The purpose behind John’s writing.
… we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:4)
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)
Sin is a really big deal.
1738: “Oh Lord, enable me to redeem the time which I have spent in sloth.”
1757: “Oh mighty God, enable me to shake off sloth and redeem the time misspent in idleness and sin by diligent application of the days yet remaining.”
1759: “Enable me to shake off idleness and sloth.”
1764: “My indolence since my last reception of the sacrament has sunk into grossest sluggishness. My purpose is from this time to avoid idleness and to rise early”.
1764: “Not later than 6 if I can.”
1765: “I purpose to rise at 8 because, though, I shall not rise early it will be much earlier than I now rise for I often lie until 2.”
1769: “I am not yet in a state to form any resolutions. I purpose and hope to rise early in the morning, by 8, and by degrees, at 6.”
1775: “When I look back upon resolution of improvement and amendments which have, year after year, been made and broken, why do I yet try to resolve again? I try because reformation is necessary and despair is criminal.”
1781: “I will not despair, help me, help me, oh my God.”
— Samuel Johnson
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)
We have hope in Jesus Christ, knowing that His sacrifice protects our joy from sin.
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:12-14)
We win because He is strong.
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. (2 Corinthians 11:30)
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. (1 John 2:20-21)
As Christians, we are anointed by the Holy Spirit.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
Joy comes from knowing that we and others know that we and they have eternal life.
