Recap and follow-through: The God of the Bible is our loving Father who delights in us and in telling the truth. He is happy to keep us, to fulfill his promises, to bless and use us! He blesses us in order to make each of us a blessing to others. And we family members are to continue on in love all the way Home. We're to obey the Lord each step of the way walkin' in His truth. We're to consistently be practicing righteousness with assurance inside, and not become distracted by false teachers. (Part 1 is here)
I guess in part I now like to study what's so.. while makin' notes.
“Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through the lips and fingertips.” — Dawson Trotman
Q: When was the last time you received a letter from a loved one? What did you do with it, throw it in a drawer, or did you open it up and read it all.
Good question. Did you read the ending only, or did you act like a normal person (cuz you're normal..) and read through the whole letter?
When you receive a letter from a loved one, you don't initially just skip around reading one sentence, or part of a sentence here, and then jump go over there to pick another part of a verse.. do you? I hope not. No, you just read it through from start to finish cuz that's what normal people do.
You jump in wanting to know.. is this just a poem.. is this a family update.. is this a story.. is this all true.. how is this for me.. what am I to do ?
We really want to know.
We read through it all because the contextual ideas in a letter often build off of each other and it’s towards some sort of conclusion.
That’s what we want to do with all the letters in the Bible, because that’s normal.
Bible epistles (like other letters) build off of each sentence that was written. In First John, like with his other letters, we need to see how John said this, this, this and now this and why he said this.
God has a good purpose for the true inspiration in each book of His Bible. He loves you as much as the original audience (the recipients of this letter) and He has a good purpose for your life as well. This letter was written to them and yet it was written for us all because He is for us all. He is for you! He wants us all saved and growing strong (spiritually healthy and mature), He wants us building up our brothers and sisters in the Family, and as an outgrowth of He wants us witnessing and winning lost people to Christ!
It's God's will that His local churches (of every city and Land) are growing larger and smaller at the same time! What I mean is that they are winning more sinners to Jesus in and from each congregation, and are forming more small Bible study, prayer groups for the saints to be nurtured in.
As you heard last week, there are five chapters and a total of 105 verses in First John. The first two chapters are about true fellowship, and then chapters three through five are about true sonship. Let's enjoy both in the Lord!
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| Photo by Álvaro Serrano |
Now let’s dig-in and think on the first chapters in First John some more.
They deal with real fellowship and then real sonship with our loving Heavenly Father.
We get real with God the Father (via our honest confession upwards before Him, with humility and true repentance and saving faith) just to get and walk right with God through Christ. We're blessed. His forgiveness, life and love are totally free! We walk free.
We've joined up with Him and now we want to join up with His church! People have to be born into God’s family and then we can wisely commit in a local expression of His body for accountabitly. We need to be fed the milk of the word and then the meat.
That's how it starts, you get your vertical fellowship right with the Father, and guess what? Then you can enjoy real fellowship on the horizontal plane too, as a real child of God growing up in fellowshipping with Him and His other adopted children (who are living in harmony with the Father).
This First John letter deals with family matters (it's John's longest letter by the way..) -- very interesting information to read from start to finish. So, let's continue through the chapter -- let's go for the Word!
Proceeding on to the end of chapter 3 now! ...[1 Jn. 3:14 nkjv] "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
(Believer, you are a brand-spankin-new-creation in Christ. Let's live like it. See 2 Corinthians 5:17)
[1 Jn. 3:20] For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. [21] Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. [22] And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. [23] And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(God wants you to care and properly discern, to be bold and have confidence in the Spirit. Some time it's challenging! When I seem to run out of love for people that are hard to love, I simply ask the Spirit to pour more of His love in. Then I choose to show love by faith and not wait for some goose bumps or feelings. God's word empowers us to live in love. What is the biblical doctrine of illumination? How does the Holy Spirit illuminate the Bible for us?)
[24] Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." *Listen, if you're not born again by now, what are you waiting for? Now is good! Come as you are (on His terms to Jesus).
John really cares about right thinking, right attitudes, right standing before the Father in the Son of God, and right living before a watching world ("practicing righteousness") though the false teachers in their midst (the Gnostics) weren't concerned with or doing any of this. They certainly weren't loving the Lord or the brethren.
In First John, the book identifies no specific church, no specific location, and no specific individual to whom it was sent so its called a “general epistle” (that’s its classification actually).
I love the uniqueness of 1st John! It has no introduction, no greeting, no concluding salutation (those general characteristics of a letter), but the epistle is still lovingly intimate in tone.
Christians since the beginning of the Church have rightly considered this letter authoritative.
