5:11
God has given us eternal life. No other religion or philosophy can match it! So there is no need to feel that we need something more, that some other religion or teaching can give us something we lack, because they cannot. And eternal life is not just living forever, though we will. It is about the whole nature of life, we are starting to live as Jesus lived. We have an awful long way to go, but we have started. We have been born again, and we have lots of growing to do. And this life is found only in the Son of God. There is no other way to obtain this life, than through Jesus Christ.
5:12
So the situation is very simple and straightforward, and John describes it in his usual direct manner. If we have the Son then we have life. If someone does not have the Son then they do not have life. So if someone comes along offering some teaching or other, our first response should be to see whether or not they have the Son. Do they know Jesus? Are they living a Christlike life? Is there teaching exalting the Son, or something, or someone, else? Life is found in Jesus and nowhere else.
5:13
John has been writing in order to assure and strengthen his readers. However, there is a danger that some would take it the wrong way, starting being excessively introspective and start doubting their salvation. So John stresses here that he thinks that they do believe the gospel and that they do have eternal life. He wants them to know that they do indeed have eternal life in Christ Jesus.
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