Walking in the Light: A Study in 1 John

What you believe shapes how you live. This is a phrase that we use and hear from the Sunday pulpit often and the idea is that your beliefs inform your decisions and relationships. The first epistle of the apostle John is written primarily to Christians who were lukewarm or apathetic to their commitment with Jesus.

By the time John wrote this letter, he was an elderly man. He was the last apostle and the only one to escape martyrdom. John is also referred to as the one “whom Jesus loved” and in his letter, his love for Jesus and his love for people are inescapable. John is writing from experience in having walked with Jesus, suffered much, and with a pastoral heart in an effort to exhort and encourage Christians who are tempted and confused about false doctrine and spiritual trends to turn to Jesus because it is our belief in Jesus that not only shapes how we live, but exposes the condition of our heart. That is, whether or not we truly know Him.