Eternal Life Found in 1 John

Eternal Life Found in 1 John

1 John 5:13 states, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." Have you ever wondered about eternal life? How can one be sure that they have this eternal life that John proclaims so confidently in his epistle? In his epistle, John gives some very clear ways on how one can be sure that they have eternal life. First, John proclaims that Jesus is eternal life (John 1:2). If one wants to know they have eternal life, the first thing people need to start with is to just look at Jesus, He is the source of eternal life. Second, John points out believers walking in the light (1 John 1:7; 2:3-5, 17, 28). To walk in the light means to walk with Christ in obedience to His Word. If one is walking in the light and not in darkness, they can be confident that their eyes are on Christ and that they are on the road to eternal life.

Third, one can know they have eternal life by enduring until the end (1 John 2:19). If one perseveres in their faith until death, believing in the source of eternal life, Jesus Christ, and lives a life of light, John confirms how this is a sign of genuine faith. Fourth, eternal life is granted to those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 2:23-25). If anyone denies that Jesus is the Christ, they are antichrist and can be sure that they will not have eternal life. By confessing Jesus is the Christ, the promised one has from God’s Word is eternal life (1 John 2:25). Fifth, one can be confident that they have eternal life not by being sinless but if they are sinning less (1 John 3:4-10). The Christian life is a process. One of these processes is called sanctification. By the means of Grace, God continues to prune and sanctify His children to be more like his Son, Jesus Christ. Believers can be sure they have this eternal life if they can see their lives becoming more like Jesus (Jobes, 2011).

Sixth, Christians can be sure of their eternal life by keeping the commandments (1 John 3:21-24). The commandment is this, “that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us” (1 John 3:23). Belief and love are at the heart of the Gospel. God is love and sent Christ to die on the cross for our sins and because of this, Christians should be radiating love. With love, there is no fear and Christians can have confidence of the day of judgment that they will receive eternal life.

So how does John communicate confidence for eternal life? It is all through love. Love God, love His commandments, love your brothers, love to do good works that radiate the light, love perusing the Christian life until the end, love God through sanctification, and most importantly love the source of eternal life, Jesus Christ. If a believer has this type of love, they should be confident to “know that they have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

Is Tradition a Bad Word?

Tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time through the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre-eminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere since the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere. (Iren., Adv. Haer. 3.3.2)

When it comes to Ignatius of Antioch, he highlights the role of tradition by explaining the importance of church leaders’ positions within the Church (Roberts, Donaldson, & Coxe, 1885). Ignatius, in all seven letters to the Churches, commands believers to obey the bishop, presbyters, and deacons (Ignatius, 1946). One of his most beautiful quotes regarding this topic is found in his letter to the Smyrnaeans (8.1). It reads,

You must all follow the lead of the bishop, as Jesus Christ followed that of the Father; follow the presbytery as you would the Apostles; reverence the deacons as you would God’s commandment. Let no one do anything touching the Church, apart from the bishop.

It is quite clear that Ignatius is teaching that the Church should submit and follow the role and office of the bishop. Ignatius, like Irenaeus, is trying to help people understand that apostolic succession is critical to the understanding of Christianity and to combat heresies formed by other pretenders of the faith. Suppose this type of tradition/apostolic succession is followed. In that case, the Church should have order and less division and be able to maintain the traditions that were handed down from the apostles. 

Today, if you speak of the word tradition, it is almost looked upon as a bad word in the evangelical circle. Tradition seems to have a different meaning than it did a few thousand years ago, and people today relate it to the Catholic Church’s false doctrines. They also view this word meaning that people hold tradition in equal status or even sometimes elevate its importance over Scripture. In my opinion, this is not what the word tradition should mean in the modern era of Christianity. Instead, people need to take the time to learn and understand the true definition of this term and identify the value and importance that it has and played in the role of historical Christianity.

References

Irenaeus of Lyons. (1885). Irenaeus against Heresies. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

Roberts, A., Donaldson, J., & Coxe, A. C. (Eds.). (1885). The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

McGrath, A. E. (2013). Historical theology an introduction to the history of Christian thought. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch. (1946). The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch. (J. Quasten & J. C. Plumpe, Eds., J. A. Kleist, Trans.) (1st ed.). New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press.

Lessons to Learn from Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch

Both of these apostolic fathers have much to teach us today, even thousands of years later. When I read Clement’s letter to the Corinthians, I was so encouraged by the example he has left us all in discipling people. Here are several things that stood out to me from his letter, which was read from The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch (1946):

Clement of Rome

1. Clement praises them for all their faith and toil for the Kingdom of God but is not shy to let them know about what he has an issue with; their schism (Clem. 1:1).

