiety of an unresolved relationship with God can be quieted.

Brit Hume, news broadcaster with Fox News, counseled the disgraced golfer Tiger Woods to turn to Christ for these key reasons. Hume was asked about the potential for Woods to make a comeback. He answered, “Tiger Woods will recover as a golfer. Whether he can recover as a person I think is a very open question, and it’s a tragic situation for him. I think he’s lost his family, it’s not clear to me if he’ll be able to have a relationship with his children.” Then Hume addressed the deeper spiritual issues. “But the Tiger Woods that emerges once the news value dies out of this scandal – the extent to which he can recover – seems to me to depend on his faith. He’s said to be a Buddhist; I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be, ‘Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery.’”7 “Forgiveness and redemption” is exactly what we all need. This is the road to total, eternal recovery. The blood of Jesus guarantees forgiveness and restoration to all who believe.

Sonship

. . . I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. (1 Jn 2:13c)

Second, believers not only know that their sins are forgiven, but also know that God is their Father. John writes with assurance that they “have known” (as the perfect tense literally reads) the Father. The past event (conversion) brings present benefits (knowledge of God as Father). Every Christian may know that he or she is forgiven, and that God is his Father. God is not the “great unknown” for us. He is not distant and unknowable; a force more than a person. He is not even merely our Judge and Forgiver. He is our Father. We become sons of God not by birth, but by rebirth. Adoption into the family of God is a privilege that is given to those who believe in Jesus.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (Jn 1:12)

At the time of conversion, the Holy Spirit gives to a believer the knowledge of his sonship. He becomes experientially certain that he is a child of God. How does he know? Through the word God supernaturally gives the believer this knowledge. The theologians refer to this as the “inward testimony of the Holy Spirit.” The Apostle Paul says,

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Rom 8:16)

It becomes natural for the believer to call God his Father and to think of Him in these terms. Even the baby Christian is able to understand and rejoice in this. When we first brought Drew, our firstborn, home, he didn’t do much. I remember telling Emily that I couldn’t wait until he knew who I was and would smile and be happy to see me. It didn’t take long. One need not be a deep theologian to know one’s Father. One need be no more than a babe. But this one awareness integrates so much for us of the Christian life. Why should we obey? What is our basic motivation? Because a child wants to please his father (Mt 6:1-18). Why should we love neighbors and enemies and brethren? Because we want to be like our father (Mt 5:48). How should we pray? Like a child making requests of his father (Mt 6:7,8; 7:7-12). Why should we not worry about life? Because our heavenly Father provides for us (Mt 6:25-34). How do we understand adversity? As the loving discipline of our Father (Heb 12:3-13). How can we expect eternal security? Because we are safe in our Father’s hands, Jesus says (Jn 10:29). All of life is shaped by the conviction that the Father will protect and provide, and that I, in turn, respond by trusting and pleasing. If God, Almighty God, the God who is light and love, is my Father, what is there left to fear? I am safe. I am secure. I understand suffering. I have a new motivation for life and a new goal in life. This explains why it is inevitable that we confess our sins, obey, and love if we are true disciples of Christ. We have known the Father.

We were treated to a recent example of sonship awareness in the post-game comments of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. His team had just lost the national championship game to the University of Alabama. He was injured in his team’s fifth offensive play and sat out the rest of the game. Football is only a game, but given a young man’s perspective this was a devastating turn of events. Yet when asked by the sideline announcer, “What was it like for you to watch this game, your last game, from the sideline?” he answered, “. . . it’s unfortunate that I didn’t get to play. I would have given everything I have to be out there with my team.” However, he continued, “I always give God the glory. I never question why things happen the way they do. God is in control of my life and I know that if nothing else I’m standing on the Rock.” This is a young man who speaks as one who knows God is his Father.

Sonship is a privilege of grace that God gives to all of His children. The Apostle John knew that his disciples knew God as Father. This is what the gospel offers us. We are confident of God’s fatherly provision and protection. He is our Father, and we are eager to please Him.

Growth

. . . I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one . . . (1 Jn 2:13b)

. . . I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 Jn 2:14b)

The young men have “overcome the evil one,” they are “strong,” and “the word of God abides” in them. Again the perfect tense refers to conversion and its ongoing effects. Coming to faith in Christ involved the overcoming of the “evil one,” the devil. In the devil’s grip is the way that the Bible, and John in particular, views life outside of Christ. John says,

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (1 Jn 5:19)

The Apostle Paul refers to those who are trapped in the “snare of the devil” and are “held captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim 2:26). The god of this world blinds the eyes of the unbelieving (2 Cor 4:4). So in coming to Christ there is a decisive victory over the powers of darkness, an overcoming of the devil. We overcome the evil one and evil. We have victory over sin in the world. We are freed from the bondage of darkness.

