Don’t read 1 John like a spiritual SAT.
It’s not grading your performance. It’s reminding you: You believe in Christ. You love His people. You confess your sin. You are His.“Whoever has the Son has life.”
Not “has enough fruit.”
Not “has perfect doctrine.”
Not “has unshakable feelings.”
Has the Son.
That’s the heartbeat of 1 John.
Christian,
your love may be small,
your faith imperfect,
your obedience flawed.
But these are not the root of your assurance—
Jesus is.
Christ is King.
And in His kingdom, grace reigns.
Not guilt.
Not fear.
Not self-sufficiency.
Grace.
John speaks to “little children.”
To the struggling, the weak, the tempted.
He reminds you that you’re not in the dark.
You know the truth.
You confess the Son.
You are forgiven.
You are loved.
If 1 John were a test, we’d all fail.
But it’s not.
It’s a pastoral letter saying:
You’re not like them.
You’re His.
“By this we know...”
That phrase shows up again and again in 1 John.
Not so you’ll question,
Not so you'll wonder,
But so you’ll know.
So you’ll rest.
So you’ll stop navel-gazing and look to Christ.
Obedience is a fruit of union with Christ, not a test of it.
Want to grow in holiness?
Start with assurance. Fruit grows from rest, not fear.
The Law tells you what God demands.
The Gospel tells you what God gives.
Mix them up, and you’ll either become proud… or crushed.
Assurance doesn’t come from feeling, it comes from looking.
Though I falter in this war with sin
I set my hope on Jesus
When I fail the fight and sink within
I set my hope on Jesus
Though the shame would drown me in its sea
And I dread the waves of justice
I will cast my life on Calvary
I set my hope on Jesus