In three and one half pages, John uses the word "know" over and over again.  My favorite verses in this short letter are 1 John 5:11-13:

"And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that has the Son has life; and he that does not have the Son of God doesn't have life.  These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God."  You can know.

I have written about these verses before.  Eternal life.  That is what we all want.  We don't want this life to be everything that there is.  We want more.  We don't want death to be the end.

And in those verses is a promise from a man who walked and talked with Jesus for three years.  Every day.  And saw him die.  And saw him a number of times after death--alive.  Eating, talking, touching the disciples.   John wants us to know--without a doubt--that Jesus will save us from death.  That we can spend eternity with Him.  It seems impossible!!  But John was an eye witness to everything that he tells us.  John is full of joy and wants us to experience that joy.  Christ is alive.

He emphasizes what he is saying by using the words "I am writing" 13 times.  And tells us over and over again that what he is writing is the "record," the truth, the true word.  He realizes that the rest of the disciples are dying, being killed, beheaded, crucified--and John wants to be sure the message isn't lost.  That others will hear his first hand account and believe.

Believing, we are rescued from death.  Believing, we are given life.  Believing, we are filled with the Spirit of God.  Believing, we are born again.  We become different.

Yesterday, I asked:  How do you know something for sure since most of our information is not first hand knowledge.  Well, here is something we can absolutely know for sure.  John is a first hand witness to Jesus.  His life, his death, and his resurrection.  The Bible is full of stories of first hand experiences with Jesus.  Read it.  It can change your life.  Here.  And hereafter.