1 John 5:13–21
If you pull out a dollar bill, you’ll see four familiar words printed on the back: “In God We Trust.” It’s our national motto. We print it on our money. We claim it as part of our identity.
But according to the latest General Social Survey, those four words no longer describe the way most Americans actually live. When people were asked how confident they were that God really exists, only 50%—just half—said they believe in God without any doubts. Thirty years ago that number was 65%, and it’s been sliding ever since. Among young adults the shift is even more dramatic: only 36% now say they are certain God exists.
So we live in a country where our currency declares trust in God, but our culture increasingly doesn’t know whether God is even there. Doubt is growing. Fear is growing. Confusion is growing.
Which raises a deeper question: Where does real confidence come from?
According to the apostle John, confidence doesn’t come from slogans or cultural heritage. It certainly doesn’t come from our feelings. Confidence comes from a Person—Jesus—and what He has already done for us. In his final words of 1 John, John reminds the church what they can know with certainty. And these same truths anchor us today.
We Can Be Confident That We Have Eternal Life
(1 John 5:13–15)
John tells us exactly why he wrote this letter: “so that you may know that you have eternal life.” We don’t have to guess. We don’t have to wonder. We don’t have to live in spiritual uncertainty.
How can we know? John points to two essential realities:
- Our faith in King Jesus, the unique Son of God.
- Our love for God and for one another.
Faith and love aren’t abstract ideas—they’re evidence of new life. And because we belong to God, we also have confidence in prayer. When our allegiance is aligned with Jesus, our desires begin to reflect God’s desires. We pray according to His will, and John assures us: God hears us. As a Father, He gives what we need, even if it looks different than what we asked for.
Eternal life isn’t a future prize; it’s a present reality. And it brings confidence.
We Can Be Confident That Sin Is Evil—and That God Rescues Us From It
(1 John 5:16–19)
John turns next to one of the more challenging passages in his letter—praying for those caught in sin.
There are sins that lead to repentance, where guilt and sorrow eventually draw someone back to God. These we should pray for boldly. But John also acknowledges a deeper, more hardened rebellion—willful rejection of God, the kind embraced by the false teachers troubling the early church. Their hearts were closed to the Spirit. Prayer for them may not change their course.
Why is this important? Because confidence in God awakens seriousness about sin. Followers of Jesus don’t make sin a lifestyle. We confess our sins. We seek forgiveness. We fight against temptation because God’s love has taken hold of us.
John contrasts two spiritual realities:
- We are God’s children, shaped by His love, Spirit, and Word.
- The world lies under the influence of the evil one, shaped by the spirit of anti-Christ.
So we remain alert. Confident—but not careless.
We Can Be Confident About Jesus—The True God and Eternal Life
(1 John 5:20–21)
John closes with clarity: Jesus has given us the fullest revelation of God. The Old Testament gave glimpses of God through the law, but Jesus shows us God’s heart through love. And because of Him, we can have a genuine relationship with God—walking in love, faith, and loyalty to King Jesus.
This fuller knowledge of God leads to one final command:
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Idols aren’t just statues. They’re false ideas of God. Distorted pictures of Jesus. Voices that seduce our loyalty away from the King—just as the temples and false teachers tried to sway the early church.
Confidence in Jesus means refusing all competing allegiances.
Living With Eternal Life Today
John ends his letter like a loving spiritual father—reminding us what is true, what can be trusted, and how we should live. Our world may be confused about God, but we don’t need to be.
Following King Jesus gives us the confidence we need to live faithfully in this world.
And this kind of life—rooted in clarity, loyalty, and trust—is exactly what our world needs to see.
A Simple Challenge for This Week
Choose one concrete step of confidence:
- Pray boldly for someone who is struggling.
- Confess a sin you’ve been tolerating.
- Silence a voice that is pulling you from the truth.
- Open your Bible each morning and ask God to deepen your trust.
Live like someone who truly has eternal life—not someday, but now.
Final Thought
If you are in Christ, you are not meant to drift through life uncertain, anxious, or spiritually unstable. You are meant to stand firm, pray boldly, resist sin faithfully, love sincerely, and worship wholeheartedly. Reject every idol that competes for your allegiance.
Remain with Jesus. Trust Him. Follow Him.
And you will shine with a confidence this world has forgotten—but desperately needs to see.
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