In his epistle, John addressed the issue of false teachers infiltrating the church, leading people to believe they were true Christians when they were not. To combat this, John outlined three distinctive marks of a true Christian.
The first mark is the moral mark of obedience, where one proclaims Jesus as Lord of their life. The second is the social mark of love, as every true Christian loves the people of God. And finally, the doctrinal mark is the belief in the truth of Jesus Christ’s identity.
John emphasized that every Christian, regardless of their level of sanctification, possesses these three marks to varying degrees. It is impossible to be a genuine believer while only exhibiting one or two of these marks, as all three must be present.
However, John also acknowledged that believers may experience doubts about their salvation, and may even feel condemned by their own hearts. But for those with the three marks, there is no need to fear or hesitate in approaching God, as their relationship with Him is abundantly clear.
To end this letter John begins with these two verses, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14–15).
As a true believer, you have the freedom to approach God boldly and without shame, confident that He hears and answers your prayers. Your requests avail with God, and nothing is beyond His power.
So ask away, pray with boldness and assurance, and take comfort in the fact that you are accepted by God and that He hears you always. This is a marvelous truth that should inspire us to live our lives with greater obedience, love, and faith in Christ.
My Bible Thoughts With Pastor Rich 