Between Sisters Blog | Agape Love in Action for a Struggling Brother
John reminds us in verses 16 and 17 of the importance of praying for each other when we are involved in sin. He is not advising us to shun them or leave them on their path. John is likely speaking of sin committed by a Christian that leads to physical death as a result of God’s discipline. Think of Ananias and Sapphira and how they were killed on the spot for lying to God and the church. Also, 1 Corinthians 11:28–30 points out that some were becoming weak, ill, and even dying because of the way they were partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. “You might say that John’s ‘sin that leads to death’ in the life of a believer is something like a dishonorable discharge. It has nothing to do with eternal salvation.” John is likely talking about ongoing, willful sin that continues to be uncontested to the point that God takes drastic action. So we are called to pray for Christians who are entrenched in unrepentant sin. Christians should be very aware of their great need for other believers to pray for them when they are spiritually in sin, and they should also be praying for spiritual health and vitality of the other needy, sinning Christians around them. Don’t ignore it, pray for it! Check your own heart and confess your sin. Pray for them before you criticize or condemn. Then ask God to make you an instrument of restoration and to help them overcome their sin (Galatians 6:1). This is often the forgotten ministry in the church—restoring each other when we have sinned.
Verse 18 declares that we know the certainty of God’s power in our lives! It is important to understand that “no one who is born of God” is all believers and “He who was born of God” is Jesus. He is the one who protects us. Satan cannot undo your salvation. Paul says in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” In verse 19, there is certainty in our own position in God’s family. The rest of the world’s position is under the power of Satan. Verse 20 tells us that there is certainty in how we perceive the things around us. We have a spiritual understanding and discernment that unbelievers do not have (1 Corinthians 2:14). Our knowledge is of Jesus and that we are in Him. John began talking in 1 John 1:2–3 about eternal life and here he ends at eternal life. Eternal life is knowing God and being in Christ.
Verse 21 ends the chapter with an odd ending in light of all that has been said. You half expect John to rail on about love or abiding, but he says, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” You may be quick to excuse this as not being your problem, but our hearts make idols daily, hourly, minute-by-minute. Any good thing can become a ruling thing, and thus can become an idol. Ephesus, where John lived, was a center for idolatry in the Roman world. Regardless of Ephesus’ idol problem, John is declaring to his readers then and his readers now that Jesus is the only one worthy of your worship. John Wesley envisioned God saying, “My son, give me thy heart! And to give our heart to any other is plain idolatry. Accordingly, whatever takes our heart from Him, or shares it with Him, is an idol.” Guarding ourselves from idols means that we must daily watch our thought life, how and where we spend our time, what we give our money and resources to, and how we think about the world around us. So what steals your affection from Christ? Social media, your desires, your relationships, material wealth, breaking news…. What has taken God’s place in your life?
Do not I love Thee, O my Lord?
Behold my heart, and see,
And turn each cursed idol out,
That dares to rival Thee.
-Philip Doddridge