Who wrote it, from where, and when? The human author is not clearly named by himself. He didn’t identify himself, but the consistent testimony of the early Church (including Polycarp, an early second-century bishop who as a young man knew John personally), says that it was John the disciple, an apostle that Jesus chose who wrote this letter (See Luke 6:13,14).
Think about John’s messages in Revelation 2–3 to the seven churches in the immediate vicinity of Ephesus. It could be that the people in those same churches were in his mind for this letter of love as well. When? The epistle’s similarity with the gospel done by John might mean it was written near that same time period with a date of about AD 90, with John writing it from his exile on Patmos. That is my best guess.
What’s an aspect I just love with the writings in First John? It’s the uncomplicated parallelisms in 1st John.
Think some more about John's simplicity. There is zero "convolvere" with it (the parallelisms aren’t rolled-up and twisted at all). They are not hard for us to grasp: Christ verses antichrists, light verses darkness, truth verses falsehood, righteousness verses sin, the pure love of the Father verses the love of the world, and the Holy Spirit of God verses the unholy spirit of the Antichrist.
The purpose? Like with his gospel, John made his First-John-purpose very clear.
He proclaimed the Good News about Jesus to the recipients of this letter, saying “..so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).
And later, John adds in, “so that you may not sin” (2:1) and “so that you may know that you have eternal life” (5:13).
But why? Here's why: John wanted all of his readers to first-hand experience God’s love, and true fellowship with the Father, and loving fellowship with God’s people. Yes, and not allowing any sin and selfishness to get in the way.
The Apostle John Focuses On Three Important Things:
1) The zeal-level of the believers,
2) Loving the truth and others -- standing firm against false teachers with their lame message (i.e., Gnostics), and
3) Reassuring born-again Christians that they do currently have eternal life.
The people had really struggled with discouragement, some due to their own sinful failures and others back then.. due to the presence and negative influence of false teachers right there in their midst.
John’s duty, (and our duty today):
A) Turn people back to God Father and His living Word. B) Ignite the passionate zeal for Jesus Christ in believers so that they live consistently and on fire spiritually. C) Yes, so they will choose to follow the Lord more closely, more maturely, and more obediently as they stand firm against those who aim to sow discord in Christ's own church.
We each have struggles in our Christian walk, like they did. We all have trials, temptations, spiritual attacks, and tough circumstances at times—whether from outside of us or from inside, but we press on to know Jesus well and glorify Him.
We refuse to become blown about by fickle feelings, or different winds of doctrine, worldly influences or other circumstances.
John wanted to see fruit that abides, an increased consistency, and victory instead of spiritual barrenness. This is imperative for us.
Q: Today, have you become parched and weary in well-doing? Are you now a periodic, or are you spiritually fruitful for God's glory? Is your victorious walk in Christ a constant, or a "sporadic thang" that you're feeling concerned about?
God is faithful and He will finish His work in each of us. John knew this. By His strong grace, God will continue to transform us into the image of His Son, Jesus. We just need to put away what can impede growth, hinder, and destroy! I mean ditch all our pet sins along with any strange doctrines in our passionate pursuit of the one true God. As John emphasizes in the very next chapter, “if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12).
Need more background on the setting in John's day?
John was really old at this time, but he was still active in helping the churches to develop and go forward. Therefore he penned this clear letter in order to really minister to the people. Let's all aim to minister to people.
Generally, they don't care how much we as believers really know until they know how much we are prayerful.. and (as an outgrowth) really care.
Q: Were there any other apostolic survivors left on earth at that time? Nope.
John had experienced intimate, eye-to-eye association (real friendship) with Christ all through Jesus’ earthly ministry. He along with over 500 others (see Luke 22:44-49; Acts 1:3-8) had seen Jesus experience His painful physical death and then the resurrection. He’d also seen his ascension up away.
As was earlier predicted by the Apostle Paul (see Acts 20:28–31), false teachers arising from within churches who were very familiar with the trending prevailing climate of philosophies, began hindering. They were infecting the Church with false doctrine, perverting basic apostolic teaching.
And these false teachers wouldn’t stop pushing their strange ideas that became known as “Gnosticism” (from the Greek term “knowledge”). Paul battled for the freedom of grace not from the law, but this Gnosticism was also a very dangerous heresy that threatened the early church believers during the first three centuries.
Gnosticism, influenced by such philosophers as Plato, advocated a bizzare dualism asserting that “matter was inherently evil and spirit was good.” And based on that, these false teachers there, although attributing some type of deity to Christ, then denied his true humanity in order to preserve Him from evil. This Gnosticism taught an “elevated knowledge, a higher truth” known only to those in on the deeper life of things. Only the initiated had the mystical knowledge of truth that was higher even than the Scripture. Such worthless rubbish! Instead of divine biblical revelation standing as judge over man’s thoughts etc., man’s ideas judged God’s revelation (2:15–17).
