[serialposts]Read 1 John 5:13-21 (ESV, NIV, The Message).

I’ve never identified with John as much as I do right now!

As I write this, I’ve been blogging for a little over five years. For me, blogging started as a way for me to process the things of the faith. As I studied the Bible and theology, I would work out the things going on in my head and my heart. And as I would prepare to teach in a small group or other ministry meeting, I often prepared by practicing here before sharing there.

But as my experiences have evolved through blogging, I’ve begun to focus more on telling the stories of what I see happening in the church today. I talk about local ministry and outreach, and even global missions that I’ve been involved with.

In a sense, blogging has become a sort of virtual, ongoing testimony of what God is doing in the world around me.

Granted, my stories alone do not represent a complete picture. But when my voice here joins in with the chorus of other Christian bloggers, it’s easy to see what God is up to.

What does this have to do with 1 John 5:13-21?

Everything.

You see, when us Christian bloggers (and other writers) tell our stories, there’s a greater purpose that starts to emerge. And it’s this purpose that I see in John’s writing that I identify with so much…

“That you may know…”

I love how John ends this letter by stating his purpose. John’s heart is that we may know and have confidence in our Lord Jesus Christ, and what it means to be adopted into God’s family.

When John wrote this letter, he was speaking directly at the Gnostic philosophies of the day that began to infiltrate the Church. For the Gnostics, the way to salvation was through achieving higher knowledge. And the Gnostics began twisting some of the core beliefs of Christianity in a way that severely tainted the essence of the faith.

Throughout the letter, John directly attacks some of these Gnostic beliefs, and presents the Truth that he has come to know through his experiences. And his purpose… that we may know, that we may have confidence in the Jesus who he and the other disciples have preached.

And that’s something that I can get a hold of…

Like John, my purpose in sharing the stories of the Church today is that you may know that God is still alive and active in the world today. And it’s a story that you are a part of too!

So as we read this letter of John, may you be encouraged and have confidence in the Gospel to which you have given your life. But may you also rally around this purpose of sharing what you know (in whatever method is comfortable for you) with the world so that they may know the God you serve.

Amen.