Continuing on in 1 John, he lists one more reason for writing: "I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13)  I think this is the most important reason for writing to the church: reassurance. We want to know that we have eternal life, and John wants to reassure us that if we believe that God gave His Son to die for our sins, and we turn to Him, we will live eternally. He also lists several other things we can know:

• "Those who have become part of God's family do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them. (5:18)
• "...we are children of God and that the world around us is under the power and control of the evil one" (5:19)
• "...we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God." (5:20)

This is a wonderful letter of John, and this is organized by thoughts and lists of important points to remember. I feel reassured and encouraged when I read this letter because it seems to sum up every promise that God gives in the Bible. I find a lot of joy in this letter, and I hope other people find the same joy that I do in it.