1 John is all about authentic faith. In fact, the author comes right out at in the 5th chapter and says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” Assurance of salvation is the divinely intended effect of the entire letter and one of the tests of authentic faith that John emphasizes over and over again is our personal holiness. Authenticity matters. It is immeasurably important in our relationship with God.

In many ways, the entire book reads like a spiral where John keeps circling back to the same themes over and over again. Authentic faith believes the truth. Authentic faith obeys the truth. Authentic faith loves God’s people accordingly. It’s also an intensely personal letter. The Apostle John is an old man by this time and has a deep affection for the Christians and churches he’s disciple over the years. In fact, he repeatedly refers to the recipients as “children,” “little children,” or “beloved.” There are two very simple questions I want us to ask every week as we study this book: (1) What does an authentic Christian look like? (2) Is that what I see when I look at my life?