Like we would write about someone we knew and loved, John tells us the truth about the Savior. In the face of false teaching about Jesus, John takes a direct approach. But he doesn't let believers off the hook without an examination of their own lives. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

John was not alone in his concern over the influence of false teachers. Jude, a half-brother of Christ, also wrote to the early believers. His letter firmly warns against the defection from the true biblical faith and urges all believers to fight for truth and stand firm in spite of intense spiritual warfare.