1 John

John is writing about the Word of Life, Christ (and eternal life), which he saw, touched, testify and proclaim.

The Message he heard “God is light (righteous); in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7) Comment: “Light” probably refers to God’s righteousness not the light enabling one to see things in darkness.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:9-10)

“If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous

• He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 2:1-2)

“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” (1 John 2:3)

“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6)

Comment: Walking as Jesus is living according to His will.

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.” (1 John 2:9)

Comment: Anyone who wishes ill toward another hates.

“Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.” (1 John 2:11)

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. Anyone loves the world; the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)

“Many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18-19) Comment: An antichrist is anyone who denies Jesus was God in a human body but just a phantom or denies the existence of Christ.

“You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” (1 John 2:20)

“The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist — he denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22)

“See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you.” (1 John 2:24)

“I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” (1 John 2:26)

Antichrist discussion – see thebiblewayonline.com/HTML/Gnosticism.html

Love of the Father “We are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him.” (1 John 3:2)

“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3)

“He appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.” (1 John 3:5-6)

“No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” (1 John 3:6)

“Do not let anyone lead you astray - so, one cannot be once saved always be saved.” (1 John 3:7)

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on (continue and still be living in righteously in Christ) sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)

“Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10) Comment: There are several types or levels of love. The love referred to here is desiring what is best for a brother’s physical and eternal life.

“The message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)

• Love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. (1 John 3:16)
• If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (1 John 3:17-18)
• Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth. (1 John 3:18-19)
• His is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another. (1 John 3:23)
• Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1-2
• 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. (1 John 4:2-3
• His is the spirit of the antichrist. (1 John 4:3
• No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us. (1 John 4:12
• If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20-21
• His is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. (1 John 5:2
• This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3-4
• Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory. (1 John 5:4

Eternal Life

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13-14 Comment: We have an advocate, Jesus, The Christ, between us and our merciful God who desires no one perish.

“If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14

“If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.” (1 John 5:16

• Physical death – Too late to pray for anyone who does not have their breath of life to obey Christ. Their eternal life is in the hands of a just God.
• Spiritual death – For the living, there is hope of repentance and return to God.
• Eternal death – Probably those who deny Jesus was God in human flesh as He said He was but a phantom as Gnostics claim - the antichrist.
• All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:17
• Anyone born of God does not continue to sin. (1 John 5:18
• The one who was born of God keeps him safe (by the life he lives), and the evil one cannot harm

• (1 John 5:18-19

• Know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. (1 John 5:20

Key Points from 1 John ➢ One can be led astray choosing to cease living a godly. ➢ The faithful in Christ’s Church, are constantly being washed clean from sin by His blood if they live according to His will. ➢ A Christian cannot hate (intensely dislike) a brother because God is Love. Question – What was the message John saw and heard?