2. Clement seems to be a master student of the Old Testament (O.T.). He quotes many O.T. Scriptures at length and gives clear examples of how believers ought to behave in light of the O.T. examples. One of my favorite ones is when he shows the power of worldly jealousy, which brings death compared to Godly jealousy, which brings life (Clem. 4:1-13). This is a massive encouragement for me and my ministry to make sure I am confident in the O.T. Scriptures and that I can bring application from these examples in everyday life.

3. Clement shows authentic leadership in the way he writes his letter. He mentions how these commands and instructions are not just for the believers in Corinth, but they are also a reminder to himself since he goes through these very struggles as well (Clem. 7:1). This is humble instruction that I need to make sure is laced in my letters or council when I instruct other believers. I am never in another category of sainthood; I too am always susceptible to the same sins I am encouraging my brothers to flee from.

4. Clement petitions the Church of Corinth to repent (Clem. 7:2-8:4). Often, in my leadership, I find it difficult to instruct my brother to repent of their sins face to face. This example proves to be of great encouragement to my ministry.

5. Clement shows beautifully how vital hospitality is in a believer’s life (Clem. 10:7; 11:1; 12:1). Clement shows how hospitality played a role in Abraham’s life in him having a son; hospitality played a role in Rahab’s life of why she and her family were saved, and how hospitality was one of the reasons why Lot was delivered from Sodom’s destruction. This is one area in my own life where I need to grow. Sometimes I find myself thinking that my home is my own kingdom, and this idea is completely foreign in Scripture.

6. Clement shows us the power of humility (Clem. 16:1-17). Humility is perhaps one of the best traits a Christian can emanate since this is what our Lord did perfectly as an example to us (Phil. 2). Clement focuses on this point and displays beautifully how people of the O.T. are spoken of very highly, but yet they always write something of humility (Gen. 18:27; James 2:23; Job 1:1; 14:4; Num. 12:7; Ex. 3:11; Ps. 50:3-19; 88:21) It is a great reminder to me to work on the area of humility in my own life.

7. Lastly, Clement proclaims the deity of Jesus Christ (Clem. 36). He says Jesus is where salvation is found, he says through Jesus we see mirrored God’s faultless and transcendent countenance, through Jesus our hearts were opened, and that Jesus created everything (Clem. 59:3). What a beautiful proclamation coming from an Apostolic Father continuing to proclaim the deity of Jesus Christ. 

Ignatius of Antioch

When it comes to Ignatius of Antioch, there are three things that I have learned from this great man of faith. The first would be to respect those that God has put in a place of authority within the Church (Roberts, Donaldson, & Coxe, 1885). In all seven of his letters to Churches, Ignatius commands believers to obey the bishop, presbyters, and deacons. This is one area in my own faith where I need to do a better job supporting, loving, respecting, and obeying the leaders God has entrusted to place in these positions of office.

Secondly, Ignatius has encouraged me to celebrate the Eucharist in perhaps an enhanced way (Roberts, Donaldson, & Coxe, 1885). In his letter to the Ephesians, Ignatius mentions how believers need to make an effort to meet more frequently to celebrate God’s Eucharist and to offer praise (13.1). He says if we do this, Satan’s forces are overthrown and his influence is neutralized by the unanimity of the Churches’ faith. In the same letter, he mentions how the bread is the “medicine of immortality, the antidote against death, and everlasting life in Jesus Christ” (20.2). In Ignatius’s letter to the Philadelphians, he says, “Take care, then, to partake of one Eucharist; for, one is the Flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us with His Blood, and one altar, just as there is one bishop assisted by the presbytery and the deacons, my fellow servants” (4.1). Finally, in his letter to the Smyrnaeans, he writes how others do not believe that the Eucharist is the flesh of Jesus Christ. He then goes on to say to avoid associating with such people and instead study the prophets and the Gospel! Ignatius has a very high view of love feast, and I need to make sure that I never make this event only a passive routine that I participate in since it is one of the most significant events of the Christian faith.

Lastly, Ignatius was not afraid to die, not even if it was to be eaten by wild beasts (Roberts, Donaldson, & Coxe, 1885). In Ignatius’s letter to the Romans, he is pleading with them not to interfere and to let him die well so that he can be labeled as a “genuine disciple of Jesus Christ” (4.2). Listen to his plea, “I beg you, do not show me unseasonable kindness. Suffer me to be the food of wild beasts, which are the means of my making my way to God. God’s wheat I am, and by the teeth of wild beasts, I am to be ground that I may prove Christ’s pure bread” (4.1). What kind of man says these things? It is a man completely sold out for Jesus Christ, one who has no fear of death of what the world could bring because he knows exactly where he is going and whom he will see when he dies. Lord grow my faith to become like this great example of the faith.

References

St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch. (1946). The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch. (J. Quasten & J. C. Plumpe, Eds., J. A. Kleist, Trans.) (1st ed.). New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press.

Roberts, A., Donaldson, J., & Coxe, A. C. (Eds.). (1885). The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.