¹³ I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. ¹⁴ And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. ¹⁵ And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.¹⁶ If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. ¹⁷ All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.

¹⁸ We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. ¹⁹ We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

²¹ Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

Final Remarks

I considered breaking up this passage into a number of days, however, I felt like John was trying to wrap up everything he’s written in his letter in one overall summary. It is clear from these words that John had a deep love for those who he ministered among.

Remember, John is living in Ephesus as he writes these words. He has been with these people for a few years now, but not his entire life. He has seen most of his ministry peers (Peter, Andrew, James, Matthew, etc.) put to death for their faith. He knows that he will likely follow the same fate at some point. And so, he looks out at the next generation of Christ followers, and he loves them. He encourages them to be confident in how they come to God, to hold each other accountable, and to never lose sight of the great calling to love God and love others.

I can’t think of better words to end with.

My prayer: Father, I thank you for all you have done in my life. I am reminded of the people who invested in my own spirituality. Ministers who willingly took the time to speak life into me. They challenged and encouraged and ministered to me on a regular basis. I thank you for them. I also thank you for the opportunity to speak into the lives of others. I think of those who have stepped out into full time ministry over the years. I am grateful for each of them. Thank you that all of us have the opportunity to speak into the lives of others if we choose to do so. Amen.

Until tomorrow.