New Testament · Pastoral Letter

1 John

5 chapters · 105 verses · John (elderly) · ~90 AD

How do you know you're really saved? Not by a prayer you prayed once — by three tests that John repeats throughout: do you love, do you obey, do you believe?

Overview

1 John is a letter of assurance written by the last surviving apostle. False teachers were splitting churches with competing claims about Jesus. John responds with devastating simplicity: walk in the light, love one another, and believe that Jesus came in the flesh. "God is love" appears here. So does the test: "if we love one another, God lives in us."

Read this when

you doubt your salvation or need clarity about what genuine faith looks like.

Key chapters

Famous verses

lovetruthassurancelightfellowship

Related

All 5 chapters

What is 1 John saying to your heart?

Speak Your Heart →