“If you know, you know.” We watched a movie with our kids this weekend. The title was Antman and the Quantum something or other. . . If you know me you know that I would not naturally watch a movie about Antman. I was more of a Spiderman fan than a fan of Antman. In the movie, Antman goes to a very small place where he is replicated. Lots of Antmans, or Antmen. That was Sunday. On Wednesday, crossing campus, I ran into three six-foot tall flat-man images of myself in the narthex at Tallowood. Déjà vu. Replicated. It reminded me of the movie. Preacher-man. If you know, you know.
Again, notice how often John uses the word, “know,” in this letter. Four, times in these three verses, he says, “We know.” The knowledge belongs to the community not the individual. We know those who are born of God do not continue to sin. We know we are children of God. We know also that the Son of God has come. What is the point of all of this knowing? “That we may know him who is true.” At the end of the day, salvation is not about what we know but about Whom we know and Who knows us. Jesus says to those who call him Lord, Lord, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).
John wanted his hearers to believe in Jesus so that they could know they had eternal life. If we have the Son, we have life. He knows us. We know him. To know him is to love him. This knowledge brings life. Jesus is replicated in us. We are little Christs. For this he made us. If you know, you know.
