Wrapping up his letter, John lays out the stakes – there's two options and here they are. You can either be of God or of the evil one, Satan, who has come to steal, kill, and destroy you. That's it, there's no neutral ground, no safe zone. Joshua made this clear just before he died, when he said, “It's up to you, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” There is a line drawn and we have a choice of which side we want to stand on.
So, why is this a foundational truth that John feels necessary to clarify? Because we live in a world of yeah buts – we are a people of exceptions. If we have two options, we inevitably want to make up a third. Cake or death? I'll take the chicken! Republican or Democrat? I say Green Party! Paper, rock, or scissors? Grenade launcher, I win! But that doesn't fly with eternity. Your soul either belongs to the Father (your Creator) or Satan (the defeated Rebel). But I'm Buddhist, I'm Mormon, I'm agnostic? I'm a good person, better than most Christians I know? There's two sides, folks. Jesus didn't say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life... if that's okay with you.” He came to save us from the lies of yeah but, and it's either him or the prince of this broken world.
Who do you serve? Who do you belong to?