True God and Eternal Life

The Apostle John in his first epistle is seeking to establish believers in their faith by assuring them that if they believe in Jesus as the Christ, the incarnate Son of God, they can know for certain that they now possess eternal life, the very life of Christ, internally ministered by the Holy Spirit. This certain knowledge of personal union with Jesus Christ is a gift from God. But being recipients of such a gracious salvation does not exempt us from the temptation of clinging to idols in our minds and hearts of things or persons which rob our devotion to God. So John duly warns us of the danger - a surprising end to his letter, but also a needed "reality check" on our Christian lives.