The young men do not have the maturity of the “fathers,” but they “are strong.” Notice the tense shift. Now he uses the present. Contrary to the false believer (1:8; 2:4), the “young men” are strong because the “word of God abides” in them. “They have overcome the evil one because they are strong, and they are strong because the word of God lives in them,” explains Kruse.8 That is, “they allowed the message proclaimed by, and embodied in, Jesus Christ to remain in them.”9 John can see this. His disciples are people of the word. The word “overcome” is used again in 4:4 in reference to false doctrine, and in 5:4,5 in reference to love and obedience. The devil must be overcome on two fronts, doctrine and practice, and the initial victory at conversion must be confirmed again and again.

J. A. Motyer, my Old Testament teacher in England, told the story of his uneducated grandmother taking him on her knee and telling him of the differences between Matthew, Mark, and Luke. He said that things for which people awarded PhD’s today were second nature for her, and her whole generation. Why? Because they knew their Bibles. The Psalmist asks,

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word. With all my heart I have sought Thee; do not let me wander from Thy commandments. Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee. (Ps 119:9-11)

The word of God guides, guards, and arms us for battle (Eph 6:17). It equips us “for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16). We are sanctified by its truth (Jn 17:17). Faith comes by the word (Rom 10:17). We grow by the pure milk of the word (1 Pet 2:1,2). Even Jesus in the wilderness quoted Scripture as he fought off the attacks of Satan (Mt 4:1-11).

The Apostle John is confident about these young believers. Why? Because they are strong. They abide in the word. They overcome. They are victorious. The power of God is evident in their lives, even as is the forgiveness of sins, and the knowledge of God. They have grown. This is what the gospel offers us: freedom from bondage, victory over sin, spiritual growth.

Depth

Finally, we come to the second category of believer, the fathers. Up until now the Apostle John has been describing all believers, the mature (fathers) being included with the immature.

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. (1 Jn 2:13a)

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. (1 Jn 2:14a)

The fathers “know,” or literally “have known” (perfect again) the One who is “from the beginning.”10 This is probably a reference to Christ’s pre-existence (cf. Phil 2:5ff; Jn 1:1ff, 17:5).11 The false teachers denied that Jesus was “from the beginning.” They denied his eternality (see 4:1,2). The fathers understand and believe this profound truth.

The fathers have a mature faith. They have gone on from milk to meat. They understand the deeper things of God. They comprehend the great truths of the faith. Hamilton identifies “fathers” with “the wiser, more mature, well-proven men and women (probably older as well).”12 Bruce says, “The fathers, through long experience of Him, have come to know Him in a fuller and deeper fashion.”13 They have sought the Lord for years and have been granted a deeper knowledge. Perhaps, like Moses, God knows them “face to face” (Deut 34:10). Like Job, they have moved from knowing merely “by the hearing of the ear” to seeing with the eyes (Job 42:5). Through long experience they have tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8). They have sought and seen the beauty of the Lord (Ps 27:4). They have thirsted for God and their souls have been satisfied (Ps 42:1). “The fathers,” Bruce adds, “have attained a ripe and intimate acquaintance with the eternal God.”14 Experiential knowledge is what classifies one as a “father.” The Apostle John sees this in them, and it gives him confidence about their spiritual state. Certainly doctrinal orthodoxy is a basis of assurance. John will reassert this later in the chapter saying,

Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. (1 Jn 2:22,23)

Yet, doctrinal orthodoxy does not a Christian make. One may be doctrinally orthodox, that is, believe all the right things, and be spiritually dead. The true Christian will go on to deeper, personal, experiential comprehension of the things of God. Particularly, he will understand the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is what the gospel offers us – deep, personal, experiential knowledge of God in Christ Jesus. We may not all have arrived at this point. But this deeper knowledge is held out to us. With the apostle we can experience “the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord” (Phil 3:8). This is eternal life, to know God (Jn 17:3). Against this all else in time and eternity pales. This is a glorious gospel. It offers to us forgiveness, security, victory, and depth of the knowledge of God.