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Copyright by Phillip L. Simpson


The meaning of the John's first epistle has been fairly uniformly understood throughout the centuries. However, this epistle presents a problem for the "free grace" theologian. The problem is this:

John appears to be stating plainly throughout the book that there are tests which reveal whether one is a child of God or not. Some of these tests include:

• Whether we love the brothers (2:10, 3:10, 3:14, 4:7),
• Walk in the light (1:7),
• Keep His commandments (2:3-4),
• Walk in the same way in which he walked (2:6),
• Continue on in fellowship with other believers (2:19),
• Confess the Son (2:23),
• Practice righteousness (2:29; 3:10),
• Confess that Jesus has come in the flesh (4:2),
• Listen to the apostolic teaching (4:6),
• Receive the Spirit (4:13),
• Confess that Jesus is the Son of God (4:15),
• Believe that Jesus is the Christ (5:1),
• Overcome the world (5:4).

Notice how some of these tests are doctrinal, and others are behavioral.

Remember that the tests given by John are both behavioral and doctrinal. While "free grace" teachers insist the behavioral tests are indicators of our fellowship status with God (rather than tests of possession of eternal life), what about the doctrinal tests? Does John give these to determine our fellowship status? Is believing that Jesus has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2) only a sign of a mature Christian who is in fellowship with God? Can a believer deny this truth and still be a believer--albeit "out of fellowship"? No; rather, John was refuting Gnostic heresy in 1 John; therefore, a doctrinal affirmation was critical if his readers were to know if they believed in Christ savingly or not.