"Now John's going to tell us the reason he wrote his epistle. He says, verse 13, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life." Why did John write this letter? He wrote it to a group of people who were professing faith in Christ so that reading the letter they would know whether or not they were truly saved. That's the purpose of this letter. And this was well-known in the old days of old preaching. If you want to know whether you've been saved or not, you don't go to some little magical formula; if you want to know whether you're saved, you go to First John, because the whole thing is a series of tests that are given so that the Spirit of God might reveal to your heart that you truly are saved and give you a biblical assurance instead of an emotional one. But at the same time, maybe give you biblical assurance that you're lost, no matter what the profession that comes out of your mouth." —Paul Washer
Is that really why John wrote his letter? Was that really the purpose of his letter? I greatly respect Paul Washer, but unfortunately he is completely and entirely wrong here. John was not writing to administer a series of tests for people to determine whether or not they were genuine believers. Pay close attention to what John says in the verse quoted by Mr. Washer, and not to what he does not say: "These things I have written to YOU WHO BELIEVE in the name of the Son of God." He was not writing to a bunch of professing believers to help them determine whether they are truly saved or not. He was writing to believers. Why? "So that you may KNOW that you have eternal life."
John's letter has two purposes. The first purpose is to warn believers about false teaching: "These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you" (2:26). The second purpose is to help believers know that they have eternal life—assurance: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life." (5:13). (Can John be divided into two sections? One that deals with those who are trying to deceive them, and the other to deal with the assurance of them having eternal life?) What John does in this letter is repeatedly emphasize the marks of a true believer and how these counter the false teachings. He contrasts obedience to God against licentiousness; loving one another against arrogance; and correct Christology against the idea that the body is evil. John was contrasting Christians with other groups—like the Gnostics and Docetists—who teach a different gospel and live very different lives. John is informing his audience that despite what those groups preach and teach, they should cling to what Jesus did, said, and promised. This is why at the very beginning of his letter (1 John 1:3) John reminds them of the Word he and the apostles have seen and preach to them. This is the only true Word and promise that they should cling to.
According to The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, the outline for First John looks like this:
- Prologue (1:1-4)
- Obeying God #1 (1:5-2:6)
- Loving One Another #1 (2:7-17)
- Correct Christology #1 (2:18-27)
- Obeying God #2 (2:28-3:10)
- Loving One Another #2 (3:11-24)
- Correct Christology #2 (4:1-6)
- Loving One Another #3 (4:7-21)
- Correct Christology #3 (5:1-15)
- Obeying God #3 (5:16-21)
The Ryken's Bible Handbook also errs in its understanding of the purpose of John's writing: "IMPLIED PURPOSES. To offer doctrinal and moral touchstones by which Christians can know if their profession of faith is genuine and active; to encourage Christians to live up to God's high standards in their spiritual and moral lives." Nothing is ever mentioned about proto-Gnosticism and the heresies John wrote to confront and correct; the actual purpose of John's writing.
Let us see what the intended purpose of John's writing this epistle actually was:
"First John tackles a strange heresy that claimed Jesus had been on earth only in spirit, not in body: "Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist" (4:3). John wrote that he knew Jesus personally, as one "which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled" (1:1), and that knowledge leads to a saving belief in Jesus. Saving belief leads to obedience, but even when we sin, we know that God "is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" when we confess (1:9)." —Know Your Bible
"From the beginning [this Epistle] has been recognized as a Circular Letter of the Apostle John to the Churches around Ephesus, to emphasize the Main Essentials of the Gospel, and to warn against incipient Heresies which later produced a Corrupt and Paganized Form of Christianity. ... Christianity had been in the world some sixty or seventy years, and in many parts of the Roman Empire had become an important religion and a powerful influence. Naturally there came to be all sorts of efforts to amalgamate the gospel with prevailing philosophies and systems of thought.
A form of Gnosticism which was disrupting the Churches in John's day taught that there is in human nature an irreconcilable principle of Dualism: that Spirit and Body are two separate entities: that Sin resided in the Flesh only: that the Spirit could have its raptures, and the Body could do as it pleased: that lofty mental mystical Piety was entirely consistent with voluptuous sensual life. They denied the Incarnation, that God had in Christ actually become Flesh, and maintained that Christ was a Phantom, a Man in Appearance Only.