What was up with that heresy? Some said that Jesus’ physical body while here was not real but it only “seemed” to be physical (that junk is known as “Docetism” from the Greek term that means “to appear”).
The Bible affirms Christ’s complete humanity as well as His full deity. John adamantly taught against all the lies that went against this. Jesus indeed had a physical body. He reminded his audience at that time how he John was personally there and saw Jesus (“heard,” “seen,” “handled,” “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh”—1:1–4; 4:2,3).
As you heard last week in class at Prestonwood, some people falsely taught that Christ’s “spirit” came down onto the human Jesus at his water baptism, but then it left him just before his crucifixion therefore God didn’t die for sinful man. But John taught that God the Son, Jesus, who was water baptized at the beginning of His earthly ministry was the same exact Person who was crucified on the cross for our sins (5:6). It’s true, the Son of God, a man died a substitutionary death, fully atoning for us sinners on Calvary’s cross–He was 100% human (physically real as a man), and 100% God too (see Heb. 2:14–17).
The Gnostics concluded that any sin committed in the physical body did not really matter and that partaking in sin was even permissible. A person then could deny that sin even existed (1:8–10) and disregard God’s holy written law (3:4). But John taught there was indeed a need for obedience to God’s written laws. John defined that true love for God is seen in obedience to His commandments (5:3).
Bottomline: False teachers then and now lack real love.. except for your “seed-faith money.” In fact, false teachers live ticked off at Direct Authority and there’s zero love.. if you reject their strange thinking (3:10–18).
If you as a group remain faithful to apostolic biblical teaching, they really want to separate you away from such a group–from your loving family. It’s what they do.
If you go bail out and go after false teachers then it could show that you don’t yet have genuine salvation (see 2:19). Yes, John taught that. It’s why he sent this letter to the churches he knew, to combat the dangerous false doctrine.
With some homework questions, let’s review this book (First John) a bit and re-read through chapter 3.
What are the core tests of genuine fellowship (see 1 John 1:1–2:17)? What are the core tests of doctrine (see 1:1–2:2)? What is the biblical view of Jesus Christ (He is fully God and fully mansee).
The Bible says, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that [a]your joy may be full." 1 John 1:1-4 nkjv
John basically informs us of His first-love relationship: I've known Jesus personally, and I will witness of Him so others can enjoy fellowship too!
"The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:9-13 esv
Qs: From this letter and the whole Bible what’s an accurate view of sin (See 1:5–2:2)? Are there really mortal and venial sins? What are the basic tests of morals? (See 1 Jn. 2:3–17). Want a biblical view of obedience to God? (See 2:3–6). Why is it so important? Are there rewards for obedience to God fulfilled. Yes! What does it even mean that love is of God? Yes, what's the meaning of 1 John 4:7? What does it mean to let all that you do be done with love? (See 1 Corinthians 16:14). Today we often hear that phrase “love is love” or "the heart loves what it loves"? So how does “love is love” compare to “God is love”? Some young and old, single and married like to make excuses for wrong choices. Some like to use whatever pronouns ..many disingenuous people seek to excuse their sinful perversion.
Need a biblical view of real love ..that the Gnostics lacked? We're to love in deed and in truth (See 1 John 2:7–17). What exactly is the kind of love that God requires of us? (See 1 John 2:7–11). What’s thee love that God actually hates? (Yes, it's the love of the corrupt world system that He hates, because of what it does to pull people downward spiritually and away. See. 2:12–17). Do you enjoy acceptable worship and fellowship upwards with God? What are the basic tests of genuine fellowship on the horizontal (see 2:18–3:24)? Is there something in this letter dealing with the doctrinal test (see 2:18–27)? What do antichrists (small "a") go do? Got any verses on them? What about on the Antichrist (capital "A")? The antichrists depart from Christian church fellowship. They just can’t stand it--they can't stand the true gospel. (See 2:18–21). They go out when detected.
They creep on in when they are allowed to, but they go out when those in authority expose them with their twisted doctrinal lies. Slimy and subtle, creeping into some churches of our day even. Yes, antichrists (all of them..) can be cleaver for gain, but they outright deny the Christian faith (See 2:22–25). Wisely discern and see them for what they really are (not as real Christian leaders like they want you to view them).
How can one tell or identify the spirit of the antichrist? (See 1 John 4:2–3): “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”
Antichrists seek to deceive faithful Christian people (See 2:26, 27):
"I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie--just as it has taught you, abide in him." ~ John esv
Even in our day many people claim to be real Christians like the Gnostics in their midst did. Man, I like the series of tests in 1 John! Is there more on the morality test in this letter (See 2:28–3:24)? What about dealing with the purifying hope of the Lord’s soon return (See 2:28–3:3)? Does it address the Christian’s incompatibility with sin? Yup (See 3:4–24)!
