A few nights ago, I decided to watch an old movie called The Postman. It is a dystopian movie about America after the fall. Kevin Costner stars in it and is the postman. The character stemmed from him finding shelter from the cold, rain, and chasers in an old abandoned postal truck. A little over halfway through the movie, an old man volunteer steps up to help fight the evil called the “wholeness.” The postman asks something like, “Why at your age?” “I know things,” was his reply. That was one of the memorable lines in the movie for me. I couldn’t help but think it is good to know things. Biblically, it is good to know things.

Atheism, agnosticism, deconstruction along with many other “ism’s” are on the war path against God, the church, and Christianity. It seems that truth is always on the scaffold and error is forever on the throne. This isn’t new. Solomon told us that there was nothing new under the sun and that includes godless beliefs. The Apostle John dealt with just those type heresies during his later years. It was during this time that the three little epistles of John were penned. False teachers had crept into the churches in and around Ephesus and begun undermining the apostolic doctrines. Gnostics seemed to pop up everywhere along with their error. Christians were walking away from the doctrines they had learned concerning Christ. A man named Cerinthus preached a doctrine that is called Docetism. He didn’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh and that the body of Christ was simply a phantom. He didn’t believe in the actual suffering of Jesus. Some of those people in the congregations were deconstructing their biblical worldview that John, along with the other apostles, had taught for many decades. An example of their rejection is when the Gospel of John, chapter one begins with the truth–Jesus is God and He took upon himself flesh (1:14). The old Apostle says about those that were leaving in I John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been with us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest (made known) that they were not all of us.” Why would he write this? Because there are some things that Christians need to know, just like the old man in the movie. Beginning in 5:13 through the end of the epistle, a key word keeps showing up. It is the word “know.” Let’s quickly focus on four times this word is used.

  1. We need to know we are Saved. Vs. 5:13. The assurance of salvation is one of the very first steps to truly growing and serving Christ. D.L. Moody said, “I’ve yet to see a man or woman that doubted their salvation do much for the cause of Christ.” How do you really know that Jesus loves you? The Bible tells me so. We teach toddlers the song “Jesus Loves Me” and that truth is sung over and over, but how many sing it without thinking about the truth? We know because the Bible tells us so. The same Bible that tells you that Jesus loves you tells you if you believe you can know you have eternal life. Don’t waffle on your conviction that the Bible is your standard of faith and practice.
  2. We know God answers Prayer. Vs. 5:15. Have you ever had a prayer answered? Of course you have. Why then do Christians allow a godless belief system such as atheism or agnosticism to germinate in their minds when they have empirical proof that God is real and in charge? We have all had so many God-things happen if we simply open our eyes and ears. We have seen God do marvelous things many times over, yet we waffle when challenged. Start keeping a journal and develop your own research you can revisit over and over. The evidence will be overwhelming in the favor of the Lord.
  3. We know God Protects his own from Satan. Vs. 5:18-19. I love that the Bible promises me that I have the protection of God in my life. Satan can’t touch me, or you if God doesn’t allow it. In the insurance world there are policies called ‘umbrella’ policies that are supposed to protect you, your home, and automobiles, along with unexpected things. God’s protection beats any umbrella policy from any person or any company.
  4. We know God has come in the flesh and understand. Vs. 5:20. If we are truly saved, we have an internal witness and an ability for discernment.

We Christians need to know things. Once we learn those foundational truths, we hold to them tightly. The Apostle John closes this first epistle with an instruction. “Little children (little born-ones), keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” Why is it important to know and do the right things with great determination? Because if you begin to let other things, idols, take the place of God and his teaching, heresy can get a foot hold and the damage can be great, if not deadly. We don’t toy with error; we out right reject it.