These Things have I written unto you

 1 Jn 5:13 - *These things* have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Towards the end of John’s first epistle he makes a statement of purpose as to why he wrote his letter addressed to true believers, that they may know that they have eternal life. The phrase “THESE THINGS have I written unto you” refers to the entirety of the letter (epistle) that he had just written to them. This verse cannot be properly understood or interpreted by itself without taking into full account the first two words: “These things”. He didn’t say “This verse” I have written unto you…. He said “These things”.


Many make the mistake of isolating this verse and then misinterpret its meaning by trying to make it stand alone. I’ve heard many teach that this verse confirms that as long as you mentally “believe” or “trust in” what Jesus did for you, that nothing more is required and you can be assured that you indeed have eternal life no matter what, and while ongoing faithfulness and obedience to Christ is “good” it’s basically optional when it comes to assurance of eternal life. But is that what he really meant?


John makes it clear that a true believer does have eternal life, so he devoted the majority of his epistle explaining what it means to be a true believer and a child of God and makes clear distinctions of who is, and who is not. If we want to take comfort that we indeed have eternal life, then it’s incumbent upon us to carefully read the whole of his epistle (these things), examine ourselves in the light of everything that is being said and then adjust our lives accordingly. Here is just a sampling of ten passages that lead up to the title verse and part of what makes up “these things”.


1 Jn 1:6-7 - If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.


  1. A true believer will make a practice of “walking in the light”. That means that they will make a practice of casting off the deeds of darkness, which is any sin and wickedness from their lives, and walk in the light. Only as we walk in the light does the blood of Jesus continue to cleanse us from all sin.


1 Jn 2:3-4 - And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.


  1. A true believer will follow after Jesus and be actively intent on keeping all of His commandments as a matter of life practice. This encompasses the whole of His teaching in the Gospels and reiterated in the instructions in the epistles as well. If a believer does ever miss the mark in this pursuit and intent, it is not out of willful disobedience, but an anomaly that is quickly recognized, repented of, and corrected so that they don’t continue in it.


1 Jn 2:6 - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.


  1. A true believer will make a practice of walking like Jesus walked in all righteousness, godliness, truth and love.


1 Jn 2:9-10 - He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.


  1. A true believer will not hate and hold with contempt others or be in any unforgiveness and bitterness towards anyone, but will be kind, tender hearted and forgiving.


1 Jn 2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.


  1. A true believer will not love the world and live for temporal things like material wealth and possessions or status, or to indulge the lusts of the flesh. Instead they will be focused on eternal things, growing in their love for and obedience to God and in doing His will.


1 Jn 2:29 - If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.


  1. A true believer will make a practice of crucifying the deeds of the flesh from their lives, forsaking any known sin and they will walk in righteousness as the new pattern of their lives.


1 Jn 3:3 - And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.


  1. A true believer will be focused on rooting out any impurities from their lives and be actively focused on purifying themselves even as He is pure.


1 Jn 3:10 - In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.


  1. A true believer will be a “doer” of righteousness. This means they will make a consistent practice of walking in righteousness in their day to day lives. They will not try to deflect and claim that Jesus lived the life of righteousness “for them” so that they don’t have to now, but will follow in His footsteps as He leads them in the paths of righteousness for His namesake. They will also walk in love and kindness towards others around them.


1 Jn 3:18-19 - My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.


  1. A true believer will not just make a verbal profession of love for God and the truth, but will actually walk in love and in the truth and will be evident in their deeds, actions and behavior. In that, we will have our assurance that we are in Him and that we have eternal life.


1 Jn 5:4 - For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.


  1. A true believer will make a day to day practice of their faith that results in them actually overcoming the enticements of the world, the temptations of the flesh, and the deception of the devil. Overcome means to: Conquer, prevail, and “get the victory” in a real and tangible manner.


Again, this is just a sampling of “these things” that John wrote unto them that all lead up to the statement in the title verse: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life. So it’s important that we don’t isolate verses, but look to the whole counsel of God's word and be intent on walking in accordance with it.

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