1 John 1

I. The word of life

1 John 1:1 NIV

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

1 John 1:2 NIV

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

1 John 1:3 NIV

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:4 NIV

We write this to make our joy complete.

II. Life with God while in the world

A. The way of light and darkness

1 John 1:5 NIV

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:6 NIV

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

1 John 1:7 NIV

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.

B. Facing the darkness within us

1 John 1:8 NIV

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:9 NIV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:10 NIV

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

III. Admitting “acceptable sins”, getting real about the darkness within our flesh

Galatians 5:19–21 NIV

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

IV. Man of Spirit and of Light

Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians & Ephesians E. The Fruit of the Spirit (5:22–26)

Against such things there is no law.

Christians are free to express this part of their new nature with joyful abandon. The Spirit, who strengthens the inner being (Eph 3:16), unleashes an unimaginable potential for growth in grace. But are these nine graces something we do, or things the Spirit does for us? The answer must be a combination of the two. While the Spirit originates and empowers these graces, each one is also elsewhere commanded in the N.T. Scriptures:

Love—“A new command I give you: Love one another” (John 13:34).

Joy—“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil 4:4).

Peace—“Live in peace” (2 Cor 13:11).

Patience—“Be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph 4:2).

Kindness—“Be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph 4:32).

Goodness—“Let us do good to all people” (Gal 6:10).

Faithfulness—“Be faithful, even to the point of death” (Rev 2:10).

Gentleness—“Be completely humble and gentle” (Eph 4:2).

Self-control—“Make every effort to add … self-control” (2 Pet 1:5–6).

V. Surrender, sacrifice, and the cross of discipleship

Galatians 5:24 NIV

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:25 NIV

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:26 (NIV)

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

1 John 2:1 NIV

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

1 John 2:2 NIV

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

The atoning sacrifice for our sins

1 John 4:7 NIV

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:8 NIV

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:9 NIV

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

1 John 4:10 NIV

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:11 NIV

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:12 NIV

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.