Exploring Assurance of Faith: A Book Review of 1, 2 & 3 John For You by Sam Allberry
- Amber Thiessen
- Sep 10
- 6 min read
The letters of John are packed with both comfort and challenge. In 1,2 & 3 John For You, Sam Allberry invites us to slow down and take a closer look at these familiar passages. What I didn’t expect was how deeply this study would reach into my own heart, prompting reflection in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
Exploring Assurance of Faith: 1, 2 & 3 John For You by Sam Allberry
Content
My Take: What I Didn't Know I Needed, Again
Content
Purpose of the Book
This book is a verse-by-verse commentary on the New Testament letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. In these letters, John’s aim is to give his readers assurance of their faith—not to help them come to believe, as he did in his Gospel, but to help them know that they already believe.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1. The Real Jesus 1 John 1:1-4
CHAPTER 2. The Real Problem 1 John 1:5 – 2:2
CHAPTER 3. True and False 1 John 2:3-17
CHAPTER 4. This Is How We Know 1 John 2:12-14, 18-27
CHAPTER 5. Born of God 1 John 2:28 – 3:10
CHAPTER 6. Living Like Jesus 1 John 3:11 – 4:6
CHAPTER 7. God Is Love 1 John 4:7 – 5:5
CHAPTER 8. Childlike Confidence 1 John 5:6-21
CHAPTER 9. Walking Together 2 John and 3 John
Summary
This commentary offers a warm, verse-by-verse walk through John’s epistles, blending careful study of the text with pastoral insight. John’s Gospel was written so that people might believe and have life, while these letters were written so that believers would know they already have it. Throughout the epistles, we see John repeat the phrase, “This is how we know,” weaving assurance into every chapter.
John’s aim is to give his readers confidence. To do this, he offers three recurring “tests” by which to discern genuine faith: doctrine, love, and obedience. Allberry builds his commentary around this framework. These tests both expose counterfeit spirituality and steady trembling hearts: believe the true Jesus, walk in God’s ways, and love one another. Head, heart, and hands together form a portrait of life with God.
Allberry is careful to remind us that assurance doesn’t come from perfection. John has already told us that we will still sin—and that when we do, Christ himself advocates for us. The point isn’t sinlessness, but a new direction of life: a real desire for righteousness and tangible growth in love.
The commentary also highlights sin’s deceit and shows why it is so out of place for those born of God. John warns against loving the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—because these will pass away, but the one who does God’s will lives forever. In the midst of false teaching, we’re urged to anchor our discernment in confessing the true Christ.
Love, John shows us, is not a fleeting sentiment but a cross-shaped action. God is love, and we know love because Love himself appeared. As our love for one another grows, our hearts are reassured, our prayers emboldened, and we find that God’s commands are not burdensome but life-giving.
In the closing chapters on 2 and 3 John, Allberry shows how truth and love are not rivals but traveling companions. True hospitality welcomes faithful teaching, while true love protects the church from deception.
John’s words—his repeated “This is how we know”, the sharp contrasts of true and false, and the profound declaration that “God is love”—guide us to walk in the light and rest in the deep assurance that, in Christ, these promises are truly ours.
My Take: What I didn’t know I needed, again.
Lately, I’ve noticed a theme in my reading life: assuming a topic or study isn’t really “for me.” Earlier this year, I had put off reading books on lament, thinking, I don’t have anything big going on that I need to lament about right now. But when I finally opened those pages, I was confronted with grief I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying—unprocessed sorrow from past trauma, as well as the weight of walking alongside others through my work in mental health. Those books gave me language and space to bring those hidden hurts before God.
Something similar happened when I picked up this commentary on John’s epistles. My first thought was, I don’t really need assurance of faith right now. I wasn’t wrestling with doubt, so I assumed this study might not speak deeply to me. (Sharing the thoughts in my head is kinda vulnerable, but it’s honest).
As I worked through these letters, though, Sam Allberry’s teaching on the three “tests” John gives—doctrine, love, and obedience—prompted me to reflect on my own sanctification and growth in Christ.
I was reminded of how vital it is to know Christ. The gospel isn’t only for the day we first believe; it’s the truth we need every single day. We’re in the already-not-yet times where we are saved, but we’re continuing to be saved until the day of Christ’s return.
When it came to the love test, I took a good look at my outpouring—or lack thereof—toward others. I hope I’m loving, and I certainly feel love for the church. What I realized, though, was my need to keep love at the forefront as I continue to serve. One quote that stuck with me reminds us that being a spiritual child of God also means we are spiritual siblings to one another.It’s a sweet thought—to picture the ladies in Bible study, the kids at Awana, and the families in our small group as my spiritual brothers and sisters. Not that I didn’t see them this way before, but when I hold their faces in my mind’s eye, the concept becomes even sweeter.
Then there’s the obedience test, which brought me face-to-face with my own expectations. God doesn’t expect perfection—so why do I so often expect it of myself and others? Allberry’s reminder that “obedience doesn’t have to be perfect to be real” (p. 53) was such a comfort. God sees the orientation of our hearts, our desire to turn toward righteousness. While my self-centeredness clouds my vision far too often, He gives me grace to repent and realign my life with His ways again and again.
In the end, this commentary became a mirror I didn’t know I needed, reflecting both my weaknesses and God’s grace at work in me. It reminded me to stay open to the Lord’s work in my heart—even in areas I didn’t think I needed to grow—trusting that He knows what I need far better than I do.
My Recommendation
I really enjoy this series! As you’ll see below I’ve reviewed other a few other title. These are my go-to for bible study, or for when I’m looking for a meaty-er devotional to go through. They are not academic as other commentaries are, these are intended for us regular folk to know, understand and enjoy God’s Word more.
If you’re studying John’s epistles, I’d highly recommend this!
Or, if you’re looking for a devotional centered on a book of the bible, this would be a great fit!
Quick Stats
# of Pages: 145
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 5 stars
For Your Small Group
The Good Book Company has also revamped their Good Book Guides series which are perfect for studying with small groups, someone you're mentoring 1-1 or even for your personal study. There's a nice leader guide at the end of the guide for those interested in leading a study.
These guides pair nicely with the commentaries, the reflection questions are varied in them both, so it's not repetitive.
And here's a quick video introducing the study guides:
More Like This
Scriptures On Our Joyful Certainty
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. (1 John 2:3)
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. (1 John 3:14)
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:13)
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4)
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
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A big thanks to The Good Book Company for the complimentary ecopy of this book and for the opportunity to post an honest review!
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