In Ephesus a man named Cerinthus was leader of this cult. He claimed for himself inner mystic experiences and exalted knowledge of God, but was a Voluptuary. Throughout this Epistle it seems that John must have had these heretics in mind, in insisting that Jesus was the Actual, Material, Authentic Manifestation of God in the Flesh, and that Genuine Knowledge of God must result in Moral Transformation." —H. H. Halley, Halley's Bible Handbook"Many false teachers had gone out from Ephesus to surrounding cities, teaching erroneous views about Christ. John wrote his Gospel to convince his readers that "Jesus is the Messiah" (John 20:30-31). He wrote this letter to reassure them that through Jesus they have eternal life (5:13) and can enjoy fellowship with God and with fellow believers (1:3-4)." —Harold L. Willmington, Willmington's Bible Handbook
"We gather from Irenaeus that [this epistle] was occasioned by the invasion of several errors. One was associated with moral laxity and the Nicolaitans, whom Irenaeus tenuously connects with Nicolas (Acts 6:5; cf. Rev. 2:14-15). The other was an error concerning the person and work of Christ, attributed to Cerinthus, who taught a form of Gnosticism." —Merrill F. Unger, The New Unger's Bible Handbook
"After the Pauline battle for freedom from the law, Gnosticism was the most dangerous heresy that threatened the church during the first 3 centuries.
Most likely, John was combating the beginning of this virulent heresy that threatened to destroy the fundamentals of the faith and the churches. Gnosticism, influenced by such philosophers as Plato, advocated a dualism asserting that matter was inherently evil and spirit was good. As a result of this presupposition, these false teachers, although attributing some form of deity to Christ, denied His true humanity to preserve Him from evil. It also claimed elevated knowledge, a higher truth known only to those in on the deep things. Only the initiated had the mystical knowledge of truth that was higher even than Scripture.
...
A lack of love for fellow believers characterizes false teachers, especially as they react against anyone rejecting their new way of thinking (3:10-18). They separated their deceived followers from the fellowship of those who remained faithful to apostolic teaching, leading John to reply that such separation outwardly manifested that those who followed false teachers lacked genuine salvation (2:19). Their departure left the other believers, who remained faithful to apostolic doctrine, shaken. Responding to this crisis, the aged apostle wrote to reassure those remaining faithful and to combat this grave threat to the church. Since the heresy was so acutely dangerous and the time period was so critical for the church in danger of being overwhelmed by false teaching, John gently, lovingly, but with unquestionable apostolic authority, sent this letter to churches in his sphere of influence to stem this spreading plague of false doctrine." —John F. MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible
The Rykens write, "2:19, 26 hint at a church split, and on the basis of this some infer that John writes to a shaken church in which members wondered about whether they were on the right track in their beliefs and Christian walk."
While you may find evidences within First John of what a genuine believer looks like, nevertheless the purpose of John's writing was not to give a series of tests with which to determine if you are genuinely saved or not. His purpose in writing was to combat proto-Gnostic heresies and to encourage genuine believers in their faith, giving them assurance.
Furthermore, when Paul wrote, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test," he did not have First John in mind as a series of tests with which to test yourself. First John had not even been written yet! So what was Paul referring to when he said this? Do not separate this verse from the rest of the surrounding context of what Paul is discussing. This verse is not in isolation from what Paul had been writing. Stop ripping verses from their immediate context and forcing them to have your agenda rather than saying what they were intended to say. We are to examine ourselves in light of what Scripture says concerning the Christian. If we are missing the mark on everything, it is quite possibly an indication that we have never been saved. If we are missing the mark on the odd thing here and there, then we are probably most likely saved and just need educating in the areas we are missing the mark and to strive to do better. After all, according to Peter, "His divine power has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue." We lack nothing! See my Bible Study, How Can We, Like Enoch, Walk With God?, for more information.