With Arminianism - the teaching was: Hey, you can lose your salvation.
With the Antinomians, they taught that you do sin and yet it doesn't really matter.
Both sentences are wrong. We Christians do at times (sadly) sin, and it does indeed matter! There are consequences and serious ramifications.
We want to quickly judge ourselves (with total honesty and true repentance).. before we stand before God's judgment bar. We want to run like Joseph did when needed. We want to flee youthful lusts and avoid all sin--why hurt out faithful Lord!? In 1 John, the author admits that we believers could and do from time to time sin,
In 1 John 3 you sin,
See chp 3 now. Your new nature can not sin. Present tenses. The Christian will sometimes times sins, but hates it (sin does not reigns in us, the direction of our life is toward holiness) Christians at times willfully sin, but the believer can not habitually, persistently, relentlessly sin. You sin when lust conceives in you says James.
What's the requirement of real righteousness (see 3:4–10)? What is the requirement of real love (We opt to lay down our lives for our dear brothers, instead of living with hatred for people like Cain did. 1 John 3:11–24)
Q: Ever encountered a false teacher on the radio, TV, or in a so-called church? What was that like? Can you describe a person in your life who thinks, loves, and acts a lot like Jesus? Who rejects error along with those who keep telling lies, and allows Christ to lead as Lord? Please explain some. What makes that person like Jesus?
Jesus warned that “false Christs and false prophets” will come and will attempt to deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24:23-27; see also 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 17-18). The best way to guard yourself against falsehood and false teachers is to know the truth. To spot a counterfeit, study the real thing. Any believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and who makes a careful study of the Bible can identify false doctrine. For example, a believer who has read the activities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16-17 will immediately question any doctrine that denies the Trinity. Therefore, step one is to study the Bible and judge all teachings by what the Scripture says.
1) We need to ask ourselves what does this teacher say about Jesus? In Matthew 16:15-16, Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and cuz he answered like that Peter is called “blessed.”
2) We need to ask ourselves does this teacher preach the gospel and soundly teach the Bible? We hear the bad news about Hell and that we've all sinned. And then we appreciate the gospel--the good news (defined as the good concerning Jesus’ the Father's Solution. Good News: It's the message on His death, burial, and resurrection, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
3) We need to ask ourselves does this teacher exhibit character qualities that glorify the Lord? Of false teachers, what did Jude 11 say? “They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.” In other words, a false teacher can be known by his pride (Cain’s rejection of God’s plan), greed (Balaam’s prophesying for money), and rebellion (Korah’s promotion of himself over Moses).
Jesus warned about false teachers and he said, “a tree is recognized by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). They're loveless, except for bucks and themselves.
"Being loved is life's second greatest blessing; loving is the greatest." ~ Jack Hyles
"You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving." ~ Amy Carmichael
Got some more questions?
What does it mean that we are children of God (1 John 3:1)?
"Manifest," that's one of John’s favorite words of faith. Jesus Christ was manifested that He might reveal God’s Truth, and free Life (abundant, and eternal. See 1 John 1:2), that He might take away our sins (as we ask and allow Him to. Christ is a gentleman who never forces anyone to get saved. He'll have no one unhappy to be in Heaven with Him. See 3:5), that He might destroy the works of the devil (3:8), and that He might disclose God’s great love for sinners (4:9).
Every human being is a loved creation of God, but not all are His children. All could repent of sin and believe in Jesus. Let's live the life and witness verbally (His gospel message) by faith so that many will become children of God."So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 nkjvBTW: There are no illegitimate children per se. If you feel that's you, sorry about that. There indeed are sexual sins that people commit outside of a marriage, but you, child, didn't catch God off guard.Does the Bible teach that love is love, or that some cozy feeling (or other feeling) is love? Uhh, nope. A feeling is just that, a feeling. What is the meaning of that common phrase “love is love”? How does “love is love” compare to “God is love”?Sup with that statement and the meaning of it.. “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18)?What does it mean that husbands are to love their wives? What does Ephesians 5:25-33 mean when it compares the love of a husband for his wife with Christ's love for His Church?Does the Bible give husbands a practical way to gauge the authenticity of their love for their wives? Yes, are they genuinely caring for their wives’ needs in a way that's comparable to how they care for themselves?“Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church” (Ephesians 5:28–29).The “one-flesh” principle actually comes into play here and selfishness has no place in a marriage. Ironically, as a husband meets the needs of his wife, he will find that he himself reaps the benefits. God Himself thought all this up.
"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like." ~ Augustine
"You will never really love until you love someone who hates you." ~ Jack Hyles
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